| nal and Home Care Aides work in patients' homes and | | | | • work independently, |
| rooms, helping disabled, elderly, ill, and mentally disabled | | | | • follow detailed instructions, |
| and disturbed persons live in their own homes or in | | | | • lift patients without straining or injuring |
| residential care facilities. They provide housekeeping | | | | themselves. |
| and routine personal care services, as well as | | | | Because of rapid employment growth and high |
| instruction and psychological support to their patients. | | | | replacement needs excellent job opportunities are |
| They may advise families and patients on nutrition, | | | | expected. Job growth for personal and home care |
| cleanliness, and household tasks. | | | | aides is projected to grow much faster than average |
| Aides keep records of clients' conditions, and of | | | | for all U.S. occupations. |
| services performed, and report to a supervisor who is | | | | How Much Do Personal and Home Care Aides Earn? |
| often a registered nurse (RN). Aides assist and | | | | Average hourly earnings for personal and home care |
| cooperate with health care professionals and other | | | | aides were $8.12 in May 2004. Pay ranged from less |
| medical staff. | | | | than $5.93 per hour up to more than $10.87 an hour. |
| Personal and home care aides hold over 700,000 jobs. | | | | A Day in a Personal and Home Care Aide's Life: |
| Most jobs are in home health care services; individual | | | | On a typical day a personal and home care aide will: |
| and family services; residential care facilities; and | | | | • clean clients' houses, |
| private households. Self-employed aides arrange work | | | | • do laundry, and change bed linens, |
| schedules, payment, etc., on their own. | | | | • plan meals (including special diets), shop for |
| In some states, one need only receive on-the-job | | | | food, and cook, |
| training, which generally is provided by employers. In | | | | • help clients get out of bed, bathe, dress, and |
| other states formal training may be required. This is | | | | groom, |
| available from community colleges, vocational schools, | | | | • accompany clients to doctors' appointments |
| elder care programs, and home health care agencies. | | | | or other errands, |
| National certification is offered by The National | | | | • advise families and patients on nutrition, |
| Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC). | | | | cleanliness, and household tasks, |
| Certification is a voluntary demonstration that the | | | | • assist in toilet training a severely mentally |
| individual has met industry standards. One must | | | | handicapped child, |
| complete a standard 75-hour course and written | | | | • listen to clients talk about their problems, |
| exam developed by NAHC. Home care aides seeking | | | | • keep records of services performed and of |
| certification are evaluated on 17 different skills by a | | | | clients' condition and progress, |
| registered nurse. | | | | • report changes in the client's condition to the |
| State mandated tests such as for tuberculosis may be | | | | supervisor or case manager. |
| required as part of a physical examination. Criminal | | | | I hope this article gives you a good idea of what is |
| background checks are also sometimes required for | | | | involved in the career of a Personal and Home Care |
| employment. | | | | Aide. Health care is the largest industry in the world. In |
| Personal and home care aides must be able to: | | | | the U.S. about 14 million people work in the health care |
| • help people and not mind hard work, | | | | field. More new wage and salary jobs are in health |
| • be responsible, compassionate, emotionally | | | | care than in any other industry. (Some figures from |
| stable, and cheerful, | | | | Bureau of Labor Statistics. |
| • be tactful, honest, and discreet, | | | | |