How to choose a provider or a home-care worker

1. Work out what is really needed

Before you start looking, be clear about what is required: housekeeping, personal care (bathing, dressing), companionship and respite, or health care. Write down how often, how long, and at what times. Clear needs keep you from paying for services nobody uses, and make the match easier.

2. Check the background and the certifications

When the person receiving care is vulnerable, this is not negotiable. Look for:

• a criminal background check, ideally carried out by an outside firm;
• the relevant certifications — CPR and first aid, safe patient handling (PDSB), care training;
• liability insurance;
• a confirmed identity.

On heysimone, the “Verified” status brings these checks together, to save you time.

3. Ask for references, and call them

Ask for one or two references — former employers, families, community organisations — and actually call them. A reference nobody calls verifies nothing: a few minutes on the phone tell you a great deal about reliability and about warmth.

4. Ask the right questions

• What experience do you have with needs like ours?
• What is the all-in rate (taxes, travel)?
• What is your availability, and what happens if you cannot come?
• How do you keep the family posted (a written report, photos)?

5. Try it before committing

Arrange a first trial visit. Watch for punctuality, respect, communication and, above all, how the person being cared for feels. The human fit counts as much as the skills.

Red flags

• Refusing to give references, or proof that the checks were done.
• An abnormally low rate, or an offer to arrange things off the platform.
• A lack of transparency about identity, insurance or certifications.
• Lateness and no-shows from the very first visits.