Home care is a complicated topic, especially for families who need services for the first time. There are different types of care providers in home health care. This post introduces each type and explains what they do and where they work.
Registered Nurses (RN)
Registered nurses work in the home health side of home care. A registered nurse must graduate from an accredited degree program in nursing and meet the necessary criteria to be licensed by the Board of Nursing in California. These nurses supervise other staff in home care such as LVNs, HHAs, CNAs, and caregivers depending on the services provided by the agency. They also provide skilled medical care including wound care, education, medication administration, and patient education among other duties.
Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN)
Licensed vocational nurses must complete an accredited education program and meet licensing requirements for the State of California. The education programs for licensed vocational nurses are shorter and allow nurses to start working sooner than RNs. They perform many of the same duties as an RN, but there are limitations. LVNs must also be supervised by RNs. They work in home care seeing patients typically.
Home Health Aides (HHA)
Home health aides work in home health care alongside RNs and LVNs. They must also complete an accredited training program and meet the requirements to be licensed in California. HHAs provide limited personal care to patients and assist them with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They will also help patients with home exercise programs. HHAs are available on a limited basis, and they are supervised by an RN. HHAs are skilled professionals and are not a substitute for a caregiver.
Home health aides work specifically in home health care agencies.
Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA)
Like home health aides, certified nursing assistants must go through an accredited training program and meet licensing requirements for California. CNAs commonly work in settings like assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. Home care agencies that provide personal care will also hire CNAs because of the training they must go through.
CNAs help patients with aspects of personal care like activities of daily living (ADLs) including dressing, bathing, eating, toileting, and transferring, checking vital signs, and setting up medical equipment.
Caregivers
Caregivers are considered non-skilled. To work as a caregiver, no previous experience or training is required. Agencies who hire caregivers may require a certain amount of experience working with patients and want them to have some previous education through a CNA program or other program.
Not all caregivers are hired by families through an agency. Some families find and pay a caregiver privately. This means that the family is responsible for checking references, obtaining a background check, and complying with employment tax requirements. Hiring a caregiver through an agency means that the agency will take care of these requirements. In addition, agency caregivers are typically licensed, insured, and bonded.
Understanding the Distinctions
It is important to understand who is taking care of a loved one at home because each care provider offers a certain level of care. Knowing what each provider does also helps people figure out the difference between non-medical home care and home health care in their search for care at home.
Butte Home Health offers high-quality home care to families in and around the Chico, CA and the surrounding areas. We offer a comprehensive list of home health services including skilled nursing, therapy, home health aides, and medical social workers. Reach out to our team of home care experts to learn more about our services today!
