Most seniors want to remain in their home for as long as they can. Nowadays, that’s entirely possible with home care. A home care nurse comes to an elderly person’s house every and assists them with everything from taking medications to wound care. If your elderly parent is slowing down and needs helping managing a health condition, you should consider hiring a home nurse. When you interview candidates, it’s important to ask them several different questions about their skills and experience. Here are some questions you should ask:
How Long Have You Been a Home Nurse?
Find out how many years a candidate has been working as a home nurse. When hiring someone to look after your elderly parent, experience is one of the most important things you should look at. A home nurse who has been in the field at least several years will be more likely to know how to handle difficult situations than someone who just started in the field.
Have You Ever Cared for Someone With My Parent’s Illness?
Ideally, you want to hire a home nurse who has experience caring for individuals with your parent’s specific health condition. For example, if your parent has Alzheimer’s, you don’t want to hire a home nurse who only has experience working with diabetic patients. A home nurse who has worked with Alzheimer’s patients in the past will know how to communicate with your parent better and ensure that his or her needs are met.
Can You Talk About a Stressful Situation You’ve Dealt With at Work and How You Handled It?
Taking care of an elderly person can get stressful and overwhelming at times. That is why you will want to hire a home care nurse who can handle working in a stressful environment. Ask the candidate to describe a stressful situation he or she had to endure and what he or she did to get through it.
What Do You Like the Most About Being a Home Care Nurse?
It is important to choose a home care nurse who went into the field for the right reasons. If a candidate seems like he or she just went into the field for money, he or she might not be the best person to take care of your parent. Be sure to ask a candidate what he or she enjoys the most about working as a home care nurse.
Can You Provide Me With References?
Before you make a hiring decision, you will want a candidate to provide you with at least three references. You’re trusting this person to look after your loved one, so you want him or her to be responsible and trustworthy. Call all of these references and ask them how they liked working with the candidate and if they would hire them again.
When interviewing a home nurse candidate, make sure to ask all of these important questions.