Home health aide

Nursing Students CNA/MA

Published

Specializes in NICU.

I have my Cna certificate but I am currently getting ready to take my one day clinical to work as a home health aide because I can't find Cna job as of yet. So while I do HHA I will continue to job hunt for cna job. In my HHA class I hear a lot of negative feedback on being a HHA such as mean clients, family members treating you like a slaves and a lot of stressful stories. If anyone has stories they would like to share or advice I will be thankful.

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Specializes in Peds training.

Im in North Carolina and here you must be a CNA to work in home health unless you just sit with people and provide no real care. Some home health aides only stay long enough to give a bath, sit for an hour etc... Doing that is difficult! You never know what kind of situation youre walking into! I had one guy who had no clean clothes... no warm water... and no soap! I did what i could with dish soap because thats what his daughter said to use... but i had to freeze him cause the hot water heater was broken! then he went back in the same dirty clothes!...................... Then you have the aides who stay all day!!!! I did that too! Some peoples houses are SOOOO nasty! I even walked in on a snake in an old womans bathroom! And people expect you to clean! Remember.. you are NOT their maid! Light cleaning is a must! Its part of the job but DEEEEEEEEPPPPPP cleaning goes a little too far somethimes! Like the people who watch you clean and fuss over every detail! Like how Ive had to clean the toilet TEN TIMES IN ONE DAY!!!! Everyone you take care of is diffrent. When they get in the nursing home or the hospital they kinda have to follow our rules but when they are at home youre on THEIR terms! Its like a balancing act trying to take care of them... be nice and professional and not **** them off! My advice.. skip the home Health.. Skip the nursing homes.. Go for the hospital and STAY THERE!!! TRUST ME!!!

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Specializes in ICU.

I, too, have only had bad experiences with home health. However, I know some people who will ONLY work HH. It depends on the organization of management, the people you are getting, and for me...the hours and money you are spending to get to their homes. Personally, I never made enough to justify running around to three different houses in a day to get eight hours of work. Too much gas money.

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Specializes in NICU.

Aww man sorry to hear these stories. This will be my first time workin in home health and I am a little nervous because I had heard TONS of horror stories but I really need another source of income until I find a Cna job. This is the only job that I can get hired at a quick pace. Thanks for stories. I am nervous about doing home health even tho it is going to be temporary .

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I've had mixed experiences working with home health. More bad than good. The last experience caused me to leave homehealth for good.

If you get a good patient, it's the best job in the world. Amazing.

But if you get the wrong patient, you feel like you've been sentenced to prison.

There's also this perception projected by the patients & families that if you're doing this type of work, then you must be dumb, and uneducated. Often, I've had clients who routinely insulted my intelligence. It can really take a toll on one's self esteem.

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It can be good experience for a new CNA/HHA. I always got cases that allowed me to use my skills, not jut companionship or cooking. A lot of my cases were hospice or transitioned to hospice so I did a lot of brief changing, bed baths, etc.

Just keep boundaries intact.

At this point I'm not working as my mother is Ill and I take care of her. I miss working outside of the home.

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Specializes in NICU.

I will try to make the best of working as a HHA while on the hint for another job. I'm sorry to hear about ur mom, hope she recovers completely ;)

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