In this class, caregivers learn how to maintain a clean and healthy environment for their patients. Topics include

• Hand hygiene.
• Cleaning and disinfection.
• Use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Disposal of sharps and other contaminated materials and equipment. 

Objectives:

• Identify different ways that infections can be transmitted.
• Understand the importance of infection control.
• Demonstrate how to control infection through cleaning and disinfecting techniques.

Falls are the biggest risk to older adults and, in some cases, can end in hospital admission. During this class, HHAs learn how to help reduce the risks.

Objectives:

• Understand why older adults are susceptible to falls.
• Identify potential risks in a client’s home.
• Know ways to prevent falls, including exercises for overcoming medical conditions.

Older adults often require bathing assistance if they are infirm or immobile. During this class, HHAs learn the importance of bathing and how to make bathing safe and dignified. 

Objectives:

• Know how to bathe an older adult in a safe and dignified way.
• Understand how to resolve conflicts in bathing an older adult.

As HHAs spend considerable time with patients, they need to know how to identify and report elder abuse and neglect. Forms of elder abuse include verbal, physical, emotional, sexual, and financial abuse.

Objectives:

• Identify the different signs of elder abuse.
• Apply strategies for preventing it.
• Report elder abuse based on the state legal requirements. 

Caregivers need to know how to use various transfer and mobility equipment when caring for an older adult, including nighttime safety supports.

Objectives:

• Identify different types and uses of mobility equipment, such as a gait belt, slide board, or mobility device. 
• How to use a Hoyer lift to transfer an older adult.
• How to use monitors, alarms, and bed rails to keep patients safe in bed.

Caregivers need to know how to assess a client’s health and when to measure their vital signs — temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, and pain. They also need to know what to do when measurements are outside expected ranges.

Objectives:

• Describe the five vital signs, why they’re important, and how to monitor them.
• Demonstrate how to measure a client’s body temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure, plus assess their pain.

Home safety is a primary concern for clients living with dementia. Fire hazards, sharp objects, poisons, medicines, hazardous household products, and expired food are among the risks. Caregivers are responsible for protecting clients inside and outside the home while helping them maintain their independence.

Objectives:

• Identify home safety risks for dementia patients.
• Implement accident prevention tactics inside and outside the home. 
• Maintain a balance between independence and safety

In this class, caregivers learn about the anatomy of joints and muscles and how to assist older adults with active and passive range-of-motion exercises. 

Objectives:

• Describe how joints and muscles work together. 
• Show clients how to perform active range-of-motion exercises for the upper and lower body. 
• Show older adults who are bedridden how to perform passive range-of-motion exercises.

Should a disaster strike, caregivers have to protect themselves and their clients? In this class, HHAs learn how to prepare for disasters, such as severe weather, fire, floods, earthquakes, and other emergencies. 

Objectives:

• Demonstrate how to prepare for and handle emergencies and disasters.
• Know when to use emergency services and how to use standard fire safety equipment.

The observation, reporting, and documentation class show caregivers how to look for and report changes in a client’s vital signs, mental status, skin, nutrition, hygiene, and home environment. They also learn how to document such changes effectively.

Objectives:

• Understand the importance of observing, documenting, and reporting on a client’s condition. 
• Recognize concerning signs and symptoms across the body and respond accordingly. 
• Describe the various types and elements of effective reports and the importance and characteristics of good documentation. 
• Make the necessary observations of normal and abnormal conditions and a client’s family and home environment.

Burnout is common among HHAs due to the nature of the profession. As a result, patient care suffers, and agencies experience high employee turnover.

In this class, caregivers learn to spot burnout symptoms — chronic fatigue, forgetfulness, pessimism, isolation, irritability, and poor performance — and how to take care of themselves.

Objectives:

• Distinguish the causes of caregiver burnout.
• Understand healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms, and how to develop an action plan.

Home Health Agencies(HHA) and caregivers must keep records of HHA in-service training.  

Home health agencies must record and maintain HHA in-services documentation for at least six years, including:

• Date. 
• Duration. 
• Location. 
• Content, objectives, and goals. 
• Materials. 
• Attendees. 
• Proof of completion. 
• RN supervisory oversight and signoff.

Home health aides must maintain documentation that demonstrates they have met the requirements of the HHA classroom, supervised practical training, and HHA in-services.​