When three providers answer the same question three different ways, the comparison only works if every answer sits on the same page in the same order. This sheet holds the answers. It does not hold a score. Your job is to see the gaps, not to rank the firms.

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: Draw the grid

Make one column for each provider and one row for each item below. Use paper or a spreadsheet. Keep the same row order every time you add a provider.

  1. Employer of record: which entity employs the caregiver, and what name appears on the contract
  2. Written rate, and the section where it appears
  3. Rate change terms, with the section number
  4. Premium day terms, with the section number
  5. Sample invoice supplied: yes or no
  6. Checks the provider says it runs on caregivers, and whether it will put that in writing
  7. How the first week is set up, in one sentence
  8. Documents you were given, with the page count of each
  9. How long the provider took to answer your written questions

Step 2: Send the same request to each provider

Use one written message for every provider, with the same list of questions. Keep a copy of each message. Do not share one provider's answers with another provider unless you have their permission to do so. Wait for written answers before you decide anything.

Step 3: Record blanks as blanks

If a provider does not answer a row, mark the cell with NA and a note that you asked and received no answer. Do not fill the cell with what you assume the answer would be.

Step 4: Read across the rows

Compare each row across all the columns before you move to the next row. This shows you where one provider is vague and another is specific. Write the one row that matters most to your household: ____________

Signs to stop comparing and walk away

  • A provider answers by phone only and will not put the answer in writing.
  • Two staff members give different answers to the same row.
  • The provider asks you to sign before the sheet is complete.

For how this desk builds its comparison sheets and checks its claims, read How We Write the Sheets.