One missed item is a bad day. The same item raised three times means the agency's fix does not hold. Most families only notice this after it has been going on for a month, because each complaint looks small when it happens. Write them down and the pattern shows itself.

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.

Keep a one-line complaint log

Start a single page. Each time something goes wrong, write one line: what happened, who raised it, who said they would fix it, and what they said would change. Do not write a paragraph. A line is easy to compare with the line above it.

Read the log for repeats

Look for the same line twice. The common repeats are small: the door left unlocked, the note not left on the table, the same room skipped, the same message sent to the wrong phone. Each repeat means the first fix was a promise, not a process.

Signs the fix is not holding

  • The agency says it will look into it, and the next visit shows no sign anyone did.
  • The reply comes from a different person each time, and nobody has the earlier message.
  • You are the one who checks, fixes or reminds, and you have started doing it without saying so.
  • The office has no written record of your complaint, only what someone remembers.
  • The office says the aide did not mention it, which means the aide was never asked.

What to ask when the second line appears

  • Who owns this problem at the agency, by name and job title?
  • What is the written step the agency takes when a complaint comes in, and how long does that step take?
  • What will change in the schedule, the assignment or the written instructions so this stops?
  • Can you send me the record of my earlier complaint?

Put it in writing and set a return check

Send the repeat by email or letter, with the earlier line attached. Ask for the fix in writing and a confirmation within the same week. If the reply is a phone call that never gets written down, write the summary yourself and send it back to the agency. Silence after a written complaint is a finding you can record.

When to take it higher

If the same problem returns after the agency has confirmed a fix in writing, take it to whoever owns the agency, not only the scheduler. If that fails, the state agency that licenses home care providers takes complaints. Bring your log when you call. For how an agency's paper trail feeds into our ranking, see How We Rate.