A visit nobody wrote down did not happen, as far as any bill or dispute is concerned. Set up the log before the opening shift, fill it the same way every visit, and read it every week. Skip any step and you will be arguing from memory later.

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.

Set up the log before the start

Ask the agency how visits are recorded. Some use a paper sheet kept in the home. Some use an app or a portal. Either works if you can see it and it is written down. Ask:

  • Where is the log kept, and who else can read it?
  • What fields does each entry hold?
  • Can a family member add a note, and does the agency see it?

Every entry needs five things

Arrival time. Departure time. Tasks done. Tasks not done, with the reason. Anything unusual. The caregiver's name should appear on every entry too. Skipped tasks matter most. A blank line is ambiguous. 'Not done' plus a reason is a record.

Run the log on every visit

The caregiver fills in the arrival line when they walk in and the departure line when they leave. You read each entry the same day or the next morning. Do not let the pages pile up unread. An unread log is just a stack of paper.

Check it weekly

Once a week, hold the log next to the schedule you agreed. Look for three things. Shifts that ran long with no note. Tasks marked done every day with no change in the house. Visits missing entirely. Each gets a question, in writing, to the agency office.

Match the log to the invoice

Add up the hours in the log for each billing period. Compare the total with the hours on the invoice. If they differ, ask why in writing and keep the answer. Do not settle the invoice until the gap is explained.

Close the log at the end

When service stops, ask for the complete log before the account closes. Keep a copy with your other household records. The log is the only day by day account of who was in the home and what got done.