A caregiver's shift is usually planned around the person and the rooms they live in. The yard, gutters, snow, and bins are a separate list of jobs, and they often land on the caregiver by default because the shift is already paid for. Decide before the first call which outside jobs stay with the family, which go to a separate hired provider, and which can wait.

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: List every outside job

  1. Mowing, raking, or leaf cleanup: ______________________
  2. Gutter cleaning: ______________________
  3. Snow on the walk, steps, and driveway: ______________________
  4. Trash and recycling bins to the curb and back: ______________________
  5. Exterior repairs such as a loose step, a gate, or a light fixture: ______________________

Step 2: Mark each job with one lane

Write one of three words beside each job from Step 1.

  1. Family: a relative or neighbor who has agreed to do it, with a date they have confirmed.
  2. Separate provider: a yard or snow service you will hire and pay directly, outside the caregiver's shift.
  3. Wait: the job can go undone for a few days without harm to the house or the person.

If a job has no lane after this step, it is not finished. Do not hand it to the caregiver until it has one.

Step 3: Check the ladder and snow line

Ladder work, gutter cleaning, and shoveling carry the highest risk of a fall. Before you accept any shift that touches these jobs, ask the provider to show, on paper, whether outdoor work is part of the agreement and whether their insurance covers it. Read the insurance document itself. A verbal promise that the caregiver will 'help with the snow' is not the same as a written line.

Step 4: Ask the caregiver provider these questions

  1. Does the shift include any work outside the front door? Name the tasks.
  2. If bins need to go to the curb, is that counted as part of the shift or as an extra?
  3. If snow falls during a shift and the walk is not clear, who clears it, and is that time billed?
  4. Who decides what happens when a job is not on the list?

Answers to listen for: a short written list that names the jobs in and the jobs out, with the same answer each time you ask.

Signs to walk away: 'We will just handle it' with no written line, or outdoor work added at the last minute with no change to the agreement.

Step 5: Ask each outside provider the same questions

  1. Who carries liability insurance, and can you send the paper that names the coverage? ______________________
  2. How are you paid, and is there a minimum charge for a single visit? ______________________
  3. What happens if the first snowfall comes before your crew can arrive? ______________________
  4. What is done with the gutter debris and the bagged leaves? ______________________

Use the same questions for every provider you call so the answers can be compared line by line. For help finding local services, see Local Help for Hiring a Caregiver, and for the overall order of steps, see Start Here: Five Steps to Hiring.

What to write down

Put the three lanes on one page: the job, the lane, the name of the person or company, and the date each job was confirmed. Keep that page with any written routine or agreement for the caregiver. When a job changes lane, cross out the old entry and write the new one with the date.