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Home Health Aide

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What Does it Take to Be a Home Health Aide?

Occupation Description Provide routine individualized healthcare such as changing bandages and dressing wounds, and applying topical medications to the elderly, convalescents, or persons with disabilities at the patient’s home or in a care facility. Monitor or report changes in health status. May also provide personal care such as bathing, dressing, and grooming of patient.

What Do Home Health Aides Do On a Daily Basis?

  • Entertain, converse with, or read aloud to patients to keep them mentally healthy and alert.
  • Plan, purchase, prepare, or serve meals to patients or other family members, according to prescribed diets.
  • Administer prescribed oral medications, under the written direction of physician or as directed by home care nurse or aide, and ensure patients take their medicine.
  • Provide patients with help moving in and out of beds, baths, wheelchairs, or automobiles and with dressing and grooming.
  • Care for patients by changing bed linens, washing and ironing laundry, cleaning, or assisting with their personal care.
  • Provide patients and families with emotional support and instruction in areas such as caring for infants, preparing healthy meals, living independently, or adapting to disability or illness.

What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Home Health Aide?

These are the skills Home Health Aides say are the most useful in their careers:

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

  • Direct Support Professional (DSP)
  • Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
  • Hospice Aide
  • Patient Service Representative
  • Home Attendant

Home Health Aide Job Outlook

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 911,500 jobs in the United States for Home Health Aide. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 47.3% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 431,200 new jobs for Home Health Aide by 2026. The BLS estimates 168,600 yearly job openings in this field.

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The states with the most job growth for Home Health Aide are Arizona, District of Columbia, and New York. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, South Dakota, or North Carolina. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Home Health Aides Salary

Home Health Aides make between $19,060 and $32,180 a year.

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Home Health Aides who work in North Dakota, Rhode Island, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.

How much do Home Health Aides make in different U.S. states?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $20,780
Alaska $29,890
Arizona $25,470
Arkansas $23,070
California $33,680
Colorado $26,980
Connecticut $28,240
Delaware $29,560
District of Columbia $29,290
Florida $24,280
Georgia $23,140
Hawaii $27,620
Idaho $25,150
Illinois $25,370
Indiana $23,960
Iowa $30,320
Kansas $24,560
Kentucky $24,460
Louisiana $21,080
Maine $27,380
Maryland $27,540
Massachusetts $30,830
Michigan $24,770
Minnesota $28,940
Mississippi $22,580
Missouri $25,080
Montana $25,940
Nebraska $24,380
Nevada $35,450
New Hampshire $29,140
New Jersey $24,450
New Mexico $23,080
New York $26,240
North Carolina $21,120
North Dakota $34,100
Ohio $22,570
Oklahoma $23,380
Oregon $26,450
Pennsylvania $25,310
Rhode Island $32,440
South Carolina $21,810
South Dakota $29,820
Tennessee $22,620
Texas $21,910
Utah $26,580
Vermont $28,110
Virginia $23,440
Washington $30,100
West Virginia $23,120
Wisconsin $25,330
Wyoming $28,060

What Tools & Technology do Home Health Aides Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Home Health Aides may use on a daily basis:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Web browser software
  • Python
  • Microsoft Access
  • Word processing software
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Linux
  • UNIX
  • Oracle software
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • Salesforce software
  • SAP software

How to Become a Home Health Aide

What education or degrees do I need to become a Home Health Aide?

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What work experience do I need to become a Home Health Aide?

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Who Employs Home Health Aides?

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Below are examples of industries where Home Health Aides work:

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References:

Image Credit: Sgt. Courtney Richardson, 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs via Public domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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