Finding help
Five questions to ask before you choose a home-care agency in India
You can’t interview a caregiver in person when you live eight time zones away. So the screening has to happen through questions — and most families ask the wrong ones.
Price and availability are easy to ask about and tell you almost nothing about quality. Here are the five that do.
1. “Who replaces this person when they’re sick?”
The honest answer reveals whether you’re hiring a person or a system. One caregiver getting the flu shouldn’t mean your parent is alone for a week.
2. “Can I see the verification documents for the specific person?”
Not the policy. The documents. For the actual human who will be in your parent’s home.
3. “How will I know what happened each day?”
If the answer is “call us anytime,” that’s not a system — that’s you doing the coordinating. Look for structured daily updates.
4. “What happens in a medical emergency at 2 a.m.?”
There should be a named protocol and a named hospital, not improvisation.
5. “Can I speak to a family you currently serve who lives abroad?”
A confident agency says yes.
Common questions
Should I hire a caregiver directly or through an agency?
An agency costs more but handles vetting, replacements when someone is sick, and accountability if something goes wrong. Hiring directly is cheaper and can build a closer relationship, but every gap and dispute lands on you — from thousands of miles away. For most NRI families, the agency's continuity is worth the premium.
What background checks actually happen in India?
Far less than you'd assume. Police verification exists but is inconsistently done. Ask the agency to show you the specific verification documents for the person assigned to your parent, not a general policy page.