Do You Know How to Complete a Thorough Background Check?
Tips for Running a Background Check on a Potential Caregiver in Princeton, NJ
Running any type of background check on a potential caregiver is important when you decide to hire outside of an agency. Even if you hire through an agency, you want to make sure that they perform thorough background checks on all of their home care providers.
Below are a few tips to help you when you decide to hire an independent caregiver.
- Check with your local and state laws.
When you are hiring a caregiver, you are hiring an employee. Even if they are considered an independent contractor, there are certain laws that will prohibit you from excluding them for consideration based on various factors. One of those could include a felony background.
You don’t want someone with a criminal record taking care of your elderly loved one, but some states have deemed certain crimes to be acceptable, meaning that you would not be able to legally discount them from consideration based on those factors.
Always be aware of the laws in your county and state to ensure that you follow them properly.
- Check work and criminal history.
Not only do you want to make sure that the person you hire isn’t a convicted felon who served time for fraud or theft, but you also want to make sure that their work history is as stated.
Far too many people today have gotten in the habit of lying on their resumes and cover letters. That is because most employers don’t really check their background thoroughly.
Take the time to call all contact information that they provide to ensure that what they are saying is true.
If the potential home care provider does not have any direct experience as a caregiver, ask for any other references that aren’t family members or friends. This can include former employers, even if they were working at a fast food restaurant.
Speaking to previous employers can be frustrating because many companies don’t share much information about former employees due to a fear of legal repercussions. However, you can often gather a lot of information if you read between the lines about what they say or don’t say.
- Consider hiring a private investigator.
Private investigators in many states have more access to certain information that you might not have. If you are seriously considering a caregiver for full-time work or live in care, you may want to consult a private investigator that can get more accurate information about a person’s background.
If you want to avoid these hassles, consider hiring through a home care agency. Just make sure they do background checks on all their employees. Ask Questions.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring caregiving services in Princeton NJ, or the surrounding areas. Please call Independence Home Care today at (609) 642-4085 for more information .