If you want to be in a new and exciting career, then home health aides are for you, home care is an industry that is growing rapidly and shows no signs of slowing down, with the population aging and getting sicker, the demand for skilled caregivers is on the rise.
This is an excellent opportunity for those who want to start their own business or work part-time as a homemaker. In order to become certified, there are four steps that need to be taken:
1) register with a state agency
2) take a test of your knowledge
3) receive your license after passing the exam
4) acquire continuing education credits once per year, now, let’s get started.
What is Home Health Aide Certification?
In order to work as a home health aide, you need to be certified by one of the state agencies in your area. In order to register, make sure you have a high school diploma or GED and can provide two personal references, you will also need a CPR certification and TB test results.
After you are registered, take the test of your knowledge, this is done by going online and taking the competency exam, the exam is made up of 85 multiple choice questions and must be completed within one hour.
Passing this exam with 75% or higher means that you have successfully passed the state competency exam, you will then receive your license in the mail after passing this exam.
In order to keep your hha certificate, you will need to acquire continuing education credits every year, the requirements for these credits vary from state to state but are usually around 8-10 credits per year for renewal purposes.
Steps to Becoming Certified
The first step to becoming certified is registering with a state agency, once you do that, you’ll have to take a test of your knowledge on the federal and state regulations.
The test will consist of 100 questions, with the chance of getting 90% or higher in order to pass, if you pass, then the next steps are receiving your license after passing the exam and acquiring continuing education credits once per year.
Taking the Test of Knowledge
The first step to becoming a home health aide is registering with a state agency, you can find the list of agencies by looking on the Department of Health Services’ website and searching for home care.
- You will need to register with one of the agencies and let them know you are seeking to become certified.
- The next step is taking a test of your knowledge and once you have registered, you will be able to take an exam that is specific to your state’s requirements.
- You will be tested on topics like safety and sanitary practices, personal care skills, and transferring patients.
Receiving Your License
After passing the test of your knowledge, you’ll receive your license from the state agency and there are certain requirements, such as having a high school diploma and passing a background check, that need to be fulfilled before you can become licensed and once you have your license, you will be qualified for many jobs within the home health industry.
