Working as a live-in caregiver for those who want to age in place is a gratifying career. In addition to knowing you’re making a positive difference in the lives of your clients and their families, live-in caregivers also enjoy many benefits.
For example, they work rent-free at a job that absorbs most of their utility and grocery costs. This provides them the opportunity to make competitive wages with a greater ability to save money.
Sound interesting?
Then let’s look at what it takes to begin a rewarding job as a live-in caregiver at Georgetown Home Care.
What We Look For in Applicants
Because we offer some of the most competitive wages and benefits (PTO, 401K matching, quick case reassignment, etc.) in the area and consider employees part of the Georgetown Home Care family, we look for applicants with exceptional hearts and professional, credible resumes.
Read below for a list of the top caregiver qualifications and requirement we look for in our potential candidates.
Must-Have Live-in Caregiver Requirements
To be considered for an interview, applicants must meet the following live-in caregiver requirements:
A Caregiver’s Heart
Caregiving is a rewarding but demanding job. Many of our clients have dementia or may have health conditions that cause discomfort. So while there will be many laughs and moments of joy, some days are more demanding than others.
We need caregivers whose hearts are in the right place. You must have patience, the ability to remain calm and compassionate under pressure, and a willingness to integrate into the client and family’s lives while still allowing them privacy and space when needed.
The Ability to Move In or Stay for Days at a Time
Live-in caregivers are just that. They are provided with their own room and bathroom and typically have access to other areas in the home. Most of our live-in employees live with our clients full-time.
In other scenarios, we create a schedule where they live for several days or a week at a time, with some days off to visit family or return home. Those shifts are filled in by other caregivers.
Valid Licensure
Our caregivers are assigned to homes in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. Caregivers working in VA and MD must have a current CNA license, while caregivers working in D.C. need a valid HHA license.
We also require that all caregivers have current CPR certification through the Red Cross or American Heart Association.
Superb Verbal and Written Communication Skills
You serve as both a companion and helper and a well-being liaison between the client, our office, and their families. This requires excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Clean Background Check Results
Allowing a stranger (soon-to-be close companion) into your home requires a leap of trust. We run complete criminal background checks to help clients and families feel confident in our caregiver’s trustworthiness.
Clear DMV Record, Current Driver’s License and a Reliable Vehicle
The ability to provide transportation services, grocery shopping, and errand running is another requirement for live-in caregivers. During your interview, you must show proof of a current driver’s license, registration, and insurance for your reliable vehicle.
We’ll run a DMV record to ensure that your driving history is 100% clean. Obviously, for the safety of our clients, caregivers cannot have any marks or violations on their DMV records.
A Clear Tuberculosis Test
Finally, you’ll need to provide proof that you are tuberculosis-free. This test can be easily completed by your general physician or at a local health clinic and can be done after you’re hired.
Bonus Live-In Caregiver Qualifications
Do you have any of the following bonus caregiver qualifications? If so, your application moves to the top of the pile and you may also be able to start your job at higher wages than our other new hires.
Some of the qualifications that we love to see in the applicant pool include:
Experience Working as a Live-In Caregiver
The more experience you have—and the more impeccable references willing to speak on your behalf—the more confidence we have in you during the hiring process.
Again, live-in caregiving is more involved than part-time and full-time caregiving shifts, so it’s preferable when caregivers already understand what’s involved.
Prior Clinical Caregiver Experience
We understand when caregivers make the change from being a CNA or HHA in a clinical health setting to a private one. Working in someone’s home gives you more space and time to connect and allows you to truly care for someone in ways a clinical setting’s time demands don’t allow.
We appreciate those who come to us with a history of working in nursing homes, assisted living, or acute rehabilitation settings because they have sound education and training in all aspects of ergonomic transfers, hygiene, and personal care techniques—which we greatly value.
Any Extra Certifications, Licenses, or Credentials
One of the perks of working for Georgetown Home Care is the continuing education, training, and certifications offered to our caregivers as part of the job. Therefore, any additional job-related training or credentials you have are a bonus during the hiring process.
Multilingual Skills
While our employees must be fluent English speakers, readers, and writers, we are always looking for bi- or multilingual applicants. This allows us to place you with clients for whom English is a second language and who feel most comfortable speaking in their native tongue.
Talents, Hobbies, and Interests
There’s always that section on an application that asks about hobbies, interests, or “anything else we should know about you.” That’s a highly valued part of our application process because we want to place caregivers in homes where they share common interests, backgrounds, or hobbies with the clients.
Please tell us everything about yourself so we know where best to place you. The goal is for you—and your client—to feel completely “at home” with one another.
Do You Meet Our Live-In Caregiver Requirements?
Your desire to work as a live-in caregiver has never been more valuable to us. We’re looking to hire interested and qualified caregivers right now!
Click below to fill out Georgetown Home Care’s live-in caregiver application ASAP. Once you’ve been interviewed and screened, we can place you in appreciative homes in less than 72 hours.