Every change of season moves a household's clothing from one set of bins to another. Someone decides what comes out, someone washes what goes in, someone carries the boxes up or down, and someone decides what leaves the house. Those steps do not belong to one person by default. Before a family books any hours for this job, they should write down which steps they keep and which steps they hand to a hired non-medical caregiver.

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.

Sort the steps before you split them

A seasonal swap has at least five separate jobs: clearing the outgoing items, washing or airing them, storing them, bringing the new season out, and checking fit. Each job has a different owner question. Clearing requires a judgment about what still fits and what is worn out, and only the person whose clothes they are can make that call. Washing and folding can be a caregiver task if the household already has a laundry routine. Storage and carrying depend on the home's stairs and attic access.

What a hired caregiver can take on

A caregiver may carry bins, empty and refill drawers, fold and hang items the family has already chosen, and wash garments the family has marked for washing. The caregiver should not decide that an item is no longer wanted and should not discard anything on their own. Ask the agency in writing whether the caregiver may handle personal items at all, and whether those items must stay in the room where they were kept.

What stays with the family

The family keeps the decisions: which clothes to keep, which to donate, which to mend, and what to replace. Fit questions, such as whether a coat still closes or whether shoes still suit the home's floors, need a family member to check against what the person says they want. Health questions go to the family's doctor.

Checklist before you book the swap

  • Name who clears the outgoing season and who signs off on donations.
  • Confirm whether the caregiver may carry and wash personal clothing or only the bins.
  • Write down where the seasonal bins are kept and how they are labeled.
  • Ask whether the caregiver is expected to climb stairs or reach attic space, and whether the home allows it.
  • Agree on what the caregiver does with an item they find damaged, and record that the family makes the final decision.
  • Confirm whether the swap is a planned visit with its own time block or part of a regular visit.

If local help is thin

When the nearby supply of home care businesses is limited, a family may not get the same caregiver each season. A written swap plan matters more in that case, because the next person through the door may not know where the bins are. The desk's supply pages explain how to read that thinness for a county. Read Finding help where the supply is thinnest before deciding how much of the swap to hand over.