Home Health Aide Training Philadelphia: A Comprehensive Guide

Home Health Aide Training Philadelphia

Home Health Aide Training Philadelphia: A Comprehensive Guide

Learn what options exist for prospective Home Health Aides to get trained and certified in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Discover resources and programs to get certified locally, including online classes. 

 

With all the turbulence surrounding the pandemic and the economy, you may be considering a career change. Entering the medical field as a certified home health aide can be promising and rewarding. Plus, it can lead to a future healthcare career full of opportunity, promise, and advancement both personally and professionally. 

Home Health Aide and Medical Field Job Growth

Home Health Aide Training Philadelphia

A career as a home health aide is both stable and fast growing. This is especially comforting during difficult economic times and in light of COVID-19. Plus, we will go into detail about the variety of career path options for individuals that decide to become a home health aide. Below you can find out how to get your certification as a home health aide (HHA) and take your career in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in a new direction.

What is home healthcare?

Home healthcare includes a wide variety of services. Home healthcare workers encompass direct care workers like personal care aides who assist patients with daily tasks and certified home health aides able to provide medical care. This care includes rehabilitation services after surgeries, among others. Home healthcare also includes a variety of professional roles such as nurses, therapists, and doctors. 

Why is home healthcare experiencing growth?

One reason home healthcare is strong and growing is because these services are an appealing alternative to placing family members or individuals in a long-term care facility. Many people find the ability to stay in their own homes desirable as well as cheaper than staying in a long term care facility. The healthcare industry also recognizes this. They are making a concerted effort to keep people in their own homes as well when it is safe to do so. This makes the growth in home healthcare particularly strong both now and in the future. It will exceed the growth of healthcare jobs in general at a significant pace. 

Unemployment and job losses in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The pandemic has wreaked havoc on the job market in the United States. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has been hit particularly hard. The area has an overall unemployment rate of 15.4 percent as of August 2020. That’s more than one out of seven individuals in Philadelphia unemployed .

Careers in retail, restaurant, tourism, and other service industry jobs have suffered the most. These industries have faced many job losses both in Philadelphia and across the country. Many of the individuals currently or previously employed in those fields have decided to consider other career paths. Healthcare has been one of the most resilient. Not only is it a path towards a stable career, but it is also fulfilling. 

What are the job prospects and career outlook for certified home health aides?

Home health aides engage in rewarding work and gain valuable experience in this entry level healthcare role. Plus, starting as a certified home health aide can eventually open many doors of advancement in the future in all sorts of healthcare roles. Many HHA’s climb the career and educational ladder over time. For example, they may become nurses, doctors, or therapists with time.

Demand for home healthcare services is likely to increase as the baby boomer population ages. A home health aide is actually one of the fast growing professions in all of America. The bureau of labor statistics projects a 37 percent increase in all home health aide jobs in America through 2028, versus only a 5 percent increase in all professions as a whole. 

Amazingly, this growth is even more acute in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. 

The direct care workforce, including home health aides, in Pennsylvania by the numbers

Consider the following statistics by the LTCC Blueprint for Strengthening Pennsylvania’s Direct Care Workforce to understand how large the direct care workforce is now in Pennsylvania and what the future looks like. In addition, the facts help readers understand why home healthcare demand is growing so rapidly:

  • There are 219,000 direct care workers across Pennsylvania and in Philadelphia
  • The top three roles include home health aides, personal care aides, and nursing assistants
  • Over 37,000 additional direct care workers will be needed across Pennsylvania by 2026
  • Pennsylvania has the fifth oldest population in the nation. Seniors and older adults are the most likely to utilize home healthcare services such as home health aides
  • By 2030, the population of older adults will increase by 26 percent
  • Pennsylvania is also home to many disabled residents. Around one in seven individuals in Pennsylvania has a disability. 
  • Disabled residents are the other major group most likely to receive home healthcare. Pennsylvania is home to the fifth largest percentage of disabled residents in the nation at 14 percent. 

 

Read our recent article about five fast growing entry level healthcare careers, including Home Health Aides.

Home Health Aide Careers and Job Duties

What does a home health aide do?

Home health aides assist the elderly or other individuals with special needs, including disabled individuals and children. People served by home health aides may suffer from chronic illnesses, disabilities or impaired cognitive function with daily activities. Home health aides may assist their clients with daily personal tasks related to hygiene activities. Also, they could help their clients in getting dressed and other health-related tasks, including giving prescribed medications and monitoring their vital signs. Read more about what home health aides do every day in our recently released article. 

A home health aide may also perform the following duties:

  • Light housekeeping, such as washing dishes or doing laundry
  • Driving, or arranging transportation needs for clients, such as doctor visits and errands
  • Helping to plan out a client’s schedule; setting appointments for doctor visits
  • Shopping for groceries, running errands, and planning/preparing meals for a client
  • Offering companionship to clients; helping individuals remain active socially, physically, and mentally

Can certified Home Health Aides only work in the home?

Considering the name, it may seem logical that home health aides (HHAs) only work in a client’s home or other residential setting. Overall, this is true in a majority of home health aide work settings. However, HHAs can and do work in a variety of settings. For examle, assisted living facilities, individual and family services settings, and residential disability facilities, are all healthcare settings where you can find home health aides, among others. 

What do home health aides make in pay and earnings?

Nationwide, the median annual salary (including salary plus other cash compensation) for home health aides is $24,060 per year. Overall, this equates to $11.57 per hour in earnings.

In Pennsylvania state, home health aides see a higher average salary than the nationwide average. Statewide, HHAs average $25,810 per year, or $12.41 per hour in earnings and payment. 

Finally, in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas (the tri-state area which includes parts of Delaware and New Jersey as well), the average wage is $26,220, or $12.61 per hour in payment and salary. 

Check out our comprehensive pay guide for home health aides here.

Home Health Aide Training

How do I get trained to be a Home Health Aide?  

To get trained as a home health aide (HHA), prospective home health aides must complete a training program. Training requirements are set out by federal requirements of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Training and certification programs may be offered by community colleges, private schools or employers (home healthcare agencies) offering jobs in the field. 

What does a home health aide learn in the training program?

A home health aide trainee will learn a lot of important tasks and skills in the home health aide training program. At CareBridge Academy, the home health aide training program includes the following core competencies which are the foundation of HHA training. They include:

  • Client rights and confidentiality.
  • Communication and problem-solving skills.
  • Personal care skills.
  • Health-related tasks.
  • In-home and nutritional support.
  • Infection control.
  • Safety.
  • Understanding the needs of various client groups.

How long is a home health aide training program?

A home health aide training and certification program must meet federal regulations. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that means that a home health aide training course must be at least 75 total hours in length. 16 of the total hours offered must be hands-on clinical or lab practice under the direct supervision of the nurse instructor. CareBridge Academy’s home health aide training program meets these federal regulations.

Can a home health aide training program be completed online?

It can, in part. Out of the 75 hours of total instruction of the home health aide training program, 59 of those hours can be done remotely. The required 16 hours of hands-on, supervised instruction previously mentioned must be done in person. 

How much does home health aide training cost?

The cost of the program can vary. CareBridge Academy has a home health aide program that is very inexpensive at only $595. The program is completed right here in Philadelphia. A home health aide program can also be taken through other approved classes in the Philadelphia region. 

Some employers may even offer a home health aide course. Employer offered courses do have some downsides, however. Since these programs are offered by the agencies directly, they rarely have regularly scheduled classes. Plus, the number of home healthcare companies offering their own home health aide certification courses is limited. One benefit is that these classes may be free to interested parties. However, you will be required to work at the agency for a specified period of time in exchange for the home health aide training. If you fail to meet this agreement, you may be subject to having to pay for the full cost of the class. Plus, since the home healthcare company offers their own training and documentation of certification, the certification may be restricted. Most likely, an interested individual will have to reach out to a variety of home healthcare companies to inquire about classes that may be offered. By obtaining a home health aide certification in advance, it gives home health aide candidates a major advantage.

How should I balance cost and restrictions when considering Home Health Aide training options?

CareBridge Academy offers its premier home health aide training program right in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. CareBridge Academy started a home health aide training program because it found a lack of affordable HHA training options. Plus, with the CareBridge Academy program, classes are offered regularly and are flexible. These include day, night, weekend, and part-time home health aide course offerings. 

CareBridge Academy Home Health Aide Training Course

The CareBridge Academy Home Health Aide Training Program offers the best of both worlds. It’s home health aide training program is inexpensive. Plus, the home health aide certification obtained is very flexible. It is not restricted to just one home healthcare agency or one healthcare setting. It will be valid across both Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. Plus, the certification is valid in states that mirror federal regulations that oversee home healthcare companies and home health aide training programs. 

Find out more about CareBridge Academy and our other course offerings which include Certified Nurse Aide training. Contact us today with questions or to learn more!

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