Home Health Aide (HHA)

About the role

The VITAS Home Health Aide (HHA) is a non-exempt employee trained to provide personal care and services to hospice patients, augmenting care given by family members or other caregivers.

Responsibilities

Performs only those personal care activities contained in a written assignment. Assignments may include:

• Helping the patient maintain good personal hygiene
• Planning and preparing meals
• Feeding or assisting with feeding the patient when needed
• Assisting the patient with ambulation
• Assisting with certain treatments as ordered by the physician and taught/supervised by the nurse, including: change of the colostomy bag; use of a walker or wheelchair; reinforcement of a dressing; prescribed range of motion exercises; prescribed ice cap or collar; measuring intake and output of fluids; and assisting with medications that are ordinarily self-administered
• Reading and recording temperature, pulse, and respiration

Other responsibilities not included in a written assignment may include:

• Assisting in maintaining a safe and healthy environment
• Promoting the patient's mental alertness through involvement in activities of interest
• Providing simple emotional and psychological support to the patient, family, and other caregivers
• Reporting any changes in the patient's mental or physical condition or home situation to the VITAS Nurse and interdisciplinary team
• Teaching basic personal care to the primary caregiver
• Practicing basic infection control measures
• Observing, reporting, and documenting patient status and the care and activities provided
• Completing at least 12 hours of in-service training per calendar year
• Handling other tasks as assigned

The Home Health Aide may not be assigned by VITAS to any institutional setting, nor perform any of the following:

• Change sterile dressings
• Irrigate body cavities (such as an enema)
• Irrigate a colostomy or wound
• Perform a gastric lavage or gavage
• Catheterize a patient
• Administer medications
• Apply heat by any method
• Care for a tracheotomy tube
• Suction a patient
• Provide any personal care that has not been assigned by the VITAS nurse or included in the plan of care

Qualifications

• High School graduate or equivalent preferred
• Meets personnel qualifications of a Home Health Aide as specified in 42 C.F.R. Section 484.4 and Section 484.36
• Documented evidence of 75 hours of training as specified in 42 C.F.R. Sections 484.36 (a)(1)
• Documented evidence of successful completion of a Competency Evaluation program as described in 42 C.F.R. Section 484.36(b)
• State Allowable Training/Certification:
  • AL, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, IN, MI, PA, TX, VA, WI: CNA, HHA, HA
  • CA: CHHA
  • CT: Homemaker-Home Health Aide
  • IL: HHA, NA
  • KS: Home Health Aide certificate
  • MO: Home Health Aide
  • NJ: Homemaker-Home Health Aide
  • OH: Home Health Aide

Requirements

• Ability to read, write, and carry out directions
• Ability to travel per job requirements
• Telephone available in home

Essential Functions/Physical Demands

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of the Home Health Aide, the employee is regularly required to:

• Assist in lifting and transferring patients, as required
• Lift objects in excess of 20 pounds
• Stand or walk in excess of one hour per day
• Talk and hear
• Specific vision abilities required include: close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus
• Sit, stoop, kneel, and crouch

Direction Received

Reports directly to the VITAS Nurse and receives clinical direction from the VITAS Nurse.