A home safety evaluation only helps if the written result reaches the people who can act on it, and if it names fixes instead of listing problems. Settle those points before anyone books a visit, because a report that Dad reads once and sets aside does the same work as no visit at all.

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.

Ask who writes the report and who receives it

Find out whether the evaluator is a licensed occupational therapist, a contractor, or a general home inspector, and get the credential in writing. Ask who gets the finished report: Dad only, you, his doctor, or all three. Ask whether you can receive a copy without needing Dad's agreement on the day of the visit. Those answers decide whether the report can move anyone to act.

Ask what the visit covers and what it leaves out

Ask for the scope in writing: which rooms, which stairs, whether the bathroom and the entry count, and whether the evaluator will look at the path from the bed to the bathroom at night. Ask whether they will recommend specific changes, such as a rail location or a clearance width, or only describe the problem. A visit that stops at description leaves you holding the job.

Compare the total cost and the cancellation terms

Get the full cost in writing, including trip charges, report fees, and any follow-up visit. Ask what happens if Dad refuses entry on the day, whether you are charged, and how a missed visit is rescheduled. Ask whether the fee covers a second look after changes are made, because a report with no re-check leaves the gap open.

Check the link to the fixes

Ask whether the evaluator names contractors or vendors, and whether they have any financial tie to the ones they name. Ask for the fixes in priority order so you know what to do first. Keep the report in one folder, labeled with the visit date, so the next person who calls can see what was agreed.

Next move

Call the evaluator's office before you book and ask the four questions above by phone: credential, who receives the report, scope, and the cancellation rule. Write the answers on the same page as the booking, then check Local Help in St. Louis to see who else can give a second opinion.