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In Illinois, home health aides may have different titles, but they generally have to help folks who cannot take care of themselves, to lead a decent life.
If you want to enter this healthcare field, we prepared this guide to help you get started on this career, so read on!
Article Table of Contents
Ideal Candidate
Not everyone who wants to work in a field is also a good candidate for that field.
As such, make sure you meet these requirements before going further with the process of becoming a home health aide in Illinois:
- Patient
- Respectful
- Reliable
- Physically strong
- Detail-oriented
- Accurate
- Strong communication skills
There are also other attributes many employers seek:
- Driver’s license
- Knowledge of a second language
- Good with pets
Training and Certification in Illinois
In Illinois, there are more types of personnel that can offer home help services:
- Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs)
- Direct Support Persons (DSP)
These people can work for one of these types of agencies:
- Home health agencies
- Home services agencies
Regardless of your title and type of agency you’ll work for, you’ll have to undergo a minimum of 120 hours of training.
These can be completed in 120 days.
The schools below offer accredited courses for future home health aides.
Their programs last between 5 and 12 weeks.
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Beck Area Career Center | 6137 Beck RD, Red Bud, IL 62278 |
| Career Training Center of Chicago | 3525 N. Peterson, Chicago, IL 60659 |
| Chicago Community Learning Center | 4753 N. Broadway, Suite 602, Chicago, IL 60640 |
| City Colleges of Chicago | 1900 W. Van Buren St, Chicago, IL 60612 |
| Esther’s Home Health Services | 14930 S. Cicero Ave, Suite 1B, Oak Forest, IL 60452 |
| Five County Regional Adult Education Program | 1102 West 10th Street, Metropolis, IL 62960 |
| Healthcare Inservices Inc. | 450 E 22nd Street , STE 161, Lombard, IL 60148 |
| Hugs Inc. | 19112 Burnham, Lansing, IL 60438 |
| Moraine Valley Community College | 9000 W, College Pkwy, Palos Hills, IL 60465 |
| Northwestern Institute of Health and Technology | 4641 N. ASHLAND AVE, Chicago , IL 60640 |
| Phalnax Family Services | 1201 W. 115th Street, Chicago, IL 60643 |
| Prairie State College | 202 South Halsted Street, Chicago Heights, IL 60411 |
| Solex College | 350 E. Dundee Rd., Ste 200, Wheeling, IL 60090 |
| South Suburban College | 15800 S State St., South Holland, IL 60473 |
| Triton College | 2000 N. Fifth Avenue, River Grove, IL 60171 |
| Truman College | 1145 West Wilson Avenue Chicago, IL 60640 |
| Wilbur Wright College | 4300 N Narragansett Ave, Chicago, IL 60634 |
Do know that depending on the position you want, home health aide, or home service workers, you’ll study different subjects.
For instance, even though home service workers also need to undergo training, the requirements are less strict.
A home health aide will be required when the client has wounds or a condition that can get worse under certain circumstances.
To be admitted in these training programs it is common to be expected to:
- Have a high school diploma or GED
- Be at least 18 years old, though in some cases 16 years old are also accepted
- Be healthy, and this will be proven with passing some tests
- Have a clear criminal background
Some of the topics will include:
- Body systems,
- Dementia care
- End-of-life care
- Taking vital signs
There are situations when further training will be needed, such as when changing the age group of the clients, or when the new client has some very specific needs.
Employment and Salary Information
Graduates of those training programs first seek employment with these top-rated agencies first:
- Progressive Home Health Care in Northbrook
- Lifecare Home Health Services in Northbrook
- Reliable Home Care Provider in Lincolnshire
- Prairieland Home Care in Spring Valley
- Presence Home Care in Elgin
Working in hospitals is also a possibility and this is where salaries are generally higher.
Depending on the needs of the client or the type of employer you have, your shifts will differ from the standard 9-to-5.
Some clients might need their aide to be a live-in person.
Most employers will require the candidates to appear in the Illinois Registry of Health Care Workers.
Large urban settings such as Chicago, Aurora, Joliet, Naperville, or Elgin, are also where the average income of a home health aide is higher.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Chicago | $26,949 |
| Aurora | $26,710 |
| Joliet | $26,186 |
| Rockford | $25,166 |
| Naperville | $26,403 |
| Springfield | $23,465 |
| Peoria | $24,556 |
| Elgin | $26,515 |
| Waukegan | $25,414 |
| Champaign | $23,883 |
Regional Salary in Illinois
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IL | 870 | $30,150 | $14.5 | $36,460 | $27,040 |
| Carbondale-Marion, IL | 1,360 | $31,080 | $14.94 | $32,920 | $28,080 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | 720 | $35,110 | $16.88 | $40,940 | $30,310 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 86,590 | $35,530 | $17.08 | $37,570 | $31,340 |
| Danville, IL | 180 | $33,010 | $15.87 | $37,770 | $28,990 |
| Decatur, IL | 510 | $33,290 | $16.01 | $39,520 | $29,640 |
| Kankakee, IL | 450 | $33,470 | $16.09 | $35,770 | $29,590 |
| Peoria, IL | 1,910 | $33,300 | $16.01 | $37,030 | $30,130 |
| Rockford, IL | 2,260 | $34,050 | $16.37 | $39,290 | $30,360 |
| Springfield, IL | 1,130 | $35,130 | $16.89 | $46,000 | $30,160 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Further Information
Home health aides will work under the supervision of a registered nurse or in some cases a therapist.
In Illinois, the Direct Support Person will generally be hired for folks with intellectual disabilities.
Their duties will include taking vital signs or handling seizures
The Certified Nurse Aides will perform basic nursing-related duties that can be encountered in cases with dementia or end of life situations.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Home Health Aide
HHA Schools by State