20 Steps on Hiring a Caregiver

Written by Cynthia Mofarrah:

1. Decide what kind of care is needed for your family member or friend. Do you need a caregiver with a nursing background; registered nurse (RN), certified nurse assistant (CNA) or a home health aide?

Here are the brief descriptions:
RN is a graduate trained nurse who has passed a state registration examination and has been licensed to practice nursing.

CNA provides basic personal care to patients in the long-term care facility. Certification through the State Department of Health Services.

Home Health Aide provides basic personal care in the home setting. Certification through the State Department of Health Services.

2. Post a job opening notification at the local college or university's nursing program. Call your local visiting nurse association. They may have a caregiver referral list. Many community colleges, adult education programs and vocation programs offer nursing career programs such as the certified nursing assistant programs and the home health aide program. Check to see if they have a job placement center for their graduates. Post a job-opening announcement.

Before hiring a caregiver, have her fill out an application. The application should include references, prior work experiences, personal information and other relevant information. If you are hiring a caregiver with a nursing background, verify her credentials and educational background. See the Caregiver Job Application.

4. Perform a background check on the caregiver. Make sure to tell her that you will be conducting a background check. Many companies offer this service for a fee. You can perform a background check on the Internet.

Get the caregiver fingerprinted in order to run the fingerprints through the FBI to check for any criminal history.Your local police department can perform this service at a very nominal fee.

6.Verify the caregiver's name by looking at her driver's license, identification card and social security card. Get photocopy of driver's license and identification card for your records.

7.Conduct a formal interview. Have other family members and friends interview the caregiver to get their feedback. During the interviewing process, have the caregiver fill out a Caregiver Questionnaire.

8.Always pay a caregiver with a check, no cash. If the caregiver insists that payment be made by cash only, this could be a sign of some kind of foul play.

9.Clearly state to the caregiver her duties and responsibilities.

10.Make surprise visits to check on the caregiver. Ask close neighbors and friends check on the caregiver as well.

Source: Cynthia Mofarrah. Article based on personal experience as a caregiver taking care of her sister diagnose with chronic multiple sclerosis.