Find Trade Colleges
What You Need to Know About Home Health Aide
Home Health Aide Definition 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.
Home Health Aide Responsibilities
- Direct patients in simple prescribed exercises or in the use of braces or artificial limbs.
- Care for patients by changing bed linens, washing and ironing laundry, cleaning, or assisting with their personal care.
- Massage patients or apply preparations or treatments, such as liniment, alcohol rubs, or heat-lamp stimulation.
- 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.
- Change dressings.
Featured schools near , edit
Qualities of a Home Health Aide
Home Health Aides state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
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.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Hospice/Home Health Aide
- Home Health Aide (HHA)
- Health Support Specialist (HSS)
- Home Care Aide
- Residential Aide
Job Outlook for Home Health Aides
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. There will be an estimated 168,600 positions for Home Health Aide per year.
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.
Home Health Aide Average Salary
Home Health Aides make between $19,060 and $32,180 a year.
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 do I Become a Home Health Aide?
What kind of Home Health Aide requirements are there?
What work experience do I need to become a Home Health Aide?
Where Home Health Aides Work
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Related Careers
Those interested in being a Home Health Aide may also be interested in:
References:
Image Credit: Sgt. Courtney Richardson, 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.