Be sure to mention any special requirements — for a specific language, a driver's licence and/or special circumstances such as the care recipient has dementia, the household has pets.

Be open with the applicant about specific tasks he or she may be required to perform, such as bathing, changing catheters, running errands, driving the care recipient to and from appointments.

Break the caregiving responsibilities into a series of manageable tasks with achievable goals.

Care recipients with dementia may respond better to short visits, at first, from an outside caregiver. Introduce the worker as a friend. Give the relationship time to grow.

If you are using the services of several different types of home care providers, consider hiring a case manager or care co-ordinator.

Arrange for someone — a volunteer from a community visiting program or a paid companion — to come to the home, on a regular basis, and spend time with the care recipient — talking, reading, writing letters, taking for walks, whatever works. The social and psychological benefits for the care recipient can be invaluable.

When using in-home respite, leave the house for short periods, initially; then gradually increase the amount of time you spend away from the care recipient.

Contact people who are or once were members of the care recipient's own social network. They may be more than happy to visit or help in any way they can.