Positions in Home Health Care

There is a growing need for professionals in the home health care field. If you have thought about a change in careers, or are trying to determine what career path you would like to take, there are an abundance of jobs in the home health care industry. This is a field that is expected to continue growing over the next several years. Many of these home health care jobs deal with providing services for the elderly, but there are also positions that assist with care for patients that are younger or suffering from illness, as well as individuals that are disabled. The variety in positions is not a lot, but the need is great. Working in the home health care field provides individuals with an immediate reward as they provided services that improve the quality of life for others. If you are more management-minded but still want to make a difference, you might want to consider a job as an account manager or a placement agent. This type of position gets you involved in the up-front interview phase of the home health care process. You will meet with the family or client and help them decide on the action plan that best meets the need for the type of care required. If you prefer to work directly with the patient, you could consider becoming a home health aide. This job will allow you to interact directly with the patient. This is a good position for someone that wants to see the immediate rewards of the efforts they put into their job. You can work directly for the patient, or their family, or you can work through an agency that will place you with a patient. There are multiple types of positions in home health care agencies. However, the two most common are Personal Care Aide (PCA) or Home Health Aide (HHA). Each position requires specialized training as well as supervision by a Registered Nurse. Similar in many aspects, there are differences that should be noted between the two. A Personal Care Aide can meet the daily needs of an individual that requires assistance. They may perform duties like bathing the patient, or helping them with walking and exercising. A PCA has also been trained to assist with tasks like toileting. They also are trained in how to help with transfers using mechanical lifts. A PCA might also be hired to help with cleaning, meal preparations, and running errands. A Home Health Aide is able to provide the same nonprofessional nursing services as the PCA. However, in addition to providing the same services as a PCA, a Home Health Aide is also trained in other areas. For example, they can provide services like recording fluid intake, measuring vital signs, or assisting with any bandaging needs of the patient. A job in this industry often leaves you feeling at the end of the day that you made a difference in the life of another person. The home health care industry may not give a great variety in the positions available, but it does have a great amount of job opportunities available with our geriatric population.