Home Health Aide

Description

A Home Health Aide is a trained paraprofessional prepared to assist professional personnel in personal care and home management as related to comfort, care, and safety of a client in the home. The Home Health Aide accepts responsibility for his/her own actions and:

• Provides necessary information on health status and experience.
• Accepts only assignments for which qualified.
• Attends agency orientation and attends minimum of 12 hours of in-service education annually.
• Practices safety and competency within the job description.
• Communicates with the agency about problems and concerns.
• Complies with State/Federal regulatory acts and agency policies.
• Communicates with office staff regarding all scheduling of home health aide services to clients.
• Completes required documentation accurately on a timely basis.
• Respects and maintains client confidentiality.
• Reports concerns of client abuse or neglect.
• Refrains from discussing personal problems, concerns, or opinions with client.
• Establishes and maintains a therapeutic relationship with client.

• Supervises Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).
• Encourages client in self-help and optional level of independence or participation in activities.
• Assists and encourages client to follow prescribed exercise program which may include range of motion (ROM) exercises and ambulation.
• Provides and assists with skin care by turning and positioning client as prescribed, and providing care to pressure point areas (e.g. back rubs).
• Assists and guides client in transfer process from bed to chair, commode or other devices.
• Assists in elimination process by giving bedpan, urinal, or bringing client to the bathroom; and measures and records intake and output.
• Assists in giving client bath, whether complete, partial, tub, or shower. Observes and reports changes in skin condition.
• Provides or assists in oral hygiene and hair care.
• Takes and records temperature, pulse, and respirations.
• Changes simple dressing (non-sterile dressing only) and reports changes in wound status.
• Shops for food and household supplies. Plans, prepares, and serves meals according to dietary instructions.
• Maintains a clean and safe environment for client by performing household services such as:
  • Cleaning and changing bed linens
  • Cleaning floors with mop and/or vacuuming
  • Cleaning bathroom and kitchen
  • Laundering, sewing, and ironing client clothes
• Uses and maintains special equipment and supplies appropriately.
• Informs supervisor of any change in client’s condition or family situation.
• Accompanies client outside the home when permitted.
• Provides or assists with postmortem care.
• Reminds client to take prescribed medications that are ordinarily self-administered.
• Tests urine for sugar and acetone and records and reports results.
• Performs additional tasks that may be assigned by the primary nurse or therapist, depending on the specific situation, on the Home Health Aide’s experience and competence. (Example: Routine uncomplicated colostomy care and decubitus care.)
• Performs only those duties listed on care plan except when instructed otherwise by clinical supervisor.

• Is at least 18 years old.
• Is flexible, sensitive to the needs of others, reliable, and able to cope with emergencies.
• Has successfully completed the required training program or its equivalent for Home Health Aides and has demonstrated competency.
• Is able to read, write, and speak English.
• Is able to carry out and understand directions and instructions.
• Is able to record messages and keep records.
• Is physically and emotionally capable of performing the job.