The role of home health aides is to improve or maintain the health and well-being of clients. This is accomplished by providing or assisting with personal care, assisting with ADLs (activities of daily living), and performing assigned healthcare tasks. Home health aides also fulfill goals indirectly by promoting self-care. HHAs can reinforce the teachings of other team members and promote behavior that improves health, such as diet and exercise.
HHAs provide care or assist with self-care, depending on the care plan. A care plan may include the following:
- bathing
- grooming
- feeding
- assisting with range of motion (ROM) exercises and ambulation
- reminding the client about medications
- measuring vital signs (temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure)
HHAs maintain a safe, secure, and comfortable home life for clients and their families. This may include light housekeeping, food shopping, meal preparation, and doing laundry.
Home health aides are also role models. They promote clients’ independence by practicing good housekeeping, nutrition, and healthcare skills. For example, encouraging clients to do tasks for themselves helps ensure that health will be maintained between visits.
In addition, home health aides teach by example. By performing procedures and providing assistance efficiently and cheerfully, they provide the family with a model for caregiving.