Home Health Aide
(Female, Age 50) from Roscommon, MI
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 50 who works as a Home Health Aide in Roscommon, MI. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Home Health Aide |
|---|---|
| Salary | $14,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 45 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Roscommon, MI |
| Years Experience | 12 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
It is a Home Health Agency providing direct patient care. It is affiliated with a hospital. There are about 30 employees. Some are RNs, Home Health Aides, administrators and physical therapists as well.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I bathe, dress, and help people in their homes, plus clean house, run errands and give emotional support.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
health
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
under
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Yes I enjoy being in homes as opposed to an office environbment. Of course I am always with other people I like it.In a hospital or facility one on one interaction is less possible but home nursing is quieter and more focused on each client.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Homes are homes, just like everyone lives. It is nicer than being in some warehouse or sterile office.Homes are personal. Sometimes family members of clients can give orders and make my life hell though. Yoiu see families argue alot. Its stressful.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 1
Benefits: 5
Hours: 4
Co-Workers: 2
Supervisors: 3
Job Title: 6
Level of Responsibility: 7
The Actual Work: 8
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | I got up out of bed at 8am and did not have to be anywhere until 10am so I have nothing more to say. Unless you want me to talk about drinking coffee, eating, going to the bathroom and showering. |
| 8am to 9am | See above with the added addition of putting on scrubs and walking shoes. |
| 9am to 10am | Around 9:30 am I got in my car to drive 20 miles to clients house. I do not need to be there until 10am so there is nothing more to say about driving a motor vehicle. |
| 10am to 11am | Talk to client, give bath, wash hair, trim toenails clean house. Personal care for clients is the same as personal care for any of us. Documented visit on form and left at 11am. Drove 12 miles to next client. |
| 11am to 12pm | Performed exact same duties as first client minus nail trim and cleaning as her daughter lives with her so I am not expected to perform household tasks. Talked to daughter after finishing bath for client, documented visit then left around 12pm. |
| 12pm to 1pm | I got in my car and went back home to eat. Around 12:45 I left to go to another clients house 8 miles from my home. Once there I repeat the exact same things I did with the previous clients today. |
| 1pm to 2pm | All I ever do is bathe people and perform personal care, over and over. I also talk to people, clean house, or sometimes go to the store. After I am finished with these repetitive tasks I fill out a form, the client or a family member signs it, then I walk out their door, get in my car and go do another client. I had to be at someone elses house by 2:30. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Around 2:30 same thing different client. Bath, change sheets, talk to client, document visit, client signed form then I left about 3:30pm. I really don’t have much else to say in detail since personal care is something we all engage in, so there is nothing technical to expound upon. |
| 3pm to 4pm | I left the 2:30 clients house at 3:30 and then I drove to the next clients house which was about 15 miles away from where I was at. When I drive I do not do anything else but maneuver the vehicle in a customary fashion. I get to the destination and exit the vehicle then enter the next clients dwelling. |
| 4pm to 5pm | I had to be at the last clients house around 4pm. This one I sat in a shower chair in the tub, used a hand held shower hose to wash hair and body, dried and dressed her and sat her in the living room while I changed the sheets. Put her in bed, washed dishes, filled out my form and client signed form. |
| 5pm to 6pm | I left the last clients house a little after 5pm and then I drove about 12 miles back to my house. I arrived home about 5:30pm. I got out of the car and went into the house. |
| 6pm to 7pm | I changed clothes then microwaved a tv dinner. I looked at the mail as it cooked. I let my dog out. I then ate. I logged on to my laptop to check email. |
| 7pm to 8pm | I watched tv sitting on the couch. My dog sat next to me. I will be sitting on the couch watching tv until around midnight or 1am. I will get up to use the bathroom or get food but that’s all. |
| 8pm to 9pm | Watched tv. |
| 9pm to 10pm | watched tv. |
| 10pm to 11pm | watched tv. |
| 11pm to 12am | About 12am I got up, washed, took my clothes off and got in bed. I fall asleep fast. I do the same things every day. |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
I helped a friend of a friend then decided to become certified and work for agencies. I looked in local yellow pages for number to call current agency this is how I always sign on with companies.
What was the application process?
Resume then skills tests plus testing on medical knowledge.
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
The RN in charge of all HHAs plus the manager of the agency both interviewed me one time. After that I had to pass the tests.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
Basic questions about my experience, training and goals.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
The employer does not do much as far as prepare you, you either go to peoples houses and do a good job or you quit.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
As I previously stated you must complete and pass a 6 week training course to become certified. In some states the programs could be shorter or longer. It entails reading books, taking written tests then you provide direct patient care on other classmates such as bathing, dressing, toileting, lifting and changing sheets.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
The training course as well as medical knowledge I already had were enough to make me prepared for this work. I had no questions.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
NA
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Get a HS diploma then go to a trade school and spend about 6 weeks earning a CNA certificate then put applications in at several Home Health agencies in your area.Visit nursing homes. If you hate what you see in them then do not attempt nursing as a career. It involves grueling demanding disgusting things to see.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
You need to like people and be able to tolerate different personalities. You need to be flexible, make logical decisions and have health care skills pertaining to basic needs for direct patient care. You need a strong stomach. Bedsores, feces, urine and blood are part of your daily life.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
You cannot do this work legally without certification.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Be ready for high stress, aching feet and low pay. However you will be rewarded with love from your people. If possible plan on going to college to get your RN that way you can be a director and not be stuck doing all the grunt work forever.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Not really I plan on getting married then not working.Home care is very stressful. I would prefer not to work at all I like being at home too much.I do not want to get anymore schooling.
What are your current career goals?
I have no work goals. I needed money, so chose this job. As soon as I can stop working I intend to. It is too stressful to do this indefinitely.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
No it is not a career it is a service job. Not very many people stick with this work at my level. You either quit or go to school to get your RN. It is not complicated to explain this type of job. Nursing means taking care of sick helpless dying people, in homes or hospitals.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | cashier | 2 years | minimum wage | A cashier rings up purchases then takes money then bags items for customers. |
| Prior Job 2 | waitress | 1 year | ? | Serve food and drinks. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.8
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.65 | Butler | Music |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
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