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8 Reasons to Become An Effective Home Health Aide
A home health aid career is a practical choice. Home health aides are one of the unsung heroes of the medical field. They provide frontline care for patients who struggle with everyday activities. Also, they significantly improve their patients’ lid their family’s lives. Here are eight reasons to become a home health aide that will make you want to put on your scrubs and get to work.
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A home health aide and a patient’s quality of life.
We take being able to complete everyday tasks for granted until we can’t anymore. However, many home health patients, especially seniors, struggle with being unable to do basic things they never had to think about before. Such as getting dressed or making themselves lunch. As a home health aide, you will improve these patients’ quality of life. You’ll also provide companionship and social interaction, which is beneficial since the patients often become isolated due to mobility issues. Your presence can help improve their health; these associate biomarkers of health.
I am making a difference.
Your work doesn’t just impact the patient you’re caring for. But the entire support ecosystem around them can have positive ripple effects beyond your knowledge. On the other hand, caregiving can wear down family members, especially if they’re not professionally trained and balancing it.
- A full-time job
- Caring for children
- Or other responsibilities.
This burnout can compromise their performance in their daily life and put a strain on their marriage and other relationships. This can lead to health problems and otherwise negatively impact their lives. As a home health aide, you’ll help ease the burden on family caregivers and help restore some order to their lives.
You can help patients avoid institutionalization.
Many aging adults fear leaving their homes and being taken to nursing homes, hospitals, or other facilities. But, unfortunately, when caregiving at home isn’t a viable option. Families often feel like they have no other choices–and that’s where home health aides come in. Being able to stay at home and still receive professional care can be a massive relief for older adults (and patients of any age). Getting care at home allows them to maintain a sense of normalcy and routine while keeping them safe and healthy. Aging, surgery, and other medical events can take a toll, and being able to stay in the comfort of your home makes a big difference.
The schedule is flexible.
While you can make a full-time career out of being one, you don’t have to. Many come to the job for its flexible schedule and part-time opportunities. This makes being one a good option for those who are in the:
- School
- Taking care of a family
- Easing back into the workforce
- Or balancing other commitments.
Many agencies offer various scheduling options. And if you go into business for yourself working, you’ll have even more freedom to set your schedule.
You do not need that much schooling.
Compared to other medical careers, becoming a home health aide requires much less schooling (and, therefore, less student debt). So it’s relatively easy to get your career started. You aren’t required to have a college or high school diploma. Some have trained as certified nursing assistants (CNAs) or licensed vocational nurses (LVN). There are also some certifications available specifically for them. However, for the most part, home health aides can train on the job by nurses or other medical staff. Home health aides who work for Medicare or Medicaid-certified agencies must meet specific training. As well as certification standards, so check your state’s requirements.
The job outlook is good.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts demand for home health aides will grow 41 percent between 2016 and 2026. A much faster than the average growth rate for all occupations (7 percent). This works out to an additional 1,208,800 jobs by 2026 (more than a million). As the baby boomer population grows and more of the population becomes elderly. We’ll need home health aides more than ever, so don’t fret about job opportunities drying up. If anything, we won’t be able to hire enough people like home health aides rather than the other way around.
You can try out different specialties and facilities.
This work allows you to explore your career options regarding the facility and specialty. They work in various settings, including client’s homes, group homes, and day services programs. While many work with elderly clients, you may also be able to work with clients of other ages. Such as young children recovering from major surgery or adults with disabilities who need help with everyday activities. This broad range of experience can help you focus on where you want your career to go in the future. This brings us to our next point:
It can be a stepping stone to another medical career.
Many future employers or schools in the medical field will look for evidence that you have some experience in healthcare. And being a home health aide is a relatively easy way to get entry-level expertise. For example, if you want to become a nurse specializing in gerontology (taking care of older people), you aren’t entirely sure. Working with seniors as a home health aide can help you figure this out before you set foot in a school or pay a dime in tuition because of your close one-on-one work with clients. You’ll also develop great empathy and compassion, essential qualities for anyone in the medical field.
Conclusion
Being a home health aide isn’t for everyone (no job is), but it can be a fulfilling career for life or a short while. Home health aides make a difference every day, so grab your nursing bag and prepare for your first client visit. Also, check out this article on the requirements of a family caregiver.
Author bio:
Deborah Swanson is a Coordinator for the Real Caregivers Program at allheart.com. A site dedicated to celebrating medical professionals and their journeys. She keeps busy interviewing caregivers and writing about them and loves gardening.