Home Health Aide (Certified)

Tasks

• Maintain records of patient care, condition, progress, or problems to report and discuss observations with supervisor or case manager.

• Provide patients with help moving in and out of beds, baths, wheelchairs, or automobiles and with dressing and grooming.

• Bathe patients.

• Care for patients by changing bed linens, washing and ironing laundry, cleaning, or assisting with their personal care.

• Entertain, converse with, or read aloud to patients to keep them mentally healthy and alert.

• Plan, purchase, prepare, or serve meals to patients or other family members, according to prescribed diets.

• Check patients' pulse, temperature, and respiration.

• Provide patients and families with emotional support and instruction in areas such as caring for infants, preparing healthy meals, living independently, or adapting to disability or illness.

• Perform a variety of duties as requested by client, such as obtaining household supplies or running errands.

• Direct patients in simple prescribed exercises or in the use of braces or artificial limbs.

• Massage patients or apply preparations or treatments, such as liniment, alcohol rubs, or heat-lamp stimulation.

• Administer prescribed oral medications, under the written direction of physician or as directed by home care nurse or aide, and ensure patients take their medicine.

• Care for children who are disabled or who have sick or disabled parents.

• Accompany clients to doctors' offices or on other trips outside the home, providing transportation, assistance, and companionship.

• Change dressings.

Skills

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

• Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.

• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

• Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Knowledge

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.