A home health aide (HHA) is also sometimes
referred to as a nursing aide (NA) or certified nursing aide (CNA).
While all three positions can be very similar to one another, each has
slightly different descriptions and certification requirements. A HHA
certificate program isn't available fully online, but some schools do
offer hybrid courses, which combine online academic study with hands-on
training in classrooms or healthcare facilities.
Online Home Health Aide Certificate Program Overview
Home Health Aid
Certificate programs are designed to teach students to care for
patients in a home healthcare environment. Skills acquired through this
program might include basic life support and an understanding of medical
terminology. Students learn to care for a patient's basic human needs,
as well as how to care for patients with illnesses or special dietary
needs. Although certification is often voluntary in this field, many
programs are designed to prepare students to take national certification
exams offered by the National Association for Home Care & Hospice.
Program Specifics and Requirements
Home health aides are primarily employed with home healthcare
agencies, which assign them to individuals living at home or in
long-term care facilities. Not all agencies require home health aides to
be certified. However, healthcare employers who receive compensation
from the government in the form of Medicare or Medicaid payments are
legally required to ensure HHAs complete a 75-hour training program and a
minimum of 16 supervised hours of training. In some instances, HHAs are
also required to gain state certification or complete a competency
evaluation before they are permitted to work with patients. These
minimum certification requirements are set forth by the Federal
Government specifically for healthcare employers that receive government
funding; individual states may require additional training or criteria
for certification.
Although HHA certificate programs aren't available fully online, they
are offered in hybrid formats, which allow students to complete some
coursework online, while also attending classes on campus or completing
clinical experiences in person. Although programs vary, some aspects of
the online component may include an electronic video library, threaded
discussions, interactive activities and live chats.
Descriptions of Common Courses
Credits and timelines may vary, but some online Home Health Aide
Certificate programs allow students to complete coursework in as little
as six weeks. Additional clinical components may also be required.
Home Health Aide Introduction Course
This course provides a broad overview of the typical job duties a HHA
can be expected to perform, as well as the role he or she is to play
within the client's home when working with family members or other
healthcare professionals. Topics may include personal health
maintenance, preparation and storage of food, and social needs
sensitivity.
Medical Terminology Course
Designed as an introductory course, basic medical vocabulary is
introduced, as well as commonly used abbreviations and symbols used in
medical charts and other related documents.
Nutrition Course
Students are introduced to different types of nutritious foods and
meal preparation techniques. Emphasis is placed on the correlation
between healthy diets and the prevention of certain types of diseases.
Basic Life Support Course
This class focuses primarily on essential life-saving techniques that
all healthcare providers should know. Topics include injury management,
first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), burns and other related
subjects.
Medication Mathematics Course
The class is a basic skills mathematics course, covering units of
measurement and their relation to dosage calculations. HHAs may only
dispense medication if it has been pre-poured by a nurse or other more
highly trained healthcare professional.
Career Statistics
Depending on the needs of a patient, job duties for HHAs vary widely.
Light housekeeping and day-to-day tasks, such as feeding, dressing, or
accompanying a patient to an appointment are typical. While working
under the supervision of a more advanced healthcare professional, like a
nurse, a HHA may check some vital statistics, such as taking a
temperature or a pulse. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS), employment growth for home health aides is projected to remain
extremely strong, growing 50% between 2008-2018 (
www.bls.gov).
Also noted by the BLS, nearly 922,000 individuals were employed as home
health aides in 2008, earning a median hourly wage of $9.22. Pay
increases may be available as work experience and additional
responsibility also increase, but advancement is generally limited in
this field without further certification.
Those home health aides who seek national or state certification may
be required to complete continuing education courses to maintain
certification, although criteria vary by state and employer. Due to the
lack of advancement opportunities in the field, some home health aides
may choose to complete additional certificate programs to become a
certified nursing assistant (CAN) or an associate's or bachelor's degree
in nursing.
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