Many families caring for loved ones hire caregiver’s and homecare agencies to provide respite or continuous care. The biggest concern is will your loved one be safe and cared for? So do you know who's coming in your home?

I cannot emphasize enough the need to know who is coming in your home. AGIS, Assist Guide Information Services, published an article last year entitled "Beware of Former Prisoners Caring for Your Parents" http://carestation.agis.com/2008/01/25/beware-of-former-prisoners-caring-for-your-parents/ The article talks about prison guards advising soon-to-be released convicts that caregiving can be an easy employment opportunity.

Many individuals advertising as private caregiver’s have been fired from agencies for poor conduct, theft, and a host of other problems, that prevents them from working for other agencies. These people will go out on their own advertising themselves as caregiver’s. They can present themselves as caring and professional, but may have a very bad history. Every time I see a help wanted ad from an individual looking for a caregiver, I pray they thoroughly check the applicants.

You cannot pick out a criminal by their looks. In my own agency we have met and interviewed individuals who in all appearances seem very upstanding and wholesome, only to find several charges and convictions when we obtained their criminal background check. Charges have been everything from forging checks, and theft to sexual assault. Every time we get a criminal background check back and realize we had a criminal trying to work for us, we are so relieved that are background checks are so well done that we have prevented that person from being employed by us, and going into our client’s homes.

I worked for a very well known national long term care company on the Alzheimer’s unit of one of their facilities. A woman that worked there for quite some time as a registered nurse was found not to be a nurse at all. She presented herself as a nurse, and was hired without a thorough check. When the company found out she was not a nurse she was terminated, only to then threaten to kill the administrator and Director of Nursing. The company had to employ guards to protect the facility, patients and staff 24 hours a day.

If a nationally known company can be duped by a con artist, imagine what can happen in your own home. This is why I cannot emphasize the importance of thoroughly checking the background of individuals coming in your home.

Whether you hire an individual or an agency it is important to make sure the caregiver’s have been given a criminal background check. If you privately hire an individual you have to obtain the criminal background check yourself. If you hire an agency, it’s important to find out if the check has been done and what kind of check. An agency being insured and bonded does not mean criminal background checks have been done.

All criminal background checks are not the same. There are many types of criminal background checks. So how do you know the check is up to date, thorough, and trustworthy? There are database checks, national checks, state checks, county checks, and checks that include everything from name, residence, social security number, sexual offender, driving, and even credit report, professional licensure, and educational background.

When a person is charged and/or convicted of a crime it typically happens in a county court. This is where the information is first entered into the system. It can take months, up to a year to get to and be entered into the state system. Without a county check, and only a state check a person can appear to be free from a criminal past when they may have committed a crime within the last few months.

My Visiting Angels http://www.visitingangels.com/annarbor agency uses the most thorough, up to date criminal background checks available. The company we use is Single Source. The owner of the company, Don Dymer, was a previous inspector for Scotland Yard, and knows and educates on the importance of thorough, up to date checks. They check county, state, national, sexual offender, name, residence, date of birth validation, social security, driving, and a host of other checks. We feel very comfortable and secure in what Single Source does to ensure we are hiring safe caregiver’s.

A lady named Lucia Bone started a nonprofit organization, called Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E http://www.sueweavercause.net/index.html , to educate the public and employers and certify companies are sending safe service providers into homes and businesses. The company was started in her sister, Sue Weaver’s, memory. Sue called a nationally known and reputable company to clean the ducts in her home. This company did not obtain criminal background checks on their employees because they sent 2 convicted criminals into her home. They subsequently raped and murdered Sue.

Single Source, the background check company I use, works closely with Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E to educate and be a resource for companies wanting to hire the best criminal background check companies available. You can find a reputable crimal background check company on the Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E website. http://www.sueweavercause.net/support/index.html

Many families and companies want to spare the expense of thorough and up to date checks, so they either forgo checks at all or get the least expensive checks available. A higher price doesn’t necessarily mean a better check, but you can be almost guaranteed the least expensive aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.

My advice is to use a company listed on the Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E website if you are hiring individuals and need to obtain your own check. If you interview a homecare agency ask them about their criminal background checks. What type of checks they use, what company they use, and look into that company. If a company tells you they use the state police, remember that these checks may be months to a year old.

Some states require agencies to use the state police checks, so agencies have no choice. However, they do have a choice to obtain additional checks. Michigan currently has no regulations for private duty homecare, so there are no requirements about criminal background checks on employees, which is a very scary thought!

As much as I want you to think about the checks on private caregiver’s and agencies, also think about other service providers coming in your home. We just assume the cable man, furnace inspector, carpet cleaners, and others are safe because they came from a reputable company, just as Sue Weaver did. It is not unreasonable to ask a company sending a service worker about whether they have obtained a criminal background check on their employees and what type of check.

The time and possible expense you spend on checking who is coming to your home can give you some additional piece of mind. You still need to be alert to any discomfort you feel with a stranger in your home, and listen to that discomfort. Although the advice I have given here will provide the most secure protection available, understand that persons committing crimes who have never been caught will not show up on even the most thorough check.

Have 2 adults in the home at least for the initial visit. Do not leave temptation out in the open such as check books, expensive jewelry, cash and credit cards. Listen to your intuition, and don’t hesitate to ask someone to leave your home if you’re uncomfortable.

There are over 400 Visiting Angels www.visitingangels.com across the US and Canada. One significant advantage when hiring Visiting Angels is the ability to select your caregiver(s). Our process allows you to meet and interview any caregiver that will provide care. We bring the caregiver(s) to your home before service begins so you feel comfortable with inviting a stranger to your home. This provides comfort and ease with our client’s and caregiver’s. Meeting prior to the start of service gives a peace of mind over just having a stranger show up on the 1st day of care. We are very proud of this unique and comfortable care process.

If you hire another agency you have the right to request meeting the caregiver’s in advance. How the company reacts to your request may be an indication of the quality of service and caregivers, good or bad.

It is my hope that the information and resources I have provided will keep you and your family as safe as possible!

To reach Angil Tarach with questions or comments email visitingangelswc@comcast.net or call Visiting Angels at (734) 929-9201