Health care aides provide support services and personal assistance for elderly, physically challenged, chronically or acutely ill people who require short-term or ongoing support. Home health aides are an important part of any health care team.
One of the most dominant careers in home health care is home health aide. If you are zealous about caring for others or helping people, a career as a home health aide may be for you, especially if you are seeking a career that does not require a formal degree or extensive training. Work duties may take place within nursing homes, health care facilities, institutions, hospices or within the homes of clients.
Listed below are some useful tips on how to become a home health care aide.
Things to know
The job may involve helping ill patients and you may be exposed to communicable diseases and must take precautions.
Personal Characteristics
A home health aide must have patience, dependability, interpersonal skills, and excellent time management skills. A right balance of these features will help with the high levels of stress that can sometimes be a part of the job.
Since home house aides enable the elderly, recovering, and physically challenged persons to live in their own homes, tasks include maintaining the patient’s personal hygiene. Grooming bathing, dressing, and assisting with toileting is not a pleasant task. Therefore, you should be aware of how private and personal your everyday job is going to be.
Educational Requirement
A formal degree is not necessary to successfully enter this field. Depending on the employer, educational requirements for home health aides may vary. Home care agencies can set their screening policies for candidates, however, be aware that some may prefer their employees to have completed high school. Aides who work for companies that receive funds from Medicare or Medicaid must complete formal training, while those who work for private firms do not have to meet these requirements. On-the-job training is often provided by more experienced aides, nursing assistants, licensed practical or registered nurses.
Becoming a Certified Home Healthcare Aide
Certification programs will give you additional training in the areas of patient care and basic medical care in addition to the tasks like administering medications and assisting with personal hygiene. These programs teach students to help manage patients and control infectious diseases. Students may also receive training on dealing with people who need emotional, spiritual and social support.
For formal training, potential candidates may look to programs offered by community colleges and postsecondary institutions. These programs last a semester, and applicants may need to pass a physical examination, including state-mandated blood tests, and a background check to enroll. Students must also be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). After completion, graduates are eligible to take a state competency examination.
One of the most dominant careers in home health care is home health aide. If you are zealous about caring for others or helping people, a career as a home health aide may be for you, especially if you are seeking a career that does not require a formal degree or extensive training. Work duties may take place within nursing homes, health care facilities, institutions, hospices or within the homes of clients.
Listed below are some useful tips on how to become a home health care aide.
Things to know
The job may involve helping ill patients and you may be exposed to communicable diseases and must take precautions.
- The duties of a health care aide may include assisting patients in getting out of bed and helping them to stand and walk. You will have to be robust enough to handle the patient without overexerting yourself and injuring your back.
- You may have to perform tasks such as emptying and cleaning bedpans and changing clothing. Some patients may be unpleasant and disoriented whereas others will be friendly and cooperative.
- Your timetable as a home health care aide may include weekends, nights and holidays. You may work for one client or several during any given week.
Personal Characteristics
A home health aide must have patience, dependability, interpersonal skills, and excellent time management skills. A right balance of these features will help with the high levels of stress that can sometimes be a part of the job.
Since home house aides enable the elderly, recovering, and physically challenged persons to live in their own homes, tasks include maintaining the patient’s personal hygiene. Grooming bathing, dressing, and assisting with toileting is not a pleasant task. Therefore, you should be aware of how private and personal your everyday job is going to be.
Educational Requirement
A formal degree is not necessary to successfully enter this field. Depending on the employer, educational requirements for home health aides may vary. Home care agencies can set their screening policies for candidates, however, be aware that some may prefer their employees to have completed high school. Aides who work for companies that receive funds from Medicare or Medicaid must complete formal training, while those who work for private firms do not have to meet these requirements. On-the-job training is often provided by more experienced aides, nursing assistants, licensed practical or registered nurses.
Becoming a Certified Home Healthcare Aide
Certification programs will give you additional training in the areas of patient care and basic medical care in addition to the tasks like administering medications and assisting with personal hygiene. These programs teach students to help manage patients and control infectious diseases. Students may also receive training on dealing with people who need emotional, spiritual and social support.
For formal training, potential candidates may look to programs offered by community colleges and postsecondary institutions. These programs last a semester, and applicants may need to pass a physical examination, including state-mandated blood tests, and a background check to enroll. Students must also be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). After completion, graduates are eligible to take a state competency examination.