  Population aging is a global challenge, leading to increased demand for
health care and social services for the elderly. Home Health Care (HHC) is a
vital solution to serve this segment of the population. Given the increasing
demand for HHC, it is essential to coordinate and regulate caregiver allocation
efficiently. This is crucial for both budget-optimized planning and ensuring
the delivery of high-quality care. This research addresses a fundamental
question in home health agencies (HHAs): "How can caregiver allocation be
optimized, especially when caregivers prefer flexibility in their visit
sequences?". While earlier studies proposed rigid visiting sequences, our study
introduces a decision support framework that allocates caregivers through a
hybrid method that considers the flexibility in visiting sequences and aims to
reduce travel mileage, increase the number of visits per planning period, and
maintain the continuity of care; a critical metric for patient satisfaction.
Utilizing data from an HHA in Tennessee, United States, our approach led to an
impressive reduction in average travel mileage (up to 42%, depending on
discipline) without imposing restrictions on caregivers. Furthermore, the
proposed framework is used for caregivers' supply analysis to provide valuable
insights into caregiver resource management.
