Guide to Hiring the Right Senior Caregiver

Determine the Type of Care Needed

Start by making a detailed list of what your ideal caregiver would be doing and what expectations you have. Some things to consider include:

• What duties does the caregiver need to perform, and how often? Write down all the duties and the frequency of each. Duties may include housekeeping, driving to doctor appointments, bathing, etc.
• When is a paid caregiver needed and how often? How fixed are the senior's needs? If family members will continue to provide some care, how flexible is their schedule?
• Does the senior have dementia or a serious condition requiring specialized care?
• What are the qualities you look for in a caregiver to ensure a safe and happy relationship and home?
• Do you have rules or values that are non-negotiable? For example, if your caregiver smokes at home, that could be a major problem if you don’t want smoking in the senior's home. Since the caregiver will spend plenty of time with loved ones, it may be ideal to have one who shares similar beliefs, values, and backgrounds. These similarities promote bonding and a comfortable relationship.

Become Familiar with Costs

According to Genworth, home health care and homemaker services in 2024 cost about the same. The monthly estimated median cost for homemaker services is $5,892 ($70,699 annually), while it is $6,481 ($77,769 annually) for home health aides.

Rates vary depending on where the senior lives, the kind of care required, and the frequency. For example, the annual median cost of homemaker services in Alabama comes out to $51,846, while services cost $73,056 in DC. You can find more affordable care in states like Mississippi ($35,350 per year) compared to Kentucky ($87,196 per year).

Caregivers earn more when they work holidays, evenings, and weekends. An aide with credentials who can provide a higher level of care, such as a nurse or certified nursing assistant, will also be more costly.

Know Where to Get Assistance

Get the ball rolling with referrals and word-of-mouth from loved ones and medical professionals. You can also search online job boards such as Craigslist and Care.com to see area caregivers looking for work or place your own posts. Other places to look or post include social media, online forums, and local newspapers. Last but not least, there are plenty of online elder-care matching services.

Make your posts as specific as possible to save time and hassle. The more information, the better so candidates who are not a good match can opt out early.

Include details such as the job location, hours and days needed, the specific tasks to be performed, how often, and the pay if hiring directly. Yes, even pay. Suppose you’re able to pay the minimum wage per hour, no more. If you don’t disclose this, most applications could be from people who need a base of $18 to even consider the job. You’d be wasting their time and yours, especially if you wait until the very last minute to bring up compensation.

It’s fine to provide a range of pay (instead of an exact figure) based on caregivers’ experience and professional credentials. Look at CareerOneStop and area job ads to get an idea of a fair salary. Check out three other websites as you search for assistance:

• Visiting Angels – Learn more about how home care works and find the closest Visiting Angels provider to you.
• Eldercare Locator (and Caregiver Corner) – This public service from the U.S. Administration on Aging connects you to services for aging adults and their families. Spend some time in the Caregiver Corner, too!

Research & Conduct Interviews

If you are hiring directly, carefully review applicants' resumes and websites. Schedule phone or video interviews with the ones you feel have potential. During the brief interview, reiterate the pay, explain your needs, and clarify that the candidate has the experience and ability to carry out necessary tasks.

Next, you can schedule in-person interviews with the applicants you feel good about. Tell them you will conduct a background check and verify references (your job ad should also have said something to the effect of “Background check and references required”). Ask interviewees to come prepared with their driver's license, Social Security card (or number), resumes, past addresses, and references.

It helps to know which online company, people search website, law office, or private investigator you'll use for background checks. This way, you get all the required information at the in-person interview. If applicants are licensed or otherwise credentialed, verify their information with the credentialing agency.

Ask for at least three references. Two should be from former clients.

Interviews can be difficult because you must get to know someone in a short amount of time. What’s more, this person is someone who could potentially go into your loved ones’ homes and care for them. Still, you can get a decent idea of what candidates are like and how well they match the job.

Perhaps most important is how well the candidates treat the loved ones they might care for. These seniors don't have to attend the entire interview, but showing up for even five minutes can prove helpful. Caregivers who ignore them or don't seem to be in sync with them may not be good matches.

It's also essential to ask questions such as these:

• Talk about what it's been like working as a caregiver.
• What is your favorite part of being a caregiver, and your least favorite part?
• How long have you been working as a caregiver?
• Do you have any specialized training or experience I should know about?
• What makes a good work experience for you?
• Are you willing and capable of performing these duties? (Go into more detail about the responsibilities you require.)
• My parents can be short-tempered and impatient at times (or whatever challenging attributes). Tell me how you've dealt with similar clients in the past.

Be transparent during the interview. You want caregivers who understand what they are getting into and who will stick around. Don’t paint your loved ones as easy to care for if that's not the case.

During the interview, let the caregiver know what to expect. Be upfront about whom the caregiver will interact with (other family members at home or visitors, for example), the consequences of tardiness or absenteeism without notice, benefits and wages, vacations and holiday pay, etc. Tell applicants about seniors’ circumstances, such as these:

• Mobility problems
• Diet restrictions
• Likes and dislikes
• Medication list
• Behavior issues
• Current medical status
• Ongoing exercises and therapies

The more communicative you are, the more productive the interview is for both parties. Before ending the interview, ask if the candidate has any questions and address them accordingly.

Looking for more information about the interview process? Below are some external resources:

• Seniors Matter – This website goes over the best interview questions for hiring senior caregivers. You may want to consider including these in your interview as applicable.
• GT Independence – Here, you’ll find useful interview tips to keep in mind as you prepare to interview caregiver candidates.

Perform a Background Check

It is understandable (and recommended) to be picky about who you allow to provide in-home care. If you hire through an agency, the agency handles interviews and background checks. But, if you hire someone directly, performing a background check is imperative. You do need written consent from candidates. Once you obtain consent, you can get a law office or private investigator to run background checks using their specialized databases.

Background checks include credit reports, DMV records, and any criminal records. They verify that the information provided is accurate.

It can cost anywhere from $70 to $300 an hour to run a background check through a law office or private investigator. If you are looking for a more cost-efficient way, there are online background check companies that cost less. Check out these resources for more information:

• Fair Credit Reporting Act – Learn more about this act that requires you to ask for permission in writing before pulling a potential caregiver’s credit report. (Here's a summary of applicants' rights.)
• Personal background checks – This article is for job applicants wanting to run checks on themselves (to see what prospective employers could turn up). Regardless, it is useful for anyone doing DIY background checks. That could include you! It explains the steps to follow, where, and how.

Make Sure It’s a Good Fit

Once the caregiver starts, take about two days to two weeks to confirm a good fit. Someone new in the home is always an adjustment. Tensions may build up due to clashing personality types or habits.

Do make clear in your job posts and interviews that you intend to have a trial period. Two weeks is as long as you should go. Any longer is unfair to caregivers who need to line up long-term work. They may not even be interested in a tryout period for that reason, especially after a thorough screening process.