Home Health Care Employment

Home health care services allow the patient and their family to maintain their dignity and independence. According to the study of National Association for Home Health Care, there are more than 7 million individuals in the United States in need of professional home health care services because of acute illness, long term health problems, permanent disability or terminal illness. If people are seeking a profession that is expected to grow steadily in the future, they should look into home health aide training. The demand for professional experienced home health aides is skyrocketing due to the aging population and a preference for at-home health care.

Through a sum of skills, knowledge and experience home health care nurses specialize in a wide range of treatments; emotional support, education of patients who are recovering from illnesses and injury for young children and adults, to women who have experienced recent childbirth, to the elderly who need palliative care for chronic illness. A good Home Health Care Employment need the skill set to provide care in a unique setting such as someone's home. The home health care employees are working with the patient and the family and must understand the communication skills for such dynamics. Rapport is evident in all home health care employment positions, but working in a patient's own living space needs a different level of skill and understanding.

There is independent decision making as the employee is no longer working as a team with other professionals in a structured environment, but is now as a member of the home health care team. The family of the patient has cultural values that are important and are different for every patient and must be treated with extreme sensitivity. Other skill sets include coordination, critical thinking, assessment, communication, and documentation. Home health care employees also specialize in the care of children with various disabilities that requires additional skills such as patience and understanding of the needs of the family. Children are living with physical or mental disabilities today that would have resulted in mortality just twenty years ago. Congenital physical impairments, genetic disorders, and injury are just a few.

Many families are there who are actually familiar with managing the needs of the child, but still need expert care that only a home health care nurse can provide. It is essential that a home health care employee is aware of the expertise of the family about the condition of the child for proper care of the child. There are numerous complexities involved, but most important thing is a positive attitude and positive reinforcement is of utmost importance for the development of the child. Medication coordination between the doctor, home health care employee, and pharmacist, ensures proper management of the exact science behind giving the patient the correct dose, time of administration, and drug combinations.

Home health care employees should be well familiar with pharmacology and taught in training about different medications used by patients in the clinical setting. There are a number of advanced practicing home health care service providers who are familiar with proper medication regiments. These employees have completed graduate level programs of home health care. Home health care agencies believe that an employee should have at least one year of clinical experience before entering home health care.

• Emma Bullock
• 21/01/2009, 6:59 PM
• 0 Comments