Recruiting Quality Caregivers
Choosing the right caregiver for yourself or a loved one is a major decision. There are many options to consider when hiring, and resources at times can be overwhelming. According to the CDC, there will be 71 millon people 65 and older when all the baby boomers are at least 65 in the year 2030[1]. The need for quality caregiving is going to increase year after year, and ensuring you are recruiting quality caregivers is critical to ensuring care needs and reliability are met. If you are already utilizing a self-directed service delivery model, like Palco’s FMS services, you have greater flexibility and control over your care, making recruitment of quality caregivers more achievable!
There are many resources available to help you in recruiting and retaining quality caregivers. Before recruiting, you must know what you need your workers to do, and you must consider the work to be performed. Thankfully, recruiting can be divided into several areas so that everything is accounted for and easy to navigate. Recruiting quality caregivers will entail the following:
- Writing a job description
- Posting a job ad
- Interviewing
- Checking references
- Making an offer
Palco has put together a “Recruiting Companion Guide” that provides great step-by-step instructions and information for doing each of these steps well.
Like many things in life, what you get out of something will be based on what you put in. Recruiting quality caregivers takes time and effort, but the results are often worth it in the end. If you need help with these tasks, consider asking for assistance from a close relative or friend whom you trust and knows your unique care needs.
And once you find quality, keep them! Caregiving is a hard job both physically and mentally. It’s important that caregivers feel appreciated and valued for their work. Remember to thank your caregivers and communicate openly to keep a strong working relationship. Everyone has preferences and certain ways they want things done; when an issue arises, talk respectfully about it and make sure they know you value them even though you need something done differently. This will help preserve the longevity of the relationship and keep things healthy.
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/aging/caregiving/index.htm
by Lexi Harris
State Director
HR Director, Palco Choice
