Certain fields in the healthcare industry see faster growth when it comes to the demand for specialized personnel.
Home health aides are increasingly more popular due to a series of reasons, and they work in home-based settings, public or private.
The main job description for this occupation is helping those requiring assistance with daily living.
Article Table of Contents
Requirements in Alaska
In Alaska, the requirements for these professionals are more stringent compared to other states.
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The stringent requirements in Alaska are related mostly to training:
- At least 140 hours of education
- At least 80 hours of training in a clinical setting
- 12 hours of in-service training per year, at minimum
Additionally, in this state, these services can only be provided by individuals who:
- Have been certified as nurse aides
- Passed a criminal background check
- Have never been reported for misconduct
In Alaska, those who recently completed a military training or became nurses in a different country may skip the home health aide training program.
Certification
If you want to start on this path, you’ll have to pass the Alaska State Certification Exam for Nursing Assistants.
This exam is available to those who graduate from state-approved training programs and is organized through the Pearson VUE testing centers.
The exam has a written and an oral part.
The certification is issued by the Alaska Board of Nursing and needs periodical renewal, through continuing education.
Once you get your certification, you’ll also have to register on the Nurse Aide Registry.
Home Health Aide Education in Alaska
As mentioned, home health aides in Alaska are mandated to undergo training and earn a certification.
The training can be done only at approved training programs, and these are generally offered at the schools seen below.
School Name | Address |
---|---|
Alaska Job Corps | 800 E. Lynn Martin Dr. Palmer, AK 99654 |
Alaska Technical Center | PO Box 51 Kotzebue, AK 99752 |
Anchorage School District | 2650 E. Northern Lights Blvd. Anchorage, AK 99508 |
Bethel CNA Program | PO Box 869 Bethel, AK 99559 |
Caregiver Training Academy | 203 W 15th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501 |
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District | 604 Barnette St., Rm. 401 Fairbanks, AK 99701 |
Heritage Place | 232 Rockwell Soldotna, AK 99669 |
Kachemak Bay Community College | 533 E. Pioneer Ave. Homer, AK 99603 |
Kenai Peninsula College/Kenai Peninsula Borough School District | 156 College Road, Soldotna, AK 99669 |
Kodiak College | 117 Benny Benson Dr. Kodiak, AK 99615 |
Mat-Su Career & Tech High School | 2472 Seward Meridian Wasilla, AK 99654 |
Petersburg General Hospital | PO Box 589 Petersburg, AK 99833 |
Providence Transitional Care | 910 Compassion Cir. Anchorage, AK 99504 |
PWSCC-Cordova | PO Box 160 Cordova, AK 99574 |
PWSCC-Valdez | PO Box 97 Valdez, AK 99686 |
Service High School | 5577 Abbott Rd. Anchorage, AK 99507 |
UAF Community Technical College | 604 Barnette St., Rm. 401 Fairbanks, AK 99701 |
UAF / Norton Sound Health Corp | 1100 Greg Kreschek Ave. Nome, AK 99762 |
UAS Juneau | 11120 Glacier Hwy Juneau, AK 99801 |
UAS Ketchikan | 2600 7th Avenue, Ketchikan, AK 99901 |
UAS Sitka | 1332 Seward Ave. Sitka, AK 99835 |
VTEC Alaska Institute of Technology | 1251 Muldoon Rd. #103 Anchorage, AK 99508 |
Wrangell Medical Center | PO Box 1081 Wrangell, AK 99929 |
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The first step you should do is to check the age requirement, as some of these schools make the classes available only to those enrolled in a high school or who are between certain ages, such as 17 and 24.
The training should include the following topics:
- Duties
- Laws, policies, and procedures
- Functions of other personnel
- Service coordination
- Confidentiality and ethics
- Communications and reporting
- Maintenance of the environment, hygiene, and infection control
- Dealing with emergencies
- Nutrition and fluids
- Body functions and changes
- Respect and recognition of needs
- Ambulation and transfer
Salary and Career Outlook
If you want to enter this healthcare sector, do know that the demand for personnel is going strong, thus there are plenty of employment options.
Salaries are based on several factors, such as job setting, duties to complete, and experience.
The cities of Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks are the ones where salaries in this field are highest.
Annual Salary Range:Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
---|---|
Anchorage | $28,301 |
Juneau | $28,024 |
Fairbanks | $28,250 |
Wasilla | $27,920 |
Sitka | $27,643 |
Ketchikan | $27,643 |
Kenai | $27,920 |
Palmer | $27,920 |
Bethel | $27,920 |
Kodiak | $27,920 |
Regional Salary in Alaska
Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anchorage, AK | 3,870 | $37,800 | $18.18 | $43,830 | $27,200 |
Fairbanks, AK | 540 | $39,060 | $18.78 | $48,970 | $32,720 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Other Information
In Alaska, these professionals must be supervised by a therapist or a registered nurse.
The supervision is done as home visits to the patient’s residence.
These visits can be done at any time, anywhere from every 2 weeks and up to once every 3 months.
The goal of the visit is to see if the care plan’s goals are met.
Not all patients have the same needs, and as such, the services offered and skills needed will need to be adjusted on a case-by-case basis.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Home Health Aide