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Home health assistant vs personal care assistant

The differences between home health assistants and personal care assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a home health assistant has an average salary of $31,161, which is higher than the $26,643 average annual salary of a personal care assistant.

The top three skills for a home health assistant include home health, patients and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a personal care assistant are patients, CPR, and home health.

Home health assistant vs personal care assistant overview

Home Health AssistantPersonal Care Assistant
Yearly salary$31,161$26,643
Hourly rate$14.98$12.81
Growth rate36%36%
Number of jobs213,220256,869
Job satisfaction-4.67
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 29%High School Diploma, 31%
Average age5048
Years of experience--

What does a home health assistant do?

People with disabilities, severe illnesses, cognitive diseases, or age-related issues regularly need medical healthcare, and if they prefer to receive care in their own home, a home health assistant is their caregiver. Home health assistants provide basic services such as checking vital organs, blood pressure, and temperature. They also administer medications, and in cases of injuries, tend wounds and change bandages. They are generally supervised by a medical professional, to whom they give reports.

What does a personal care assistant do?

Personal care assistants are employed to help individuals who may need special attention or assistance. They are usually trained to care for individuals with specific conditions, whether physically or mentally. Personal care assistants manage their meal plans, medicine intake, daily schedule, and therapy, among others. They help their clients move, eat, bathe, and dress. They also run errands and provide any other assistance that their clients may need. Personal care assistants also provide emotional and moral support to their clients. They are also in touch with medical professionals and provide updates on the health of their clients.

Home health assistant vs personal care assistant salary

Home health assistants and personal care assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Home Health AssistantPersonal Care Assistant
Average salary$31,161$26,643
Salary rangeBetween $20,000 And $46,000Between $18,000 And $37,000
Highest paying CityWest Springfield Town, MABoston, MA
Highest paying stateRhode IslandMassachusetts
Best paying companyJPMorgan Chase & Co.Massachusetts General Hospital
Best paying industryHealth CareProfessional

Differences between home health assistant and personal care assistant education

There are a few differences between a home health assistant and a personal care assistant in terms of educational background:

Home Health AssistantPersonal Care Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 29%High School Diploma, 31%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common college--

Home health assistant vs personal care assistant demographics

Here are the differences between home health assistants' and personal care assistants' demographics:

Home Health AssistantPersonal Care Assistant
Average age5048
Gender ratioMale, 22.9% Female, 77.1%Male, 15.0% Female, 85.0%
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, 10.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage5%7%

Differences between home health assistant and personal care assistant duties and responsibilities

Home health assistant example 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.
  • Provide patients and families with emotional support and instruction living independently, or adapting to disability or illness.
  • Present peer to peer health education and provide administrative support to student health center including filing medical records using HIPPA compliant procedures

Personal care assistant example responsibilities.

  • Conduct and facilitate PCA lead group activities as scheduled
  • Act the utmost compassion and professionalism in providing every client with the highest quality care.
  • Review patients' dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences to ensure patient receives appropriate diet.
  • Provide nourishment and medication to pet resort guests and hospitalize patients alike.
  • Assist consumers with outside activates that are planned by PCW
  • Used love and compassion & structure to show young individuals their self worth.
  • Show more

Home health assistant vs personal care assistant skills

Common home health assistant skills
  • Home Health, 28%
  • Patients, 21%
  • Rehabilitation, 9%
  • Physical Therapy, 6%
  • Compassionate Care, 4%
  • CPR, 4%
Common personal care assistant skills
  • Patients, 17%
  • CPR, 12%
  • Home Health, 12%
  • RUN Errands, 7%
  • Companionship, 6%
  • Patient Care, 6%

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