For people and families discussing household assistance
How do we explain household support without choosing the wrong service?
Break the request into tasks before naming a service. “Help around the house” might mean completing a household task, supporting the person while they do it, or helping them learn a new routine. Describe the need first and ask the case manager which service fits each part.
Name the task and the person’s role
Choose one activity, such as organizing laundry. Describe what the person wants to do themselves, what is difficult, and what they want another person to help with. Avoid making a single worker responsible for an undefined list of household jobs.
Include the household context: shared spaces, preferred storage, other people’s belongings and tasks that can wait. A written list helps prevent a misunderstanding about whose needs the visit is intended to address.
Ask about the service boundary
For IHS, use the state service description as the starting point for questions about covered community-living activities. Ask separately whether a cleaning-focused request belongs with homemaker services or whether a learning goal should be discussed as IHS with training. A household task appearing in an example does not automatically make it covered for everyone.
Make the first discussion manageable
Prioritize the two or three tasks that most affect the person’s day. Explain what would count as useful assistance, then ask what can realistically be included in the authorized plan and staffed schedule. Keep extra requests on a question list instead of quietly adding them to the visit.
Household task conversation sheet
Download this editable worksheet, add your notes, and bring it to the relevant planning conversation. Leave unknown details blank and identify who can confirm them.
Download worksheet (.txt)- Activity
- What exactly needs doing, and whose routine is it part of?
- Person’s role
- What would they like to do, choose or continue managing?
- Requested assistance
- Is the question about help completing, participating in, or learning the task?
- Household boundaries
- Which shared spaces, belongings or preferences need agreement?
- Service question
- Who will confirm the appropriate service and what remains outside the arrangement?
An optional discussion tool, not an official assessment, authorization, service plan, or emergency plan. Keep completed copies private and share through an agreed channel.
Illustrative planning example
A family asks for “meal help.” On discussion, the person wants assistance following an existing shopping list, while the family also wants weekly deep cleaning. Those are recorded as separate requests for service review rather than bundled under one label.
This example is invented to explain the worksheet; it is not a client story or a promised outcome.
Your next step
Bring the task list to the case manager. Once the service is clarified, ask the provider to confirm the practical visit arrangement.
For a conversation with Clemens Health about your Twin Cities location, call (651) 354-1196 or send a referral. Service fit, authorization, and staffing need to be confirmed.
Minnesota resources
State resources explain program rules. The worksheet and examples are Clemens Health planning aids. Links were checked October 5, 2026; follow the current state guidance for eligibility and service questions.