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Becoming a home health aide is usually one of the easiest ways of entering the healthcare industry.
This guide will present you what it takes to become a home health aide in Vermont, so read on!
Article Table of Contents
Ideal Candidate
The first thing you should know about the ideal candidate for a home health aide is that they need to be willing to undergo training.
As a future home health aide, you’ll need these qualities:
- Compassion
- Physical stamina
- Very good communication skills
- Accurate
In certain situations, you’ll be required to be able to work with children or pets as well, or even speak another language besides English.
Training and Certification
In Vermont, individuals who want to become home health aides need to train for at least 80 hours and get licensed as nursing assistants.
The training has to include at least 30 hours of supervised clinical practice.
The hours are spread over 6 and up to 10 weeks, depending on the school.
To enroll, you’ll be required to show:
- A high school diploma or GED
- A clean criminal record
- Proof you’re healthy
- Proof you don’t suffer from tuberculosis
These are the schools approved to offer training programs for those who want to become home health aides.
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Cold Hollow Career Center | P.O. Box 530, Enosburg, VT 05450 |
| Essex Junction Technical Center | 3 Educational Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452 |
| Green Mountain Technology and Career Center | 738 Vt 15 W, Hyde Park, VT 05655 |
| Hartford Area Career Center | 1 Gifford Rd, White River Junction, VT 05753 |
| Northwest Technical College | 71 S. Main Street, St. Albans, VT 05478 |
| Randolph Technical Career Center | 17 Forest St., Randolph, VT 05060 |
| Stafford Technical Center | 8 Stratton Road, Rutland, VT 05701 |
There are certain skills you’ll learn and develop while training, and they relate to being able to properly completing your duties.
These include:
- Helping clients getting in and out of bed
- Helping clients moving around
- Helping clients with activities of daily living
- Carrying out nursing-related duties under nurse supervision
- Assisting in treatment (as noted in the care plan)
- Identifying and dealing with emergency situations
Once the training is over, you’ll be expected to pass an exam that is organized at Pearson Vue testing centers.
The exam costs about $150, but if you’re employed, your employer can cover this fee.
An important part of the exam is the skills test as it’s very important to have the right technique when working as a home health aide.
Proper handwashing method is to be proved by all candidates, along with other 4 skills that are randomly selected, and one of them will be related to measuring.
If you’re a home health aide coming from a different state, you can become licensed through endorsement if you accumulated at least 50 days of work experience in the past 2 years.
Employment and Salary Details for Vermont
Most home health aides work for agencies.
This is generally seen as a part-time position.
Some of the best agencies in Vermont to be employed by, include:
- Visiting Nurse Association OF VT & NH
- Franklin County Home Health Agency
- Rutland Area Visiting Nurse Association
Like with any other state, salaries are higher on average in the larger cities, in hospitals, and they also increase the more experience you accumulate.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Burlington | $25,072 |
| Essex | $25,072 |
| South Burlington | $25,072 |
| Colchester | $25,072 |
| Rutland | $25,298 |
| Bennington | $25,759 |
| Brattleboro | $25,811 |
| Milton | $25,057 |
| Essex Junction | $25,072 |
| Hartford | $26,099 |
Regional Salary in Vermont
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | 1,000 | $40,100 | $19.28 | $44,850 | $35,150 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Extra Info
Those working as home health aides are usually supervised either by a nurse or in some cases by a therapist.
It’s important to know that in Vermont, the license needs to be renewed every two years.
For this purpose, you’ll have to accumulate a minimum of 50 days of work every 2 years.
The Board of Nursing oversees these professionals and they can offer more information regarding the training and license renewal process.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Home Health Aide
HHA Schools by State