Around the nation (USA) on an almost daily basis, home care business owners are asking how to find good caregivers. Is there a secret? What sources are best for attracting good caregivers?

It’s easy finding warm bodies to show up and call them caregivers! It’s a short term vision that will cost the agency in ways the long term, putting the agency’s reputation at risk every single day the warm body approach continues.

Understanding what qualities to look for in a good caregiver will pay dividends in creating a first-class team. Curiously, many owners don’t invest time in learning how to find good caregivers early on.

It begins by creating a plan to target specific individuals that meet preset qualifications. Weed through employment applications using a system and conduct countless interviews to find the needles in a haystack. In short time, you’ll develop a sense of who is quality and who isn’t. It will seem like a tireless effort but if done consistently the efforts pay off developing a first-class team of qualified, loyal staff.

So, what qualities should be sought to find good caregivers?  While not an exhaustive, end-all list, the following profile provides a solid foundation from which agencies can be successful in hiring quality care staff:

Traits of Quality Caregivers

• Experience

  • Ideally 2 years experience, no less than 1 year experience.
  • Use caution when experience is limited to caring for a loved one. Caring for loved ones is VERY different from caring for clients.

• Background

  • Seek providers with clean backgrounds.
  • From a client’s vulnerable perspective, a complete stranger is coming into their home on trust the company screens out criminals.
  • Proceed carefully when dealing with an applicant with a felony record, while following all applicable laws.
  • Seek guidance from your insurance and bonding company whether staff with past convictions (criminal and driving records) would be covered.
  • Driving records matter!  Seek applicants with valid driver license and good driving record (insurance has limits).
  • Legally able to work in the USA.
  • Verifiable work history.

• Age

  • Seniors themselves are often natural terrific caregivers.
  • Individuals with life experience “get it” more than youthful applicants.
  • Younger caregivers are more apt to leave a client hanging stating they can’t make it to work 10 minutes late.
  • Do NOT discriminate based an applicant’s age while managing client requests for specific care requests.

• Gender

  • Most are women and usually requested by clients.
  • Male caregivers are also requested (usually by men) but in fewer numbers.
  • Do NOT discriminate based an applicant’s gender while managing client requests for specific care request.

• Disposition

  • Kind, patient, understanding, ethical, compassionate, compassionate, honest, trustworthy.
  • Passion to work and serve others.

• Skills

  • Good communication skills in English and whichever language your clientele speaks.
  • Cleaning, laundry, cooking, general household management activities.
  • Flexibility.
  • Good driver

There are exceptions to each guideline in different situations but given these above qualities, an ideal caregiver profile emerges which can help agencies find good caregivers.
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