What is the difference between home health aide and cna

This means HHAs will assist with everyday tasks: bathing, grooming, restroom use, getting dressed, meal preparation, transportation, laundry, light housekeeping, running errands, and more.

But HHAs have limited medical training. That said, they rarely provide their clients with medical assistance, cannot provide nursing care, and do not offer medical advice. HHAs can receive national certification from the National Association of Home Care and Hospice, but they do not need to have a college degree or a high school diploma.

CNAs have the same personal training as a home health aide does, so they can assist clients with many of the same tasks that home health aides do, such as eating and hygiene care.

In addition to providing direct care, they can also help clients switch positions in bed for comfort and assist them from their wheelchairs to their beds and vice versa. CNAs work in a wide variety of settings including nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and more. CNAs, on the other hand, work in a wider variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and private homes.

Because they work in a clinical setting, they often work with multiple patients every day. There's no formal training program or minimal education requirement for home health aides. As the U. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes, many have a high school diploma or GED, even though it's not required.

They usually receive on-the-job training from other health care professionals, including nurses and fellow home health aides. Some states, however, require formal education and background checks for home health aides. CNAs must complete a formal training program, offered by community colleges and vocational and technical schools, as well as by hospitals and other health care facilities.

Prospective CNAs must learn basic principles of nursing care, complete several hours of supervised clinical experience. They must also pass a state licensing exam. The U. Normally, however, HHAs possess at least a high school diploma. Aside from formal schooling, HHAs must undergo hands-on training, pass a competency examination plus pass standardized written tests in the presence of a registered nurse before they can be hired by an in-home healthcare agency.

This requirement is the case in every state in the US. Many vocational schools and community colleges offer training to prepare an individual for a career as a home health aide. Medical schools and community colleges offer certification programs for those who wish to pursue a career path as a certified nursing assistant. All CNAs require a state-issued license to practice in their field.

The level of training a CNA receives can dictate, in some states, certain tasks he or she can undertake. Whether the patient is a senior, stroke victim, an individual recovering from an injury or illness or an individual with a disability, a home health aide or a certified nursing assistant can provide invaluable in-home assistance to help make daily life as comfortable as possible.

Especially if the loved one lives alone, in-home healthcare is essential to helping him or her sustain an optimal quality of life. In some instances, both a home health aide and a certified nursing assistant can provide a range of services for the same patient, particularly when the senior is recovering from a surgery.

The elderly individual will require a certain level of advanced medical care, which a qualified CNA can provide, in order to recoup at home after hospitalization; at the same time, an HHA will offer basic care, in the form of general housekeeping, transportation and grocery shopping, with which the elderly individual will likely need assistance.