- Always include the potential care recipient in the screening process if he or she is able to participate, to ensure that both parties are comfortable and that your family member’s needs are respected.
- Conduct an in-depth interview with each candidate. Screening applicants on the phone should always be followed with a personal interview.
- Be specific about all of the tasks, skills, and schedules involved. Discuss compensation and payment schedules. Do not pay for services in advance. If you are paying privately for care, you may want to consider worker compensation insurance for your worker.
- Request several work and personal references, and check them carefully. Verify the information provided, and ask all references about reliability, trustworthiness, punctuality, and the care provider's ability to handle stress.
- Ensure a criminal background check is conducted.
- Conduct your own online searches on candidates. Search for public information or news articles, and search social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
- Even after you hire, continue to be involved and monitor your caregiver. Make announced and unannounced visits to get a true picture of your caregiver and to let the caregiver know how involved you are with your family member's care.
- Trust your instincts! Always keep the lines of communication open and discuss concerns promptly with your caregiver.
These suggestions are offered as a service to employers, and cannot be construed as legal advice. Rewarding Work cannot be held liable for any interactions between people who use this website.