What do home health aides do in home health and hospice?

During National Home Health Aide Week, we're celebrating the compassionate care our home health aides provide in home health and hospice. Their work is often done quietly behind the scenes, but it makes an extraordinary difference for the people and families we serve.

What is a home health aide?

Home health aides are trained professionals who help people with personal care and daily activities while they receive home health or hospice services. They work as part of a larger care team and help people remain safe, comfortable and confident in their own homes. Home health aides receive specialized training and competency evaluations and work under the supervision of licensed clinicians.

How are home health aide services different from personal aide or companion care?

Home health aide services are sometimes confused with personal aide, companion care or private-duty services. While those services are often arranged independently to provide ongoing non-medical support, Trinity Health At Home's home health aide services are typically provided as part of a broader home health or hospice plan of care.

Our home health aides work alongside nurses, therapists, social workers and other care team members to support each person’s unique needs. All of our aides are certified as a Home Health Aide (HHA) or Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), and they receive specialized training to provide personal care safely and compassionately.

What does a home health aide do?

In home health and hospice, home health aides, often called HHAs, support people with many day-to-day activities and personal care needs, including:

• Personal care: Helping with grooming, hygiene and other personal needs.
• Bathing: Assisting with bathing or showering while promoting safety and comfort.
• Dressing: Helping people get dressed and ready for the day.
• Oral and hair care: Supporting daily hygiene routines that help people feel their best.
• Mobility assistance: Helping people move safely around their home and get in and out of bed or chairs.
• Toileting assistance: Providing respectful support with toileting and incontinence care.
• Comfort and observation: Spending time with people during visits and sharing observations with the care team when needed.

Why are home health and hospice aides so important?

For many people, aides may be one of the team members they see most often. These care team members help people maintain their routines, preserve their dignity and continue doing as much as possible for themselves.

In home health, aides help people regain strength and independence while they recover from illness, injury or surgery. In hospice, aides provide comfort and support during some of life's most meaningful and personal moments. Their presence can bring reassurance not only to the person receiving care but also to family members and loved ones.

Celebrating our home health and hospice aides

This National Home Health Aide Week, we are proud to recognize the dedicated aides who bring compassion, skill and humanity to every visit. Through simple acts of care, they help people feel comfortable, confident and supported at home.

We are grateful for the home health aides across Trinity Health At Home who live our mission every day and help make care at home possible.

Learn more about care at home

Whether you are exploring home health, hospice or other care-at-home services, Trinity Health At Home is here to help. Contact an agency near you to learn more about available services and how our team can support you or a loved one. Click here to find an agency near you.