HOME HEALTH AIDES California Occupational Guide Number 461 Interest Area 13 1997
THE JOB
HOME HEALTH AIDES, are also called homemaker home health aides or home attendants. They are workers who help professionals, and they are employed by private hospitals and clinics and nonprofit community health agencies. Following a doctor's treatment plan, Home Health Aides work under the supervision of a registered nurse or physical therapist and take care of and do house chores for the elderly and disabled. They also take care of children when their mother or father is sick or disabled.
Aides do whatever is needed for patients who can't live alone without help. They keep a home running as normally as possible and make it possible for the sick to stay at home instead of moving to a nursing home.
Some typical duties of Home Health Aides include helping the patient take a bath, use the toilet or bed pan, and to move around. They check pulse and breathing rates; they change bandages; and they help patients take their medicine. They also do cleaning for the safety and comfort of the patient. They clean a patient's room, kitchen, and bathroom, do the laundry, and change bed sheets and pillow cases. Aides also plan meals (including special diets), shop for food, and fix meals. On top of their regular duties, they give patients emotional support and teach them how to get along independently. They show patients how to make a healthy meal on a low budget and ways that patients can make due and take care of themselves inspite of their sickness or disability. The aides keep patients mentally healthy and alert by having conversations with them. They help coordinate patient care with other members of the health care team. They report changes in the patient's condition to the nurse supervisor and keep records of patient care.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Home Health Aides work in patients' homes. They must be able to bend down, lift, and do other things associated with cleaning and cooking. They must also be able to handle patient suffering that might be due to physical or emotional problems at home.
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
The California Projections of Employment, published by the Labor Market Information Division of the Employment Development Department, estimates that the number of Home Health Aides in California will reach 32,550 by 2005, an increase in new jobs of 16,470 over the number there was in 1993.
There will also be an estimated 4,490 job openings due to people retiring or leaving the occupation. Added to the 16,470 new jobs expected, this makes for an estimated total of 20,960 job opportunities through 2005.
(These figures do not include self-employment nor openings due to turnover.)
Home Health Aides is the third fastest growing occupation in the State. This above-average rate of growth is expected to continue because the elderly population continues to get bigger and live longer, and home care is less expensive than hospital care. The number of people living well into their eighties continues to grow. This group usually has health problems that need at least some medical care help.
The employment outlook for experienced aides is very good. There are a lot of opportunities for job seekers who want only part-time or temporary jobs.
WAGES, HOURS, AND FRINGE BENEFITS
Aides may work full-time or on a part-time intermittent schedule, depending on what the patient needs. Full-time certified health aides normally visit five or six patients per day and spend about one to two hours with each patient per visit. Many agencies hire only "on call" hourly workers with no benefits except for paid mileage. The range of pay for these hourly workers is from minimum wage to $14.00 per hour. Other agencies hire aides on a full-time or part-time basis with a regular benefit package and a guaranteed minimum number of hours.
Depending on the hiring agency, the benefits for full-time workers usually include paid vacation, sick leave, and medical and dental insurance. Some employers also pay for vision, life insurance, and retirement plans.
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS AND TRAINING
To work as a Home Health Aide in California, you must get the Home Health Aide certificate, issued by the State Department of Health Services. This certificate is earned by completing 120 hours of specialized training in areas such as basic nutrition, meal planning and preparation, home cleaning tasks, and techniques for bathing, turning, and transferring the patient.
Other training deals with emotional problems caused by illness, the aging process, and behavior of the elderly. This training is available from certain community colleges and adult schools. In general, finishing high school is not necessary to get work as a Home Health Aide. Other requirements of the job include having a valid California driver's license and access to a car, passing a pre-employment physical, and sympathy for and interest in caring for the sick at home.
ADVANCEMENT
There aren't many opportunities for promotion in this job. With more training, aides can become Medical Assistants, Licensed Vocational Nurses or Registered Nurses.
FINDING THE JOB
Job seekers should apply at Visiting Nurses Associations in their area or private agencies or organizations that hire Home Health Aides. The yellow pages of the local telephone company can be a good source of employment leads for prospective workers. Additional help can be found at the local California Employment Development Department Job Service offices.
ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION
The Visiting Nurses Association of Los Angeles, Inc. 520 South LaFayette Park Place, Suite 500 Los Angeles, CA 90057 (213) 386-7200
State Department of Health Services Nurse Assistant Certification Section 1800 3rd Street, Suite 200 Sacramento, CA 94234-7320 (916) 327-2445
RELATED OCCUPATIONAL GUIDES
Registered Nurses & Nurse Practitioners No. 29 Licensed Vocational Nurses No. 313 Nurse Aides/Nursing Assistants No. 442 Physical Therapy Aides & Assistants No. 451
OCCUPATIONAL CODE REFERENCES
DOT (Dictionary of Occupational Titles, 4th ed., Rev. 1) Home Attendant 354.377-014
OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) System Home Health Care Workers 660110
Source: State of California, Employment Development Department,
Labor Market Information Division, Information Services Group,
(916) 262-2162.
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