Description
Monitor the health status of an individual with disabilities or illness, and address their health-related needs, such as changing bandages, dressing wounds, or administering medication. Work is performed under the direction of offsite or intermittent onsite licensed nursing staff. Provide assistance with routine healthcare tasks or activities of daily living, such as feeding, bathing, toileting, or ambulation. May also help with tasks such as preparing meals, doing light housekeeping, and doing laundry depending on the patient's abilities.
- • Bathe patients.
- • Maintain records of patient care, condition, progress, or problems to report and discuss observations with supervisor or case manager.
- • Provide patients with help moving in and out of beds, baths, wheelchairs, or automobiles and with dressing and grooming.
- • Provide patients and families with emotional support and instruction in areas such as caring for infants, preparing healthy meals, living independently, or adapting to disability or illness.
- • Entertain, converse with, or read aloud to patients to keep them mentally healthy and alert.
- • Plan, purchase, prepare, or serve meals to patients or other family members, according to prescribed diets.
- • Direct patients in simple prescribed exercises or in the use of braces or artificial limbs.
- • Check patients' pulse, temperature, and respiration.
- • Change dressings.
- • Perform a variety of duties as requested by client, such as obtaining household supplies or running errands.
- • Accompany clients to doctors' offices or on other trips outside the home, providing transportation, assistance, and companionship.
- • Care for children with disabilities or who have sick parents or parents with disabilities.
- • Massage patients or apply preparations or treatments, such as liniment, alcohol rubs, or heat-lamp stimulation.
- • Care for patients by changing bed linens, washing and ironing laundry, cleaning, or assisting with their personal care.
- • Administer prescribed oral medications, under the written direction of physician or as directed by home care nurse or aide, and ensure patients take their medicine.
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
