Home health aides typically do the following:

• Assist clients in their daily personal tasks, such as bathing or dressing
• Provide basic health-related services according to a client's needs, such as checking vital signs or administering prescribed medication at scheduled times
• Do light housekeeping, such as laundry, washing dishes, and vacuuming in a client's home
• Help to organize a client's schedule and plan appointments
• Arrange transportation to doctors' offices or for other kinds of outings
• Shop for groceries and prepare meals to meet a client's dietary specifications
• Help to keep clients engaged in their social networks and communities

Home health aides, unlike personal care aides, typically work for certified home health or hospice agencies that receive government funding and therefore must comply with regulations. They work under the direct supervision of medical professionals, usually nurses. These aides keep records of services performed and of clients' conditions and progress. They report changes in clients' conditions to supervisors or case managers. Home health aides also work with therapists and other medical staff.

Depending on their clients' needs, home health aides may provide some basic health-related services, such as checking a client's pulse, temperature, and respiration rate. They may also help with simple prescribed exercises and or with giving medications. Occasionally, they change bandages or dressings, give massages, care for skin, or help with braces and artificial limbs. With special training, experienced home health aides also may help with medical equipment such as ventilators, which help clients breathe.