At some point, you may have decided that you need a live in caregiver for your elderly loved one. This may be due to their decreased capacity to perform certain tasks and activities in their daily lives, or this may be due to an illness or condition such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. Whatever the case, hiring a live in caregiver could be one of the best decisions you could ever make for your loved one. But it is important to choose the right caregiver, so you want to make sure that you choose as carefully as possible. Here, then, are the top questions you should ask a live in caregiver before choosing them for your loved one.
First things first: the details and background
Before settling for a face-to-face interview, it’s best to interview your prospective live in caregivers over the telephone first. This way, you can already give them a background of their responsibilities and what you expect, and give them details of your family member as well. If, based on the telephone interview, you feel that the potential caregiver is a good match for your family member, then you can go ahead and schedule a face-to-face meeting.
The interview questions
Although there may be some questions you need to ask which are specific to your loved one, there are some general questions that you should ask as well. These include the following:
- How long have you worked as a live in caregiver, and where have you worked?
- In your job as a caregiver, what were your tasks and responsibilities?
- In your prior experience, what kind of patients did you have? What were their conditions, medically and health-wise, and what limitations did they have, if any?
- Is there anything about the work required of you for this position that makes you uncomfortable?
- Have you ever been dealt with a medical emergency? What happened, and what did you do?
- Is it possible for you to keep track of medications? If so, would you also be able to administer them?
- Would you give me some references, preferably one that is related to work and one that is related to personal information?
Aside from the above questions, it’s also important to see how the caregiver interacts with your loved one. If your elderly family member can handle it, they should be included in the process of interviewing the caregiver. It is important for your family member to feel comfortable with the caregiver you choose, and they should also be given the chance to make the final decision with regards to the caregiver they would like. To make it easier on both yourself and your loved one, it may be a better idea to opt for a live in care agency with the best roster of carers with the proper qualifications.