MightyRecruiterWriting an accurate job description is the first step in finding an employee who is a good fit for your company. You know best which qualifications home health caregiver needs to succeed with your team, and including those alongside job details and specifics puts you on track to compiling a great pool of applicants to choose from. Spending time upfront will save you hours in the long run and increases the chances of selecting an employee who will give years of dedicated service to your clients. To help you succeed in writing your job summary, we have included a Home Health Aide job description sample below.
Home Health Aide Job Summary
You will provide care for patients in their home, enabling them to live a more independent life and enjoy a comfortable setting as they recuperate or age. You will record observations regarding the specific care plan and report to the supervisor regarding duties and patient condition. You may also perform a variety of house management tasks and be a companion to whom the patient looks for social interaction.
Home Health Aide Job Responsibilities and Duties:
- Observe patient condition and record activity level, weight and other figures
- Log details of patient health, both physical and mental
- Aid patient with personal care, including bathing, grooming, dressing and following exercise or medication regiments
- Assist with toileting, including use of a commode, toilet and bedpan
- Aid with ambulation, including use of a wheelchair, cane and walker
- Prepare nutritious meals according to dietary plans
- Adhere to strict guidelines regarding safety and adhere to laws and regulations
- Perform errands, such as grocery shopping, simple deliveries and transporting patient to appointments
- Enhance reputation of the company by providing compassionate, thorough service and taking on new tasks and requests with a helpful attitude.
Home Health Aide Skills and Qualifications
- Must be 18 years of age or older and have a high school diploma or equivalent
- Must possess a valid HHA Certification
- Good verbal and written communication skills and the ability to follow detailed written instructions with accuracy
- Dependability, punctuality and a sense of self-motivation
- Must be able to stoop, lift and carry moderately heavy loads and be on your feet for extended periods of time
- Possess a valid driver’s license and be able to pass a background check prior to employment
Company Profile
Compassionate Care of Smithtown has been providing expert home health care services since 1995. We pride ourselves on a tight-knit staff that supports one another through open communication and the sharing of ideas. Our home health aides are always in demand due to our reputation for compassionate, top-notch care and friendly, companionable employees. Our mission is to work together to respectfully care for our clients as if they were our own family.
Writing a Job Description Best Practices
- Using the above Home Health Aide job description sample will get you off to a great start, but you may want to include more sections or different information than what was used above. For those instances, we have compiled a list of helpful dos and don’ts for you to follow when constructing new content or deciding which facts to include in your job description. Keep the following in mind to zero in on the most qualified applicant pool.
- Do include specific tasks that pertain to your company and the exact position. If your aides are required to check in with the supervising nurse daily or make their detailed report via online software, include computer skills in the qualifications section and be sure to mention the daily reporting obligation.
- Do include key details that set your company apart from the competition. It is likely that some of your applicants will be coming from competitors. Be sure to tell them what it is about your organization that makes you stand out from the rest.
- Do use bullet lists and prioritize them in order of importance. Concise points in outline form are easier to read and understand and are a better way to highlight key information. Readers perusing quickly will absorb more information from lists than paragraphs.
- Don’t use vague generalities or excess information. Utilize the job description to highlight the most important tasks, goals and qualifications for the position and then direct interested individuals to a company contact for further information.
Spending a little extra time beforehand polishing your job description will smooth out the interviewing and hiring process by eliminating unqualified or unmotivated applicants early on.
Home Health Aide Job Responsibilities
When writing the job responsibilities section of your home health aide job description, thoroughly communicate duties so jobseekers are able to gauge what you’ll expect of them. The assignment section should be the most in-depth and include several duties and projects for which the employee will be responsible. However, you shouldn’t try to list every task. For example, don’t list answering phones, taking messages and responding to emails, because you expect your home health aides to perform these general duties. Instead, focus on the responsibilities that are unique to the position, and limit yourself to eight tasks.
Format the section with bullet points to make it quick and easy for jobseekers to pick out the information they need. As you write your home health aide job responsibilities, choose meaningful action verbs to start each item. For example, rather than writing “assistance in performing physical therapy,” write “assist clients through physical therapy exercises.”
Here are some good examples of responsibilities you could use in your home health aide job description:
- Maintain records detailing adherence to and changes in doctors’ orders and patient dietary and personal living situations
- Administer medication according to doctors’ orders
- Collaborate with transportation technicians to schedule rides to medical appointments and to provide assistance to patients who struggle to get in and out of vehicles
- Monitor patients’ physical and mental condition and record exercise
- Enhance client independence as far as appropriate by teaching the use of aids, such as canes and walkers
Home Health Aide Job Specifications
The job qualifications and skills section of a home health aide job description may not be as long as the responsibilities section, but it’s just as important. Use this portion of the job description to provide information about the minimum requirements needed to land the position. For example, home health aides must be able to lift heavy clients, maintain accurate paperwork and present a positive demeanor throughout the day.
Make sure your home health aide job specifications list is accurate and complete by working with professionals who are already serving in the position, or their supervisors. Ultimately, you’ll have limited space to include both required and preferred skills, so consider the value of each skill point you add. While the section should be concise, it should also be informative enough that applicants can determine if they fall short, meet or exceed your expectations.
Check out some skills to help you get started on your home health aide job description:
- Valid, current CNA or HHA certification, CPR certificate and first aid training
- Valid driver’s license
- 1 year of experience as a home health aide or assistant
- Ability to collect specimens and monitor vital signs
- Excellent verbal communication skills
- Compassionate and caring personality
