If you’re curious about whether working in healthcare is for you, becoming a home health aide with only a high school diploma or GED may be an ideal first step. The number of jobs in this profession is expected to grow faster than the average for all medical occupations in the next few years.
What Home Health Aides Should Know
A home health aide provides healthcare services to the aged, sick, or disabled in their own homes or at a residential institution. An HHA often works with patients who require a higher level of physical and medical care than the average family is able to offer. Many post-secondary institutions provide certified training for those willing to become home health aides and home health aide seminars online for anyone interested in becoming an HHA and getting certified despite the lack of a formal school requirement.
The average salary for home health aides is $30,113 per year as of May 2022, and by the year 2029, there are expected to be 34% more jobs in this area than there are now. So home health aide training by Saving Hands will become more and more desired by those who will be willing to master this occupation and work to help people.
What Is Required to Get CNA Training and Become a Home Health Aide?
Actually, there are no specific and difficult requirements to undergo certificate programs. You have to possess a high school diploma and have a strong wish to get into this profession. Among additional requirements may be optional certification by NAHC (National Association for Home Care and Hospice).
However, home health aide training requirements vary from state to state in order to become certified. In most states, home health aides need to complete a training program that is at least 8 hours in length. There are some states that require more than 8 hours of training and some that don’t require any.
The training includes such topics as patient care, infection control, and basic medical concepts.
Prerequisites for HHA Certification
The BLS reports that HHA employers’ requirements for education might be rather different. Workers in the home healthcare industry who are employed by non-profit organizations or private enterprises that don’t get funded by the government are required to undergo training to get home health aide certification. More experienced HHAs, licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants, and registered nurses may conduct this type of training.
Home health aides learn how to deliver fundamental health care services to patients on a regular basis. Among the medical things they have to do are the following:
- Checking temperature, blood pressure, and pulse;
- Aiding in delivering some therapy;
- Assisting in administering medications, etc.
Changing linens and cleaning bedpans are examples of additional responsibilities. To do their jobs effectively and help people, an HHA should possess a range of qualities, among which honesty, compassion, reliability, and a positive outlook are some of the most essential ones.
Training Courses for HHAs
Those interested in becoming a home health aide can enroll in training and attend classes near me at community colleges, any postsecondary institutions that provide formal education or choose in-person or online courses. Students may also be required to know the basics of CPR or be CPR certified.
A home health aide training course in MA also teaches students how to help prevent and treat infectious illnesses and how to care for their patients during them. Also, students may be taught how to work with persons who are in need of help in social and emotional spheres.
