An Inside Look at the Day of a Home Health Aide
On any given day, a home health aide (HHA) can expect to be busy.
They help people with daily living activities and keep the house in order so that they may live as independently as possible for as long as possible. It is not an easy job by any means, but it pays off when you see the joy on someone’s face who has been struggling to complete simple tasks without assistance. Let us take a tour of the day of a home health aide and learn what their duties are like!
The typical day for a home health aide starts with an early morning wake-up to ensure they are ready on time.
Once prepared, HHA’s will travel either inside or outside of the patient’s household, depending on where their duties need them most at that moment.
In The Beginning
Home health aides often work in the mornings and evenings, so it’s important to be prepared by getting enough sleep before starting their shift.
Home health aides are one of the most important links in an elderly patient’s healthcare. They meet with nurses and doctors to review their patients’ needs, call them for appointments, provide care on a daily basis – making sure they have everything from bathing supplies to medicine as well as providing companionship when needed; all this while juggling time between other responsibilities like cooking or cleaning.
Home health aides take great pride in helping seniors live happier and healthier lives. So much so that these angels literally put themselves last by taking off hours at work just to help out during emergencies!
Duties During the HHA Shift
The day starts with a routine check-in on every patient. This includes reviewing the needs of their patients, and checking if they have everything from bathing supplies to medicine – all while juggling other responsibilities like cooking or cleaning.
A home health aide also may need to call one of his/her patients for an appointment, coordinate care between doctors and hospitals, help them bathe or dress in a time of emergency when needed and make sure that any special medical equipment is working properly.
Sometimes she will even be called upon to provide companionship so he stays company during mealtime!
For many home health aides, the drive in between patient homes can provide a short break that CNA’s and medical assistants may not get. The ride provides these professionals with an opportunity to catch up on rest or use their lunch breaks wisely for purposes such as calling family members or updating social media.
Home health aides can assist with a variety of tasks aimed at helping the individual to live independently. Some common services may include cooking, laundry and housekeeping assistance for daily living needs such as bathing, dressing or eating in addition to personal care like shaving.
Home healthcare aids are often responsible for taking on just about all that is necessary when it comes to caring for patients who are homebound due illness or disability including: preparing meals; doing household chores like laundry and cleaning; providing socialization opportunities by accompanying them out into public settings while also giving emotional support through conversation.
End of the Shift of the Home Health Aide
At the end of their shift, a home health aide will return any items they borrowed from the patient and then make sure everything is put away in an orderly fashion.
They may also do some additional cleaning before hosing off their hands or using hand sanitizer to clean themselves up for lunch break.
Paperwork is a chore at best, and for some home health aides it’s no exception. Though many work in their patients’ homes to avoid the tedium of paperwork on top of tending to medical needs, others prefer working from wherever they are most comfortable – even if that means doing so inside their car or back at home.
After work: Home healthcare aides have time after work where they are free to pursue personal interests- which can be anything from reading books, listening to music or playing with pets around town.
Summary
If you are considering a career in the healthcare industry, home health aide may be one of your best options. Aside from being an important part of the medical treatment team, their job also provides them with many other benefits that make it worth pursuing as a long-term goal.
We hope this blog post has given you some insight into what day to day life is like for these professionals and helped answer any questions about whether or not they’re right for you!
