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What is a home health assistant and how to become one
A home health assistant provides in-home care for patients who are elderly, disabled, or recovering from an illness or injury. They assist with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and meal preparation. Home health assistants also monitor patients' health, administer medications and medical treatments as directed by a physician, and document patients' progress. Home health assistants must have a compassionate nature, good communication skills, and the ability to work independently while following protocols and procedures.
What general advice would you give to a home health assistant?
Penny Ridenour
Dean of School of Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City
Avg. Salary $31,161
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 36%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.11%
Asian 10.47%
Black or African American 23.99%
Hispanic or Latino 23.41%
Unknown 5.40%
White 35.62%
Genderfemale 77.09%
male 22.91%
Age - 51American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 51Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is excellent
6.4 - fair
What are the pros and cons of being a home health assistant?
Pros
Flexible work schedule
Wide range of patients with diverse needs
Potential for personal and professional growth
In-demand job market
Variety of work settings, including homes, clinics, and hospice facilities
Cons
Emotionally challenging work, dealing with illness and death
Possibility of encountering difficult or aggressive patients
Long hours and potential for overtime
Potentially dangerous work environment if working alone in a patient's home
Lack of benefits or job security for those working as independent contractors
Home health assistant career paths
Key steps to become a home health assistant
Explore home health assistant education requirements
Start to develop specific home health assistant skills
Skills Percentages Home Health 27.99% Patients 21.42% Rehabilitation 8.96% Physical Therapy 5.98% Compassionate Care 4.33% Complete relevant home health assistant training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New home health assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a home health assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real home health assistant resumes.Obtain the necessary licensing
Becoming a licensed home health assistant usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed home health assistant in most of states. 25 states require home health assistants to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.State Education Exam License url Alaska Degree required Third-party exam required Nurse Aide Arkansas Specific course required Both state and third-party exams required Nursing Assistant (Certified) California Specific course required State exam required Certified Nurse Assistant Colorado Specific course required State exam required Nurse Aide Connecticut Specific course required State exam required Nurses Aide Gain additional home health assistant certifications
More About CertificationsHome health assistant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific home health assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for home health assistants include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.
Research home health assistant duties and responsibilities
- Manage ventilator settings, suction tracheostomy, tube-feeding assistance.
- Assist bed bound and hospice patients with their ADL, assistance with NG tube feeding, providing proper care for comfort.
- Assist the patient with ADL'S (bathing, showering, grooming, mouth/denture care, dressing and undressing).
- Assist elderly and disable patients under direct supervision of license physician and nursing staff.
Prepare your home health assistant resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your home health assistant resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a home health assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable home health assistant resume templates
Build a professional home health assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your home health assistant resume.
Apply for home health assistant jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a home health assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first home health assistant job
Are you a home health assistant?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average home health assistant salary
The average home health assistant salary in the United States is $31,161 per year or $15 per hour. Home health assistant salaries range between $20,000 and $46,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do home health assistants rate their job?
Home health assistant reviews
Very fulfilling and rewarding
Hard work, not enough staff, mandated a lot. Under appreciated!
The ability to show care, love & compassion to those whom have none or family can't give time to show any. It's like being the missing piece to a puzzle we all if lucky enough get to live long enough to experience. It's making someones day by just remembering to watch their hands and face before/ after meals. To give proper attention to teeth, to let dressing am or pm still br a choice they make. I know im a good human with an oversized caring heart and although sometimes its exhausting working extra hrs or having to do all or extra work on short staffed days it's worth it. And slow and steady wins the day. They are people whom have gone through & experienced more then we will ever get too.
All the changes with certification and how you can be on the floor of a facility and know not even common sense. How they have hospitality aides, hca, and people going to start a free class. Back in the day we were called glorified babysitters I never agreed until we have just a warm body with no license(s) whom can't do anything even as small as getting ice waters. I've worked hard tobe where i am and these people take a computer class and pass we would call that our continuing education hrs but what do i know after 23 yrs. I once REALLY loved my job and still do but it's almost like being in grade school with people who have phone's lol It bothers me that many new or non licensed bodies have the audacity to come in these facilities and act like the residents are on their time! We are in their home to help provide ADL's amongst other things like them still trying to be & keep their independence. The ridiculous amount they have to spend to have the care they get from some people makes me wanna die young!! Our system sucks unless its the government making the dollar. I just wish they'd spend an 8 hr shift in these facilities before signing off on some rules & regs. Im not political by any means but those who take the dollar should get to live and experience a day of what our elderly lived ones are forced to experience daily , monthly, yearly! In fact the state hasn't even done the 18 month annual expectation in over 2 yrs at the place im contracted at đź‘Ťway to keep up on stuff and by stuff I mean our elderly living human beans. People who deserve to be served on gold plates or at least gave better food then what they serve daycares and if not that at least for it to be at high minimum warm food !! In 23 yrs of being a CNA I can only try to write a book to get out all the things I've seen ,heard. & witnessed in the years.
Helping client Maintain themselves in their own home until the end of life.my goal
Working behind a caregiver that’s not well trained
Updated January 8, 2025
