The Role of a Home Health Aide: Responsibilities and Duties

It takes a special kind of person to work home health aide jobs. Patience, dedication, compassion, and skill build a good foundation for this type of work. Sometimes, you think it’s an ideal situation for you and your family to handle, only to discover how much effort goes into being a caregiver.

HHA vs. PCA

When you think of a home health aide, what you imagine is more of a personal care aide. To be honest, many sources use these titles interchangeably. They are, however, two different home care service programs. 

The Home Health Aid provides home care in Philadelphia, PA with basic medical tasks like wound care and observing vital signs. Each state has guidelines on certification for being an HHA. By comparison, the personal care aide is, well, personal. They help a person bathe or dress, do household chores and errands, and act in a companionship role. 

HHA Services and Duties

Home health aids receive training and often have supervision by a Registered Nurse. Not all agencies offer the same details, but these are fairly universal. HINT: The HHA may perform some of the same services as PCA. For example, they may help with grooming, dressing, and oral hygiene. 

But now comes the next step in services. The HHA may

• Change dressings (nonsterile)
• Cleaning durable medical equipment
• Complete glucometer readings and finger stick tests
• Go through the range of motion exercises
• Keep a record of the patient’s activities or any pertinent observations
• Lift, turn, or reposition a client
• Medication administration
• Ostomy care
• Partner with the individual for activities focused on independence and mobility.
• Perform transfers
• Provide weekly records about the patient’s condition
• Record vital signs
• Turn and position an individual
• Weight checks

In the absence of a PCA, additional duties to be assigned include

• Changing the bed
• Dishwashing the individual’s used utensils
• Ensure clean and sanitary living conditions
• Feeding the individual
• Garbage
• Laundry
• Nutrition assistance and food preparation.
• Provide companionship and socialization
• Shopping
• Vacuuming and dusting patient’s rooms

Insurance Determinations

Some insurance companies cover HHA services but not PCA services. The distinction is “medically necessary” services. So always check before you employ an agency. A person needs a prescription and physician’s note for either service. It is also worth exploring Medicaid assistance for bills.

The PCA Option through Inspire Home Health Care

Inspire Home Health Care can offer PCA assistance when your loved one doesn’t require a higher level of care from a HHA. We work very hard to provide personalized attention to every family’s situation. You can trust our aides are not only given background checks but also training in best-care practices in administering services. 

Above all, safety is always on our minds. There are so many things in a home people might mise that could cause trips and falls, for example. That’s why we do an assessment of your home and provide the results. 

You can reach us by phone 215-576-2273

Email: info@inspirehomecarepa.com 

Or, our online contact form