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Sitter vs home care attendant

The differences between sitters and home care attendants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sitter has an average salary of $28,724, which is higher than the $26,059 average annual salary of a home care attendant.

The top three skills for a sitter include patients, kids and CPR. The most important skills for a home care attendant are patients, home health, and companionship.

Sitter vs home care attendant overview

SitterHome Care Attendant
Yearly salary$28,724$26,059
Hourly rate$13.81$12.53
Growth rate36%36%
Number of jobs85,152235,912
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 32%Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age4848
Years of experience--

What does a sitter do?

A sitter is responsible for assisting medical needs under the supervision of an attending physician, registered nurses, and other health professionals. Sitters monitor the patients' daily activities and perform medical duties such as taking the patient's temperature, administering medications, monitoring food intake, helping with bathing needs, and responding to the patients' inquiries, concerns, and requests. They also keep track of medical charts to report the patients' health condition and progress to the senior staff.

What does a home care attendant do?

A home care attendant is a health care worker whose primary job is to provide care and assistance to the elderly and people with disabilities. Your day-to-day duties will include monitoring and recording the condition of patients, performing housekeeping and laundry, and providing personal care services such as dressing and bathing. In addition, you will assist patients in caring for themselves by teaching them how to use a walker, cane, and personal hygiene equipment. As a home care attendant, you are also expected to adhere to asepsis procedures and standards to maintain a secure, healthy, and safe environment.

Sitter vs home care attendant salary

Sitters and home care attendants have different pay scales, as shown below.

SitterHome Care Attendant
Average salary$28,724$26,059
Salary rangeBetween $20,000 And $39,000Between $17,000 And $38,000
Highest paying CityFair Lawn, NJWatertown Town, MA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsAlaska
Best paying companySouthcoast HealthDignity Health
Best paying industryNon ProfitsMedia

Differences between sitter and home care attendant education

There are a few differences between a sitter and a home care attendant in terms of educational background:

SitterHome Care Attendant
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 32%Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common college--

Sitter vs home care attendant demographics

Here are the differences between sitters' and home care attendants' demographics:

SitterHome Care Attendant
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 13.9% Female, 86.1%Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 17.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 8.0% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 8.0% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between sitter and home care attendant duties and responsibilities

Sitter example responsibilities.

  • Run groceries or medical errands for patients.
  • Complete light housekeeping duties, such as dishes, folding laundry, buying groceries.
  • Help out with regular ADL's as well such as bathing, ambulating, eating, dressing, and exercise.
  • Assist with ADL's; bathing needs, food prep, exercise, drive and assist with appointments, light housekeeping
  • Provide colostomy care and administer medication for pain management in accordance with current physician recommendations.
  • Help nursing with flushing of catheters with certain residents.
  • Show more

Home care attendant example responsibilities.

  • Manage clients bills, paid them, buy groceries, take complete care of their responsibilities.
  • Self-Direct and empower, providing hygiene care, hospice and respite care to Alzheimer's patients and patients requiring long-term assistance.
  • Provide companionship and conversation, stabilization, and assistance with walking, and providing medication and appointment reminders for assign patients.
  • Maintain all confidential personnel files and CPR compliance records.
  • Ensure that HHA's are trained to administer the required care.
  • Interview applicants for HHA training program, and general clerical duties and some front reception coverage.
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Sitter vs home care attendant skills

Common sitter skills
  • Patients, 26%
  • Kids, 20%
  • CPR, 13%
  • Patient Safety, 6%
  • Home Health, 5%
  • PET, 5%
Common home care attendant skills
  • Patients, 19%
  • Home Health, 16%
  • Companionship, 14%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Meal Prep, 5%
  • Patient Care, 4%

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