Hiring a home care provider can be a blessing for families caring for their elder relatives. It can bring much needed respite and peace of mind that your loved ones are safe. In order to ensure their safety, it is important to background check your provider, before they are allowed in the home.
There are many reasons to background check home care providers including; prior financial or physical abuse issues, theft, neglect and many others. References are not enough, since any person could be listed as a reference and tell a very good story. The only secure ways to know the truth about the person you are hiring is a detailed background check that is both criminal and employer based.
Another thing to consider is the number of years that the background check covers. Most checks cover seven years of history on a person. Some convictions may have taken place as long as ten to fifteen years prior, so it is important to check back far enough to know things in a person’s distant past. After all, your home care provider is caring for your loved one, and you need to ensure their safety.
There are a few different ways to do a background check on a home care provider. One of the most recently popular methods is an Internet search. These can provide valuable details at a relatively lost cost and cover up to twenty years of history on a person.
The one downfall using internet search as your only information source, is some searches do a name match and records can be misplaced or added, so they are not as accurate. They are based on utility accounts at an address and public court records. Internet searches are a good way to start your background check and if anything appears on the records, make sure you may phone calls to verify what you found.
You can also ask for previous addresses and check the courts in the areas that your provider lived. This is the most accurate way and court records are open to the public. Another way is to request a DMV printout with a copy of the driver’s license. This only reveals criminal driving records, but another good start checking your provider. And to verify any information with addresses or financial responsibility, a credit report is necessary and can help verify addresses.
Make sure that employers listed for references are verifiable employers such as; companies, agencies, or truly people that have used this persons services. References can be easy to fabricate and should not be used as sole background checking information.
Background checking a home care provider for safety will save you headaches in the future. Knowing that you have hired someone trustworthy and dependable will ensure that your aging loved one is truly safe and well cared for.
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