A provider can say yes to the schedule while saying no to part of the work. That difference may stay hidden until intake, the first caregiver visit, or the first time someone refuses a task at the house.
Do not start by asking, “Can you help Dad?” Start with one actual shift and make each provider mark the work it accepts, the work it accepts with conditions, and the work it will not do. The comparison is not complete until every answer points to a public page or a document the provider will give you.
If you still need to decide between an agency and a direct hire, use Hire a Caregiver in St. Louis: Agency or Direct before running this check.
1. Write one shift as actions
Choose the shift that contains the most moving parts. Write what must happen from arrival to departure. Use actions, not broad labels such as companionship or personal care.
Arrival time: ____________________
Departure time: ____________________
Actions that must happen:
1. ____________________
2. ____________________
3. ____________________
4. ____________________
5. ____________________
Include the ordinary details that can change an answer: stairs, pets, smoking, lifting, driving, use of the family car, errands, meal cleanup, laundry location, and whether another adult will ask for help.
Do not add a task because a provider advertises it. Add it because someone must perform it during this shift.
2. Ask for the no list before describing the whole case
Use the same opening question with every provider:
“Where can I read the complete list of tasks your caregivers may not perform?”
Write down the answer:
Provider: ____________________
Public page or document name: ____________________
Exact web address, if public: ____________________
Person who supplied it: ____________________
If the answer is “it depends,” ask who decides and what information that person uses. Then ask for the decision in writing.
A usable answer names a policy, contract section, service handbook, or written work plan. “Our caregivers do most things” is not a list. “We will discuss that at intake” is not a decision.
3. Put each action through three boxes
Read one action at a time. Ask the provider to place it in one of these boxes:
Allowed as written: ____________________
Allowed only if these conditions are met: ____________________
Not allowed: ____________________
For every conditional answer, ask:
“What condition has to be met?”
“Who confirms it?”
“Where will that approval appear?”
“Does every assigned caregiver receive that approval?”
“What happens to the shift if the condition is not met?”
Record the provider's exact words. Do not translate “the supervisor must approve” into “yes.” It remains conditional until the named supervisor approves it in the record used to assign the shift.
4. Test the boundary, not just the task name
A broad task name can hide several different actions. Break it apart until the boundary is visible.
For transportation, ask whether the caregiver may drive the family car, drive the caregiver's car, accompany your parent in a hired ride, enter the destination, wait through the appointment, and bring your parent back inside.
For meals, ask whether the caregiver may choose food, shop, handle household money, open packaging, use the stove, follow written food instructions, serve the meal, store leftovers, and clean the kitchen.
For mobility help, describe the exact route and action. Ask about standing from the usual chair, walking to the bathroom, using stairs, entering a vehicle, and what the caregiver must do if the planned assistance is not enough.
For medication related tasks, state the exact action without using a broad phrase. Ask separately about bringing a container, giving a reminder, opening packaging, recording what the person reports, and calling the family when something does not match the written plan. Do not assume one answer covers every action.
For household work, name the room, item, and stopping point. “Laundry” may mean carrying a basket, using stairs, changing bedding, operating machines, folding, putting clothing away, or only handling the care recipient's items.
5. Find the second no list
The company policy may not be the only limit. Ask whether an individual caregiver can decline an otherwise allowed task because of training, physical demands, allergies, pets, smoking, driving, or another stated restriction.
Ask:
“Can the company approve this task while the assigned caregiver declines it?”
“Where is that restriction recorded before assignment?”
“Who checks the restriction against our work plan?”
“If the restriction is discovered at the house, who owns the uncovered task?”
Write the answer: ____________________
You are not asking for private information about a worker. You are asking whether the assignment process checks the worker's stated limits against the job you supplied.
6. Compare the uncovered work
Make a separate list for every task marked conditional or not allowed. Put a name beside it. “Family” is not a name.
Uncovered task: ____________________
Person responsible: ____________________
Available during the shift: yes / no
Backup person: ____________________
If nobody can own the task, the provider does not cover the full shift you wrote. That does not make the provider good or bad. It gives you the actual unit to compare.
7. Carry the answers into the work plan
Before agreeing, ask for the accepted actions, conditions, and exclusions to appear in the contract, service plan, task sheet, or other document the caregiver will actually receive.
Ask:
“Which document controls what the caregiver does in the house?”
“May I review that document before the first shift?”
“Who can change it?”
“How will I know that the assigned caregiver received the same version?”
Controlling document: ____________________
Version or identifying label: ____________________
Provider contact responsible for corrections: ____________________
If the sales answer and the working document differ, pause the comparison. Ask the provider to reconcile them in writing.
8. Use the walk away signs
Stop and resolve the gap before choosing when:
1. The provider will not identify a written source for its exclusions.
2. The caller gives a yes, but says the caregiver will decide at the house.
3. A required task is described as conditional, but nobody can name the approving person.
4. The provider changes the task wording instead of answering whether the stated action is allowed.
5. The written work plan omits a task that mattered during the sales call.
6. An uncovered task is left to “the family” without a named person who will be present.
Keep the completed sheet with the provider's public page, written policy, and proposed work plan. For the public agencies and records used by this desk, see Sources. For the method used to separate public facts from provider statements, see How We Write the Sheets.