Health Care Jobs: Home Health Aide |
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August 4, 2006
by AJ Fanter
AJFanter@healthcare-programs.com
Healthcare Programs Columnist
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for qualified home health aides is quite high. In fact, the Bureau notes that those providing this kind of care have excellent job prospects.
Furthermore, the Bureau has projected that this particular segment of health care jobs will be the fastest growing occupation in the country through 2014.
Whom Do Home Health Aides Care For?
Home health aides care for those who are disabled, elderly, recovering from severe illness, or who have been discharged from a hospital after surgery. However, they care for their patients in their homes rather than in a hospital or other health care facility. Generally, these jobs involve providing the kind of care that a patient's family and friends may not be able to provide.
What Do Home Health Aides Do?
Professionals who work in home health care jobs may check a patient's pulse, breathing rate, and temperature as well as give medication - all under the direction of a nurse, doctor, or other medical staff. Home health aides may care for a patient by assisting with prescribed exercises, helping to keep the patient's room clean, as well as assisting the person with bathing, dressing, and grooming. After experience and training, home health aides may also take care of duties like changing non-sterile dressings, providing massages and alcohol rubs, and assisting with ventilators and other medical equipment. Home health aides typically keep records of the care they provide to a patient and report any changes in their condition to a registered nurse, therapist, or social worker.
Becoming a Home Health Aide
If this challenging health care job sounds interesting to you, it is important to be aware that the federal government requires roughly 75 hours of specialized training in order to ensure that you are prepared to care properly for your patients.
If you are looking for an interesting and important health care job with excellent prospects, maybe it’s time to consider training to become a home health aide.
Source
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition, Nursing, Psychiatric, and Home Health Aides
About the Author
Amy J. Price-Fanter is a freelance writer. She holds a B.A. in English from Colby College with a concentration in Education.
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