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A question about being a home health aide -

Posted: Mar 17, 2014

Does anybody know much about being a home health aide? Back story - I've been an MT for 25 years, and my hands are giving out. There is a doctor in the area who is setting up Adult Homes where each home will have five residents, and there will be a live-in care manager in each house who will live there rent-free and also get paid something like $3000/month. There would also be other staff, aides, nurses and doctors. My daughter, who is a nurse, told me about this knowing I'll be in a position to need not only a new job but a place to live as well. She says I'm perfect for it because I'm warm and compassionate and I work well with older people.

Any idea if this is something that would be fulfilling? I'm leaning towards it, but I want to find out if anyone has been a home health aide. I've been sitting behind a computer for so long, I really need a change in my life. Any opinions out there?

;

Sounds wonderful! - sm

[ In Reply To ..]

Oh, my goodness....this sounds like a wonderful opportunity for you! If you're physically able to do it (it can be physically taxing), I think you should go for it! Keep us posted, please.

I did it for years.. - typeA

[ In Reply To ..]
What a great idea this is! I loved being an aide. The worst part for me was traveling between homes to get to my clients. You won't have to worry about that. If you are warm and compassionate, (and physically able as the poster above mentioned),I think you would thrive in a position like this. Sounds like you have a lot to offer. This is a field that needs more people like you!

I am a home health aide now - Left MT-see msg

[ In Reply To ..]
I am a home health aide now. Left MT 2 years ago.

I work through an agency and go to private homes. I enjoy it very, very much. I don't have too much "heavy" work. Once in a while there's a diaper that needs changing.

I'm assuming you'll be a manager, since you mentioned pay, but you'd also be hands-on---since you asked about home health aide work specifically.

As to whether I'd want to work for 5 residents, I guess it depends on their level of "disability." If they were all incontinent and need continous diaper changing, bed changing and bathing, I don't think I'd be up for that at this stage of my life. If you are physically up for that and that's what they need, then it sounds like a decent job if you can handle that.

I don't know how much help you'd have in terms of other aides and such.

Do keep in mind, if we're talking about people with severe dementia, you won't have the level of one-on-one conversation, but the rewards can still be tremendous.

From what I've gleaned from the brochure - - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
This is for people who are partially independent (no severe dementia or needing skilled nursing) and there would be 24/7 staff in addition to me. My position would be "care manager," which I presume would be to coordinate daily care like meals, grooming, activities, etc, as well as personal interaction with the residents, I think. I actually have very little information so far. There are three more facilities being built in our county over the next 6-9 months, and I'll be contacting the group in probably a month or so.

Thanks for the feedback! It's sounding more and more like an option, especially since I don't really want to retire yet. I'd like to hold out for maximum Social Security at 70 if possible, which would be eight years.

Keep your collective fingers crossed for me!

Best of luck to you - see msg

[ In Reply To ..]
Hard to know how much physical labor there would be involved for your particular position, but if they're saying "HHA" (home health aide), then assume at least some heavy care.

The facility almost sounds like a board and care. In a board and care, there are generally very few residents, and they are usually people who can kind of get by on their own, but need general assistance and supervision. They have no acute care illnesses that would require around-the-clock nursing.

There is usually somebody (or some-bodies) in charge at all times, 24/7.

It's actually less expensive than a nursing home for the residents, because there isn't usually the need for the 24-hour acute care nursing or doctoring that other facilities have.

Best of luck to you!

Many levels - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I worked for a home health agency--not as an aide, though. Many different duties were performed--some people only had eye drops put in once or twice a day. Some needed help with dressing, medication set up, and some food prep. We also had some homemaking/chore services such as laundry and some cleaning. It was not just the elderly, but premature infants, chronically disabled, etc. Sometimes it was even grocery shopping or respite care (babysitting). Perhaps google "personal care attendant."

There is good and bad. Some people are a delight, others not so much. Some people would start calling if their aide was not 15 minutes early, because they look forward to seeing you and you are the highlight of their day. When you lose a patient, it can be very sad.

Losing a patient. I know this would not be for me - because have had to

[ In Reply To ..]
stop opening pages that might be an animal that perhaps something happened to them, a child perhaps, a human. My heart is just too, too soft I guess. I think most would be surprised to know this about me, I sometimes come across as being too blunt but would not want to be in a position to where that happened often.

Most of the time - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Most of the time the patient may be transferred to a higher level of care such as a skilled nursing facility. Sometimes the cases are just short-term after the patient is discharged from the hospital until they are strong enough to be on their own. So I would not say that you lose a patient often, but it does happen.

losing a patient - my thoughts

[ In Reply To ..]
While it would be heartbreaking and devastating to lose someone in your care, I don't think that possibility should keep you from pursuing such a job. I'm a volunteer with Make-A-Wish, and we know going in that we might lose one of our kids during the year we spend with them. We do it for the kids, and we learn to accept the reality that we might lose them. It's unbelievably painful for us, but we made a difference in their lives for a short time, and that's how we can do it.

From losing a patient, know not for me - Some years ago when Hurricaine hit

[ In Reply To ..]
New Orleans I sit here with my throat almost closing after about a week of watching all the sadness and plight the people were going thru. Afterwards I spent time working behind the scenes at a local church putting things like toiletries together for the refugees. I knew I could not be 1:1 with them because I would cry more than they would. I think it is wonderful about Make-A-Wish but I have to monitor the news I read regarding children, animals, etc. because if I overload on similar sad stories it just gets to me. I do not have the heart to do a face to face but can work behind the scenes fine. Case in point- saw a little schnauzer dog running out in my neighborhood earlier today, no home, going from house to house and figured lost. Tonight after work I gathered some food and spent about 30 minutes out looking for the dog, thinking it might be hungry. I did not see and hope someone came and got or its owner showed up. I am near pitiful!

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