A Certified Home Health Aide Provides Valuable Services

By Audrey McGuire


A certified home health aide administers medical care to injured or ill individuals in the privacy of their own dwelling. However, such services are basic in nature and are not intended to replace medical care obtained from a licensed practitioner or physician. The demand for jobs of this type has significantly increased over the last 10 years, which experts expect is a trend that will keep going until 2016.

The goal of the aforementioned care is to help patients stay in their homes. The latter is preferable to most individuals when compared with the need to be placed in a long-term care facility. Home health aides can assist patients to perform their activities of daily living while maintaining their independence.

Certified aides perform a variety of duties. These include checking the patient's vital signs, administering oral medications, assisting the patient to walk or exercise, and helping him or her to bathe and dress. Depending on the laws the state in which the patient lives, some individuals employed in this capacity can also change dressings, perform massages, and operate ventilators.

Home health employees are always supervised by a registered or licensed nurse, or a physician. They cannot treat or diagnose a disease, or provide medical advice. However, they are instructed to report any unusual changes regarding the patient to one of the professionals listed above.

Due to the fact that many patients pay for such care with insurance, it is important for the aide to keep detailed records of the care provided. The agency then uses these records to bill the appropriate party. However, records are still kept on patients who pay for their care with their own money, as each individual must have a file with the health agency. These records are kept private for each patient and the latter are given copies of the care that was provided after each visit.

To gain certification, aides must usually complete 75 hours of training on the field, and achieve a passing grade on a written examination. The skills necessary to successfully complete their education include the ability to help lift clients, knowledge of how to properly provide personal care, and the ability to effectively communicate with their employer.

When pursuing such care for an individual who is homebound because of disease or disability, it is important to choose an agency carefully. Most home health companies are trustworthy; however, anyone should be screened carefully who will have future access to one's place of residence. To complete this task, one should obtain licensing information from any company he or she is considering, and research the background of the numerous agencies available. The latter is easy to accomplish online.

When a certified home health aide has been selected, the patient and his or her family should evaluate the person's performance for several weeks after the scheduled visits have begun. If the individual is completing his or her duties to the satisfaction of the family and patient, long-term arrangements can be made. If not, the client may need to request a different person. When the steps listed above are followed, it should not be difficult to find the most appropriate person for the job.




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