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In-home personal care
Home Health Aide
One of the fastest-growing jobs in America, and among the worst paid.
Typical pay
$26k-$40k
How you get in
75-120 hours of training, often employer-provided
Outlook
Among the fastest-growing occupations; pay is the problem
Home health aides provide personal care, meals and companionship in clients' homes. Demand is exploding with an aging population while pay has barely moved, which is the central tension of the entire field.
A day in the life
- 7:30aArrive at the first client, help with bathing and dressing
- 9:00aBreakfast, medication reminders, light housekeeping
- 10:30aDrive to the second client — unpaid travel time
- 11:30aMobility assistance and range-of-motion exercises
- 2:00pGrocery run and meal prep for the week
- 4:00pChart the visit, call the agency with any changes
How to get in
Agency training
Duration
2-6 weeks
Cost
$0 — the agency trains you
Credential
State HHA certification
- Apply to a home health agency that trains new aides
- Complete the federally required 75 hours of training plus your state's additions
- Pass the competency evaluation
- Start with clients, usually part-time before building to full hours
CNA first, then home care
Duration
4-12 weeks
Cost
$400-$2,000
Credential
CNA certification
- Certify as a CNA, which is a broader credential
- Work in a facility or move directly into home health
- CNAs generally earn more per hour than aides without the certification
- Keeps hospital and nursing home work open as options
Home care as a stepping stone
Duration
2-6 weeks now
Cost
$0-$2,000
Credential
HHA now, LPN or RN later
- Start as an aide and confirm caregiving suits you
- Use agency tuition assistance, which is increasingly common
- Enter an LPN or nursing program while working
- Nearly triple the income on the other side
What people love
- · Working within weeks, sometimes days
- · Almost no training cost
- · One-on-one relationships instead of a crowded floor
- · Demand is enormous and growing
What wears people down
- · Among the lowest pay in healthcare
- · Travel between clients is usually unpaid
- · Physically hard — transfers and lifting alone
- · Emotionally heavy as clients decline