A contact sheet fails on the worst day, not the calm one. Numbers change. Keys move. The backup person moves away. The fix is simple: a single sheet, a named owner, and a set date to check it.
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.
What goes on the sheet?
- The agency office line, including the after-hours line
- The agency supervisor's name and direct line
- The name and number of the family member who makes decisions
- Backup family or neighbor names, with a note on who holds a key
- The family's doctor's office, for health questions
- The local emergency number
Health questions go to the family's doctor. The sheet only records where to call.
Who owns the sheet?
Name a single person. Not a group. Groups do not update things. The owner makes the changes, and the owner is the one who gets the call when a number fails. Write the owner's name at the top of the sheet.
When does it change?
Update it the same day anything changes. A new caregiver. A new office hour. A key that moves. A family phone that gets replaced. Also set a standing check every few months, where the owner reads each line against the people involved.
How do you test it?
Call the agency's after-hours line on a calm day. Write down how long it takes to reach a person. Write down whether that person knows who you are. Ask whether the agency allows direct contact with caregivers, and write the answer on the sheet. Some agencies forbid it. Knowing that now beats finding it out during a missed visit.
Where does the sheet live?
Keep a printed copy in the kitchen and a copy in the agency folder. Keep a shared digital copy that the owner and a backup can open. Printed copies survive a dead phone. Digital copies survive a lost binder.