How to Hire a Home Health Care Worker
If you have an elderly parent, special-needs child or someone close to you who needs assistance with daily chores and self-care, a home health aide can be a lifesaver. Many state programs offer in-home health care workers if the patient is receiving Social Security, is disabled or is on a fixed income. Contact the senior ombudsman in your area to see if a home health aide can be provided free of charge. Otherwise, there are ways to guarantee that the person you hire for your loved one is reliable, trustworthy and qualified.
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Instructions
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Contact your senior ombudsman program to get a list of home health care workers. It can also refer you to home health care agencies that have a staff of trained, qualified workers. These agencies will charge a fee for the placement, but they've already performed all the background checks for you and will bond the workers. Otherwise, place an ad in the local newspaper for a home health care worker or use Craigslist.
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Interview the applicant you've selected. Be sure to introduce the prospective employee to the person she will be assisting and note their interaction. If there will be any patient transfers, make sure the candidate knows there will be some lifting involved. Ask if she has any experience caring for individuals with similar conditions. If she will be required to do any driving to doctor's appointments or grocery stores, make sure she has a valid license and insurance. If the potential employee smokes, this may be a concern if she will be working around oxygen.
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Perform a background check on the candidate you select. Running a credit report is mandatory; if the prospective employee has excessive credit card debt, you may not want him alone in the house with valuables and access to money and financial data. Ask for the candidate's Social Security number and date of birth, then contact a credit reporting agency online. Call the prospective employee's references. Be sure to talk to a former client or the client's guardian and learn about the circumstances under which the person left.
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Make sure that the home health aide is screened for tuberculosis. If she does not have a current test on file with the county, arrange for the prospective employee to be tested by an occupational testing facility. Be aware, though, that an individual may test positive for TB yet have no symptoms; TB is only transmissible in its active state. Although a home health aide will follow sterile precautions if assisting the client with toileting or drug administration, it is always a good idea to know about any potential risks involved with such close contact.
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Ensure that the home health care worker has a current CPR certification in place, unless your loved one has a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) directive.
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Tips & Warnings
Contact your homeowner's insurance carrier to see if you will need to file any riders on your policy in case the health aide is injured on the premises while performing her job.
You will be required to file a Form 1099 with the IRS if you hire the home health care worker yourself. An agency will cover this paperwork if you use its staffing services.
