Job Description - Home Care Aide:
A home care aide, sometimes called a personal care aide or companion, helps elderly or disabled clients with activities of daily living, including personal hygiene, meals preparation, laundry and housekeeping. He or she may receive supervision from a licensed nurse, social worker or other non-medical manager.
Employment Facts - Home Care Aide:
There were 817,000 home care aides employed in the U.S. in 2008.
Educational Requirements - Home Care Aide:
A home care aide does not need a high school diploma. He or she receives on-the-job training from a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse or an experienced aide.
Other Requirements - Home Care Aide:
There are no certification requirements for home care aides. To work in this field one should have a pleasant personality and the desire to help people. Home care aides must be in good emotional and physical health.
Job Outlook - Home Care Aide:
The job outlook for home care aides is excellent. This occupation is projected to grow faster, through 2018, than other occupations that require only on-the-job training or experience (The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Earnings - Home Care Aide:
Home care aides earned a median hourly wage of $9.46 and a median annual salary of $19,680 in 2009.
Use the Salary Wizard at Salary.com to find out how much a Home Care Aide currently earns in your city.
A Day in a Home Care Aide's Life:
On a typical day a home care aide's tasks might include:
- monitoring a client's vital signs under a registered nurse's supervision
- assisting client with personal hygiene
- reporting changes in a client's condition to manager or supervisor
- cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and running errands for a client
- providing companionship to a client
Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Home Health Aides and Personal and Home Care Aides, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos326.htm (visited April 20, 2010).
Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET Online, Personal and Home Care Aides, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/details/39-9021.00 (visited November 23, 2010).
