Elderly Caregiver Background Checks

Elderly Caregiver Background Checks

Why are caregiver background checks so important?

Placing your elderly loved one in a nursing home facility or even bring someone into your home for in-home care is a tough decision. Wondering if the facility or company that sends people is trustworty is always a concern. If a person is considering an individual caregiver or home health aide that is not affiliated with a large facility, it can be difficult to determine their trustworthiness & qualifications.

A federal mandate as required states to collect data on child abuse for years, but elder abuse is not documented in the same way. According to the CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Protection "Elder Abuse" has been "poorly or imprecisely identified" and "a set of universally accepted definitions does not exist".

There are many ways in which an Elderly person can be "abused", including physical abuse, verbal or emptional abuse & neglect. States vary wildly in their standards of what one will called "sustaintiated" abuse or neglect. Because of this, elderly abuse is often not reported or are "under" reported because states don't have specific guidelines protecting the elderly. According to a NCOA study, 1 in 10 Americans aged 60+ has experienced some kind of elder abuse. Another study concluded that ONLY 1 in 14 cases of abuse are reported to authorities, concluding that over 9% of the elderly population in the US is suffering in silense.

Risk factors that could lead to elder abuse:

• Caregiver substance abuse
• A criminal history of theft or violence
• Lack of proper training
• A history of aggressive tendencies in either the caregiver or the elderly adult
• Not enough support from other staff
• The caregiver is not suited to a caregiving role

The best way to prevent elder abuse is to take the time to ensure that the right person gets hired for the position considering the level of care that the elderly person may need. Nursing homes, Home Healthcare Facilities, etc. need to ensure that they hire the best possible candidates before allowing them to take care of their residents & patients. Individuals bringing anyone into their home to help take care of their elderly parents need to ensure that they hire the most qualified, trustworthy people. To help companies and individuals with this process, AAA Credit Screening Services has set up Elderly Caregiver Background Check Services in which we can run criminal background checks, driving record reports, credit reports, etc., and we will even do reference checks on your behalf.

Elder Abuse as defined by the CDC:

"Elder abuse is an intentional act, or failure to act, by a caregiver or another person in a relationship involving an expectation of trust that causes or creates a risk of harm to an older adult. (An older adult is defined as someone age 60 or older.)"

Types of Elder Abuse:

• Emotional or Psychological Abuse
• Physical Abuse
• Financial Abuse or Exploitation
• Sexual Abuse
• Exploitation

What can I expect to see on an elderly caregiver background check?

AAA Credit Screening Services provides comprehensive background checks allowing you to get the most accurate, up to date information. The Caregiver package is completely customizable giving employers the option to run any of the reports below:

• Address Checks - This provides us with the necessary information to determine which jurisdictions to run background checks in
• County Criminal Record Reports - for any counties that the applicant has liven in for the past 7 years.
• Nationwide Criminal Record Reports
  
  • Includes a free Sex Offender Registry search
  • Includes a free Healthcare Sanctions Registry search
• Federal Felocny Criminal Record Check
• Social Secudity Number Verification - This helps confirm the identiry of the person applying for the position.
• Driving Record Checks - important if you want this person to driver your loved one around
• Non-DOT Drug Testing
• Credential or Education Verification
• Employment Verification
• Professional Reference Checks
• Medical service reports including vaccination verifications

Selecting an in-home caretaker for your loved one can be a difficult and stressful process. Knowing that a complete background check has been run on the individual can help make the process less complicated

Information from External Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• National Council on Aging
• USA Today
• Helpguide.Org

Elderly Caregiver Background Checks - Downloadable Forms

To learn more about the background check process, click on Ordering Procedures

• Elderly Caregiver Application Form
• Employer Certification Form
• Online California Addendum or Download the .PDF

NEW Customer Signup

AAA Credit Screening Services charges NO Signup Fee, No Monthly Fees & No Annual fees! You only pay for the reports you want to order. Signup is 3 easy steps and once you're signed up, you can start ordering reports online. Click on the button below to complete our online Customer Service Agreement: