Twelve questions to ask any home-care agency, before you sign anything.
A printable, foldable checklist for the meeting no one feels prepared for. Built with three hospice social workers and reviewed by an eldercare attorney.
Sample — first three of twelve
Are caregivers W-2 employees of the agency, or 1099 contractors?
Affects liability, training, and what happens if a caregiver no-shows.
What is the agency's caregiver turnover rate for the past 12 months?
A number above 75% is a red flag worth pressing on.
If our regular caregiver is sick, what's the average notice we'll get for a substitute?
In hours, not 'we'll do our best.'
Reviewed by
3 hospice social workers + 1 eldercare attorney
Updated
May 2026
Printable
Print-ready, foldable to half-page
Privacy
Answers stay on your device
Why we made this
The first home-care meeting is dense, emotional, and full of language designed for people who've done it before. This page levels the room.
The reviewers — three working hospice social workers and one eldercare attorney in California — are not affiliated with any home-care agency. No agency pays to be listed here. We don't accept agency affiliates, by design.
Read more from this series
For the agency call
Questions to ask a home-care agency before signing
Twelve specific questions the agency expects you to ask — and the answers that should give you pause.
The bigger decision
Independent caregiver or home-care agency?
The comparison most adult children are quietly trying to make. Five differences that shape which one is right for your family.
Want a note when we publish the next family-decision checklist?