What questions should I ask potential caregivers?
Caring for a loved one is hard. It is a difficult decision to select a caregiver or caregiving agency to come into your home or your loved one’s home to provide some relief. It is very important to educate yourself before making an important decision such as this. There are several questions and factors that you need to consider.
Below is a list of several questions that help solve the dilemma of what questions to ask a caregiver or provider:
- Do you have references I can contact?
- Can I contact previous clients or their family?
- What types of background checks do you perform on your caregivers?
- Do you perform criminal background checks?
- Do you perform state abuse registry checks?
- Do you check caregiver’s references from previous clients?
- What type of training do you provide to your caregivers when they start?
- Do you provide ongoing training?
- Are your caregivers insured or bonded?
- How do you monitor your caregivers?
- Does someone come in regularly to supervise or check on caregivers and the clients?
- What are the financial terms?
- What types of insurance do you accept?
- What types of payment do you accept?
- Do you develop written, customized plan of care for each client?
- Do you work closely with the client’s doctors and nursing staff?
- What if there is an emergency while the caregiver is in the home?
- How are after hours emergencies handled?
- What happens if a caregiver is ill or unavailable?
- Who will fill in?
- What other services does your company offer?
