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Home Aide

Home aides visit people in the community. They do general housework and help care for people in their homes.

Tasks & duties

Home aides may do some or all of the following:

visit clients in their homes
follow instructions from clients and home support supervisors about the help needed
housework such as cleaning, washing and ironing
give personal care to clients such as helping them to shower and dress
buy food and other goods
give friendly support to clients
observe and report any household problems
prepare or warm meals

Skills & knowledge

Home aides should have:

good listening, communication and people skills
practical skills
an awareness of health and safety issues, such as the storage of dangerous goods
knowledge of the needs of the elderly, families, children and people with disabilities, as some clients may have complex care needs

Entry requirements

There are no specific entry requirements to become a home aide. However, some employers may require a first aid certificate.

Any previous criminal convictions need to be declared so that they can be reviewed by a manager or employer.

Training on the job

Skills are gained on the job. Home aides can do workplace training through Careerforce, the community support services industry training organisation.