Home Health Aide Certification
If you desire to train to become a home health aide (HHA), then the training and certification requirements are similar to that of learning how to become a CNA. With the duties often similar as well. The only major difference is that of the place of work, as a certified home health aide mainly works in the homes of elderly, disabled or chronically ill patients and also in nursing homes.
Become A HHA With Home Health Aide Certification
In order to work as a HHA, certification is required because of government regulations with patients in need of care in their own homes being eligible for Medicare. It is a federal requirement for all home health aides to have a home health aide certification before they are allowed to work in a patients home or nursing home. Depending on your state that you take home health aide training in, the period of training is around the 75 hours mark. You will be taught various theory and practical training skills to master in order to pass your HHA certification. Certification and the training program is under the authority of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) organization. They administer and control the license program in every state which facilitates your home health aide certification exam.
You can often obtain free home health aides training and certification from various care agencies in return for you signing a contract with the agency for you to work for them for a set period of time. You can find these care agencies with an online search with search terms such as : “free home health aide training” or “free home health aide certification”.
The job role of a HHA is to provide help and support to various patients on a daily basis. Tasks can include helping patients out of bed, getting them dressed, changing sheets, making meals for patients or even taking them to shops,hospital, or other appointments. It is vital that you remain fit as the job is often a heavy lifting one. In particular great care should be taken in lifting patients as back injuries sustained with this task will limit your ability to remain working for the agency for an indefinite period. HHA’s are not responsible for administering any medical treatment as they are not qualified to do so.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics “Employment of home health aides is projected to grow by 50 percent between 2008 and 2018″ which is significantly higher than the average for all other occupations. This is due to the general population living longer and needing medical care in old age added to the baby boomer generation reaching retirement age. However, the job prospects for advancement as a certified home health aide are limited and this is why many HHA’s take further training with a Licensed Practical Nurse degree or train to become a nurse (RN).
Information and guidance on becoming a home health aide with one of the many agencies can be found on the following page : home health aide agencies
Another job advancement option open to you is to learn how to become a CNA, which has the same level of training and certification requirements as that of a HHA. You will have more variety of occupations and medical establishments to work in when you become a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant), from employment in a hospital, nursing home, doctors surgery or rehabilitation center, amongst many other options. You would have the advantage of already having experience of many of the tasks performed by a CNA on a daily basis.
Whether you learn how to become a CNA or stay with home health aide jobs. You will need to have the following attributes to your character in order to be successful in these high stress occupations. A compassionate nature and a great deal of patience, cheerful disposition and friendly attitude. This is in order to deal with often difficult and sometimes angry or frustrated patients and clients.