Home Health Aide Roles & Responsibilities

Home Health Aide Roles & Responsibilities

• Home health aides are part of a healthcare team, supervised, and not independent.
• Home health aides perform tasks assigned by registered nurses or therapists.
• Effective communication is crucial. It involves being courteous, tactful, and listening to the patient.
• Body language is a key part of communication—expressions, gestures, and eye contact.
• Explain procedures to conscious patients before starting.
• Report discomfort or anger to a supervisor.
• Report theft accusations to the supervisor, even if innocent.
• Report any significant change in a patient's condition (e.g., constipation, pulse changes) to the supervisor.
• Record and report a patient's medication reaction but do not adjust dosages or schedules.
• When a patient complains of pain, ask for a description before taking action.
• Immediately report any medication changes, especially those with side effects, to the supervisor.
• Administer juice to hypoglycemic diabetic patients.
• A normal rectal temperature is 99.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Take a patient's pulse for a full minute.
• Take patient respirations while the patient is unaware, if possible.

Infection Control and Safety

• Wear gloves when handling bodily fluids, open wounds, and incontinence.
• If a patient's catheter is not draining, check the tubing for kinks first.
• Laxatives are generally not recommended for bowel habits.
• Immediately report a significant change in a patient's pulse to the supervisor.
• Do not administer enemas, even if requested. Report the situation to the supervisor.
• Ensure a safe home environment—good infection control, electrical/fire safety, and removing fall hazards.
• No smoking near oxygen therapy.

Patient Care and Emergency Procedures

• If a patient is choking, assess if they can speak or cough. If they can, encourage coughing; otherwise, perform abdominal thrusts.
• If a patient becomes unresponsive, lower them to the floor, call 911, and prepare to perform CPR if needed.
• Keep the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) number near the patient's phone.
• Do not discuss patient information (illness or otherwise).
• Encourage elderly patients to maintain independence.
• Encourage patients to eat when ready, emphasizing meal importance.
• Observe infants and children closely to understand their feelings.
• Maintain elderly patients' skin hygiene by keeping it clean and moisturized.
• Dentures should be stored in clean water, in a clean container when not in use.
• Promote good oral hygiene to prevent tooth decay and gum infection.
• Encourage elderly patients with urinary incontinence to use the bathroom regularly.
• Apply lotion to diabetic patients' feet after drying, but avoid applying between toes.
• Flex your knees when lifting objects from the floor.

Additional Patient Care and Safety

• Ensure the bottom bed sheet is wrinkle-free for bedridden patients to prevent pressure sores.
• Perform range of motion exercises, supporting body parts above and below the joints.
• Liquid diets typically consist of broth, tea, and jello.
• When assisting a patient to a wheelchair, lock the brakes and fold up footrests.
• Clear hazards when helping a patient walk with a walker, and stay close to the patient.
• If a patient feels dizzy while standing, lay them back down and inform the supervisor.
• When helping a patient with right-sided weakness to walk, walk by their right side.
• Secure wheelchair brakes when moving a patient from bed to chair.
• Change a patient's position every two hours to prevent bedsores.
• Support a baby's head and neck when picking up a newborn.