A home health aide performs healthcare and assistive duties for the disabled, elderly, and people recovering from medical conditions. An aide performs such duties within the home settings of care-seekers.
More people prefer to be cared for within their own homes, which is making the home health aide occupation a high-demand job. The Job Outlook statistics of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for home health aides shows an estimate of 36% growth rate over 2018 to 2028. This growth is, the Bureau report states, faster than than average growth.
If you are interested in a career in the healthcare industry, becoming a home healthcare aide could be the job.
Home health aides are trained to provide a range of care services, including medical and healthcare services. They also assist patients with their day to day activities. Here are some key duties that a home health aide performs:
Looks after the Medical Needs of the Patient
A home health aide administers medications prescribed by the care-seeker’s doctor to address an existing chronic medical condition or recovery from an illness. The aide may also administer over-the-counter medicines according to instructions from the supervising healthcare professional.
The aide records the patient’s vital signs regularly as part of a medical recovery or observation process. Where applicable, he or she collects the patient’s biological samples for testing purposes.
In case the patient’s medical chart requires him or her to perform exercises, an aide assists the patient in sticking to such exercise routine. An aide may also offer massages and skin care if there is a need for such services.
If the patient’s healthcare needs involve wound dressing, the home health aide regularly dresses the wound to ensure hygiene and monitors the wound healing process.
The aide is also trained to help the patient use prescribed medical equipment such as a ventilator. If the patient needs assistance with a prosthetic limb, braces, or other assistive devices, then the aide provides such assistance.
A home health aide carries out all healthcare tasks under the strict supervision of the patient’s doctors. They may be required to interact with other healthcare professionals such as nurses or medical assistants upon direction from the patient’s doctor. They report the patient’s condition to the authorized person on a regular basis. They also discuss patient’s needs and applicable solutions with the authorized healthcare professionals.
An aide maintains an accurate record of his or her visits to the patient’s home. The Homehealth aide also records the patient’s time and the services that were performed on every visit.
Assists Patients in Daily Activities
In addition to medical tasks, an aide helps the patient perform his or her day-to-day activities with more efficiency. The aide accompanies the patient on regular doctor visits. He or she also assists the patient with their shopping activities and other domestic errands.
An aide assists the patient in performing basic daily activities such as bathing and dressing. The aide is also responsible for carrying out basic housekeeping activities such as helping patients with laundry.
Provides Lifestyle Support
The services of a home health aide is invaluable. An aide offers required medical assistance and services that improve the patient’s quality of life.
An aide educates patients on diet and nutrition that conforms with their medical condition. He or she also helps the patient prepare such nutritious meals.
A home health aide supports patients in keeping a healthy state of mind by spending quality time with them. An aide accompanies the patient on his or her visits to parks and recreational areas. He or she spends time by talking to patients and listening to them. An aide also keeps the patient pleasantly occupied with other activities such as reading, and game playing.
A home health aide works to support a patient mentally and physically. He or she brings a positive difference into the patient’s life. Though demanding, the job of an aide is fulfilling.
As a home health aide, you may work for home health agencies, residential healthcare service providers, and social assistance facilities.
Protect Home health Aide with the Right Insurance
If your career plan includes starting a home health aide service, protecting your business with the right insurance should be one of your first steps. A home health care agency insurance helps you minimize business risks that come with such services.
There are 2 key types of home health care agency insurance.
The General Liability insurance offers protection against claims of liability by your clients or third parties. This insurance covers costs of personal or property damage that a claimant claims to have incurred by your business. General liability is a common risk protection that is sought by businesses.
The other insurance – professional liability insurance – is more specific in nature, this type of insurance offers protection against claims of failure in rendering professional services. It can protect your business against claims of negligent, delayed or a low-quality service.
Visit the Bizinsure website for more information on general insurance and the benefits of home health professional liability insurance for your business.
