Occupation Details
Home Health Aides
Monitor the health status of an individual with disabilities or illness, and address their health-related needs, such as changing bandages, dressing wounds, or administering medication. Work is performed under the direction of offsite or intermittent onsite licensed nursing staff. Provide assistance with routine healthcare tasks or activities of daily living, such as feeding, bathing, toileting, or ambulation. May also help with tasks such as preparing meals, doing light housekeeping, and doing laundry depending on the patient's abilities.
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Interests
Realistic
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Social
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Work Values
Relationships
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Independence
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Salary & Job Outlook
Starting Salary
$30,490.00
New York StateMedian Salary
$32,390.00
New York StateExperienced Salary
$38,380.00
New York StateNational Average for Comparison
New York State Job Market Outlook
Jobs Right Now (2018)
510,870
professionals in NYFuture Job Growth (2030)
710,570
+19,970 jobs/yearNew Jobs Every Year
93,648
new opportunities yearlyGrowth Rate
0.4%
projected increasePreparation: Experience, Training, and Education
The list below outlines the prior educational experience required to perform in this occupation.
Some Training - Certificate or hands-on training
Experience Requirements
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Education Requirements
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Training Details
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Transferrable Skills and Experience
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, tellers, and dental laboratory technicians.
School Programs
The following lists school programs which are applicable to this occupation.
Licensing & Certification
State License and Certifications Requirements are not currently associated with this occupation.
Apprenticeship
Contact your regional representative to learn more about apprenticeships available in your area by visiting Apprenticeship Contacts.
Skills
The list below includes the skills required by workers in this occupation; skills are what allow you to learn more quickly and improve your performance.
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.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Skill level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Knowledge
The list below includes knowledge items, the principles and facts required by this occupation.
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.
Psychology
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Knowledge level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Work Environment
The list below includes the physical and social factors that influence the nature of work in this occupation.
Hover over or tap each factor to see its description.
Work Styles
Included in the list below are the personal work style characteristics that can affect how well a worker is likely to perform in this occupation.
Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Concern for Others
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Independence
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Social Orientation
Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Tools & Technology
This list below describes the machines, equipment, tools, software, and information technology that workers in this occupation will use.
Tools
- Abdominal binders
- Anti-embolism elastic stockings
- Bathtub seats
- Bed cradles
- Canes
- Crutches
- Desktop computers
- Electronic blood pressure cuffs
- Enema equipment
- Foot boards
- Gait belts
- Glucometers
- Heat lamps
- Home care ventilators
- Hoyer lifts
- Ice collars
- Knee braces
- Lower extremity prosthetic devices
- Manual blood pressure cuffs
- Notebook computers
- Ostomy bags
- Oxygen equipment
- Patient lifters
- Personal digital assistants PDA
- Restraints
- Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation TENS equipment
- Upper extremity prosthetic devices
- Urinalysis test strips
- Walkers
- Walking braces
Technology
- AIGHD OASIS
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- FaceTime
- Linux
- Mi-Co software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Exchange
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Word
- Oracle software
- Python
Duties
Duties are job behaviors describing activities that occur on multiple jobs. The generalized and detailed work activities described in the list below apply to this occupation.
- purchase food or beverages
- purchase housekeeping or cleaning supplies or equipment
- instruct patients in methods to improve functional activities
- lift or transport ill or injured patients
- clean rooms or work areas
- set up patient care equipment
- change linen
- weigh patients
- use massage therapy procedures
- observe patient condition
- cook meals
- maintain dental or medical records
- administer medications or treatments
- collect specimens from patients
- feed patients
- administer enemas, irrigations, or douches to patients
- position patient for therapy
- prepare patients for tests, therapy, or treatments
- provide in home patient care
- take vital signs
- work with persons with mental disabilities or illnesses
- attend to or care for children
- entertain patients
- assist patient in walking or exercising
- assist patient with dressing, undressing, grooming, or bathing
Tasks
The list below outlines specific tasks that a worker in this occupation is called upon to do regularly.
- 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.
- 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 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.
- Care for children who are disabled or who have sick or disabled parents.
- 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.
- Accompany clients to doctors' offices or on other trips outside the home, providing transportation, assistance, and companionship.
- Perform a variety of duties as requested by client, such as obtaining household supplies or running errands.
- Change dressings.
- 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.
Learning Resources
More information on this occupation may be found in the links provided below.
Healthcare: Get Into It!
Healthcare: Get Into It! has been created as a way to explore some of the possibilities of health care careers and give you the opportunity to develop a road map to your future. Health care encompasses many disciplines and information is important. The topics include: Interest Assessment Tool, Career Options,Job Shadowing/Mentoring Programs,Career Planning, Education & Training, and Financial Aid.
Learn MoreNursing, psychiatric, and home health aides
Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.
Learn MoreSummer Scholars 2007
Summer Scholars 2007 is a health career exploration opportunity that immerses students in a health care setting for six weeks, introducing them to the daily work tasks and responsibilities of a healthcare provider or allied health professional.
Learn More