So, your mom or dad needs some help at home, and you’ve decided in-home care is the right move. Great — that’s actually the easy part. The next 90 days? That’s where most families feel completely lost. There’s no manual for this, no orientation packet, no “welcome to caregiver life” starter kit.

That’s exactly why this guide was put together. Whether you’re just starting to look into in-home care in Omaha or you’ve already picked up a provider and don’t know what comes next, this checklist covers the things many families wish they’d known from the start.

We’ll also touch on Nebraska’s Medicaid waiver programs, since figuring out how to pay for care is usually step one for most families, right after the initial “okay, we need help” conversation.

Week 1-2: Get the House Ready and the Paperwork Started

Before a single caregiver walks through the door, there’s groundwork to lay. Skipping this step is how families end up scrambling later.

Take a home safety inspection walk-through. Take a walk through the house as if you are visiting for the first time. Look for:

• Any rugs or cords that are likely to cause a fall.
• Lack of adequate lighting in hallways, bathrooms and stairways
• Unorganized, out-of-date or unsafe medications
• Grab bars on the sinks (or not!)
• Anything that obstructs the line of sight from a bedroom to the bathroom

Not everything needs to be done at once, but if you are aware of what needs to be done now, you are not troubleshooting a month 2 fall risk.

Gather the paperwork. This is the not so sexy thing you don’t hear about, but it is so stress relieving later down the road. Create a file, folder, or box (paper or digital) containing:

• The Government ID and Social Security Card
• Details of insurance, such as Medicare and any supplemental plans
• Power of Attorney and Healthcare Proxy documents, if any.
• A list of medicines, doses and doctors who prescribe them (current).
• Medical records or summary from their primary care physician, recent

Start the financial conversation. This is also the time when most families start exploring the possibility of a Medicaid waiver to help pay for their care, as private-pay home care is costly. Application to Nebraska’s Medicaid Waiver programs isn’t quick and easy and is meant to help cover the cost of in-home services, thereby keeping seniors out of a nursing facility. The sooner you get started, the more pressure you will have the later.

Week 3-4: Set Up the Care Plan and the Support Team

Build a caregiver schedule. Spend time sitting down and creating a realistic plan for the needed assistance and when it is needed. Do you have to cook a few hours a day and keep company with them? Overnight support? Round-the-clock care? The “we didn’t need more” scrambling a few weeks in is avoided by being specific here.

Create a family communication system. If siblings or other family members are involved, be sure to get everyone on the same page early. Any kind of shared group chat, a shared simple document or a weekly phone call – the format doesn’t matter, what matters is that there is something consistent. One of the most frequent causes of care plans failing in the first few months is due to miscommunication amongst family members.

Have a backup plan. Caregivers get sick. Schedules shift. Discuss the child in advance: what if the regular caretaker is unable to be there? If you know the answer when it’s still needed while you’re still able to think, you’ll save yourself a lot of stress later.

30-Day Check-In: Is the Plan Actually Working?

Around the one-month mark, pause and actually evaluate things instead of just going through the motions.

Ask yourself:

• Do you feel comfortable with the caregiver?
• Are the agreed upon tasks being completed?
• Are there any changes in their health or mobility which are not covered by the plan?
• Is the program realistic or is everyone over-extended?

It’s also a wise time to touch upon any monetary aid applications that are still pending. If you begin a Medicaid waiver application in week one, it’s a good idea to review it and follow up every 30 days thereafter if necessary.

60-Day Check-In: Adjust Before Small Issues Become Big Ones

By day 60, patterns start to emerge. Perhaps it’s harder in the morning. Perhaps there have been some changes in your parent’s needs. Now is not the time for big changes; this is the time to make small changes.

It’s also worth checking in with your parents directly, not just about logistics, but about how they’re feeling about the arrangement. Most seniors are independent and being supported, not hovered, is very important to them and can make a big difference in how they feel about their care.

90-Day Check-In: Settle Into a Rhythm

By the three-month mark, you should have a much clearer picture of what’s working and what isn’t. This is a good checkpoint to:

• Complete any outstanding financial aid documents
• Adjust the caregiver schedule according to what actually happens and not just speculation.
• Re-evaluate home safety requirements after experiencing daily life firsthand.
• Establish a schedule for further meetings (quarterly is good for most families)