Since people are not always upfront about their past, having access to information is critical in making the right decisions. A good background search specialist will bring billions of records right to your fingertips. Whether it is criminal history reports, sex offender searches, or anything in between, make sure you are aware of it all.

Trust, but always verify.

If you are hiring someone for home health care to take care of your parents or grandparents, you really want to know who they really are and if they have had questionable behavior in their past?

For the price of a few lattes you can run an elder care background check on the new caregiver the agency is sending over, and have the Peace of Mind to know your loved one is safe.

Do not take chances with the safety of your parents!

You MUST investigate the criminal, sex offender and driving background of any home health care employee hired to care for your parents or grandparents. Many criminals use the elder care provider cover to abduct, molest, and/or abuse, rob and deceive the person they are taking care of. If the caregiver is going to transport your loved one, be certain their driving record is clean. It is very essential to confirm the education, training, and honesty of the caregiver.

A caregiver convicted of theft should NOT have access to your home and valuable possessions, just as a sex offender should NEVER be alone with your children or elderly women.

Because no federal standards or regulations exist for performing elder care background checks for home health care aides and because state regulations are generally weak and vary widely, the industry is plagued with corruption and attracts opportunistic predators. In many instances, simple background checks are not being done at all, or, in the Trevino case, all that thoroughly by the agencies. The majority of home health care workers providing elder care may be ethical and caring, but reports of fraud, theft, forgery and physical and psychological abuse against elders by home health care aides are increasing. In California, where Trevino was prosecuted and convicted, nurses and other medical professionals sent by agencies to provide home health care are required to have a license, but home health care aides, who assist with non-medical personal care, including bathing and feeding, are not.

During the trial, it was revealed that Trevino had served time in prison for child abuse, receiving stolen property and forging checks. She had not revealed her criminal history to Visiting Angels, which was not named in the criminal proceedings because home health-care agencies are only required by state law to check employee backgrounds for the past seven years (Trevino prior convictions had occurred more than seven years before her hire). Trevino eventually admitted stealing the families home and was sentenced to eight years in prison. Holman, who knew about the fraud, was sentenced to two years in prison.

Make sure this does not happen to you by getting a background check on potential care providers. Can you put a price on your piece of mind and your parents safety?