There are many ways you can start a medical career in Indiana.
One of them is by becoming a home health aide.
Read below in order to get more informed on the steps you need to take to get hired.
Article Table of Contents
Ideal Candidate in Indiana
In order to be able to work in the field, you need to have some specific skills
These include:
- Being able to drive
- Solid communication skills and compassion
- If you know how to cook and know how to handle pets, these are extra skills that will serve you later on.
- Physical strength
Training and Education in Indiana
In Indiana, you don’t need a lot of training to become a home health aide.
You will however need to take 75 hours of training, from which 16 must be practice.
After you get your certification, you will need to take 12 hours of extra classes every year.
When the time comes to renew your certification, you can get it renewed by The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) Online Licensing System.
As a home health aide, you will be hired by an agency.
Most of the home health aide programs only last for a few weeks.
However, you can also get an associate’s degree which will last around 2 years.
Some of the training classes you will take include:
- Processes of development and aging
- Personal care services
- Infection control
- Nutrition
- Maintaining the least restrictive environment
- Body mechanics
- Assistive technology
In order to get certified, you will need to take and pass an exam first.
This exam will test your skills and knowledge.
If you are interested in the schools offering programs in Indiana, you can read about them below:
School Name | Address |
---|---|
Hagen Health Education | 3865 Lake City Hwy Suite B Warsaw, Indiana 46580 |
Indiana Health Careers Vocational Training & Testing | 6830 Diamond Heights, Sellersburg, IN 47172 |
Ivy Tech Community College | 50 W Fall Creek Parkway N Dr Indianapolis, Indiana 46208 |
Scott’s Home Health Aide Certification School | 1817 Dogwood Drive Kokomo, Indiana 46902 |
To enroll in any of the schools, you need to meet some simple criteria.
These include:
- Taking and passing a background check
- Having a high-school diploma or a GED
- Passing an English, math, and reading exam.
Although the usual age to start a training program is 18, some schools will accept you if you are 16 years old.
There are some employers who will pay for the training program you are taking.
Employment and Salary in Indiana
In Indiana, you have high chances to get hired as a home health aide.
This is especially true if you live in a larger city or area of the state.
As you get more job experience, your salary will also increase as compared to when you start.
Annual Salary Range:Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
---|---|
Indianapolis | $24,873 |
Fort Wayne | $23,754 |
Evansville | $24,066 |
South Bend | $23,802 |
Carmel | $24,842 |
Fishers | $23,527 |
Bloomington | $23,454 |
Hammond | $25,360 |
Gary | $25,360 |
Lafayette | $24,720 |
Regional Salary in Indiana
Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bloomington, IN | 1,360 | $30,600 | $14.71 | $33,870 | $27,070 |
Columbus, IN | 640 | $31,020 | $14.91 | $37,380 | $25,260 |
Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 920 | $33,320 | $16.02 | $39,930 | $27,200 |
Evansville, IN-KY | 1,970 | $30,470 | $14.65 | $36,960 | $25,350 |
Fort Wayne, IN | 3,770 | $30,610 | $14.72 | $35,300 | $25,690 |
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | 15,870 | $31,520 | $15.15 | $36,190 | $26,780 |
Kokomo, IN | 690 | $29,980 | $14.41 | $34,370 | $25,550 |
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | 1,720 | $29,670 | $14.26 | $34,540 | $26,700 |
Michigan City-La Porte, IN | 610 | $31,810 | $15.29 | $34,850 | $27,860 |
Muncie, IN | 590 | $29,640 | $14.25 | $34,880 | $24,990 |
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | 2,240 | $30,800 | $14.81 | $35,410 | $26,890 |
Terre Haute, IN | 950 | $30,620 | $14.72 | $37,230 | $24,690 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
The largest employees in the home health aide field in Indiana are:
- Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital: This hospital is situated in Indianapolis and has many other branches.
- If you work here, you will get benefits such as paid leave, paid vacation, disability benefits, and flex spending accounts.
- Clarion Health: This facility is also situated in Indianapolis and has 3 branches.
- Eli Lilly: This facility offers some amenities like a cafeteria, daycare, and dry cleaning services.
- Women’s Hospital
- Methodist Hospital
- St. Francis Hospital and Health Center
Other Info About Becoming a Home Health Aide in Indiana
To work in this field, you will have to feed your client, move them to the bed and back, and sometimes cook for them.
The job will require you to stand on your feet for a long time, and you might need to work on weekends.
You will usually be supervised by a licensed nursed.
While many home health aides work in a home, you could also work in a hospital setting.
The first step you need to take is to complete your training and get certified.
This will improve your skills which will allow you to find a job fast.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Home Health Aide