Before you compare tasks, hours, or who answers the phone, find out who employs the person who will walk into the home. The answer decides who hires, who replaces, who sets the hours, and who you call when the plan changes. Two agencies can offer the same tasks and still differ sharply on this point. Ask the question directly and get the answer in writing.

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.

The three arrangements you may hear described

Agencies describe the worker in several ways. The most common are an agency employee, who works on the agency's payroll and under its direction; an independent contractor placed by an agency, who may carry a different set of duties and paperwork; and a referral to a person who works privately and has only a listed connection to the agency. Each arrangement changes who schedules, who the worker reports to, and who answers for the work. Ask which one applies before you discuss anything else.

Questions to put to the agency

Ask whether the person assigned to your home is a direct employee of the agency. Ask who issues the schedule and who arranges a replacement if that person is out. Ask who the worker reports to inside the agency and how to reach that person directly. Ask whether the agency can name the employer of record for the worker, not only the agency's brand. Ask what happens to your arrangement if the worker leaves the agency. Note each answer on one sheet so you can compare agencies side by side.

Check the answer against the paperwork

A spoken answer is a starting point. Ask for the arrangement described in the written agreement you would sign, and check that it matches what you heard. If the written version names a different party than the one on the phone call, stop and ask which party you are contracting with. Keep the written answer with your other household papers, and note when you received it.

What this guide does not settle

Whether a particular arrangement meets a particular legal or tax standard is a question for a qualified professional. This guide only sets out what to ask, what to write down, and what to compare. The desk explains how its own ratings weigh criteria on the methodology page, which is the place to check how a listed agency was assessed. How We Rate: Methodology