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Online Programs in Home Health Care
Online Programs in Home Health Care
As a home health aide, you can offer assistance to patients who may be home-bound or who may require constant supervision at home. Learn more about available certificate programs in home health care, the prerequisites, the common course topics and the licensure process.
What Home Health Care Programs Are Available Online?
Home health care programs are rarely completed online due to the hands-on practical training necessary for the profession. Few colleges offer online certificate programs for home health aides; these are usually private, for-profit colleges and may or may not be accredited. On-campus certificate programs provide an opportunity for you to learn the skills to work with patients in a home setting and give you the required experience to enter the profession and become certified.
<table border="1"><tr><td><b>Programs Available</b></td><td> Certificate programs</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Prerequisites</b></td><td> Certified Nursing Aide (CNA) certification may be required</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Course Focus</b></td><td> Hygiene, basic nursing care, general housekeeping</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Certification Required</b></td><td> State or national certification usually required for employment</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Median Salary (2020)</b></td><td> $27,080 (<i>for all home health aides</i>)*</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Job Outlook (2019-2029)</b></td><td> 34% growth (<i>for all home health aides</i>)*</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
</p><h3 id="section---WhatDoINeedToEnrollInAProgram">What Do I Need to Enroll in a Program?</h3><p>You may be required to become a certified nurse's aide prior to enrolling. Technical schools offer nursing aide programs that take anywhere from 8 weeks to 8 months to complete. Both nursing aide and home health care programs include much of the same instruction, the largest difference being the emphasis on the setting in which health care is provided.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatWillILearn">What Will I Learn?</h3><p>A home health care training program teaches you to provide personal and medical care to patients as a heath care aide or hospice worker. You'll learn to work with patients in their home by administering treatments, assisting with exercise regimens and performing general housekeeping duties. Practical courses teach you hygiene, movement and feeding techniques for infirm and elderly patients.
</p><p>You'll also learn how to monitor vital signs, change bandages and administer therapy and medications. Some common and integral topics covered include:
</p><ul><li>Communication skills
</li><li>Disability and disease-related handicaps
</li><li>Life support and first aid
</li><li>Basic nursing care
</li></ul><h3 id="section---DoINeedToBecomeCertified">Do I Need to Become Certified?</h3><p>Federal and state regulations vary for licensure and certification, though most require home health aides working for publicly funded agencies to earn state or national certification. Requirements typically include formal training and supervised experience in the workplace prior to and during care offered in a home.
</p><p>The National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) provides optional national certification following written and practical examinations. Tested skills include reimbursement, planning and management, legal and ethical issues, information management and risk management.</p>
