Home health aides typically work for certified home health or hospice agencies that receive government funding and therefore must comply with extensive regulations. This means that home health aides must work under the direct supervision of a medical professional, usually a nurse. The aides keep records of services performed and of clients\u27 condition and progress. They report changes in the client\u27s condition to the supervisor or case manager. Aides also work with therapists and other medical staff

Maye, Chenoa

English

Home health aides typically work for certified home health or hospice agencies that receive government funding and therefore must comply with extensive regulations. This means that home health aides must work under the direct supervision of a medical professional, usually a nurse. The aides keep records of services performed and of clients' condition and progress. They report changes in the client's condition to the supervisor or case manager. Aides also work with therapists and other medical staff.PovertyLowWageWorkIncomeInequality__Home_Health_Aides.pdf: 16 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

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Home Health Aides

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4-19-2010 
Home Health Aides 
Chenoa Maye 
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Home Health Aides 
Abstract 
Home health aides typically work for certified home health or hospice agencies that receive government 
funding and therefore must comply with extensive regulations. This means that home health aides must 
work under the direct supervision of a medical professional, usually a nurse. The aides keep records of 
services performed and of clients' condition and progress. They report changes in the client's condition to 
the supervisor or case manager. Aides also work with therapists and other medical staff. 
Keywords 
Buffalo, Poverty/Low Wage Work/Income Inequality, Low Wage Work, Health, Fact Sheet, PPG, PDF 
This article is available at DigitalCommons@ILR: https://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/buffalocommons/133 
     
 
FACT SHEET                                                                          April 19, 2010 
 
Home Health Aides 
Chenoa Maye  
 
 
 
What is a home health aide? 
A home health aide is generally someone who assists persons with 
disabilities, people with chronic illnesses, or elderly persons in their 
homes or in residential facilities.  
 
Meet “Terry” and “Donna” 
 
Growing up, I lived with my grandmother and great-grandmother. My 
great-grandmother was on dialysis and an amputee and required 
additional care. For the last 8 years of her life, we had a health care aide 
assist us with her care- her name was Donna.  
 
Terry is a 25-year-old nursing student who worked as a home health aide 
while she was an  undergraduate. 
 
Who are the major employers of this occupation? 
Home health aides typically work for certified home health or hospice 
agencies that receive government funding and therefore must comply with 
extensive regulations. This means that home health aides must work under 
2 
 
the direct supervision of a medical professional, usually a nurse. The aides 
keep records of services performed and of clients' condition and progress. 
They report changes in the client's condition to the supervisor or case 
manager. Aides also work with therapists and other medical staff. 
 
Terry worked for Home Health Agency Center (HHA) in Rochester, NY 
from 2005-2006 when she was a 21-year-old student. 
 
What are some of the major responsibilities? 
Some aides accompany clients to 
doctors' appointments or on other 
errands. The duties of home health aides 
also include providing instruction and 
psychological support to their clients. 
They may also advise families and 
patients on nutrition, cleanliness, and 
household tasks and other care-related 
issues. Home health aides may provide 
some basic health-related services, such 
as checking patients' pulse rate, 
temperature, and respiration rate. They 
also may help with simple prescribed 
exercises and assist with medications 
administration. Occasionally, they 
change simple dressings, give massages, 
provide skin care, or assist with braces 
and artificial limbs
i
. 
 
Terry: For the year that I was there, I only had one patient. It was a man 
who was disabled and who was susceptible to seizures. Basically it was 
my job to watch him overnight [ while he slept] to make sure he did not 
have one- or that if he did, he got help. He could move around pretty well 
by himself so that was basically all I did. In the morning, someone would 
come to relieve me and help him with some other things throughout the 
day. 
CM: Did you ever feel uncomfortable being there alone with him 
overnight? 
Terry: Well, yeah, at first. It was creepy. I mean he was disabled but he 
was still a 35-year-old man. He was still stronger than me. 
CM: Where did you watch him from? Were you in the room with him? 
Terry: No, I was always in the living room. There was a monitor in there 
so I could keep an eye on him from there. He was actually a really nice 
guy, he would always ask if I needed anything. 
 
3 
 
Terry’s responsibilities were more focused than what I saw growing up. 
Because of my great-grandmother’s health conditions, Donna’s duties 
included light housekeeping, food preparation, washing and grooming,   
and assisting her patient in moving throughout the home
2
. 
 
What, if any, training is required to fulfill your responsibilities? 
Home health aides must receive formal training and pass a competency 
test to work for certified home health or hospice agencies that receive 
reimbursement from Medicare or Medicaid. 
 
Home health aides and personal and home care aides are generally not 
required to have a high school diploma. They usually are trained on the 
job by registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, experienced aides, or 
their supervisor. Aides are instructed on how to cook for a client, 
including on special diets. Furthermore, they may be trained in basic 
housekeeping tasks, such as making a bed and keeping the home sanitary 
and safe for the client. Generally, they are taught how to respond to an 
emergency, learning basic safety techniques. Employers also may train 
aides to conduct themselves in a professional and courteous manner while 
in a client’s home. Some clients prefer that tasks are done a certain way 
and will teach the aid 
 
Terry: I attended one class…basically, like, some dumb training. It was 
about four hours every day for three weeks. 
CM:  You called the training “dumb.” Was that because the information 
was useless or the trainers didn’t do a good job? 
Terry: No. I just knew a lot of the stuff already. I had volunteered in a 
nursing home before so much of it was stuff I was already familiar with. 
CM: So for people without your previous experience, it would be helpful 
or necessary?  
Terry: Yeah. Definitely 
 
What is the work environment like?  
Terry: It was fine I guess. The home I worked in was very clean. I know 
some people had to work in places that weren’t so clean. And my client 
was nice so I didn’t have to deal with any bad attitudes or anything. 
CM: How about your co-workers and your supervisors?  
Terry: Honestly, I didn’t really get to interact with anybody very much. 
We had sheets that we had to fill out, just like what out duties were and 
any observations or changes that we saw.  So we would fill those out and 
just drop them in a drop box at the Center. We didn’t even have to go in to 
do it. My supervisor was cool but, again, I only saw her every one in a 
while. Sometimes I would talk a little to the ladies that would come in the 
morning to relieve me but it wasn’t always the same person so it wasn’t 
4 
 
like I became friends with them or anything. The only time I really saw 
people was when we had in-service [meetings on-site at the Center]. 
CM: How did you feel about that? 
Terry: I didn’t really care. It was fine. It was my job. 
 
Terry currently works part-time as a clinical assistant at a cancer institute. 
One of the reasons she likes her current job better is because of the 
relationships she has with her patients and co-workers. 
 
What is the ‘job outlook’ of this occupation? 
The United States Department of Labor anticipates ample employment 
opportunities in this occupation because rapid employment growth and 
high replacement needs are projected to produce a large number of job 
openings
3
. 
 
What is the average salary/ wage for this occupation? 
The national average salary for this occupation is about $20,460. New 
York, a state which has one of the highest concentrations of this 
occupation, pays slightly better on average at $22,710
4
.  
 
Hourly, home health aides can expect to 
make approximately $8.00- $12.00/ hr. They 
can also expect to work very long hours – 
many of which go uncompensated.  In a 
notable case, Long Island Care v. Coke
5
, 
Plaintiff, Evelyn Coke brought suit to 
recover payment for overtime worked. The 
1938 Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) 
requires employers to pay a minimum wage 
and overtime pay for those who work more 
than 40 hours/ week. In amending the law in 
1974 to extend protection to domestic 
workers, Congress exempted persons 
“employed in domestic service employment 
to provide companionship services for 
individuals … unable to care for themselves.” In Coke’s case, the 
Supreme Court upheld this exemption, denying Coke overtime. 
 
Terry worked part-time for $10.00 per hour and no benefits. When asked 
how she was able to make ends meet she replied: “  I lived with [an aunt]. 
I knew I wasn’t going to make enough there to live on my own. I just 
needed a job, just something.” 
 
 
5 
 
                                                             
i Occupational Outlook Handbook 2010-2011 
2 Personal account. 
3 Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2008 
4 Id. 
5
 462 F.3d 48 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Partnership for the Public Good 
237 Main St., Suite 1200, Buffalo NY 14203 
www.ppgbuffalo.org 
 
 


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