What Are Home Health Aides Not Allowed To Do?

The idea of home help and home health care workers has grown so much because it has proven to be really beneficial for the people who are not able to help and take care of themselves. If you are looking for someone that can look after your loved ones, home health aides have got you covered. It is important to know what these Home Health Aides can do and what they are not allowed to do. So, why not discuss some things that are not allowed to do by home health aides?

What Are Home Health Aides?

Home Health Aides are the services provided to people that are ill, injured, or disabled. They are trained and skilled healthcare workers that take care of the people who are not able to take care of themselves. They provide help and assistance to all people despite their age and illness. 

Home health aides have a set of duties that they need to perform and some things that they are not allowed to do. 

Duties Of Home Health Aides

Home Health Aides are designated to perform these duties:

1: Taking Personal Care

Home Health Aides assist people with their personal care and hygiene. They help with baths, change of dressing clothes, and toileting.

2: Keeping Check On Vitals

Home Health Aides are dutied to keep a check and monitor the vitals of the person like blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and temperature.

3: Companionship

Home Health Aides are hired for the purpose of sending time with the person and giving them company so that they do not get bored and spend alone time.

4: Help With Daily Living/ Light Housekeeping

Home Health Aides are not employed for doing household chores but they can help with daily living by doing light housekeeping like cleaning, laundry, taking care of dishes, purchasing, cooking food, and feeding the person.

Now, let’s discuss what things are not allowed to be done by a home health aide.

What Are Home Health Aides Not Allowed To Do?

Home Health Aides are hired for taking care of the person and give them company. Below are the things they’re not allowed to perform.

1: Nursing Care Duties

Home Health Aides are not the replacement for nursing. All the duties of nursing are bound to be done by the nursing staff themselves and not the home health aides. A home health aide can assist the nurse during the procedure but is not allowed to perform it by themselves. 

2: Give Medical Advice

They are restricted to give any medical-related advice to the people as they are not certified in this profession. Only a professional doctor can give them medical advice.

3: Suggest Any Medication Or Change Any Medication

They are not certified medical professionals to suggest any medication or change any prescribed medication to the individual they are taking care of.

4: Administer Medication

They cannot administer any medicine. Although they can help with reading the medicine name or helping with opening the medicine etc. 

5: Provide Medical Assistance

They can not give any medical assistance or perform any light medical procedure like tube feeding as NG feed, injections, inserting or changing catheters, changing the dressing, blood sugar testing, etc. They can assist in these things under the supervision of a nurse.

6: Provide Physical Therapy

Home Health Aides are not required to perform any physical therapy on the individuals. There are physiotherapists for this reason that are skilled and professional in this area.

Conclusion

Home health aides are trained and skilled healthcare workers that help people who are ill, injured, or disabled and take care of people who are not able to take care of themselves despite their age. They have a set of duties that they need to perform like personal care, light household, and companionship. They are not allowed to do nursing duties, provide medical advice, or medical assistance, suggest, prescribe or administer medication or perform physical therapy on the individual.