10 Questions Every Nigerian Family Should Ask Before Hiring a Caregiver

Hiring a caregiver for an ageing parent in Nigeria is a decision that deserves careful thought. You are trusting someone with your loved one’s safety, dignity and daily wellbeing—often inside the family home and, for diaspora families, while you may be thousands of miles away.

A recommendation from a friend or relative can be helpful, but it should not replace proper checks.

Before hiring a caregiver, families need to understand who they are employing, what they can safely do, how they will communicate concerns and what happens when something goes wrong.

Here are 10 questions every family should ask before hiring a caregiver for an ageing parent in Nigeria.

1. What training and experience do you have?

Start with the basics.

Ask what formal or informal caregiving training the person has completed and how much experience they have supporting older adults.

More importantly, ask about experience relevant to your parent’s needs.

Someone who provides companionship and help around the home may not have the skills required to support a person living with dementia, reduced mobility, incontinence or complex health conditions.

Ask for specific examples of the care they have provided before.

2. Can your identity, references and employment history be verified?

Never rely solely on someone being described as “a good person who was recommended by someone we know.”

Ask for identification and references from previous employers or families.

Speak directly to those references where possible.

Ask:

• How long did the caregiver work with the family?
• What responsibilities did they have?
• Were they reliable?
• Were there any concerns?
• Why did the employment end?

For someone who will have access to your parent, their home, belongings and potentially financial information, proper checks matter.

3. What exactly will you be responsible for?

Families and caregivers can have very different ideas about what “looking after Mum” actually means.

Agree responsibilities before care begins.

Will the caregiver provide:

• Personal care and hygiene support?
• Meal preparation?
• Medication reminders?
• Mobility support?
• Companionship?
• Light household tasks?
• Support with appointments?

Put the agreed responsibilities in writing.

Clear expectations protect your parent, the caregiver and the family.

4. What would you do if my parent became suddenly unwell?

This question can tell you a lot.

Give the caregiver a simple scenario.

For example:

“If you arrived one morning and Mum seemed unusually confused, weak or unable to get out of bed, what would you do?”

Listen carefully to the answer.

A caregiver should know when something is outside their role and when to contact the family, seek medical advice or get emergency help.

You want someone who recognises changes and acts appropriately—not someone who simply waits until the next family phone call.

5. How will medication be managed?

Medication errors can cause serious harm.

Ask exactly what role the caregiver will have.

Will they only remind your parent to take medication?

Who organises prescriptions?

Who collects medication?

Where is the current medication list kept?

What happens when a doctor changes a prescription?

There should always be an up-to-date written medication record, particularly when several people are involved in your parent’s care.

Never assume everyone knows what medication your parent should be taking.

6. How will you communicate changes to the family?

This is particularly important for diaspora families.

A WhatsApp message saying:

“Mummy is fine.”

is not a care update.

Agree how communication will work before the caregiver starts.

For example, families might request a regular update covering:

• Eating and drinking.
• Medication.
• Mobility.
• Sleep.
• Mood and behaviour.
• Appointments or health concerns.
• Any changes from the previous week.

Small changes matter.

A parent eating less, sleeping more or becoming increasingly confused may not seem urgent individually, but a pattern over several weeks can tell you something important.

7. What are your working hours, rest periods and arrangements for time off?

Caregivers need rest too.

This is especially important when employing someone as a live-in caregiver.

Clarify working hours, breaks, days off and what happens when the caregiver is ill or needs leave.

No family should build a care arrangement that depends entirely on one exhausted person being available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Ask:

Who provides care when the regular caregiver is unavailable?

Have a backup plan before you need one.

8. How will money and purchases be handled?

Caregivers may sometimes need to buy groceries, medication or household items for the person they support.

Agree how money will be managed.

Consider:

• Who provides spending money?
• Are receipts required?
• Who reviews expenses?
• Can the caregiver access bank cards or PINs?
• Who approves larger purchases?

As far as possible, avoid informal arrangements involving unrestricted access to an older person’s finances.

Clear financial boundaries protect everyone involved.

9. How will my parent’s dignity, independence and preferences be respected?

Good care is not simply completing tasks.

Ask the caregiver how they would involve your parent in decisions.

An older person may need help bathing, dressing or moving around, but they should still be treated as an adult with preferences, routines and choices.

Ask:

“What would you do if my parent refused something you thought they needed?”

The answer can reveal a great deal about the caregiver’s approach.

Look for patience, respect and communication—not control.

The goal of good care should be to support as much independence as safely possible.

10. How will we know if the care arrangement is actually working?

Don't hire someone and then assume everything is fine because nobody has complained.

Agree how the arrangement will be reviewed.

Ask yourself:

Is Mum safe?

Is Dad eating and taking his medication?

Has their mobility changed?

Are they comfortable with the caregiver?

Are concerns being reported promptly?

Is the caregiver coping?

If you live abroad, consider having someone other than the main caregiver check in periodically.

This is not about surveillance or distrust.

It gives families another perspective and can identify changes that may otherwise go unnoticed.

A recommendation is a starting point—not the end of your checks

Many caregivers in Nigeria are introduced through family, friends, churches or community networks.

Personal recommendations can be valuable.

But knowing the person who recommended a caregiver does not tell you everything you need to know about their competence, reliability or suitability for your parent.

Ask questions.

Check references.

Agree responsibilities.

Put important arrangements in writing.

And most importantly, keep reviewing the care after it begins.

Because choosing a caregiver is not a one-time decision.

It is an ongoing relationship that should change as your parent’s needs change.

Supporting an ageing parent from abroad?

If you live outside Nigeria and are trying to make decisions about care for a parent or older relative, I have written a free practical resource:

📘 The State of Ageing & Care in Nigeria 2026: A Diaspora Family Guide

It covers choosing care, questions to ask providers, warning signs to look out for and practical ways to stay involved when you cannot be there in person.

Download your free copy:

https://eoon-care.kit.com/ageing-guide

You can also share the guide with a sibling, relative or friend who is currently making decisions about an ageing loved one.

What is the one question you think every family should ask before trusting someone with the care of their parent?