Sometimes if you’re caring for a loved one at home, you find that you need a bit of help. You may need assistance with household chores or you may need assistance with activities of daily living, like walking your loved one to the bathroom or taking them out for an outing. Many people hire a home health aide (HHA) to help fill this gap.

First, it’s important to understand what an HHA does and doesn’t do. They are not a substitute for a live-in nurse or caregiver; they provide assistance that is supplementary to those services. An HHA works around their clients’ schedules and they typically provide regular visits more than once per week.

How much does a home health aide cost?

HHA services are usually priced based on a number of factors, including the client’s personal needs and the type of care they need. For example, you may have to hire an HHA if you have a family member living with a disability that requires assistance. The cost for those services may range from $15-$40 per hour. SeniorCare.com estimates that in Oregon, the median hourly cost for a Home Health Aide is $23. While this may seem like a lot, the added expense can be very worthwhile, as it can be exhausting to try to care for an unwell person on your own. Giving yourself a break while you let someone else take a turn helping can help you be able to bring the best, most rested, most caring version of yourself when you return.

The most common way to pay for an HHA is through a fee-for-service, which means you can hire them to do specific things like help with bathing, toileting, dressing or personal hygiene. If you are not having any of these activities done at home, an HHA may also provide assistance with transportation and other tasks related to daily living. Keep in mind that different care providers have different rates. For example, an HHA will typically visit a person once per week while other kinds of caregivers may visit twice per week. Some people even hire live-in caregivers.

Tips for hiring a personal care assistant

First, you need to decide on the type of assistance that you will require.

Next, start your search. Coastal Home Health and Hospice typically has a few individuals on our referral list, and local doctors’ offices and hospitals may also be able to make recommendations. You may be able to use online services like Care.com or CareFinders.com, or find someone via job boards or Facebook.

You need to be aware that there isn’t typically a certification process for home health aides but most states require an individual to be at least 18 years old in order to work as an HHA.

It can be tricky to know who you can trust with your loved one. Asking for referrals (and then actually calling them and asking thorough questions!) can help give you an outside perspective on each candidate. Interviewing them together with the hospice patient can help you get a bit of a feel for how they might act around your loved one.

But, no matter how nice the person seems during your initial meeting, you never really know. Setting up cameras in your home can help you keep an eye on things when you aren’t able to be around.