Elder Care Tips: Conducting a Phone Interview with a Prospective Care Provider
When looking for a care provider to add to your elder care team, it would be ideal to be able to meet with each prospective care provider in person for a thorough interview that would allow you to get to know the care provider, learn more about her professional experiences and skills, and gauge her personality and characteristics to help you determine which would be the best for your aging loved ones. Unfortunately, busy schedules and the possibility that you live at a distance from your seniors mean that this is not always possible. When you cannot practically meet with a prospective care provider for an interview, doing the interview over the phone is the next best thing.
Just as you should take the time to carefully prepare for an in-person interview by putting together a list of questions and choosing the right location for the meeting, it is essential to prepare for a phone interview so you can ensure the best interview possible.
Use these tips to help you conduct a high-quality phone interview with a prospective care provider:
- Know what you are looking for. Just as you would with an in-person interview, make sure that you are well prepared with a list of the things you want in a care provider, and the characteristics that are most important to you. This helps you to structure the phone conversation so you can hit the most important points;
- Choose a good time. Schedule a time for the conversation when you will both have plenty of time to talk and will not feel rushed through the interview. This helps to reduce stress and anxiety, and increase the chances of getting to everything you may want to talk about during your conversation;
- Choose a good location. Avoid attempting to have a phone interview while you are running errands, sitting in traffic, or taking care of other tasks around the house. Make sure you can sit down in a place where you either have reliable cell phone reception or can use a landline so you know you will not drop the call. This ensures you can focus completely on the call and not miss important things that the prospective care provider says;
- Be pleasant. Doing phone interviews may not be fun, but do your best not to let this through in your voice. Being pleasant and upbeat encourages more interaction and puts the care provider at ease so that she is more willing to open up to you.
If you have to do phone interviews, there are a few things you should keep in mind, including:
- Many people are uncomfortable on the phone, meaning that they may not show their real personalities or could seem more guarded than they would in person;
- Talking on the phone can emphasize issues such as language barriers or mild hearing loss, making it more difficult for a care provider to communicate with you effectively;
- Using the phone does not give you the opportunity to gauge personality and character through body language and facial expression.
Whenever possible, make sure you meet with the care provider at least once in person before making a final decision.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in the Denver Metro Area, please call and speak to the caring staff at Talem Home Care. Call today at (720) 797-8548.
