The call may have sounded settled: the schedule works, the tasks are covered, and someone can start. None of that finishes the hire. Put the quote, proposal, service agreement, and any attached care plan on the same table. Your job is to find out whether the paperwork describes the arrangement you were offered.
Use this check before signing or supplying payment information. If you are still deciding between an agency and a direct hire, begin with Hire a Caregiver in St. Louis: Agency or Direct. The document names will differ, but the comparison below works whenever one person describes the arrangement and another document is supposed to confirm it.
1. Write down the offer as you understood it
Do not start by reading the contract. First, make a short record of what you believe was offered. That gives you something concrete to compare against the paperwork.
Who made the offer: ____________________
Who will provide the care: ____________________
Days and arrival windows discussed: ____________________
Tasks specifically discussed: ____________________
Who handles a call-off: ____________________
Who may change the schedule: ____________________
Documents received: ____________________
If you cannot fill a line from memory or an email, mark it unknown. Do not improve the offer by guessing what the caller probably meant.
2. Identify every document that becomes part of the agreement
Ask: “Which documents together make up the full agreement?” Listen for a list, not “everything is standard.” The answer might include a service agreement, care plan, schedule, policies, authorization form, or separate attachment.
Write each named document here: ____________________
Then ask: “Is anything referenced in the agreement that you have not sent me?” Search the paperwork for words such as attachment, exhibit, policy, schedule, handbook, addendum, and authorization. Put a check beside every referenced item you actually possess.
Walk away from the signature for now if the agreement refers to a document you cannot read. A signature should not depend on a missing page.
3. Match the named parties
Find the paragraph that identifies who is entering the agreement. Record the provider’s full name and the name beside the client or responsible party line.
Provider named in the contract: ____________________
Person receiving care: ____________________
Person expected to sign: ____________________
Ask: “What obligation does this signature place on the signer?” Listen for an answer tied to the exact wording on the page. If the caller answers generally, point to the signature label and ask again.
Stop if a family member is being asked to sign under a label that does not match the role discussed. Get the label and the obligation explained in writing before proceeding. This is a document check, not legal advice. If the obligation remains unclear, take the unsigned agreement to an appropriate adviser.
4. Compare the schedule line by line
Find the contract language covering days, start times, arrival windows, shift length, recurring frequency, and any minimum commitment. Do not treat a blank schedule field as confirmation of the phone conversation.
For each item, mark one result: match, different, or missing.
Days: ____________________
Arrival window: ____________________
Length of each visit: ____________________
Recurring or temporary arrangement: ____________________
Expected start: ____________________
Ask: “Where does the agreement confirm the schedule we discussed?” Listen for a page, section, or attached schedule. “We will enter that later” means it is not confirmed yet.
5. Find the tasks in the paperwork
Compare your written task list with the agreement and care plan. Look for the actual work, not a broad phrase that could mean several things.
For every important task, record where it appears: ____________________
Ask: “Which of these tasks will be placed in the caregiver’s written instructions?” Then ask: “Which tasks we discussed are excluded?” Listen for a direct distinction between included work, excluded work, and work that needs separate approval.
Pause if a task that drove the hire appears nowhere. A verbal yes and a blank care plan are not the same record. Ask for corrected paperwork or a written attachment.
6. Locate the change procedure
Care needs and schedules can change. The contract should tell you how a requested change becomes an approved change.
Find and record:
Who may request a change: ____________________
Who may approve it: ____________________
How approval is recorded: ____________________
When the change takes effect: ____________________
Ask: “If I call to add a task or move a shift, what document will show that the change was accepted?” Listen for a repeatable process such as a revised schedule, updated care plan, or written confirmation.
A warning sign is an answer that depends entirely on whichever employee answers the phone. You need to know what record will control after the call ends.
7. Read the cancellation and ending clauses aloud
Find every paragraph using words such as cancel, terminate, suspend, notice, absence, missed visit, or no access. Read the complete paragraphs, including cross-references.
Write down:
How the family may cancel one visit: ____________________
How the provider may cancel one visit: ____________________
How either side may end the recurring arrangement: ____________________
Where notice must be sent: ____________________
What happens to already scheduled visits: ____________________
Ask: “Please show me the clause that applies if we end the service.” Listen for an answer that identifies the exact clause. Do not rely on a summary that conflicts with the page.
8. Separate promises from contract terms
Make two columns on paper. Label one “On the call” and the other “In the agreement.” Place each important promise in both columns.
Check these subjects: schedule, caregiver assignment, substitute coverage, tasks, supervision contact, change procedure, cancellation, ending service, and return of any house access item.
For every promise missing from the agreement, ask: “Will you add this to the agreement or an attached plan before I sign?” Listen for yes, no, or a specific written alternative. “That is how we usually do it” does not place the promise in your copy.
9. Make a discrepancy list instead of marking the contract
Use a separate sheet so the unresolved items remain easy to send and compare.
Document and section: ____________________
What the document says: ____________________
What the caller said: ____________________
Correction requested: ____________________
Who is responding: ____________________
How the correction will appear: ____________________
Send the list to the person who supplied the paperwork. Ask for a revised document or written answer. Keep both the earlier version and the replacement so you can see what changed.
10. Perform the final paper check
Before signing, confirm that every page is present, every attachment is included, every blank affecting the arrangement is completed, and every handwritten change appears on all relevant copies. Confirm that the provider will give you the completed signed set.
Final questions:
“Is this the complete agreement?”
“Do any other policies or forms govern the service?”
“Who can change these terms after signing?”
“How will I receive a copy of any change?”
Listen for answers that point back to the paperwork. Stop if you are asked to sign first and receive the missing terms later.
Keep the final agreement, attachments, quote, and discrepancy list together. Write the provider’s main contact and the location of the change and cancellation clauses on the front of the folder. The next phone call will be shorter when the answer has a page number.
This sheet follows the document-first method described in How We Write the Sheets. Public materials used by this desk are collected on the Sources page. For the larger hiring sequence, use Start Here: Five Steps to Hiring.