Two older adults sharing a house is a sizing problem with one kitchen and two separate lists of needs. Families often schedule it as if it were one person with a longer list. A better approach is to write two lists first, mark what they share, and then decide what a single visit can cover.
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 one list per person
For each person, write every task the aide might be asked to help with, in plain words: meals, bathing help, dressing help, walking outside, errands, transport, housekeeping, laundry, daytime supervision, and company. Keep the two lists apart. A task that belongs to one person should not be hidden inside a shared line.
Mark the shared work
Kitchen cleanup, laundry, grocery trips, and tidying common rooms usually serve both people at once. Mark them. These are the tasks a single visit can cover, and they are where a family can save time by setting one shared shift.
Mark the individual work
Bathing help, dressing, getting in and out of a chair, and walking outside usually belong to one person at a time and can take the aide's full attention. Ask whether both people need hands-on help in the same hour. If they do, one visit may not be enough, and the agency should say so in writing.
Check the daily rhythm
Map the day for both people. Note bath times, meal times, rest times, outside appointments, and the hours each person is alone. A visit that suits one person's morning can collide with the other person's rest. Look for the hours when both are home and awake, and for the hours when neither is home.
Plan for a day that differs
Two people do not always change at the same pace. Ask the agency what happens when one person has a harder day than the other, whether a visit can be extended, and whether a second aide is available. Ask whether the same aide can serve both, since a familiar face is easier for two people sharing one routine.
Ask the agency to write it down
Ask whether the agency will keep two care plans, one for each person, even when one aide covers both. Ask whether a visit that serves two people is counted once or twice on the agreement, and whether the answer appears in the signed paperwork. Ask who the family calls when either person's needs change. Health questions go to the family's doctor, and the agency should be told so the schedule can change to match.