Can you complete a Home Health Aide certification course online?

09 Oct Can you complete a Home Health Aide certification course online?

Learn what HHA online training options are available in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Find local training resources in your area and other resources to help you be an HHA.

You may be considering a future career as a Home Health Aide or caregiver. In your search for training to be a Home Health Aide, you may be wondering if a Home Health Aide training course can be done remotely through online training courses. 

There do in fact exist programs that allow you to complete your Home Health Aide certification online, at least in part. 

Can an HHA class be done fully remotely or virtually?

Unfortunately, a Home Health Aide training course cannot be completed 100 percent remotely through online education platforms and distance learning. This is because of state and federal requirements that must be met by Home Health Aide training programs for them to be fully compliant. If you find HHA training that claims to be fully remote, it does not meet minimum federal requirements in place that all Home Health Aide certification must meet. Plus, Home Healthcare agencies have make sure that Home Health Aides that are employed by them meet the requirements of HHA training. This is in addition ot yearly in service training hour requirements necessary to maintain HHA certification.

Hybrid (a mix of in-person and online) training and instruction may be available

However, not all hope is lost. As you will see, a majority of an HHA course can be completed online as there is no in person requirement for nearly 80 percent of the HHA program. Such hybrid options are especially beneficial with the pandemic causing continued uncertainty and potential concerns about safety. Luckily, you can take hybrid classes in Philadelphia with CareBridge Academy’s Home Health Aide hybrid distance education program. 

Pennsylvania state requirements

For starters, it’s good to know what the local requirements online are in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania falls under the federal requirements of Home Health Aide training. What this means is that Home Health Aides must have at least 75 hours of training. Within the 75 hours, training topics must include, at a minimum:

• Communication skills, including the ability to read, write, and verbally report clinical information to patients, representatives, and caregivers, as well as to other HHA staff.
• Observation, reporting, and documentation of patient status and the care or service furnished.
• Reading and recording temperature, pulse, and respiration.
• Basic infection prevention and control procedures.
• Basic elements of body functioning and changes in body function that must be reported to an aide’s supervisor.
• Maintenance of a clean, safe, and healthy environment.
• Recognizing emergencies and the knowledge of instituting emergency procedures and their application.
• The physical, emotional, and developmental needs of and ways to work with the populations served by the HHA, including the need for respect for the patient, his or her privacy, and his or her property.
• Appropriate and safe techniques in performing personal hygiene and grooming tasks that include:
  • Bed bath;
  • Sponge, tub, and shower bath
  • Hair shampooing in sink, tub, and bed
  • Nail and skin care
  • Oral hygiene
  • Toileting and elimination
  • Safe transfer techniques and ambulation
  • Normal range of motion and positioning
  • Adequate nutrition and fluid intake
  • Recognizing and reporting changes in skin condition

In person training requirements

Out of 75 hours of training, 16 hours must be supervised practical training. This means that training must be done in a laboratory setup or with hands-on clinical experience in someone’s home. 

In other words, 16 hours of training must be done physically in person under direct supervision. As a result, an HHA training course cannot be fully completed virtually.

Online training opportunities

Fortunately, 59 hours of a Home Health Aide training can in fact be completed in an online capacity. That means that, should the right courses be offered, a prospective HHA could take a hybrid course which allows 59 or more hours to be done online with just 16 hours that need to be completed in person.

This class option increases flexibility dramatically for prospective Home Health Aides. With distance learning as an option, prospective HHAs can overcome barriers that could make it challenging for them to attain their training certification. These obstacles might include juggling another job, managing childcare, transportation issues, or just safety concerns related to the coronavirus. 

CareBridge Academy hybrid HHA training course offering

CareBridge Academy, based in central Philadelphia, is proud to offer one of the only online HHA training programs in all of Pennsylvania. This approved course is affordable, flexible, and accelerated for prospective Home Health Aides.

This means that students can get their certification in just two weeks of instruction. Plus, with an innovative curriculum, students only need to be physically present for supervised instruction for a total of two classroom days in the school’s laboratory setup. 

Learn more about the HHA hybrid training program offered through CareBridge Academy today. Plus, find out what makes the school unique both in its approach and offerings. When you’re ready or if you have more questions, feel free to reach out to us.