Parent Care

Should we get outside help yet? Twelve questions that turn into your agency-call packet.

A private, on-device readiness checklist for the conversation no one feels prepared for. Built with three hospice social workers and reviewed by an eldercare attorney. Your answers never leave your browser.

Start the checklist → Or read agency questions first
A handwritten checklist on cream paper folded once, resting on a wooden kitchen table next to a ceramic coffee mug. Morning sunlight.

Section 1 — Daily living

1 Can they bathe and dress without help?
2 Are meals prepared regularly and nutritionally?
3 Are medications taken correctly every day?

Right pill, right time, no missed doses.

4 Can they move around their home safely?

Section 2 — Medical

5 Do they see their primary care doctor at least yearly?
6 Are multiple specialists or chronic conditions coordinated?

Cardiologist, neurologist, endocrinologist, etc. — does anyone see the full picture?

7 Have they had an ER visit or hospitalization in the last six months?

Section 3 — Finance

8 Are bills paid on time, every month?
9 Have they been targeted by scams or made unusual purchases?
10 Do you or a trusted family member have access to financial documents and accounts?

Power of attorney, account logins, key paperwork location.

Section 4 — Support network

11 How many family or close friends live within 30 minutes?
12 Is there any current paid in-home support?

Your readiness

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Reviewed by

3 hospice social workers + 1 eldercare attorney

Updated

May 2026

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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 checklist levels the room — it turns "I think my mom needs help" into a written summary and a sharpened set of questions for the agency call.

Reviewers are working hospice social workers and an eldercare attorney in California, listed by credential only (specific names withheld by editorial policy). None are affiliated with any home-care agency. No agency pays to be listed here. We don't accept agency affiliates, by design.

Privacy: your answers are stored in your browser only. We don't have a server collecting them; the PDF is generated on your device and downloaded directly. No third-party analytics fire on the answers themselves.

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?