Overview

The mission of the Home Health Aide Training Program is to prepare students for entry-level employment as home health aides and/or direct care workers by introducing the home health aide’s role and duties in a private home or community setting.

What you will learn

The Home Health Aide Training Program is designed to teach students to provide quality home health care. Students learn home care basics, such as first aid, feeding, bed-making and vital signs via individual instruction as they develop essential skills.

  • Notice

    Although not required to obtain employment in all Nurse Aide related occupations, gaining recognition as a Certified Nurse Aide (“CNA”) requires both the school diploma and passing the state certification exam (Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation – NACE). The NACE Exam consists of a written and skills demonstration test.

  • Tuition / Fees

    - $650

    - Prerequisites

    - None

  • Graduation Requirements

    All students must:

    • Complete all required courses with a passing grade
    • Demonstrate a competency (a grade of “pass”) as a grade equivalent to a C or higher in all courses attempted
    • Completely fulfill all financial obligations to the institution.
    • Successfully complete 100% of all scheduled classroom/lab hours and 100% of all
      scheduled clinical hours.

Program Description

Objectives of the Program
  • to teach knowledge and skills necessary to assume responsibilities required in
    home health care, private duty care or home hospice as a home health aide;
  • to instill effective communication, infection control, home safety, and reporting
    changes in condition via lecture, lab and clinical time;
  • to prepare students to take the Home Health Aide Competency Test.

HHA 101 Communication Skills in Home Health (3 lecture hours/0 lab hours)

This course teaches development of necessary skills to communicate with patients. Topics
include verbal, written, and nonverbal communication skills in patient care, exploration of
communication demands of home health, and benefits of effective communication between
home health aides, patients, and providers.

Prerequisite: None

HHA 102 Observation, Reporting, and Documenting Status and Care/Services Furnished (4 lecture hours/0 lab hours)

This course teaches about observation, reporting and documentation, three important areas of
client care. Topics include: importance of accurate observation, reporting and documentation,
developing good observation skills, types of observations, what must be reported, definition of
documentation, difference between objective and subjective information, care plan,
documentation as a legal record, and what to document.

Prerequisite: HHA 101

HHA 103 Reading and Recording Temperature, Pulse and Respiration (3 lecture hours/2 lab hours)

This course provides steps to effectively and accurately obtain, read, record, and report the
vital signs of body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, pulse oximetry,
and pain. Normal ranges for the various vital signs are outlined according to age.

Prerequisite: HHA 102

HHA 104 Infection Control Procedures and Universal Precautions (3 lecture hours/2 lab hours)

This course covers methods for infection control and preventing transmission in home health.
Topics include the concept of universal precautions; importance of hand washing as a
foundation of infection control; methods used in infection control; infection control programs;
safety regulatory agencies; and medical waste disposal laws.

Prerequisite: HHA 103

HHA 105 Body Function & Changes to Report to a HHA's Supervisor (4 lecture hours/1 lab hours

This course is a study of the importance of body functions in the context of changes in
condition that must be reported. Topics include caregiver observation, recording and reporting
changes in condition; components of trained observation using the senses; guidelines for
reporting changes in client condition and/or environment; components necessary for accurate
observations; and identification of situations that should be reported.

Prerequisite: HHA 104

HHA 106 Maintaining a Clean, Safe, and Healthy Environment (3 lecture hours/1 lab hours)

This course teaches the basic safety measures and maintaining a clean environment. Topics
include appropriate safety measures for patients in home health settings; identification of
safety hazards; patients who may be at risk of injury; completion of a home safety check; and
when to contact a supervisor about safety concerns.

Prerequisite: HHA 105

HHA 107 Emergencies and Knowledge of Emergency Procedures (4 lecture hours/2 lab hours)

This course covers emergencies and information on emergency procedures. Topics include
knowledge of special procedures, including a plan for emergencies; causes and treatments
associated with common emergent conditions; and the ways in which home health companies
develop/maintain emergency preparedness plans with emergency preparedness policies and
procedures based on the emergency plan.

Prerequisite: HHA 106.

HHA 108 Physical, Emotional & Development Needs of Populations Served (2 lecture hours/1 lab hour)

This course teaches an overview of common physical, emotional and developmental needs of
populations served by home health companies. Topics include physical development
throughout the lifespan; assistance of patients who are disabled, chronically ill, or cognitively
impaired; ways HHAs can assure that all physical, mental, and emotional needs are met.

Prerequisite:HHA 107

HHA 109 Safe Techniques in Personal Hygiene and Grooming (3 lecture hours/1 lab hours)

This course covers overall health and well-being of home health clients and how personal
hygiene habits are essential to maintaining good health. Topics include activities of daily living;
importance of personal hygiene; procedures for grooming clients; caring for patients’
environments; and developing a personal care schedule.

Prerequisite: PCT 108

HHA 110 Safe Transfer Techniques and Ambulation (4 lecture hours/1 lab hours)

This course is a study of the importance of safe transfer and ambulation techniques.

Topics include ambulating a patient using a gait belt, with and without a walker; reducing risk of caregiver and patient injury with proper body positioning and body mechanics; and preventing
patient injury related to unnecessary falls.

Prerequisite: HHA 109

HHA 111 Normal Range of Motion and Positioning (4 lecture hours/1 lab hours)

This course is a study of the importance of range of motion exercises and proper positioning.

Topics include the range of motion exercises to preserve strength and flexibility; and the role of
positioning skills to assist clients with limited mobility.

Prerequisite: HHA 110

HHA 112 Adequate Nutrition and Fluid Intake (5 lecture hours/1 lab hours)

This course teaches concepts related to adequate nutrition and fluid consumption.

Topics include basic nutrition; factors affecting nutritional status; common types of diets; importance of fluid balance; and meal preparation.

Procedural skills for feeding a patient and measuring
intake will also be covered.

Prerequisite: HHA 111

HHA 113 Rights of the Elderly (4 lecture hours/1 lab hours)

This course teaches the rights of the elderly client in the context of home health.

Topics include basic rights of patients and how such rights apply to the elderly; preservation of dignity of elderly clients; preventing elder abuse; and the basics of elderly patient care at home.

Prerequisite: HHA 112

HHA 114 Final Home Health Aide Clinical Practicum (16 clinical hours)

This course offers a realistic, real-world orientation to home health care.

Topics include infection control, body mechanics, working with elders, assisting with self-administered medications, safety and emergency, assisting with activities of daily living (ADLs), working with clients with physical disabilities, and assisting with instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).

Prerequisite: HHA 113