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Hiring Help at Home

Finding a reliable and qualified care provider or home-helper for your parents requires research. The best advice I can give is to be relentless and don’t compromise on the quality of care, training and expertise of care providers and their availability to fit your schedule. Your parent’s well-being is linked to stability and routine in this area. And, your stress can be reduced with qualified home health care professionals by your side.

Getting started
List the job tasks clearly and ask applicants to check off those that they are willing and able to perform. (One family told me that their caregiver refused to toilet their 80-year-old mother.) Address subjects like benefits and wages, frequency of paydays, lateness, absences, vacations, and notice time.  Make sure the applicant has reliable transportation to get to and from work on time. If you work and are heavily dependent on the home care assistant, emphasize the importance of reliability in the interview and be sure to have a back-up plan in case the caregiver does not show up.

You may wish to consult a family physician, hospital discharge planner or geriatric case manager to help you locate home care providers in your area. Think carefully about your elder’s needs before you venture into the world of interviewing and hiring. It’s just like finding suitable child-care, with the right person or people, things are well under control at home and you can head off to work without additional worries. If the dynamics are wrong it’ll be nothing but trouble, so make a change and put yourself out of your misery as soon as you can.

Home care workers
Even if you aren’t sure, it’s best to find ways to ask for a supervisor’s assistance when an agency is involved or if you’re in a private situation, replace the home care worker as quickly as possible.

Beyond a doubt, your parent should be as comfortable as possible with their home care situation and deserves appropriate, professional care. If possible, involve your parent in initial selection decisions to ensure they are comfortable and feel safe with the candidate. Check in with mom and dad on a regular basis to confirm that their needs are being met, discuss any potential concerns, and verify that they feel that they are being treated with dignity and respect.

Where to look for the “right” kind of caregiver
Relative as caregiver:  Your elder may prefer care from a relative rather than a stranger. Perhaps there is someone in your family who might offer care without receiving any compensation or in exchange for living rent-free. It might be a perfect arrangement for someone who is finishing school, between jobs or marriages or is ready for a change.

This is an officially paid position in some families with a written agreement and benefits.

Private agencies: Paid caregivers with training are referred and managed by home health care or nursing agencies in your region. Some of these are branches of larger national firms, while others are very local. Find out if the caregiver provided by the agency is an employee of the agency or an independent contractor.  Avoid up-front deposits and payments in advance.  Check references and ask for financial arrangements in writing. Some agencies charge a one-time finder’s fee and offer a 30 to 60-day guarantee. Others charge by the hour or pay period.

Recruiting locally. Running an ad in the daily newspaper or searching the yellow pages under “home care” hospice or nurses is how you go about this task. Avenues for hiring home care workers include asking other caregivers for referrals and going to senior or other employment agencies.

Be clear about your needs. Establish a list of your basic needs and “nice to have “extras. Your first priority is to determine what kind of help is necessary. The easiest way to do this is to create a list of circumstances and tasks. This should allow you to narrow down the key areas where a professional can be of assistance.

Try to match the personality of the caregiver with that of the person receiving care.  Can they get along?  Will they work together? Are they patient and friendly with each other? Is the caregiver capable and strong enough for moving and lifting? Can he/she cook the food that your parent likes? Does your loved one need a nurse for medical treatments—dressing changes on wounds or pressure sores, IV therapy, diabetes monitoring? A personal care worker could provide assistance with bathing, laundry or meal preparation. Will driving be required?  What about shopping and banking? Language, menus, tradition and family values are pivotal in making a selection. Consider cultural or religious issues that will make your loved one most comfortable. Don’t expect your Hungarian father to suddenly fall in love with Chinese food.

It may take a few tries before a good match is made. In general, it’s the cheerful, positive helpers that make the most difference in your life and your elders.

Check references (for individuals)
Credentials do matter. Screen applicants carefully to ensure that they have the necessary qualifications, training and/or temperament.  Your interview should include a full discussion of the client’s needs and limitations as well as yours as it relates to time away and other responsibilities. Have a written copy of the eldercare job description, conduct a careful review of the care worker’s home health care training/experience, and take time for a discussion of his or her expectations and availability. (Is she looking for a short-term or long-term placement)?

Have applicants fill out an employment form that includes their name, address, phone numbers (home and cell), date of birth, social insurance number, educational background, work history and references. Have applicants provide a driver’s license, school/training certificates, and citizenship and photo ID. Also be sure that you have detailed information on previous employers and watch for gaps in their work history.  With the applicant’s permission, conduct a criminal background check.

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