Washington Home Health Aide Programs

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

Washington Home Health Aide - Responsibilities of a Home Health Aide in Washington

Home health aides in the United States make an average of $20,000 per year. Home health aides employed in Washington earn approximately $22,000 per year. Some cities offer better pay than others. For example, home health aides employed in Bellingham make approximately $22,170, while home health aides in Seattle make approximately $24,550 per year. In fact, the cities with the highest employment popularity for this particular field include Wenatchee, Spokane, Seattle, and Bellingham. You can locate home health aide programs in Washington at schools such as Everest College, which has campuses conveniently located in Everett, Seattle, Renton, Tacoma, Bremerton, and Vancouver.

A home health aide position includes a lot of responsibilities, particularly pertaining to the elderly, disabled, and convalescent individuals. The aides usually go into the person's home and perform basic tasks such as checking the person's pulse and respiratory rate. These individuals may also be in charge of assisting with physical activities such as exercises, changing, and bathing. Home health aides also provide a lot of psychological and emotional support. They are a person's companion so they must be able to work closely with the public and have good communication skills. The aides perform in cases where friends and family do not have time to help the person in need.

A home health aide may work under the close supervision of a social worker, licensed nurse or another certified healthcare professional. Most aides are employed through a home health agency. The position usually consists of a typical 40 hours worked per week although many aides also work on a part time basis. Keep in mind that some individuals may need 24-hour care, which means an aide may be required to work nights and even weekends. If you know you want to become an aide, consider taking courses such as biology as early on as high school.

Home health aide programs in Washington will prepare you for what the job entails, making it easier for you to become a home health aide in Washington. Keep in mind that you may be required to obtain licensing as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Home health aides must also be able to pass a physical and submit to a tuberculin test, which must come back negative. It helps to have a valid driver's license and your own form of transportation since you may be required to drive the individual to the store and to appointments.

• Washington State Department of Health
• Public Health - Seattle & King County