Your father gets dressed when you are standing in the doorway. He makes lunch after you set the food on the counter. He leaves for an appointment after you find his shoes, hand him the address, and check that he locked the door.

Each task got done. That does not tell you whether he can complete the routine alone.

The problem to identify is not whether he can perform one step while someone watches. It is whether an ordinary sequence reaches a finished result without another person prompting, preparing, correcting, or returning later to clean it up. The five-step hiring sheet starts with defining the work before comparing providers. Use this test to define it.

1. Pick one routine that keeps requiring family help

Do not inspect the whole household at once. Choose one routine that repeatedly ends in a call, a visit, an unfinished task, or a family member quietly fixing things afterward.

Use a routine with a visible beginning and end:

Morning: out of bed, dressed, breakfast finished, dishes placed where agreed.

Leaving the house: clothing ready, needed items collected, door secured, ride met.

Evening: meal finished, kitchen closed, clothing and household items set for the next morning.

Write it down:

Routine: ______________________________

It begins when: ________________________

It is finished when: ____________________

Who currently makes sure it finishes: ____________________

2. Write the steps before you watch

List the steps in plain language. Do not use labels such as supervision, companionship, or morning help. Those labels hide the point where the routine breaks. The site explains why its sheets favor verifiable actions in How We Write the Sheets.

For a morning routine, the list might read:

1. Gets out of bed.
2. Finds clean clothing.
3. Dresses.
4. Reaches the kitchen.
5. Chooses and prepares breakfast.
6. Eats.
7. Puts food away.
8. Places dishes where agreed.

Do not improve the list while observing. If you add a step afterward, mark it as a new step so you can distinguish the original routine from your correction.

3. Observe without turning the test into a performance

Use an ordinary repetition of the routine. Do not stage a difficult situation, remove normal supports, or withhold help that would ordinarily be given.

Stand far enough back to see what happens before you speak. If you prompt, prepare an item, demonstrate a step, or finish something yourself, record it immediately. The intervention is part of the result.

For every step, mark one:

Completed without help: ______
Completed after a reminder: ______
Completed after an item was prepared or placed: ______
Completed with another person assisting: ______
Not completed: ______
Family corrected it later: ______

Also record who noticed the stalled step. A routine that continues only because you were watching does not run independently.

4. Ask the question that separates ability from repeatability

After the routine, ask: Would this have reached the written finish line if nobody had stepped in?

Write only what happened:

First point where progress stopped: ____________________

What the person did next: _____________________________

Exact help another person provided: ____________________

What would have remained unfinished: __________________

Avoid explanations such as stubborn, confused, lazy, or having a bad morning. Those words cannot be assigned to a caregiver. A note such as “breakfast began after a verbal reminder and food was left on the counter until his son returned” can be discussed and checked.

5. Repeat the same routine

One smooth performance proves only that the routine worked once. One rough performance may reflect an unusual interruption. Observe several ordinary repetitions using the same written steps and finish line.

Compare the records:

Step that fails repeatedly: ____________________________

Help required each time: ______________________________

Steps that vary from one repetition to another: __________

Person who supplies the missing help now: ______________

If different relatives observe, require them to use the same step list. “He did fine” and “she needed help” are conclusions. The marks beside each step are the comparison.

6. Decide whether there is a hiring problem

You have a defined hiring problem when you can name all four parts:

1. The routine that must finish.
2. The point where it repeatedly stops or requires rescue.
3. The action another person must take.
4. The period when that person must be available.

Write the hiring problem in one sentence:

“We need someone present during ____________________ to ____________________ when ____________________.”

Example: “We need someone present during the morning routine to give the agreed reminders, place breakfast items within reach, and confirm that food is put away before leaving.”

If you cannot complete that sentence, keep observing before calling providers. Do not ask a provider to define the household problem from the phrase “Dad needs some help.”

7. Carry the record into the first phone call

Read the routine and the observed interventions to each provider. Then ask:

“Which of these actions can your worker perform?”

“Which actions require a different worker or service?”

“What instructions will the assigned caregiver receive?”

“How will I learn that the routine did not reach the finish line?”

Listen for an answer that repeats the actual steps, identifies any boundary, and explains how an unfinished routine is reported. Write down the speaker's name and exact answer.

Pause the comparison if the answer remains “we provide companionship,” “our caregivers handle that,” or “it depends” after you have supplied the written routine. The provider has not yet confirmed the work you described.

When you have a stable task description, use Agency or Direct to compare who will recruit, schedule, supervise, and replace the worker. Keep the observation sheet with your call notes. It is the record that connects the problem in the house to the person you eventually hire. The desk's public reference trail is collected on the Sources page.