An agency listing describes the company. The aide who may walk through the front door describes the work. Hired hours in the St. Louis area depend on the match between one household and one caregiver, so the interview with that caregiver deserves the same care as the agency paperwork.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
Ask the same questions every time
Put the same list to every candidate, in the same order, and write the answers on one sheet. Two candidates who answer differently give the family something to compare. A family that asks each person different questions cannot compare anyone. Keep the sheet with the household file.
Questions about the work itself
Ask what the candidate has done in non-medical home roles, such as meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands, companionship, and rides to appointments. Ask which tasks the candidate would decline and why. A clear answer about limits tells the family more than a long list of skills. Ask how the candidate handles a day when the routine changes, such as a visit that starts late or a family member who arrives unannounced.
Questions about reliability and communication
Ask how the candidate confirms arrival and departure times and what happens when a shift starts late. Ask who the candidate calls first when something is off, and how quickly that call is made. Ask whether the candidate is comfortable writing short entries in a shared notebook. Ask what the candidate expects from the family, including where supplies are kept and which door is used.
If a question touches on health, the answer is simple: health questions go to the family's doctor. A non-medical caregiver's job is to report what the family asked to be told, and to leave judgment about health to the people who hold that responsibility.
Questions about the household
Ask how the candidate prefers to be introduced to the person receiving help. Ask what the candidate does when that person declines a task, and who the candidate tells. Ask whether the candidate is at ease with the home's steps, stairs, and entry route, and what the candidate would need to know about them before the first shift.
What to write down after the interview
Write three lines per candidate: what the candidate said that was specific, what stayed vague, and what the family still needs to check. Then call the agency and ask which candidate would be assigned, and whether the family can speak with that person before the first shift. An agency that will not name the caregiver before signing has told the family something worth weighing.
For how the desk scores agencies on the front page, see How We Rate: Methodology.