Choosing a Home-Care Worker

Hiring and Monitoring. Have your first choice meet with your Mom or Dad. This is a very personal relationship, so their comfort level with the person can make or break your hiring decision. Make sure that your parent and the aide communicate well and understand each other, because they'll spend a lot of time together.

Once you've determined the person you want to hire, write out a contract, which includes hours, job duties, pay schedule, time off, start date, and reasons for termination. I strongly recommend you start with a trial period—two weeks or a month—whatever feels right. This settling-in period, in which everyone learns each other's style and personality, can be difficult. Despite your best intentions, issues might arise. Oftentimes, you can settle these matters easily, but keep in close touch with both parties to see how things go. I recommend that you occasionally stop by unannounced at different times to be sure everything is going well.

When problems are resolved before they get out of hand, everyone wins. Perhaps you'll learn that your Mom isn't happy with the meals being prepared. The reason could be as simple as seasoning or the menu choice. Perhaps the home-care worker needs a break during the day but isn't being allowed to take one. Stay on top of these issues, and your chances of success will go way up. But if things don't work out, you’ll need to let the aide go and start looking for someone new.

Using an Agency to Find Home-Care Workers

Some families prefer to use a home-health agency to get help for their family members. One advantage of choosing such a service for in-home care is that the agency will go through all the steps outlined above, such as interviews and background checks for you. Looking at the Web sites and advertisements for home-health firms, you'll see that the companies all stress quality. They know that is what all caregivers want for their loved ones. But an agency can have an uneven management style, so it's important to ask about the services that it provides. Considering these factors can inform your choice and make it easier:

  The agency must be licensed by the state

• Find out the range of services the company provides
• The kinds of professionals, and their different specialties,  the agency has available to clients
• Does the agency conduct background checks on all its contractors, and how are they trained and supervised?
• What do you have to do to change to a different aide?
• The agency must have a firm plan for dealing with emergencies, such as no-shows

Another benefit of working with an agency is that it might provide assistance with paying for some home-care services. Some agencies have a sliding scale that takes into account the financial situation of your loved one. Others are certified by Medicare and Medicaid, which might cover the cost of some care.

Whether you choose to use an agency or go it alone to find a home-care worker, remember that you're in charge. Insist on the highest quality of care for your Mom or Dad. You are their best advocate, so stay in touch with them to make sure that the support they receive keeps them happy, healthy, and independent in their own home.

Be Open, Yet Vigilant

Having a stranger enter your Mom or Dad's house to provide care can be a scary prospect. But by asking the right questions, carefully evaluating who gets hired, and keeping up with the care being given, you can make your life and that of your family member easier and more peaceful. Yes, all this costs money, but by talking with your Mom, Dad, and other relatives, who can contribute financially, you can also settle on a care budget.

Whether you need five or 30 hours of an aide's time each week, you can find the help. Hiring a home-care aide is a great alternative to doing it all on your own. It's really next to impossible to do it well by yourself. Besides, with professional assistance, you've got support on your caregiving journey.

Take care,

Elinor