Top 5 Tips for Hiring a Caregiver When You Are Disabled

At this point in my life, I don’t need the assistance of a caregiver. But that wasn’t always the case. For about a year when I was around 23 years old, I had a respiratory health crisis and ended up in the ICU for three weeks. Sent home with oxygen, it was a long and slow recovery, and I hired my sister to come a few hours a day to help care for me. This has been my own personal experience with caregiving. I have many disabled friends, however, who rely on a caregiving staff of several people to assist them with their needs of daily living. Additionally, I know I will need to hire a caregiver again one day. Either due to age or a progression of my disability, I’ll need some help. And that is okay.

As a society, we must prioritize having a caregiving industry that is fully staffed and highly skilled. We must also make sure there is government funding available to help people pay for the quality caregiving they require. Hiring my sister, a family member, was the right choice for me at that time. But no one should be forced to rely on family members for their care. It is a very important role, and so hiring one is a critical decision. It's important to approach this process with careful consideration to ensure that the chosen caregiver is a good fit for your specific needs and personal preferences. With that said, here are what I think are the top five tips to help you find the right caregiver when you are disabled.

Tip #1: Clearly Define Your Needs

Before you start the search for a caregiver, it’s vital to have a clear understanding of your specific needs. This includes determining the type of care required, whether it’s personal care, household tasks, healthcare management, or mobility assistance. Be as specific as possible. This isn’t a time to be humble and stoic and say “Oh, I can really do that myself.” Particularly if you are applying for financial assistance from the government. It is essential you demonstrate your need to justify the support. As I like to say, “Think of how you are feeling or functioning on your worst day.” Let that be your benchmark to itemize your needs. Knowing what you need will help you communicate your expectations more clearly and find a caregiver with the right skill set.

I recommend writing a detailed job description. In it you will list out all the expectations you have for the role, as would any job description out in the buiness world. Disabled people who need caregiving support should think of themselves as managers. You are hiring a staff, and as such you need to be clear on what you can afford to pay, what duties they will fulfill, what hours they will need to work, what specialized training they may need, and any other criteria like language spoken, etc. For example:

• Physical Needs: List down the physical assistance you require, like bathing, dressing, feeding, or transferring from a wheelchair.

• Medical Needs: If you require medication management or need assistance with medical equipment, look for someone with relevant experience or training.

Tip #2: Look for Relevant Experience and Training

Beyond the basics listed above, experience and training are very important when ensuring that the caregiver can handle the specific needs of a disabled person. Depending on a person’s type of disability, specialized skills might be required. For example, someone who is a quadriplegic will be different from someone who can walk but has Cerebral Palsy.

Also, make sure you ask for references. Hiring a caregiver is too important of a job to just rely on someone’s own word. Previous employment references can provide insights into the caregiver’s reliability, skills, and ability to connect on a personal level. Depending on the level of involvement in one’s personal life or if the caregiver will have access to financial information, medical records or caring for someone who is especially vulnerable, it might be a good idea to do a basic criminal background check. In addition, verify that a caregiver has the proper health certifications such as CPR, first aid, and their own health vaccinations are up to date (if that is important to you.)

Lastly, and this might seem somewhat odd, but don’t expect every caregiver to be familiar with every type of disability. Some caregivers have never worked for a quadriplegic, for example, and so they aren’t familiar with what a bowel program is. Once they find out, some refuse to do such an intimate level of personal care. It is important to have clear communication on all the tasks required during the hiring process.

Tip #3: Conduct a Thorough Interview

A key part of the hiring process is the interview. It is your opportunity as the hiring manager to assess whether the potential caregiver is a good match for your personality and care needs. It also allows you to gauge their understanding of privacy and boundaries, their communication skills, and their overall demeanor and professionalism. When preparing for the interview I recommend you draft a set of questions in advance. They can be based off the job description you have created for the caregiving position.

During the interview, you should also pose real-life scenarios to the interviewee— either things you have experienced directly, or anecdotes you have learned from others. Even some hypothetical “what-ifs” are okay, as long as you don’t make up situations so improbable that it sets up the caregiver to answer incorrectly. The point is you want to find out how they would handle certain situations. Their answers will provide a clue as to their quick judgement and insight into their problem-solving skills.

As a final part of the interview I think it is a good idea to ask a caregiver why they chose the profession, as well as a little bit about their personal life. You and they are not expected to become BFFs, but you will be spending a lot of time together. It is important you do your best to ensure that their personality and communication style are compatible with yours. Also, pay attention to the little details of their actions, not just what they are saying. Are they using eye-contact, speaking confidently, and using friendly, relaxed body language? If there is anyone else present during the interview, human, or maybe a pet, how does the interviewee interact with them?

Pay attention to even the smallest “red flag” warnings. Often times, a gut intuition about someone, even the most highly qualified person on paper, is a caregiver that will probably not be the best fit for you.

Tip #4: Involve Family or Advisors in the Decision Process

If possible, involve family members or close advisors in the caregiver hiring process. They can provide additional perspectives and may pick up on potential issues or benefits that you might miss. Their involvement can also help ensure that the caregiver fits well with the broader support network and family dynamics. Just take time and care to set the proper boundaries. Don’t let friends or family speak for you. You are going to be the one who has the most interaction with the caregiver, and who is responsible for making sure they are providing the services they are hired for.

If you intend to seek the input of others, set the terms for their involvement prior to the interview. You don’t want to have your authority questioned or diminished in front of the interviewee. Also, if any of your family is helping to financial support your caregiving needs, it is important to discuss that implication ahead of time as well. Sometimes when someone is paying for something they feel like they have ownership in the decision-making. In this situation, I respectfully disagree. Because the care is going to be given to you, not to the family member, you should have the final word on who is hired. If the family member has a problem with that, perhaps it is a good idea to seek some other independent funding source, or government assistance.

Tip #5: Consider a Trial Period

If possible, I think a trial period for a caregiver is a great idea. It is an excellent way to see how the caregiver meshes with your daily routine and care needs. It allows you both to assess the job fit without a long-term commitment. This period can be used to adjust care routines, communication styles, and other important aspects of the caregiving relationship. Try to set clear expectations for the trial period itself. Make sure the caregiver understands that this is a trial period and outline what you will be evaluating.

If you are allowing for a trial period it is important for you to remain patient and somewhat flexible as well. Understand that the caregiver may make some mistakes, but that this is a time for feedback and adjustment. This is again, where constant clear communication remains paramount. Both you and the caregiver have to be open about what is working and what needs improvement. It is up to you as the manager to encourage such honesty from the caregiver, so the bonds of trust and transparence can flourish.

I want to close out this blog by saying that while I hope these tips have been helpful, I do realize that there is a caregiving crisis in this country. There are just not enough qualified caregivers to meet the demand. I know because I talk to my disabled friends who hire caregivers for 24-7 care, and many have to supplement with family support or go without care at all. Sometimes they don’t have the luxury of following on the tips and suggestions I have outlined in this blog post because they just need someone. I didn’t want to be dismissive of this reality. To this end, I will continue to advocate for equality and justice for all disabled people to have hire the caregiving staff they need so they can live with independence and dignity.