Clothes and shoes look like one shopping trip. They are three jobs. Someone picks what to buy, someone checks the fit, and someone handles the returns. Split those jobs before the first hired visit, or the closet stays half done.
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.
Who picks the clothes
Start with the person who wears them. Ask what they want to wear, what they will not wear, and what they already own that still fits. If they cannot answer clearly, the family picks and says so out loud. A hired visit can carry a list. It cannot guess taste.
Write the list on one page. Name each item, the color, and the size you think they wear. Mark what replaces something old and what is new.
Who checks the fit
Fit is where clothing purchases go wrong. Sizes change between stores and between seasons. Shoes fit differently with different socks and different days. Decide who measures and who looks at the result. Do not assume the shopper knows.
Ask the caregiver to note what was bought and where it came from. Ask the family to check the first wear. That is a plain division with nothing left to guess.
Who handles the returns
Returns are the step most families forget. Receipts go in one folder. Return windows are short. A hired visit can process a return only if someone tells them the window, the store, and where the receipt is kept before they leave the house.
Ask three things before anyone hands over a card or cash. Does the store take returns without a receipt? What is the return window? Who keeps the receipt? Write the answers next to the list.
Does the agency cover shopping
Ask the agency directly. Some visits include errands. Some do not. Some bill shopping time as a separate line. Get the answer in writing before you rely on it. If the agency says shopping is included, ask what counts as shopping, how long a trip can run, and whether the caregiver can use a card the family provides. Do not treat any of that as a promise until it appears in the agreement.
A simple split
The family keeps the list and the fit check if the family lives close. The hired visit carries the bags and the trip if the agency covers it. Choose one owner for each job and write the owners on the list. An unowned job waits until someone complains.
If the closet is full and the trips are the hard part, buy the trip. If the closet is empty and the decisions are the hard part, the family makes the decisions first and hires the trip second.