10 Questions to Ask When Hiring a Companionship Caregiver in the UK

When you’re opting for companion care for your elderly loved one, there must be numerous questions in your mind. Moreover, when hiring a caregiver for your loved one, you must be cautious and take interviews with them very seriously. Because after all, you must ensure your loved one is going to be in safe hands.

Therefore, this article is going to tell you the 10 questions you must prepare for asking a caregiver before you go out to find an elderly companion near you in the U.K:

1- Why did you choose companion caregiver as a profession?

You must ask the companion caregiver why they chose caregiving as a profession. And what basically made them choose this out of every other career. 

By asking this, you will understand the motive of the caregiver, and whether they are determined to serve and care for the elderly. 

In most cases, caregivers are only concerned about the paycheck, rather than actually caring for the elderly. Such caregivers won’t necessarily look after and care for the elderly.  You need someone to look after your loved ones with compassion, empathy, and most importantly, build a supporting and loving relationship with them. 

The caregiver must pay great attention to even the most minute details, to make sure all your loved one’s needs are being met. Therefore, by asking what actually motivates them to care and look out for the elderly, you can easily determine how sincere, honest, and determined they are to serve the elderly.

2- What is your specialization?

This question is highly imperative, as you will come across caregivers who have different skill sets, and most importantly, specialization. 

Therefore, you must ask the caregivers about their specialization and their expertise, to determine whether they will be fit for your loved one or not. For instance, if your elderly loved one is suffering from Dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other disorders and diseases, then you must ask if they are certified dementia care professionals. 

It is also important to know that there are numerous caregivers who have received advanced or specialized training in order to care for such elderly who need specialized care.

3- Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

You will come across numerous caregivers who have different personalities. For instance, you might come across caregivers who, even though are very supportive and loving, are not outgoing and are generally an introvert. Hence, when you’re opting for companion care for your elderly loved one, you must analyze whether the caregiver will be a right fit for them. 

When we talk about companion care, caregivers should be more outgoing, and most importantly, an extrovert. They should engage in conversations and initiate activities in order to keep the elderly occupied, and also make them feel less isolated or lonely. Won’t it be inappropriate to hire a companion caregiver who is an introvert and not talkative for your loved one who is at the risk of loneliness and isolation?

However, at times, some elderly prefer someone who is comparatively quieter. Thus, make sure to list out the qualities your loved one may want in a caregiver before actually hiring one.

4- What are your hobbies?

By asking the caregiver about their hobbies, you will get to know a lot about that person. For instance, what interests them, what their favorite pastime is. You don’t want your loved one to get bored too easily, so a caregiver who lacks interesting hobbies could be a great deal-breaker here. Analyzing hobbies is an excellent way of identifying a personality match, which is one of the ultimate goals here.

5- Will your schedule be flexible?

Having an adjustable and flexible schedule would be ideal. This is because you never know when an uncalled incident occurs, which requires you to call in the caregiver at an earlier time. Therefore, by being flexible, the caregiver can be more prompt and can show up even on short notice. Moreover, this is more relevant when you have to leave home, or even town, unexpectedly for a meeting, which means you will have to leave your loved one behind. Therefore, rather than making other arrangements yourself, the caregiver must have an adjustable schedule.

6- What is your work history?

Apart from the qualifications and expertise, it is important to ask the caregiver for their work experience and history. It is important to know whether the caregiver has any prior experience in looking and caring for the elderly, especially if your loved one needs specialized care. Moreover, contacting old employers would be a good idea. This will give you adequate information about the caregiver, how they worked, their experience, and how dependable, trustworthy and honest the caregiver truly was.

7-What kind of formal medical training do you have?

It is important to know that caregivers must possess some important medical expertise, in case of uncalled emergencies. For instance, do they know about CPR? Are they aware of how to access and use the first aid kit in case of accidents? 

8- What food are you able to cook?

Most caregivers are able to prepare meals for elderly loved ones. If you are looking for a caregiver who can cook and prepare meals for your loved ones, then this is a question you must ask. Therefore, ask them whether they are able to prepare meals, especially keeping their nutrition and condition in mind.

9- How will you handle Covid-19?

Maintaining social distance is imperative in times of Covid. Moreover, this is more important if we talk about our elderly loved ones. Who is more at risk of viral infections? Therefore, you must ask the caregiver what necessary precautions they will be taking to ensure the loved one is safe. Make sure they are vigilant and cautious about the safety procedures to use and practices when caring for your loved one.

10- How long will you stay for this job?

Knowing the caregiver’s long-term plans are imperative. Ask them how long they anticipate staying at this job and caring for your elderly loved one. In case your loved one is in need of a long-term companion care provider. Then you should go for someone who is determined to stay in the long run. Re-hiring and training caregivers all over again will also be quite time-consuming. Moreover, your loved one won’t really feel comfortable changing the caregiver after every short period. Therefore, you must go for long-term companion care providers in this case.