Home Health Aide

Career Diploma 14-18 mo

Home health aide training online

If you're looking for a career in healthcare that allows you to help take care of patients, you can pursue that passion with Penn Foster’s online Home Health Aide Training. Study with the support of helpful instructors and faculty, with a program that offers engaging visual learning aids and interactive assessments to help you practice as you go.

Personal caregivers and home health aides are in high demand, with 1,159,500 new roles becoming available throughout the next decade.
The program has no education prerequisites, and students are offered flexible payment options.
This program can be completed at home, at your own pace, through our custom-designed, mobile-friendly student portal- available 24/7.

Accredited

Online

Self Paced

Cost of Program

$699

$829 Save $130

$49/month, Start for as low as $1

Enroll Now Request Info

800-275-4410 (9AM - 6:30PM EST)

patient greets home nurse at front door.

What You Will Learn

How to describe a direct care worker’s/home health aide’s role in a private home or community setting
How to apply ethical and legal rules and regulations for direct care workers
How to demonstrate oral and written communication skills for speaking with patients, family, medical personnel, and other caregivers using appropriate language and terminology
How to apply standard procedures to maintain clean and safe environments for both yourself and your patients, including residential, transportation, and outside locations

Full Program Goal & Outcomes

Home Health Aide Career Outcomes

Home Health Aide

AVG SALARY*

$25,280/yr

NUMBER OF JOBS*

3,439,700

JOB GROWTH*

34%

Penn Foster's Home Health Aide Training Program is designed with job-readiness in mind. Study the skills required in order to care for the mental, physical and emotional health of someone in need. Start training with a flexible program you can take on your own schedule, at your own pace.

State Licensing Requirements

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. Please click here for contact information for state licensing/regulatory boards and certain industry licensing information.

The Penn Foster Home Health Aide diploma program aligns to and exceeds the minimum federal standard for home health aide training: 75 hours of classroom instruction, including 16 hours of supervised practicum. The Penn Foster program consists of 200 hours of online and self-study training, 40 hours of a required supervised practicum, and then assessments. In states where additional practicum hours are required, students may be able to arrange for extended externships beyond what Penn Foster requires. State training requirements vary for Home Health Aides, with some states requiring more than the Federal standard and may include requirements beyond those offered in this program. There are also some states that require Home Health Aides to be a Certified Nursing Aide in order to complete the required externship in this program and or for employment in that state. Please see instructions below to refer to State-by-State Training Requirements for the state where you plan to work to learn more before enrolling in this program. 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 Aide, Direct Care Worker, or Caregiver. Penn Foster has determined that the curriculum does not meet the educational requirements for licensure or certification in the following states: California, District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, Mississippi. Click here for instructions to download file.

home health aide assisting an elderly patient.

Home Health Aide Externship Requirements

Students in the Home Health Aide Career Diploma will be required to complete a 40-hour externship prior to graduating to apply what they've learned in their coursework to real-world situations. In order to be eligible to complete the externship portion of the program, students are required to have a minimum cumulative grade average of 65%. Students are responsible to find and secure the externship at an approved site in their area. Penn Foster does not assist with direct placement. Additionally, externship requirements can vary by agency and state but will generally include:

Criminal Background Check
a 2-Stage PPD Test showing negative results for TB
Child Abuse Clearance (If State requires)
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

Home Health Aide Student Success Stories

Penn Foster’s Home Health Aide Training Program can help prepare you for a career in the healthcare industry. This program has helped recent graduates learn at their own pace, find new jobs, and pursue a new career. Learn more about their experiences and how Penn Foster worked for them.

View Student Success Stories

Christan B.

2018 Home Health Aide graduate

"It’s easy to keep track of your materials and learn at your own speed. How it works for you is how you make it work."

Home Health Aide Training Curriculum

25 exams
1 project
1 externship (40 hours)
9 courses

Penn Foster's Home Health Aide classes can help prepare you to assist clients as you care for them in their homes. You will study everything from how to monitor and report changes in a client's health, to therapeutic communication skills for working in a client's home and community setting. Your classes will include:

Therapeutic Communication Skills
Body Systems and Medication
Home Care Procedures
Meeting Clients’ Needs

Show Full Curriculum

Looking for healthcare training for your workers?

Penn Foster currently works with hundreds of leading employers to meet their unique organizational needs.

Learn More

Home Health Aide Training Tuition

Take the first steps toward a new career with our online Home Health Aide Career Diploma Program. Simply choose from one of our low-cost customized payment plans below and get started today!

Option 1: Pay in full

Cost of Program

$699

$829 Save $130

Best price. Best value.
Pay the full cost today
No monthly payments

Enroll Now

Option 2: Monthly Auto Pay Plan

Cost of Program

$799

$829 Save $30

Pay $49 per month
Start for $1 down
Credit card, PayPal, or ACH from bank account

Enroll Now

Option 3: Monthly Mail Pay Plan

cost of program

$829

Pay $49 per month
Start for $39 down
Mail your payment using coupon book

Enroll Now

Need more info or ready to enroll?

Looking for more information on transfer credits, military benefits, or our refund policy? Find this information and more about tuition and enrollment here.

Tuition & Payment Options

We're here to help. Call 800-275-4410 9AM - 6:30PM EST

Request Info

Our Proven Healthcare Learning Model

Empowering students to reach their professional goals

Flexible

Start anytime
Self-paced schedule
Payment plans

Interactive

Video and whiteboard animations
Self-check quizzes
Live support

Connected

Peer support
Vibrant Student Community
24/7 access to online resources

Supportive

Expert faculty
Robust learning resources
Dedicated Student Services

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caregiver hugging patient in wheelchair.

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Home Health Aide Training FAQs

What are the daily responsibilities of a home health aide?

Home health aides are the individuals who monitor the condition of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses, and help them with daily living activities. You will help clients with everything from bathing and grooming to getting daily exercise.

How do I become a home health aide?

Home health and personal care aides typically need a high school diploma or equivalent at a minimum. Those working in certified home health or hospice agencies may need to complete formal training such as Penn Foster's, or pass a standardized test in order to start working.

How much does a home health aide make?

According to the most recently published Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the average home health aide salary is $25,280 per year.*

What are the externship requirements to become a home health aide?

In Penn Foster's Home Health Aide Training Program, you are required to complete a 40 hour-long externship before officially graduating from your training program.

Disclaimers:

The completion of a certificate-level program does not typically qualify a student for employment. Completion of this program may assist students who have previous academic or work-related experience improve their chances for promotion or entry-level employment.

Sources:

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. "Home Health and Personal Care Aides." Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed March 8, 2021.

Statements found in the United States Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook are not a guarantee of any post-graduation salary, in part because the data used to create the Occupational Outlook Handbook includes workers from differing educational backgrounds, levels of experience, and geographic areas of the country.