In New York, home health care is booming. Increasingly, patients no longer want to move to assisted living facilities. Instead, they prefer to remain at home and receive home health care. Aside from helping the client with their Activities of Daily Living, it’s good to know what role does a home health aide have when checking vital signs? A home health aide also checks the patient’s vital signs and provides basic medical care. Let’s have a closer look at what this job entails.
How Do Home Health Aides Assist Patients with Vital Signs?
Home health aides are not trained medical assistants, so they can’t diagnose conditions, evaluate medical records, or prescribe drugs. Despite this, they play an important role in patient care. They might help a patient to take their vital signs or collect samples and communicate the information to doctors and nurses, who then use it to provide the necessary medical care.
How Much Medical Knowledge Do Home Health Aides Need?
Although aides don’t evaluate and diagnose conditions, they still need a lot of medical knowledge to help patients maintain optimal health. They need to understand the symptoms, risks, and treatments associated with their patient’s medical conditions, so they can best help them. They also have to be able to evaluate a patient’s condition and determine whether they have deteriorated and require medical care.
Home health aides are the patient’s primary caregivers, so they are more likely to notice changes in behavior than doctors or other healthcare professionals. This makes them vital members of the care team.
How to Gain the Necessary Skills to Become a Home Health Aide
To become a home health aide, you don’t need to go to college. However, you should have a high school diploma.
The training required to become an aide usually takes a month or two. After completion, you may want to participate in advanced classes and first aid courses to further your skill set and increase your chances of achieving a high salary.
Training Programs
The most important qualification employers in the home healthcare sector are looking for is the Home Health Aide Training Program. This teaches aspiring aides everything they need to know about this job and allows them to gain some relevant practical experience.
The program includes 76 hours of classroom learning as well as some clinical training. It takes up to two months, but many people complete it within two to four weeks. It is available at community colleges and dedicated facilities. Although some providers charge for the training, others offer the program for free. This is because there is currently a shortage of home health aides, so they are in high demand.
First Aide Courses
Aside from completing official training programs, many home health aides also take first aid courses to improve their job skills and further their careers. This type of course usually takes half a day or a day. Participants learn everything they need to know about basic life support, examining and supporting a casualty, and using a defibrillator.
Being trained in first aid is a big advantage because it allows home health aides to improve their patient care skills and provide a more comprehensive service. Candidates trained in first aid are more likely to find highly-paid work. They can work with regular patients as well as those with serious, chronic illnesses.
Practical Experience
The best way to gain more experience is to start working as an aide. The more hours you spend at this job, the more competent you will become.
This is important because experienced aides can get better positions and take on additional responsibilities. They earn a higher wage and can sometimes even become certified nursing assistants.
Additional Education
At Parent Care, we understand that being a home health aide can be physically and mentally demanding. That’s why we offer all our team members regular training programs.
Our courses allow aides to improve their medical knowledge and provide patients with a better service. While some of the courses focus on the technical aspects of the job, many others help patients to understand the psychological and social implications of home nursing.
What Other Prerequisites Are There?
Unlike a traditional nurse or healthcare professional, a home health aide doesn’t have a typical work environment. Aides spend their days driving around the area and visiting several patients. That’s why they need a valid New York driver’s license.
Additionally, they have to be in good general health because this job involves heavy lifting and other strenuous activities. Before starting their first jobs, personal care aides have to undergo a competency evaluation and a physical. This helps employers to understand the current condition of the aide and assign appropriate tasks.
How Much Driving Will I Do?
Home health aides have to drive to and from patient’s homes regularly. However, we work with people all around New York at Parent Care. This means that our aides can specialize in a certain area, and they don’t need to spend a lot of time driving long distances. When you sign up with us, you can let us know your preferred radius.
What If I’m Missing Some Skills?
If you’d like to become a home health aide, but you’re missing certain skills, don’t worry. You’ll learn everything you need to know during your training.
Additionally, our coordinators at Parent Care will be happy to support you during your first few weeks with us. We’ll make sure that you settle in well and that you understand all your tasks. If you have any questions, you can reach out to us at any time, and we’ll assist you.
Services Provided by Home Health Aides
As the name suggests, home health aides visit patients in their own homes and help them with everyday tasks like preparing meals. They might assist with basic medical care, the Activities of Daily Living, and housekeeping. Additionally, they keep patients company and monitor their condition. If they notice any changes, they notify the agency, the patient’s doctor, or social workers.
With the help of a home health aide, elderly or disabled people no longer have to go to nursing homes. Instead, they can remain in their familiar environments and enjoy better mental and physical health.
Basic Medical Care
Most home health aides can perform basic medical tasks such as helping patients to take vital signs, wound care, and applying bandages. They can also administer medication, which is important because many elderly and disabled people have trouble remembering to take their drugs every day.
Because home health aides aren’t trained to understand vitals and administer medical treatments, they work as part of a comprehensive healthcare team that might include practical nurses, nursing assistants, doctors, therapists, social workers, and other healthcare professionals. The home health aide is expected to communicate regularly with the other members of this team, so the patient receives the best service possible.
Light Housekeeping Duties
Caregivers who visit their patients at home have to keep a close eye on the condition of the house or apartment to make sure it is safe and hygienic. They prepare meals for their patients and help them maintain proper nutrition. Additionally, they assist with personal tasks such as using the restroom, showering, skin care, and bathing.
Many home health aides also perform duties such as washing dishes, picking up things that have fallen on the floor, and cleaning up spilled fluids. Before leaving, they make sure that the patient is comfortable and has everything they need for the next few hours.
Providing Companionship
Many elderly and disabled people in New York are isolated and lonely because their family members are very busy or live far away. That’s why regular home health aide visits are so important. At Parent Care, we offer a unique program called Companion Care, which involves socializing with the patient and providing them with emotional support.
A companion caregiver visits the same person regularly. They provide companionship by reading or watching a movie with the person, chatting, and completing tasks around the house. Sometimes, the companion might take the patient shopping or accompany them to an event in town. Spending time with a companion is essential for the well-being of those who have little social contact and are at risk of becoming isolated from their communities.
Driving Patients to Appointments
Home health aides sometimes take on other tasks, such as driving patients to appointments and helping them with their weekly shopping. One of the reasons why so many patients refuse to live in retirement communities is that they have their familiar routines.
They love visiting their favorite shops and service providers. Personal care professionals can help by driving patients around their local area and making sure that they are safe while they are out and about.
Who Are the Patients?
As a home health aide, you’ll work with a wide range of patients. While many of the people who require assistance are elderly, this isn’t always the case. At Parent Care, we work with people of all ages who are mentally or physically disabled and therefore have trouble with their day-to-day tasks.
Some of our aides specialize in pediatric home health care, so they mainly interact with children who are suffering from temporary or permanent disabilities. If you’re interested in working with young people, let us know. We can check that you have the necessary qualifications to be a pediatric aide and then match you with young patients in your local area.
Is Home Health Care a Good Job?
There are several reasons why working in home health care is an excellent choice at the moment. Firstly, home health aides have a versatile profession. Unlike office or traditional hospital jobs, there is little routine because aides visit a wide range of people. Each patient’s home and condition are different, so aides get to perform multiple tasks every day.
Another major reason why job satisfaction is high is that home health aides build up connections with patients over time. They often visit the same person for many months or even years and become friends with them over time. This helps both the aide and the patient to feel part of a community and increases their quality of life.
What Is the Future of Home Health Care Like?
At the moment, well over one million elderly people are living in New York. This number is likely to increase significantly in the next few years, as more baby boomers reach retirement age. Because the typical patient now wants to remain in their own home instead of going to a nursing facility, home health aides are likely to be in high demand in the next few decades.
This means that there will be increasing numbers of staff shortages, and home health aides are likely to benefit from higher salaries and better benefits. Unlike many other professions, personal care can’t be automated, so this job is likely to remain intact for many years to come. Starting your training as a home health aide could be a great way to future-proof your career.
How Much Do Home Health Care Professionals Earn?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage of a home health aide is $30,930. However, this varies greatly by location, agency, and skill set.
In New York, you can expect to make $40,000 or more per year if you work as a full-time aide. As you become more experienced, you can take on additional tasks and increase your income further.
Can Home Health Aides Become Registered Nurses?
If you’d like to become a licensed practical nurse but don’t currently have the means or time to complete the extensive training required for this job, starting out as a home health aide could be a good idea. That way, you can gain some experience in the healthcare industry and interact with licensed practical nurses without having to make a significant commitment.
Later on, if you decide you’d like to become a registered nurse, you can speak to your home healthcare agency about transitioning. They can help you find the best nursing programs and show you how you can keep working while you study. Because there are part-time aide positions available, you can continue with this job for a few hours a week while you complete your nursing degree.
What Character Traits Are Necessary for This Job?
Although anyone can become a home health aide, some people are more suited to this job than others. Because they have to spend all day working with patients, successful candidates have to be personable and social. They also need a lot of patience because many elderly or disabled people have mental and cognitive challenges. This means that they require more time to complete certain tasks than the average person.
Additionally, good home health aides are detail-oriented and organized. They can stick to a schedule and be on time, offering patients competent and regular service. They are able to keep accurate records, so communication with other healthcare professionals is successful.
How to Get Started As a Personal Care Aide
If you think that you’d be a good home health aide, get in touch with an agency like Parent Care now. We are always on the lookout for high-quality medical professionals, so we’re more than happy to consider your application. Don’t worry if you don’t meet all the requirements or haven’t completed your training yet. As mentioned, it only takes a month or two to qualify as a home health aide.
We can help you to find the best course in your local area. Because we operate in various boroughs, we have contacts, partnerships, and patients all over New York. Once you’re a fully qualified aide, you can return to us for a job. We offer flexible part-time and full-time positions as well as live-in opportunities, so you’re sure to find something that suits your lifestyle.
Home health aides assist doctors and nurses in taking care of patients who have chosen not to go to a nursing home. They perform a wide range of tasks such as providing medical assistance. Because this job is in high demand, candidates can expect good salaries and benefits as well as a highly varied, enjoyable experience, especially if they work with a reputable agency. Reach out to us now at Parent Care to find out more about our available jobs.
