Most families plan the trip and forget the arrangement. The visits keep coming, the schedule keeps running, and a question comes up that nobody has authority to answer. The arrangement needs an owner for the days you are gone. That owner needs written authority before you leave.
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 makes decisions while I am away?
Name one person. Write down their name, their phone number, and what they may decide. Be exact. Decisions they may make include pausing a visit, changing a start time for a day, and calling the agency about a problem. Decisions that stay with you include changing the agreement and approving new charges.
Who does the agency call, and in what order?
Give the agency a short call order. The decision person comes first. The backup comes second. Confirm the agency has both numbers and that both people will answer on the days you are away. Ask the agency to tell you in writing if it cannot reach either of them.
What should stay the same?
Leave the routine written, in the same version the agency already has. Keep the start times, the tasks, and the place where visit notes are sent. If the agency plans to change any of those while you are gone, ask for the change in writing before it happens.
Ask whether the same caregiver can be kept on your visits. If the answer is no, ask what the replacement will do and who will tell you.
What should you check before you leave?
Get the agency's coverage plan for your exact dates. Ask whether visits will be held, cut, or changed. If the plan says nothing, ask again in writing.
Ask what happens to visits you cancel with notice. Get the answer in writing. Read the cancellation terms before you leave, not after the bill arrives.
Leave one sheet with the decision person, the call order, the routine, and the coverage plan. One sheet is easier to use than a folder.
Will the agency decide for me while I am away?
Not unless you have said so in writing. If you have not named a decision, the agency should call the decision person. If it does not, record that as a finding and raise it when you return.
What should happen when I come back?
Schedule a short review on your first day back. Read the visit notes from the days you were gone. Ask what changed, what went well, and what needs a fix. Put each change on paper before anyone starts working the new version.
If coverage for your trip changes the month's plan, see Budgeting a Year of Home Care before you commit to the new arrangement.