Making [Extra] Money in These Uncertain Times

Are struggling to make ends meet as a home health aide (HHA)?

You want to be able to pay off your debt and build a secure future for you and your family!

Solution: Make more money as a home health aide by using our guide and tools!

We have worked very hard to become a HHA with all of the training/clinical work and worked hard to pass the competency exam.

Because there are so many opportunities to actually get a job as a home health aide it was exciting to start working and take home that first paycheck! I remember it just like yesterday as I bought a brand-new outfit to wear that weekend to help celebrate with my family.

So how did things change so quickly!?

Coronavirus and HHA’s

The details of what has happened are well beyond this post: so much has been written about the coronavirus (COVID- 19) I will not bore or scare you with details.

Though, there is some basic information you should be aware of and how it impacts what we do as home health aides.

A “coronavirus” is associated with a family of viruses that are common in both people and animals.

Symptoms (ranging from mild to very severe) of the virus may appear 2-14 days after exposure and they include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Difficulty breathing
• Diarrhea

There are certain actions to help prevent the spread of the virus:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Stay home when you are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing

But is this anything we don’t already practice as a home health aide?

The guideline of staying more than six (6) feet away from someone who has COVID-19 (or suspected) makes perfect sense…. but how can that be as you enter a home to take care of your client?

As a home care professional, the coronavirus has turned our lives upside down.

Here’s something we can both agree on…

Whether you are a HHA, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or a Registered Nurse (RN) – your world has shifted and will most likely never be the same.

How The Coronavirus Affects Home Health Aides

Go ahead.

Try finding the latest news about the “coronavirus and nursing homes”. You’ll be overwhelmed.

Much has been written about how many, if not all, are in a state of a virtual lockdown. The spread of the virus has been linked to many skilled nursing facilities (also know as nursing homes) and owners / operators are taking no chances. How many pictures can you bear to see of a family member unable to see an aging relative; they make signs and posters and point to a window above as the patient quietly waves and blows a kiss- just heart wrenching.

And it’s almost the same with hospitals as they prepare to receive the critical patients with COVID-19; folks cannot make routine appointments and visitors are turned away in order to minimize the risk of infection to all and to make sure congestion is held to a minimum as health care teams rush around in preparation.

OK, but how is the virus directly affecting home health aides?

The patients (also know as clients) who are living at home and depend upon the daily help of skilled and certified home health aides may be at risk:

• some health aides may not have the necessary protection such as gloves, masks and gowns in order to protect themselves and clients from contracting or spreading the virus
• mny home health agencies and operators may not be willing or able to send in their home care aides to help clients

(There is additional pressure on agencies. Medicare regulations may not cover appointments conducted remotely (i.e. telehealth); this will be a time of many agencies closing up shop as they are forced to go out of business with reduced Medicare reimbursements.)

No / Low Work and HHA’s Don’t Get Paid

Many aides are not going to work as they are cautious about getting or spreading the virus. This creates a burden for, not only the agency but, all the other home health aides.

There is a plus side to all of this, too. Since some aides are not going to work it has created an increased hiring demand and agencies are in more of a need of HHA’s; the staff turnover will increase.

Home health aides are not in a position to “work from home” like so many others such as office workers, technology folks and even some positions in health care. We are on the front line taking care of folks – no telehealth care can provide the level of support and assistance as HHA’s can.

Our work requires us to physically walk into a client’s home to help him/her with activities of daily living tasks such as bathing, feeding, getting dressed and helping out with tasks around the home.

Without working as a home health aide – we don’t get paid. Period.

Losing Your Job

Some home health agency are being super cautious, as they should be, and restricting hours that aides can work with their clients – especially the elderly and ones with underlying health conditions.

(And there’s another thing – doesn’t just about everyone has an underlying health condition? I always thought so, but these are more serious conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart/lung/liver disease, COPD and cancer. Then there’s others that weaken the immune system: pneumonia, lupus, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.)

Others have been told not to report to work at all, stay home and wait for a call to return to work. That’s very scary and unnerving.
Not working means no money. Ouch – we all have bills to pay which are not going away.

Making [Extra?] Money While Staying Home

Let me break this down for you…

In every difficult situation, there are hidden possibilities. In the midst of all the chaos, unique opportunities are created.

There are other ways to make money without actually leaving home; these allow us to make money to pay our bills and make sure we have food for our family and may even a little extra – even if we cannot work as HHA because of the coronavirus.

So what’s the solution?

Let me walk you through a couple of ways I have made extra $200 – $500 a month while never leaving my apartment.

You, too, can make money while you’re adhering to social distancing.

Want a Cool $200 For Your Opinion?

Paid surveys online are by far the easiest way to make money while at home. While there are some companies that may be a bit shady, there are many legitimate online survey companies.

Here’s the interesting part:

You don’t need any special skills to do surveys. All you have to do is give your honest opinion and get paid for it. Most importantly, it can be a fun way to pick up some extra cash while using your desktop or laptop. Heck, we’re on them enough – might as well make some money while we’re at it, right?

This can be a quick way of making easy money while watching TV or listening to music. I did a bunch of surveys since March and made $300 in two weeks (PLUS there was a $50 bonus).

Not bad to help with a new outfit I wanted plus pay some bills.

Many survey companies will pay you cash to take paid surveys while some will offer gift vouchers, free products, and prizes.

If you are looking for a legitimate survey site, try the one I have used, the top-rated/paying survey site. They are rated very highly and one of the best sites that pay you for taking surveys, watching movies, and playing games. I focused on the surveys because they were fun, and I made money quicker!

(Atención. ¡Esto es completamente nuevo, ahora puede tomar estas encuestas en español!)

Surf The Internet From Your Couch And Start Collecting

How many times a day do we go online to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. and before we know it we’ve just spent an hour looking at our phone or tablet?

I’m guilty of it and am sure many others are as well.

There is a way to actually make this time we spend on social media a bit more productive and get paid to help businesses with their Facebook and Twitter accounts right away!

Here’s an example of how a single mom makes more than $700 every single week helping businesses with their Facebook and Twitter accounts!

I looked at their website and it looks quite amazing.

Take a look at the video; to make any extra cash today while at home is huge; just the fact that you can do this at home is compelling!

Looking for more work at home opportunities? Here’s a few more very reputable ways to make money while at home.

Your Health

And one final note about staying at home during these trying times.

Don’t forget to take care of yourself: physically, mentally and emotionally. You need to take care of yourself in order to care for others.

Physically

Get out. Take a walk – you’d be amazed at how good you will feel once you take those first steps. Push yourself as I did. Once I’m out the door I wonder why I don’t do it more often as it clears my head and refreshes me.

You keep hearing of “social distancing” but that doesn’t mean you can’t go out for a walk or jog.

And eat right to be healthy – I know that’s silly because we may not have the food that we really need or want given our limited time to go out and shop; consider a meal delivery serve. Though they may seem pricey if you make money doing those online survey you may be able to get meals delivered right to your door.

Mentally

Having limited human contact can create feelings of isolation and loneliness. Talk to others on the phone/computer… reach out to others as you may become anxious and agitated. Talking to others will make us feel less like we’re all under quarantine.

Emotionally

Some folks focus solely on physical and mental health and never emotional health. People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.  It means you are aware of your emotions. And as a home health aide you need to be able to deal with them, whether they are positive or negative.

In Summary

Take care of yourself during these uncertain times; take the advice of professionals and if you’re advised to stay away from your clients as a home health aide they please do so. As you find the need to earn extra money you may want to consider the many easy work-at-home options in order to keep up with your bills and other expenses.