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It's best to hire someone who comes with work references that you can actually call and talk to.
I work private cases only. I give the family looking for a hire my references from families that I've worked for that they can actually talk to and ask questions. Being bonded is less important then talking to people who your potential hire worked for. It's a good idea to have your potential hire bring in a backround check from the police department of where they lived. If they are new in town, ask for one from the town they moved from. Also, insist on periodical drug testing that will be paid for by you and not your worker. This is important because in-home caregiving is a line of work that's often appealing to illegal drug users. The reason being that if they're working for elderly people the home is likely to have prescription medications in it. If someone has dementia it's easier to safely steal from them too.

References from families they cared for and periodical drug testing. You should do just fine with the private hire.
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NeedHelpWithMom Mar 2021
Great response! Love this answer. Practical advice.
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"Being bonded means that a bonding company has secured money that is available to the consumer in the event they file a claim against the company. The secured money is in the control of the state, a bond, and not under the control of the company."

I don't think a person like a CNA working privately would be bonded. An agency may be. My brother needed to be for his job. I never have needed to be bonded.

As Burnt suggested, get references from other clients. The aide I had for Mom was a women I knew from Church. She had gone to school with my daughter. I had no problem with her.
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Hiring someone as an independent caregiver can be riskier than hiring from an agency. BurntCaregiver offers some good advice when hiring independents. You have to do your homework.

I think requiring a caregiver candidate to be bonded is critical. A fidelity bond protects you, the customer, from theft or fraud by the employee. The person may seem very professional and caring but may be tempted by jewelry, cash or other expensive things laying around the house.

In addition to being bonded, the candidate should also have worker's comp. This requirement protects you from being sued if the person should get injured on your premise. I would ask the person to present those documents to you rather than just taking their word for it.

Agencies usually provide bonding and worker's comp for their employees. Direct hires may not think it's necessary, or may not be able to afford it. There are some excellent independents, however, and their services are normally less expensive than agencies. I'm not suggesting one or the other. I am suggesting to be thorough in your hiring.
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Here is an article on what to be aware of before doing a private hire.

https://www.agingcare.com/local/in-home-care
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Just make sure you do it legally with care agreement and no paying under the table.
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You should check with your state's Dept of Labor and Economic Growth. My state provides free bonding for the first 6 months for caregivers.
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JoAnn29 Mar 2021
Learned something new. I worked with Nurses and had never heard of Caregivers being bonded. Nurses, they should be insured.
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