Florida Home Health Aide Programs

New graduates celebrate with their families at their nursing commencement ceremony.

Home Health Aide in Florida - Becoming a Home Health Aide in Florida

If you love working with and helping people, you may have what it takes to become a home health aide (or HHA). An HHA helps people outside of medical facilities, especially the elderly or disabled which need help to live independently. The duties of a home health aide depend on what the patient needs, from nutrition and medication administration to laundry and housekeeping. Becoming a home health aide in Florida is actually not very difficult. Though some states require a license to perform this type of work, Florida does not. Many agencies that place HHA's require that you have undergone training in home health aide programs in Florida.

Knowing how to become a home health aide in Florida can be as simple as knowing someone who needs help and negotiating a salary for caring for them. Because there is not legal training, certification, or licensing requirements for HHA work, you can actually start right away. However, you may find it difficult to procure a position if you do not have any training. At the very least, most individuals hiring an HHA to take care of their loved ones want you to have a high school diploma and CPR training. If you want to work for an agency, which finds clients and sends you on jobs, you will need to complete around 75 hours of training at an accredited home health aide program in Florida.

Home health aide programs in Florida are offered at Kaiser University, Sanford-Brown Institute, MedVance Institute, Florida Career College, Everest Institute, Remington College, Pasco-Hernando Community College, St. Johns River Community College, Seminole Community College, South Florida Community College, Florida National College, Chipola College, Angley College, Americare School of Nursing Fern Park, and more. You may have to take an exam given at the agency as a part of your application process as well. A good way to build your resume is to volunteer at a home health aide agency or a medical care facility during your training.

The national mean annual salary for home health care aides is $21,250, but it can range up to $35,500 (usually when working in a state government position. The Florida mean annual wage for home health care aides is only slightly higher than the national average, at $21,870. However, in the Orlando-Kissimmee area, this jumps to almost $24,000, and in the rural areas of northern Florida, it dips to $18,920. Because it is a field that requires little to no training, home health care can be a rewarding occupation for those who love to care for others.

• Florida Department of Health
• Hendry County Health Department