Becoming a Home Health Aide and Length of Training
Working in the home care sector is a unique opportunity since you get to interact with patients in their own homes. You are granted access to the personal area of someone who urgently requires your assistance. Though there will be difficult times with your patients and difficult tasks, you should always remember that you are making a difference in someone’s life, and that is the finest reward of all.
Among other things, a home health aide’s goal is to enable the person they are caring for to remain as self-sufficient as possible at home. So except for assistance with washing, dressing, and other personal hygiene and self-care needs, an HHA will also:
·Do grocery shopping;
·Cook meals and help patients to eat;
·Do something minor around the house, for instance, laundry or minor cleaning;
·Provide transportation from time to time, but if it is permitted by the laws of the state;
·Help patients administer prescribed medications;
·Notify a doctor or nurse of a patient’s condition;
·Provide first aid if needed, etc.
If you are looking for a home health aide job, undergoing training is essential.
How to Become an HHA?
#1. Training
You can find certified home health aide training classes in Boston or choose to do home health aide training online. Some part of it will be done on-the-job under the supervision of a senior nurse or aide. You don’t even need a high school diploma or GED to get started. At Saving Hands, you’ll also be taught how to interpret certain vital signs and get knowledge of nutrition and infection control.
#2. Get Certified
Before you can care for patients, you need to complete at least 16 hours of training near me in the sphere of home health aide supervised by qualified instructors. In some states, though, you may be required to put in 75 hours of work and pass a competence test.
#3. Think about Professional Certification
It is voluntary, though it can serve as verification of your capacity to provide adequate care in a home environment. At least 75 hours of home health aide training courses that can be found near me, demonstration of proficiency in 17 skill areas, and passing the exam are required to get it.
#4. Get a Job
As more and more older patients require special home care, a home health aide is becoming a much-needed profession. Hospice and accredited home health care organizations are the most likely employers for you. Also, Saving Hands may help you find employment after finishing our courses.
#5. Go On with Your Career
The more eager you are to obtain further knowledge and advance your opportunities as an HHA, the more experienced in the area you’ll be. Thus, you may not only do the shopping and cleaning but also perform personal care responsibilities. Also, instead of working for an agency, you might as well create your own business and look for customers to provide care to on your own. Look for home health aide classes near me and get the needed training.
How Long Do Training Classes for a Home Health Aide Last?
Certified home health aide training classes usually last for about 75 hours. To get certified, caregivers have to submit an application to be certified after completing the training.
To work as a home health aide while caring for a loved one, you’ll need to go through 70 hours of basic training within 120 days of beginning your caregiving duties. This is the requirement of the Department of Social and Health and Services.
