10 questions to ask a caregiver: interview and first-week checklist

Begin with your relative’s needs, then ask how each candidate would meet them. Years of experience alone cannot tell you whether someone fits your family’s routine. Ask for concrete examples, agree on the limits of the role and keep the person receiving care involved in the decision. Use the same questions with each candidate.

Prepare a one-page brief before the interview

• List the days and hours when help is needed; identify overnight support separately.
• Separate companionship, meal preparation, personal care and household tasks.
• Note preferred languages, routines, privacy preferences and activities your relative enjoys.
• Describe travel arrangements, pets and accommodation if considering live-in support.
• Do not share private documents or unnecessary health details in an initial enquiry.

1. What experience do you have with similar care needs?

Ask about the actual tasks in previous roles, rather than only the number of years worked. Which responsibilities were independent, and when was extra support needed? Arrange an appropriately qualified health professional separately for any medical procedures.

2. How did you handle a difficult working day?

Request a real example: what happened, who helped and how was the family informed? Look for an honest account of limitations and asking for help, rather than a claim that everything always goes perfectly.

3. Which tasks would you take on, and which are excluded?

Discuss meals, laundry, shopping, personal care and companionship individually. Supporting one person’s daily routine and cleaning an entire household are different responsibilities. Finish with a task list both sides understand.

4. What will working hours, breaks and time off look like?

Write down start and finish times, rest periods, time off and the scope of overnight support. Live-in care does not mean continuous work. The family should agree who provides cover when the caregiver is unavailable.

5. How would you share daily updates with the family?

Choose a main contact, an agreed time and a short update format: completed tasks, postponed work and decisions needed. Agree on the care recipient’s preferences and permissions before sharing photographs or private information.

6. Who would you contact if something unexpected happened?

Review contact details, the full home address and a backup contact. This is not a clinical competency test; it is a discussion about following an agreed plan, recognising limits and seeking professional help when needed.

7. How do you approach personal routines and privacy?

Discuss waking times, favourite activities, personal space and visitors. Involve your relative in the interview where possible. Their comfort and communication with the candidate matter alongside the family’s assessment.

8. Can you share references who have agreed to be contacted?

Confirm permission before calling. Ask about dates, duties, communication and why the arrangement ended. If someone says they would hire the candidate again, ask why. Assess references alongside other information, not as a guarantee.

9. What is included in the fee?

Clarify whether the quote is hourly or monthly, and whether travel, meals, additional hours and cover are included. Distinguish take-home pay from total cost. Check employment and insurance obligations with the relevant authority or a qualified adviser.

10. How should we organise the first few days?

Agree on a start date, a home orientation, task handover and a review meeting. Keep a family contact available. If there is an introductory period, settle its duration, pay and conditions before work starts.

Compare candidates and review the first week

• Use the same headings for each person: experience, task fit, availability, communication, references and total cost.
• Mark each point as clear, needs a follow-up or unsuitable. Do not score missing information.
• Record your relative’s preferences separately. Do not make price the only deciding factor.
• After the first week, check whether duties and hours work in practice, whether communication is comfortable and what needs to change.