The task list you wrote at the start is a snapshot of one week. Needs change, routines shift, and a list that was right in the first month can be wrong by the fourth. The fix is a review on a fixed day, with each change written down and signed. This piece sets up that review.
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: Pick a review day
Choose one day each month when the family and the caregiver sit down for twenty minutes. Put it on the calendar the same way you would a medical or school appointment. Write the day here.
Monthly review day: ______________________
Step 2: Compare the list to what actually happened
Bring the current written list and the shift log for the last four weeks. For each task, mark whether it was done every time, done sometimes, or not done. Ask the caregiver what they did that is not on the list.
Task: ____________________ Done every time / sometimes / not done / not on list
Step 3: Write each change on the list
For every task added, removed, or changed, write the new line in the same words the caregiver will use on shift. Vague words such as as needed or when appropriate are a warning. Replace them with the time of day, the room, or the trigger.
Added: ____________________ Removed: ____________________ Changed to: ____________________
Step 4: Get both signatures
The family and the caregiver each sign and date the updated list. The caregiver's signature confirms they read it. The family's signature confirms the change is approved. If the caregiver disagrees with a line, write the disagreement on the page and decide it that day.
Step 5: Replace the copy in the house
Put the new list where the old one was, and remove the old copy. Keep the previous version in a folder so you can see how the duties changed over time.
Listen for and walk away from
Listen for: a specific reason for each change, such as a new routine or a task that stopped being needed.
Walk away if: changes are only agreed by phone and never written, if the caregiver says we always did it that way without any record of it, or if the agency will change duties without telling the family and without a signed copy.
For the way these notes are checked and kept, see How We Write the Sheets.
What to write down
Keep the date of each review, the list version number, the two signatures, and one line naming the biggest change. After six reviews, the folder will show whether the arrangement is following the parent's needs or drifting from them.