Hiring a caregiver to care for a loved one can be one of the most difficult tasks you’ll face. Its hard knowing who to put your trust in; finding someone you can count on even in the most difficult of situations.

Caregivers come with all kinds of skill sets, many different personalities. What works well for one person may be a wrong choice for another. There are many factors to keep in mind as you move through the process.

Its important to keep in mind that your ultimate goal is to keep your loved one safe and secure. Different caregiving companies have different ways of choosing their caregivers, and have different monitoring methods. A big company isn’t necessarily better than a small company. In many cases it depends on your needs and desires.

When you find yourself in need of an extra set of hands, don’t rely on the biggest simply because they’re the biggest, or on a quick search through a guide book. Instead, spend the time evaluating your needs, and finding the right person that can come on and help your situation in the best way possible. Don’t rely on marketing materials and a canned presentation; dive in with your questions as well, and listen to make sure the answers meet your needs. Here are 5 top questions that should be on your list.

What is the hiring process for your caregivers?

Start with this question and dive deep to figure out where the company you are considering doing business with finds and hires caregivers from. How much work do they put into the process? How do they evaluate the caregivers? What type of background checks do they perform? Are they insured and bonded? You can quickly tell a company that cares about both their caregivers and their clients by the way they spend their time looking for the right people. If you have further questions, ask. A good company will be happy to provide you with the answers you need to move forward. This isn’t a quick hire; this is someone that may be a part of your life for a long time in the future. [Read more…]