Are Home Health Aide Certified Thru the State?

StarryNyte713 · Jul 31, 2008

Hi! In Virginia, some places do hire home health aides/companions who are not certified. It would be the home health agency who is held accountable.... If her grandmother is being neglected by the caregivers at this agency, then it could be reported to social services as elderly neglect and they could handle the matter with the agency. Bedsores and not having her briefs changed is definitely neglectful. (I used to work for Child and Adult Protective Services in Virginia, and have seen cases like that).

Anyway, hope it gets resolved soon... and that her grandmother receives proper care :redpinkhe

RNDreamer · Jul 31, 2008

Unfortunately, I don't have my HHA Certificate with me right now, but I'm not sure if we are. I signed up with the Home Health Agency, and went through the training. To get "cetified", I had to have a few visits from the nurse assigned to me. During the visit, she had to observe me, and ask my patient if they were satisfied with my performance. She would then fill out a form about my work performance, skills, etc.

I don't remember exactly how many visits it took to become certified, I don't remember anymore than five visits. I was certified about a month after I started and the Agency gave me my certificate, which did not have an expiration date.

I want to know if home health aides are certifed the same way as CNAs are. I ask this because my girlfriend told me today of a few situations where she was displeased with the treatment that her grandmother received from home health aides. I was pondering as to whether or not they are actually certified. I also want to know if there is a place to report the agencies in case a client or family feels they have to report issues.
I couldn't find it (I live in New York), and did review with her what I know of their scope of practice. My friend expected for them to give medications, and I know that they cannot. However, she is having problems with people that do not speak English, have left her grandmother sitting in urine and feces, and not sitting her up (so, now, she is getting bedsores). Outside of complaining to the agency, which she has done already, I wanted to give her a resource to report these other issues to. Any information would be appreciated.

Atheos · Jul 31, 2008

In Virginia you don't have to be certified. You don't even have to be certified to be an HHA working in an ALF.

Other states I don't know. I think Indiana required a certification as far as I can remember, call the BON.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jul 31, 2008

I'll call the BON in the morning. Personally, I think that they should be certified, if they are not, in case one has to find information about them. I used to be one before, and don't remember if I had an actual certification, so, I doubt if they were back then. When I was a CNA, I was able to take a two day class that allowed me to sort of convert to being an HHA, but that was it.

With the low pay they receive, it is easy to see how such things can happen. Communication is the key, and I wouldn't want someone in my home that I can't instruct them in the care of my loved one.

Absolutely13 · Jul 31, 2008

Here in Florida, there is no state certification or registry for HHA's. The agencies train them to their own interpretation of the law and off they go into someone's home.

I share your concern and abhorance of the acceptable standards of and for Home Health Aides.

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2008

In my state, home health aides do not need to be certified.

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Jul 31, 2008

Looks like it may be in the works for NY.

http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/101942

casi, ASN, RN · Jul 31, 2008

It depends on the state and the Home Health Company.

I'm a certified CNA/HHA I am registed with the state as both.

The problem is some HH companies can hire non-certified people.

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2008

Before working psych, I was in HH. Our aides were wonderful but not certified. Medicare rules require an RN to make a supervisory visit on each patient assigned to them when the HHA is there on a regular basis. Monthly if I recall. This is standard nationwide. That is when the patient should be asked whether or not they are satisfied with their aide.

Our HHAs were the bread and butter of our business. Our patients loved them. They would do their nails and makeup too.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jul 31, 2008

I believe that they should be certified, and in addition, paid more. I did more research and see that they are not, at this time. Thanks, EricEnefermo for sharing this article.

One of the things my friend was concerned with was that her grandmother may not be getting her medications on time. I explained to her that medication administration is not part of their scope of practice and it is her responsibility to medicate her grandmother or make arrangements for this to be done in her abscense. Why want someone who has virtually no idea (and has no reason to have to know) about indications or side effects of prescribed medications give it?

One of the reasons why I also feel that they should get more money is to give them pride, respect and incentive to do other things to improve patient care. Patients at home need range of motion, movement, turning and positioning, reality orientation, etc... From what I remember, home health aides are not taught about the reasons for this. I think that giving them a bit more traing and money will empower them and improve conditions. Also, certification can make them more accountable for their practice. From a humanistic prespective, making minimal wage, working long hours, sometimes at several cases from day to day and barely seeing their families can be downright depressing. Maybe making the career more attractive and allowing them to really feel that they are contributing to the health care team can improve conditions. It is downright scary what our ill and elderly have to encounter to obtain good care. It can be any one of us. Can you imagine being a caretaker as an LPN or RN for many years, doing our best to give proper patient care by putting up with the conditions we deal with to possibly be subjected to the same? Scary, scary, scary!

This was an eye opener-talking to my friend. While I was congnizant that these are problems, I truly began to see the dynamics of caregiver strain. Having total strangers in your home is like an invasion. Not having the freedom to walk around the way you wish, maybe a bit of discretion of what you speak about in front of them, is a total change in life of the caregiver. Some people feel the need to hide checks, money and valuables, because you really don't know what people are capable of doing.