Become a Certified Home Health Aide and Earn $15/Hour!
Explore lucrative career opportunities in the rapidly expanding field of home healthcare with our comprehensive guide. Discover how you can earn a substantial income as a certified Home Health Aide, catering to the increasing needs of America’s aging population. Our guide covers all aspects of Home Health Aide training, including finding local classes in , online certification options, and more. Start your journey towards a rewarding career in home health care today!
What Is A Home Health Aide (HHA)?
A Home Health Aide helps elderly or disabled individuals perform basic day-to-day tasks. This can include anything from simple cooking and cleaning to bathing, grooming, or dressing.
Home Health Aides in are employed in a variety of settings including nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, retirement communities, hospitals and more. The duties of this position vary depending on the needs of patients and what they need assistance with at any given time.
Some HHA work is done for pay while other services may be provided as part of an individual’s living arrangement without charge (i.e., room & board).
The Home Health Aide profession is expected to grow by 55% over the next decade so it’s important that you get started now!
Do You Need to Take HHA Classes?
You can take Home Health Aide classes at community colleges, nursing schools, technical or vocational schools, and even online.
In most cases the application process is fairly simple with some institutions only requiring that you submit an application form along with a copy of your driver’s license.
Do You Need to Take Classes? No!
The requirements vary by state but more often than not all training is provided on-the-job once employed by an employer. Even if you need additional certification (which typically isn’t required) it’s still possible to get that after working as a HHA for 12 months in lieu of taking class time off work.
Once certified as an HHA there are no continuing education requirements so don’t let this scare you.
How to Get Your Certification To Work as a HHA
Getting an HHA certification is not difficult.
The first step is to find a training program that’s right for you. There are many different types of programs available, and there may be one near where you live or work.
Ask your friends, family members or coworkers if they know any HHA classes in the area. You can also search online – just type “home health aide certification” into Google (fill in your desired location) to see what comes up most often!
Once you have found an appropriate class it will usually take about 75 hours to complete over two weeks’ time.
The majority of these courses are designed as on-the-job training with some classroom instruction; however, this is not always required depending on where the course takes place.
For example, community colleges are a great resource for HHA certification classes. They often offer a selection of different courses that range from one day to two weeks in length, and they are usually very affordable too!
The next step is to prepare for the course by reading the curriculum beforehand. This will help with understanding what is required and give you an idea of how much studying you need to do before starting class so it’s not over whelming when you get there.
It can also be helpful if your instructor makes any changes or additions after-the-fact because having already prepared for those topics means you won’t have a difficult time adjusting to them in person.
What Is A Training Program for a Home Health Aide?
The Home Health Aide Training Program is designed to prepare you for the everyday realities of your job as an HHA.
You are responsible not only for health, but also well-being and continued care of these patients – so it’s best that you take this training very seriously!
A typical HHA training program will teach you the following:
- General principles of care
- How to engage with patients and their families in order to provide a high level of service
- The anatomy, physiology, and symptoms of diseases that are common among older adults.
You may also be taught about specialized equipment or how to work with specific populations such as mental health conditions, dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease etc. These courses can sometimes include practicum hours so that future HHAs know what they should expect when working on an actual patient.
This is a great opportunity for you to get ahead in your career. Passing this certification course will make it possible for employers all over the country and world, not just those in areas that require HHA certification or training programs, to hire you on as a home health aide.
Even if they don’t offer free courses where you live – which many do! – obtaining any level of qualification can only help improve your chances of employment opportunities down the line because there are so few certified attendants available today due to unprecedented demand among aging baby boomers who want quality care during their golden years but cannot afford private nursing homes
Health Aide Certification Exam
To become a certified Home Health Aide, you won’t just need to undergo an HHA course. You’ll also need to pass the Home Health Aide Certification exam. Again, this is not required in every state.
But if you live in a state that requires certification, then the HHA exam is typically administered by an approved organization.
You could not take this test on your own because it’s unlike any other standardized assessment. Instead, you will have to prepare for it with training from one of these organizations before actually taking the test.
The good news is that each course has its own website with information about how to study and what materials are provided during instruction time- so be sure to ask questions when enrolling!
Health Aide Schools
If you want to enter the health care field, but don’t have a four-year degree then there are plenty of options available for just that. Community colleges and technical institutes offer in-person courses where they help prepare you for Home Health Aide Certification exams all while giving out certification upon completion.
If you’re looking to take your first steps into the medical field, there are many degree paths that offer a strong foundation in health care. Health aide schools teach students everything they need to know about how best serve patients and homebound individuals who require assistance with tasks such as bathing, cooking for themselves or managing their medications.
Whether you choose an online school or one near where you live is up to personal preference; but whichever path suits them better will have lasting benefits both on their resume and in future careers as professional health care workers like yourself!
How much can I make as a HHA?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2022, there were approximately 3,504,230 Home Health and Personal Care Aides employed in the United States.
On average, they earn an hourly wage of $14.87, which amounts to an annual wage of $30,930. See more about salaries for a home health aide.
| Industry | Hourly Mean Wage | Annual Mean Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | $26.89 | $55,940 |
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | $19.78 | $41,150 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $19.56 | $40,680 |
| Educational Support Services | $19.30 | $40,150 |
| Other Investment Pools and Funds | $18.27 | $38,000 |
Over the past decade, home care workers have seen a very modest increase in their median hourly wages. Wages grew from $12.26 in 2012 to $14.50 in 2022. This recent rise in wages was significantly influenced by temporary funding measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as these measures have phased out, there’s a noticeable slowdown in wage growth. In fact, the inflation-adjusted median hourly wages for home care workers decreased from $15.22 in 2021 to $14.50 in 2022, indicating a potential reversal in the trend.
Some HHA jobs provide a set wage while others offer an hourly rate. Home health aides who are willing to work for less than their competitors will be able to find employment easily since there’s always need in the industry.
However, many employers expect candidates to have at least some experience before they’re hired and won’t consider applicants without any qualifications or previous training – so make sure you’re meeting those requirements!
Earning More as a HHA
The simplest way to earn more as a home health aide is to work more hours.
Many home health aide jobs offer a salary per hour, so increasing their hourly rate will also increase their annual income because they’ll be working for more days in the year as well.
The other way to make more money is by obtaining certifications and additional training that can help them meet the requirements of employers who might require certain qualifications before hiring someone with little or no experience.
The best place to start is researching what’s required from potential employers beforehand so you’re ready when an opportunity arises!
Most home health aide jobs are hourly-paid positions, but you can be making $15 per hour.
You’ll need to complete the HHA training program and pass a certification exam before getting hired as an HHA at all – even if your salary is higher than average for that position! Read on below to find out how best to prepare yourself in order to get paid what you deserve when it comes time for job interviews.
Does having my home health aide certification allow me to make more money?
Does Having My HHA Certification Allow Me To Make More Money?
Yes!
The average home health aide salary for those who have their certification is $15.00 per hour (or more, depending on the employer).
Just like jobs that offer a guaranteed wage vs an hourly rate, some employers will pay higher rates to certified employees while others won’t. It’s worth noting that many HHA positions are considered entry level and involve tasks such as taking care of patients in their homes or assisting them with daily activities such as cooking or cleaning – so this experience can also be good preparation for other careers.
