Determining an In-Home Senior Care Professional: Checklist

In-home Senior Care is quickly becoming one of the most evolving jobs in the country. Due to our ongoing pandemic, the need for professionals in home care has risen dramatically. And remember Family First Homecare provides you with professional in-home care services all over the Sioux City area. But we realize there are many choices and factors that go into determining the right candidate. So, we’ve put together a list of things you should consider when looking for the right caretaker.

Checklist When Hiring a Professional:

We’ve jotted down some things that you should do before, or while hiring, an in-home senior care professional. If you want a true professional, here are some of the checkboxes that you must definitely check off your list: 

☑ Price

The first and most important checkbox that you need before hiring is to check the price of the services. The national average of the United States is around $20.00 USD per hour for labor costs. This might not include other fees associated with any individual service. There could also be daily rates or overnight rates that add on. Also be sure to ask about what is covered under Medicare and Medicaid and details about overtime fees.

☑ Working Hours

Depending on the working hours, the price of a professional varies. For example, many professionals take different pay rates when being hired during the night as compared to the day. And, there are a lot of cases where a caretaker has to work overtime in order to complete tasks outlined by a client.

☑ Properly Interview

Before hiring someone to take care of your family member, be sure to properly interview them. During the interview, ask the important questions like the services they can perform, and any limitations they might have. This might include pet allergies, food allergies or even physical limitations. You should also aim to figure out the professional’s personality during this time. 

You can ask for multiple interviews: the first interview could be over the phone virtual meeting. Then followed by an in-person interview or two. Be sure to monitor the attitude of the person in need of care. Body language, passive interest, strange looks and even anger while conversing should be observed and carefully addressed. More Below.

☑ What is Their Skill Set?

Not all home care professionals have the same skill set. Some are good at cooking, while some are better at money management. One specialist could be skilled with Alzheimer’s Disease, while others are more experienced with the physically disabled. Before hiring a professional, check whether the skill set matches the services you require. Remember, Family First trains continually in all services required but we pride ourselves most in being a quality companion.

☑ Listening Skills

When interviewing, be sure to pay close attention to how well your interviewees listen. Make sure they are making eye contact and not interrupting too often. Look for note taking and listen for any examples of experience relating to your needs.

☑ Don’t Rush

You should definitely not rush choosing someone to take care of our loved ones. Many factors in life can lead to emotional sensitivity or distrust in strangers. Personality goes a very long way. So, while demand for in-home elderly services has increased in recent months, so has the number of senior healthcare workers. 

☑ Perform a Background Check

You should always ask for, or perform, a background check before hiring someone to take care of your vulnerable elderly. This is for obvious security reasons. 

Conclusion:

We hope that this article helps iron out your considerations before hiring a senior caregiver. We would be honored to be a part of the process in any way. If you have questions or concerns about services being offered anywhere, we might be able to help answer them. Bottom line is we want to be your resource if anything. Our expertise are vast and over many years of care-taking industry.

Or, if you’d like to schedule an interview with us, you can contact Family First Homecare via phone, email or our contact form on the site.