Questions for Home Care Providers
Deciding the time has come to bring a home care provider into the life of your loved one can be a stress-producing event. Whether it will be for a short time while your loved one recovers from surgery or illness, or long term care for one who will not recover, choosing who to trust to do the job can be like walking through a minefield. Asking questions that uncover the true philosophy, education and experience of the care provider can help you choose the best person for the job.
Do You Like to Talk to Your Clients?
When interviewing candidates to take care of your loved one or yourself, it is important that her personality fits in with the rest of the family. Discuss whether the caregiver normally likes to come in, get the job done and leave, or if she is the type to stay for dinner, call to check on the client and get involved in the family. Use this information to choose a caregiver that most closely resembles your family preference.
What is Your Education and Experience?
Finding out where the home care provider was educated and what skill sets he has will help you determine if he is the best choice for your needs. A caregiver who is not certified in CPR or giving medication can be a red flag that he is not able to properly care for your loved one.
It is also important to determine what the caregiver’s past experience has been. How long he has been in the field and how long he generally stays with his clients are important things to discover. Your loved one will become attached to the caregiver so you want to choose someone who is experienced and stable.
What is Your Philosophy on Caregiving?
Exploring the philosophy of the potential caregiver when it comes to her career and field of work can help you discover whether your loved one will be treated with warmth and caring. Asking pointed questions that require more than a yes or no answer will draw out the candidate’s true feelings. Examples of questions are: What do you think elderly people contribute to society? If you became disabled what type of caregiver would you want to hire? Do you believe your role is to assist the client in managing his life or do you believe you need to do a lot for him so he does not have to suffer?
What is Your Rate of Pay?
Determine whether you will go through an agency or locate and hire your own caregiver; ask what the rate of pay is. You will usually pay more through an agency to cover the overhead, but the agency will do the background checks, interviews and training for you. If you hire through a private search, you can save money and you will have more control over the candidate choices presented to you.
Do You Have References?
Some people interview well but are not very good employees. There are also people who do not interview well but are amazing employees. Asking for references will allow you to speak with people who have worked with the potential care giver. Calling the references as soon as the candidate is out the door gives you a chance to prevent the candidate from calling first and telling them what to say when you call. Asking for several work and personal references will reduce the chance that he is only providing one or two that he has coached about what to say. When you call the references, be sure to ask if they would hire this person again if the need for a care giver arose.
