Most families think of a visiting hair stylist as the easy part of keeping her home. She still has her own chair, her own mirror, and a hairdresser she has trusted for years, and a short appointment fits between the other visits. Then the first cut happens on the kitchen floor, the towel ends up on the bed, and nobody knows whether the stylist will wash her hair at the sink or the tub. That first visit is the test. This guide covers what to check, ask, and compare before you book anyone to come to the house.
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.
Check what the room must give
A mobile stylist works with whatever the house offers, and she should tell you in advance what she needs. Ask her to list it in writing. Typical needs are a seat for your mother that is stable and at a height she can get in and out of, a little open floor space behind the chair, an outlet close enough that the cord reaches without crossing a walkway, and a place to wash hair if a wash is part of the visit. Walk the room yourself with that list in hand. Note where the outlet is, whether the chair has arms, and whether a loose rug could slide underfoot.
Ask how the wash happens
The wash is where most visits go wrong. Some stylists bring a portable basin and a hose that fits a sink. Others need the kitchen sink or a bathtub. Some skip the wash and do a dry cut only. Ask which one they do, what they bring, and what they expect from you. Ask who fills and empties the basin, where the water goes, and how they protect the floor and the bedding. If the answer is that you will figure it out on the day, you have learned how the visit will run.
Ask who helps her in and out of the chair
Getting from the bed or the living room to the chair is part of the appointment, whether the stylist counts it or not. Ask whether she expects your mother to stand and sit on her own, and what she does if your mother needs a hand. A good answer is plain. She tells you before the visit if the seat is too low, and she says clearly what she will and will not do with her hands. If your mother needs help getting up, that help comes from the people responsible for it, and the stylist's job is to wait until she is settled.
Compare the visit, not the number
Write down what each stylist covers in the same visit: the cut, any color or set, the wash, the cleanup, and how long she needs. Then ask every candidate the same questions. Do not decide on the quoted amount alone. A stylist who brings everything and cleans up after herself may charge more than one who leaves you to sweep and wipe, and that difference shows up in your own afternoon.
Plan for the bad day
Ask what happens if your mother is tired, unwell, or does not want to sit up that day. Ask whether the stylist will shorten the visit, reschedule, or leave a note. Ask how an appointment is canceled, how much notice she needs, and whether she will come back the same week if something goes wrong. A stylist who has an answer for the hard day is one you can keep. One who has never thought about it will leave you to decide in the moment.
Keep the same person when you can
Your mother is likely to feel more at ease when the same face comes into the room. Ask how often the stylist sees the same clients on the same weekday, and whether she will tell you if she is changing her route. If the business uses a rotating team, ask who will come and whether you can meet them before the first cut. Keep a notebook near the door with the name of each person who came in the house and the day of their visit.
Your one-visit test
After the first visit, ask yourself four plain questions. Did she arrive when she said she would? Did the room look the way it did before she came? Did your mother seem settled rather than rushed? Did you know what to do next without calling anyone? If three of the four answers are yes, the stylist has earned a second visit. If not, the list you wrote before she came is the place to start the next conversation.