Home health aides help patients in their own homes with the normal activities of daily living. In 1987, the state of Oregon began requiring that anyone working as a home health care aide should be reviewed for competency within the first two weeks of employment. To assess competency, the Oregon Association for Home Care has developed a certification exam. To obtain an Oregon home-health aide certificate, the student must meet all of the requirements set forth in the examination. Once a student passes the exam, she is officially considered a certified home health aide in Oregon.
Basic Requirements
The home health aide certification exam consists of 12 sections, and a grade of at least 80 percent must be obtained on each section. Any sections failed must be retaken before certification is approved. The home health care examination emphasizes several main points of care; students are required to show knowledge and competency in each point of care.
Skill 1: Observation and Documentation
Certified home health aides must have the knowledge and ability to thoroughly observe, report and document all aspects of the patient's health and well-being. The following observations should be regularly documented: changes in the condition of the skin, bowel movements, urine output, eating habits, pain, activity level and in the patient's mood or attitude. The certified home health care aide should be able to proficiently observe, monitor and document these activities.
Skill 2: Respect For Patient Care
Certified home health aides in Oregon must be thoroughly trained to provide the utmost respect for their patients. Home health aides should have constant consideration for the physical and emotional needs of their patients, regardless of the patient's gender, age, race, religious or political beliefs. Home health aides should always respect the privacy of the patient and should be respectful of the patient's property.
Skill 3: Maintain the Environment
Home health care aides are required to maintain a clean, healthy and safe environment for the patients. While some home health care jobs require the home health aide to do light housekeeping at the home, other jobs will simply require that the aide keeps the common areas neat and free of any obstacles or health hazards. It is the job of the home health aide to ensure that the patient can easily move around the home and has access to the items he needs on a daily basis.
Skill 4: Infection Control
Although home health care aides are not allowed to administer any medication, their certification exam requires that they are trained in the area of basic infection control. Home health aides should be knowledgeable of dressing changes and wound care. Home health aides should be constantly conscious of controlling the infection and ensuring that it does not get worse or spread to another area.
Skill 6: Nutrition
Oftentimes, the home health aide will be responsible for providing patients with their meals throughout the day. Therefore, certified aides must be trained in the basic principles of nutrition and food preparation. Home health aides should be able to prepare meals as appropriate for the specific patient. For example, some patients are on a liquid diet only, while other patients may not be allowed to consume any salt.
Skill 7: Responding to Emergencies
Certified Oregon home health aides must be able to recognize and respond to emergencies. Home health aides will learn proper emergency procedures through their training classes and should be able to recognize when an emergency occurs. The home health aide is entirely responsible for the safety of the patient and should follow any and all emergency procedures set in place by their home health care agency.
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