A qualified and experienced home health aide can help older adults manage their health conditions and prevent complications by providing medication reminders, monitor vital signs, and help with exercises or physical therapy.
Home health aides can help older adults stay safe by reducing the risk of falls and other accidents. They can also provide supervision and support to prevent wandering and ensure that the home is free from hazards.
Loneliness and social isolation are common problems among older adults, especially those who live alone. Home health aides can provide companionship and emotional support, which can improve mental health and overall well-being.
With the help of a home health aide, older adults can maintain their independence and stay in their homes for longer. They can continue to enjoy their familiar surroundings and routines while receiving the assistance they need.
But that being said, not all home health aides or home health aide agencies are the same. Having someone in your home is an intimate and often vulnerable experience, regardless of the benefits. It is important to carefully evaluate potential caregivers and choose someone who is qualified, experienced, and a good personal match.
When interviewing home health aides, make sure to find the right fit for your needs and your personality. Here’s where to start:
Qualifications
Before considering anything else, ensure that the aide you’re hiring is uniquely qualified for this position.
First, consider the agency you are using to find your perfect candidate. Using a licensed home care agency ensures that the staff have the proper credentials, are screened, and have liability insurance. In addition, nursing staff supervise the home health aide staff ensuring appropriate medical follow-up and are also available 24/7 for urgent care issues. An agency can also provide back-up staff as needed, and often only agency services can be reimbursed by long term care insurance policies.
Then, work to find the right fit within that agency. You are trusting them with very personal tasks and information, and it’s crucial to ensure that they are trustworthy, trained properly and given the support they need to execute the job you’ve hired them for.
Here are a few questions you may want to ask:
What are your certifications and qualifications?
Your home health aide should at least have gone through the training to become a Certified Home Health Aide. You may also want to ask if they hold a valid CPR and first aid certification. If they work with a licensed agency, they are mandated to have a certain number of hours of on-going training per year.
Do you have any additional specialty training?
Many aides may have additional training in specific areas like dementia care or Parkinson’s disease. If you have specific needs for your home health aide, it’s good to know whether they have that specialized knowledge already.
Does your agency offer additional training?
The home health agency you work with is just as important as the aide you choose. You want to choose an aide who has been given the resources to succeed in their job and continue to develop in their careers, so you want to know that they have the opportunity for continuing education offered (and even encouraged) by their employer.
Does your agency offer additional support outside of your services?
Home health aides offer a vital service, but they aren’t the end-all-be-all in older adult care, nor should they be expected to be. Ask what other resources are offered by their agency to give you a better idea of the additional care you have at your fingertips.
It’s especially beneficial if your agency also provides a separate social worker or care manager who can oversee your care. These workers ensure you receive what you need and advocate for you in situations where you cannot advocate for yourself. They also can help guide you to explore other options for care.
What is your agency’s policy for aide replacement?
People get sick, they take vacations, or they may move on to a new job. You may even find someone who is perfect for you right now, but you need something different down the line. You want to know that no matter what the circumstances, you’ll still have access to expert care without you having to search for it yourself.
Personality
Once you determine if the candidate has the baseline qualifications you need, then it’s time to make sure it’s a personality match. Home health aides are more than just an extra hand around the house – they often become an intimate part of your life.
You’ll want to make sure they are aware of your schedule needs and preferences. For example, if your schedule is such that a minute late is going to make you late, communicate that to ensure that the person is committed to showing up on time.
This is the person you’ll likely see more consistently than anyone else in your life, and you want to make sure you enjoy being in their company.
You may want to ask:
What made you want to enter this field?
Knowing someone’s motivation behind their profession can be a key indicator for their values, work ethic and dedication to the job at hand. It may also give you a deep, personal insight that you might not have otherwise had the opportunity to learn. Starting out with a true personal connection can make the initial transition that much more comfortable.
Why do you want to work with older adults?
You want to choose to work with someone who specifically wants to work with you. Older adult care is nuanced, and it isn’t easy, so you want to make sure whoever you invite into your home has a passion for the work they do and the people they work with.
What are your hobbies and interests?
You’ll spend a lot of time with your home health aide, which means you’ll want to have something to talk about. It can be helpful to find someone who has similar interests to yours. Or better yet – someone whose interests are completely different from your own, but you would love to learn more about them.
How someone chooses to spend their time outside of work tells a lot about their personality, so don’t be afraid to ask what they enjoy and what they’re passionate about.
The Catch
While it’s vital to do a thorough interview to find the right candidate for you, keep in mind that this is, in fact, a job interview for each candidate. There are certain questions you should steer away from.
It is never appropriate to ask a candidate how old they are, if they have kids or are planning to become pregnant, or their political views.
Know nothing is permanent
Even though it’s important to try to get the best possible home health aide the first time you hire, not everything is perfect the first time around. Keep in mind that if things don’t work out how you expected, you can find a better match.
At the end of the day, your care and your comfort are the most important thing, so do not hesitate to speak up at the first sign that the situation isn’t what you hoped it would be. That’s what gives you the opportunity to truly find the right fit that allows you to age in place exactly where you want to be – in your home – with independence and dignity.
Laura Radensky LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and the Executive Director of Concerned Home Managers for the Elderly (COHME Inc.), a non-profit licensed home care agency providing home health aides and social work services in New York City.
Contact Laura Radensky at l.radensky@cohme.org or check out the website
www.cohme.org.