Home Health Aide (HHA)

General Purpose:

Are members of the interdisciplinary team who provide hands-on personal care, report changes in the patient’s/client’s condition, perform simple procedures as an extension of therapy or nursing services, and provide incidental/instrumental activities of daily living as assigned to patients/clients in the home setting as permitted by the policies and procedures of Interim HealthCare and any other federal, state and local law or regulation.   

Essential Functions:

• Reads and records temperature, pulse, and respirations.
• Assists, performs and trains patient/client and family in activities of daily living such as bathing, grooming, nail and skin care, oral hygiene, toileting and elimination and adequate nutritional intake.
• Promotes safe environment and maintain unobstructed pathways while providing care.
• Assists with ambulation, transfers and/or range of motion exercises.  
• Assists with incidental/instrumental activities of daily living such as shopping, meal preparation, socialization activities, homemaking and maintaining a clean and safe physical environment.
• Assists in medication reminding
• Assists in administering medications ordinarily self-administered.
• Utilizes infection prevention and control measures such as universal precautions, hand washing, and personal protective equipment.
• Follows the assignment sheet/service plan performing only tasks that are assigned. 
• Recognizes, reports, and records/documents changes in patient/client condition and safety to supervisor. 
• Document observations, activities and service provided in an accurate, complete and timely manner.
• Organizes self to carry out visits/shifts and tasks.
• Completes mandatory Interim HealthCare in-services and provides requested documents to keep employee file current.
• Participates in Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program, as requested.
• Participates in the Office’s Emergency Preparedness Program, as requested.
• Completes other assignments as requested and assigned.
• Honors patient rights.
• Accesses personal health information (“PHI”) necessary to fulfill the above duties and responsibilities. Access to use and ability to disclose PHI is further defined by each organization/department.

Home Health Aide MAY NOT:

• Perform any skilled nursing procedure, which is prohibited by the State Nurse Practice Act, law or regulation.

Minimum Education & Experience Requirements:

• Eighteen (18) years of age or older.
• Six (6) months of experience in healthcare .

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required: 

• Two (2) positive references
• Evidence of passing a home health aide written knowledge exam.
• Pass state required criminal and abuse background checks where required.
• Able to effectively communicate in English with all levels of the workforce, both clinical and non-clinical
• Able to effectively communicate, including the ability to read, write, and verbally report clinical information to patients, patient representatives (if any), patient’s caregivers and family, and agency staff.
• Able to perform and prioritize multiple tasks or functions.
• Able to provide proof of valid driver's license, if applicable.
• Able to provide proof of valid auto liability insurance if assignment(s) include driving own vehicle to transport patient.

Working Conditions & Physical Effort: 

• Able to constantly travel within geographic area serviced by office from assignment to assignment.
• Meets the applicable health requirements to provide patient care per applicable law or regulation.
• Work is normally performed in patient’s home.
• Occasional exposure to communicable diseases, bloodborne pathogens and/or other potentially infectious or hazardous materials and situations that require following extensive safety precautions and may include the use of protective equipment (e.g. face masks, goggles, latex and or non-latex gloves).
• Able to constantly stand, bend, stoop, squat, kneel and reach freely.
• Able to frequently lift, reposition, and transfer clients/patients.
• Able to frequently carry bundles such as groceries and laundry up or down stairs and lift with or without assistance.  
• Able to constantly grasp with thumb in opposition to fingers of palm (i.e. DME supplies, knobs or objects).
• Able to read 8 point or larger type.
• Medium physical activity that may require frequent lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling up to 50 lbs.