A polished pitch tells you about the sales team, not the people who will walk into your father's home. Before you compare prices or references, ask the provider to put four things in writing: license status, the screening process, insurance, and the replacement plan. Some of this may not apply to every type of service, so ask the provider to say which parts apply to them.

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.

Licensing and status

Ask whether the service they offer requires a state license, and ask for the license number. Then look the number up on the state's public listing yourself instead of relying on a copy from the brochure. If the provider says no license is needed, ask which rule they are relying on, and check that answer before you sign.

Screening

Ask what is checked for each aide: identity, criminal history, driving record if the aide drives your father, and reference checks. Ask how often the screening is repeated, who pays for it, and whether the person screened is always the person who arrives. A screen on a name that never reaches your father's door does not protect him.

Insurance and injury

Ask for a current certificate of liability insurance and proof of workers' compensation coverage for aides working in homes. Ask who is named on each certificate. If an aide is hurt in your father's home, ask the provider to explain in writing which coverage responds, before the first shift.

Replacement and supervision

Ask what happens when the assigned aide is sick or on leave, who the aide reports to, and how a missed visit is handled. A provider with a clear answer will name a person and a phone number. Ask how quickly they respond and whether a supervisor visits the home.

What the paper does not prove

None of these checks come from VA. The pension page explains how the benefit is paid and what level of daily help it recognizes, not how a private agency is vetted.1 An accredited representative can help with the VA side of a claim, but a representative does not vet a home care company for you.2 Keep the provider's written answers with your comparison sheet, and do not sign an agreement until every answer is on paper. For St. Louis offices that help families read paperwork, see Local Help: St. Louis Offices.

Notes

  1. VA.gov, Veterans Pension, https://www.va.gov/pension/
  2. VA.gov, Get Help From an Accredited Representative, https://www.va.gov/get-help-from-accredited-representative/