How Long Does It Take to Get Training and Become a Home Health Aide?
It’s a one-of-a-kind experience to work in the field of home health care since you get to meet, interact, and care for your patients right where they live. You get access to the personal space of a person who urgently needs your aid so you should never forget that you are doing something good in their lives.
A primary objective of a home health aide is to help the person they are caring for to maintain as much independence as possible in their own home. Among the responsibilities an HHA is taught during training classes in Boston and other cities of the US, dressing, washing, helping with self-care needs, grocery shopping, doing light housekeeping tasks, cooking and helping patients to consume food, helping in the administration of medications, and driving to the doctor’s office are some of the most common ones.
You need to get proper training offered by official organizations and agencies like Saving Hands if you want to work as a home health aide.
What Is Required and What Training to Undergo to Become an HHA?
#1. Courses
Home health aide training programs in Boston MA or online are the options if you want to become certified as a home health aide. It takes time to learn the basics but every profession especially the one in the health care industry requires expertise and knowledge so home health aide training should be considered with utmost attention and devotion. A senior nurse or assistant will supervise some of the work done during the classes.
Everyone is able to get started without even possessing a GED or high school diploma. As part of your training, you’ll learn about nutrition and infection management, as well as how to interpret key vital signs in patients.
#2. Basic Certification
To become a home health aide, you must finish at least 16 hours of courses. In different US states, you may be required to undergo 75 hours of work and take a competence exam.
#3. Professional HHA Certification
While it’s completely up to you, passing a professional test can serve as evidence that you’re capable of providing acceptable care in a home setting. In order to become a certified home health aide in your location, you’ll have to complete 75 hours of training, demonstrate competency in 17 skill areas, and pass the exam.
#4. Get a Job
A home health aide is becoming an increasingly important occupation as more and more elderly individuals require specific care in their homes and at special facilities. Most likely your employers would be hospices and authorized home health care agencies if you’re striving to become and work as a home health aide. You may be able to get a job when you complete your training.
#5. Keep Pursuing Your Professional Goals
In order to become better in this occupation, you must be ready to learn new things and expand your horizons. As a result, you’ll not only be able to clean and cook, but you’ll also be able to do things relating to personal care. You might also start your own agency and find clients to care for instead of working for someone else.
How Long Do Home Health Aide Courses Usually Last?
HHA classes often run 75 hours or more. After finishing their course, caregivers must apply for certification by submitting an online form and pass an examination.
To become a home health assistant and take care of people you know or your relatives, you must complete 70 hours of basic training within 120 days of commencing your caregiving obligations, as required by the Department of Social and Health and Services.
