Senior caregivers working for professional senior care companies must pass a criminal background check in order to be hired. Individuals seeking to become professional caregivers or a certified nursing aide may enjoy a guarantee of employment as long as they can pass a criminal background check. This means proper identity information is crucial for a senior caregiver’s background check to return accurate information in order to obtain employment. Caregivers need to understand how to protect their identity and understand the information included on a criminal background check. Senior care companies conducting criminal background checks on employees include:
- Licensed Senior Home Care Agencies
- Long-term Care Nursing Homes
- Assisted Living Communities
- Hospitals
How do you protect your identity as a professional caregiver? Especially knowing you will change care companies multiple times throughout your career? We live in a digital information age making it even more important to protect your personal identity information both offline and online. 5 Background Check Identity Protection Tips:
1) Purchase Your Own Background Check Annually: once a year buy a background check on yourself to see the information that is on your criminal record and to confirm the names and addresses attached to your Social Security number. Research to be sure you understand the right type of quality criminal background check to purchase.
2) Maintain and update online passwords: pick passwords that are unique. Be sure you have anti-virus software, anti-spyware software and a firewall on your computer. Use encryption software to safeguard your online transactions. Never respond to an email requesting a password reset unless you asked for this yourself on the company’s website. Look for the “lock” on your browser’s status bar which you will see when you are using an online bank’s website.
3) Review your mailbox, even the junk mail: if you begin receiving mail in another name at your address, call the sender to investigate. Be mindful if you stop receiving monthly bills or if your name should change in anyway on your usual subscriptions.
4) Monitor credit card statements: even if a small amount appears that may not have the exact name of a company you are familiar with purchasing from, call to investigate the transaction. Some credit card number thiefs will first do a small $10 transaction before making additional charges.
5) Limit credit cards used: try to limit the number of credit cards you make purchases with to also limit the number of companies that have your information and who are running credit reports on you. When the friendly department store clerk asks if you would like an additional discount on your purchase by opening up a charge card, just say “no”.
Act quickly if you do discover improper names and addresses associated with your name. The background check companies do have formal dispute investigation systems in place (you will need to fill out a form to start the ball rolling) and the credit reporting bureaus also will work with you to clear up misinformation. However, it is a time-consuming process. The best way to insure a proper criminal background check is to make sure you do not engage in criminal behavior (don’t break the law). Then be mindful of your spending behaviors to protect your identity. Check your own background once a year in order to be able to immediately correct mistaken identity information. Review the by-state background check laws to see if employers can review your criminal history beyond just 7 years and purchase a quality background check. Then apply for a professional caregiving job or refer-a-friend to a caregiving job as more caregivers are needed to keep up with the care needs for America’s growing senior population.
