CNA - HHA same thing?

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can anyone tell me what the difference between a CNA and home health aid is? is the certification different or if you are a cna you can also work as an hha? thanks :confused:

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Let me give this a try. I can only vouch for the state (Florida) I work in.

CNA's are certified by the board of nursing, HHA's are not. A CNA can be employed as a HHA, but not the other way around.

I hope that clears things up.

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Specializes in LTC.

Where I live HHA is a certification with the state on top of your CNA certification. You have to be a CNA before you can become an HHA.

My title is CNA/HHA-R

Certified Nursing Assistant/Home Health Aide-Registered.

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Where I live HHA is a certification with the state on top of your CNA certification. You have to be a CNA before you can become an HHA.

My title is CNA/HHA-R

Certified Nursing Assistant/Home Health Aide-Registered.

I wish they had that system in Florida. Here, HHA's are agency trained and have no central registry. Scary, Huh! The client is at the mercy of how well an agency train's their people.

My CNA program also had an option for HHA training and testing (which I took advantage of) but, all I got was a form letter stating that I passed for my troubles.:madface:

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Specializes in Nursing Assistant.

Here in New York State, HHAs have to pass a training session (usually by an agency) to be certified. We do have a registry as well for HHA's, same as for a CNA. CNA's can be home-health aides, but I'm pretty sure in NYS they have to take the training as well, or at least a day of it to be certified. Some programs around here offer the CNA/HHA class together, so you can be certified in both. I'm an HHA, and I do know that the CNA's in my class went through the same training as myself, because we do more things in the homes than CNA's can in nursing homes, or so i'm told. Hope that helps. :nuke:

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Lets see, in CA, a CNA mainly works in nursing homes, or "long-term care facilities," and a HHA works with patients in their homes. Thats the difference as far as what the job entails.

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Specializes in LTC, Assisted Living, Surgical Clinic.

The title of CNA is just a generic title given to a person who has passed a nursing assistant course and taken a certification test. A person at this title can work at a variety of places that require a CNA, and home health is only one of them. Depending on your state, you may be required to have this certification and/or had home-health specific training to work as a HHA.

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