Here are a few tips you might find helpful if you need to hire a caregiver on your own without going through an agency. The obvious starting point for many people is to advertise in the classified section of their local paper. While that method will generally result in the most responses, caution is advised when hiring a stranger from a classified ad. With a little savvy & common sense (not to mention a little detective work), you can successfully find a trustworthy individual in this manner. Here are a few guidelines to follow:

• Do a background check: For a nominal fee, any private citizen can perform a background check on another individual by contacting their state Bureau of Investigation. It's a very simple process & each state Bureau can provide residents with an outline of their requirements upon request. Generally the type of information required includes: full name, date of birth or approximate age, social security number (if known), gender and race. You can also request a sex offender check at no additional charge but must specify in what capacity or setting the individual would be working with children. Fees for background checks vary by state but start at about $15.

• Driving Record Check: Here again, any citizen may request a driving record check on another individual. These can generally be obtained through any licensed auto tag agency or by contacting your local Department of Motor Vehicles. The fee in our area is only $9 and you provide them with basically the same information as outlined above - all names used by the individual (including maiden name), social security number, driver's license number (if different from SSN), age or date of birth.

• Check Personal & Employment References: It's not enough just to ask for references - check them. It's worth the time and effort involved. Request that the applicant provide you with as much specific information as possible (i.e., dates of employment with previous employers, reason(s) for changing jobs, nature of duties performed, etc.).

• Verify Phone Numbers & Addresses through the Internet: There are many websites and databases on the World Wide Web where you can verify this type of information. Of course, not being able to verify it doesn't necessarily mean the information was falsified. The database or reference you're using may be outdated. But if you can verify information through the Internet, it can give you added peace of mind.

Private agencies can also be a good resource in a time of need. Some of them, however, charge exorbitant fees for what amounts to no more than a background check and a few phone calls to former employers (which you could have done yourself). Not only that, but agencies expect their clients to accept whomever they happen to send out on a job. From the agency's viewpoint, you're not entitled to an opportunity to interview the candidate, then accept or reject them as a potential employee based upon your own criteria. While that may seem reasonable from the agency's perspective, it places families in a position of having less control over the situation. However, if you can find a really good agency with quality people and service, they can be worth the additional expense, if you can afford it.

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