How to Become an HHA in Florida

A home health aide (HHA) is a health care professional who helps a physically or mentally impaired individual outside of a healthcare facility. An HHA will typically help an individual with housekeeping and homemaking tasks, such as laundry and preparing meals, and health-related issues, such as advising on proper nutrition. Although some states have licensing or certification requirements for HHAs, Florida is not one of them. However, most HHA agencies will require that you successfully complete a training program before you begin working.

Instructions

• 1

  Obtain a high school diploma. While this isn't a requirement, those who graduate high school are preferred over those who have not. Because an HHA position is multi-faceted, take a variety of courses in high school, including health, science, communications and home economics.

• 2

  Attend a college in Florida that offers an HHA program and complete at least 75 hours of training. This isn't a requirement to become an HHA for all HHA agencies, but it will help you improve your chances of obtaining HHA employment. Call the public vocational technical school or private career education school in your area to see if they offer HHA courses. Ensure the school is licensed by the Florida Department of Education.

• 3

  Volunteer for a home healthcare agency in your area. Your tasks could involve accompanying an HHA on a job, preparing an HHA's resources or doing administrative work. Volunteering will give you valuable experience that is attractive to an employer.

• 4

  Compose a resume that details your academic and professional background in home healthcare.

• 5

  Apply to a home healthcare agency or nurse registry with your resume and proof of training. If you've completed at least 75 hours of training, the agency will ask you to complete a competency evaluation, which is usually a written and verbal test. A nurse registry requires that you provide documentation of successful completion of at least 40 hours of training.