A car that sits between your visits does not wait politely. The battery loses charge, the tires lose air, and small problems go unnoticed until the day someone needs the car. The useful question is not whether to do the work yourself or hire it out. It is which jobs a neighbor or local helper can handle, which need a shop, and who owns each 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.
Checks you or a local helper can do
A person beside her house can look at the tires for obvious flatness or damage, confirm the car is locked, check that the registration and insurance card are in the glovebox, and note any warning light on the dashboard. They can also keep a spare key with someone you trust, not in the car. If the car has not been driven for a long stretch, ask someone to start it or move it a short distance, if the battery and the local rules allow.
Jobs that belong to a shop
Battery testing or replacement, brake concerns, tire replacement, fluid changes, and any noise or smell nobody can place should go to a mechanic. So should anything on the maintenance schedule in the owner's manual. A warning light that stays on is a reason to call a shop, not to wait for the next visit.
What to ask the shop
Ask whether they will call before doing any work over an agreed amount, and whether they will show you the old parts. Ask whether a battery test is free. Ask what the warranty covers, and get that in writing. Find out who the shop should contact to approve repairs when you are not there, and give them a name and number they can reach.
One owner for each job
Name three people, or as few as you can manage: one who holds the spare key, one who schedules shop visits, and one who approves repairs. Write their names in one place the helper and the shop can both see. Without that, every job becomes a question of whose turn it is.
Insurance and use
If the car is parked or used much less than before, ask the insurer what changes they need to know about. Keep the policy card current. This is a question for the insurer and the policy terms, not a legal opinion.
Keep the car question separate from the driving question
Whether she should keep driving is a different decision, and it changes who uses the car. Do not let a car checklist stand in for that conversation.
Tonight
Ask your local helper to check the tires visually, confirm the keys are in the agreed place, and send you a photo of the dashboard. Book a battery test with a shop you can call directly.
Leave with the doctor
Ask whether any recent changes in her vision, reaction time or alertness mean she should not be the one driving the car, since that answer decides whether the car needs a regular driver or a different plan entirely.