Certification for home health aide: HHA Certification | American Caregiver Association

HHA Certification | American Caregiver Association

Home Health Aide Certification

A lot of people come to our website asking about HHA Certification or Home Health Aide Certification. One of the first questions that they ask is whether or not Home Health Aide Certification is the same as Caregiver Certification. The answer is yes. Home Health Aide Certification is caregiver certification. When you acquire home health aide certification you will perform the same duties as a caregiver because you ‘are’ a caregiver. Get Caregiver Certification here.

The word ‘caregiver’ is the master keyword that essentially describes anyone who is providing care to someone else. HHA certification is simply one of many titles or designations that is used to describe caregivers. However, home health aide is the most commonly used and familiar name in the caregiver industry which it why you see it so much. As the national certifying organization for caregivers, the American Caregiver Association sets the titles and designations for caregivers at the national level. If you are just starting out, needing HHA Certification for an insurance purpose or any other reason we recommend the National Caregiver Certification Course below. You can complete your course within 2-3 days, and the entire process is conducted through email. Once you have completed your HHA Certification course you will be entered into the National Caregiver Registry (NCR). Get Caregiver Certification here.

Popular HHA Certification Courses and Caregiver Bundle Options

What do you do after you obtain HHA Certification?

Some of the duties you perform as after you obtain your caregiver certification include monitoring the condition of clients, residents, or family members who may have disabilities or chronic illnesses. More specifically, you will help them with what is referred to as ‘activities of daily living’, or ADLs. The essential purpose of your job as a home health aide is to improve the quality of life for your clients, residents or loved ones. Likewise, your job is to help people recover or live in a safe, happy, healthy environment.

It is common after the acquisition of HHA certification for many home health aides to work with the same person for many years. When home health aides work with people who are recovering from an illness, injury, or surgery the amount of time that the home health aide spends working with one patient is sometimes shorter in duration, typically only a few weeks. One of the reasons that home health aides are often called in to help with a patient who needs short-term care is that family is not always able to meet the patient’s needs during the at-home recovery process. Get Caregiver Certification here.

Where Do You Work After You Obtain HHA Certification?

One you obtain home health aide certification, or HHA certification, you may work in a number of different settings to include the homes of your clients, assisted living facilities, group homes, and adult day care centers.

Typically, once you have acquired HHA certification, you will work full time. There are also many over-night positions, and you may work part-time as well. There are, in fact any number of job settings that you might find yourself in after you obtain HHA certification. The average salary for a home health aide is around $27,000 annually. One of the best things about getting home health aide certification is that fact that the employment outlook is very good. In fact, the home health aide field is expected to grow well over 30 percent from 2020 to 2030. This is a much greater pace than most other professions/occupations. So, there is a lot of opportunity for you looking ahead once you obtain your HHA certification. Get Caregiver Certification here.

The Home Health Aide Role

One thing we want to point out is the fact that home health aides are not intended to take over the responsibilities of nurses or doctors, although sometimes there is a tendency to rely heavily on the home health aide because they spend so much time with their clients, patients, or family member. Likewise, once you acquire HHA certification and are on the job, the services that you provide are always according to doctors’ orders and the patients, client’s or family member’s service plan. Get Caregiver Certification here.

Bottom Line Once You Obtain HHA Certification

While there are a lot of different names, titles, and designations for caregivers such as the aforementioned HHA Certification, Home health Aide Certification, or simply caregiver certified, the bottom line is not the title. It’s how you provide care after you receive your HHA certification. Designations do not matter so much. What matters is that you are providing the best care you can for your loved ones, clients, or residents with the purpose of improving their quality of life. Be a great caregiver. Get HHA certification and go do what you do best! Get Your Certification here.

Home Care Aide | Washington State Department of Health

We can help you:

Change your contact information | Find application status | Renew your license

File a complaint | More resources for health professionals | Verify your license (Provider Credential Search)

Related links

Licensing information – applications and forms, fees, licensing requirements and additional information.

Continuing education, training classes, and other resources – See our Resources webpage for links to a list of continuing education classes, nursing assistant bridge training programs, the DSHS background check process and a checklist for new long-term caregivers.

Interpreters available for the written examination – The Department of Health offers the home care aide examination in the following languages: Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, English, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Russian, Samoan, Spanish, Somali, Tagalog, Ukrainian and Vietnamese. When requested, the department provides an interpreter to read the home care aide examination to accommodate other languages not listed above. More information is on our Individual Interpreter Project webpage.

Current Topics

Home Care Aide New Fees

* Date application is submitted online or, if mailed in, postmarked.

Home Care Aides and COVID-19

With the Governor’s rescission of proclamations related to COVID-19, both the Department of Social and Health Services and the Department of Health have administrative rules in place to allow additional time to complete training and certification. Specific information is in table below:

Home Care Aides and COVID-19 training timelines

Worker hired or rehired during the time frame of:	Must complete basic training no later than:	Must be certified as a HCA or CNA no later than:
August 17, 2019 to September 30, 2020	January 31, 2023	August 31, 2023
October 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021	April 30, 2023	November 27, 2023
May 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022	July 31, 2023	November 27, 2023
April 1, 2022 to September 30, 2022	October 31, 2023	February 27, 2024
October 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023	November 30, 2023	March 28, 2024
Beginning July 1, 2023	Standard training requirements	Standard certification requirements

Community partners meeting on August 1, 2023, 3 to 4:30 p.

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Legislative Changes to the Home Care Aide Profession

Due to recent legislation, the following changes take place on July 23, 2023:

• If a home care aide credential is expired less than five years, no continuing education is required to renew the credential. You will simply complete the required forms and pay the fee. If a credential is expired for more than five years, retraining and examination is required.
• If a caregiver in training changes employers or returns to employment with a former employer, they may now start over with a new date of hire. This starts over the 200 days they have to receive their credential. To restart the 200 days: 
  • If you are obtaining an initial credential, speak with your credentialing specialist by email or phone.
  • If you are renewing an expired credential, submit an updated Employment Verification Form online.
• You will be able to provide care to the following individuals without obtaining or maintaining a home care aide credential:
• Biological, step, or adoptive child or parents.
• Siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, grandparents, and grandchildren (including by marriage or domestic partnership).
• If you care for one of the above individuals, work with the Consumer Direct Care Network Washington to be classified as an exempt family caregiver.
• You will be required to obtain and maintain a home care aide credential when caring for a spouse or registered domestic partner, unless you qualify for the US Dept of Veteran Affairs home and community-based programs.

The following changes will take place on September 1, 2023:

• From September 1, 2023, through July 1, 2025, if your credential has been expired for more than six months but less than two years, your credential will be automatically renewed with no fee, forms to complete, or CE requirements.

How to Get Certified as a Home Health Assistant in 4 Steps • BUOM

November 11, 2021

Home Health Assistants take care of their patients from the comfort of their own home. They are highly regarded for their practical skills and compassion for the elderly and disabled. If you are interested in becoming a home health assistant, you might find it helpful to know how they get certified. In this article, we’ll explain what home health care worker certification is, the benefits of getting one, and the four steps you can take to get it.

What is a home health assistant certification?

The Home Health Assistant Certification is a certification that provides professionals with training in caring for people with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Certified home health workers learn how to provide home care to their patients. The Home Health Assistant Certification also teaches them how to:

• Track and record patient vital signs and food intake

• Report changes in the patient’s health status to a supervisor or case manager

• Provide patient care such as bathing, dressing, and feeding

• Monitor and manage patient medications

• Infection care and dressing changes

• Do housework for the patient, such as washing dishes, vacuuming, and folding laundry.

• Transporting patients to doctor appointments

• Connect with patients, listen to their stories, and provide emotional support

Benefits of a Home Health Assistant Certification

Here are some reasons why you might benefit from a Home Health Assistant certification: windows, mobile apps, games – EVERYTHING FOR FREE, in our closed telegram channel – Subscribe 🙂

This is often required

Here are three reasons why home health assistants need certification:

• Many states ask for it: More and more states require additional training before you can become a home health assistant. Consider researching the requirements in your area before pursuing certification.

• Taking on additional responsibilities: Many home health aides take on additional responsibilities or mixed roles. Some of these duties legally require a home health aide to be certified before they can perform them.

• Insurance agency affiliates ask for it: Insurance companies that may be affiliated with a home health care company require certification for all home health care assistants. Some companies create their own independent requirements, so consider the guidelines for each company when applying.

It leads to meaningful work

Here are three reasons many people find homecare work meaningful:

• Socializing: In addition to physical health, home helpers keep their patients company. While providing care, they often listen to their patients’ stories and share their own.

• Home comforts: When home helpers provide care, they allow their patients to remain in the privacy and familiarity of their own home. They provide essential services to people who can only get help at home, not in a hospital.

• Help financially: Home health assistants reduce their patients’ stress levels and help them live a decent life. This is the kind of work that attracts compassionate and gentle people.

It gives you a useful set of skills

Here are three reasons why home health assistant certification can be useful both in and out of the professional environment:

• Caring for your family. The skills you gain as a home helper certification can help you care for the needs of young and old family members. If someone in your family needs emergency help, you can feel confident knowing that you have experience in dealing with the situation.

• Take care of yourself: You can use the skills you gain from your home helper certification to take care of yourself. Knowing how to monitor vital signs and treat certain injuries can help you deal with a medical emergency.

• Co-worker Care: You can use your housekeeping skills to take care of co-workers in your workplace. They might feel more secure knowing they are working with a qualified healthcare professional.

It can lead to professional growth

Here are two ways that domestic helper certification can lead to professional growth:

• Working privately: Some certified professionals decide to become private medical professionals. They do this by building strong relationships with clients and providing additional training while working with a government-owned home health care company.

• CNA and LPN: Many home helpers use their work experience to advance to the role of certified nurse assistant or licensed practical nurse. If you want to expand beyond the home health aide position, consider looking for certifications offered online and in your area.

How to get certified as a home helper in 4 steps

Here are four steps you can take to get certified as a home helper:

1. Complete training

To pass the certification exam, home health assistants are trained by an accredited institution. Here are eight steps you can take to prepare for home health care training:

1. Get your high school diploma, or GED.

2. Research home care schools for courses offered in your area.

3. Look for programs that offer the National Home Care Association exam for private employment.

4. Check if you need background checks or additional certifications to apply for the program.

5. Check the school’s course calendar to make sure it fits your schedule.

6. Check the number of graduates of each school and the number of exams passed.

7. If it’s a paid program, check if it fits your budget.

8. Find out how many teaching hours are required for your program and state.

2. Pass Written Exam

After home health care assistants complete health care training, they take a written certification exam. Here are the four details of the written exam:

• Includes 60 to 70 questions.

• The questions cover 13 topics.

• You have 90 minutes to complete the test.

• The pass rate is 70 to 80 percent, depending on the state.

3. Practical Skills Exam

After the Home Health Assistants complete the written exam, they take the Practical Skills Exam. Here are five details about the practical skills exam:

• It tests three to six skills randomly selected by exam moderators.

• The exam tests skills such as checking vital signs and bathing patients.

• It takes 25 to 30 minutes to complete.

• You can pass between 70 and 80 percent, depending on the state.

• There are some critical skills that require adequate work to pass.

4. Register with the HHA Registry

After home health aides pass their exams, they go to the registry to register their certification. This registry is overseen by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Once you apply to this department, you can legally use your certification on resumes and job applications.

Please note that none of the entities mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.

Jobs/Careers – HCS Home Health Care Of NY

Join the HCS Home Health Care Team Today!

Are you looking for a favorable work environment and a professional but family atmosphere?

HCS Homecare is currently recruiting and we are providing our staff with:

• Flexible working hours – Our caregivers work varying hours per week depending on their needs.
• Benefits – Paid sick time, health insurance, worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, subscription and holiday bonuses
• Hourly, daily and night shifts
• Significant overtime – 90 226 Many of our caregivers regularly receive overtime and wages.
• Preparation – We provide initial and ongoing training to improve your technical and customer service skills.