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Home Health Aide Training in Delaware
Before exploring the training requirements for a Home Health Aide in Delaware, let's first understand what does it truly mean to be a HHA. In Delaware Home Health Aide (HHA) is a non-licensed individual who provides the following:
Personal care services
1. Companion Services
2. Homemaker services
3. Personal Care Services means the provision of services that do not require the judgment and skills of a licensed nurse or other professional. The services are limited to individual assistance with/or supervision of activities of daily living, companion services, transportation services, homemaker services, reporting changes in patient's condition and completing reports.
Skilled Services such as those delegated by a licensed nurse. Skilled services must be ordered by a physician.
To become a Certified Home Health Aide, you must satisfy the following criteria:
1. One year of practical experience in a licensed department, approved hospital, nursing home, or home care setting
2. Successfully completed a state approved home health aide course
3. Be a student pursuing a degree in nursing who has completed the clinical practicum portion of their degree
In addition, HHAs must undergo 12 hours of continuing education. Please note, Home Health Aides who experience a break in service for greater than two years must repeat the 75 hour training requirement.
When patients are receiving home health aide services as well as another skilled service, a registered nurse (or another professional therapist if the patient is not receiving nursing services) must make an on-site supervisory visit to the patient’s residence no less frequently than every two (2) weeks.
When home health aide services are being provided in the absence of a skilled service, a registered nurse must make an on-site supervisory visit to the patient’s residence (while the home health aide is providing care) no less frequently than every sixty (60) calendar days.
Training:
The state of Delaware does not do licensing for Home Health Aides. Only Certified Nurse Aides are certified. The State however, does license CNA and provide a list of state approved training programs for CNAs. You can access the list by clicking the link below:
CLICK HERE FOR APPROVED TRAINING PROGRAMS
The providers in the list also provide Home Health Aide certification programs.
All home health aides are employed through a certified agency, in which a doctor or licensed nurse delegates tasks. It is always considered better to work for a State Licensed Home Health Agency. The Department of Health for the State of Delaware provides a listing of such facilities:
For Home Health Aides (Personal Care Services Only)For Home Health Aides (Skilled Care Services Only)
The given list is updated from time to time. For the latest list, click on Home Health Agencies under State Licensed Agencies/Facilities here
Delaware’s Aging and Disability Resource Center also publishes a comprehensive list of Home Health Agencies which may be a great starting point for both training and job opportunities. You can access the guide by clicking the link below and refer to pages 105 - 125 for specific guidance on Home Health Agencies:
CLICK HERE FOR APPROVED HHA AGENGIES
Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center Service Search allows you to search for Home Health Aide Services across different counties in the state. You can explore these services here
Approximately 1,850 people were employed as Home health aides in Delaware in 2015.
Hourly Rate - Home health aides earned between $10.30/hour and $21.15/hour in 2015 (average rate was $13.90/hour)
Annual Salary - The annual salary ranged between $21,420 and $43,980 (average annual wage was $28,910)
Source - Bureau of Labor Statistics
1. Office of Health Facilities Licensing and Certification
2. State of Delaware – Regulations for HHA Agencies
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