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Care Assistant Interview Questions

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Care assistants help elderly clients with their immediate needs, such as washing, grooming, eating and emotional support. Care assistant duties and responsibilities typically include transporting clients to and from medical appointments, preparing healthy meals, tidying living areas and administering medications.

When hiring a care assistant, look for relevant certifications, clinical knowledge, ​​empathy and strong interpersonal skills. Great candidates for your care assistant role may also have strong listening and communication skills, compassion and previous experience in healthcare.

Ask 5-10 of the following interview questions to get a better sense of a candidate’s care assistant skills and experience.

  1. Why do you want to work as a care assistant? See answer
  2. Why do you believe care assistants are important for people to have? See answer
  3. What types of specific care might you provide for an elderly client? See answer
  4. How do you help a client maintain dignity while receiving personal care? See answer
  5. How do you approach confidentiality when you’re at and off work? See answer
  6. How would you describe the value of your role as a care assistant? See answer
  7. If your patient is waiting for an ambulance and your shift ends, what would you do?
  8. Are you CPR certified?
  9. What steps do you take to build rapport with your clients or patients?
  10. What certifications or licenses do you hold related to the field?
  11. Are there any care tasks you’re uncomfortable performing?
  12. Would past employers, coworkers and clients describe you as discreet?
  13. Have you faced conflict with a client or patient before? How did you handle that?
  14. Describe your experience working specifically with patients who have dementia.
  15. Do you prefer to work on your own with a client or with other caregivers?
  16. How important is your patient’s dignity to you?
  17. What age group have you worked with in the past?
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6 Care Assistant Interview Questions and Answers

Q:

Why do you want to work as a care assistant?

A:

It takes a special kind of person to work as a care assistant: one who almost innately puts others’ needs before their own and does so with compassion. Often, a certain experience in someone’s past propels that person into care work. If a candidate has such a personal story inspiring them, it could drive the candidate to naturally excel at caring for others. Such a story may also prove that they are personally invested in their career. What to look for in an answer:

  • Personal motivation for the work
  • Experience caring for others
  • A compassionate heart
Example:

“I watched my mother die slowly of cancer at too young an age to help. Now that I can help others, I want to do so whenever possible.”

Q:

Why do you believe care assistants are important for people to have?

A:

Care assistants allow people in medical need to have an independence and comfort they might otherwise lack. People unable to care completely for themselves can live at home rather than a facility. Care assistants help people maintain as much of their normal and familiar lifestyles as possible. They must therefore also be strong and alert enough to attend to a client’s moment-to-moment needs or in case of an emergency. What to look for in an answer:

  • Flexibility to spontaneous situations and needs
  • Willingness to encourage client independence as much as possible
  • Availability, alertness and physical fitness
Example:

“As a care assistant, I’m the support team, designed to stay invisible except when needed and empower the client to live life as normal.”

Q:

What types of specific care might you provide for an elderly client?

A:

Certain types of clients have particular care needs, and a care assistant should be keenly aware of this. You don’t want a care assistant to treat health care as a one-size-fits-all solution. Elderly clients, for example, may require physical assistance to safely attend to their daily needs, and they may also need to feel emotional companionship to keep their spirits uplifted. A candidate should be personable and patient with their clients’ needs. What to look for in an answer:

  • Awareness of different clients’ different needs
  • Consciousness of elderly clients’ unique concerns
  • Sensitivity to emotional care in addition to physical
Example:

“Physically, I’d help only with the specific needs assigned and, otherwise, only when specifically requested. Emotionally, I’d be an active listener all the time.”

Q:

How do you help a client maintain dignity while receiving personal care?

A:

Excellence as a care assistant requires empathy for the clients. Candidates should show that they are able to put themselves in the client’s shoes. The key to acting effectively from a place of empathy is to create an open line of communication. Open communication allows clients to take leadership of their own needs and, thereby, feel respected and as autonomous as possible. What to look for in an answer:

  • Empathy for other people’s feelings
  • Strong listening and communication skills
  • Respect for a client’s autonomy, independence and personal dignity
Example:

“Someone’s body may be failing them, but they’re still whole inside. I care for the whole person by compensating for the physical impediments.”

Q:

How do you approach confidentiality when you’re at and off work?

A:

Confidentiality is both an ethical and legal requirement for care assistants. A candidate’s awareness of the technical requirements for health care assistants regarding patient confidentiality shows you their level of experience in the role and commitment to performing it responsibly. A care assistant should never discuss a patient’s medical information with anyone unless specifically authorized in writing to do so. What to look for in an answer:

  • Awareness of the legal confidentiality requirements of care assistants
  • A sense of personal and professional ethics
  • Experience in health care
Example:

“I worked in hospital medical records, so I’m fully versed in HIPAA. Plus, I would never disclose any patients’ information unless they authorized it.”

Q:

How would you describe the value of your role as a care assistant?

A:

Care assistants perform an incredibly important role not just for the companies they work for, but also for their patients or clients. When looking for the best possible care assistant candidates, you want to find potential employees who understand and value the enormity of their role within your organization, so you can ensure they'll treat your clients or patients with the appropriate respect. Look for candidate answers that include these elements:

  • Respect and appreciation for the patients or clients
  • Understanding of the role's value
  • Distinct descriptions of a care assistant's duties
An excellent candidate response might resemble this example:
Example:

"I truly believe that care assistants have one of the most important jobs out there. We help people live their lives in a way that they wouldn't be able to do without our help. Helping them retain as much independence as possible with as much dignity as possible is always my primary goal. Whether we're making lunch or changing clothes, I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure we complete the task together and ensure my client feels supported and cared for during the process."

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    Last updated: Apr 21, 2021