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What Your Family Should Look for When Looking for a Caregiver

By Heather Brown
August 19, 2015

Sometimes love ones become ill or injured unexpectedly. This leaves you hunting for a caregiver to help care for them until they become well again. When searching for the right one there are some things your family needs to look out for before hiring. After all, you want the one you love to receive the best care possible during recovery or their fragile time in life.

Never Hire Caregivers without a License or Certification

Before you hire a caregiver, you need to make sure they are licensed or certified too care for an ill or injured love one, or at least assist them with their daily living tasks. The types of professional care providers you want to look for and hire after thoroughly doing a background check and interview are:

  • Certified Nursing Assistants: Have medical training and are required to pass an exam to get a CAN’s license. They assisted with providing help with bathing, caring for wounds, checking vital signs and making sure the one receiving the care giving has a proper diet.
  • Licensed Home Health Aides: Have a license in care giving and provide assistance with household chores like housekeeping, shopping and cooking meals daily. They also provide professional companionship so loneliness does not occur and cause depression.

Never Hire Independently 

It may cost more to hire a care provider through an agency, but it is safer than doing it independently. This is because agencies are required to run background checks on every caretaker applying to help take care of someone else. Agencies also set up interviews between family and potential caregivers of choice to make hiring an easier process. In addition, agencies help find caregivers that fit a family’s budget and lifestyle. The only time it is safe to hire a care taker yourself is when you have a strong personal connection with a certified or licensed caregiver that is a friend of the family or is a family member.

Never Hire after the First Interview

The first care provider you interview might be what you are looking for, but it is always wise to interview a few and introduce them to the person they will be caring for on a regular basis. See how the caregiver and love one that needs caring interact with each other. If there is a connection and the pair work well together, it is time to consider hiring that particular caregiver.

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