Home Health Aide HHA/CNA

About the role

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

Responsibilities

• Performs only those personal care activities contained in a written assignment.
• Helps the patient to maintain good personal hygiene.
• Plans and prepares meals.
• Feeds or assists with feeding the patient when needed.
• Assists the patient ambulation.
• Assists with certain treatments as ordered by the physician, and taught and supervised by the nurse for a specific patient including: assist with the change of the colostomy bag; assist with the use of a walker or wheelchair; reinforcement of a dressing; assist with prescribed range of motion exercises; assist with prescribed ice cap or collar; measure intake and output of fluids; and assist with medications that are ordinarily self-administered.
• Reads and records temperature, pulse and respiration.
• Assists in maintaining a safe and healthy environment.
• Promotes the patient’s mental alertness through involvement in activities of interest.
• Provides simple emotional and psychological support to the patient, family, and other caregivers.
• Reports any changes in the patient’s mental or physical condition or home situation to the VITAS Nurse and members of the interdisciplinary team.
• Teaches basic personal care to the primary caregiver.
• Practices basic infection control measures.
• Observes, reports, and documents patient status and the care and activities provided.
• Completes at least 12 hours of in-service training per calendar year.
• Handles other tasks as assigned.
• May not be assigned by VITAS to any institutional setting.
• May not change sterile dressings.
• May not irrigate body cavities (such as an enema).
• May not irrigate a colostomy or wound.
• May not perform a gastric lavage or gavage.
• May not catheterize a patient.
• May not administer medications.
• May not apply heat by any method.
• May not care for a tracheotomy tube.
• May not suction a patient.
• May not 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 that Home Health Aide has successfully completed 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.

Skills

• Ability to read, write, and carry out directions.
• Ability to travel per job requirements.
• Has a telephone available in home.
• Ability to lift objects in excess of 20 pounds.
• Ability to stand or walk in excess of one hour per day.
• Ability to talk and hear.
• Specific vision abilities: close vision, distance vision, ability to adjust focus.
• Ability to sit, stoop, kneel, and crouch as required.

Pay

Salary Range: $15-$18 / Hour