A ranking is only useful when the comparison behind it can be repeated. The same discipline works at a kitchen table. Choose one list of questions, ask each agency the same way, and write the answers into a grid before anyone decides.
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 criteria on our front page, and the reasoning behind them, are explained on the How We Rate: Methodology page. Use it as a model for building your own worksheet. It is not a verdict on any agency you may call.
Rank your household's needs first
Before any call, write down what matters most in your household: the tasks that must be covered, the hours that must be covered, the people who must be reached when something changes, and the paperwork you need to see. Put the list in priority order. A grid built from this list compares the agencies on your needs. A grid built from whatever the sales call emphasized compares the agencies on their sales.
Build the grid
Give the grid five columns: the question, the answer in the agency's words, who answered, whether the answer was given in writing, and what the family still needs to know. Put one question on each row. Leave the last column open so that gaps are visible instead of hidden.
Notice the kind of answer you received
A specific answer names a process, a person, or a document. A general answer says what the agency always does without showing how. Mark each answer as specific or general in the grid. Mark whether it came by phone or in writing. A spoken answer is a starting point, and a written answer is the one you can compare later.
Watch for pressure
Be cautious of an offer that asks for a decision on the same call, or that treats a question as a formality. Say that you will review the answers and ask for time. Ask for the key answers in writing, and note whether the agency follows through. Responses that arrive promptly and in full tell you something about how the office will work after the start date.
Have a second reader check the grid
Ask someone in the family who did not take the calls to read the grid. They should be able to see where the agencies differ without needing the story behind each call. If they cannot, the grid still has blank cells or vague entries.
If a question touches on health, note it in the grid and take it to the family's doctor. The worksheet is for home support and household planning, not for judging health needs. Decide on the grid, and write one plain sentence for each reason the chosen agency fits the list you ranked at the start.