Hiring a caregiver for in-home assistance for your elderly loved one is not always an easy task. Especially, when you are not staying with them. Once completely independent, the elderly can experience difficulties with activities of daily living (ADLs) like washing, dressing, and preparing meals for themselves.  It’s important to understand how reliable and efficient the caregiver is before you leave your parents/elderly loved one with a person you know very little about.

Nowadays, there are several organizations that can help you to find the right caregiver who can help the seniors with shopping, cooking, daily care, personal care, and transportation. But what makes it considerably more rewarding is the relationship they develop with your parents. Eventually, they become the most reliable buddies and companions of your elderly loved one.

Choosing a contract home-based caregiver is a profoundly intricate choice dependent on numerous contemplations. A few people require just a little help with housekeeping and transportation. However, some look for strong companionship, help with medication, and help with meals and personal consideration while others may have continuous therapeutic consideration to look at.

But, the most important question that arises is whether they should be trusted blindly. Is the new companion for your elderly parents reliable enough? It is thus a prerequisite to understanding what are the Dos and Don’ts of hiring a caregiver for your elderly loved one.

Do’s

• The interview should focus on the work experience of the caregivers. Ask for the type of work he/she can handle as a caregiver. Check the previous job details.
• Check for any certification they may hold in caregiving management or training. This includes first-aid training and CPR.
• Check their present medical status, which assures their immunization and TB test.
• Verify and check if they provide their genuine identification documents including voter id details, Aadhaar cards, address details, and photo proof.
• Police verification of the caregiver must be done for safety reasons. A thorough background check is important to make sure they are responsible and trustworthy enough.

Don’ts

• Trust them blindly as everyone is not reliable and honest.
• Leave your expensive belongings unattended and unprotected in the home. Moreover, keep your cupboards, lockers, or safes open. Theft or other crimes may take place.
• Hesitate to make calls for help during an emergency. Save all helpline numbers on your phone book.
• Let them access your financial details by any means. Don’t share your ATM, net banking, or other secret PIN numbers with them under any circumstance.
• Let them get access to your mobile phones because your phone may have important data that can be misused.

Your investigation before hiring a caregiver (and alertness when hired) can help your loved one live a safe and secure life. The answers to all the queries should enable you to understand if they are reliable, trustworthy, or kind-hearted individuals and can look after for your loved one efficiently.