Caregiver Interview Questions

Dear Allegra,

We are preparing to hire a professional home care agency to aid in my grandmother’s care. She wants to stay in her own home, so it’s important that we find ways to keep her safe there. We know finding caregivers she can rely on is vital.

My grandma primarily needs an in-home caregiver to assist with grocery shopping, preparing meals, and a few other household tasks. However, her needs are changing, so we want to be certain the agency we select can add more services as she needs them.

We are a little overwhelmed with how many choices there are for agencies and how to choose one that is a good fit for my grandmother. Our plan is to interview the agencies and caregivers who would be involved in her care and go from there.

Do you have any suggestions for questions to ask when you are interviewing a caregiver? Knowing which interview questions to ask caregivers is completely new to us. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,

Bonnie

Sample Interview Questions for Caregiver Candidates

Dear Bonnie,

You are already off to a great start! Preparing a list of questions that you will ask each potential agency and the caregivers who work for them is important. Meeting in person, asking targeted questions, and documenting the answers is one of the best ways to evaluate each provider’s experience and skills.

Here are a few sample interview questions for caregiver candidates:

• Why did you choose to become a caregiver?
• What kind of training do you have?
• How long have you been caring for seniors?
• Why should a family choose you/the agency you work for?
• Tell us about a recent caregiving experience where you felt like you made a difference in the life of an elder client.
• How many clients do you have now who are elderly?
• What happens if you are sick and can’t come to work?
• Do you attend trainings to help you learn more about new caregiving techniques? If so, how often?
• Have you gone through any kind of background check?
• What is the most difficult part of being a caregiver for a senior?
• How do you or the agency communicate concerns you have about clients to their loved ones?
• What are the most common types of services you help elderly clients with?
• Is there a required minimum number of weekly or monthly hours?
• Is there a minimum hours-per-visit requirement?
• Can you provide the names and phone numbers of current and past clients as references?
• Are families required to sign a contract? If so, what are the terms?

This list should provide you with a good foundation for asking the questions you need to make an informed decision.

Please contact me if I can be of further assistance!

Kind regards,

Allegra