Practical guide

Home-care agency interview checklist

Questions to ask a Vermont home-care agency about caregivers, schedules, supervision, fees and backup coverage.

A strong agency conversation covers who will provide care, how they are screened and supervised, what tasks are permitted, how schedules are covered and exactly how fees and cancellations work. The state's licence directories list residential care homes, assisted living residences and nursing homes; a non-medical home care agency does not appear in them, so the first check is what the agency does hold: a home health agency designation if it provides nursing, workers' compensation coverage, and liability insurance. Ask how the agency screens caregivers. DAIL publishes a background check policy for the providers it funds, and a family can ask an agency which checks it runs, including the Vermont Adult Abuse Registry.

Caregivers and supervision

Are caregivers employees or independent contractors?
What screening and training are required?
Who supervises the plan and handles concerns?
How are caregiver changes communicated?

Scheduling and backup

What are the minimum shift and weekly requirements?
How are weekends, holidays and overnights handled?
What happens if the scheduled caregiver calls out?
Can hours change as needs change?

Agreement and costs

Request the rate sheet and written service agreement
Review cancellation and termination terms
Ask about mileage, transportation and holiday charges
Confirm insurance and complaint procedures

Checks specific to Vermont home care agencies

Ask whether caregivers are employees or independent contractors.

Federal rules make an agency that employs a live-in caregiver pay minimum wage and overtime, which is one reason a low quoted rate can hide a contractor arrangement.

The state median for non-medical care is $45 an hour.

Numbers to bring to the agency interview

At the Vermont median of $45 an hour, 10 hours a week is $23,400 a year, 20 hours $46,800, 30 hours $70,200 and 44 hours $102,960.
The state's 2023 rate study put Choices for Care personal care and homemaker services at $33.32 an hour, $11.68 short of the private median, so an agency that takes Medicaid hours is paid less for them.
Ask for the minimum shift, the weekend and holiday rate, the mileage rule and the plan when the assigned caregiver is out, each as its own line.

Questions families ask

Frequently asked questions

Does the state licence non-medical home care agencies?

The state's licence directories list residential care homes, assisted living residences and nursing homes. A non-medical home care agency does not appear in them, so the first check is what the agency does hold.

What background checks should an agency run?

DAIL publishes a background check policy for the providers it funds. Ask an agency which checks it runs on caregivers, including the Vermont Adult Abuse Registry.

Why does the employment model matter?

Federal rules make an agency that employs a live-in caregiver pay minimum wage and overtime, and a caregiver who is a contractor changes who carries insurance and taxes. Ask which model the agency uses.

What does non-medical home care cost in Vermont?

The 2025 CareScout survey put the median at $45 an hour, so 20 hours a week is about $46,800 a year.

How should two agencies be compared?

Give both the same address, days and hours, and ask for minimum shifts, weekend and holiday rates, mileage and the plan when the caregiver is absent as separate lines.