Finding the right person to care for the older loved one in your life can be arduous. Not only do they need the proper skill set and experience to cater to the elderly person’s individual needs, but they should also come with references that speak to their character and capability.
Even if you believe you’ve found the best caregiver for the job, checking references is still an important final step. The best references come from past clients who have worked with the caregiver on a long-term basis. Getting in touch with long-term references is ideal because they can speak to the positive experiences they’ve had in the past and explain how the caregiver navigated the inevitable challenges that come with taking care of an ageing person.
Read on to learn how to evaluate a caregiver’s reference—questions to ask and avoid, positive signs, and red flags to be mindful of.
What makes a good elderly care reference?
A good elderly care reference is one that highlights the caregiver’s qualities. The reference should also indicate the time the caregiver cared for their previous patient, what duties they carried out, and why they left.
While an elderly caregiver may provide a list of two or three references, at least one reference must be a recent client—within the past year—so that the details of the person’s experience are fresh in the reference’s mind.
Ideally, a good reference can paint a vivid picture of the type of care you can expect to be provided in this role. The following are important factors to look for when checking references:
- Specific examples of past performance that would predict future behaviour.
- Measurable achievements.
- Feedback that shows the caregiver has a strong work ethic.
What questions should you ask an elderly care reference?
Confirm the employment basics
When contacting a reference, a good starting point is to ask questions confirming employment history details. These questions can include the following:
- When did this caregiver work for you, and how long were they in this role?
- What were their day-to-day duties?
- What was their reason for leaving the position?
- Were you happy with their performance? Why or why not?
Ask about past performance
Next, get details of what the caregiver was like from a performance standpoint. Reliability, trustworthiness, and the ability to handle emergencies are key qualities in an elderly caregiver. Questions to ask regarding performance include:
- What was working with this person like?
- How does the candidate deal with a crisis situation?
- How often did they miss work? Were they frequently late?
- Were there any issues you were aware of that may have impacted their job performance?
- Can you give an example of how they handle stress?
- Did you find this person to be trustworthy?
One of the fastest ways to find out how a reference feels about the level of care provided is to ask whether or not they would hire this person again. From there, you can dig deeper to find out the specifics.
Explain what your needs are
One way to ensure that the caregiver you’re considering will be the right fit is to describe the role and responsibilities to past references. Instead of framing it as a question that could be answered with a yes or no, it’s a good idea to ask the reference to explain how suitable the candidate would be for the job and ask follow-up questions as needed.
Questions to avoid
Though it’s perfectly normal to want to get to know the person caring for your elderly loved one on a more personal level, remember that certain questions can’t legally be asked in a job interview. These include questions about a person’s age, religion, disabilities, and other protected characteristics. Get familiar with equality law ahead of making reference calls.
Similarly, avoid asking questions regarding the health conditions of the caregiver’s past clients. These questions are a breach of privacy, so don’t put the reference in an uncomfortable position by crossing the line.
While it’s not illegal to ask about past compensation during reference calls, it’s best to avoid it, as this can contribute to the gender pay gap.
What if there’s a bad reference?
When someone provides references for a potential job opportunity, they typically choose people who are responsive and will be able to speak positively on their behalf in detail. If you find the opposite to be true when speaking with references, don’t brush it off.
It’s a huge red flag if the reference doesn’t pick up their phone or reply to their emails. This opens the possibility that the caregiver provided you with a fake reference.
Vague answers from the reference, any hint of a poor relationship between the caregiver and the care recipient, or mentions of bad qualities are also major warning signs.
Be wary of overly complimentary references as well. If someone is over-enthusiastic or really unhappy, there are always two sides to the story. Ideally, you should speak to a long-term customer who has had some positive and negative experiences and knows how those were handled.
To get a clear picture of the candidate, experts recommend reaching out to at least three references—especially in the case of a negative review. Even if the other two references provide glowing feedback, you should still proceed with caution. Never put an elderly loved one in the hands of an irresponsible or rude caregiver. If things don’t feel right after speaking to a reference, simply move on to other candidates.
