Choosing a caregiver for a parent is one of the most personal hiring decisions a family can make. It is also one many people face suddenly, after a fall or a hospital stay. This guide breaks the process into steps you can follow at your own pace.
1. Write down what help is actually needed
Before you look at a single profile, spend twenty minutes describing a typical day. Note when your parent gets up, eats, bathes, takes medication, goes out and goes to bed. Then mark the moments where help would make the biggest difference. Group them into categories:
- Companionship: conversation, activities, outings.
- Household: meals, laundry, cleaning, shopping.
- Personal care: bathing, dressing, toileting, moving safely.
- Supervision: someone present for safety, day or night.
Also note anything that needs a licensed professional, such as wound care or injections. Those tasks belong to a home health agency, not a non-medical caregiver.
2. Involve your parent
Whenever possible, make the decision with your parent, not for them. Ask what kind of person they would feel comfortable with, which tasks they want to keep doing themselves, and what worries them. People accept help more easily when they have a real say in it.
3. Decide on hours and budget
Estimate the hours per week you need and multiply by local hourly rates. On CaregiverCrew, every profile shows the caregiver's rate, so you can compare before reaching out. See our guide to in-home care costs for national benchmarks and ways to pay.
4. Shortlist three to five caregivers
Use filters for location, type of help, language, experience and availability. Read each profile carefully: how the caregiver describes their work tells you a lot about how they communicate. Save the ones you like and send each a short care request explaining your situation.
5. Interview, then meet in person
Start with a phone or video call, then meet in person with your parent present. Useful questions include:
- Tell me about someone you cared for. What did a typical day look like?
- How do you handle it when someone refuses help?
- What would you do if my father fell while you were with him?
- How would you keep the family updated?
- Which tasks would you not be comfortable doing?
Pay attention to how the caregiver speaks to your parent, not just to you.
6. Check references and consider a background check
Call at least two references yourself. Ask what the caregiver did well, what could have been better, and whether they would hire them again. If you want a background check, use an FCRA-compliant consumer reporting agency, give the caregiver a written disclosure and get their written authorization first. Some states and cities have additional rules.
7. Agree on the details in writing
Write down duties, schedule, hourly rate, how changes and cancellations work, and emergency contacts. A short care plan on the fridge, covering routines, preferences and things to avoid, helps the caregiver succeed from day one.
8. Start with a trial period
Plan a first few sessions while a family member is around, then check in often during the first weeks. Ask your parent how it is going, privately. Small adjustments early on make for a much better long-term match.
Further reading: National Institute on Aging, "Getting Help with Caregiving"; Federal Trade Commission, "Background Checks: What Employers Need to Know".
This article is general information for families and caregivers. It is not medical, legal or financial advice. For decisions about health, benefits or employment, speak with a qualified professional.
