How to Find a Caregiver: The Basics Explained

Caregiving involves so much more than just medication management and running errands. The job of a caregiver is intricate — and much of it revolves around empathy, organization, interpersonal skills, and patience.

If your loved one lives with you and needs full-time care, hiring the right caregiver is even more important as you are inviting them into your home on a daily basis. Not only should a caregiver align with your loved one’s needs, but yours too.

For more on how to hire a caregiver that truly adds to the life of an aging parent or spouse, this blog is for you.

How to Hire a Caregiver: Consider Personality First

While experience and credentials are obviously very important, you want to get a feel for who a person is before you hire them as a caregiver. Their personality plays a major role in how well they gel with your loved one and the rest of your family.

You want to ask some questions and get a feel for areas of common ground. It’s also wise to do a background check through the national database — this information is usually provided through the Medicaid CDPAP program.

Look at Licensing, Credentials, and Experience

Once you’ve got a feel for the type of person they are, you want to take a thorough look at a caregiver’s credentials, licensing, and experience. All of these factors should be in-line with your loved one’s needs. For example, if they need Alzheimer’s care, you want to hire someone with this type of expertise.

In some states, a caregiver is not required to have a certification or credentials for certain roles. However, you still want to do your homework on the required licensures in order for them to work in your state.

References Are Crucial

This is your way to confirm that a caregiver is who they say they are and can offer the type of services you need. Don’t make the mistake of just asking for a reference and not actually contacting them.

You want to call each reference and listen to their feedback. Make sure to confirm their previous length of employment too, especially if you need long-term care.

Don’t Settle on Your First Choice

When interviewing for a potential caregiver, you want to host multiple interviews before you settle on a final choice. Interviewing just one person doesn’t offer enough information to allow you to make an informed decision.

Make sure to host at least three different interviews, first over-the-phone, then an in-person interview between you and the candidate, and finally an in-person interview where they meet your loved one.

It’s also a good idea to offer your chosen caregiver a trial period to see if they are the right fit. This trial period could last for a week before you make them a formal offer.

Are They Willing to Sign a Contract?

If you choose to hire a caregiver through an agency or the Medicaid program, this is usually covered. However, if you plan on private hire, you want to draw up a contractual agreement and make a formal offer. This is so that you can avoid potential problems down-the-line.

The contract should include a detailed outline of their duties, hours of work, home privileges, and mealtimes. As well as compensation rates, potential bonuses/raises, vacation guidelines, and confidentiality guidelines.

Find Daily Motivation At Your Fingertips

These tips on how to hire a caregiver are just the basics to help you get started. When it comes to the care of a loved one and leaving them in the hands of another, you want to do thorough research on the entire process.

If daily motivation is what you’re looking for to keep yourself or an aging parent in good spirits, you’re in the best place. Be sure to explore the rest of this site for all things on success stories, entrepreneurship, lifestyle topics, and more.