A home at the outer edge of St. Charles County or in the outer part of west St. Louis County can sit a long drive from an agency office. That drive is part of the visit plan even though it does not happen inside the home. A family that books visits without counting the drive may find that the time spent in the house is shorter than the schedule suggests.

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.

Write the window before the schedule

Start with the time the family wants in the home. Then add the drive from the office to the house before the first visit of the day, and the drive from the house to the next stop if the aide travels between client homes. Only after that total is set should the start and end times be written on the calendar.

Ask where each shift starts

  • Which office does the aide report to, and where does the aide begin the day?
  • Does the aide travel from one client home to another, and does that travel fall inside the visit window or before it?
  • If the assigned aide starts from a location farther away than the rest of the staff, what changes in the plan?
  • What happens to the schedule when a road is closed or traffic stops the route?

Compare one longer visit with two shorter ones

A single longer visit means one drive to the house. Two shorter visits mean the drive happens twice, and a short visit can end up mostly travel. Lay out both options on the calendar, count the minutes spent inside the home for each, and compare them. The option that leaves more time in the home is the one that fits the drive.

Use the county data to check the supply

Where the supply of home care businesses is thin, a household has fewer staff choices nearby, and an agency may send staff from a farther office. Check the local supply picture before deciding that a distant office is the only option. The desk's guides on finding help where the supply is thinnest and on reading a caregiver-supply map for your county explain how the counties compare.

Checklist before you sign

  • A written visit window that includes the drive
  • The named office or starting point for the assigned aide
  • A stated rule for route changes and road closures
  • A side-by-side count of in-home time for one longer visit against two shorter ones