If you’d like to hire a home care worker without going through an agency, take the following steps recommended by Elinor Ginzler, director of Livable Communities at AARP. First, determine what type of help your loved one requires. Does he or she need someone to help with household chores, personal care and/or health care? Look for a professional who can meet those needs. Seek referrals from family and friends and perhaps from members of your faith-based organization. Then interview job candidates; be sure to include your loved one in the interview process. Don’t forget to ask for multiple references. You should call those references, and ask what their experiences have been with the home care worker.