Start of service runs as a chain of small handoffs: the first call, the in-home meeting, the signed paper, the worker introduction, the first visit, and the first check-in after it. The family should know which link is which and what is written down at each one. This guide follows the chain from the first call to the end of the first week.
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.
Check the public record before the first call
From the file: before any call, look up the agency in the desk's public lookups and note whether the agency's category matches the service the family wants. Editorial: the category check keeps the rest of the chain honest, because a home health record and a non-medical home care record are not the same kind of file. See how to check any home health agency in five federal lookups for the lookups themselves.
The first call
Write down the name of the person who answers, the office they say they are in, and the service they describe. Ask whether the agency will provide the visits itself or refers the work to another company. That answer matters for the paper later, so record it in the family's own words.
The in-home meeting
Use this step to list the tasks the family wants help with, the hours wanted, and the rooms the worker will be in. Note which tasks the family keeps for itself. Health questions go to the family's doctor, not to the scheduler. Ask who writes the service summary and when the family will see it.
The signed paper
Before anything is signed, check that the agreement names the agency, the rule for how a worker is placed, and the start day. The paper is the record the family can hold later, so every promise made at the meeting should appear in it or be marked as not included.
The worker introduction
Ask for the worker's name and the screening summary before the worker arrives, and confirm the family has a direct contact at the office. Editorial: this is the step where the family can see whether the answers given on the first call match the person at the door.
The first visit and the first check-in
Stay in the house for the first visit if the family can. Watch whether the worker follows the written task list. Then schedule a check-in call with the office after the visit. Ask what the office heard from the worker, what will change, and who will make that change in writing.
The first week
At the end of the first week, read the written task list with the office and mark each item as done, changed, or still open. Keep the marked list in the family's file. Changes to the paper should be made in writing, and the first-week review is the natural place to make them.