When a hospital discharges a parent home, the paperwork often includes a list of home health agencies. That list is a starting point. It tells you who is nearby and who may take the referral, but it does not tell you which agency will fit your parent or how they will communicate with you from far away. Compare them on the things that will shape your weeks.
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.
What to compare
Ask whether the agency serves your parent's neighborhood and whether the visit times they offer match the times your parent is home. Ask whether they are certified for the kind of home care the doctor ordered and whether they can share that certification in writing. Ask who the nurse or therapist will be and whether one person stays assigned or the visits rotate. Ask how they handle weekend and evening calls. Ask how they report to family, how often they send notes to the doctor, and whether you can read those notes. Ask what happens when your parent is not home at a scheduled visit. Each answer tells you how the agency will work when things go wrong at 2 a.m.
Check the public listings
Look up each agency in the public listings and any inspection reports that are available to the public. Read what is there with a calm eye: a single old note is different from a steady pattern. Then compare that with what the agency tells you on the phone. Gaps between the two are worth a follow-up question.
Ask on the phone
Call at least two agencies from the list and ask the same five questions in the same order. Write down the answers beside each name. Note how quickly each office answers, whether a real person picks up, and whether they explain things plainly. A slow or confusing first call often predicts how the next months will go.
What to do tonight
Pull the list from the discharge paperwork and circle the agencies that serve your parent's area. Draft your five questions on one page, leaving room for answers. If you cannot reach anyone tonight, write down the office hours and a time to call in the morning, so the next step is already set.
What to leave with the doctor
Ask which agency the doctor works with most often and whether the doctor will sign the orders for the agency you choose. Ask how to reach the doctor's office with a question about a visit and how long a reply usually takes. Ask what the doctor needs to see in the agency reports to feel informed between appointments.