Nova

Take ownership or record a care action

update_care_task

Claim an open alert to prevent duplicate follow-up or record the action you took, keeping care circle response clear.

Instructions

Claim an open alert or record what you did. Ownership prevents duplicate family follow-up. Use resolve_alert when finished.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "alert_id": "<alert_id>",
      "action": "<action>"
    },
    "name": "update_care_task"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`note`	No
`action`	Yes
`alert_id`	Yes	The alert id; 0 means the most important open alert

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
No arguments

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv0.1.0Oct 24, 2026

TDQS

A3.8/5.0

Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare this is a non-read-only, non-destructive, non-idempotent, closed-world mutation, so the safety bar is lower. The description adds useful context that claiming has a side effect on family follow-up visibility, but says nothing about what happens if the alert is already claimed, whether claiming is reversible, or any note-size constraint.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three short sentences, each doing distinct work: the action, the reason, and the hand-off. Purpose is front-loaded with zero preamble.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a three-parameter mutation with annotations and an output schema, the description covers purpose, rationale, and the next step well enough to invoke correctly. The remaining gap is edge-case behavior (already-claimed alerts, note usage), which is minor given the structured data available.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is only 33%, so the description carries more burden than usual; it does convey the meaning of the two enum values in prose. However it says nothing about the note field or its 2000-char limit, and the alert_id special value 0 is documented only in the schema, not the description.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

"Claim an open alert or record what you did" names two concrete verbs and the resource, and the two actions map directly onto the action enum. It also names the sibling it hands off to (resolve_alert), so it is distinguishable, though the tool name 'care_task' versus the described resource 'alert' creates a small mismatch.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It gives a clear when-to-use rationale (claiming prevents duplicate family follow-up) and explicitly routes the agent to resolve_alert when the task is finished. It does not spell out when to prefer claim versus record_action beyond the single clause, and no prerequisites are stated.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.