Can I run a background check on a caregiver before hiring them for my senior parents?
Answers
Make a file for each applicant and ask the following at the interview:
Look for three referees and call all of them
Two of the referees should be from previous workplaces. Talk with a “friend of the friend” who recommended the person. Get to know them at home or a restaurant or a coffee shop around. While meeting the candidate, ask the elderly care receiver to take part whenever it is suitable.
One caregiver described that if the candidate spoke only to her overlooking her mother-in-law, she was not good enough for the job. Ask them for an ID card such as a valid driver’s license or passport, including Department of Motor Vehicles, Green Card, Military Card, Immigration Card, Alien Registration Card, or an out-of-state Driver’s License. Write down the number of ID cards, and in case the candidate has to do some driving, call the DMV to verify the license, insurance, and the car’s reliability, even ask for a test drive.
Save the name, birth date, address, phone number, and the second security number on the ID card, their current address, and the address in which they have lived in the last 15 years. Don’t be afraid to check the license with the boarding license, such as the Board of Nursing.
Hire others to conduct a background check
Ask an agency to verify the candidate’s history, such as criminal history record, through the California Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ only gives information to certified organizations. If the candidate does not permit, the department won’t provide the information. So you have to ask the applicant to provide a fingerprint and sign a paper to search for the criminal record.
Employing through a Home Care Agency
Organizations offering experienced nurses are essential to be licensed as home health agencies in California. According to state law, all home health agency staff must have a background check. Each person who controls these certified employees is informed of the future arrest. Institutes that do not offer professional nursing services won’t need licensure, so a criminal background is unnecessary. Do ask complete questions about an agency background check. Also, ask the candidate to sign a disclosure agreement enabling you to view background information.