Home Health Aide Skills List and Examples

Home Health Aide Skills List and Examples



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Home Health Aide Skills for Resumes, Job Applications, and Interviews

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BY ALISON DOYLE

 

Updated December 19, 2017

A home health aide enables an ailing person to stay in his or her home, rather than move into a facility. The job of the aide is to provide all sorts of support to make that possible. This requires a variety of both hard and softskills.

A home health aide’s duties might range from monitoring a patient’s condition to teaching the patient (or the family) how to adjust to their current reality - either by teaching them how to bathe or walk with a walker, or whatever their current needs demand. Sometimes a home health aide is required to do a bit of shopping or housework. Overall, a home health aide will create a space for the patient that’s safe, healthy, and that fosters comfort and recuperation.

All of these duties require patience, compassion, medical knowledge, and a variety of other skills. Read below for information on skills required for most home health aide jobs.

How to Use Skills Lists

You can use the skill words listed below as you search for jobs. For example, apply the terms in your resume, especially in the description of your work history. You can also incorporate them into your cover letter.

Mention one or two of the skills mentioned here, and give specific examples of instances when you demonstrated these traits in prior work. You can also use these words in your interview. Keep the top skills listed here in mind during your interview, and be prepared to give examples of how you've exemplified each.

Each job will require different skills and experiences, so make sure you read the job description carefully, and focus on the skills listed by the employer. Also review our lists of skills listed by job and type of skill.

Top 8 Skills for a Home Health Aide

1. Communication

Communication is important for a home health aide in many ways. Firstly, they need to be able to speak with their client to understand his or her needs. Secondly, they need to communicate with family members to keep them up to date on the patient’s health. Thirdly, they often need to interact with doctors and other medical professionals. They have to listen to what the doctor says, and share any relevant information with the client and family. All of these tasks require someone who is a clear speaker and good listener.

Other communication skills needed for the job include:

Ability to read, write, and speak effectively





Active listening to family members





Communicating medical information to family members after doctor's visits





Interviewing family members and patients to assess preferences





Listening to patients





Writing notes and emails about clients

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2. Compassion

A home health aide worker must be empathetic and caring. Growing old or ill or becoming injured (or, in some cases, all of the above) can be scary and lonesome. A home health aide is on the front lines with patients in vulnerable states. To take proper care of them and to make them feel safe, a home health aide should have a natural tendency toward compassionate care. Other related skills necessary for home health aide workers are:

Empathy





Establishing a rapport with patient





Interpersonal skills





Listening to and respecting the concerns of the client





Providing companionship



3. Detail Oriented

Home health aide workers provide care in many ways, from helping patients complete day-to-day tasks to providing medical assistance. All of this requires attention to detail. For example, aides need to remember and follow the direction of a patient’s healthcare practitioner. They might need to give a patient his or her medications at specific times of the day. They also might need to know how to observe changes in a patient’s condition. All of this takes organization and attention to detail. Related skills needed for the job include:

Accuracy





Attention to detail





Ensuring that patients take prescribed medications at the right time





Following the directions of nurses and doctors





Monitoring changes in the physical and psychological condition of patients





Maintaining records





Observational





Organizational



4. Flexibility

Being a home health aide worker is about more than just the patient’s health. You’ll be asked to meet many of the various needs of your client beyond the medical needs. Some of these tasks may include grocery shopping and household chores like laundry and cleaning. You may be asked to monitor a patient’s vitals, and you may also be asked to provide companionship and conversation.

The skills or tasks required of you might change as the patient either declines or recuperates, and what is needed of you will certainly change from patient to patient. You should be able to meet the patient’s changing needs by remaining flexible and open-minded. Below are some of the varied skills you need and tasks you might need to complete as a home health aide:

Assisting patients with hair care, dental care, and shaving 





Assisting patients with toileting





Assist with daily living tasks





Bathing clients





Changing adult diapers and cleaning patients 





Caring for clients with impaired memory





Dressing patients





Feeding patients





House cleaning





Laundering clothing





Light housekeeping





Meal planning and preparation





Representing patient during visits to healthcare providers





Running errands



5. Honesty

When you become a part of someone’s world and life in the way that home health aides do, honesty is a critical trait. You’ll be in people’s homes in extremely intimate ways. You may be asked to clean patients or change their adult diapers. You may assist with all manner of life’s details in ways that will give you access to parts of their lives that only their most intimate companions do. Honesty is essential so that you can communicate effectively and clearly with the families and healthcare providers of your patient.

Likewise, if a family or if the patient themselves cannot trust you, it’s unlikely that you’ll maintain employment for long. Honesty will be the foundation upon which you’ll build long-term employment. Below are other important skills related to honesty:

Integrity





Dependability





Maintaining Confidentiality





Punctuality





Reliability



6. Medical Knowledge

Many home health aides need only a high school diploma or equivalent. Some jobs require job seekers be certified, or undergo training. No matter the education requirements, all home health aides need to familiarize themselves with basic medical knowledge. Many health aides will need to check a patient’s vital signs, change wound dressings, and perform other basic medical tasks. They might also attend doctor’s appointments with the patient, which will require them to understand some of the medical information the doctor shares.

Below are some examples of the kinds of medical skills and knowledge a home health aide might need:

Alzheimer and dementia care





Basic care services





Changing simple, unsterile wound dressings





CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) certification





Coping with bodily fluids and excretions





CPR certification





First aid certification





HHA (Home Health Aide) certification





Learning and remembering medical and pharmaceutical terms





Taking temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure



7. Patience

A home health aide may have to deal with situations that are uncomfortable and challenging. Patients with dementia may be critical or irrational. Incontinent patients may require cleanups. All sorts of unforeseen inconveniences may pop up, and the patient’s overall well being—including their emotional well being—is of the utmost concern. A home health aide should be calm, even-tempered, and largely unflappable. Other skills related to patience include:

Helping patients to utilize adaptive devices   





Helping patients with exercises





Interacting with clients in pain





Interacting with distressed patients





Listening to the concerns of family members





Treating patients with respect



8. Physical Stamina

Home health aides need to complete a number of physical tasks, from turning or lifting patients to carrying groceries. They need to be comfortable being on their feet for stretches of time, and lifting and carrying heavy things. Physical skills and tasks they might need to perform include:

Ability to drive a car





Driver’s license





Reliable transportation





Safely transferring patients from bed to chair, wheelchair, or toilet





Strength to lift clients





Transport clients to appointments





Turn patient in bed



 https://www.thebalancecareers.com/home-health-aide-skills-list-2062406