Home Health Aide Career Diploma Program
Learn to become a Home Health Aide in as little as 6 months.
Take the first steps towards a rewarding career of helping others with Penn Foster’s Home Health Aide training program.
Penn Foster’s home health care training can teach you the knowledge and skills to help you on your journey – whether it’s working for a certified home attendant or hospice agency, private home, or in a community setting. Our Home Health Aide program aligns to and exceeds the minimum Federal requirements for Home Health Aide training, including a required externship which allows students to gain supervised practical experience in the Home Health Care field.
Why become a Home Health Aide?
With a projected 38% increase in home health aide jobs over the next few years, now is a great time to learn how to become a home health aide with Penn Foster.¹ Take the first steps in your direct care training as you learn how to assist clients with activities of daily living, monitoring and reporting changes in a client’s health, and serving as an instrumental part of a Home Care team.
Home Health Aide Curriculum
In Penn Foster’s Home Health Aide courses, you will learn about the duties of a home health aide, as well as the different skills required to work in the home health care setting. Our program consists of nine courses designed to help set you on the right path towards your career goals, as well as an externship to help you gain valuable hands-on experience working in the home health care field. Each course is broken down into small mobile-friendly lessons to help you on your journey toward earning your career diploma online.
EXTERNSHIP DETAILS
Students are required to perform a 40-hour externship prior to completing this program. While Penn Foster provides students with the tools and resources to obtain an externship through our partnerships with Home Health Care agencies, it is the student’s responsibility to ultimately find and secure the externship at a site in their area. All students are required to have a minimum cumulative grade average of 65% in this program in order to participate in an externship. Externship requirements vary by agency and state but will generally include a Criminal Background Check; a 2-Stage PPD Test showing negative results for TB; Child Abuse Clearance (PA State required); a Valid Driver’s License and Proof of Auto Insurance; and access to a functioning vehicle that is available for use during scheduled work hours. Additional items may be required of the student based upon the agency where they choose to do their externship. Any costs associated with these requirements will be the responsibility of the student.
STATE LICENSING INFORMATION
Licensing and/or certification requirements for jobs in this field are not the same in every state and may include educational, testing, and/or experiential requirements beyond those offered in the Penn Foster Program. Prospective students should contact the state professional licensing board or similar regulatory body in the state(s) where they plan to work to determine their requirements before enrolling in this program.
STATE REQUIREMENTS
State training requirements vary for Home Health Aides, with some states requiring more than the Federal standard and ma include requirements beyond those offered in this program. There are states that require Home Health Aides to be a Certified Nursing Aide for employment in that state. Where additional training may be required, the Penn Foster program will help to prepare for employment in Direct Care Worker positions other than Home Health Aide, such as Home Care Aide, Personal Care Aid, Direct Care Worker, or Caregiver.
AFFORDABLE
With our affordable tuition costs and 3 easy payment plans to choose from, we can help you fit education into your budget.
ON-DEMAND LEARNING
No set class schedules so you set the pace and study when you can. Access your teachers and coaches through text, phone and email or chat with fellow classmates online.
ACCREDITED & RESPECTED
Over 13 million students have enrolled in our programs, making Penn Foster one of the largest and most respected distance learning institutions in the world.
MOBILE-FRIENDLY FLEXIBILITY
Our 24/7, on-demand learning platform is easy to use – at home or on the go – and you decide when to start and take your classes.
PERSONALIZED GOAL TRACKING
With our progress-tracking and goal-setting tools, you can customize your study and exam schedule to help meet your personal goals.
ALL-INCLUSIVE PROGRAMS
Your tuition includes access to instructors and teaching assistants, all of your textbooks, unlimited career support and even a personal Success Coach!
As a leader in online education, Penn Foster helps students take the first steps toward a new career with over 80 diploma and certificate programs. Our online programs are regionally and nationally accredited, flexible, and affordable. You will get the quality you deserve with our faculty of instructors and industry experts, support from our active student community, and career services you can start using as soon as you enroll.
To take advantage of our special TUITION DISCOUNTS or to ask questions about any of our programs, please call us toll-free at 1.888.427.1600, or click below to request more information.
* The Final Semester at No Cost promotion does not include any practicum or resident lab training fees. To qualify for this offer, A.S. degree students must complete and pay in full for at least 30 Penn Foster credits and B.S. degree students must complete and pay in full for at least 60 Penn Foster credits prior to the final semester.
¹ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, Home Health Aides, on the Internet here. Statistics found in the United States Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook are based on national data, so job growth in your area may be different.