Tired of nurses and agency staff treating Home Health Aides like throw away napkins!

[Xavier97x2]

I am just venting, so please don't take offense. I am getting so sick and tired of nurses and some home health agencies staff treating HHA like they are just tokens that can be thrown away at a whim. They say that we are the first line of defense when it comes to the clients, but the way we are treated and what we are paid is shameful. Even how office staff treats us is pretty bad, no respect for us or our time, giving us attitudes when calling up to tell them something important, saying that there are no other aides that can take a certain client and that you have to do it. Also being so nosy about our schedules to the point that I have to defend having to have certain days off. I am never told when a client cancels, so I end up going there anyways to find that they are sick or not home. No gas reimbursement, no lunch break, nor even able to make enough to keep up with gas prices or car maintenance because even when you want more hours and you let them know what days you want them for, they will not let you have them even though they are assigning other work to other aides. But agencies expect you to drop everything if they need you on their terms. Then when nurses come in for the 60 day check up, they talk behind your back and ask if your HHA is working out, and they make sure to do it with you gone and not in the room. Seems very underhanded. If nurses don't trust or defend their aides, why should we put our trust in them?

The way we are expected to be on call all the time also is pretty unreasonable, what's wrong with us having a life outside of work too? What wrong with me wanting to do something with my time off? We only get paid $7.00-$9.00 an hour, so why are we expected to be on call every day? I thought being a HHA would be a great experience, and it has been for the most part, I have fun doing it and I know I am making a difference, but it seems like HHA's are really taken advantage of here in Ohio probably because of the economy and that there are so many HHA's and STNA's out there. I bend over backwards for my clients and do things that other aides should have done, but agencies and their staff could care less, as long as their money is coming in. I just wish there was some type of union for people who work as HHA's, but since I never see any co-workers, it's not like we can even organize, probably done by design so we can't.

They can treat us all like criminals and question our every move. We have to call in once we get to a clients house, I even have to call the agency to let them know that we have to run to get some groceries for our clients! Hey I have a suggestion, while you are at it, why don't you just put a GPS chip in me so you can just track me like I am some drone. I am an adult and I don't need to check in more then I did when I was a teenager. I am a responsible college educated adult and I don't mistreat my clients, never could hurt a fly let alone another human being.

Maybe it's just who I am working for, but do any other HHA's have the same issues and is this normal? At this point I would advice anyone to not become a HHA, STNA, CNA, etc. because it's not worth the hassle. Yes the job makes you feel good, especially if you like helping others, but between having to deal with difficult office staff, nurses, sometimes bad clients, and having no one to stand up for your rights as a worker in the field, even if you love helping others, which I do, in the end, it will cost you more being a CNA, HHA, etc then it would if you just got a job a McDonalds or went back to school for another field, and you will probably be more appreciated too in the end.

[lbmRN2014, ADN]

I agree with you, except my agency is pretty good about not digging into my business. If I need a day off, I just shoot them an email saying what day or days I need off and that's it, no questions asked. I do agree that we are underpaid and that we should be compensated for gas mileage between clients' homes and being considered "on-call" 24/7. Another thing I don't like about HHC is that my agency has a bad habit of giving me a client to go see and not telling me ANYTHING except a last name and an address and the day and time I have to be there. They don't tell me anything about the care required, whether they are mobile or are totally paralyzed, who lives in the home with them (which it does make a huge difference if the client lives alone vs. living with 6 other people), or if they are even easy or difficult to get along with. I love my job and most of the time it is very rewarding, I just find it so awkward going into a client's home for the first time and not knowing anything about what's going on with them. I like helping a client who follows the careplan with me instead of me being considered a glorified house cleaner and/or personal chef and totally ignore what the careplan says that I need to do. In a way I think people who can care for themselves and have us come in anyway to clean their house is a waste of taxpayer money (well the ones on government assistance) and taking the hours they are getting with us and giving them to somebody who really needs our assistance. I have been to too many of these type of houses to be comfortable with it. I don't know what to do or say about it because the agency will just ignore my concerns with it because it will be money out of their pocket if they call the government entity that is responsible to tell them that the client is capable of taking care of themself and does not need our assistance.

[mitral]

Totally agree! Lots of professions screw with your schedule but aides are severely underpaid!! I was amazed at everything aides do and how much they know about their patients- often more than even the families know. Sorry you're so frustrated but I definitely understand it.