The Caregivers’ Journey: Ask Questions Before Hiring Help

Now that you and your parents are past denial and can admit it’s time to hire a caregiver, you’ll want to ask the right questions in order to get the best help.

The first step is finding the best full-service homecare agency or private caregiver for your folks.   Although you might find private caregivers in the newspaper or online who initially appear to be less expensive than an agency, there are some downsides.  

The most obvious, as I wrote in my previous column, are that private caregivers have not been vetted and could end up stealing from your parents and, worse, mistreating them.  The private caregivers could also be unreliable, leaving you to scramble for a substitute when they don’t show up for work.  There are also a host of legal considerations that could end up costing you.

If you opt to go with an agency, I suggest talking to a few before making your choice.  Among the questions to ask: 

* How long have you been in the home-care business?

* Are your caregivers bonded and are criminal background checks performed?  Do you examine driving history?

* Are the caregivers you offer employed by your agency or do you subcontract?  (Note that subcontractors might not be bonded or covered by liability insurance or workers compensation insurance.)

* What is your hiring process?

* What type of training and experience do you require and do you train your own caregivers?  What kind of certification do you require?

* What services do your caregivers provide? 

* How do you determine what kind of care we need and who to send to us?  Is the family included in the treatment plan?  

* Do you arrange a home visit ahead of time?  How much supervision do you provide your caregivers and how much follow-up with the family?

* If a caregiver isn’t working out, can we request a replacement?

* Do you have a minimum number of work hours per day or per week?

* What are your rates and are there any additional charges?  Who pays for gas to doctors’ appointments, for example?  Are rates different for evenings or weekends and is there a special rate for 24-hour care?

* If your caregiver works a 24-hour shift, what kind of living arrangements do we need to provide? 

* Is your agency a member of any state or national professional associations?

* Will we get the same caregiver all the time, including weekends and holidays?

* When a caregiver is ill, will you automatically send a substitute or does the family have to phone you when our caregiver doesn’t show up?

 If you opt for a private caregiver, here are some questions to ask: 

* Can you give me several personal and work-related references?  (You might even decide to hire an investigator to do a background check.)

* Where have you worked before and what were your duties?

* What kind of education, training and experience do you have, for example, working with people with memory loss or non-ambulatory clients?  

* Can you give me an example of a difficult situation you handled with a former client? For example, what did you do when a client refused to shower or change clothes?

* How do you handle people who are angry, stubborn or scared?

* Have you had experience cooking and cleaning for others and do you enjoy doing either?

* Do you have a car to transport my parents?  Can you transfer someone from a wheelchair to a car or bed by yourself?

* What days and hours are you available?  Do you provide a substitute on your days off or when you’re ill?

* What type of living arrangements do you require?

* How would you keep my family informed about my parents’ situation?

* How much do you charge and are there any extra costs?

* Will you sign a contract agreeing not to accept money or gifts from my parents?

Remember, whether you hire an agency or an individual, you must stay involved in your parents' care.  It’s still up to you to make the important decisions.

Sponsored by Right at Home, In-Home Care & Assistance, www.rahtemecula.com, (951) 506-9628, loretteoliver@rahtemecula.com;  www.rahnc.com, (760) 690-1147, james@rahnc.com; www.rahencinitas.com, (619) 200-2110, alex@rahencinitas.com; www.rahlajolla.com, (858) 277-5900, info@rahlajolla.com.  Contact Marsha Kay Seff at mkseff@gmail.com.