Cover These Three Subjects When You're Interviewing Home Health Care Aides

As your parent reaches the point at which he or she could benefit from some in-home care, you'll find yourself looking for a home health care agency in your community and scheduling some interviews with aides. This process not only gives you the chance to hear about each health professional's experience and evaluate how his or her personality will suit your parent, but also gives you the chance to ask some questions about different situations the aide might encounter with your parent. Hearing how each aide answers these queries can instill confidence in his or her ability to care for your parent and affirm that you're making the right decision. Here are three subjects to cover during this conversation.

Services That Aren't Included

While home health care aides provide a long list of services for their patients, it's important to ascertain which services the aide typically doesn't perform. Knowing this information allows you to assess what your role might be or whether you'll have to think about hiring an additional person to help your parent. Be sure to ask about things such as cooking meals and snacks, doing laundry and other similar tasks that are part of daily life and that your parent might no longer be able to handle sufficiently on his or her own.

Challenges That Will Be Faced

Once you've explained your parent's health issues and talked about the services that the home health care aide will provide, ask for his or her expert opinion on what challenges your parent might be facing at home. While you might have an idea of these topics, hearing the aide's answer can convince you that you're on the same page and also enlighten you to ideas you hadn't considered. For example, while you might know that your parent has mobility issues, the aide could explain certain ways that elderly patients struggle with mobility in methods unfamiliar to you. You can then discuss solutions that can be implemented to address these challenges.

Employment History

It's always advisable to ask about the aide's employment history -- particularly with the current service he or she is working for. Be wary of someone who has worked for short periods for several agencies; someone with a long history with a single company is often preferable. The latter scenario shows a high degree of stability, which is ideal because you want your parent to develop a relationship with the health care aide. A high turnover can mean that your parent never feels comfortable around the aide, which can be challenging for all parties involved.

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