Samaritan Homes Inc. · Free guide

The DCW Starter Guide

What the job looks like, what you'll need, and how to walk into your interview ready. Written for people who are new to direct care as well as people who've done it for years.

What a DCW does

A Direct Care Worker helps adults living in a residential home live as independently and safely as possible. It's hands-on work built on routine, patience and respect. Most days you will:

Help with personal care, meals and household routines
Support residents with medications and follow their care plans
Go with residents to appointments, activities and community outings
Write short, accurate notes about each shift
Watch for changes in health or behavior and report them

The most important skills can't be taught in a class: showing up on time, staying calm, and treating each resident's home like their home.

A day on each shift

8a–4p

Day. Wake-up routines, breakfast, morning medications, appointments and outings. The busiest shift, and a good way to learn fast.

4p–12a

Evening. Activities, dinner, evening medications and bedtime routines. Lots of time with residents.

12a–8a

Overnight. Awake overnight: safety checks, documentation, light housekeeping, being there if anyone needs help, and helping early risers before the 8 a.m. handoff. Calmer, and good for people who work best at night.

Flex

Float / PRN. Fill open shifts across homes. You learn several homes and get more control over your schedule.

Certifications & checks

Requirements depend on the home and its licensing. These are the ones Michigan direct-care staff usually need. Don't have them yet? That's OK: ask about training when we call.

Item	What it is	Typical timing
CPR & First Aid	Emergency response training, usually from the American Red Cross or American Heart Association	Before or soon after hire; renewed every 2 years
Recipient Rights	Michigan training on the rights of people receiving mental health services, and how to report concerns	Within your first weeks
Medication administration	How to pass medications safely and document them	Before passing meds on your own
Background check	Fingerprint-based check required for direct-care workers	After your offer, before you start
TB test / health screen	Basic health screening many homes require	Before you start
Driver's license	Needed if you'll drive residents to appointments	Bring it to your interview

Interview questions we ask

There are no trick questions. We want to hear how you think. Short, honest, real examples work best.

"Why do you want to work in direct care?"Talk about what draws you to it: family experience, wanting meaningful work, past caregiving.

"A resident refuses their medication. What do you do?"Stay calm, never force it, try again later if the care plan allows, document it, and tell your supervisor.

"Tell us about a time you handled a stressful situation."Any job counts. Say what happened, what you did, and how it turned out.

"What would you do if you saw a coworker treat a resident poorly?"Protect the resident and report it. This is exactly what Recipient Rights training covers.

"Which shifts can you reliably work?"Be specific and realistic. Reliability matters more to us than the number of hours.

Your first-week checklist

Bring your photo ID and Social Security card (or other I-9 documents) to orientation
Finish background check and health screening paperwork
Schedule or upload your CPR & First Aid certificates
Complete Recipient Rights training
Shadow an experienced DCW on at least one full shift
Read each resident's care plan in your home
Set up your clock-in on the staff app
Save your home manager's and the on-call number in your phone

Haven't applied yet?

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This guide is general information for job seekers. Exact training and licensing requirements vary by home and can change, and Samaritan Homes Inc. will confirm what your role needs during hiring. Samaritan Homes Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.