7 Things to Consider When Hiring a Caregiver

Hiring a caregiver for your mother or father can seem like a daunting task. How do you know where to start? Who do you trust? How do you know if they will be any good? Will your parent like them? Will they like your parent? Will they be as attentive and understanding as needed?

In this article, I have listed below seven broad categories of things I think are important to consider when hiring a caregiver for an aging parent. Answering these questions can guide you in getting a clearer picture of what type of caregiving help you need.

Make a checklist that captures what you’re looking for in a caregiver (Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash)

1. How frequently do you want them to visit?

Do you want a live-in caregiver, someone who comes in daily, or someone who helps out several times a week? In deciding this, consider:

• Does your Mom or Dad need help on and off throughout the day?

• Can a family member or adult day program cover some of the time care is needed?

• Are they safe at night on their own?

• Is a medical alert device sufficient at times?

2. How do you want to handle the hiring process?

Consider whether you want to hire the person directly, or do you want to go through an agency.

• If you want to hire someone directly, where do you look? How do you find someone?

• If you choose to use an agency, is there one that will provide you with a consistent person or will they be sending you different caregivers depending on who is available?

• What will the monthly cost be with an agency compared to hiring someone privately?

3. What are your highest priorities in selecting an in-home caregiver?

What are the most important qualities you want in a caregiver?

Here are a few common responses to that question: kind, reliable, competent, compassionate, experienced, a sense of humor, gentle, religious, honest, compassionate, a history of long-term jobs, a good communicator, a good cook, tech savvy (to help your parent use a computer or iPad for video calls/Zoom gatherings), experienced with a variety of medical conditions.

Perhaps you need to prioritize finding a caregiver who has a lot of experience with dementia? Or perhaps you want to prioritize finding someone who is a certified Home Health Aide. Or perhaps simply finding someone who can serve as a companion is most important.

4. What is the job description?

Now it’s time to get into the details of the job description.

• What will this caregiver be doing?

• How much help does your parent need?

• Do they need help with bathing? Dressing? Toileting? Mobility? Meal preparation? Errands? Medication reminders? Going through their mail?

• Will there be cooking, light housecleaning, and/or laundry for the caregiver to do?

• What is the schedule: are they going to live-in?

• Does the caregiver need to have a car? If they don’t have a car, would you want them to use your parent’s car?

5. How do you plan to communicate with the caregiver?

Consider how do you plan to oversee or supervise the caregiver.

• Who will they report to?

• How frequently do you want reports? Daily? Weekly?

• Who is their ultimate “boss?” Can your parent “fire” them? Who has final say over their employment?

6. What do their references say?

• Are the references from agencies or the people they have actually taken care of (or their children)?

• How recent are the references?

• Do they sound legitimate? Sometimes a caregiver will ask a friend or acquaintance to be a reference; individuals who may not be reliable or unbiased sources.

7. How much will you pay them?

• If they are live-in, will you pay them by the hour or day?

• Will you offer any paid vacation time after 6-12 months?

• Will you use a payroll service? If you don’t use a payroll service, who will help you keep track of the various payroll taxes? Insurance?

How we can help:

At Westchester Senior Home Care I help you answer all of these questions. And if you decide that a caregiver is the best route to go, I will introduce you to one whose skill-set and personality fit your unique needs. I will guide you through the interview process and will help as you make your decision. I will support you in the “onboarding” steps once a caregiver has been hired, including setting up a simple payroll solution.

The vast majority of caregivers I refer are interested in long-term, private pay positions. Generally speaking, caregivers who are looking to be hired privately are hoping to create an on-going relationship with their client, to be with them through all the ups and downs. For them, caregiving is as much a calling as it is a job, and the relationship with the elder and the thought that they are making life better for him or her is really what motivates them day in and day out.

To my way of thinking, that is the single most important quality to look for in a caregiver. I would be happy to help you find that person.