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Home health aid vs primary caregiver

The differences between home health aids and primary caregivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a primary caregiver has an average salary of $29,576, which is higher than the $27,249 average annual salary of a home health aid.

The top three skills for a home health aid include home health, patients and companionship. The most important skills for a primary caregiver are home health, senior care, and PET.

Home health aid vs primary caregiver overview

Home Health AidPrimary Caregiver
Yearly salary$27,249$29,576
Hourly rate$13.10$14.22
Growth rate36%36%
Number of jobs248,49050,392
Job satisfaction4.294
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 32%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age5048
Years of experience--

Home health aid vs primary caregiver salary

Home health aids and primary caregivers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Home Health AidPrimary Caregiver
Average salary$27,249$29,576
Salary rangeBetween $20,000 And $36,000Between $22,000 And $38,000
Highest paying CityReading, MA-
Highest paying stateMassachusetts-
Best paying companySt. Jude Children's Research Hospital-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between home health aid and primary caregiver education

There are a few differences between a home health aid and a primary caregiver in terms of educational background:

Home Health AidPrimary Caregiver
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 32%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common majorNursingBusiness
Most common college--

Home health aid vs primary caregiver demographics

Here are the differences between home health aids' and primary caregivers' demographics:

Home Health AidPrimary Caregiver
Average age5048
Gender ratioMale, 13.6% Female, 86.4%Male, 29.2% Female, 70.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 24.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 23.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 35.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 7.5% White, 58.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage5%7%

Differences between home health aid and primary caregiver duties and responsibilities

Home health aid example responsibilities.

  • Clean house, cook, run errands, take to doctor appointments
  • Prepare for HIPAA and JCAHO reviews, ensuring require brochures and pamphlets are available to patients in all clinics.
  • Conduct insurance verifications for Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance patients.
  • Perform ADL's, medication administration, pulmonary therapy, daily physiotherapy.
  • Provide physical and emotional support and companionship to senior adults in degenerative loss of memory and/or motor functions.
  • Obtain household supplies and run daily errands.
  • Show more

Primary caregiver example responsibilities.

  • Assist patient with ADL's.
  • Handle all referrals to housing, detoxification, rehabilitation, organization, and agencies.
  • Verse and familiar with caring for a patient with mild to advance Alzheimer's disease.
  • Step away from full-time work to serve as caregiver to grandmother diagnose with Alzheimer's disease.
  • Provide routine personal care and companionship.
  • Provide transportation within community, supervise and provide companionship for clients during physician appointment, shopping and errands.
  • Show more

Home health aid vs primary caregiver skills

Common home health aid skills
  • Home Health, 22%
  • Patients, 13%
  • Companionship, 7%
  • Patient Care, 5%
  • HHA, 5%
  • CPR, 4%
Common primary caregiver skills
  • Home Health, 44%
  • Senior Care, 19%
  • PET, 16%
  • Autism, 11%
  • Dementia Care, 4%
  • Taking Care, 2%

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