The helper agreement is the part of an arrangement that gets read once, signed quickly, and then forgotten until the afternoon someone does not show up. It is also the only paper that says what happens when plans break. Read it before the first visit, not after the first missed one.
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 hours and the minimum
Find the line that says how many hours are booked, on which days, and in what block length. Check whether there is a minimum visit length, and whether hours are counted from arrival at the house or from the start of a task. Ask what happens when the school bus comes early or a visit runs over. A plain sentence is what you want. If the terms are vague, ask for the exact wording before anyone signs.
Read the cancellation and notice lines
This is the part most families skip. Find how much notice either side must give to cancel or change a visit, and how that notice must be given, whether by text, phone, or in writing. Check whether there is a charge for a late cancellation and what counts as late. Check who is responsible when the helper is sick, whether a replacement is offered, and what happens to a visit that is missed for either reason. Compare this line across two or three agencies or helpers before you choose. The sentence that protects your afternoon is often the one that looks boring.
Write down the task list
The agreement should list what the helper will do, in plain words. Look for companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping, transportation for errands, and reminders. Medication should be written carefully. A helper may give medication reminders and may pick up a prescription as an errand. Everything else about medicine, including deciding doses, storing it, and keeping track of what is taken and when, stays with the family, the doctor, and the pharmacist. If a task you expect is missing from the list, ask for it to be added, or agree in writing that it is not part of the job.
Confirm who the employer is and what is covered
Find the name of the company or person who employs the helper, and who signs the agreement for the family. Ask whether the helper is employed by an agency or works under a separate arrangement, and what that means for who handles a dispute. Ask what insurance or bonding is in place and whether the paperwork names it. If you are unsure what the wording means, ask someone who reads contracts for a living to explain it. This article is about what to check, not legal advice, so treat the answers as questions for a professional.
Put key and access terms in writing
Key handling, alarm codes, and house access should be written into the agreement as a plain step, not a note taped to the fridge. Name who holds the key, who can change access, and how it is returned if the arrangement ends.
When you have compared two options, put the answers side by side, including the cancellation line and the task list. The Local Help in St. Louis page lists what to ask each provider, and it is a good place to start the comparison.