Free Online Home Health Aide Training & Classes

Free Online Home Health Aide Training and Classes Overview

A home health aide is someone who cares for the elderly or disabled whether it is in their home or in a professional care center. They do not usually perform any medical tasks beyond checking a patient's vital signs, as their focus is on the physical care, comfort, and safety of a patient. They are typically required to take a certification exam prior to entering the workforce in a clinical setting or with agencies that are reimbursed by programs like Medicare and Medicaid, but other positions outside of nursing or assisted living facilities often require just a high school diploma.

We have compiled a list of free online home health aide courses and training that provide students with the tools they need to succeed. The materials and information they discuss give students the knowledge they need to be successful in this field. Keep reading to learn what each of these institutions has to offer prospective students.

Alison

Alison offers a free diploma course in caregiving, which helps students learn about the professional skills necessary to care for elderly clients or family members. It offers eleven different modules with assessments and videos to further a student's education on the topic. They do offer a certificate of completion, but scholars must pay a small fee in order to receive it.

Some of the ideas discussed about caregiving include:

• Legal and ethical issues of providing care
• The philosophy of dementia care
• Human body: skin and bones
• Communication with clients
• Infection care
• Care of the disabled
• Emergency care

Home Sweet Care

Home Sweet Care offers several courses for home health aides to use to their advantage. They cover a wide range of topics from symptoms to the home environment. It was created to educate people on the best methods to care for the elderly and students can take as many of their courses for free as they desire. They also offer educational lectures, and if a student lives in Virginia, they can take advantage of the on-site resource library.

A few of the courses available to prospective students include:

• Alzheimer's memory loss and aging
• Body systems and the aging process
• Handling difficult situations & behaviors

Additional topics include those that follow:

• Chronic diseases of the elderly
• Communication with memory loss
• Caregiver tasks
• Resistance to care
• Promoting independence

Family Caregiver Alliance

The Family Caregiver Alliance offers several free webinars geared towards families taking care of elderly loved ones, but they are applicable to home health aide training as they cover the same topics of discussion. They discuss daily care for family members, as well as the types of care families can find for their loved ones. This discussion allows students to understand the system and guide their decision in choosing where to work.

A few of the webinars being offered for students include:

• How to prevent falls in aging adults
• Making respite more effective