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Questions to Ask a Caregiver for the Elderly

Elderly adults are more likely than others to develop physical impairments that require professional help and care. According to Janet A. Clark at the University of Missouri, few family members are able to provide direct care for their elderly loved ones and need to hire help from outside of the family. Family members can ask certain questions in order to find the right individual to help their loved one.

  1. Experience and Interest

    • Families should focus on creating a good match between the person's needs and the qualifications of the caregiver. They should also focus on learning about the caregiver's experience. It is important to find out if she has performed similar types of caregiving or has worked as a companion. Focus on the caregiver's skills. Find out if the person enjoys working with people and whether she can work independently.

    Skills

    • It is important that the caregiver has worked with people in a similar way to how he'll be working with this particular person. Questions about specific skills, such as providing bathing, dressing, meals and housekeeping services, should be asked if these are needed. In general, questions about skills should match the needs of the elder being cared for. This will help both the interviewer and interviewee to see if this position is a good fit. For instance, if the elderly person has had memory problems, such as dementia, or emotional problems, such as anger, sadness or moodiness, asking questions about how the caregiver feels and would respond to these issues will help to get an idea of how the caregiver might handle these issues.

    Credentialing and Training

    • There is a wide range of possible credentials that a caregiver can have. Asking about credentials is an important way to find a good match between the caregiver's abilities and the needs of the elderly person. For instance, a person who is a Personal Care Attendant or Home Care Assistant generally provides help with activities of daily living, but is not qualified to help with medical issues. People who are Certified Home Health Aides or Certified Nursing Assistants are qualified to take basic health care measurements, while a Licensed Practical Nurse or Licensed Vocational Nurse is qualified to help an elderly person who needs more medical assistance.

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