CAREERS IN HOME HEALTH CARE AGENCIES

What is Home Health?

Home health care includes skilled nursing care, as well as other skilled care services, like physical and occupational therapy,
speech-language therapy, and medical social services. These services are given by a variety of skilled health care professionals
at home. The home health staff provides and helps coordinate the care and/or therapy the patient’s doctor orders. Along with the
doctor, home health staff create a plan of care, which is a written plan for the patient’s care. It tells what services the patient will
get to reach and keep the patient’s best physical, mental, and social well-being. The home health staff keeps the patient’s doctor
up-to-date on how the patient is doing and updates the plan of care as needed, as authorized by the doctor.

The need for home health care has grown for many reasons. Medical science and technology have improved. Many treatments that
could once be done only in a hospital can now be done at home. Also, home health care is usually less expensive and can often be
just as effective as care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility. And just as important, most patients and their families prefer to stay at
home rather than be in a hospital or a nursing home. While the patient get home health care, home health staff teach the patient
(and the patient’s caregiver) to continue any care the patient may need, including medication, wound care, therapy, and stress management.
Since most home health care is intermittent and part-time, the patient (and the patient informal caregivers) should learn how to identify and
care for possible problems, like confusion or shortness of breath.

Types of Jobs in Home Health Care Agencies include:

- Registered Nurses (RNs)

- Licensed Practical and Vocational nurses (LVNs)

- Physical and Occupational therapists (PT/OT)

- Speech-language pathologists (ST)

-Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs)

-Caregiver (Certificate is not required)

-Staff Supervisor

-Billing/Clerical

-Administrative

-Social Services