What exactly is home health care and how do you get into this expanding market? As indicated by its name, home medical care is simply medical care provided to those who need assistance at home. Not to be confused with basic home care, which does not take into account the trained medical care provided.
In most cases, simple home care involves meeting your loved one’s daily needs such as shopping, cleaning, and doing errands, and is usually provided by friends or family. Occasionally, an escort is hired to perform these tasks. On the other hand, home health care is usually provided by a trained professional. It can be a nurse, a therapist or a home health aide.
To become a home health professional, you will be required to receive some type of training. The focus of training usually focuses on home safety for the patient. You will also receive training on how to provide professional personal care and how to properly use the equipment needed to help those in need of home health care.
The training required for the various positions can range from on-the-job training to more advanced training that requires certification or diploma. The largest organization providing training for home health care certification is the National Home Care and Hospice Association. They offer various certification programs.
If you are in a current management position, you may be certified as a Home Care Executive and Hospice. If you wish to receive certification in the field of practical training, you can apply for the National Home Care Certification program. Regardless of the certification you seek, you will need to recertify every four years.
For home care assistants, the certification process will involve three elements that you must pass. You must pass the training part, the skills demonstration and the written exam. The training part requires a 75 hour curriculum. This training will give you the medical skills to become fully certified.
The Skill Demonstration part involves demonstrating competence in seventeen different skills. The demonstration of this competence comes from observation and documentation. The Written Exam is administered by Home Care University. Obtaining your certification will assure patients and clients that you are providing them with a higher standard of home care.
Whether you want to enter this field in a management position or as a practical care provider, the home health care industry has a growing need for professionals in this field. Due to the aging of the population, the need is expected to continue to increase over the next ten years. Obtaining your certification in this area will give you an edge over your competition.