Iowa Home Health Aide Programs

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

How to become a Home Health Aide in Iowa – Choosing the Best Home Health Aide Programs in Iowa

There are a number of reasons to consider learning how to become a home health aide in Iowa. To begin with, home health aides tend to have salaries that are slightly above the rest of the national average, and the job growth in Iowa has a very bright outlook. Because the number of people over the age of 65 is expected to increase by 47.4% over the next 20 years in Iowa, this has created a growing need for home health aides to provide medical care within the home. To start the process of becoming certified as a home health aide in Iowa, you will need to complete a training program. There is a 75 hour Certified Nurse Aide course to complete, which will help you to earn your Certified Nurse Aide certificate.

In addition to earning a Certified Nurse Aide certificate through completing your training program, in order to become a home health aide in Iowa you will need to complete a separate 13 hour home health aide course. Finally, you will need to complete a 4 hour practicum, which is provided through an agency after you are employed. There are several home health aide programs in Iowa to choose from to get you started with fulfilling these requirements. Iowa Western Community College offers the 75 hour Certified Nurse Aide course, as well as the Home Health Aide class which takes 13 hours to complete.

In these courses, students learn the skills that are necessary to become working home health aides. Aides are responsible for providing basic grooming, personal maintenance, and routine check-ups for the patients in their care. Topics that are covered in a certification course in Iowa will include nutrition, home care skills, anatomy and physiology, and communications. A home health aide will need to understand the procedures necessary to work with those who are disabled, ill, or elderly, and be able to prepare for exposure to communicable diseases.

In addition to earning your certification through the 75 hour training program, students can also improve their chances of becoming a home health aide in Iowa by completing voluntary certification through the National Association for Home Care and Hospice. This organization tests home health aides in 17 different areas of competency, to ensure that they have the nursing and personal communication skills necessary to excel in this health care field. Although it's not required in Iowa to have completed this certification, some employers may prefer it.

• Iowa Department of Health