I Have been working for an Agency for over 3 years now as a CHHA. During this time I have recieved a Lot of recognition, and awards for going above and beyond what was expected of me in client care. During this time I have recieved only One raise of .25 cents. I did a pre-admission testing for LPN training, and found that I need to work on my Math. Classes start in Sept. and quota has been filled, so it looks like I'll have to try again next time(after getting my Math in). ...... My problem is This: I absolutly LOVE my Work!! Wouldn't want to do anything Else .... just not making enought money to live on and support myself. Presently living with my Son and Daughter-in-law and grandchildren.I'm wondering if I may be better off working as a CNA until I can earn my LPN

Gosh I do feel for you. I know CHHA are underpaid. Could you earn more doing home health straight out with a per visit rate?

renerian

This Agency I work for sets the rates ... as long as I'm working for them it doesn't look like its going to get any Better! Feel bad because the only thing that has been holding me back from just moving on, is my 90 y/o patient that I've been with since I started over 3 years ago (40 hrs per wk). She calls me her Daughter and is very attached ....... this is So Hard, but I need to make more money to make it on my own. Agency had a "Group Insurance Plan", but you had to pay for it yourself ...... $76.00 per Week and I couldn't afford it. I'm wondering if ALL these Agencies are like this .... no incentives to hold onto their Aids

Are there other schools that could be used to get the math pre requisites? The Univ. Of SC here will take credits from any of the 2 year colleges and most of those 2 year colleges are waaaaay less expensive per course. I know literally dozens of eople who got all their pre reqs that way.

At our facility aides make $10 an hour w/out benefits or 8.50 with benefits. (That is when you are certified.) I am in Cape May County New Jersey. There are rumors that our state run facility starts aides at $11 with benies. Is there another home health agency you could work for that might pay better?

It sounds like we took the same or similiar test. What helped my girlfriends and I with the math were the ARCO and BARRON study guides for LPN admission testing. Also the study guides for passing the GED had similiar math problems. Many of the test questions were almost word for word in what we had studied. All are readily available at the library. If your son or daughter in law are good in math perhaps they can help? 5 of us sat for the test, 2 of us passed. We start July 7th.

Best Wishes! I hope everything works out well for you !

Take Care

Tres

Don't Worry Back to Earth,

You will be all right if you just go with it. You have positives going into LPN and school in general because you are a woman and you have children. To learn math you have to be inspired or grind it out with repetition and time spent thinking about it. The olks here always give good advice. Just keep trying and remember to KEEP DOING WHAT YOU LOVE TO DO and keep feeling that way. That is the real key. Many folks make 5x your salary and have less worth (worth=?) and love can not compare to $$$ as $$$ can not compare to love. They are seperate.

Thank you ... everyone here is so kind. I can feel it !! : ) I am a certified home health aid. My Agency started me at $8.75 hr.... now make $9.00 hr. The Medical Coverage they offer (group) cost $76.00 per wk (had for several mos. but it was killing me) Because of things happened during my marriage (or I should say Didin't ), the IRS attached my pay for 6 weeks. When I was able to get them to Stop, the Insurance Co. took Two weeks pay to "catch me up"(because the IRS was taking it first) Don't get me Wrong .... I am Not discouraged!! I'm Mad because I feel like People are holding me Back .... a Challenge makes me Push HARDER!! I've been told by a CNA that works at the Veterans Home here, that they have benefits $500.00 clothing allowance yr, pention, start @11.00.... and I'm thinking I might be better off working with a Lot of people. Its not about money with me, just need enough to make it on my own...... When I took the pre-admission test for LPN, I got to see what I was weak in. Add, Sub, Mult $ Div. Fractions and decimals.Making word problems into formulas using fractions and decimals. There is an Adult Ed class near here where I can take the course (and state would most likely help) My training for CHHA was paid for thru the State under a Vocational Rehab Program, because they considered me to have a "disability" with ptsd a few years back. So Many Good things have happened since .... I Like myself, I Love the Kind of work I do ... working with People!! ...and you know something?? I can Sense Abuse .... Sometimes I think there was something that I learned that might be able to help someone else. Have to wait and see what happens along the road ahead! : )