Home Health Aide Certificate 

Home Health Aide

140 Hours/12 Months Access/Instructor Supported

Course Overview:

Home Health Aide (HHA) may also be known as a Home Caregiver or Residential Assistant (RA). An HHA provides basic, personal care and health-related services to a variety of individuals (patients) who require more assistance than family and/or friends are able to provide. HHAs are part of a category of occupations that is commonly referred to as "direct care workers." The services/care that a Home Health Aide provides depends upon their specialty area.

If you've ever thought about becoming a home health aide, our in-depth curriculum could help you learn important fundamental, practical skills involved in a career as a home health aide. For each patient, an HHA is responsible for recording services performed, as well as the patient's condition and progress. They also record and report any changes in a patient's condition to the case manager or supervisor and also discuss observations with them.

The types of patients with whom a Home Health Aide may work include:

• the elderly
• physically disabled
• terminally ill
• convalescent persons
• hospice patients
• individuals with long-term illness
• adults with mental disabilities (e.g., Alzheimer's disease)
• children with mental illness Health Aide Overview

Course Overview:

Home Health Aide Module 1
Becoming a Home Health Aide

• Development of Home Health Services
• Types of Home Care Workers
• Long-Term Care Facilities
• Skills and Qualities of the Home Heath Aide
• Responsibilities of the Home Health Aide
• Understanding HIPPA
• Ethical Behavior
• Cultural Diversity
• Communication in the Workplace
• Effective Listening Skills
• Reporting & Documenting
• Common Hazards
• Safety Checklist
• Household Management
• Maintaining a Clean Home Environment
• Changing Bed Linens

Home Health Aide Module 2
Stages of Human Development

• Infancy to Adolescence
• Pregnancy & Delivery
• Normal Infant Growth and Development
• Common Childhood Illnesses
• Developmental Disabilities and Learning Disorders
• School-Aged Children
• Adolescence
• Early Adulthood
• Middle Adulthood
• The Aging Population
• Physical Changes Due to the Aging Process
• Pain & Medication

Home Health Aide Module 3
Preventing the Spread of Infectious Diseases & Understanding Health

• Principles of Infection Control
• Causes of Physical Illnesses
• Infection Control Measures
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Transmission-Based Precautions
• From Wellness to Illness
• Internal Health
• Observing Signs and Symptoms
• Vital Signs
• Dangers of Extreme Body Temperature
• Understanding Emotions
• The Effects of Stress
• Mental Disorders
• Effects of Emotions on Health

Home Health Aide Module 4
Body Systems and Common Disorders - Part 1

• Digestive System
• Common Disorders of the Digestive System
• Nutrition
• Developing Good Eating Habits
• Diet Therapy
• Urinary System
• Common Disorders of the Urinary System
• Common Disorders of the Lower Intestines and Rectum
• Measuring and Recording Fluids
• Integumentary System
• Common Disorders of the Integumentary System
• Client Hygiene
• Personal Care and Grooming
• Musculoskeletal System
• Understanding Arthritis
• Principles of Good Body Mechanics
• Applying a Transfer or Gait Belt
• Turing or Moving a Client
• Transferring a Client from Bed to Wheelchair
• Emotional Aspects of Rehabilitation

Home Health Aide Module 5
Body Systems and Common Disorders - Part 2

• Nervous System
• Disorders of the Nervous System
• Circulatory System
• Disorders of the Heart and Circulatory System
• Applying Elasticized Stockings
• Disorders of the Blood
• Respiratory System
• Major Respiratory Illnesses
• Assisting with Cough and Deep-Breathing Exercises
• Reproductive System
• Common Disorders of hte Reproductive System
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Endocrine System
• Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Testing Blood
• Diet, Exercise & Drug Therapy for Diabetes

Home Health Aide Module 6
Clients Requiring Special Care & Employment

• Caring for the Client Who Is Terminally Ill
• Hospice Program
• Advance Directives
• Stages of Grief
• Religious and Cultural Influences
• Caring for the Client with Alzheimer's Disease
• Alzheimer's Disease Behavioral Considerations
• Alzheimer's Disease Interventions
• Caring for the Client with Cancer
• Cancer Treatments
• Types of Cancer
• Maternal Care
• Discomforts of Pregnancy
• Complications of Pregnancy
• Postpartum Mothers
• Infant Care
• Employment & Job-Seeking Skills
• Contacting Prospective Employers
• The Job Interview

Materials Included

• Homemaker Home Health Aide by Audree Spatz and Suzann Balduzzi

System Requirements:

Internet Access:

• Broadband or high-speed internet access is strongly recommended. Broadband includes DSL, cable, and wireless connections.
• Dial-Up internet connections will result in a diminished online experience. Moodle pages may load slowly and viewing large audio and video files may not be possible.

Hardware:

• Windows hardware configurations and processors are acceptable.
• Mac computers MUST have Microsoft Window Operating Systems over Bootcamp (Bootcamp is a free download from Apple's website).
• 1 GB RAM recommended
• Software
• Operating Systems
• Windows XP or Vista and Mac OS X 10 and higher
• Web Browsers
• Google Chrome
• Safari, Internet Explorer & FireFox are not currently recommended as they cannot display certain Moodle editing menus for both students and instructors
• Adobe PDF Reader
• Media Plug-ins (These may be required depending on your course media-click on the links below to download the latest versions)
• Adobe Flash Player
• Adobe Acrobat Reader
• Apple Quicktime
• Windows Media Player
• Real Player
• PowerPoint Viewer (use this if you don't have PowerPoint)

**Outlines are subject to change, as courses are always under improvement for your benefit.**