Interview Questions to Ask of a Home Care Provider

Finding a good, qualified caregiver is important, and we were very fortunate to find the woman who is helping us with our elder. Having spent some time doing elder care as a teenager, I had an idea of what might be important. Here are some of the questions we asked.

1) What training have you had? Most agencies look for caregivers with at least some training, and they continue training during the course of employment. Look for someone who is a nurse's aide or a certified nursing assistant. Higher skill levels are also available, but tend to be more expensive.

2) How many years of experience? I'm not against someone fresh out of school, but I am very happy that our elder's caregiver has been in this field a long time. If this is the caregiver's first job, ask if he or she was an intern prior to leaving school. This experience is very valuable.

3) What do you know about fall prevention? A caregiver should know how to walk with a patient in order to prevent falls. He or she should also be able to look around the house and point out areas that could be tripping hazards. Falls in the elderly can be devastating.

4) Have dealt with dementia patients before? You can actually insert any major (or minor) medical condition in this question. In our case, we wanted to know that first and then about our elder's other medical conditions. Prior experience can ensure that there are few surprises for the caregiver.

5) Can you cook according to dietary needs? Caregivers are often required to cook for the elder involved. Most elders have dietary restrictions due to medical conditions. A caregiver that can work around these limitations is ideal. If he or she hasn't had the experience, the willingness to learn is also important.

6) How is your driving record? You may think this question is too personal. It's not. The caregiver will probably be driving your elder to the supermarket and other locations. A clean driving record is vastly preferred.

7) Are you familiar with this area? Our elder lives in a suburb that is surrounded by other suburbs. Knowing how to get from point a to point b can be confusing. Prior knowledge of the area indicates that the chances he or she will get lost are smaller.

Each individual may have other concerns when it comes to interviewing potential caregivers. The answers to these questions may encourage others. Make a list of what's important to you so that the caregiver you hire is perfect for the job.