How to Become a Home Health Aide in Alaska (Requirements & Schools)

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.

Requirements in Alaska

In Alaska, the requirements for these professionals are more stringent compared to other states.

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.

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.

Regional Salary in Alaska

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.

HHA Schools by State