Personal and Home Care Aides
(SOC 39-9021)

Print Version

Assist the elderly, convalescents, or persons with disabilities with daily living activities at the person's home or in a care facility. Duties performed at a place of residence may include keeping house (making beds, doing laundry, washing dishes) and preparing meals. May provide assistance at non-residential care facilities. May advise families, the elderly, convalescents, and persons with disabilities regarding such things as nutrition, cleanliness, and household activities.

Sample of reported job titles: Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Home Health Aide (HHA), Home Care Aide, Caregiver, Personal Care Aide, Personal Care Attendant (PCA), Personal Care Assistant (PCA), Companion, Care Provider, Homemaker

Job Responsibilities

• Administer bedside or personal care, such as ambulation or personal hygiene assistance.
• Prepare and maintain records of client progress and services performed, reporting changes in client condition to manager or supervisor.
• Perform housekeeping duties, such as cooking, cleaning, washing clothes or dishes, or running errands.
• Care for individuals or families during periods of incapacitation, family disruption, or convalescence, providing companionship, personal care, or help in adjusting to new lifestyles.
• Perform healthcare-related tasks, such as monitoring vital signs and medication, under the direction of registered nurses or physiotherapists.
• Plan, shop for, or prepare nutritious meals or assist families in planning, shopping for, or preparing nutritious meals.
• Transport clients to locations outside the home, such as to physicians' offices or on outings, using a motor vehicle.
• Instruct or advise clients on issues such as household cleanliness, utilities, hygiene, nutrition, or infant care.
• Participate in case reviews, consulting with the team caring for the client, to evaluate the client's needs and plan for continuing services.
• Train family members to provide bedside care.

New Hampshire Outlook

• Average Hourly Wage*: $11.07
• Estimated Employment 2010: 3,865
• Projected Employment 2020: 6,051
• Expected 10-Year Growth: 56.6%
• Projected Average Annual Openings: 250

Top industries in NH for this occupation:

• Social Assistance
• Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
• Ambulatory Health Care Services
• Membership Organizations and Associations
• Self-Employed Workers
• Private Households

Education and Training

Most Personal and Home Care Aides are not required to have any formal education, however, most have at least a high school diploma. They are usually trained on-the-job by a supervisor, usually for safety and emergency response protocol. In some states, a more formal educational program is required.

In New Hampshire, the Department of Health and Human Services' Health Facilities Administration is responsible for regulation and oversight of home care service provider agencies. Licensure is issued to home care provider organizations or business entities.

Interests (Holland Code): SRC

• Social — Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
  
• Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Career Cluster: Human Services

Work Environment
Most home health and personal care aides work in a client's home; others work in small group homes or larger care communities. Some aides go to the same home every day or week for months or even years. Some visit four or five clients on the same day. Others work only with one client all day. This may involve working with other aides in shifts so the client always has an aide. They may help people in hospices and day services programs and may also help people with disabilities go to work and stay engaged in their communities.

Additional Information Sources**
National Association for Home Care and Hospice
<www.nahc.org>

Home Care Association of New Hampshire
<www.homecarenh.org>

To Find a Job
Contact the nearest NH Employment Security office or go online to www.nhes.nh.gov

* New Hampshire Occupational Employment and Wages, September 2012. Wage estimates based on surveys through May 2011, adjusted to June 2012.
** Inclusion of this information is intended to provide a convenient resource for research, but in no way constitutes an endorsement for any organization; nor is the list all-inclusive.

Source:
NH Employment Projections, base year 2010 to projected year 2020
Occupational Outlook Handbook 2010, Bureau of Labor Statistics

For more information:
Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau
(603) 228-4124
elmi@nhes.nh.gov