He will tell you he does not need a pool. He will be right about the pool and wrong about nearly everything else, which is about normal for him. The brochure from the community center is on the counter under the mail, and somebody has to decide whether the place is worth the drive. Before anyone signs anything, compare the places on the things that will decide whether he actually goes.
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.
Hours he would really use
Write down the three times in the week he would realistically go, not the ones that look good on paper. Then check the posted schedule against those times. Ask whether the lap lanes stay open at those hours or whether the pool gets handed over to a swim team or a private rental. Ask how often the schedule changes and who tells members when it does. A pool that is open only at a time nobody can get to is a pool he will pay for and never use.
The guest and waiver rules
If you plan to come with him at first, find out whether you can join as a guest, whether a guest pass is free or billed separately, and who signs the waiver. Ask whether a staff member can walk him through the locker room the first time. Men who have not been in a locker room in years often want a map more than a tour.
The locker and the walk in
Ask whether a locker comes with the membership, whether it opens with a key or a combination, and whether it stays his all week or gets cleared at the end of each session. Look at the door he would use from the parking lot. Is there a bench near the entrance, a ramp or elevator if the pool is upstairs, and a shallow entry or steps down into the water? A place that is easy to get into is the difference between a good day and a long one.
Ask about the water he would be in
Lap swim can mean a fast lane for people who have swum for years and nothing at all for someone who wants to walk slowly in the shallow end and get his shoulders moving. Ask whether there is a water walking or aqua class, whether a lifeguard is on the deck during his hours, and whether staff will point him to a slower lane without making a fuss. If his doctor has said anything about exercise, tell the front desk what he has been told, and ask his doctor about it before he starts.
What to do tonight
Pull up the center's posted hours and write his three times beside them. Call the front desk with the questions above, write down the answers, and note the name of the person who gave them. Then take him once as a visitor rather than a member, and let him decide with his own eyes. He will tell you what he thinks in the car on the way home, and it will not be what he said in the kitchen.
If you are also looking at what else is close to home, the St. Louis local help page is a good place to see which options are nearby and which ones are a real drive.