Websites are written by the agency. A reference call is one of the few places where a family that already paid the bills tells you what happened. Treat each call as a short interview with a single purpose: how the money held up once the invoices started arriving.
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 to ask for
Ask the agency for a few families who have used its services for at least a few months. Ask for families who are still clients and families who ended service. A list the agency picks is a start, but ask yourself whether it looks like a list of its happiest clients only. If the agency will not name any families, record that as a finding.
Questions about the bill
Ask how the first invoice compared with the quote. Ask whether any line came as a surprise and how the agency explained it. Ask whether the family was charged for time they did not expect, and whether the agency fixed it without a fight.
Ask how changes are priced. Ask what the family did when the schedule moved. Ask whether the agency called before adding a visit or after it had already happened.
Questions about the people
Ask how often the caregiver changed and whether the family was told before each change. Ask whether the office answered the phone when something went wrong, and how fast.
Questions to skip
Skip questions that only invite praise. Asking whether the caregivers are nice tells you little. Ask for a specific example instead: a time something went wrong and how it was handled.
How to record the call
Sort your notes into money, schedule, and staff. Mark every question the family would not answer. Silence on a money question is a finding, just as a missing rate on a website is a finding. Compare your notes with the criteria on How We Rate so you know what the desk counts and what it does not.