Home health aides and personal care aides make a major difference in the lives of their clients— providing essential health care that their families may not be able to offer. Home health aides help the elderly… people with disabilities… and those recovering from illness… with basic healthcare tasks such as changing dressings and administering medications. They monitor their clients’ health and report changes in status to licensed nursing staff, who direct their work. Personal care aides —sometimes called caregivers or personal attendants— generally provide only non-medical services, including companionship, cleaning, cooking, and driving. Their clients may be elderly, or have developmental or intellectual disabilities. Both personal care aides and home health aides may help with routine tasks like feeding, bathing, and dressing. Most aides work in clients’ homes, but they may also work in group homes, hospice care, and adult daycare facilities. Some see the same client daily for years, while others work with new clients often. Full-time work is common but many aides work part time… their schedules generally depend on clients’ needs. Most aides have a high school diploma, although not all positions require it. Jobs in certified home health or hospice agencies require formal training and certification. Some states require additional certification. While these careers can be emotionally and physically demanding —clients… and their families… rely on the skills and integrity of home health and personal care aides.
What they do:
Provide personalized assistance to individuals with disabilities or illness who require help with personal care and activities of daily living support (e.g., feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and ambulation). May also provide help with tasks such as preparing meals, doing light housekeeping, and doing laundry. Work is performed in various settings depending on the needs of the care recipient and may include locations such as their home, place of work, out in the community, or at a daytime nonresidential facility.
On the job, you would:
Administer bedside or personal care, such as ambulation or personal hygiene assistance.
Prepare and maintain records of client progress and services performed, reporting changes in client condition to manager or supervisor.
Perform healthcare-related tasks, such as monitoring vital signs and medication, under the direction of registered nurses or physiotherapists.
Business
customer service
Arts and Humanities
English language
Math and Science
psychology
Basic Skills
listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
talking to others
Social
looking for ways to help people
understanding people's reactions
Verbal
listen and understand what people say
communicate by speaking
Ideas and Logic
notice when problems happen
use rules to solve problems
People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.
They do well at jobs that need:
Dependability
Integrity
Concern for Others
Cooperation
Self Control
Stress Tolerance
You might use software like this on the job:
Electronic mail software
Email software
Voltage SecureMail
Computer based training software
Appletree
Medical software
MEDITECH software
high school diploma/GED or no high school diploma/GED usually needed
Get started on your career:
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
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