Caregiver job description template: setting, care tasks, state training rules, live-in pay and visit verification
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Caregiver postings often read like a greeting card: "Make a difference in someone's life. Compassion required." That tells an applicant nothing about whether they will spend four hours twice a week helping a retired teacher with meals and errands, or live in for five days with a client who needs two-person transfers at night. It also skips the questions experienced caregivers ask first: how many clients, how much driving, whether mileage is paid, whether live-in shifts include paid sleep time, and what training the state requires. A useful caregiver job description names the setting, the care level, the schedule and the pay rules that apply. Below are the settings, the state training, pay and visit verification lines with sources, a copy-ready template, screening and scorecard rows, and common mistakes. For the call, use caregiver screening questions.
Not legal advice. The FLSA, EVV and state training points below were checked against the Department of Labor, Medicaid.gov, the Washington State Department of Health and BLS as of October 2026. Federal home care wage rules are under review; state law often goes further. Confirm with counsel before setting pay practices.
Pick the setting and the care level
| Setting | What the work looks like | Must-have that separates it |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly in-home caregiver (private pay agency) | Visits of a few hours, meals, bathing, light housekeeping, errands, several clients a week | Reliable transportation and comfort working alone in a client's home |
| Live-in caregiver | Several days in the client's home, scheduled sleep and meal breaks, overnight help | Can describe working live-in and how sleep interruptions were handled and recorded |
| Medicaid personal care aide | Tasks set by a state care plan, visits logged through electronic visit verification | Meets the state's training rule and can use the EVV app |
| Assisted living or memory care caregiver | A unit of residents, shift work, medication rules set by the state | Dementia care experience; any state medication aide credential if residents' meds are passed |
| Higher-acuity in-home care | Hoyer lifts, incontinence care, two-person transfers, hospice support | Mechanical lift and transfer experience; works with the nurse or family on a care plan |
Then settle with the care coordinator: hours per week offered (as an estimate), the service area and expected driving, whether mileage and travel time between clients are paid, and the heaviest physical task. If the role is with a Medicare-certified home health agency, the federal aide rules apply; use the home health aide job description template instead.
State training, the federal pay rules and EVV
State training. Training rules for non-medical caregivers are set by states and vary widely. As one example, Washington says long-term care workers who must be certified as home care aides complete 75 hours of training through a program approved by the Department of Social and Health Services and pass the home care aide certification exam (Washington State Department of Health). Write your state's rule into the must-haves, and say whether you pay for training.
Federal pay rules for agencies. The FLSA exempts companionship services from minimum wage and overtime, and exempts live-in domestic workers from overtime only. A 2013 Department of Labor rule says third-party employers such as home care agencies may not claim either exemption (29 CFR 552.109). On July 2, 2025, the Department proposed rescinding that rule, and on July 25, 2025 it issued Field Assistance Bulletin 2025-4, telling investigators not to enforce the 2013 rule against third-party employers until the effective date of any final rule. The bulletin says it does not alter any statutory or regulatory requirements. We could not find a final rule in the Federal Register as of October 2026; check the Department's direct care page for the current status. State wage laws can require minimum wage and overtime for home care workers regardless. In the posting, describe pay as you will actually apply it: hourly rate, overtime treatment, live-in daily rate and how sleep and meal time are handled.
Electronic visit verification. The 21st Century Cures Act requires states to use EVV for Medicaid personal care services (by January 1, 2020) and home health care services (by January 1, 2023) that involve an in-home visit (Medicaid.gov). If any of your clients are Medicaid-funded, say caregivers clock visits through an app.
The caregiver job description template
Caregiver — [Hourly In-Home / Live-In / Assisted Living /
Memory Care], [Part-Time / Full-Time]
[Agency or community], serving [cities or area]
Pay: $[min]–$[max] per hour [/ live-in rate $[N] per day], plus
[mileage $[N]/mile, weekend premium, other premiums with
conditions]. [Overtime treatment, stated accurately.] [Benefits
summary, if required.]
SUMMARY
You will support [older adults / adults with disabilities] in
[their homes / our community] with personal care and daily
living. We offer about [N] hours a week (an estimate) across
[N] clients in [area]. Shifts are [days and times]. You will report
to the [care coordinator / nurse supervisor].
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Help with bathing, dressing, toileting and grooming.
- Plan and prepare meals [to dietary instructions].
- Help with walking and transfers [including mechanical lift].
- Give medication reminders [only; caregivers do not administer
medications in this role].
- Do light housekeeping and laundry, run errands [drive clients
to appointments].
- Record each visit [in our EVV app] and report changes in the
client's condition to the [coordinator] the same day.
YOU MUST HAVE
- [State training or certification line, in your state's words,
or: we provide the required training before your first visit.]
- Availability for [shifts, weekends, live-in stretches].
- [Valid driver's license, insurance and a reliable car, if you
drive between clients or with clients.]
- Ability to help with transfers and lift up to [N] pounds, with
or without reasonable accommodation.
NICE TO HAVE
- Caregiving experience, paid or family.
- Dementia care experience.
- [Language] for clients who speak it.
If you meet the must-haves and none of these, please apply.
FIXED CONDITIONS
- Offers are subject to [background check required by state law /
driving record check] as permitted by law.
[EEO STATEMENT]
To request an adjustment to apply or interview, contact [contact].Pay and EEO
Post the rate, live-in rate, mileage and premiums. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile for home health and personal care aides (last modified August 27, 2026) publishes pay data; this page does not quote figures. If you check driving records or run background checks through a vendor, follow the FCRA disclosure and authorization steps; see the FCRA background check process. Close with an EEO statement covering the characteristics the EEOC lists.
From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
| Must-have | Screening question | Scorecard competency | Evidence of a strong answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability and area | "Our open hours are Tuesday and Thursday mornings in [area] and every other weekend. Which can you cover every week?" | Not scored | Commits to specific shifts and the area |
| Personal care | "Walk me through helping a client shower who is unsteady and embarrassed about needing help." | Care skill and dignity | Prepares the room first, uses a shower chair or grab bars, keeps the client covered, explains each step |
| Safe transfers | "Your client starts to fall during a transfer from bed to wheelchair. What do you do?" | Safety | Guides them down rather than catching, calls for help, does not lift alone, reports it |
| Reporting changes | "A client who is usually chatty is confused and hasn't eaten today. What do you do?" | Observation and escalation | Calls the coordinator or nurse right away, records it, follows instructions |
| Boundaries | "A client offers you $100 for your birthday. How do you handle it?" | Professional judgment | Declines politely, tells the coordinator, knows the agency's gift policy |
For in-home roles that overlap with childcare, compare the household and trust questions in nanny screening questions. For assisted living hires, the interview guide for healthcare roles keeps panel interviews consistent, and the home health aide screening questions cover clinical tasks if your caregivers also work certified home health cases.
Common mistakes in caregiver job descriptions
"Compassion required" instead of the tasks
List the personal care tasks plainly. Candidates who are not comfortable with toileting or lifts should be able to tell before they apply.
Vague hours
"Flexible hours available" hides whether the job is 8 hours a week or 40. Give an estimate.
Pay rules copied from another state or another year
Federal home care rules are changing and state rules differ. Describe the pay you will actually apply after checking with counsel.
Silence on driving
If caregivers drive between clients or with clients, say so, say whether mileage is paid, and say what you check.
Before you publish
- Setting, care level, hours estimate and service area are in the summary.
- The state training line and any training you provide are stated.
- Hourly, live-in and overtime pay are described as you will actually pay them.
- EVV, driving and background check lines match the job.
- The EEO statement and accommodation contact close the posting.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a caregiver and a home health aide?
In job postings, caregiver usually means non-medical personal care and companionship: bathing, dressing, meals, mobility, reminders and errands. A home health aide works for a home health agency under a care plan supervised by a registered nurse, and Medicare-certified agencies must meet federal training and competency rules for aides. If the job is with a certified home health agency, write it as a home health aide role.
Do home care agencies have to pay caregivers overtime?
This area is in flux. A 2013 Department of Labor rule bars third-party employers such as home care agencies from claiming the FLSA companionship and live-in exemptions. In July 2025 the Department proposed rescinding that rule and issued Field Assistance Bulletin 2025-4, suspending its own enforcement of the 2013 rule until any final rule takes effect. We could not find a final rule as of October 2026. State wage laws can still require minimum wage and overtime, so check your state and counsel before relying on an exemption.
Do caregivers need a certification?
It depends on the state and the setting. Washington, for example, requires long-term care workers who must be certified as home care aides to complete 75 hours of approved training and pass a certification exam. Other states have their own training or registry rules for home care and assisted living workers. Put your state's exact requirement and any training you provide in the posting.
What is EVV and should the posting mention it?
Electronic visit verification is required by the 21st Century Cures Act for Medicaid personal care and home health services that involve an in-home visit. Caregivers usually clock in and out of each visit on a phone app or the client's phone. If your clients include Medicaid-funded visits, mention it so applicants know they will use the app.