How to Hire In-Home Caregivers

Many older people eventually hire in-home caregivers; this can allow people to live independently in their own homes for much longer, and can take some of the pressure off other primary caregivers. Services provided by caregivers range from basic household help to full-fledged nursing care, depending on the needs of the elders involved.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Menus
• References
• References

1. Ask your family physician about getting in-home help, or consult a public health nurse. These professionals should be able to put you in touch with reputable home-care services.

2. Find out if part or all of the cost of in-home health care may be covered by your private or government insurance plan.

3. Ask if your local Red Cross chapter provides home help services, or can recommend a reputable provider.

4. Talk to people from groups or organizations that support people with particular health conditions - such as Parkinson's or diabetes. They may be able to recommend caregivers who specialize in helping people with these conditions.

5. Check references carefully before you hire an individual to provide home care. Also get a criminal record check if possible.

6. Find out what credentials the caregiver has. Does she have CPR and first aid training, or any other health-care training and credentials?

7. Define the tasks that need to be performed by the caregiver, and make sure that she is willing and able to do them. Will the caregiver need to help with bathroom and grooming duties? Meal planning and housecleaning? Feeding and administering medicines? Make sure the contract includes a precise job description that everyone can live with.

Tips & Warnings

• When you are interviewing caregivers, include the person who needs care in the process and make sure the elderly person and the caregiver interact well together. Is the caregiver respectful, or does she seem condescending? Is she patient or abrupt? Does the elder enjoy the caregiver's company, or seem happier when she leaves?
• Don't forget to have a backup plan in place, just in case your regular home care provider gets sick or needs to take some time off. You might want to hire a couple of flexible part-time people to counteract this possibility, or go with a professional service that provides alternates when necessary.

[Aging99]

on 8/19/2008 Many good points. Your local senior center may have resources, and your local hospitals. I suggest hiring someone from an agency, so they are background checked and an employee of theirs (and not yours). For more caregiving agency resources, and helpful articles, see www.AgingPro.com.

[kristi71]

on 6/20/2008 I agree with you, that there are sometimes other options to keep the elderly out of a nursing home. While placing the elderly in a skilled nursing facility is the first thing that pops into our minds for their utmost safety and care, we as caregivers are not always informed and aware that we have other options. Personal Emergency Alarms like ResponseLINK Emergency Alert is one of those options. They provide 24/7 emergency alerts, voice to voice response, meal and prescription reminders and they are more affordable than nursing facilities. Sometimes a little extra peace of mind is all it takes to keep the elderly in their own home or at home with family and out of nursing care. A lot of times the elderly is put in to nursing care too early in age, and can increase in bad health afterwards simply from depression and isolation. These systems are readily available and affordable, if more pe