10 questions to ask before hiring a home care agency

Choosing a home care agency is really choosing who walks through your parent’s front door. These ten questions separate the agencies worth trusting from the ones worth skipping.

1. Are your caregivers employees or independent contractors?

Good answer: employees. That means the agency handles taxes, workers’ compensation, training, and supervision — and you are not accidentally becoming an employer.

2. How do you screen caregivers?

Good answer: specifics, not vibes. Fingerprint clearance verification, video interviews, reference checks, and work-eligibility verification. If they can’t describe the process, they may not have one.

3. What training do caregivers receive?

Good answer: real training before solo visits — plus shadow shifts with an experienced caregiver, not just a handbook and a uniform.

4. Will we have the same caregiver each visit?

Good answer: yes, one consistent caregiver matched to your loved one. Constant rotation means nobody ever truly knows your parent.

5. What happens if our caregiver is sick?

Good answer: an honest plan. Small agencies should tell you exactly what they do — a qualified substitute, an owner stepping in — not pretend it never happens.

6. Who do I call if something goes wrong — and when?

Good answer: a real person, with a real number, and clarity about after-hours coverage.

7. How do you build the care plan, and who updates it?

Good answer: the plan is built around your parent’s routines and preferences, and it gets revisited as needs change — not filed away and forgotten.

8. Can we meet the caregiver before care starts?

Good answer: yes. A welcome visit where everyone meets before solo shifts begin is the mark of an agency that takes the relationship seriously.

9. How does billing work, and what will it cost?

Good answer: upfront, in writing, before care starts. No vague answers, no surprise fees.

10. Can you help with long-term care insurance paperwork?

Good answer: yes — detailed invoices and documentation you can submit for reimbursement, plus guidance on what to ask your insurer.

Notice what all ten have in common: the best agencies answer with specifics. Vague answers are an answer too.

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