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How to hire an Elderly Caregiver

Elderly caregiver hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring elderly caregivers in the United States:

  • The median cost to hire an elderly caregiver is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per elderly caregiver on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • There are a total of 134,730 elderly caregivers in the US, and there are currently 71,532 job openings in this field.
  • Mesa, AZ, has the highest demand for elderly caregivers, with 7 job openings.

How to hire an elderly caregiver, step by step

To hire an elderly caregiver, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire an elderly caregiver, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step elderly caregiver hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write an elderly caregiver job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new elderly caregiver
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an Elderly Caregiver do?

An Elderly Caregiver provides personal and emotional support to people who cannot look after themselves. They are either hired by a client or their family, or report directly to a physician or a nurse.

Learn more about the specifics of what an elderly caregiver does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the elderly caregiver you need to hire. Certain elderly caregiver roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

    Determine Employee vs Contractor Status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an elderly caregiver to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an elderly caregiver that fits the bill.

    This list presents elderly caregiver salaries for various positions.

    Type Of Elderly CaregiverDescriptionHourly Rate
    Elderly CaregiverPersonal care aides help clients with self-care and everyday tasks. They also provide social supports and assistance that enable clients to participate in their communities.$11-28
    Home Health AidHome health aides provide care and assistance to patients who have chronic illnesses, injuries, disabilities, or age-related challenges inside the patient's home. They monitor the patient's condition and help them in any activity they may need assistance in... Show More$9-17
    Direct Support ProfessionalDirect support professionals are responsible for taking care of patients with physical or mental limitations. They do a variety of tasks for their patients, such as doing household chores, running errands for them, cooking for them, feeding them, bathing and dressing them, and helping them with their medication, among others... Show More$8-25
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common Skills:
    • Adaptive
    • Oral Care
    • Companionship
    • CPR
    • RUN Errands
    • In-Home Care
    • Meal Prep
    • Compassion
    • Medication Reminders
    • Physical Therapy
    • Senior Care
    • ADL
    • Vital Signs
    • Alzheimer
    Check All Skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Care include dressing, assisting with activities of daily living (ADL )
    • Assist w/bathing, personal hygiene laundry, housecleaning, ADL, and daily bed linen changing ....
    • Provide compassionate care to cognitively impair patients including but not limit to Alzheimer's patients and patients with dementia.
    • Help them build confidence providing companionship and conversation to have a normal lifestyle
    • Provide companionship for elderly individual, accompany patients to doctor appointment or other appointments as needed.
    • Keep information confidential according to HIPPA regulations.
    More Elderly Caregiver duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your elderly caregiver job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An elderly caregiver can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, elderly caregivers' average salary in florida is 55% less than in connecticut.
    • Seniority. Entry-level elderly caregivers 61% less than senior-level elderly caregivers.
    • Certifications. An elderly caregiver with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an elderly caregiver's salary.

    Average elderly caregiver salary

    $37,109yearly

    $17.84 hourly rate

    Entry-level elderly caregiver salary
    $23,000 yearly salary
    Updated February 13, 2025

    Average elderly caregiver salary by state

    RankStateAvg. SalaryHourly Rate
    1New York$40,975$20
    2Oregon$36,123$17
    3Wisconsin$33,312$16
    4Ohio$33,295$16
    5California$33,003$16
    6Pennsylvania$30,949$15
    7Colorado$30,404$15
    8Virginia$29,443$14
    9Arizona$28,314$14
    10Illinois$27,204$13
    11Indiana$26,623$13
    12Nevada$26,030$13
    13Tennessee$24,859$12
    14Texas$22,536$11
    15South Carolina$22,449$11

    Average elderly caregiver salary by company

  4. Writing an Elderly Caregiver Job Description

    An elderly caregiver job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an elderly caregiver job description:

    Elderly Caregiver job description example

    Senior Helpers is currently seeking a Caregivers to work in their (San Fernando Valley ($15-$18)

    As a Caregiver with Senior Helpers, you will:

    • Experience a personally rewarding work environment - it is more than just a job
    • Work one-on-one with your clients in order to build relationships
    • Receive specialized training from Senior Helpers and opportunities for professional certifications
    • Competitive pay
    • Enjoy flexible work hours to align with your lifestyle and schedule

    Our employees are:

    • Caring and compassionate
    • Enjoy helping others and making a difference
    • Individuals interested in personal and professional growth

    Benefits:

    • Direct Deposit
    • Training in person
    • Online Training
    • 401K Benefits

    Senior Helpers is the nation's premier provider of in-home senior services ranging from specialized care for those with diseases, such as dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, to personal and companion care to help individuals looking for a little assistance with daily activities. Founded in 2002 with a vision to help seniors age with dignity despite age-related illnesses and mobility challenges, Senior Helpers has hundreds of franchised and owned businesses that have cared for tens of thousands of seniors. Senior Helpers' culture is based on strong core values, recognition of achievements and respect.

    We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination/harassment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find elderly caregivers for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your elderly caregiver job on Zippia to find and recruit elderly caregiver candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting elderly caregivers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new elderly caregiver

    Once you've found the elderly caregiver candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new elderly caregiver. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire an elderly caregiver?

Recruiting elderly caregivers involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $37,109 per year for an elderly caregiver, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for elderly caregivers in the US typically range between $11 and $28 an hour.

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