Dad may accept a cleaner when he will not accept a helper. That makes the cleaner the first outsider with regular access to his house, so the paperwork matters more than the rate. Before you commit, get the scope, the breakage terms, and the reporting rules in writing. Do not sign on a verbal promise about what the cleaner will and will not touch.
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 down the scope
Ask for the task list in writing: which rooms, which surfaces, how often, and what counts as a deep clean. Ask what they will not do, such as moving furniture, lifting heavy items, or working around piles. If the house has stacked papers or clutter, ask whether the cleaner removes it, cleans around it, or leaves it alone. The scope on paper is what you will point to later.
Who comes in and how Dad is told
Ask whether the same person comes each visit, and whether you can request a particular cleaner. Ask how Dad is told who is coming and when. Plan to be present for the first visit, so you see how the cleaner works and how Dad reacts. Settle who holds a key or code before that visit, and write it down.
Breakage and damage
Ask how breakage is reported, within what time, and how a claim is handled. Ask whether the company carries liability insurance and whether you can see a certificate. Read the damage clause itself, not a summary, and find out whether it limits what they pay or excludes certain items.
What they report
Ask whether the cleaner will tell you what they notice: a fall hazard, a spill that stayed on the floor, a smell, mail piling up, or a room they could not enter. Ask how they report it and to whom. Then ask the harder question: if the cleaner arrives and Dad does not answer the door, what happens next, who gets called, and how many tries come first. Get that written before the first visit.
Cancellation and refused visits
Read the cancellation window and the minimum visit length. Ask how a visit is handled if Dad refuses the cleaner at the door on the day. Find out whether a refused visit is still charged, and whether the rate changes after a missed visit.
Five questions before you sign
Ask what is in the task list. Ask who will be in the house and how Dad is told. Ask how breakage is reported and what the damage clause says. Ask what gets reported to you and what happens if no one answers the door. Ask what a cancelled or refused visit costs you.
Next move: Write the five questions on a card, call the cleaner, and ask for the written scope and the damage clause before anyone sets foot in the house.