As the population of America continues to age, more people find themselves in search of high quality senior care services. Regardless of what level of care you are searching for, simple companionship to advanced medical care, the person you hire must be reliable, compatible with the person to be cared for and, most importantly, trustworthy.
There are many organizations, such as ComForcare Home Care - Torrance, CA, you can turn to for pre-screened home health care workers, people who have already met the legal and medical requirements necessary to work in your home. This is only the first step however. To find the right match between caretaker and client, you need to meet with the caretakers yourself. Prepare yourself with a list of questions designed not only to test the interviewee's knowledge, but also to get a sense of their personality and motivations for working in the home care services.
Home Care Services Questions
- Why did you choose this area of employment? - Asking directly may not get you all of the information you are searching for, but it should at least let you know if they have truly thought through the decision to work in home health care.
- Have you cared for someone in their home before? - This not only gives you some idea of their experience, but also creates the opportunity for many follow ups, including why they left that position and whether you may contact the client or their family as a reference.
- What do you do in your free time? - This one not only gives you some insight into the person, but may also clue you in to potential problems, especially if the interviewee seems uncomfortable answering this question. Remember that some people are just more private than others.
- Are there things they are unwilling to do, such as change diapers or help with bathing? - This may be especially important for those who will be caring for people with progressive conditions. It would be unfortunate for the person in need of care to become attached to someone only to have them leave as their disease progresses and they need even more support.
Before making any final decisions, it is important to schedule a time for the care taker and the person in need of senior care services to meet. Some people are simply not compatible, and there is no way to know this until they spend time together. A good match will make things much easier for both parties and give the elderly person's family peace of mind.
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