Home health aides are individuals in the field of health care who provide medical and personal care services in patients’ homes. They can be hired by home health care agencies and other healthcare facilities and organizations that provide in-home care. People who cannot provide special attention to their ailing family members can also directly hire the services of a home health aide. If you think you’d enjoy being a home caregiver, then becoming a home health aide may be the career for you. Use these tips to learn about home health aide training and educational requirements, such as certified nursing assistant classes.
Here’s how to become a home health aide.
- Complete your high school education. While a high school diploma is not a strict requirement to pursuing a career as a home health aide, it is important to have a basic understanding of science related subjects such as biology, anatomy, nutrition and other health related courses that you can get in high school.
- Obtain proper training. Look at vocational and technical colleges, home health care agencies and certain government and non-government institutions to find a home health aide training program that works with your schedule. Companies who hire home health aides also provide classroom instruction, seminars and workshops prior to deploying health aides to clients’ or patients’ homes. Typically, registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical and vocational nurses (LPN/LVN), physical therapists and experienced home health aides are the ones who train candidates on the different tasks that you will encounter on a regular basis in home health aide jobs.
- Determine the specific requirements you have to comply with in your state. There are certain states that will require home health aides to be licensed. If you are hired by an employer who receives Medicare reimbursement, you will have to successfully complete a competency evaluation after receiving formal training. This will gauge your knowledge on health sciences and proficiency in carrying out tasks expected of you, such as taking the patient’s vital signs, reminding patients to take their medications, maintaining patients’ grooming, changing dressings, etc. Some home health aides also do light housekeeping chores for the patient such as washing bed linens, making meals or maintaining their laundry. These chores do not extend to everyone in the household, just the patient. This may require some firmness on the home health aide in a boundary setting. There is also a voluntary home health aide certification offered by the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC).
- Know the salary expectations. The average salary for home health aides is $26,000 per year. Those who work for government agencies do a bit better as do those who work on the coasts. Working for private individuals can pay better; however, you usually need to have a proven track record with a home health agency before being eligible for private work.
- Look towards the future. Determine whether you desire a long-term career as a home health aide or intend to pursue medical training in the future. Your work experience as a home health aide will be highly relevant to a nursing career and other bachelor’s degree programs in healthcare services. You can become a nursing aide, registered nurse, certified nursing assistant, psychiatric nurse or geriatric nurse, depending on the specific career path you choose. Moreover, if you are a certified home health aide, you will need to pursue continuing education to maintain your credentials.
Not too many people are keen on targeting this job in the field of healthcare. Hence, the demand for home health aides continues to grow as the rate of the aging population increases. If you think you have the passion to serve and care for the sick, this could be a very fulfilling career for you. Remember that the responsibilities of a home health aide require total commitment to serve, patience, empathy, enthusiasm and respect among other things. As an in-home caregiver, you have to love your patients and your job; otherwise it can take its toll on you and leave you stressed out both physically and emotionally. Expect to work with elderly or handicapped individuals with difficult personalities consequential to their physical conditions. If you cannot see yourself serving seniors or disabled persons, this is definitely not the job for you.