Hiring Caregivers
Finding and Keeping Good Respite Providers
If you are the primary caregiver for a loved one with a disability or chronic illness, chances are YOU NEED A BREAK!
Respite, a temporary break from caregiving duties, can make a world of difference in helping you maintain the stamina needed to continue the important work you are doing to keep your loved one at home.
How Can I Find a Respite Provider?
Before you can find a provider, you should determine what the specific needs are for your family. Go about finding a care provider like an employer would in hiring a good employee. Make a list of the skills, knowledge and traits you are looking for in a respite provider. For most caregivers, the most important question is “Who can I TRUST to care for my loved one while I am away from home?” Be sure to include the qualities a person must have for you to trust them.
Some other things that you might want to consider including in your list of required skills:
A good respite provider should:
- Be able to lift someone the weight of your loved one.
- Have experience working with persons with special needs.
- Have a working knowledge of first aid, safety and emergency.
- Have a record of being at work consistently and on time.
- Have the ability to follow written and oral instructions.
- Pass background and drug screening.
- Be able to provide at least two references.
Your preferences might be:
- High School graduate.
- Certified Nursing Assistant
It’s important also to have an idea of what duties you will expect from your respite provider. These duties will be determined by the extent of your loved one’s disability or illness or by the length of respite period. Some duties you might require could include:
- Assisting with bathing and toileting activities.
- Assisting with grooming/dressing.
- Assisting with transfers or other mobility requirements.
- Assisting with preparing meals and eating.
Getting Information Needed: How do you decide who is best qualified to take care of your loved one?
The reason for collecting information is to find a respite provider that you can trust. Feeling confident enough to leave a respite provider alone to care for your loved one will help you better enjoy your “break.”
You can use information from the job description you created and questions asked during a telephone screening or face-to-face interview. If you already know the person you plan to hire as a respite provider, you may not need to ask him/her to fill out an application or be interviewed.
Having a potential provider fill out an application for employment will help you determine which applicants you wish to interview. Taking time to review applications and make calls to verify information can be time-consuming but may allow you to avoid unhappy circumstances later.
After taking applications, you may begin the process of eliminating those who may not be acceptable.
Telephone Screening – This interview should help you identify candidates who looked good on the application but do not meet one or more of your absolute requirements. It may be that they smoke, don’t have the right kind of experience, don’t have adequate transportation, etc.
The most important response in the telephone and the face-to-face interviews will be your “gut feeling.” If you feel unsure about someone or uncomfortable about inviting them into your home, politely thank them for applying and tell them you will let them know if you decide to use their services.
The Face-to-Face Interview – Remember - you are most likely interviewing a stranger so you may want to consider meeting in a place other than your home.
Bring your list of personal preferences and requirements and keep these things in mind:
- Trustworthiness
- Honesty
- Sense of Humor
- Good Attitude
- Good Health
- Dependability
- Good Communication Skills
Try to make the situation as comfortable as possible. Explain the disability or illness of your loved one. Go over the job description. Ask about other jobs the person has had in the past. Ask what he/she liked or did not like about their previous job.
Be cautious about hiring on the spot. Take time to call references.
The Written Agreement
Now that you feel confident you have chosen the right person to step into the role of caregiver - even if you have chosen someone you already know, regardless of how friendly your relationship is - an informal written agreement can be very helpful. Typed or handwritten, the written agreement gives the person you are hiring a clear description of your expectations – both of them as your respite provider and of their commitments to you and your loved one. In the future, if either of you have questions about your original agreement, you can consult the written agreement.
Sample Agreement
The duties and responsibilities of the respite provider are listed below. I understand and will carry out all duties and responsibilities as described.
Duties: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
The respite provider and I, as the employer, will maintain mutual respect for one another and remain flexible and work to solve problems as they arise.
The respite provider agrees to work the following hours, for the following salary
____________hrs/week/day
$__________/hour
____________________________
Primary Caregiver
____________________________
Respite Provider
____________________________
Date
Taking Care of Your Respite Provider
Respite care providers are usually not highly paid nor do they receive benefits. The work they do is done for a chance to work with people in special circumstances. Do what you can to communicate to the respite provider your satisfaction with his/her work. Let them know how valuable their service is to you and your family. Continue to define their duties and responsibilities and let them know what you expect from them and what support they can expect from you.
When giving praise, always be sincere and don’t say something you don’t really mean. Describe the situation or event that you like, say that you appreciated it or say, “Thank You.”
Don’t let small irritations build up. When it is necessary to point out any displeasure with something the respite provider has done, its important to criticize the action, not the individual.
Use criticism as a tool for sharing information with your respite provider. The whole idea is to help him/her know how to serve you better. Describe the situation or event you disliked. Tell them what would make things better the next time.
Be sure to talk about one issue at a time (another reason for dealing with problems as they occur). Don’t bring up past mistakes, but instead only talk about the present situation. Stay with the point you wish to make and be brief.
Keep your working relationship private. Do not discuss your respite provider with others.
When the relationship is not working out, it may be time to terminate your working agreement. Remember to do it appropriately.
It is illegal to withhold payment of wages, no matter how dissatisfied you are with your respite provider’s work. Simply give notice and terminate the agreement.
Good communication between the two of you is the key to a good and lasting relationship. Finding a good respite provider that will stay with you and your family is invaluable.
Your Record Keeping Responsibilities
Depending on how often and how many hours you use your respite provider, there are IRS regulations you may need to consider. Alabama Respite has more information on those restrictions.
More Information
Alabama Respite can provide additional information to you on choosing a quality respite provider. We maintain a database of respite programs for every county in Alabama. For your convenience, this database is available online at www.alabamarespite.org or call the Network office at (205) 991-0927 (Birmingham Area) or toll free 1-866 737-8252 (outside Birmingham).
Alabama Respite maintains a list of individuals who have completed a certification program for respite providers. These individuals have an interest in helping families by providing respite services. This list of providers is available for your convenience; however, Alabama Respite does not recommend providers for families and is not liable for your selection of respite provider. It will be the responsibility of the family to contact and check references of individual providers.
Alabama Respite has the following forms and fact sheets that may help you find a good respite provider:
- Application for employment
- Written Agreement
- Sample Job Description
- Sample Time Sheet
- List of possible interview questions
- Information on how to ask for a background check
- Suggested locations to advertise for a respite provider
- Sample Advertisements
- Checklist for Training Your Respite Provider
- Fair Labor Standards Act Information
- IRS regulations on employer record keeping and responsibilities
- Record Keeping Requirements
- Information on Terminating an Employee
| Alabama Lifespan Respite Resource Network 2505 Inverness Lane Birmingham, Alabama 35242 1-205-991-0927 1-866-RESTALA alabamarespite@aol.com |
This website funded in part by grants from:
Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities |
