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

If you want to work in the nursing field, you can consider becoming a home health aide.

As a home health aide, you will be in charge of old or disabled people’s basic needs.

This will help the person stay in their own home instead of relocating to a nursing home.

Read on for more info on how you can start your new career in Arkansas.

Requirements for Training in Arkansas

In this state, you will have to train for 75 hours at a minimum in order to work.

Out of these, 16 hours must be focused on practice.

Some of the classes you will attend include:

• Personal care
• Fluids and nutrition
• Bodily functions/ understanding changes that need to be reported
• Vital signs
• Range of motion
• Maintenance of a healthy environment
• Emergency situations

Usually in Arkansas, you can provide your service in a private home with only 40 training hours.

However, most home health care aides completed a higher number of training hours.

Many health care organizations accept workers with any credentials, including CNA, HHA, and PCA.

You can get adequate training through the following schools:

Home Health Agencies in Arkansas

How much training you need to have depended on the agency’s policies.

The job title sometimes changes from a home health aide to a personal care aide.

In this state, there are 2 types of home health agencies:

• Class A
• Class B

Class A agencies usually get involved with the Medicare program, which also means higher standards.

Sometimes, agencies get private care agency licenses.

These agencies can also get involved in the Medicaid personal care program.

In Arkansas, some of these agencies include Home Instead and Visiting Angels.

These agencies need to hire trained home health care aides.

If you are wondering where you can get hired, check out the following institutions:

• Arkansas Cancer Research Center
• Baptist Health
• Arkansas Children’s Hospital
• St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center
• Sparks Health System
• St. Edward Mercy Medical Center
• Jefferson Regional Medical Center
• St. Bernard’s Medical Center
• Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield

Job Duties in Arkansas

As a home health aide, you will help your client with grooming and hygiene.

How much assistance you will provide depends on the person’s needs.

For example, you may assist with providing a bath sponge or provide assistance to your client when they need to dress.

For clients with mobility problems, you will need to help them get from the bed to the wheelchair.

You may also need to assist your clients who have incontinence problems.

Another aspect you need to offer assistance in is feeding.

Some clients may have special dietary needs you will need to take care of.

You will also have to make sure they drink enough liquids and eat enough.

As a home health aide, you have to ensure that the client’s home is clean and safe to use.

Job Prospects and Salaries in Arkansas

As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this career path has a positive outlook in Arkansas.

It is expected jobs will see a growth of 16% in the period between 2014 and 2024.

Salaries usually depend on experience and the type of duties you’ll perform.

Regional Salary in Arkansas

Other Info About Home Health Aides in Arkansas

If you think this is the right career path for you, you can start in high school.

If you participate in HOSA, you can also take part in the home health aide competition.

In Arkansas, the Department of Health manages home health agencies and private care agencies.

You can also find more info about the various types of home care if you check out The Arkansas Attorney General.

Once you complete your training, you will have numerous career opportunities available to you.

HHA Schools by State