An agency's written sample of its work is not the same as a family's account of working with it. A reference call lets you hear how a caregiver handled a normal week and an ordinary problem. It takes about as long as a single interview, and it is the step most families skip.
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: Ask for two references
Ask the provider or the private caregiver for two families they have worked with in the past. Ask for contact details that work. If the provider offers only a name without a way to reach the family, write that down as a gap to resolve before you move on.
Reference 1 name: ____________________ Contact: ____________________
Reference 2 name: ____________________ Contact: ____________________
Step 2: Write the script before you call
Write six questions on one page. Keep the page in front of you during the call. Write the answers in your own words as you hear them, not in the words the reference uses.
Step 3: Ask these questions
How did you find this caregiver, and how long did they work with you? What were the regular hours and tasks? Did the caregiver ever miss a shift, and what happened next? Name one task the caregiver did that was not on the written plan. Did the schedule ever change, and how did you learn about it? When a problem came up in the house, how was it handled?
Step 4: Listen for specifics
Listen for named tasks, a described problem, and how it was fixed. A useful answer sounds like: they told us the afternoon visit would be late and called before they left. Be cautious about answers that stay general, or that describe the caregiver only as nice.
Walk-away signs
Walk away if the reference is a relative of the caregiver, or if the reference cannot describe any task they handled. Walk away if the reference says the schedule changed without notice and the caregiver did not say why. Walk away if the provider gives you a name but the family cannot be reached after a reasonable try.
What to write down
Write each reference's answers under the question they belong to, the problem described and how it was handled, the schedule changes you heard about, and any gap you still need to close before the first shift. If the provider cannot offer references, the options listed on Local Help for Hiring a Caregiver are a place to ask about other routes.