Many families pick a lane by whoever answered the phone first. That is a weak test. The better test is how long the need will last, because each lane costs something different to leave. Choose the lane after you have a length, not before.

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: Name the length as a range

Put one of three answers on the lines below. Short and bounded means weeks with a stated end. Open-ended means months with no stated end. Unknown means nobody can say yet. If a written discharge plan or a doctor's office gave the estimate, use that as your source and note who gave it.

Expected length: ______________________________

Source of that estimate: ______________________________

Step 2: Match the lane to the range

Family-run care fits a short, bounded need when the family can cover every gap with a named person. An agency block fits a short need when the family cannot cover gaps, because the agency carries the replacement terms. Read those terms before you sign. A direct hire fits an open-ended need when the family wants to set the schedule and can hold the employer role. The side-by-side trade-offs are on Hire a Caregiver in St. Louis: Agency or Direct.

If the need is unknown, choose the lane with the easiest exit. Then write a review point in your own words, such as after the first two weeks of shifts or at the next appointment, and decide again at that point.

Step 3: Write the exit before the first call

Each lane has an exit, and you should be able to state it in one sentence. Answer these in writing:

  1. How much notice does this lane require to end the arrangement? ______________________
  2. Who holds the signed paper, and where is the copy you keep? ______________________
  3. If the caregiver leaves early, who covers the next shift? ______________________

Step 4: Check the lane against your own calendar

Count the family hours you are promising in a normal week and in a bad week. A lane fails if the family covers less than it said it would. Write the two totals here:

Normal week, family hours promised: __________ Bad week, family hours actually available: __________

Signs the lane is wrong

  • The family is covering the same gap every week after the first month.
  • Terms that matter, such as notice or replacement, cannot be found in writing.
  • The plan depends on one person's free hours that are not guaranteed.

If the chosen lane cannot state its exit in writing, switch lanes before you sign anything. The desk method for these sheets is explained on How We Write the Sheets.