Home Health Aides
Healthcare Support
Works in a patient's home under a nurse who may be off-site or only there part of the time. Daily work includes checking pulse, temperature, and breathing, helping people in and out of beds and wheelchairs, bathing them, and changing dressings. Notes on condition and problems go to a supervisor; meals follow a prescribed diet, and laundry and cleaning get done. Time also goes to talking or reading with patients, and to showing families how to handle meals, infant care, or living with an illness. The work fits people who prefer hands-on care in someone's home, close attention to small changes, and a mix of health tasks and household work.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
What you might do
- Change bandages, dress wounds, or give medication
- Help patients in and out of beds and chairs
- Bathe patients and help with dressing and grooming
- Check pulse, temperature, and breathing
- Write care notes for the supervisor or case manager
- Shop for and cook meals on prescribed diets
Skills that matter
- Moving patients between bed, chair, and car
- Taking pulse, temperature, and respiration
- Recording care so the nurse can review
- Planning and serving meals on a prescribed diet
- Conversing or reading aloud to patients
- Coaching families on home care and meals
AI & the future of this role
Daily hygiene help, mobility support, and light housekeeping in private homes rely on physical presence and personal trust that machines struggle to replicate. Growing demand for aging-at-home care also tends to cushion employment even if apps handle scheduling.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details