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Home Health Aide
Industry: Healthcare
Area: Nursing and Direct Patient Care
Home health aides help elderly, convalescent, or disabled persons live in their own homes instead of in a health care facility. Under the direction of nursing or medical staff, they provide health-related services. Home health aides may check pulse, temperature, and respiration; help with simple prescribed exercises; keep patients' rooms neat; and help patients move from bed, bathe, dress, and groom. Occasionally, they change nonsterile dressings, give massages and alcohol rubs, or assist with braces and artificial limbs. Experienced home health aides may also assist with medical equipment such as ventilators, which help patients breathe. In home health care agencies, aides keep records of services performed and patients' conditions and progress. They report changes in patients' conditions to the supervisor or case manager.
Work Settings
Most home health aides work for home health agencies, visiting nurse associations, social service agencies, residential care facilities and temporary help firms.
Education
Individuals interested in becoming a home health aide should have a high school diploma or the equivalent. Many states require that aides be licensed as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).
Job Outlook
31 percent increase over the next 10 years 291,000 new jobs expected in U.S.
Salary
$13,000 - $26,000(NYS Avg. $23,880)
Work Schedule
40-hour week; day/evening and night shifts