I am considering hiring a caregiver to visit a couple times a week. What are some good questions to ask applicants?

Past experience with dementia/Alzheimer clients, references, reliable transportation, flexibility in schedule. Depends also on your needs.

My bad. Sorry JoAnn. I responded to you instead of PeggySue who the comment was intended for.
I've worked for many clients who wanted a white, American woman. If people are hiring privately and paying privately it is their right to hire whoever they want.
I always paid my taxes because my husband (even when he was my ex-husband) is a business/finance guy always did my taxes and got me every deduction legally possible.
I had to make a living so I wasn't going to take up the sword and become an anti-racism crusader and activist.
There is no "getting away with it". People have a right to hire whoever they want when they are paying privately and not involving an agency.
I learned from experience what to ask someone hiring privately and how to tell if they're being truthful about the client. I never took cases where I did not meet the client before accepting.
Sure, I've had to chase my pay down more than a few times and one time even to the hospital bedside of a client. I always get my money. Some clients and families have to learn the hard way. The hard way is that if my pay was not waiting for me on the agreed pay day, your loved one doesn't get any care from me. Most people will respect that.

In the us, it’s illegal to ask a job applicant if they have kids, are pregnant or intend to conceive.

I have been a caregiver now going on 25 years. I always recommend that people hire privately. Use a website like care.com and interview yourself.
Always ask for references that you can literally speak to on the phone from families a potential hire has worked for.
Ask the following questions:

1) Do they have kids? Your best bet is a hire who is older (over 40) who does not have kids they have to be home for.

2) Do they drive and have a car? Insist on both. When they don't have a car they will be unreliable.

Then be totally honest with exactly what the job is and what you expect. I can't tell you how many assignments I've been where I've been told the client is a little forgetful and maybe tinkles a little by accident. There may be a bit of light housekeeping.
The reality is they are completely out of it with violent Alzheimer's, are totally diaper-dependent incontinent, and the "light" housekeeping is a filthy, squalorous hoard.
Always be honest about exactly what the needs are and the pay. Also about the hours. I only work the hours I am hired for. I do not make special visits. I do not go and check on someone after hours. I do not take phone calls from clients who call after hours because they're bored or lonely.
Don't expect this from anyone you're hiring.
You'll be able to find yourself a good caregiver if you do these things.

Although we live in another country I think same things apply.last May I started looking for a lady for my mum just for 6 months during summer so I can have some time of for myself as we live near beach go swimming everyday ext. it was much harder than I thought..after changing 4 of them in two months I realised there isn't a perfect one and I just have to settle with one better than last. I wanted a live in one incase I go somewhere for a day or too also someone can cook as well.To my experience need to ask clean report from polise, what is her experience,how long she was with them?why left them ?can she supply any references?does she smoke?one said just a few but ended up 1.5 packs a day..has she have kids?how old and how many?they usually come up something happens to kids and say can't come today...also good to worn about using mobile phone all day which I found they never leave it🙄..how clean she is?

hygiene is very important but that's a bit hard to understand till she starts,get one of those baby cameras there are very good ones you can hear voices as well and not expensive, what is her routine with the patient?if bedridden ,does she know how to change nappies,what to do incase of bed sores?if needed ,tube feeding ?aspirate ext..might not need yet but these things usually happens later ..

If using an agency, I would suggest a smaller (perhaps local) one rather than a national franchise one. My experiences for my 95yo mother - the national ones - high turnovers , not the same person every time thus different levels of care and experience, scheduling availabilities (and last minute changes for both parties). Also, check to make sure the agency is on good standing with your state; verify their bonds and insurance are current, and yes, check out yelp reviews as well (although take those not always as seriously - however, if an agency has only 1-3 star reviews over a period of 2 years, I would hesitate).

If hiring outside an agency, an independent, verify that they are licensed and bonded (verify that those are both current and in effect); check past references (although those could be friends/family acting like past clients); find out how they have been handling employment taxes (are they doing that or are you going to have to do that), and run national background checks on them (sometimes they just moved to the state and thus no history in the current state). Verify they have an vehicle and that the registration/insurance is current (especially if they may be tasked to take your parent somewhere's or do errands (pick up rx etc) for you. Check AND verify their credentials (i.e., they could show you a college degree/diploma but you know today's world...have it verified that it is legit).

And finally, no matter which path you take for hiring someone to help, remove valuables or anything else of 'value' that might be temptations. Not just obvious ones like cash, credit cards, jewelry, but other items. My mother had a lot of 'stuff' - stuff that wasn't really valuable but with sentiment. And the caretakers were careful how they stole the items - one item here and there (and rearranging the other stuff so it wasn't as noticeable....i.e., mother had a small set of 3 marble bears - about 2" tall - so small enough to blend in with their surroundings. When it was time to clear out her home, after 3 years of caretaking, only 1 bear was found...and then I started noticing other 'small' items that were missing, or small pieces of costume jewelry that I remember she had but were in her chest of drawers but not worn). I trusted the agency and their caretakers because of their good standing reputation....I shouldn't have).

KateChem: Ask if they have been a caregiver to an elder before and specifically for your dad's issues. Also ask if they are Covid vaccinated and boosted.

This is true it’s sometimes about companionship.

Make up a scenario to see how they would handle s situation. Ask them to tell u a story about their grand parent(s) to see there reaction, facial and put on ur listening ears . Ask how do they feel about ageism.

Rather than a caregiver are there Adult Day programs in your area? Most will pick up in the morning, provide a light breakfast or snack, a lunch another snack in the afternoon and return them home in the afternoon.
He would be engaged with other people, many programs have outings or activities that come in. While many in programs like this have dementia not all do.
Another option would be checking the schedule at the local Senior Center and see if he would be interested in programs they have there.
These options would be great if he does not "need" a lot of care and the caregiver is there of companionship rather than doing caregiving duties.

I am in same position and w/my wife recently deceased her cousin is assisting me in interviews. she is also our C.P.A. One good question is if you need to change the schedule--example I do not need the care taker or I need to changer his/her work schedule am I charged extra many say yes if less than 24/48 hrs notice...ie If I do not need the caretaker Wed can they come another time...One of the largest companies her in central Oklahoma DOES NOT charge extra they have my vote..may not sound vital but it is..For the 1st time since my wifes passing I was invited to baseball game...all tickets covered ..I only had 24 hr notice..just an FYI

Ask for references. Find an agency that you trust. I have found that it’s worth the fee, because with personal hire, many things seem to just vanish, aides are late or don’t show up, and you are just a job. You may hope for a relationship, but chances are, it’s a one way. My last personal hire stood me up when I had an important doctors appointment. I was late and had to call a cab. I have a long list of stories, so a good reliable agency is Worth it. If an agency doesn’t pay the aides well enough, they don’t get good responsible people, and the patient suffers the consequences. Here’s hoping that this helps. It would have saved me a lot of headache.

I’v seen a lot of posts about using an agency because they provide back up if someone is sick and they do background checks, etc. I just wanted to share that my experience with a nationally known agency was not the same. They say they do all of those things, but they don’t necessarily happen. There was not always a back up when someone was sick. They often just called me and my mom and told us no one would be there to help my 91 year old great aunt that just had shoulder surgery so we’d have to go stay with them (when the purpose of the agency was to have them be there 24 hours a day). The director of the agency said that some of her caregivers drive, but they don’t have a drivers license. Then my great uncle’s credit card was stolen and the agency ended up telling us that a particular caregiver had a warrant out for her arrest (so they KNEW about it!). And she was allowed to work in elderly people’s home! Not ok! And, this wasn’t cheap - over $16k a month for 24 hour care. So we weren’t going for the cheapest we could find. We THOUGHT we were going with the best!

I know our experience is (hopefully) an outlier, but I guess the point is that an agency isn’t always what they sell it to be. So, my advice is to ask lots of questions, even with an agency.

I ask if they will do his laundry, make a sandwich for his lunch, what snacks and drinks they like to have on hand. Sometimes clothing needed to be changed and he needed help in bathroom. Determine if they will engage in conversation or just sit and watch; interaction was so important to my husband. I found it best when the person had experience in caring for someone with dementia whether a client or a family member. I had help from a mix of a medical student in the neighborhood, friends from church, and an agency. Most were good for different reasons. A few from the agency were not good for different reasons, mostly reliability. (They get paid so little in this area) Hard of hearing, my husband needed the person to be clearly, understandably heard. Good luck! The right person will help you to take care of yourself!!

Many agencies do background checks, and I'm not sure how an individual does this, but it might be something to consider. A friend of mine had indoor surveillance cameras, so she could keep an eye on things on the home front, when she was at work, (and she told everyone who entered about this, so it was out in the open, so to speak). It's sad to be so suspicious and wary of things these days, but peace of mind is worth a lot. I'd also get references and check on them.

I ask the following: Q:Please tell me your experience caring for elderly men (or women). have follow up questions ready Example: how many hours a day, how many days a week, were they incontinent-how did you manage their toileting schedule. Q: Please describe a normal day with your client. Q: Describe your methods to help bathe/toilet. Q: Fluids and snacks are part of this job; are you willing to get the snacks and give drinks? Q: Are you able and willing to work schedule (give schedule)? Q: How flexible are you to work additional days/hours? Q: Do they have a backup person who helps if they are unable to work? (I found that private carers have a community of other helpers they call on; it has been a blessing for my mom to have more than one person who is willing for fill in. Q: Exercise is important for flexibility-how do they incorporate movement into the shift? I didn’t add the questions of the others who have responded but I think they are good to ask as well. It has been a blessing to get help for my mom. She actually responds really well to one particular person who is 5 days a week /4 hours a day. The other lady is good too. Mom ran off 3 people in the beginning by just being snippy and stubborn. The ones we have now are perfect for her.

It’s best to contact your local Senior Helpers office. The caregivers are licensed, bonded and insured.

Your Dad has hearing and vision problems. Does he wear hearing aids? If not, you will need to ask the candidate how they've ever dealt with a senior with poor hearing, and vision.
- Ask what types of enriching activities they think would be appropriate to do with your Dad.
- Ask if they are first-aid certified and know what to do in case he falls, or has a health crisis.
- Have them provide references for the last 2 caregiving jobs. Make sure you call them.
- A background check would be essential: this isn't something you "ask" the candidate about, you will need to figure out how to get one done. Then make sure all valuables and sensitive information and devices are secured, locked up and password protected before anyone starts to work for you.
- Is this person willing to drive your father places? Do they know how to safely get someone into and out of a vehicle?
- Are they licensed, bonded and insured?
- discuss expectations about their phone usage during work time.

What is your expectation for them calling in sick and there's no sub for a private hire? Agencies can provide a sub. They also do background checks and take care of the employer tax withholding and reporting, which you may need to also do depending on what rules your state has about caregivers. In my state no caregiver is ever a "contract" worker -- they are always an employee.

Be curious about the caregiver’s family situation because that will give you an idea of how much they are obligated to dealing with home life. For instance, do they expect to be picking up their grandkids at school every day and won’t be available to take the patient to a doctor appointment. I’d want to know if they smoke because I won’t hire a smoker. I’d ask if they have DUIs and check to make sure they’re telling the truth. I’d find out if they use drugs. I’d ask for references and have a real conversation with those people who previously employed them. I’d want to know if they’ve ever been arrested. And so on.

KateChem, if I was hiring someone outside of an Agency, I would ask how much experience have they had with working with the elderly. I see from your profile this would be your father, who is in his 90's. It appears there is no dementia involved. And he is mobile. Correct?

I would also ask if they have had their covid shots/boosters. And they might ask if your Dad has had his.

Depending on what type of work you would want the caregiver to do, as to questions involving that work.