Basic Home Health Aide Interview Preparation Guide

Download PDF

You're looking for someone who enjoys working with the elderly, or a caring, sociable, and nurturing person.

I have mostly worked with old people having Alzheimer's, paralysis, physical disabilities, dementia, depression, epilepsy and the like.

Yes, I find the best way is to take a step back from the situation and decide what actions or steps will result in a positive outcome.

Start with a broad question that encompasses more than in-home health work to give you a general sense of the person. Try to identify patterns or trends that show experience in caregiving, companionship, and working with people, even if it isn't specifically with older adults. Look for experience that indicates an ability to work independently, without close supervision.

This question is reserved for the person who meets your requirements. Ask for at least three - two professional and one personal. When they are provided, call. When you make contact, tell the person exactly why you want to hire the worker. Assure the individual you contact that anything he or she says will be kept confidential. Regardless of how you feel about the candidate (impressed, excited, etc.), you must follow up and check references. It could make the difference between finding a good, healthy situation and one wrought with problems.

Open up the floor and encourage a dialogue.

I am fully aware of the HIPPA guidelines regarding patient's dignity and I ensure the same by allowing for privacy and maintaining client confidentiality at all times.

If the answer is "yes," ask that the candidate bring a copy of his current certification to the interview. A state certification is evidence that the candidate was specially trained and also demonstrated a level of competency in the treatment for older adults. Aides are taught how to prevent skin breakdown (bed sores) for non-ambulatory patients, change bed linens while the patient is still in the bed and bathe a bedridden individual.

You'll need to adapt this question depending on your loved one's state of mind, but it can cover such things as anger, silence, sadness, moodiness, and memory problems. (Obviously, you'll probably want to ask this particular question without your loved one present.) Laying this out before hiring someone is a win-win for you and job applicants. You can get a sense of how they'll be with your loved one, and they'll get a sense of interpersonal skills required for the job.

I would stay and continue my work even if my shift has ended. Care giving is all about sensitivity. I would call to find out why my replacement hasn't arrived but will never leave my ward unattended.

Do not just rattle off your educational and school history but rather discuss how your experiences will make you a great CNA.

You can reply by saying, "I get along with people very well. This has made me a team player at all jobs I have had. In my previous employment as a sales associate, I got along well with the public and went out of my way to help both customers and co-workers. I am thrilled to have an opportunity to apply my people skills and caring attitude to a job as a CNA and hope to make all patients feel a little more at home and very well cared for. Having worked two jobs while also completing my CNA training, I know I have the ability to work long hours and multitask without losing my energy or positive attitude."

My most rewarding at home -patient -care experience was when my patient told me she always looked forward to my coming to work.

Provide an answer showing your passion to work in the health care field but with your own personal touch. Say something like, "I have known since I was a child that I wanted to work in a job where I could truly help others and know that I want to enter the health care industry in some way. When I was in high school, my grandmother became too ill for us to care for her on our own. My family hired a home health agency to provide nursing care for her. Now my grandmother is doing very well and I truly believe a lot of that is because she had such wonderful nurses. I decided to become a CNA because I would like to help others the way those lovely ladies helped my own grandmother."

I am a compassionate and friendly person. After completing high school I went to a vocational coaching center and got certified as a Home Health Aide. I have been providing high quality home health care at various institutes and residential facilities for the past 6 years successfully.

You want to determine if (a) the candidate truly grasps the reality of your parent's condition or issues, and (b) he or she has the necessary experience to draw upon. This is where you learn if she truly understands the job that has to be done. An experienced health care worker will be willing and able to discuss the issues. Don't be afraid to ask the hard questions and find out specific details.

Most of the patients that I have worked with have been dementia sufferers. Initially, I felt that looking after people with dementia is more challenging than I want my work to be. Now, I feel that there are very few people who can handle such patients effectively and I find the challenge very intriguing.

Instead of saying something generic like, "I am a great communicator or I pay close attention to detail", provide a personal story. "I have always been the type person to go the extra mile in everything I do in life. I give it 110%. When I was completing my training course, I was working with a patient I had gotten to know well. Her conversations with me one morning were nothing like we had before. I just had a feeling something wasn't right even though she looked well and her vitals were fine. Even so, I talked to my supervisor to let her know something was wrong. The doctor was called and it turned out the patient was ill that day. Since I had always taken time to really talk to and understand my patients, I was able to help when she was not well."

Don't assume anything about a candidate. This question provides another opportunity to speak frankly about your parent's needs and get a sense of the candidate's true level of understanding and professionalism.

Working as a home health aide is not about my feelings; it is about my ward's and his or her family's feelings. There is nothing personal about this. If a patient tries to make me feel unwelcome, I usually just shrug it off as a work hazard. Clearly, the patient needs help and I have been hired to help him. There is no personal element here.

I fill in observation report forms regularly which are signed by me and the patient's family on daily basis to ensure communication. I also remain in constant contact with the patient's family and doctor through meetings and on the phone and efficiently communicate any changes in the patient's health to them.

If the answer is "yes," ask that the candidate bring a copy of her current certification to the interview. This important document attests to the candidate's fitness to perform the tasks required, primary among these is the ability to keep you parent safe. A worker must be able to lift your parent, lift heavy items, and bend and move appropriately. She must be able to support your parent's weight in the event your parent falls or is injured.

Last year I was assigned an old patient who had multiple medical conditions. From day one, he refused to be fed. No matter what I cooked or offered him, he did not accept. The family was quite worried about the issue. I probed the family about the patient's meal preferences and cooked the meal daily and left it by his chair without offering feeding assistance. He tried to eat it sometimes but could not due to paralysis. It took me 3 days to build rapport with the old man, but once I did he was a really easy patient to handle.

The most difficult situation is when , when I was trying to help my patent or client to the toilet but she was agitated and trying to hurt me. At the same time she was pooping.

Here's where you ask about specific training or courses pertaining to in-home health work. Also ask for details that apply to your loved one's needs, such as experience bathing, feeding, dressing, cooking, cleaning, or lifting from, for example, a wheelchair to a toilet or bed.

► Can you provide me with your full name, address, phone number, social security number and current photo ID so that I can run a background, including credit, check? (If interviewing an agency candidate, request contact information only.)
► Can you (your agency) provide me with copies of current documentation related to personal insurance, bonding, workers' compensation, and current health status (TB test, immunizations, etc.).
► Can you (your agency) show or provide me with current documentation related to specific services and assistance (dementia care, CPR, etc.) you are trained/certified to provide?
► Tell me about your experience as an in-home aide - how long you have been providing care, previous work situations, etc.
► Can you (your agency) provide me with references related to past clients and employers.
► Why did you leave your last position? (If they have not left this position, ask how they plan on coordinating schedules.)
► What are your expectations if I hire you?
► What hours and days will you be available?
► What hourly rate do you expect, and how do you expect to be paid?
► How do you like to get feedback and suggestions?
► What do you like and dislike about home care?