Certified home health aides (CHHA) play an important role in the quality of life of Samaritan’s patients and their families and is a vital part of the hospice team. The team is composed of your family physician and/or specialist, plus a Samaritan physician, nurse, social worker, spiritual support counselor, home health aide, volunteer, and other practitioners, if necessary. Together, the team addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of you and your family.
Your hospice home health aide is currently licensed in New Jersey and received a certification from the New Jersey State Board of Nursing. They aren’t nurses; however, they do work very closely with the hospice registered nurse to provide the amount of care that is in the plan of care. Every Samaritan aide is also certified in the Pressure Ulcer (bed sore) Prevention Program.
CHHAs do not administer medications. They assist with activities of daily living such as personal hygiene. They may prepare light meals for your loved one, and assist with walking, transferring your loved one from the bed to chair or chair to bed, and aid in repositioning in bed.
Their gentle ability to provide personal care means so much. A warm bath, crisp clean sheets, fresh pajamas, and a small bite to eat can play a huge part in someone’s comfort and dignity. And through these “tasks,” our CHHAs do something additionally wonderful: build strong relationships with our families. They serve as a friendly face and trusted when a family needs it the most.
Samaritan hospice home health aides provide gentle, hands-on care in private homes, assisted living or nursing home facilities, rehabilitation facilities, or at Samaritan’s inpatient hospice centers.
This intimate and professional care wraps your loved one in dignity and cleanliness to provide comfort during this time. Keeping skin clean and dry also helps prevents bed sores (pressure injuries), an injury to the skin and underlying tissue caused by prolonged pressure on the skin.
(Please note: a hospice home health aide is not permitted to cut fingernails or toenails as part of this personal care. They are only permitted to file nails for safety reasons.)
“He especially enjoyed the couple of baths provided by Ivy during his last few days alive. This was quite surprising because my uncle was not too fond of bathing, or as he would say, “water and I don’t get along.” Laurie Ramirez did say she trusted Ivy would get him to succumb to soap, water, and his gentle nature!”
Samaritan promotes a clean and safe environment for your loved one. Your CHHA assists with washing and changing your loved one’s bed linens and putting a load of laundry in the washing machine or folding a load as time permits. They also perform light housekeeping of your loved one’s immediate area.
Your hospice home health aide may assist with preparing small meals for your loved one like eggs, sandwiches, and other light snacks. Are you noticing a change in your loved one’s appetite? Read more about what your loved one should eat and drink at the end of life>>
The CHHA turns and re-positions your bed-bound loved one. When your loved one is re-positioned, it helps relieve pressure on the area of skin or side of the body that they were laying on. This movement aids in the prevention of pressure injuries because it allows for better circulation to the area. The CHHA also provides skin care with appropriate creams and lotions.
If you have any questions about hospice home health aide care, please speak with your hospice nurse or call us at (856) 596-1600.