Daylight Saving Time (DST) can affect the recorded duration of overnight and live-in visits that cross the time change. When clocks move forward or backward, the scheduled start and end times remain the same, but the total number of hours in the visit reflects the actual elapsed time.
For visits billed at a per-visit rate, the rate is not affected by the Daylight Saving Time change.
When Daylight Saving Time Ends
When Daylight Saving Time ends in the fall, clocks are turned back one hour. Overnight or live-in visits that span the time change therefore contain one additional hour.
Example
A caregiver is scheduled for an overnight visit:
Scheduled start: Saturday at 8:00 PM
Scheduled end: Sunday at 8:00 AM
Scheduled times displayed: 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM
Visit duration: 13 hours
Although the start and end times appear to represent a typical 12-hour overnight shift, the caregiver experiences 13 actual hours because the clock moves back one hour during the visit.
What to expect
The visit's start and end times remain as scheduled.
The duration reflects the additional hour created when the clocks move backward.
A shift that would normally represent 12 hours may therefore show a 13-hour duration.
Per-visit rates are not affected by the additional hour.
When Daylight Saving Time Begins
When Daylight Saving Time begins in the spring, clocks are moved forward one hour. Overnight or live-in visits that span the time change therefore contain one fewer hour.
Example
A caregiver is scheduled for an overnight visit:
Scheduled start: Saturday at 8:00 PM
Scheduled end: Sunday at 8:00 AM
Scheduled times displayed: 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM
Visit duration: 11 hours
The start and end times remain unchanged, but only 11 actual hours pass because the clock moves forward one hour during the visit.
What to expect
The visit's start and end times remain as scheduled.
The duration reflects the hour lost when the clocks move forward.
A shift that would normally represent 12 hours may therefore show an 11-hour duration.
Per-visit rates are not affected by the shorter duration.
Per-Visit Rates
Visits configured with a per-visit rate are not affected by the Daylight Saving Time adjustment. The visit retains its established per-visit rate even when the calculated duration is one hour longer or shorter than usual.
For example, if a live-in visit is scheduled from 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM:
When clocks fall back, the visit displays the scheduled 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM times but has a duration of 13 hours.
When clocks spring forward, the visit displays the scheduled 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM times but has a duration of 11 hours.
If the visit uses a per-visit rate, that rate remains unchanged in either scenario.
Important: A difference between the scheduled start/end times and the displayed number of hours during a Daylight Saving Time change is expected. The duration represents the actual elapsed time across the time change and does not mean the scheduled visit times have been altered.