A home health aide is a trained professional who assists elderly or disabled people who prefer to live at home rather than in nursing homes or health care facilities. In addition, home health aides may assist people who are recovering from illnesses, injuries, or surgeries. The main goal of home health aides is to assist people in recovering or living in a safe and healthy environment in their own homes.
Home health aides are most commonly employed the elderly or disabled. One home health aide may work with the same person for several years in these situations. When working with people who are expected to recover completely from an injury, surgery, or illness, home health aides may spend much less time with each patient. A home health aide may only work with a patient for a few weeks in these situations. One of the reasons that home health aides are not frequently called in to assist a patient who requires short-term care is that loved ones are often able to cover a patient’s needs while they recover at home.
A home health aide’s primary responsibility is to provide routine personal care and housekeeping to a patient. While many people have friends and family members who are willing to assist them with such tasks, loved ones are not always able to provide the kind of ongoing care that is required. Home health aides, for example, frequently assist patients with getting in and out of the bath, grooming, and dressing. Patients’ meals may be prepared home health aides.
It’s important to remember that home health aides aren’t supposed to take over for doctors and nurses. Some health-related services are provided the aides on a regular basis. However, these services are always provided in accordance with a doctor’s or nurse’s instructions.
A patient’s vital signs, such as pulse rate, respiration rate, and temperature, may be recorded home health aides. They may also give medication, change bandages, and take care of the skin. A home health aide may also work with a patient’s medical equipment, such as a ventilator, if he or she has the necessary training.
Registered nurses, physical therapists, and social workers are frequently employed home health agencies to supervise the work of the home health aides. If a patient’s condition changes, the home health aide will notify the agency’s staff, who will work with the patient and the patient’s doctor to reevaluate the patient’s needs.