Need a home care provider for my dad in our home with our nine year old daughter. Without going thru an agency how can we vet a candidate's background properly?
Ask dad's PCP for some recommendations about home care if you want an agency. I have used Concierage Care and was satisfied with the experience although they are not cheap.
You may ask at your local church but will need to get references and interview. I also did many drop in checks to monitor.
You can get a home monitoring system(Nest)so that you can keep watch over the activities.
I highly suggest getting in touch with your local Jehovah Witness congregation for help. Right now my family employs 5 ladies that belong to that faith. I love the care they provide.
If you are looking for as close to a guarantee, or protection, as possible, this is the really good reason why one would go through an agency.
Before you go down the private hire path you must know that hiring a caregiver makes you a de facto employer. As such, you will need to pay them in such a way as to track and report their wages, and comply with your state's withholding tax rules. This protects both your dad (should he ever need to apply for Medicaid) and the caregiver.
As en employer, I would start by being careful WHERE you post the job listing. If there is a jobs forum that requires job seekers to pay to view positions, this is a good filter.
Let applicants know that they will be required to submit their last 3 most recent clients or places of employment and that you will be contacting these references (although it's pretty easy to get a friend to give you a bogus review of the applicant if it's an individual). If it was an agency, you won't get an honest answer if they were terrible at their job. I've done hiring for 38 years...trust me, businesses and organizations won't tell you if they are losers. There are myriad reasons for this, no room to go into it here.
Then you should *definitely* pay for a thorough criminal background check. Let applicants know this also, to weed out unfit candidates.
Interview them in person, asking them questions about how they would approach this challenge or that, to get a read on what their actual experience level and if they have any common sense at all. Make sure they have a working understanding of your dad's illness and how to cope with his needs.
Finally, create a very thorough employment contract for them to sign.
Before letting strangers into your house, you need to have a thorough conversation with your daughter. You will also need to secure all sensitive financial or personal information, just for good measure.
I wish you success in finding the right fit for your family!
Geaton, I found that asking if the person was eligible for rehire was very telling.
If someone has just given a stellar review and then tells you that the person is NOT eligible for rehire you know that you just listened to a whole lot of CYA.
I found that I got better information if I asked on a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate...(whatever you want to know) then nobody is saying anything that can cause blowback and I learned what I needed to know.
Many creative ways to get at the truth.
I think asking for personal and professional references helps stop the friends giving false job references.
And if you can’t pay agency and fees as described in your other post, will you be able to pay privately? As a private employer you have responsibilities to pay on time and as agreed. And private caregivers may not want to handle incontinence. Best of luck in your search. Be upfront about actual needs. Two very different sets of caregiving skills.
The safest and easiest way is to go through an agency. They will also take care of insurance for Worker's comp, taxes, withholding. Another advantage is ..if you hire 1 person and they can not come in one day, or they take a vacation the agency will send a replacement so you are not without a caregiver.
I did find 2 awesome caregivers that I did hire myself. They were from the Local Community College. They had just completed their CNA course and were waiting for the Nursing School Program to begin. I hired them and told them I would work around their class schedules. BUT I was with a program through the VA that while I hired the caregivers the program was responsible for Background check, paying the employee and taking taxes and the program covered insurance as well. I was responsible for filing/reporting their time and keeping all the paperwork. I would NOT have hired privately if it were not for this particular program there is so much involved with filing for taxes and making sure their insurance is covered.
Hi would you please let me know if the VA program you mentioned is Aid and Assistance? My father has that and I am also looking for an aid for hm when I need to go out.
Hollyo, if you hire a caregiver privately, please check with your homeowner's insurance company about getting "workman comp" insurance, just in case the caregiver should get hurt on the job. Your caregiver would be your employee.
When hiring privately you need to find out if the employee is an "independent contractor" thus will be paying their own payroll taxes. Or if you need to do the payroll taxes. There are payroll companies that would do this work for you for a fee.
Also, ask the caregiver when he/she had their flu shot and their covid-19 shot, if they have proof of such shots even better.
For my own Dad, we used an Agency, the Rep came out to interview us, and we in turn interviewed the Agency. With an Agency, if a caregiver couldn't make her shift, the Agency found a replacement for that shift. Dad had the same two shift caregivers for over a year. One would help Dad with minor yard work, which gave Dad some outdoor time and exercise :)
Just a PS that one (supposedly well-regarded) agency sent out a MARKETING director to do the initial interview. She was inept and there was no followup indicating they did not want or need our business. I asked a particular question in re to background checking...like about driving record checks and apparently they didn't like that I knew too much:-) Furthermore, I took time from work to be present at this interview and THEY STILL had to send another person out to do the care plan that I thought was the purpose of this visit. Buh bye....no respect for caregivers trying to hold down a job....
I had no luck over the past two years with our local home care agencies. Employees were inexperienced and unreliable. I had requested the same home health caregiver and each time they would send a different person that I knew nothing about, plus it confused my husband who had Alzheimers and had a difficult time with new people showing up. Some didn't meet my requirements and the agencies hadn't screened those caregivers and sent them here anyway. (like smokers and people with pets). My husband is now in a memory care facility which is costly, but unfortunately I had no choice since I could rely on our local agencies. When the time comes that I need a caregiver, I will personally advertise for one and screen them myself. Good luck with your choice.
I agree with 1 of the answers here, to hire somebody from nursing program in local college. These young people are skilled, trained and you can work around there class schedule. They are also in need of extra money and flexible with salary. I do not know, if people on this forum realize how much agencies charge. Ridiculously high prices from $30 - $37 per hour. They pay caregivers the minimum wage by the way, in Rockland county it is $12.50 per hour. I would hire somebody privately, a college student pursuing degree in nursing and offer them $15-$17 per hour. I am sure a lot of them will be interested.
Around here, you will most likely not pay less than $20/hr for help, and using an agency most likely more. Remember the agencies are going to take a cut so they pay the staff less which can translate to less motivation. I too would advocate for a nursing or other good student...BUt it is a huge challenge to work around a class schedule that will regularly change, if you work and need to have someone dependable at certain times of day maybe to prepare a meal for your loved one.
I have been an independant care giver for over 10 years. I joined 2 sites. They run back ground checks (I pay) on everyone. I paid for the expanded check. Meet them several times (not at your Dads home) before having them meet your Dad. Check their references. Check their facebook page if you can. Agency help is irratic and because they are paid so little, the turnover is huge. I love what I do and have been with most of my people for over 5 years. Gold luck
Can you tell me what a trained caregiver gets per hour? I Why is it that they get "paid so little"? I don't like the sounds of that! :( A company wants to hire and train me; and I wanted to know what the "going rate" is. Thank-you very much!! If they get paid "so little", that tells me that patients who are being "cared for", more than likely won't get the proper care that they need. Not good....!!!
Your statement has validity as well as those who have hired privately and paid more than agency wages, but just to say I am a professional in the field for many years and had need to hire myself for a family member. The agency's whose names we had given out with no endorsement for years turned out to be either expensive or unprofessional when I dealt with them. (How about being verbally bullied by someone when I conveyed my extreme unhappiness when someone due to meet me for an initial interview was a no show/no call...and I dared to complain about leaving work early to be home for this the owner said I was maligning her character! Didn't even care that I could potentially give her agency's name as a resource to other and what I might say!) I also fell victim to a slick operator with a clever name for her firm that lured me in. THAT place didn't even DO background checks on employees unless someone pushed the point and seemed to have a "friend" working at a local nursing home that filtered unhired aides who went through a training program to this woman who owned the company. I ultimately got a referral from our elder law attorney to an agency I had high hopes for. We were supposedly getting a retired (or was she forced to resign?) nurse who would be so professional and skilled especially with one of our primary issues of getting mom to shower. This woman couldn't even follow the care plan the agency and I put together which said NOT to do the kitchen. This woman could not even make a bed neatly and had the covers hanging to the side down to the floor just like my mother with dementia does! I reached a point of being fed up with nothing being accomplished. LIGHT housekeeping WAS part of the plan and covered by the agency so I began leaving a list (as I was working) for light housekeeping tasks to be done. This apparently did not make her happy as she preferred a job where she could sit on her behind and do puzzles. ONE singular day she showed some initiative by going in the kitchen, going through the cupboards which I did not give permission for, and found some glass cleaner...She cleaned the glass tabletop I had cleaned well, by smearing it, seemed clueless that one could wipe a fingerprint on the bottom so it would not show on the top, and proceeded to use the glass cleaner on an abrasive paper towel on a plastic film on our fridge. IT had looked previously flawless and was protecting the actual surface from fingerprints. NOW it was all scratched and looked terrible. I dismissed her early that day, and ultimately made it clear I did not want her ever back. The agency made NO apologies and took no responsibility. Just to illustrate that EVEN when you think you have a clear plan, even with a GOOD agency crap happens.
I posted a plea on my own Facebook page, asking if anyone knew of someone like a CNA who could take care of my mom. I got a referral from someone I trust that way. I talked to her and she was able to start taking care of my mom and recommend two other girls who worked with her at previous houses. They were wonderful! I paid them $20 per hour, and they kept all the money, whereas the agencies started at $25 per hour and you don't know who or what you'll get going through an agency. They might send a different person everyday as well, which is very confusing to someone with dementia. Some are good, some aren't. These two girls (the main two who took care of her M-F 8a-6p were fantastic. One was a GNA who works PT at the local terminally ill hospital and the other is a CNA who at the time was working at a local acute rehab hospital. She was also in nursing school. She was so caring - took mom for walks, played cards with her, cleaned the house, etc.
Once I had their names, I looked them up on Facebook and ran their names in the Maryland Judiciary Case Search and Googled them to see if they showed on any news sites. But honestly, since the first girl was a friend of the family, I felt safe leaving her with my mom. Of course I met her in person before taking her to my mom's house.
Now, if you don't get any referrals from your own Facebook post or asking friends and family, I honestly don't know where you can go.
I actually got the name of a very sweet lady from one of the caregivers we hired through an agency. They had worked together for 15 years at a private care facility and the lady was happy to have some pt income. I am paying her $10/hr cash and she has been great (she had been making $8/hr at her previous job :( )
The agency was charging 26 dollars an hour and the caregivers only get $10 with NO benefits! By cutting the cg expense more than half, I can afford more hours and feel like I'm actually helping the cg. As duties increase, so will her pay, but for now it seems a win/win.
We tried posting on our community website and on FB, but didn't get any good responses. I strongly suggest going through friends and family or the local churches.
The only disadvantage I have found by hiring privately is that I don't have a backup (yet) in case of illness or inclement weather. Fortunately, I live close enough to take up the cg slack if needed.
Oh yes, the back up is an issue, and Next Door type social pages may be a good way to get a lead. Also remember that you may need to keep records and file in regard to taxes. Hiring privately can get complex.
There should probably be some criminal background checking firms in your area. Call your local police dept and ask if they know of any. YOu should do a BCI and FBI check to play it safe. You will pay in the vicinity of $40-50. Have a candidate fill out an application that asks for basics...work history with dates of employment, reason for leaving, direct supervisor. Personal references NOT related to them. Call these references. Ask former employers (which you should have permission to call from the application) if they would hire this person again...many are hesitant to say anything for fear of lawsuits. But that questions answer is very telling. Ask the person what they like about older people, what they like especially doing for older people, what they find challenging. I have interviewed many through the years. I have a casual attitude and just chatting is often very revealing. What about their appearance? No 9 inch nails. No cocktail attire, no odors (from smoke, perfume etc. if this bothers you. Do they have a pen, or do you have to provide one? Is the application you provide filled out messily? Can you read it? Is information requested missing? Be sure to ask for consent to do a background check. Remember, YOU are the employer and can and should fire someone not working out. As a precaution, remove temptations of valuables and cash. Beware of what look like places to make your search easy, access to people looking for work which typically require YOU to pay a membership/registration type fee up front. OH...and don't overlook the obvious...you've got the person's name, use what is easily at hand: GOOGLE them, and attempt to look them up on social media sites. I would personally reject someone who makes inappropriate/offensive/racist comments etc. Good luck
If you have a church affiliation, you might ask for references.from others in the church. Many churches will help in that regard even if they are not your own church.
Do be aware that you are responsible for taxes when you hire independently. You may manage to pay under the table, but you may not and that could be a big problem.
I am a vetted ind caregiver (direct services, coordinating, manager / management services) through a retirement community. The facility requires us to do [some of] the following and residents select us for independent contractual working relationships:
1a. Get fingerprinted (criminal record check) - this is at my own expense. Is worth it to YOU and if someone wants a job, they will do it. 1b. At my own expense, I must get a TB test every year. Require this. 1c. If foreign born, ask to see ss card, work permit, etc.
2. Get copy of DL and proof of car insurance.
3. Ask for verifiable references, work experience, etc. Should be at least 2-3 or perhaps an entire work history. They should have a resume prepared although many don't.
4. Create a check off list: One for yourself with all these questions. If you potentially like the person, give them a copy.
5. For first interview, be it on phone or in person, see if they are on time (responsible to show up and/or call if they will be late). Surprisingly, many I talk to on the phone do not show up, are late and don't call.
6. ASK for proof of Covid testing and vaccinations, depending on your location and ability to acquire both. I must get Covid tested weekly.
7. If potential worker says (as one worker did to me) that they cannot disclose who their clients are due to HIPPA laws, this is not true. Anyone can give a reference if they desire. If a potential worker doesn't want to give references of the person they worked with (that is a red flag unless their client has dementia), ask for references from the client's family member, or anyone involved with and can speak of the potential worker's dependable, work experience.
8a. Give them a few scenarios of what could / may happen and see how they respond. This is important re judgment, honesty, 'thinking quickly on one's feet' in cases of emergency - and just having common sense. (One worker with a client of mine (I managed care for family living outside of area) had 24/7 caregivers. One of them allowed the client to DRIVE - and client has dementia. Sometimes you wonder (if) how these people THINK. Caregiver said she knows / knew client had dementia. Caregiver was through agency (I didn't arrange, family did) and I believe felt very intimidated by client.
8b. Due see if potential worker can handle aggressive, demanding, strong client personalities without caving. A care provider MUST be able to set boundaries and do what is in the best interest of the client. THEY must call you or a designated person immediately of any potential emergency or issue they do not know how to handle.
9a. If you feel it necessary, get a camera to double check. Unfortunately, theft is a reality in this kind of work, as abuse is (although the abuse aspect may be a low percentage, it does happen).
9b. As a test, I would leave $5 or $10 (or less) on a table or in a drawer they likely will need to open for medications or something and see if they take the bait. (Or leave it on the carpet, close to under the bed as if you dropped it).
10. Always offer a trial period vs an immediate ongoing working relationship. If you feel good about the person, say you'd like to try it out for a week or two weeks and see how things go.
11. Give them a clear list of duties, go over everything, see how that goes during the first two weeks. Gena.
There's an internet site that I used successfully; both independent and agency caregivers list themselves on it, credentials, bonding, etc. It has a free and modest subscription fee version (that's what I used) that has some additional communication features.
I've been in private in-home care for years. If you're looking for private help, use an online site. Or there are also care agencies that private caregivers get work from. How those work is the caregiver pays a finder's fee to the agency and they get them some work. The agency's involvement ends there. After that's done you pay the caregiver directly. You negotiate the pay with the caregiver and pay them directly. Now, it never hurts to ask for potential caregivers to bring a back round check in writing from the police department of whatever town they've lived in for five years, or for how ever many years you think is appropriate. This isn't the most important thing to check up. The most important thing is that a potential caregiver should furnish you with at least two references from families they've worked for long-term. If they were in elder caregiving, those references likely cannot come directly from the person they cared for because they're usually either dead or in a nursing home. Those references need to be from a client's family members or spouses. Not just a letter of recommendation. You need to actually be able to speak to the family members and ask them questions. This is how I get my work. Next, insist on regular, periodical drug testing. Let the potential caregiver you're considering know that you will pay for this at your expense. This is important because many times when an in-home caregiver becomes necessary it is because the client has health conditions and there may be prescription medications in the home that are appealing to a drug user for two reasons. Either they will steal pain meds and other controlled substances for use themselves, or they take them to sell so they can gets drugs of their choice. In-home elder care is a line of work that often attracts the wrong sort of person for just this reason and also because they know that if a person is old and has dementia, stealing is easier to get away with. Always make sure every pill is counted and documented. After you've found a caregiver you and the client seem to like, keep an eye on them. Pop in randomly. Set up nanny-cams to monitor how they're getting on with your loved one. Of course you will already know to put all valuables like jewelry, cash, credit cards, checkbooks, etc... under lock and key. Never leave anything valuable accessible. Good luck in your search. You and your LO will be a lot better off with a private caregiver.
I wanted to add something that I was told by a friend in California who hired an independent caregiver. Not only did she have to pay/report payroll taxes and workers comp, in her state she was required to pay overtime because the person was on call 24/7. Either that or she actually needed to hire several shifts of caregivers so that no one worked over 8 hours and more than 40 hours/week. It may be state dependent but the old idea of hiring someone to live in with a parent (rent free plus salary) can't be done cost effectively in her state and probably in others as well.
Mary, many states allow the contract to specify total hours daily or weekly. You can do up to 45 hours as salary before overtime kicks in, you can do 8 hours a day or 40 hours weekly before you have to pay overtime. As long as the contract specifies exactly what the work week should be, ie ot begins after 40 hours and some days will be 10 hours while others can be as short as 2. Contracts are vital to ensure that everyone understands from the beginning what is expected and how they will be compensated.
If an independent contractor can not provide you with a current business license and insurance policy then they should be treated as an employee.
You can utilize payroll services or labor leasing type businesses to not have to do all the state and federal requirements as an employer.
I wish to remind anyone who is thinking about or currently privately hiring that the IRS is the one who gets to decide if your caregiver is your employee or not!
Please see their website to find out or discuss with your accountant. Back taxes, back pay and penalty ramifications are financially punishing and can be avoided.
Keep in mind many caregivers are immigrants who lived in other countries for decades. Did the agency really do some sort of international background check on each one? No, they didn't, and neither can you.
I have found a lot of good Caregivers. The only issue I have with them is that they make it difficult to cancel your subscription. When you try to cancel you must call them and make it very clear that you want it canceled, not downgraded, or they will keep charging your credit card each month.
Check with a neighborhood forum (Facebook group, Nextdoor, etc.)--word-of-mouth and others' own personal experiences. However, I'm aware when checking anything (business or personal services provider) online, often there are very loud and negative reports by one person that had a bad (perceived or real) experience with that company or individual.
P.s., are you looking for a childcare provider AND a caregiver for your dad? Or one person to do both? I'm not experienced with a 9 y/o, but after caring for my 85-90 y/o mom for almost six years, I cannot imagine being able to also give any decent amount of my attention and time to the younger one.
Because your child is going to be exposed to this person, contact your Sheriff and ask for the paperwork to get a level 1 fingerprint done. This does a background check that ensures that you are not hiring someone with a criminal background. You have to be squeaky clean to get cleared, because you are dealing with vulnerable people.
Most areas on aging have a list of private hire caregivers that they have made sure have proper cerifications and had background checks conducted. Call them.
You can choose candidates that have had a background check. You can also do your own background checks through an online company or through your state bureau of criminal apprehension or judicial system.
Hi, I got a home care agency that also provides private caregivers for less than what most private caregivers would charge me for live-in or hourly care. Plus this agency will provide other caregivers if they are not good matches for my dad, in addition to providing substitute caregivers when the caregiver we have takes time off.
I had to do the fingerprint thing before I could volunteer with children for reading instruction and tutoring. I see that recommended below and I sure do recommend that.
You may ask at your local church but will need to get references and interview. I also did many drop in checks to monitor.
You can get a home monitoring system(Nest)so that you can keep watch over the activities.
I highly suggest getting in touch with your local Jehovah Witness congregation for help. Right now my family employs 5 ladies that belong to that faith. I love the care they provide.
Before you go down the private hire path you must know that hiring a caregiver makes you a de facto employer. As such, you will need to pay them in such a way as to track and report their wages, and comply with your state's withholding tax rules. This protects both your dad (should he ever need to apply for Medicaid) and the caregiver.
As en employer, I would start by being careful WHERE you post the job listing. If there is a jobs forum that requires job seekers to pay to view positions, this is a good filter.
Let applicants know that they will be required to submit their last 3 most recent clients or places of employment and that you will be contacting these references (although it's pretty easy to get a friend to give you a bogus review of the applicant if it's an individual). If it was an agency, you won't get an honest answer if they were terrible at their job. I've done hiring for 38 years...trust me, businesses and organizations won't tell you if they are losers. There are myriad reasons for this, no room to go into it here.
Then you should *definitely* pay for a thorough criminal background check. Let applicants know this also, to weed out unfit candidates.
Interview them in person, asking them questions about how they would approach this challenge or that, to get a read on what their actual experience level and if they have any common sense at all. Make sure they have a working understanding of your dad's illness and how to cope with his needs.
Finally, create a very thorough employment contract for them to sign.
Before letting strangers into your house, you need to have a thorough conversation with your daughter. You will also need to secure all sensitive financial or personal information, just for good measure.
I wish you success in finding the right fit for your family!
If someone has just given a stellar review and then tells you that the person is NOT eligible for rehire you know that you just listened to a whole lot of CYA.
I found that I got better information if I asked on a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate...(whatever you want to know) then nobody is saying anything that can cause blowback and I learned what I needed to know.
Many creative ways to get at the truth.
I think asking for personal and professional references helps stop the friends giving false job references.
And secure all valuables.
They will also take care of insurance for Worker's comp, taxes, withholding.
Another advantage is ..if you hire 1 person and they can not come in one day, or they take a vacation the agency will send a replacement so you are not without a caregiver.
I did find 2 awesome caregivers that I did hire myself. They were from the Local Community College. They had just completed their CNA course and were waiting for the Nursing School Program to begin. I hired them and told them I would work around their class schedules. BUT I was with a program through the VA that while I hired the caregivers the program was responsible for Background check, paying the employee and taking taxes and the program covered insurance as well. I was responsible for filing/reporting their time and keeping all the paperwork.
I would NOT have hired privately if it were not for this particular program there is so much involved with filing for taxes and making sure their insurance is covered.
When hiring privately you need to find out if the employee is an "independent contractor" thus will be paying their own payroll taxes. Or if you need to do the payroll taxes. There are payroll companies that would do this work for you for a fee.
Also, ask the caregiver when he/she had their flu shot and their covid-19 shot, if they have proof of such shots even better.
For my own Dad, we used an Agency, the Rep came out to interview us, and we in turn interviewed the Agency. With an Agency, if a caregiver couldn't make her shift, the Agency found a replacement for that shift. Dad had the same two shift caregivers for over a year. One would help Dad with minor yard work, which gave Dad some outdoor time and exercise :)
I do not know, if people on this forum realize how much agencies charge. Ridiculously high prices from $30 - $37 per hour. They pay caregivers the minimum wage by the way, in Rockland county it is $12.50 per hour.
I would hire somebody privately, a college student pursuing degree in nursing and offer them $15-$17 per hour. I am sure a lot of them will be interested.
They run back ground checks (I pay) on everyone. I paid for the expanded check.
Meet them several times (not at your Dads home) before having them meet your Dad. Check their references. Check their facebook page if you can.
Agency help is irratic and because they are paid so little, the turnover is huge.
I love what I do and have been with most of my people for over 5 years.
Gold luck
Go through a reputable agency.
Once I had their names, I looked them up on Facebook and ran their names in the Maryland Judiciary Case Search and Googled them to see if they showed on any news sites. But honestly, since the first girl was a friend of the family, I felt safe leaving her with my mom. Of course I met her in person before taking her to my mom's house.
Now, if you don't get any referrals from your own Facebook post or asking friends and family, I honestly don't know where you can go.
The agency was charging 26 dollars an hour and the caregivers only get $10 with NO benefits! By cutting the cg expense more than half, I can afford more hours and feel like I'm actually helping the cg. As duties increase, so will her pay, but for now it seems a win/win.
We tried posting on our community website and on FB, but didn't get any good responses. I strongly suggest going through friends and family or the local churches.
The only disadvantage I have found by hiring privately is that I don't have a backup (yet) in case of illness or inclement weather. Fortunately, I live close enough to take up the cg slack if needed.
Good luck in your search!
Do be aware that you are responsible for taxes when you hire independently. You may manage to pay under the table, but you may not and that could be a big problem.
1a. Get fingerprinted (criminal record check) - this is at my own expense. Is worth it to YOU and if someone wants a job, they will do it.
1b. At my own expense, I must get a TB test every year. Require this.
1c. If foreign born, ask to see ss card, work permit, etc.
2. Get copy of DL and proof of car insurance.
3. Ask for verifiable references, work experience, etc. Should be at least 2-3 or perhaps an entire work history. They should have a resume prepared although many don't.
4. Create a check off list: One for yourself with all these questions. If you potentially like the person, give them a copy.
5. For first interview, be it on phone or in person, see if they are on time (responsible to show up and/or call if they will be late). Surprisingly, many I talk to on the phone do not show up, are late and don't call.
6. ASK for proof of Covid testing and vaccinations, depending on your location and ability to acquire both. I must get Covid tested weekly.
7. If potential worker says (as one worker did to me) that they cannot disclose who their clients are due to HIPPA laws, this is not true. Anyone can give a reference if they desire. If a potential worker doesn't want to give references of the person they worked with (that is a red flag unless their client has dementia), ask for references from the client's family member, or anyone involved with and can speak of the potential worker's dependable, work experience.
8a. Give them a few scenarios of what could / may happen and see how they respond. This is important re judgment, honesty, 'thinking quickly on one's feet' in cases of emergency - and just having common sense. (One worker with a client of mine (I managed care for family living outside of area) had 24/7 caregivers. One of them allowed the client to DRIVE - and client has dementia. Sometimes you wonder (if) how these people THINK. Caregiver said she knows / knew client had dementia. Caregiver was through agency (I didn't arrange, family did) and I believe felt very intimidated by client.
8b. Due see if potential worker can handle aggressive, demanding, strong client personalities without caving. A care provider MUST be able to set boundaries and do what is in the best interest of the client. THEY must call you or a designated person immediately of any potential emergency or issue they do not know how to handle.
9a. If you feel it necessary, get a camera to double check. Unfortunately, theft is a reality in this kind of work, as abuse is (although the abuse aspect may be a low percentage, it does happen).
9b. As a test, I would leave $5 or $10 (or less) on a table or in a drawer they likely will need to open for medications or something and see if they take the bait. (Or leave it on the carpet, close to under the bed as if you dropped it).
10. Always offer a trial period vs an immediate ongoing working relationship. If you feel good about the person, say you'd like to try it out for a week or two weeks and see how things go.
11. Give them a clear list of duties, go over everything, see how that goes during the first two weeks. Gena.
Now, it never hurts to ask for potential caregivers to bring a back round check in writing from the police department of whatever town they've lived in for five years, or for how ever many years you think is appropriate. This isn't the most important thing to check up.
The most important thing is that a potential caregiver should furnish you with at least two references from families they've worked for long-term. If they were in elder caregiving, those references likely cannot come directly from the person they cared for because they're usually either dead or in a nursing home. Those references need to be from a client's family members or spouses. Not just a letter of recommendation. You need to actually be able to speak to the family members and ask them questions. This is how I get my work.
Next, insist on regular, periodical drug testing. Let the potential caregiver you're considering know that you will pay for this at your expense. This is important because many times when an in-home caregiver becomes necessary it is because the client has health conditions and there may be prescription medications in the home that are appealing to a drug user for two reasons. Either they will steal pain meds and other controlled substances for use themselves, or they take them to sell so they can gets drugs of their choice. In-home elder care is a line of work that often attracts the wrong sort of person for just this reason and also because they know that if a person is old and has dementia, stealing is easier to get away with. Always make sure every pill is counted and documented.
After you've found a caregiver you and the client seem to like, keep an eye on them. Pop in randomly. Set up nanny-cams to monitor how they're getting on with your loved one.
Of course you will already know to put all valuables like jewelry, cash, credit cards, checkbooks, etc... under lock and key. Never leave anything valuable accessible. Good luck in your search. You and your LO will be a lot better off with a private caregiver.
If an independent contractor can not provide you with a current business license and insurance policy then they should be treated as an employee.
You can utilize payroll services or labor leasing type businesses to not have to do all the state and federal requirements as an employer.
And never pay cash!
Please see their website to find out or discuss with your accountant. Back taxes, back pay and penalty ramifications are financially punishing and can be avoided.
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/understanding-employee-vs-contractor-designation
P.s., are you looking for a childcare provider AND a caregiver for your dad? Or one person to do both? I'm not experienced with a 9 y/o, but after caring for my 85-90 y/o mom for almost six years, I cannot imagine being able to also give any decent amount of my attention and time to the younger one.