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 your senior’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 had long-term experiences with [the caregiver],” explains Ryan McEniff, co-owner and CEO of WellAware Care & Minute Women Home Care. McEniff says 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 they navigated the inevitable challenges that come with taking care of a senior.
“The best references come from past clients who have had long-term experiences with [the caregiver].”
—Ryan McEniff, co-owner and CEO of WellAware Care & Minute Women Home Care
Read on for how to evaluate a senior caregiver’s references — questions to ask and avoid, positive signs and red flags to be mindful of.
What makes a good senior care reference?
In addition to providing a reference with an established history with past clients, it’s important that the references provided can outline the specifics of care provided by the candidate.
“A good senior care reference is one that highlights the caregiver’s qualities,” says Patti Naiser, owner of Senior Home Transitions. “The reference should also indicate the time the caregiver cared for their previous patient, what duties they carried out and why they left.” While a senior 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 references’ mind.
“The reference should also indicate the time the caregiver cared for their previous patient, what duties they carried out and why they left.”
—Patti Naiser, owner of Senior Home Transitions
Ideally, a good reference can paint a vivid picture of the type of care you can expect to be provided in this role. Sarah Pitt, vice president of employee recruitment and engagement at Atria Senior Living, lists the following as important factors to look for when checking references:
- Specific examples of past performance that would predict future behavior.
- Measurable achievements.
- Feedback that shows the caregiver has a strong work ethic.
What questions should you ask a senior 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. Naiser says reliability, trustworthiness and the ability to handle emergencies are key qualities in a senior 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?
McEniff says 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,” he says.
Explain your needs
One way to ensure that the caregiver you’re considering will be the right fit, according to Pitt, 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, she suggests asking the reference to explain how good a fit they 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 senior 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 characteristics that could be used in a discriminatory way. Get familiar with equal opportunity employment laws 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 referee in an uncomfortable position by crossing the line,” says Naiser.
Past compensation should also not be discussed during reference calls, as it’s illegal to ask about salary history in many states. To determine a fair rate for your senior caregiver, use this caregiver rates calculator.
Related: The cost of in-home care and how to pay for it
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 true when speaking with references, Naiser says not to brush it off.
“It’s a huge red flag if the reference doesn’t pick up their phone or reply to their email,” says Naiser. “This opens the possibility that the caregiver provided you with a fake reference.”
Vague answers from the reference, any hint of a poor caregiver-senior relationship or mentions of bad qualities are also major warning signs, Naiser continues.
For information about background checks, visit the Care Safety page.
McEniff says to be wary of overly complimentary references as well. “If someone is over-enthusiastic or really unhappy, there are always two sides to the story,” he says. “Ideally, you want [to 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, Naiser still recommends proceeding with caution. “You should never put an elderly loved one in the hands of an irresponsible or rude caregiver,” she says. If things don’t feel right after speaking to a reference, Naiser suggests continuing to interview other candidates.
