Home Care Aides
Home Care Aides provide services to patients in their places of residence such as taking temperature and blood pressure readings and making sure medicine is taken on time.Sometimes the Personal and Home Care Aides provide extra services such as cooking, cleaning, and shopping for patients who can't do these things on their own.
Work routines and work environments vary depending on the needs of the patient.
There are patients who need a lot of help, while others need only a very little.
Male attendants are especially in demand to help elderly men and AIDS patients.
Requirements
- Understand and follow written and verbal instructions exactly.
- Empathy to share feelings of others.
- Desire to help the elderly, sick, and disabled.
- Physical stamina.
- Ability to talk and relate to sick and disabled people.
- Fingerprint clearance may be required by employer.
Wages
- Personal and Home Care Aides Median hourly wage: $9.00
- Average annual wage: $20,940
Job Outlook
- Estimated number of Personal and Home Care Aides in 2002: 31,600
- Estimated number of Personal and Home Care Aides in 2012: 43,000
- Estimated annual job openings: 1,650
Possible Career Paths for Personal and Home Care Aides include becoming a: