According to the latest analysis report from the New Jersey Nursing Cooperative Center, the total number of Certified Home Health Aides (HHA) has decreased by 15% since 2017. If this trend continues, seniors and people with disabilities in New Jersey may lose essential support.
Currently, there are approximately 51,000 registered home health aides in New Jersey, with 48% having only 5 years of experience, 50% working full-time, 17% juggling two or more jobs, and 2% planning to retire within the next two years. Many experienced home health aides left their positions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Home Health Aides (HHA) are professionals who assist nurses in providing home healthcare services, a career field prevalent throughout the United States. Nurses undergo specific training, with requirements varying by state; in New Jersey, individuals must complete a 76-hour course, including 60 hours of classroom instruction and 16 hours of practical training. After passing the state health department’s exam, clearing a physical examination, and undergoing background checks to obtain an HHA license, individuals can begin working, often being referred by Home Health Agencies to provide services at clients’ homes.
The responsibilities of registered home health aides include caring for elderly, sick, and disabled individuals in their homes, providing one-on-one services. They assist with bathing, dressing, feeding, grooming, toileting, medication reminders, accompanying or helping with patient exercises, indoor cleaning tasks like laundry and changing bed linens, and even providing transportation services such as driving patients to doctor appointments or shopping.
They must also be prepared to handle potential emergencies like falls, heart conditions, and strokes, checking patients’ vital signs including blood pressure, respiration, and pulse, while monitoring their physical and mental well-being. Home health aides often act as companions, engaging patients in conversations, card games, watching TV, and other activities, serving as a lifeline for New Jersey’s elderly population.
One of the reasons for the decline in the number of registered home health aides in New Jersey is attributed to the increase in minimum wage. Retail employees in New Jersey can earn nearly $18 per hour on average, while the same hourly wage for home health aides, despite the challenging nature of the job, has led many experienced aides to retire early due to stress and fatigue. Due to the relatively low pay, recruitment has been consistently difficult.
Despite the New Jersey Department of Public Services receiving federal funding and actively promoting recruitment by offering transportation assistance, childcare subsidies, and covering costs for those not working during training, the number of applicants remains insufficient. Currently, most home health aides in New Jersey are women, predominantly African American or Hispanic. ◇