If you mean " private" as in a self employed person who presents themselves as a " caregiver" you will be taking a big risk and, you will be accountable for all of the " HR" aspects of employing some one in the home. You also risk the person not showing up as scheduled and having to deal with finding a replacement.
Option B: have your parents assessed by their PCP for " level of care needs", have a licensed social worker or Geriatric case mgr assigned to them by PCP ; they can help you navigate the " level of care needs assessment" with home care options.
Contact your County and ask for Senior Services Dept. Talk with social worker(s). Call agencies and ask how they vet their employees.
Perhaps contact nursing homes / elder care facilities and ask if they have a list of caregivers. They may not share with you - or they might.
Try Next Door, Facebook, etc. Ask around - churches, your networks
Do have a list of questions ready to go such as: experience references (then check them) how would you handle xxx (give a scenario and see how they would handle) What makes you a good caregiver? What do you do (ie cook vs heating up meals), laundry, cleaning. Are they dependable: on time? tell them this is required. Are they CNA? (Certified Nursing Assistant). While not necessary, it does show training / education / experience and initiative to take that training.
You can also hire through IHSS if the elder qualifies. Be sure to check references.
Many people 'caregiving' are not trained well and are doing this work because it is the only work they can get (generally due to non-little English speaking). Conversely, there are some excellent caregivers. You have to ask and then see how they do.
Do supervise and check the first 1-2-3 weeks. Give them input and guidance. Do not presume they know what to do / what you need. Let them know you will work with them (and 'supervise' as needed)
The key is how you interview. Many / some lie. Some will say they cannot disclose references due to HIPPA laws. This is NOT true. They can provide references and if a person doesn't, do not hire them. They are hiding / something with this false response.
I'd advise against using sites such as Care.com - they don't vet their listens and don't have a system in place other than to call, email and text incessantly until they're blocked. Speaking from personal experience! I love the community College suggestion and will use that in my professional & personal capacity!
Prior to using care dot com, do your very best research. Read ALL of their terms of service. For one thing they do not offer refunds, if you are not satisfied with their service. Also, their online site appears as though you get to interview or select the caregiver you see on that site - not so. You only get to select those who respond to your needs, and, in my case, there were applications from other states, as far away as a couple hundred miles, even though I indicated only applicants within ten miles. Dig deeply prior to committing.
2 of the best Caregivers I hired I found by contacting my local Community College. The College has a Nursing program and in my State one of the requirements is that a nursing student has to complete a CNA certification. I contacted the head of the program and explained that I wanted to hire 2 caregivers. I talked to several and the 2 were both waiting for the Nursing School semester to begin. I told them both I would work around their schedule. So if you have a Community College near you try that. You should still do background checks. But since the students do clinical time in local facilities they typically have done fingerprinting and background checks so it might not be necessary.
I also suggest not 1 caregiver but 2 so that there is always coverage if one can't come in. Also please make sure you hire legally. File taxes, do not "pay under the table" this may be very important if you ever have to begin application for Medicaid, this shows that their assets were used for their care. DO NOT use YOUR assets to pay for their care.
You contact agencies in your area. Private care is usually word of mouth. My township VNA has a list of private caregivers. They don't vet these people, thats up to the employer. Call your doctors office. I think its care.com that aides post to.
Option B: have your parents assessed by their PCP for " level of care needs", have a licensed social worker or Geriatric case mgr assigned to them by PCP ; they can help you navigate the " level of care needs assessment" with home care options.
Talk with social worker(s).
Call agencies and ask how they vet their employees.
Perhaps contact nursing homes / elder care facilities and ask if they have a list of caregivers. They may not share with you - or they might.
Try Next Door, Facebook, etc.
Ask around - churches, your networks
Do have a list of questions ready to go such as:
experience
references (then check them)
how would you handle xxx (give a scenario and see how they would handle)
What makes you a good caregiver?
What do you do (ie cook vs heating up meals), laundry, cleaning.
Are they dependable: on time? tell them this is required.
Are they CNA? (Certified Nursing Assistant). While not necessary, it does show training / education / experience and initiative to take that training.
You can also hire through IHSS if the elder qualifies.
Be sure to check references.
Many people 'caregiving' are not trained well and are doing this work because it is the only work they can get (generally due to non-little English speaking). Conversely, there are some excellent caregivers.
You have to ask and then see how they do.
Do supervise and check the first 1-2-3 weeks.
Give them input and guidance.
Do not presume they know what to do / what you need.
Let them know you will work with them (and 'supervise' as needed)
The key is how you interview.
Many / some lie.
Some will say they cannot disclose references due to HIPPA laws. This is NOT true. They can provide references and if a person doesn't, do not hire them.
They are hiding / something with this false response.
Gena / Touch Matters
I contacted the head of the program and explained that I wanted to hire 2 caregivers. I talked to several and the 2 were both waiting for the Nursing School semester to begin. I told them both I would work around their schedule.
So if you have a Community College near you try that.
You should still do background checks. But since the students do clinical time in local facilities they typically have done fingerprinting and background checks so it might not be necessary.
I also suggest not 1 caregiver but 2 so that there is always coverage if one can't come in.
Also please make sure you hire legally. File taxes, do not "pay under the table" this may be very important if you ever have to begin application for Medicaid, this shows that their assets were used for their care.
DO NOT use YOUR assets to pay for their care.