Home Health Aide Certification In Maryland

To become a home health aide in Maryland, you need to attain a nursing assistant certification. This requires a total of 100 hours of training, 40 of which consist of clinical training, while the rest of the training time is spent in a classroom. Several institutions throughout Maryland offer HHA training programs.

Licensing Requirements In Maryland

Home health aides in Maryland need to be registered nursing assistants. The state of Maryland views home health aides as nursing assistants, as opposed to standard home caregivers. For this reason, HHA training programs need to include basic nursing skills in Maryland, as well as communication and hands-on training.

So, in addition to assisting patients around their homes, you’re also required to implement basic nursing assistant skills whenever necessary.

However, if nursing tasks are unlikely to be part of your job, it could be possible to only complete home health aide training. However, this would likely limit your job prospects.

Once you have completed the required training, you will have to fill out a certified nursing assistant application. This CNA application will require a transcript from your home health aide training program and the results of a criminal background check. You’ll also have to pay the $20 registration fee.

Once you obtain a CNA license, you’ll be able to apply for jobs as a health aide in Maryland.

Given that the job requires you to visit patients at home, you’ll also need a driver’s license.

Certification

As we’ve already mentioned, the state of Maryland’s CNA training requirements states that you must complete 100 hours of learning. 60 of those hours should be classroom-based, while the rest should be done in a real or simulated clinical setting.

The content of your chosen CNA training course should cover both nursing assistant learning as well as home health aide essential skills. Typical skills covered in CNA certification courses include:

Health and hygiene
Treatment administration
Communication
Infection control
Environment and safety
Ethics and law
Data collection
Elimination
Taking and recording respiration and pulse
Transferring from bed to wheelchair
Mobility and positioning

In addition to this, you’ll also be required to learn a wide range of theory knowledge. This theory knowledge includes:

Hierarchy of needs
Basic anatomy and physiology
Medical terminology
Math and measurement
Growth and development

After you’ve completed the 100 hours, your knowledge will be measured via a competency exam. If you pass, you’ll gain certification and be able to become a home health aide.

Once you’ve gained a nursing assistant certification, you’re required to undergo annual additional training. This in-service commitment consists of 12 hours per year.

Best Education Programs

When looking at home health aide programs, you’ll need to select one that has been approved by the Board of Nursing in Maryland. You should also look for a course that integrates plenty of home health aide training into the CNA program. Institutions that have been approved by the Board of Nursing include:

Allegany College of Maryland

12401 Willowbrook Rd, Cumberland, MD 21502

Montgomery College Nursing Assistance

Rockville Campus, 51 Mannakee Street, Rockville, MD 20850.

Stein Academy

Milford Mill Office Bldg, 3610 Milford Mill Rd, Windsor Mill, MD 21244

Cambridge Nursing Assistant Academy

3311 Toledo Terrace unit c-202, Hyattsville, MD 20782

Job Outlook

The job outlook for all health professions is looking good in the coming years, as the labor gap continues to widen. As more elderly people choose to live at home, the demand for the practical skills of a professional home health aide is needed more than ever.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the demand for home health aides will grow by 25% between 2021 and 2031. This means that now is an excellent time to complete home health aide training, as plenty more jobs should become available in the future.

Salaries

Based on data provided by Indeed, the average salary of home health aides in Maryland is $15.53 per hour. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for home health aides at a national level is $14.15 per hour. This means that Maryland’s average hourly pay for the profession is above average.

This BLS data is based on the average annual wage for home health aides in 2021, which was $29,430 per year.

Where To Find Work

Certified nursing assistants can apply for home health aide jobs with a Maryland Board-approved home health aide business. Some of the top approved agencies in Maryland include:

Comfort Home Care

15800 Crabbs Branch Way Suite 205, Rockville, MD 20855

Nest & Care Home Health Care

1751 Elton Rd Ste 210, Silver Spring, MD 20903

BrightStar Care of Howard County

7060 Oakland Mills Rd suite p, Columbia, MD 21046

Home Instead

110 West Road Suite 410. Towson, MD 21204

Bunny’s Home Care

1340 Smith Ave #200, Baltimore, MD 21209

HomeWell Care Services

16220 Frederick Rd Suite 404, Gaithersburg, MD 20877

Elite Home Care Solutions

4600 Powder Mill Road Suite #450-T, Beltsville, MD 20705

FAQs

In what state will you make the most money as a HHA?

States that pay above-average wages for home health aides include Massachusetts, Washington, and New York. States that pay below-average wages for HHAs include Texas, Florida, Georgia, South Dakota, Indiana, and Michigan.

Is PCA the same as an HHA?

In Maryland, HHAs and PCAs are considered very different things. Personal care assistants (PCA) are trained to exclusively help patients perform day-to-day tasks. They do not perform basic nursing duties. HHAs, on the other hand, are trained as CNAs in Maryland and are expected to perform more nursing-related duties.

Sources

https://www.exploremedicalcareers.com/home-health-aide/hha-maryland/

https://www.choosecomforthome.com/home-health-aide-maryland-training-certification/

https://homehealthaideguide.com/hha-training/states/maryland-hha/

https://www.healthcarepathway.com/home-health/maryland-home-health-aide/

https://www.mdnursingstudents.org/cna-licensure

https://www.caregiverlist.com/maryland/caregivertraining.aspx