Questions to Ask When Hiring a Caregiver
If you decide on in-home care, there are several questions you should ask to ensure that your loved one will stay safe, healthy and happy:
- What happens if you or your caregiver becomes ill or are otherwise unavailable? What are the alternate arrangements?
- Do you pay your federal and state taxes, Social Security (FICA) and unemployment insurance, so that our family is not legally responsible?
- Can you verify that you and your caregivers are legally able to work in the United States?
- If you or your caregiver are injured at a client's residence, who is responsible? (Many homeowner's insurance policies exclude injuries to "domestic employees.")
- Do you perform criminal background checks and state abuse registry checks? Do you check caregivers' references from prior work history?
- Are you bonded or insured in case one of your clients is injured or there's a theft?
- How do you document that your services were indeed completed?
I would recommend Right at Home to anyone looking for a home health aide. They were very professional and each person who helped along the way - from the owners to the nurse in charge of our care to the home health aides themselves, were kind and caring. My father was well-cared for each day.
Suzi C.