Reference Letters for a Home Health Aide Job: Who to Ask and What to Write
References are the document caregivers put off the longest, usually because they are not sure who counts. Almost everyone has two people who can vouch for them. Here is how to ask, and a letter that takes five minutes.
Most New York home care agencies ask for two references: short, signed letters (or contact details for a phone reference) from people who have seen you work, such as a previous employer, a family you cared for, a supervisor, a training instructor or a volunteer coordinator. A good letter is half a page: who they are, how they know you, how long, what you did, and their phone number. Family members do not count. Upload the letters in the Caregiver Portal; if you are new to caregiving, see below for what to use instead.
Why Agencies Ask
Unlike the health documents, references are not a state requirement; they are the agency’s own hiring standard, and a sensible one. An aide works alone in a client’s home, often with a vulnerable person, and the agency is responsible for who it sends. Two people saying “I have seen this person be reliable and kind” is the simplest check there is, and HR will usually call at least one of them.
Who Counts as a Reference
A previous agency coordinator, a nursing home charge nurse, a retail or restaurant manager: anyone who supervised your work, in caregiving or not.
Private clients or families whose relative you looked after, including informally; they are often the strongest references for home care.
Your HHA or PCA training instructor, a church or community volunteer coordinator, a teacher from a recent program.
Relatives, close friends who never saw you work, and anyone who cannot be reached by phone.
What a Good Letter Says
Keep it short and specific. Dates, letterhead and formal language are not required; a signed note with a phone number is. A five-line template you can give your reference:
- Who I am: name, job or relationship to you, phone number and email.
- How I know you: “I supervised [name] at [place] from [month year] to [month year]” or “[Name] cared for my mother in our home in Flatbush for eight months.”
- What you did: two or three concrete tasks: bathing and transfers, meals, medication reminders, night shifts, working with a client with dementia.
- What they think: reliability, punctuality, patience, honesty; one sentence each is enough.
- Signature and date.
Typed and signed, or handwritten and photographed, both work. A short email from the reference’s own address, with their phone number, is also accepted by most agencies.
New to Caregiving?
Use references from any job, from your training program, or from volunteer work; tell HR the situation and they will say what works. Many caregivers who trained at our free PCA school use an instructor as one reference. It is better to upload one good letter now and add the second later than to wait for both; the portal keeps track.
Upload Them Once
Use the secure upload page. Previous: TB test. Next: drug screen. Full list: the 9 documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a family member write my reference?
No. References must be people who saw you work and are not relatives.
Does the reference have to be from a home care job?
No. Any employer, supervisor, instructor or family you cared for can write one; caregiving references are strongest but not required.
Is a phone number enough instead of a letter?
Many agencies accept a phone reference; a short signed letter with the number is the safest way to satisfy the checklist.
Does the letter need to be in English?
Ask HR; a letter in Spanish, Russian or Chinese is often fine when HR can read it or reach the reference by phone.
Will the agency really call them?
Usually at least one; tell your references to expect a call from Advantage Home Care.
What if my last employer will not give references?
Use a supervisor or coworker who will, or a family you cared for; note the situation for HR.
Upload Your Reference Letters
One now, one later is fine. Create your account in the Caregiver Portal and keep the checklist moving.
Open the Caregiver PortalCall 718-375-2707