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• Before finding a caregiver, discuss the issue with family, friends and doctors. Decide the benefits and drawbacks of having a caregiver.
  
  
• Determine what kind of lifestyle and care your loved one needs.
  
  
• Find people who have experienced caregiving or have gone through the process. A professional can also help guide you through the process.
  
  
• When looking at facilities ask the following questions: What is the ratio of caregivers to residents? Are the levels of need for each person being met? If not, this is a red flag.
  
  
• Drop in unannounced occasionally. This will allow you to see care as it is really being given.
  
  
• Do not accept an opinion from a professional if you are not comfortable with it. Get a second or third opinion.
  
  
• Make yourself a presence in your loved one's life. The caregivers will know you will hold them accountable.
  
  
• Make sure your loved one is eating right and exercising. This is not only vital to their health, but to their mental health as well.