Home Health Aide Job Description:
What You Can Expect

The Job Description Of A Home Health Aide

By understanding the home health aide job description, you can better determine if this is the career path you plan to take. For many, being able to help those in need, often in a private home setting is not only interesting but it is a rewarding career. Though individuals do need to attend school and obtain a degree in health care to serve in this capacity, those who do will find this a well paid position with outstanding benefits, depending on where you work.

What Is The Job?

As a home health aide, you will perform the set duties requested by the client. Generally, this can range from household tasks to everyday medical needs, depending on the individual's needs. In most cases, the job description will be clearly defined at the start of the working relationship. The tasks performed will often be to provide the level of care necessary to aid an individual who is lacking in the ability to perform those tasks on his or her own.

Perhaps the best home health aide job description is one of aiding an elderly person within their home. The aide visits the place of residence as often as contracted, which could be daily or weekly. The tasks performed are often worked out previously, but many health aides will need to respond to the individuals needs that day. Some of the tasks performed may include the following:

• Light house cleaning
• Transportation to and from medical appointments or to places like the grocery store
• Administering medications from prescriptions written by a doctor
• Aiding with meal preparation
• Helping with medical treatments or physical therapy
• Providing companionship
• Maintaining the patient's care and documenting care
• Helping patients to get out of bed, take baths or even into wheelchairs or vehicles
• Helping with laundry 

One of the goals of a home health aide is to provide friendship and someone to talk to, in many cases. These often homebound individuals are lacking in the ability to get help from others, including family members.

Variations of the Home Health Aide Job Description

In some situations, home health aides will provide only medical services. In this case, the individual will be required to have a medical license of some sort, generally a nursing license.

In some situations, the individual is live in aide. This means the aide will live in the home of the individual in need and provide round the clock service, generally with breaks. These professionals may work a set weekly schedule too, such as living in while a spouse or family member is working.

In many situations, the home health aide job description will change rapidly depending on the client and where you work. Some aides work with just one individual while others provide minimal services for a set number of clients. They may work through an agency, a company, or provide their services directly to the patient without working with anyone else. Loving, compassionate people who have a genuine interest in others are best suited for this job.