Agencies talk about their pool of staff. Few talk about the match. Ask how the match is made, and what the family gets to say about it, before you sign anything.
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.
Questions to ask on the match call
- What do you record about the home and the person before you choose a name? Ask for the intake facts, such as the layout, pets, stairs, and parking.
- What preferences can the family set, and which ones does the agency refuse? Ask about language, gender preference, smoking, and pets.
- Who makes the final pick, the office or the family?
- Can the family meet or speak with the proposed person before the first shift?
- What does the office do after the first shift to check the fit, and who asks the question?
Listen for the answer you did not expect
An agency that says any available person will do has told you its match process is the schedule. That is an answer. Write it down. An agency that describes a real intake, with questions about the home and the person, has told you it reads the file. Ask to see the intake form, or at least a written list of what it covers.
What the family should bring
Bring a one-page list of what your household needs in a person. Keep it factual: the hours, the home layout, the tasks the person will be asked to do, and what is off limits. Hold that list up against the agency's answers, line by line.
Write down the silence
If the agency will not describe its match process, record that as a finding. Silence on the match is a question you will live with every shift.
For how the money side connects to these questions, see How to Read a Home Care Quote.