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How to Hire an In-Home Helper
Options to Choose From
At some point, you may feel that you, or someone you care for, need assistance with
personal care and other activities of daily living. A good place to start is by
contacting Long Term Care Services (LTCS)
of Tompkins County. LTCS offers an assessment program that
will visit the home and develop a care plan so that the family can choose services that
meet their needs. LTCS will give you an impartial overview of
the options for care in the community. In some cases, through the
EISEP or Medicaid programs,
they may assist you in getting assistance in paying for part or all of the cost of
in-home care. To request an assessment by LTCS, call 274-5278.
There is no charge for the assessment, and anyone, regardless of income, may request
one.
One way to obtain help is by hiring through a licensed home care agency.
The advantages are that the helpers are licensed, there is a pool of helpers to choose
from, and there is someone you can talk to if you're dissatisfied with the care.
Agencies provide initial training, periodic in-service training to their aides and take
care of the tax and insurance issues employers must attend to. The agencies take
responsibility for the quality of their workers. The cost, though, may be
considerable.
A second option is to hire help privately, which many people do either to
supplement help they're already receiving through another provider, or as their sole
source of assistance. A major reason for choosing this route is cost. Private helpers
are typically less expensive than some other options. A private helper can provide
quality care, but make sure you hire carefully. The balance of this article focuses
on the private hire arrangement and how to hire someone who is reliable, trustworthy
and safe. A good place to start is with trusted friends and relatives; see if they
know someone reputable. Your religious congregation or other organizations you're
involved with are good resources too. The Women's Opportunity Center operates
The Registry, which can link you with private pay home
helpers (call 277-7686). If you're unable to find help through these options, then
you may want to advertise in local newspapers, both community and college.
Whenever
you hire, screen all applicants well!
Tips for screening and Interviewing Applicants
- 1. Screen all applicants over the phone. Be specific. Describe duties
involved, hours you'd like them to work and salary range. Ask about job experience and
any training/certification they might have in home care. Schedule in-home interviews with
those applicants who sound promising.
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- 2. Have a checklist ready for each interview. Have a friend or family
member with you during the interview as a "second set of eyes and ears." Your
checklist should be thorough and include questions such as: Where have you
worked before? What did you do for that person? What are your hobbies and
interests? Reasons for choosing this kind of work? Attitude on smoking,
drinking, drugs? Anything you won't do on the job? Look for strong personal
rapport, a sense of kindness, trust and comfort with the duties required. If
someone seems unsuitable at this stage, don't say so while they're in your
home. Be noncommittal and call them later with the news. Make notes
immediately after your applicants are gone so each one remains fresh in your
mind.
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- 3. Ask for two work-related references and one personal reference.
Don't hire without checking all references. Make sure you note whether former employers
seemed genuinely enthusiastic or were more guarded as they described how they felt about
the person. Verify dates of employment, quality of work performed, likes and dislikes,
reasons for leaving, attitude, absences, lateness, honesty and drug or alcohol use.
Would they hire him/her again should the need arise?
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Additional Tips When Ready to Hire
When you're ready to hire, have an agreement ready for the applicants to sign that
specifies salary, hours, duties, days-off, non-acceptable behaviors, and termination
details. Both you and the helper should read it together before signing. The clearer
these are up front, the less chance for misunderstandings. Financial and legal issues
need to be addressed too. In 1998, the law required that you withhold social security if you
pay $1,100 or more annually. You will need to obtain IRS forms and contact your
homeowner insurance carrier.
Finally, if you realize that you've found a gem once someone has worked for you for a
while, holiday or vacation bonuses provide a tangible way of expressing appreciation.
Material for the above article was taken from Broome County's Caregiver Corner,
March 1998, and the December 1997 issue of The CAPSule.
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