Home Health Aide Expert Program: Making a Difference one Patient at a Time

Home health care aides are medical personnel who work within the home of patients with chronic illnesses, disabilities or cognitive impairment and help them complete their daily living activities. According to BLS.gov, home health aides do the following in their daily work:

• Assist clients in their daily personal tasks, such as bathing or dressing
• Housekeeping, such as laundry, washing dishes, and vacuuming
• Help to organize a client’s schedule and plan appointments
• Arrange transportation to doctors’ offices or other outings
• Shop for groceries and prepare meals to meet a client’s dietary specifications
• Keep clients engaged in their social networks and communities

In some states, home health care aides may also help patients with medication administration and taking and recording vital signs under the direct order of a nurse or other healthcare professional. Some experienced home health aides with special training may be able to change dressings, care for skin and help with medical equipment such as ventilators.

Home health aides generally work within a patient’s home. Some will work with one client for their whole shift while others travel to four or five different homes in a day depending on the complexity of the patient and how much help they need to complete their daily tasks.  Some home health aides will work in small group homes or larger care communities, but generally they work within one client home at a time.

Home health aides have flexibility within their schedule. There are some patients who need care twenty-four hours a day so the opportunity to work evening, overnight and weekend hours is always possible. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the career of home health aides will grow an astonishing 36% from 2018 to 2028. That is MUCH faster than the average for other occupations. Due to the aging population and the demand for care within a patient’s home, this career is going to be in demand for the next ten or more years!

Being a home health aide can be a physically and emotionally demanding job. You are working with patients that have complex medical conditions with multiple comorbidities. However, it can also be an emotionally rewarding job. If you enjoy caring for people and want a career that is emotionally rewarding and expected to be in demand for years to come, check out our Home Health Aide Expert Program today!

Ed4Career offers multiple courses in health care including the Home Health Aide Expert Program. Upon successful completion of our Home Health Aide Course, students may be prepared, in part, to sit for state certification. Each state has its own regulations. Visit the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) to view a state requirement list. Each state has specific requirements; we recommend you check with your state.