Most of the house jobs in a parent's home never needed a caregiver. Sort them first. Hire only what is left over.
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.
Make the full list
Walk through the house and write down every job that is not personal care. Include the yard, gutters, filters, light bulbs, smoke alarm batteries, trash and recycling, minor repairs, and the seasonal jobs nobody remembers until they go wrong.
Sort into three piles
- Family work: jobs one of you can do reliably, on a fixed day, without strain.
- Trade work: anything that needs a licensed or insured tradesperson, such as electrical or roofing. Hire the trade. A home care aide is not the answer.
- Light household help: simple tasks inside the agreed plan, such as tidying a kitchen or changing bed linen, if the agency and the family have both agreed to them in writing.
Test each job before it moves
- Who has the skill, the time, and the equipment?
- Does it need a ladder or any work at height? If so, it does not belong to a caregiver. Hire it out or have a family member do it.
- Is it a one-time job or a repeating one? Repeating jobs go on a fixed calendar date.
- Does it appear on the agreed task list for the caregiver? If not, do not assign it.
Once the piles are clear, the hired hours should cover only the work that truly needs a person in the home. Everything else can go to a family member on a calendar, or to a trade on an invoice. Keep the two lists on separate pages so the budget stays honest. The Budgeting a Year of Home Care guide shows how to build that split.