Before you sign anything, a short checklist will tell you more than a polished brochure. These questions are plain on purpose. None of them need special training to ask, and a good agency will answer each one without hurrying you.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
About the plan
- Is there a written plan for the person you care for, and who wrote it?
- Can the plan be changed without a new contract or a long wait?
- What happens when the plan and the day do not match?
About the helper
- Who supervises the helper, and how often does a supervisor check in on visits?
- How does the agency screen helpers before they enter the home? Ask what is checked, in plain words.
- What happens when the usual helper is sick or away? Ask for the plan, not just a promise.
About the house and the hours
- Which tasks does the helper do, and which do they not do? Ask for the list in writing.
- Who holds the house key or entry code, and what happens if it goes missing?
- How much notice does the agency need to change or stop visits, and what happens to hours already booked?
About reaching someone
- Who answers the phone when a visit goes wrong, and during which hours?
- Will you hear about a missed visit the same day?
Before you decide
Ask for the answers in writing and compare them side by side. If an answer is vague, ask again. A calm, specific answer is a good sign. Pressure to decide today is not.
No agency on this site makes a medical judgment, and no helper takes the place of the family's doctor. Health questions go to the family's doctor. For a sense of how this site sorts the offices it covers, see How We Rate Memory Support.