Most families read the quote, sign the agreement, and never look at the paragraph about what happens if something goes wrong in the house. That paragraph matters most on the day a worker breaks a window latch, a slip happens in the hallway during a shift, or a visitor is hurt by a door. Before any help starts, you should know what the agency is obliged to report, to whom, how quickly, and what the agreement says about who pays for damage to the home. This guide does not interpret the contract for you. It tells you what to find and what to ask.
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Find the reporting order
Look for a section that says who the aide calls first after an incident, and in what order. A good agreement names the family contact, the agency office, and the emergency services for situations that call for them, and it says what the aide is expected to do while waiting. Ask whether the agency keeps a written incident report and whether you receive a copy. If the answer is that the report is verbal, ask how it will reach your family in writing.
Read the property clause
Damage to the home is a separate question from injury. Find out whether the agreement says the agency covers damage a worker causes to furniture, doors, appliances, or flooring, and whether the family must report it within a stated window. Ask whether the policy applies only to the agency's own staff or also to subcontracted workers. Ask whether damage claims go through the agency or through your own homeowner or renter coverage, and get the answer in writing rather than as a verbal assurance.
Ask for the insurance paper, not a promise
Request the certificate of insurance and check that it names the agency, lists the coverage types the agency describes, and shows a current period. Ask who to contact at the insurer if you need to file, and how you will receive a new copy when the certificate renews. The renewal habit matters as much as the first copy, because a certificate that has lapsed protects no one.
Compare the paper against the sales talk
The quote, the scope of services, and the agreement should describe the same help and the same responsibilities after an incident. If the sales conversation promised a fast response but the agreement only says the office will return calls during business hours, the agreement is the document that counts. Mark each place where the papers disagree and ask the agency to correct them before you sign. Keep the marked copy with the family's emergency sheet.
Questions to ask before you sign
Ask who the aide calls first after an accident or a complaint about a worker, what happens if the family cannot be reached, whether the agency will notify the family in writing the same day, who handles any damage claim, whether the insurance covers the aide's own car if the aide drives on errands, and how the terms can change if the first incident shows a gap. Write the answers into the agreement. A paragraph nobody reads is useful only once someone has read it, so read it now.
If the contract language is unclear, a lawyer who works with family and elder matters can read the paragraphs with you. That is a question for a professional, not something this guide can settle.