The Senior Care Transportation Guide: Interviewing Transportation Providers

Once you've assessed your parent's transportation needs and identified certain transportation providers, you will then have to assess which one provides the best fit. Here are a few guidelines to get you started.

• Start by asking for general background information. Find out how long the provider has been in the transportation business. Also, let him/her do some of the talking so you can get an idea of his personality and communication skills and make sure the driver's style is compatible with your parent.
• Ask for at least three references, with contact information for each, and then call them. Be diligent about your hire, since this is a stranger your parent will be spending a lot of time with, and entrusting her safety to.
• Since people often find it difficult to ask certain questions about a person's background -- such as criminal history -- to help you through this part of interviewing, you can create a short application form and allow your candidate time to fill it out. Some points you'll want to include are:
• social security number, driver's license number or ID card
• full name and street address
• documentation of legal permission to work in the USA
• address, phone and email contact information
• whether or not the candidate is bonded and insured
• emergency contact name and address
• It's a good idea to run a background check on people you hire to drive family members, especially one that looks into their driving history. Many agencies will do this for a small fee. Or, you can use a service like Care.com that will provide you with free background checks on providers you are interviewing.
• Ask hypothetical questions about driving choices and make sure you and your parent feel comfortable with the responses.
• When you think you've found the right person for the job, be very upfront about what you'll pay and what you expect of him. It is important to know ahead of time what tasks he dislikes doing or will do at an extra cost -- such as unloading the groceries and putting them away.
• If your parent will be riding in the transportation provider's care, you'll want to make sure the car is a safe one.
• Ask why he/she wants this job, his previous experience, and why he thinks he is right for the position.
• If you do hire the driver, request a trial period of two to three weeks so you have time to evaluate his work over time and make sure he has a compatible relationship with your parent. Set up a time to discuss the arrangement after a few driving sessions, and then again every few months, so you can give each other feedback. Your goal is a relationship that meets both your parent's needs and those of the transportation provider.

Ronnie Friedland is an editor at Care.com. Previously she edited InterfaithFamily.com and JewishFamily.com. She has co-edited three books: The Mothers' Book: Shared Experiences (Houghton Mifflin), The Fathers' Book: Shared Experiences (Hall) and The Guide to Jewish Interfaith Family Life: An InterfaithFamily.com Handbook (Jewish Lights).