HHA vs CNA

If you’re searching for someone to take care of your loved one, there’ll be two roles that often pop up during your hunt for answers: Home Health Aide (HHA) vs. Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).

At first glance, you may think that these two terms, HHA vs. CNA, sound similar, but these two positions differ significantly in training, responsibilities, and work environments.

When trying to decide which healthcare professional is best suited to take care of your loved one at home, understanding the difference between the two occupations is important for making your decision.

Even if you aren’t searching for a caretaker, knowing the difference is vital to getting a better grasp of the healthcare field and can help you navigate future healthcare options.

As a way to help you gain more insight into the field, here’s a breakdown of what each profession entails, how they compare and contrast to one another, and how to make the right choice based on your needs. Each caregiving position comes with its own job description.

What Does a Home Health Aide (HHA) do?

A HHA helps provide care to patients in their homes. They assist patients, like your loved one, with activities of daily living (ADL) and other responsibilities to ensure the patient remains at home and stays out of a health care facility.

Many patients would rather stay in the comforts of their homes instead of the strange environment of long-term care facilities or nursing homes. In addition, many families find that a HHA is more cost-efficient, because the HHA tailors his or her care toward the patient.

HHA Tasks

HHAs assist with a variety of duties including:

• Assisting with mobility and physical therapy exercises.
• Monitoring vital signs such as blood pressure and pulse.
• Changing bandages and caring for wounds.
• Assisting with catheter or colostomy care.
• Helping with medication management.
• Providing some personal care, such as bathing and grooming.
• Light housekeeping.

A HHA helps their patients foster a sense of independence and well-being. They often build a strong trusting relationship with the patients, which helps make a difference in the person’s emotional well-being and mental health.

What Does the Training of HHA Look Like?

HHAs do not need to have a high school diploma. Also, qualifications for a HHA differ from one state to another.

Most states demand HHAs to complete home health care training before they start working with patients. In addition, a registered nurse (RN), licensed practical nurse (LPN), or a healthcare professional often have to supervise the work the HHA completes.

HHAs may also choose to pursue other certifications beyond their training to enhance their skills and marketability. These include certificates from organizations such as the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC). But they are not required to have a certification.

Families, who need some medical assistance at home but do not need the full-time services of a nurse, can find the care a HHA brings to be beneficial.

Where Do HHAs Work?

The majority of HHAs work in their clients’ homes, where they provide compassionate, one-on-one care.

This setting allows HHAs to offer even more personalized attention, such as meal preparation with the patient’s favorite ingredients or helping a patient find the best position to sit on their familiar and comfortable sofa.

How Much Does the HHA Make?

The Bureau of Labor Statisticss’ most recent report shows that the average annual salary for a HHA is $34,990. This means a HHA makes about $16.82 per hour.

Employers look at the length of experience, the work performance, and the job setting in determining the salary for the employee’s role.

The state, in which you live, can be an indicator too. In 2024, the states that offer the highest salaries include:

• Washington
• Oregon
• Massachusetts
• District of Columbia
• Rhode Island

Although the salary is low, many HHAs can supplement their income through overtime.

All About a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)?

A CNA is another healthcare professional who offers assistance to individuals who are unable to take care of themselves. Essentially, a CNA is a HHA with a higher level of education.

CNAs work under the supervision of licensed nurses and doctors in healthcare settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and long-term facilities.

The Responsibilities of a CNA

CNAs typically take care of the following tasks:

• Taking and recording vital signs.
• Assisting with medical procedures.
• Helping patients with mobility and repositioning.
• Providing personal care.
• Observing and reporting changes in a patient’s condition.
• Assisting with feeding and nutritional needs.

As an example, CNAs often help with mobility. They can transfer a patient from a bed to a wheelchair or vice versa.

They can help reposition a patient on the bed. They can also assist patients with oxygen tanks and catheters, to make sure the medical equipment works correctly.

What Training Does a CNA Need?

The training for a CNA is more focused on medical knowledge and skills than the training a HHA receives. This gives them the ability to work on more complex healthcare needs.

To become certified as a CNA, students must complete a state-approved training program, which usually lasts between four to 12 weeks.

Topics of some of the training classes they may receive include:

• Patient care.
• Infection control.
• Anatomy.
• Physiology. (Physiology is known as the science of life. It’s a branch of biology which concentrates on understanding the mechanism of living things.)
• Medical terminology.

Once a CNA completes the training program, he or she must pass a competency exam to earn certification.

A CNA’s Work Environment

Unlike HHAs, CNAs usually work in hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and rehabilitation centers.

The most common environment for a CNA is a hospital setting. In many instances, there are not enough nurses on a hospital floor to support every patient. That’s where a CNA is needed the most.

Rarely does a CNA work in a home setting, but occasionally you might find them working there too. If a CNA is in a home setting, the patient tends to have more of a complex condition which needs close monitoring or requires skilled rehabilitation assistance.

This versatility to work in different settings allows them to adapt to different environments and to provide care to a diverse patient population.

They’re often working in team environments, and a CNA typically cares for more than one patient during a shift.

How Much Does the CNA Make?

In the United States, CNAs make an average of $39,610 per year, which breaks down to $19.10 per hour. 

The years of experience, the work performance, and the job setting are also factors in determining a CNA’s salary.

CNAs can also increase their earnings through continued education by advancing and becoming a RN or a LPN, negotiating pay or benefits, and working in higher-payer settings, accepting traveling or per diem jobs, and working extra via overtime.

The state where the CNA works can also impact his or her income. The top five best-paying states for CNA include:

• District of Columbia
• Alaska
• California
• Oregon
• Washington

What Are the Key Differences Between HHAs vs. CNAs?

To make the comparisons easier to understand, here is a breakdown of the similarities and differences between HHAs and CNAs.

Job Responsibilities

a HHA focuses more on personal care tasks to ensure the patient is comfortable and safe. Their duties can include housekeeping, grooming, and meal preparation. However, they can still provide medical care, such as assisting with a patient’s mobility or medication management.

A CNA’s duties focus more on medical jobs, such as handling medical equipment and observing changes in a patient’s health.

Work Environment

During a shift, a HHA works only with one patient at a time. They may also visit patients in multiple homes during the week, but each time, they only work with one patient during that shift. This one-on-one time can help foster a strong bond between the patient and the HHA.

A CNA works in a variety of settings, mostly in medical facilities like hospitals, clinics, hospices, and nursing homes. And they tend to work with multiple patients simultaneously.

Due to the variety of settings in which a CNA works, CNAs may have more job opportunities tha HHAs.

Training

The requirements for a HHA differ from one state to another. In some states, HHAs must pass the state’s certified exam.

States may also require HHAs to enroll in training programs from different community colleges, community agencies, or vocational schools.

In other states, HHAs may receive training under a RN’s supervision. However, these programs are not accredited.

Meanwhile, CNAs must enroll in a state-accredited program. Then, they must pass a test in order to earn the certification.

This formal training may make it more expensive for some medical facilities and agencies to hire a CNA than a HHA.

Who Makes More? HHA or CNA?

CNAs usually make more money than HHAs but not by much. a HHA makes on average $16.82 per hour ($34,990 per year), and a CNA usually makes $19.01 per hour ($39,610 per year).

This is due to CNAs having more of a formal education than a HHA. In addition, CNAs may find more opportunities, because they are used in a variety of settings.

However, both HHAs and CNAs can further their education to become RNs and LPNs, which in turn, can increase their salary.

Behind every scrub is a caregiver who wants to make a difference, whether it’s a HHA offering companionship and assistance at home, or a CNA providing essential medical support in a healthcare facility.

Knowing the distinctions between these roles can help you choose the right kind of care for your loved one’s needs and comfort. No matter which path you take, both professionals play a vital role in the journey of health and healing.

All American Home Care offers the best HHAs and CNAs. If you’re still exploring options, you can also find out the differences between a HHA and a caregiver.