Hiring a caregiver or other help:

Whether you have decided to hire full time help or just have respite or others come to your aid you will need to take great care in choosing a trustworthy and capable person for the job.  We will try to cover the key elements that you should be looking for to avoid any pitfalls.

You can start with placing an ad in a paper looking for help.  You can also look in your yellow pages to find organizations.  A great resource is to call a local hospital and ask if they have people that they can refer you to.

No matter how you contact or find someone you need to keep some elements in mind that will need to be discussed.  Be clear in your expectations.  How many hours a week do you need help?  What tasks will the person have to perform?  Will you provide any benefits for the person if they are private party?  What time off will the hired help need?  Language may be a factor and lifestyle choices.  You may need to be clear that someone does not smoke or do other things.

During your interview be sure to cover the following points:

·         Does the person know anything about the illness or condition involved?

·         What made the person choose this profession?

·         Is the person uncomfortable with anything that may come up, such as bathroom issues?

·         Can the employee lift the person in need if the occasion arises?

·         What training has the person received (i.e. a degree, CPR, etc.)?

·         Does the person have health issues themselves?

·         Does the person have references?

After the interview be sure to keep in mind if the person seemed edgy in behavior or uncomfortable with anything that was talked about.  Was the person on time to the interview?  Was the person clean in their appearance?  Anything that you look back on can tell you a lot about the person that you interviewed.

When calling for references be sure to ask good questions.  You may want to verify the person’s abilities and lifestyle so that you know if they are reliable and able.