A yes to 'do you cover our area' is not a coverage answer. It can mean the company staffs the city but not the township where your parent lives, staffs the Missouri side but not the Illinois side, or staffs weekdays but not the early morning hours you need. Get the county list and the hour list in writing before you compare any other line on two providers.

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.

Step 1: Write the exact need on one page

Fill this in before the first call so every provider answers the same question.

  • Street address, town, and ZIP code: ____
  • Days needed: ____
  • Start time: ____ End time: ____
  • Any overnight or weekend need: ____

Step 2: Ask each provider these five questions

  1. Which counties and towns do you staff from, and is my street inside that list?
  2. If my address sits near the edge of your area, what is the travel boundary, and is extra travel time written into the terms?
  3. Do you staff the Illinois side of the metro, and is it the same team and the same written terms?
  4. Can you staff my start and end times without an exception, and what happens when the caregiver for those hours is out?
  5. Who is the named person I call when a shift is not covered, and what is that person's direct number?

Step 3: Get the answers onto paper

A verbal 'we go everywhere' is not a written service area. Ask that the counties and the scheduled hours appear in the written agreement or in the schedule attached to it. If a provider will not put it in writing, mark that line as unknown on your grid and do not count it as a yes. The desk's process notes are on the Sources page, and nearby places to check your county against are listed on Local Help for Hiring a Caregiver.

Step 4: Compare on one grid

Use one row per provider. Write the answer, not the adjective.

  • Provider: ____ Counties served: ____ Your street inside the list: yes / no / unknown
  • Hours staffed without exception: ____ Named contact for a missed shift: ____

Signs to walk away

  • The answer on the county question changes between two calls.
  • The provider staffs the city, but the township where your parent lives is not on the list, and nobody says so until the schedule is built.
  • No one can name the person who covers a missed shift.

Once the grid is full, the provider with the fewest unknowns is the one to ask your next questions of, not the one with the friendliest phone voice.