Companies typically have an organized hiring process from recruiting qualified candidates through screenings, testing, checking references, and interviewing. Hiring a caregiver should be at least as stringent. But, sometimes people skip over these important steps when hiring a caregiver. A client might be in urgent need of help. Or, a family might feel stressed about Mom or Dad’s safety. A friend or professional recommends a caregiver they’ve used and that might seem like enough. But, would your company hire an employee on a casual recommendation alone, without doing any due diligence?
And, the stakes can be even higher when it comes to working with a caregiver. This person will be in your loved one’s home, helping with personal tasks. You want to know the person is trustworthy and right for your needs. You also want to be sure the caregiver is qualified and trained. They’ll be doing work with a high potential of on-the-job injury if not done properly.
If you’re seeking to hire a caregiver without the benefit of an agency, don’t skip these vital screening steps. Do the necessary screening and think about how to interview a caregiver to ensure a good fit. Check out this article for other considerations before you hire a caregiver privately.
How to Interview a Caregiver
A caregiver interview serves a few key purposes. Consider these when thinking of how to interview a caregiver and coming up with caregver interview questions.
One is to gain a better understanding of the caregiver’s experiences with situations like yours. Simply looking at a list of qualifications isn’t always enough, especially with caregivers. You want to talk about their experience with the types of tasks you need or working with someone with similar conditions. By talking about some scenarios and specific experiences, you can get an idea of how they might handle various challenges.
Next, you want to get a feel for personality and if the caregiver has the necessary personal qualities. Caregiving is both a science and an art. Caregivers have to be patient and flexible. They need a lot of empathy and compassion. Does the person have the right combination of skills and qualities? Is the caregiver conscientious? Are they open to doing things the way you like them? How might they react to feedback?
The third purpose is to set expectations. This is the time for the caregiver to make sure they understand what you want. You want a caregiver who asks some questions. Is this going to be a good match on both sides? Does everyone understand what’s involved? Are there any concerns or misunderstandings over what the caregiver can do?
Benefits of Working with a Home Care Agency
A home care agency offers many advantages when you need a caregiver. We won’t get into all of them here, ranging from liability, tax and legal issues to supervision and backup needs. But, from a hiring perspective, an agency handles both recruitment and due diligence for you.
In order to meet the needs of elder clients, an agency like EasyLiving is constantly focused on recruiting the best candidates. This means there’s a whole team of qualified workers for us to match you with so you get the best results. When you get a personal referral to just one caregiver, there’s a small chance that’s the best person to meet YOUR needs.
State-licensed home care agencies will have to document their employees meet requirements and have updated background checks. Beyond that, quality home care agencies know that their people are their value. They’ll focus on building the best team, matching the right caregivers to clients and supporting their caregivers to do their best.
Achieving Quality Home Care: How EasyLiving Screens Caregivers and Sets Them Up For Success
Here’s an example of how we handle the process of getting the best candidates…and then getting them matched to you and prepared for the job. When you interview any home care agency, ask them about their process.
Caregivers must, of course, have proper qualifications. We verify their licensure or certification. A full background check is required for all employees. EasyLiving uses a behavioral interview and screening process, which helps us identify key characteristics of a successful caregiver. We have spent a great deal of time learning how to interview a caregiver beyond the standard caregiver interview questions.
When we bring people onboard, we provide an orientation program. EasyLiving caregivers receive training to keep their skills up-to-date.
So, you can see some of the ways we cover the key points mentioned in the interview section above. But, what about making sure the caregiver is the best for your needs and setting expectations? This is where our staffing team does the legwork for you. We not only gather information from you to assess tasks you need help with, we also use a Life History and Daily Routines Questionnaire for understanding you better. From this information, we can match the best caregiver to you and also create your care plan. This clearly outlines expectations and duties to the caregiver.
Additionally, we focus on the introductory period. We know that first impressions can make or break the experience. We also use the first visit to clarify anything. Our team can determine if any supplies are lacking or any changes need to be made. And, we immediately follow up with both client and caregiver, along with doing ongoing quality assurance.
Struggling to get the right care for your loved one?
Not sure how to talk to Mom about getting help? Want to know what’s available and what things will cost? Need help cutting through the endless information?