You are letting someone into your parent’s house, often when your parent is alone. You are entitled to know what we checked first.
The list
- A criminal record check with a vulnerable sector search, renewed regularly, not just at hiring.
- Health Care Aides registered with the College of LPNs and HCAs of Alberta (CLHA), which has regulated HCAs since February 2026; LPNs registered with the CLHA and RNs with the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA), with registration checked each year.
- Two references from previous care employers, which we phone. A written reference tells you nothing.
- A working interview: a supervised shift before any solo visit.
- Current first aid and CPR.
- A driver’s abstract for anyone who drives clients.
What we look for that is not on a form
Whether they talk to the client or to us. Whether they knock and wait. Whether they notice the fridge. You cannot train those; you can only hire for them.
After hiring
A care manager visits during shifts, unannounced sometimes. Families get a direct line to that care manager. If something is wrong, we want to hear it the same day.
