Before you commit to any agency, you need to know where its paperwork is kept, who can produce a copy, and how a request gets answered. This guide gives the questions to put to each agency and shows how to write the answers down so they can be checked against the public files. It covers records questions only. It does not cover which care to choose.

The questions to ask

  • What is the office address where your records are kept, and is it the same address shown on the federal file?
  • Who keeps the aide files, the training records, and the screening paperwork, and where are those kept?
  • Which named person answers a request for a copy of a document, and what is that person's role?
  • Can you show me the federal file reference or the registration reference for this agency before the first visit?
  • Who holds the signed copy of our agreement, and how do we get a copy later?
  • If a record is missing, who tells us, and how is that message sent?
  • Which papers will stay with our family, such as the written plan and the schedule?

What a complete answer contains

A complete answer names a person, gives a role, gives a place or a route such as a mailing address or a named inbox, and says how a request gets answered. A vague answer, such as the office handles it, is a question to write down and send back. It is not proof that the records are missing. It means you still do not know where they are.

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.

Write each answer beside its check

Use three columns: the question, the answer, and the check. In the check column, write FILE if the answer matched a public federal record you opened, NOTE if the answer came only from the agency, and OPEN if the answer is still missing. Keep the name of the person who answered, the role they gave, and the route they described for requests. Record what the answer says, not how the answer makes you feel about the agency.

When the answers do not match the file

If an office address, a registration reference, or a named contact does not match what the public file shows, mark that row OPEN. Ask the agency to explain the difference in writing. The steps for opening the public files are in How to check any home health agency in five federal lookups. Use the file you opened as the reference for the check, not the agency's word alone.

Keep the answers with the shortlist

Attach the answer sheet to the agency's row on the shortlist. Anyone in the family can then see which records were promised, who promised them, and which ones are still open. The answer sheet is a record of what was asked and what came back, not a score.