What Does a Home Health Aide Do?

In-home care can be provided by professionals in various roles, including doctors, nurses, therapists, technicians and others. Home health aides can play a critical role on a care team.

This article explains what home health aides do and when someone might need one.

Home Health Aides and Nurses Compared

Home health aides and nurses who provide home care both assist patients at their residences. However, it’s important to understand the difference between their roles. Here’s a summary of their qualifications and responsibilities:

• Home health aides are not trained or licensed to provide medical care. Their focus is on assisting with so-called activities of daily living. They work under the direction and supervision of a nurse or other healthcare professional.
• Nurses are licensed medical professionals who provide skilled medical care, including wound care, medication administration and vital sign monitoring. They are also qualified to assess and manage medical conditions.

Those are the general definitions. Depending on how a particular organization defines the roles, there can be a small amount of overlap in responsibilities. For example, a home health aide with proper training might be tasked with checking a patient’s vital signs and providing that information to a nurse or other healthcare professional.

How a Home Health Aide Can Assist You

A home health aide’s primary focus is assisting with ADLs. These activities include:

• Bathing or showering
• Grooming, such as shaving, brushing teeth, hair, nail and skin care
• Dressing
• Using the restroom
• Transferring from one place or position to another, such as from a bed to a wheelchair
• Assisting with position changes in bed to prevent skin problems

Home health aides also help with more complex activities, referred to as instrumental activities of daily living. IADLs are things like:

• Light housekeeping, such as dusting, vacuuming, laundry and maintaining a safe living environment.
• Meal preparation in accordance with dietary restrictions and preferences.
• Medication reminders (although they can’t administer medications).
• Grocery shopping and running errands to ensure the patient has access to essential supplies.
• Transportation to appointments or events.
• Companionship and socialization, such as engaging in conversations, playing games, etc.

Who Might Need a Home Health Aide?

People require the services of a home health aide for various reasons. Some need help at home as they recover from an illness or a medical procedure until they can regain their strength and function independently.

Others can benefit from assistance with chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, or multiple sclerosis. Home health aides also help people with physical or cognitive disabilities and seniors facing age-related challenges to their mobility or cognitive abilities.

Talk With Your Baptist Health Provider About Home Health Aide Assistance

If you or a loved one has a health condition that makes it difficult to perform activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living, talk with your healthcare provider. They can help you understand the advantages of having help in the home and point you to resources for learning more about your options.

If you don’t have a Baptist Health provider, check out our online directory.

Next Steps and Helpful Resources

Learn More About Home Health Care at Baptist  Health
Role & Duties of a Home Health Nurse
Medical Equipment Needed for Home Care
Assisted Living vs. Home Care: Deciding What’s Best
What Is Hospice Care at Home?