At least once a week I am asked:

“I’m looking for a caregiver to help mom and dad.  Do you know anyone?”

And while the question may sound innocent, it is anything but.

Choosing the right caregiver for your loved one seems like a simple task.  You are looking for a reliable person who is eager to take good care of mom or dad.

The actual selection of this person, though, is normally quite complex.

Things to consider

What makes this such a complex process? There are multiple things to consider when looking for a caregiver.  First, you need to determine exactly what you need done for mom or dad.

  1. How many days/hours per week do they need help?
  2. What kinds of tasks will the caregiver be asked to do (driving, errands, household tasks, companionship, help with bathing, dressing, toileting, grooming)?
  3. Does your caregiver need medical training, such as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)?
  4. Do they need to be able to lift the care recipient or be able to operate any special equipment?

Once you have determined what they need you can begin looking for your caregiver.  Caregivers can be found through professional agencies, but there are also many individual caregivers available for hire.  There are pros and cons to both.

Agencies

Home care agencies are probably the easiest way to find good caregivers. Agencies will make an effort to match your needs to available caregivers and will also consider the personalities and temperaments of both the caregiver and care recipient.

Agencies typically perform background checks and drug tests, giving you peace of mind about the individual(s) coming into your parents home.  But do not make the mistake of assuming that all agencies conduct such checks.  Be sure to ASK what checks the agency conducts.

Also, make sure the agency is licensed in your state and bonded.  If they are not, you would be wise to look somewhere else.

Typically, you will pay more per hour for agencies than private caregivers. However, agencies offer benefits the private caregivers may not.  If an agency caregiver is sick, the agency will usually have other workers to send as replacements. If you are working with a private caregiver and they get sick, you may be left with no care for the day.

Once you select an agency, be sure to interview the caregivers yourself.  All caregivers look good on paper, but there are many reasons (personality, culture, religious, etc.) they may not work for you.

Finally, if you choose an agency, be prepared to monitor the caregiver. Agencies work with many clients at a time, so it can be difficult to monitor the work of all their caregivers.  It is up to you and your family to make sure their work is meeting your expectations.  Be prepared to give feedback to the agency, even asking for a new caregiver, if needed.

Individual Private Caregivers

Hiring a private caregiver will likely be cheaper, which is appealing when planning for long term care of a loved one.  They may also be people that the family already knows, providing a level of trust and comfort that may not come from an agency.

However, there are a number of important things you should consider with private caregivers, too.

  • Figure out where you can find a reliable, effective caregiver.  Talking with friends, neighbors, and church connections can be good places to start.  You may consider hiring a family member, but be careful here.  The person you hire may also need to be fired, and firing a family member is never easy.
  • All of the employee management falls on your shoulders.  You will need to conduct the interviews, check references, complete a criminal background check, and drivers license check.  Remember, you are letting someone into your or your parents’ home on a regular basis, and this person is providing care for your mom or dad.  So do not skip these important steps.
  • Hire a licensed, insured, and bonded caregiver.  This may automatically disqualify your family, friends, and neighbors.  If you choose to hire someone who does not meet these qualifications and they are injured while on your property, you are subject to legal complications that you want to avoid.
  • Prepare a contract.  This contract spells out the job description and expectations, to insure that everyone is on the same page.  Be sure to include wages, when and how the person will be paid, hours of work, employees personal information and social security number (because you MUST report wages paid to the caregiver to the Internal Revenue Service!), under what circumstances the employee would be terminated, and the date and signatures of employee and employer.
  • Set up a monitoring schedule.  It is important to monitor the quality of the care the caregiver is providing.  This will require regular visits with the caregiver, and getting reports from your parents about what is happening.  You can also consider video cameras to help with the monitoring process.
  • Consider hiring a geriatric care manager to help with the hiring and monitoring.  They can provide useful insights and help take some of the weekly work off your shoulders.
  • Make sure you have a plan for when the caregiver cannot work or simply doesn’t show up. Everyone gets sick or has emergencies, so there are sure to be days when even the most dedicated caregiver can not work.  Know what you are going to do when this happens!

In the end, looking for a caregiver is a complex task.  But by considering your options and following a careful hiring process, you can find your loved ones excellent care that will enable them to live in their homes for as long as possible.