This is an editorial guide. It is not a record from a public file. It shows how to size a plan for a household where two adults need some help at home, so the plan fits both people and the rooms they use.
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.
Start with the household, not the list of agencies
The ranking pages on this site sort agencies by public files and listing data. A ranking does not say how many aides a home needs, which hours overlap, or whether one aide can work for two people. Write the household picture first, then use a ranking only to build a shortlist.
Write one line for each adult
On one sheet, give each adult a separate line. List the everyday tasks that need a hand, such as getting to the kitchen, meal preparation, laundry, errands, bathing help, and getting out of the house. Keep the words plain. Do not write health details on the sheet. Health questions go to the family's doctor. Mark which tasks each adult still does alone and which need a second pair of hands.
Mark the overlap hours
Draw a day grid with the hours down the side and the two adults across the top. Shade the hours when both adults need a hand at the same time. The shaded hours decide whether one aide can cover the home, whether the plan needs two aides, or whether one aide can work in two visits.
Check the layout
Note how many floors the home has, which rooms each adult uses during the day, and whether the two adults spend the day in separate rooms. A single-floor home fits a different plan than a home with two levels. Write down where each adult usually sits, eats, and moves, so the route through the house is clear before the first shift.
Questions to put to an agency
Will one aide serve both adults in the same home, and how does the agency cover the overlap hours?
If the two adults follow different routines, how does the agency record each routine so the aide does not mix them up?
Will someone from the agency visit the home and see both adults before the first shift?
If one adult's needs change, does the agency re-size the plan, and who makes that decision in writing?
Confirm the category first
Before you size anything, confirm which kind of agency you are talking to. Home health and home care are checked in different files. Home health and home care in Missouri are two different categories, and the category decides which record you should read.
Write the week
Turn the plan into a seven-day grid, with a row for each day and blocks for morning, afternoon, and evening. Place each adult's needs into the grid, then mark which aide covers which block. Keep a copy with the family's contact list. Review the grid after the first full week, because that week shows the overlap hours the sheet could only predict.