Working as a home health aide

Home health aides, also called home health assistants, perform everyday tasks for their patients. It is important to note that they are not necessarily the same as home care assistants; home health assistants are licensed personnel who are able to provide medical care to their patients. Home care assistants, however, are not licensed medical personnel, and thus are only qualified to provide non-medical or custodial care.

Given that the occupation is a relatively low-paying job with high demands, the amount of openings in the market typically outnumber the amount of applicants. As such, home health aide is among the top 10 occupations with the largest job growth, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What they do:

Home health assistants and aides work with patients who are often confined to their homes as a result of being cognitively impaired, chronically ill, disabled or suffering from old age. The health assistants will aid their patients in performing basic daily chores in order to promote their patients' independence as much as possible, within each individual patient's limitations.

Some of these chores include preparing their patients for and administering treatment, and bathing, shaving and toileting the patient. Other tasks include preparing food to feed their patients and documenting food and fluid intake, as well as simply observing the patient's behavior. Home health assistants also must help out when a patient needs to get in and out of bed, or be transported to another setting. Home health assistants will often report to a registered nurse at a residential care facility.

The daily routine of a home health assistant can vary from person to person. Some report to the same home every day for months, or even years, to work with one specific patient in need. Others may visit as many as five or six patients each day to provide quick care to each patient.

Many home health assistants work part time, though others are occupied full time with 40-plus-hour weeks. Since some patients need to be cared for at all times, shifts can include nights, weekends and holidays. Most home health assistants work at their patients' homes, though some who have younger clients will work at schools, while others may work at their patients' work sites.

What they need:

While neither home health assistants nor home care assistants are required to have high school diplomas, home health assistants do at least need to be certified. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Government requires that a home health assistant complete 16 hours of supervised practical training before they can have direct contact with a patient. Aside from that certification, home health assistants are usually trained on the job by their supervisor, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, or other experienced aides.

What they earn:

The average salary for a home health assistant/aide is $28,173 according to CBsalary.com. The 25th and 75th percentiles of salaries fall between $23,756 and $39,551, respectively.