Home Healthcare Administrator - Job Description, Salary, Education and Career Guide for Becoming a Home Healthcare Administrator

Home healthcare administrators supervise a group of home healthcare aides. Sometimes they serve as the aides themselves, as many are trained as nursing assistants. Home healthcare administrators perform healthcare tasks directly in the home of their patients.

Job Description

The job of a home healthcare administrator as an aide is varied, treating one or many patients. They work with a wide variety of patients, including:
  • hospice patients
  • the elderly
  • the mentally challenged
  • the physically disabled
  • the terminally ill.
 
An aide must be able to perform many tasks, which include administering prescribed medications; changing surgical bandages; and checking patient temperatures, pulse rates and respiration. They must also be willing to assist with complicated medical equipment, such as ventilators.
 
Many home healthcare administrators are responsible for moving patients in and out of beds and assisting patients with personal hygiene (such as bathing or shaving). Being an aide is not for the faint of heart. They must assist with a patient's bodily functions and occasionally witness the sight of blood and feces. Home healthcare administrator positions require you to be extremely patient, kind and able to maintain a strong commitment.
 
A home healthcare administrator must be efficient, organized and flexible. They must also occasionally have to organize payroll, insurance benefits and other administrative issues for their employees.

Salary Guide

The actual home healthcare administrator salary is quite varied. A 2006 study showed that the median annual earnings for someone in home health care services was about $66,720. Of course, an entry-level home healthcare administrator salary would start at a much lower pay rate. Chances are, they would start out at a lower salary as an aide and work their way up to home healthcare administrator positions.

Education and Training

You can become a home healthcare aide without a high-school diploma or equivalent. But if you want to move into a home healthcare administrative position, it helps to have at least a secondary education. Some higher education in medical or business administration would be even more beneficial.
 
In some states, it is required to have a license for home healthcare administration. The National Association for Home Care and Hospice can help with this education. The license training is normally divided into three components of training, totaling 75 hours of study.

Prior Work Experience

Many home healthcare aides begin their on-the-job training under the supervision of registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LVNs) and other more experienced home healthcare administrators. As the aide increases in responsibility, they may be asked to supervise other home healthcare aides.

Career Advancement

Now that you know how to become a home healthcare administrator, you may be happy to know that the skills needed for this position are useful in any type of business. For this reason, hospital administrators can move on to some sort of top corporate position that requires attention to detail, strong communication and organizational skills, flexibility and patience.

Related Associations and Groups

A home healthcare administrator should consider contacting any of the following associations:
  • American Health Care Association
  • Home Health Nurses Association
  • National Association for Home Care and Hospice.
 
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