Home Care Health Services Requirements

Home Health Care Services provide a combination of home health aides and personal home care aides who assist and care for individuals who are disabled, cognitively impaired, chronically ill, or the elderly living in their own home environment. Many hospice organizations and day programs also offer home health care services. Because of the nature of their work, individuals who work with home health care agencies are required to have proper training, certification, and other qualifications. They must also possess a genuinely caring demeanor toward their patients.

Personality and Personal Strength

• Working in home health services is physically demanding. Individuals must be able to lift at least 50 pounds because many aides are required to lift patients to and from their beds, and assist with dressing and other procedures. Workers must also have a kind, sensitive manner because they will be assisting individuals with a variety of personalities and a host of different needs. Some patients may be angry, abusive, or depressed because of their illness or disability, and aides must be capable of fulfilling their needs in a calm, pleasant way.

Training

• Formal training, available at most community colleges, is required for individuals who want to work in home health services. In some cases, home health agencies will provide on-the-job training by supervisors or registered nurses. Training includes cooking for special diets, housekeeping tasks and general safety techniques. Unlike nursing assistants, individuals who work for home health services are not required to obtain a high school diploma.

Competency Examination

• Home health care aides who work for agencies reimbursed by Medicare and Medicaid are required to successfully complete a minimum 75 hours of training and a competency examination. Before any home health aide can have direct contact with patients, she must complete a minimum of 16 hours of supervised training followed by a competency exam. The competency exam will cover everything that was taught during the training, including the techniques and knowledge of personal hygiene, safe transfer techniques, infection control, and reading and recording vital signs.

  Personal and home care aides are not required to be certified.

Physical Examination and Background Check

• A state-mandated physical examination is required to become a home health services worker. The physical examination includes tests for tuberculosis, hepatitis and other diseases. During the examination individuals will also be given vaccinations such as the hepatitis B vaccination. Individuals also have to undergo and pass a criminal background check in order to work as a home health services or home personal care aide.