Caregiver / Home Health Aide Screening Interview Template

Tell me about your caregiving experience. What populations have you cared for (seniors, dementia or Alzheimer's, physical disabilities) and in what settings (private home, assisted living, memory care, group home)?

What this assesses: Establishes relevant experience and matches the candidate to the right setting. Strong answers name specific populations and settings with detail; weak answers stay vague or rest only on caring for a family member.

Personal care is a core part of this role: bathing, toileting, dressing, and transfers. Which of these are you experienced and comfortable with, and are there any you are not willing to do?

What this assesses: The single biggest predictor of fit and early turnover. Surfaces candidates who applied without understanding the hands-on reality. A candidate who hesitates on toileting or wants companionship-only work is a mismatch for a hands-on care role.

What caregiving training or certifications do you hold (HHA, CNA, CPR and First Aid, dementia care, medication assistance)? Are they current, and which state issued them?

What this assesses: Confirms baseline credentials and flags what is current versus expired. Many states require HHA training hours or current CPR before placement, so this needs verification, not a yes.

Describe a time you cared for someone who was confused, agitated, or resistant to care, such as a resident with dementia who refused to bathe. What did you do?

What this assesses: Dementia behaviors and agitation are a daily reality, not an edge case. Tests patience, redirection, and de-escalation. Strong answers show a calm, specific approach; weak answers involve forcing the issue, arguing, or immediately handing the problem off.

Caregiving depends on showing up, because a missed shift means a vulnerable person goes without care. Tell me about your attendance record and how you get to work when something comes up at the last minute.

What this assesses: Attendance and dependability are the number one reason caregiver placements fail. Surfaces reliability and whether the candidate has a real backup plan for transportation and childcare emergencies.

What shifts can you work: days, evenings, overnights, weekends, live-in, or on-call? Do you have reliable transportation, and for in-home roles are you willing to drive between clients or transport a client to appointments?

What this assesses: Senior living and home care run 24/7, and transportation gaps quietly break placements. Captures availability and mobility constraints up front, including driving requirements specific to in-home assignments.

This role involves lifting, transferring, and repositioning clients, sometimes with limited equipment. Are you physically able to assist with transfers, and do you have experience using gait belts, Hoyer lifts, or other mobility aids?

What this assesses: Physical capability and safe-transfer technique prevent injury to both the caregiver and the client. Identifies equipment familiarity and any accommodation needs before placement.

If a client fell, started choking, or stopped responding while you were alone with them, what would you do?

What this assesses: Tests safety judgment and emergency protocol. Strong answers cover assessing the situation, calling 911 or the emergency line, not moving an injured person, and notifying the family or agency. Weak answers freeze or skip escalation.