Care agreements describe tasks in broad terms, and medicine is where the wording matters most. A hired non-medical caregiver can usually give medication reminders and pick up prescriptions as an errand. Giving medicine, setting it out, sorting it, or managing it is a different job, and it stays with the family, the doctor, and the pharmacist. Get the line written down before the first shift.

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 task list with the medicine lines spelled out

Request the written task list and look for the medicine section. If it is missing, ask for it to be added before you sign. A line that says the aide will help with medicine is too vague to rely on. You want each medicine-related task named separately, with what the aide does and what the family keeps.

Compare the verbs

Read the agreement for the verbs. Reminding the veteran that a dose is due and picking up a prescription from the pharmacy as an errand are the tasks to confirm. Words such as give, administer, dispense, sort, or manage describe responsibilities that belong to the family, the doctor, and the pharmacist. If the agency's wording uses those verbs for the aide, ask them to rewrite it. If they will not, that is information you need before you pay.

Ask who keeps the medicine itself

Ask in plain terms who keeps the bottles, who fills any pill organizer, and who answers questions from the pharmacy. The answer should be the family, and the agreement should say so. Write down the names of the people in the family who hold that responsibility so nobody assumes the aide has it.

Ask what happens when a prescription changes

Medicines change. Ask how the agency handles a new prescription, a stopped prescription, or a dose change, and who the aide contacts when something is unclear. The aide's role should end at reporting the change to the family, not at deciding anything about the medicine.

Ask whether the aide will keep a written log

Ask whether the aide records reminders given and errands completed, and who receives that record. A simple dated note that the family can read is enough. Check that the log is part of the agreement rather than an optional extra.

Walk away if the answers do not match

If the agency will not put the medicine line in writing, or describes the aide as handling medicine in ways that belong to the family, the doctor, or the pharmacist, the agreement is not ready to sign. Ask for a different provider or a written correction.

This is general information about reading a care agreement, not medical or legal advice. Questions about a particular medicine belong with the doctor and the pharmacist. For local offices that can help you compare options, see Local Help: St. Louis Offices. This site is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Notes

[1] VA.gov, pages on the Aid and Attendance pension benefit and on home-based care options, for the general description of the benefit and its purpose.