What Makes A Caregiver Screening Process Effective

If your loved one requires assistance to remain at home, you may be nervous about several factors. From your loved one’s safety in this stage of life to the kinds of services your loved one will need, you have many concerns. Trusting your caregiver shouldn’t be one of them.

The caregiver screening process is complex. One of the main reasons it is inadvisable to hire an independent caregiver on your own is because of the challenge of ensuring your caregiver is qualified and reliable. High-quality home care agencies have an effective caregiver screening process to provide the best help available to your loved one.

The Features of a Quality Caregiving Screening Process

If an agency’s screening process is ineffective, you are taking a risk by utilizing their services. Look for these screening process features and signs to gain peace of mind when selecting an agency and caregiver.

A Thorough Application

More than just a basic resume, effective agencies require potential caregivers to fill out in-depth applications. Thorough applications allow agencies to screen potential caregivers quickly. These applications often include questions about prior experience with senior care, motives for applying, and evaluations of personal traits.

A Proprietary Interviewing Process With Multiple In-Depth Interviews

Once a potential caregiver’s application is approved, they should be interviewed.  The finest agencies follow-up initial interviews with several additional in-depth interviews. They will have different people conducting each interview to get a variety of perspectives on the candidate. This allows agencies to cross-check applicant’s answers and understand what the applicant is like from day to day.

Believes Caregiving is a Calling, Not a Job

Caregiving is not an easy job. Caregivers often have dynamic schedules and diverse patients. They perform personal services for seniors in need. That’s why it’s important for agencies to hire individuals who believe caregiving is a calling, not a job.

Performs Extensive Background Checks

Since caregivers typically work alone with seniors who may be vulnerable, it is important to make sure they are thoroughly vetted by looking for  criminal records. Most reputable home care agencies will run background checks on potential caregivers. Some background checks also take information from driving records and credit reports to determine if caregivers are responsible citizens. Fingerprints can be run through a state database.

Checks References

To really understand the character of a potential caregiver, the finest agencies also contact multiple references. During reference checks, agencies interview people who personally know the applicant to verify information about the potential caregiver.

Properly Establishes Responsibility

An agency that is confident in their hiring process will take on legal and financial responsibility for their caregivers. High-quality agencies will be licensed, bonded, and insured so that the responsibility falls on them (and not you) if a caregiver proves untrustworthy. The agency will employ the caregivers and not have contract workers.

Prioritizes Recruitment and Retention of the Best Caregivers

Finding a qualified, devoted, professional caregiver can be challenging. The best agencies make a habit of seeking such professionals out to recruit them. They also work hard to retain quality caregivers. Check to see if agencies offer benefits to caregivers and actively seek recruits as these are signs that the agency has healthy priorities.

Wins Awards

Independent research firms offer awards to agencies based on feedback, interviews, and other information about the quality of the agency’s services. Cherished Companions has received the 2017 Employer of Choice award from Home Care Pulse (link to blog announcement.) This demonstrates that the caregivers at Cherish Companions are satisfied with their work. Satisfied caregivers are likely to take their job seriously and care for your loved one with pride.

Identifying an Agency with an Effective Screening Process

As you learn more about home care, agencies, and caregivers keep these features of an effective screening process in mind. A high-quality hiring process is usually a sign of an excellent agency and caregiver staff.

Keep other important aspects of selecting a home care agency in mind as well. Download our free guide.

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