What Should You Expect From A Home Health Aide?

by Matt Clinnard

If your parent has recently gone through a major medical event, such as surgery or stroke, or it is getting increasingly difficult for them to deal with their chronic health conditions on their own, you may be considering getting them a home health aide. However, this may all be new to you and you do not really know what to expect. That is why we are here to help.

To being with, we should make it clear that home health aides are not nurses or medical professionals and this means that most of the work they do is providing personal care to your older loved one. This means helping them do things like eat, bathe, get dressed, cook, go to the grocery store and do their laundry.

However, this does not make a home health aide's job any less important or difficult. In fact, it is a very difficult job that requires a lot of specialized training and skill, and home health aides have to jump through a lot of hoops to become certified.

Of course there are some medically-related things that a home health aide can do. These are things like checking your loved one's temperature or blood pressure. They will also help your loved one manage their medication.

A home health aide can spend much more time with your loved one than a nurse or a physical therapist. This is a good thing and it gives you an opportunity to work with them to make your parents home care experience as good and helpful as possible. Each person is different, so it is natural that every caregiving experience will have to be tailored to fit an individual's needs. The key to good senior care is communication. If you work with your loved one's home health aide, together you will make the most of their golden years and they will thank you for it.