Home Health Aide (HHA)

Must be certified nursing assistant in the state of North Carolina

General Purpose:

Are members of the interdisciplinary team who provide hands-on personal care, report changes in the patient’s/client’s condition, perform simple procedures as an extension of therapy or nursing services, and provide incidental/instrumental activities of daily living as assigned to patients/clients in the home setting as permitted by the policies and procedures of Interim HealthCare and any other federal, state and local law or regulation.

Essential Functions

• Reads and records temperature, pulse, and respirations.
• Assists, performs and trains patient/client and family in activities of daily living such as bathing, grooming, nail and skin care, oral hygiene, toileting and elimination and adequate nutritional intake.
• Promotes safe environment and maintain unobstructed pathways while providing care.
• Assists with ambulation, transfers and/or range of motion exercises.
• Assists with incidental/instrumental activities of daily living such as shopping, meal preparation, socialization activities, homemaking and maintaining a clean and safe physical environment.
• Assists in medication reminding
• Assists in administering medications ordinarily self-administered.
• Utilizes infection prevention and control measures such as universal precautions, hand washing, and personal protective equipment.
• Follows the assignment sheet/service plan performing only tasks that are assigned.
• Recognizes, reports, and records/documents changes in patient/client condition and safety to supervisor.
• Document observations, activities and service provided in an accurate, complete and timely manner.
• Organizes self to carry out visits/shifts and tasks.
• Completes mandatory Interim HealthCare in-services and provides requested documents to keep employee file current.
• Participates in Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program, as requested.
• Participates in the Office’s Emergency Preparedness Program, as requested.
• Completes other assignments as requested and assigned.
• Honors patient rights.
• Accesses personal health information (“PHI”) necessary to fulfill the above duties and responsibilities. Access to use and ability to disclose PHI is further defined by each organization/department.

Home Health Aide MAY NOT

• Perform any skilled nursing procedure, which is prohibited by the State Nurse Practice Act, law or regulation.

Minimum Education & Experience Requirements

• Eighteen (18) years of age or older.
• Six (6) months of experience in healthcare or completion of the Office's preceptor program.
• A school of nursing student in the last year of a program or has documentation from the school of successful demonstration of personal care and home health aide skills or graduate RN or LPN/LVN with proof of graduation ; OR Successfully completed:
• A specific aide training and competency evaluation program as required by State and the federal regulations (42 CFR §484.80); or
• An aide competency evaluation program as required by State and the federal regulations (42 CFR §484.80); or
• A nurse aide training and competency evaluation program approved by State and meets the requirements of the federal regulations (§483.151 through §483.154) and is currently listed in good standing on the state nurse aide registry; or
• The requirements of a state licensure program that meets training and competency evaluation provisions per State and the federal regulations (42 CFR §484.80) AND
• Has not had a lapse in work for compensation for the period of 24 consecutive months as a home health aide or nurse aide.
• If there has been a 24-month lapse in furnishing services for compensation, the individual must successfully complete another program, as specified above in this section, before providing services.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required

• Two (2) positive references
• Evidence of passing a home health aide written knowledge exam.
• Pass state required criminal and abuse background checks where required.
• Able to effectively communicate in English with all levels of the workforce, both clinical and non-clinical
• Able to effectively communicate, including the ability to read, write, and verbally report clinical information to patients, patient representatives (if any), patient’s caregivers and family, and agency staff.
• Able to perform and prioritize multiple tasks or functions.
• Able to provide proof of valid driver's license, if applicable.
• Able to provide proof of valid auto liability insurance if assignment(s) include driving own vehicle to transport patient.

Working Conditions & Physical Effort

• Able to constantly travel within geographic area serviced by office from assignment to assignment.
• Meets the applicable health requirements to provide patient care per applicable law or regulation.
• Work is normally performed in patient’s home.
• Occasional exposure to communicable diseases, bloodborne pathogens and/or other potentially infectious or hazardous materials and situations that require following extensive safety precautions and may include the use of protective equipment (e.g. face masks, goggles, latex and or non-latex gloves).
• Able to constantly stand, bend, stoop, squat, kneel and reach freely.
• Able to frequently lift, reposition, and transfer clients/patients.
• Able to frequently carry bundles such as groceries and laundry up or down stairs and lift with or without assistance.
• Able to constantly grasp with thumb in opposition to fingers of palm (i.e. DME supplies, knobs or objects).
• Able to read 8 point or larger type.
• Medium physical activity that may require frequent lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling up to 50 lbs.