-
Home Health Aide certification requirements in South Carolina
Home health aides can work independently without specific training or certification in South Carolina. Anyone providing direct patient care in South Carolina must undergo a criminal background check. To view the complete process for conducting background checks, visit the DHEC’s Background Check Procedures for Direct Caregivers
Working for a Home Health Agency
To work for a Medicare certified agency, aides must meet the federal minimum requirements of:
- Minimum 75 training hours. In most cases, this training will be provided after an agency hires a home health aide and before direct patient care begins.
- The training must include 16 clinical hours
How to Get on the South Carolina Nurse Aide Registry
Home health aides working independently may consider becoming a certified nurse aide (CNA). This will place you in a searchable database of nurse aides. Prospective clients can then see your good standing on the registry. The frequently asked questions for becoming a nurse aide can be accessed by clicking the link below
-
DHEC Home Health Program
DHEC's Home Health program has been providing valued home health service for nearly fifty years. The program was developed in 1966, at a time when there were few alternatives for care. Given the funding scarcity, as of Aug 2015, DHEC transferred its licenses for home health services to Capital Care Resources of South Carolina, LLC, a subsidiary of Gentiva Health Services.
Under the terms of the transfer, Gentiva will accept all current DHEC patients. Patients also have the option to select a provider of their choice, in consultation with their physician, to transfer their care to another home health provider.
The transfer also guaranteed employment with Gentiva for all DHEC home health employees for at least one year. No DHEC health departments will be closed as a result of the transfer.
For listing of all Home health Agencies click the link below
Approximately 10,000 people were employed as Home health aides in South Carolina in 2015.
Hourly Rate - Home health aides earned between $7.85/hour and $11.85/hour in 2015 (average rate was $9.75/hour)
Annual Salary - The annual salary ranged between $16,330and $24,640 (average annual wage was $20,280)
Source - Bureau of Labor Statistics
Home health agencies operating in South Carolina must be licensed by the state. Licensure is regulated by the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).
You can access the list of regulations here