What You'll Do

  • Maintain records of patient care, condition, progress, or problems to report and discuss observations with supervisor or case manager.
  • Provide patients with help moving in and out of beds, baths, wheelchairs, or automobiles and with dressing and grooming.
  • Provide patients and families with emotional support and instruction in areas such as caring for infants, preparing healthy meals, living independently, or adapting to disability or illness.
  • Entertain, converse with, or read aloud to patients to keep them mentally healthy and alert.
  • Plan, purchase, prepare, or serve meals to patients or other family members, according to prescribed diets.
  • Direct patients in simple prescribed exercises or in the use of braces or artificial limbs.
  • Check patients' pulse, temperature, and respiration.
  • Change dressings.
  • Perform a variety of duties as requested by client, such as obtaining household supplies or running errands.
  • Accompany clients to doctors' offices or on other trips outside the home, providing transportation, assistance, and companionship.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 3.75/5
Service Orientation 3.62/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.5/5
Critical Thinking 3.38/5
Reading Comprehension 3.25/5
Monitoring 3.25/5
Writing 3.12/5
Speaking 3.12/5
Persuasion 3.12/5
Instructing 3.12/5
Time Management 3.12/5
Active Learning 3.0/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Helper: Supporting people and making a difference matters to you.
  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.

Common styles

Integrity, Self-Control, Dependability, Concern for Others, Attention to Detail

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Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Expression 3.88/5
Oral Comprehension 3.75/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.75/5
Near Vision 3.5/5
Inductive Reasoning 3.38/5
Deductive Reasoning 3.25/5
Information Ordering 3.25/5
Speech Recognition 3.25/5

Technologies & Tools

AIGHD OASIS Enterprise resource planning ERP software FaceTime Linux Mi-Co software Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Exchange Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft SharePoint Microsoft Windows Microsoft Word Oracle Database Python Salesforce software SAP software UNIX Web browser software

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Integrity (High importance: 4.63/5)
  • Self-Control (High importance: 4.6/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.58/5)
  • Concern for Others (High importance: 4.5/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.47/5)

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How to Become One

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful but is usually not required. Training is often provided on the job.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Care Worker Caregiver Certified Home Health Aide (CHHA) Certified Medical Aide (CMA) Certified Nurses Aide (CNA) Companion Day Support Professional Direct Care Counselor Direct Care Professional Direct Care Worker Direct Support Professional (DSP) Habilitation Training Specialist Health Care Assistant Health Service Worker Health Support Specialist (HSS) Healthcare Associate Home Attendant Home Care Aide Home Care Attendant Home Care Giver Home Care Provider Home Health Aide (HHA) Home Health Attendant Home Health Care Provider Home Health Preventative Aide Home Health Provider Home Health Social Worker Home Help Aide Home Hospice Aide Hospice Aide In Home Caregiver Independent Living Specialist Nurse's Companion Resident Assistant Resident Care Aide Resident Care Associate Resident Care Provider Residential Aide Residential Assistant (RA) Residential Counselor