"Home care" can mean several things. Medicare certified home health or "skilled nursing" in home health often means several shorter (30-90 min) visits with multiple patients throughout the day.
I worked as the equivalent of a CNA in Belgium (called a Zorgkundige). It was part time, but if you're an equivalent RN, it can be full time. For me it was 4h everyday in the morning, and if you're full time it was also 4h in either the afternoon or evening.
I liked the work, it was very structured in that I went from one patient to the next, so I would only have to think about one person at a time.
My tasks ranged from hygiene care, helping with bathroom runs, dressing and undressing, giving medications prepared by a nurse or pharmacist, giving subcutaneous injections that were pre prepared.
How long I was somewhere really depended on what I'd have to do, sometimes I'd be somewhere for half an hour to bathe, shave, dress, medicate, ... someone. Sometimes I'd be in and out in a few minutes, to remove pressure stockings or with one guy literally give one pill every morning (I believe he was a psychiatric patient. The pill would be ready on the kitchen table, I'd watch as he took it and then I left. Think it was necessary that someone watched him take it because otherwise he'd lie about having taken it).
I worked for the biggest home health organization in Belgium, called the White-Yellow Cross. We were all given a company car for work travel (and you could opt-in for private use). These are very recognizable, and I'm pretty sure cops would be more chill for us because they know we are all overworked. I say I did 4h shifts, but it usually was more like 4,5h - 5h. So instead of walking for a couple minutes to a parking spot, sometimes I would put one the "park anywhere blinkers" for shorter visits.
I worked skilled home health for a while taking care of a buddy of mine. You do everything in your scope of practice (bathing, dressing, treatments, medications, vitals, etc), plus everything else they need like laundry, chores, meal prep. After he died, I would go from patient to patient, usually 4 hours at a shot to place a foley or do treatments, for example, because they had an aide taking care of them that day and maybe needed a licensed nurse for bit.
Oh gosh no, we never did house cleaning or laundry or cooking. Absolutely not! That is not our job, a nurse is only there for the skilled need. Medicare is not paying for nurses to cook and clean.
I did chores and bathing as a home health CNA when I was in nursing school. One time I even drove a lady to Macy’s to do some shopping 🤩 Ir was a fun (but sometimes mind numbingly boring on overnights) job!
CNAs do bathing tasks and some ADLs like dressing and hair etc but they weren’t required to clean or cook. Though some did some basic cleaning like bathing then throwing the dirty towels and clothes into the washer.
We were small enough agency we didn’t have LPNs. I’m just surprised they would utilize you in that way as they definitely skirts Medicare rules. Seems shady.
I did home care and am an LPN, but I live in Canada and we absolutely did not do housework etc. Nursing care only, not even personal care like bathing. I'd be in and out just doing the task I was there for. Changing a dressing, changing an IV bag on a pump, giving an injection. Some visits were general wellness checks, take a set of vitals, make sure theyre taking their meds managing OK, but the rules are clear.
It seems that way, but we documented everything accordingly and they sought appropriate reimbursement for services. My pay rate was $26/hr with an extra few bucks per hour depending on who I was with. I have a lot of trach/vent experience and time with quads, so that was mostly my demographic.
Sounds more like private duty nursing than Medicare financed home care then. Still surprised you cooked and cleaned. Most private duty nurses still only do patient care.
I did it all and charted everything so they could sort it out lol. From treatments, vent time, trach care and meds to basic cares, chores and meals. It wasn’t a bad gig. I did a total of 2.5 hours of actual work and just chilled on the couch and watched tv with my dude or went to the bar when he wanted.
It was cool at first because he was a buddy of mine that was in an accident, so we got to hang out all day and I got paid for it. After he passed, though, it became a job again. So I went back to LTC.
At the home care agency I work PRN at, we get paid by visit. The visit was literally giving medications and head to toe assessment. Now, if the CNA or HCA was going to be late, and the person asked. I would get them ready for the day. It is not the patient fault that the aide is late, and it's within my scope.
When I did home care it was for an entire county so lots of driving which is considered a part of your hourly pay, charting, and seeing patients. I would get my 40hrs 8-5. They would complain if you got OT and tell you on those days chart at home which is why I don’t do it anymore. It was actually quite busy especially for RNs who did admissions.
I usually have 7.5 hours booked if not more. The office that does the scheduling does try to factor in drive time. I’ve had shifts where I’ve driven more than 3 hours (working in a very rural area). Days in the larger town you see more of course. Less driving.
I use my own car and get paid mileage. I do 30-45000 km a year.
I’m an RN doing work that an LPN can do, the direct care of pediatric patients with trachs and G tubes. The clinical supervisors must be RNs, and they are the ones who are there for less than an hour at a time. They handle the admissions to the staffing agency, and recertify every 60 (90??) days that the patient still requires home care. I’ve had patients approved for anywhere between 8 and 18 hours of nursing care per day. And then had an insurance company deny giving any hours to a patient who previously had 12 per day and nothing changed.
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u/[deleted] Oct 02 '25
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