Becoming a Home Health Care Provider in Oklahoma

Are you passionate about helping people, especially seniors, when they need it most? Oklahoma needs skilled and empathetic home care workers. If you’re passionate about this field, you can make a difference in your local community and ensure job security for yourself by becoming a home health care provider.

What is a Home Health Care Provider?

As seniors grow older, they increasingly need more skilled health care options in the home. A home health provider may be a beneficial solution for people who need skilled nursing or therapy but are homebound or have difficulty leaving their homes.

Home health care providers work in-home with patients who need temporary help recovering from an acute illness or injury. These patients could include those recently discharged from the hospital after an extended stay, those recovering from surgery, or seniors showing signs of physical decline.

Home health care providers offer services such as:

Taking vitals
Monitoring chronic medical conditions
Helping patients recover from acute medical issues (such as surgery)
Caring for wounds
Providing physical, occupational and speech therapy
Managing medications
Administering IVs and injections
Educating patients, family members, and caregivers on treatments
Communicating with physicians and nurses
Coordinating or obtaining labs, X-rays, and other diagnostic tests

When ongoing or temporary daily or hourly assistance with bathing, dressing, toileting, meal preparation, or light housekeeping is needed, personal care services may be more appropriate.

What is a Personal Care Provider?

A personal care provider is someone who helps with the daily needs of someone who needs ongoing care. They can provide assistance a few hours a day or live in the home for 24-hour care. Personal care providers assist people with the care they need that allows them to continue living in their homes when they may not be able to otherwise.

Personal care providers offer services including:

Helping with daily activities like dressing, bathing, and grooming
Assisting with ambulation, transfer, and fall prevention
Helping the person safely manage tasks around the house
Providing companionship
Meal planning and preparation
Light housekeeping and laundry
Medication reminders

The Differences Between a Home Health Care Provider vs. Personal Care Provider

A home health care provider and a personal care provider are two roles that are often confused. Understanding the key differences between these two roles will help you move forward confidently with your career path.

Services Provided

The roles themselves are different, and the employees provide various services.

Home health care providers mainly provide skilled or therapeutic health care in the home, helping patients recover from injuries or surgeries or manage their acute and chronic conditions. Their goal is to help patients get healthy again or maintain their health so it doesn’t deteriorate any further.

In contrast, home care workers provide non-medical care. They help with essential home tasks that people can’t do by themselves anymore, such as:

Household chores
Cleaning
Grocery shopping
Prepping meals
Dressing
Bathing
Companionship

Training

Another key difference between home health care providers and personal care providers is the training they receive.

Home health care providers receive formal education and medical training and must be licensed by the state in the specific discipline (nursing or therapy) they practice. Educational, clinical, and experience requirements vary by the chosen discipline and may be several months to several years involving clinicals as well. You may also get on-the-job training.

The state doesn’t require licensing of personal care providers, but many are certified through approved state programs and testing. Personal Care providers may be certified nurse aides (CNA), certified home health aides (CHHA), personal care aides (PCA), or non-certified companions.

Companions don’t provide hands-on personal care but may accompany seniors on appointments, outings, and activities. Educational requirements for certification may be one to four months, also requiring 16 hours of clinicals.

Payment

Health insurance, Medicaid, veterans benefits, or workers’ compensation typically cover home health services.

Home health agencies typically reimburse health providers. Depending on the discipline and level of licensure and experience, they may expect to earn $25 to more than $50 per hour.

In contrast, personal care services are typically paid out of pocket though some veterans benefits and Medicare Advantage plans offer supplemental payments given specific eligibility requirements. Workers’ compensation may also reimburse for personal care services.

Certified personal care providers may earn between $12-$20 per hour depending on where they provide services and their experience level. Non-certified personal care providers may earn $9 per hour or more.

Now that you understand the difference between a home health care provider and a personal care provider, take a look at the benefits of working in home care.

Benefits of Working in Home Care

Becoming a home health care provider in Oklahoma is a rewarding career choice. You’ll be a vital part of the healthcare system, helping patients maintain their quality of life. There are many benefits of working in home care.

Job Security

With more and more Baby Boomers aging, there is an increased need for home care workers. More elderly patients want to age in their homes, which makes this field extremely secure. Oklahoma always needs more clinicians and home care aides, especially during the current staffing shortage. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics expects the field to grow by 33% this decade. It’s a much higher growth rate than most other careers.

Flexible Schedule

If you’re looking for a career with flexibility and the ability to make your own hours, becoming a home care provider in Oklahoma may be a good fit. Home care providers can often set their own schedules to accommodate their busy lives. For example, some providers work during the day, and others work at night or on weekends.

Meaningful Work

Home care providers are in the business of helping people live their best lives, and that’s why it’s such an exciting career. You’ll be able to make a real difference in people’s lives.

Home health care providers work with patients who may be recovering from an illness, injury, or surgery or experiencing the difficulties of aging. Your job is to guide them through this challenging time by offering compassion, dignity, and personalized care. It’s rewarding to help patients regain their health or face the adversities of aging with support.

Competitive Compensation

Not only will you be helping people live more healthy and independent lives, but you’ll also be building your skillset. Home health care is a great way to make a living, and you typically will have access to excellent benefits on top of your salary.

Many companies offer competitive compensation packages, but salaries vary greatly depending on which company you pick and what position you choose.