Most families compare agencies on the first call. This guide sets a different test. Once a helper is in the home, someone at the agency should be responsible for checking the work, keeping the written plan current, and hearing a concern. The questions below find out who that person is, what they do, and whether the agency can show proof.
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.
Ask for the supervisor by role
Ask who supervises aides on the case, and what that person's job title and training are in the agency's own words. Ask whether the supervisor is a staff member of the agency or someone outside it. Mark the answer FROM THE FILE if the agency sends it in writing, and EDITORIAL if it was spoken on the phone.
Ask how often a supervisor comes to the home
Ask for the schedule of supervisory visits, not a general promise of good care. Ask whether the first supervisor visit happens before the first aide shift or after it, and whether the supervisor returns at set intervals or only when a problem comes up. Ask what the supervisor does during a visit: reviews the written plan, speaks with the family, observes the helper, and checks the log.
Ask what gets written down
Ask to see a blank copy of the visit note form, the care plan form, and the log the helper signs. Ask who receives a copy of each, the family, the office, or both. A blank form shows what the agency expects to record. If the agency cannot show a blank form, mark the answer EDITORIAL until it does.
Ask what happens after a concern
Ask how a family raises a concern about the helper, and who answers it. Ask how long the agency says a response takes, and whether the response is put in writing. Keep this separate from the complaint route, which is its own step, and focus here on who inside the agency owns the fix.
Check the answers against the public record
Confirm the agency's name, address, and registration in the public record before you rely on its promises. The agency lookup guide shows how to run those checks yourself. Compare the agency name on its supervision papers with the name on the record, and write down any difference.
What the supervisor does not do
A supervisor visit checks the work and the paper. It does not replace the family's doctor. Health questions go to the family's doctor, and changes in the home go to the agency's office in writing.