A quote, a care agreement, and a warranty all look finished once they are printed. The trouble starts when the page you read at the kitchen table is not the page you sign, or when the signed copy never reaches your folder. This guide matches three versions: the draft you were sent, the version you agree to sign, and the copy you keep.

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.

Steps before you sign

  1. On the first page of the draft, write the page count and any version label or file name you were sent. Line: ______________
  2. Ask the provider to confirm in writing which version is the one for signature and what changed since the draft you read. Write the answer on the draft.
  3. Count the pages you received before signing. Count them again on your signed copy. The two counts must match.
  4. Check every line where someone wrote or crossed out words by hand. Each change needs initials from both sides. Treat any change without initials as not agreed.
  5. Compare the blank fields one more time: the rate, the days and hours, the start day, and the caregiver's name if one is listed. A blank filled in after signing is not something you agreed to.
  6. If a warranty or replacement policy is in the packet, ask for its terms as a separate page and run the same version check on it.
  7. Ask for a complete signed copy. Write when you received it in the margin of the copy you keep.

Questions to ask

  • Is this the final version for signature, or is a revised draft coming?
  • Which document controls if the draft and a later page disagree?
  • Where will the signed copy be kept, and how do I get another one?

Answers to listen for

A direct answer that names the final document and says any change will reach you in writing before anyone starts. Hesitation, or a reply like that is just the standard form, with no version named, is a reason to slow down.

Signs to walk away

  • The page count changes between the draft and the signing copy with no explanation.
  • You are asked to sign a page before the blanks are filled in.
  • You are told the copy will be mailed later, and the other side keeps no record of what was sent.

What to write down

The version name, the page count on each copy, the names of everyone who initialed a change, and where each copy is stored. Keep the draft you read next to the signed copy in one folder.

For the wider sequence, see Start Here: Five Steps to Hiring. For how this desk checks its own sheets, see How We Write the Sheets.