What the list measures

A ranking on this site measures a single thing: how plainly an agency talks about money on its own pages and on the opening call. It does not measure how well the workers perform, how kind the office sounds, or whether the match will hold after a few weeks. Keep those apart in your head before you read any line of the list.

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.

Read the method page before you trust the order. It states what gets checked and how a missing answer is scored. Pay attention to the rule that silence counts as a finding. An agency that does not publish its rates has not hidden a bad price from you. It has handed you a fact: you will have to ask, and you will have to get the answer in writing.

Use the list to build a call list

Use the front page to choose who to call, not who to hire. A higher place means the agency was plainer about money in the places a visitor can check. It says nothing about what you will pay, which depends on the hours you need, the level of help, and the terms you sign.

Call a spread of agencies, not only the top of the list. Ask each one the same questions in the same order. If a lower agency answers more plainly on the phone than its website suggested, write that down. The website is a draft. The call is the real test.

Questions to ask on every call

  • What is the billing unit, and is there a minimum block of time?
  • What is charged on top of visit time, including travel, weekends, nights, and holidays?
  • Is there a deposit, a prepaid block of hours, or a sign-up fee?
  • How much notice do you need to change or cancel hours, and is any of it charged?
  • Is the person who comes to the house your employee, or a worker from another company?
  • Will you send the full terms in writing before anyone signs?

What a list cannot check for you

A money-clarity list does not confirm that an agency is registered, insured, or in good standing. Ask for those papers yourself and check them with the office that issues them. The list also cannot tell you how the agency pairs a worker to your home, what it does when a visit is missed, or how fast its office answers a call. Test those on the phone and in the room.

Log the silence

If an agency will not name its rates on the phone or in writing, record that as a finding in your own notes. Write down the day you asked, the name of the person you spoke with, and the exact words they used. Do not argue. Ask who can put the terms on paper and when you can expect them. An agency that goes quiet after you ask for numbers is telling you how it will handle billing questions later.

Use the How We Rate page to see exactly what counts as plain and what counts as silent. Then go back to the front page with your call notes beside you.