Home Health Aide vs. CNA: Which One Is Right For You?
Oct 02, 2024
The roles of a Home Health Aide and a CNA are similar in that they help patients by delivering quality care. The difference is where this care occurs. With home health nursing, the care takes place within the convenience of the patient's home.
For certified nursing aide roles, you're likely to see them in a variety of healthcare facilities, from rehabilitation centers to senior care establishments.
Which one best suits you? Depending on your personal ambitions, along with more practical outlooks such as location and pay, this guide will compare both professions.
Understanding the distinctions between these roles is crucial when deciding your career path, especially if you're researching how to become a home health aide or a certified nursing assistant.
Table of Contents
- What is a Home Health Aide or HHA?
- What is a Certified Nursing Assistant or CNA?
- What are the work environment and job opportunities for Home Health aides and Certified Nursing Assistants?
- What are the main differences between a Home Health Aide and a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)?
- What are the pros and cons of working as a Home Health Aide and Certified Nursing Assistant?
- What are some recommended Home Health Aide and Certified Nursing Assistant programs?
What is a Home Health Aide or HHA?
A Home Health Aide is a healthcare professional that works with patients in their homes and alleviates some of the efforts that go into basic home and living activities. It's a fairly intimate role as it naturally involves the aide spending a long amount of time with the client, building companionship with them.
Home Health Aide responsibilities
A home health aide's responsibilities are to help lighten the load of the patient living in their home. Typical living and home life activities include:
- Transportation
- Grocery shopping
- Housekeeping
- Preparing meals
- Laundry
General support around the home is something that helps these patients greatly and as such, HHAs are appreciated for their services.
What is a Certified Nursing Assistant or CNA?
A Certified Nursing Assistant or CNA is a healthcare professional who provides basic patient care under the supervision of registered nurses or licensed practical nurses. CNAs play a crucial role in the healthcare team, providing essential support and ensuring the comfort and well-being of patients.
Where can a CNA work? CNAs are able to work in clients' homes but they also work in a number of other healthcare facilities.
When comparing home health aides vs cna, they do offer similar duties but they have much more training under their belt. They can also administer medications and provider other medical care to their clients.
As CNAs are working in different environments, they are likely to see multiple patients a day. In comparison to home health aides vs cna, HHAs will likely only spend their time with one patient per day.
Certified Nursing Assistant responsibilities
The responsibilities of a certified nursing assistant are similar to HHAs, but CNAs can also conduct a variety of medical tasks too. These include:
- Mobility assistance
- Monitoring vital signs
- Reporting to doctors or nurses
- Hygiene
- At-home household care
While HHAs offer the basic care required, a CNA is a step up in duties for those who may need more advanced medical care.
What are the work environment and job opportunities for Home Health Aides and Certified Nursing Assistants?
Home Health Aide (HHA)
Work environment: The work setting for an HHA is primarily the client's home. Since clients typically do not require 24/7 monitoring or assisted living facilities, HHAs provide care within the comfort of the patient's own residence.
Job opportunities: While there are limited advancement options for HHAs due to the lack of clinical training, they can pursue further education and training programs to gain medical qualifications. This can open doors to other healthcare roles and certifications.
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
Work environment: CNAs have a more varied work environment that could involve significant movement between different settings. They may work in clients' homes, but also in retirement homes, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, hospice care centers, and other healthcare facilities.
Job opportunities: CNAs have several career advancement opportunities. With additional education and experience, they can progress to roles such as licensed practical nurse (LPN), registered nurse (RN), or move into administrative positions within healthcare. Preparing for career advancement may involve understanding interview questions for nursing assistants to better equip themselves for higher roles.
What are the main differences between a Home Health Aide and a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)?
These careers have noticeable differences, including variations between home health aides vs. CNAs' salaries. It's important to consider your experience and qualifications when determining which role may be more suitable for you.
Home Health Aide
Required skills
Communication, organization, adaptability, time management, and physical stamina.
Educational requirements
State approved after 75+ hours
Certification requirements
Training programs in both classroom and supervised practical training add up to at least 75 hours.
Job Responsibilities
- Provide healthcare services to patients in their residence
- Domestic and household tasks
- Transportation to and from locations
- Errands such as grocery shopping
- Medical reminders for clients
Workplace environment
In the client's home
Average Salary
$22,000
Certified Nursing Assistant
Required skills
Good communication, strong work ethic, ability to juggle multiple tasks, medical knowledge, stamina, and strength.
Educational requirements
State approved after 120+ hours
Certification requirements
Obtain a high school diploma or GED. Complete a state-approved CNA training program and pass your state-approved CNA competency exam.
Job Responsibilities
- Provide patient comfort with transportation
- Answer patient's calls and requests
- Reporting observations of patients' vital signs and monitoring.
- Provide personal care and general hygiene assistance
Workplace environment
In the client's home, hospitals and nursing homes, rehab centers, adult daycare centers, and hospice care facilities.
Average Salary
Between $27,000 and $35,000
Home Health Aides (HHAs) typically focus on one patient at a time, allowing them to take on more varied duties like cooking, cleaning, household tasks, and providing overall companionship.
In contrast, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are responsible for multiple patients, offering more medical-focused care, such as checking vital signs, assisting with personal hygiene, and providing general medical support.
CNAs often work in more varied healthcare environments, such as hospitals and nursing homes, while HHAs are more commonly found in a client's home setting. Both roles are crucial to patient care, but the scope of duties and work environment can differ significantly.
There are plenty of job opportunities in today's market for CNAs, which have gained significant popularity in the healthcare industry. However, it’s also worth exploring the differences between medical assistants and CNAs, as both contribute significantly to healthcare, albeit in different capacities.
What are the pros and cons of working as a Home Health Aide and Certified Nursing Assistant?
As with any job, the role of an HHA and a CNA has its pros and cons. Let's share a few comparisons between home health aide vs cna for those who may be looking at a career in either role.
It's worth exploring these careers in more detail and making sure you agree with the ethical principles for nurses, amongst other practices that occur within the healthcare industry.
Home Health Aide
Pros
- It's a growing profession
- Career offers flexible arrangements
- Develops long-lasting relationships in healthcare
- A compassionate field to work in
- Better pay and benefits in the future
Cons
- It's often a stressful profession to go into
- Not all treatments can be offered at home, which involves more transportation efforts
- Low-paying professionals currently
- Great physical demands required
- Prone to emotional burnouts
Certified Nursing Assistant
Pros
- Progression in job growth and opportunities
- Provides you with a lot of physical activity
- Every day is different
- Emotionally rewarding
- Salary growth opportunities
Cons
- Limited room for advancements
- Physically and emotionally demanding
- You may need to work weekends and holidays
- You'll be exposed to a lot of germs and bacteria
What are some recommended Home Health Aide and Certified Nursing Assistant programs?
There are plenty of recommended HHA and CNA programs worth exploring. At the FHCA, you'll find a wealth of Home Health Aide classes to kickstart your career. Learn basic principles and strengthen your knowledge further with our Home Health Aide program.
For those looking to branch off into the CNA role, you'll find plenty of programs to suit your needs, like this Nursing Assistant program. The more qualifications you can get under your belt, the better.
The time to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) can vary depending on the individual and the program they choose. Typically, CNA training programs last anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks. Our Nursing Assistant Program typically takes 6 weeks for classes held from Monday through Thursday, with class hours from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
