The more control you and your parent have over choosing a home health worker, the better you'll feel about the person. Agencies approach this differently, so you'll need to ask.

It's increasingly common for employers to do criminal background checks on potential employees. Since trust is critical when hiring someone to help your parent in a home setting, these checks are valuable screening tools.

If you need someone to drive your parent, even occasionally, it's important to know what kind of driver you're getting. Car insurance requirements, by the way, differ state by state. Check with your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to see what's required in your state. And if the worker will be driving your parent's or your car, check with the insurance company to find out how to include new drivers.

If someone is bonded, her work is basically insured, and your parents will be covered if she breaks the washing machine or steals something. Bonding coverage varies, so ask for details. It's a level of reassurance that can make a difference but isn't essential.

If so, ask the agency whether training is done once or on an ongoing basis.

Some agencies function more like job referral services, linking independent workers with jobs rather than managing their own employees. With independent contractors, you'll likely be required to do more paperwork and supervision. It's a good idea to be clear about this from the start.

Does the agency check in with its workers daily or weekly? Is someone available to provide expertise or extra assistance if needed?

Will you automatically send a replacement worker? Everyone needs breaks and time off, especially home health workers, whose work is physically and emotionally demanding. Find out how agencies cover for worker absences and what's required from your end.

Do you think they like their jobs? Do you offer benefits? It's always hard to know if you'll get an honest answer, but it never hurts to ask. A simple truth prevails: People who are happy with their work make better employees. See if you can get a reading on this.

It helps to know how much support you'll get from an agency should a conflict arise - and it probably will. Does the agency mediate conflicts, and if so, how? Is it flexible about changing workers if things don't improve?

If your parent has, say, long-term care insurance that pays for the cost of in-home care, you'll want to make sure the agency accepts this kind of payment. If not, you're probably better off using one that does.