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Schools Concentrating On Home Health Aides
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Bohecker College-Cincinnati.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Bohecker College-Cincinnati.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Bohecker College-Cincinnati.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Bohecker College-Cincinnati.
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Study from Anywhere at Online Schools Related to This Career
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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COALA Home Health Aide Training • Cincinnati, OH
Studying Home Health Aide Training (completion in 2009)
• 7/6/2011
"My ultimate goal is to some day be a nurse. Realizing that I may never be able to attend school for that long, being an HHA has really helped me to fulfill my desire of helping people, as well as gain valuable knowledge and experience. If I were able to study nursing later in life, I know that what I am doing now will help me be a better nurse in the future."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | COALA has an excellent training program, excellent career assistance, and is affordable. It also has networking with several companies, so most of my classmates who didn't get hired at the clinical sites still had jobs within two weeks of graduation. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I don't think COALA has a bad reputation, but I don't think a lot of people know about it either. I learned about it by chance when I went to a nursing home asking about a job as a laundry girl. A nurse's aide overheard me and told me she went through COALA training. |
| Program Quality | 10 | COALA makes training as an HHA readily available to those who otherwise couldn't get a job in healthcare. They really care about the students and help you succeed every step of the way. They are there for your training, finding a place to work, and if you want to, you can take additional classes. All of their classes are taught by real nurses, so you know they have first hand knowledge, which is inspiring. |
| Instruction | 10 | COALA has excellent instructors. They are all very compassionate about improving the lives of seniors. That is really what it is all about. It is great to see their enthusiasm, and they are always willing to work with you to make sure you thoroughly understand all of the material. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It is a healthcare program, so it does take a lot of studying. Someone's life and well-being is in your hands so you want to be sure you do everything top-notch. This also includes practicing everything over and over both at school and at home. As long as you do this, you will be fine. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | You do need to read and study from your book. However, it is critical that you then take that knowledge and use it in the hands-on activities. You need to practice it all to perfection. For example, you will read how to do a head-to-toe assessment. You then need to perform that hands-on over and over. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | That is the only downfall. There isn't a whole lot of flexibility in the classes. However, considering the training isn't very long, it is doable. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Your classes/labs are done in one room. Considering the program, I think it is pretty average. All of your supplies are given to you so there isn't a need for a library and such. |
| Social Life | 1 | This is not a place for athletics and such. It is for healthcare training only. I don't consider it as a downfall, really. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Several students I was with actually were offered jobs before they even completed training. For those who weren't, COALA worked and worked to improve our resumes, interview techniques, and wrote recommendations for us until we found a job. I was very happy with their assistance. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I met a few past students but the support mostly came from current staff. There isn't a whole lot of alumni networking. |
Everest Institute • Columbus, OH
Studying Medical Assisting (completion in 2005)
• 7/10/2011
"It was very cost effective. I got my degree fast and got to making money, which is what I needed to do."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | If you are looking to get into a solid field, and need to make money fast, this is the right direction. If you want more training or to do more and can afford it, I would go for a more advanced degree. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | They seem to be all over TV in the Columbus area. Also, the classes were quite full and everyone recognizes my certification and degree. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I got into school very quickly and the training was very easy to catch on. They placed me with my current employer right out of school, with considerable pay. |
| Instruction | 9 | Instruction was very good. The hands on experience we got with actual patients and on-the-job training while still in school was very helpful to learn how to help different patients do daily things. |
| How Difficult | 6 | It was not extremely easy, but it was not difficult. A lot of things are common sense knowing some about medical situations, otherwise it was just a matter of learning how to help in certain situations or perform daily tasks. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was some book work for the basic courses: math, social studies, etc. Most of the hands on stuff was what we use everyday to help patients. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | There were classes all the time. They were in the morning and evening and very easy to get to. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | You could always talk to your professors or trainers any time you were there. Email was the best contact, though. |
| Social Life | 3 | Not many social events. There was just not a lot of partying there. It was get in, get your degree, and get out. Concise and to the point. |
| Placement Services | 10 | I had a job before I even got my degree. They worked with me to find a job that I would like as well, not in a nursing home, but helping people in their homes. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | To my knowledge we do not have one. As far as I know, I just keep in contact with some of my classmates via Facebook. |
University Of Toledo • Toledo, OH
Studying Nursing (completion in 2012)
• 7/14/2011
"I'm very satisfied with my school. One year to go and I'll be finished. It's a very good school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | This schools helped me a lot. I will definitely recommend it to others. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | UT has a very good reputation with nursing. It is the best option Toledo had to offer. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I believe this school is doing a great job of teaching me. I love the clinicals. |
| Instruction | 9 | This school has a lot of hands on assignments. The teachers put a lot of thought into their work. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Depends on the course and how comfortable you feel with it. Some classes are harder than others. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This school has a mix of hands on and book learning experiences. Like I said before, there's always someone to help you with any questions. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | This school has very flexible class schedules. Almost all the options listed above are offered by the school, which helps a lot, especially if you have children. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | We have a medical library in the school with computers and closed areas to study. There's always someone there to help with any questions you may have. |
| Social Life | 7 | As a nursing student, you have lots of homework and you must study a lot. There's always parties and events, but I do study a lot. |
| Placement Services | 9 | If you graduate, you're more than likely to be guaranteed a job. You automatically apply at the hospital the school has, which is very helpful. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | Our alumni has a great success rating. Sometimes they even come back to help some of us study, which is really nice. |
Tri County Adult Career Center • Nelsonville, OH
Studying Nursing Assistant (completion in 1985)
• 8/7/2011
"You can't teach someone how to be a Nurse's Aide in a couple of hours. They just wanted warm bodies to work so they could profit from the patients in the nursing home and in their homes."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | Not if you want any type of life or future. Home Health care aides are the bottom of the bucket. You make no money and receive no benefits or job satisfaction. |
| Program Reputation | 2 | It is just a job. That particular nursing home is the only one in the area and if you want to work there, you will be trained at that home. You can eventually transfer to home health care which I did. Home care is slightly less demanding and you only have 1 patient at a time. |
| Program Quality | 2 | In Ohio you don't have to go to school; they train you on the job. I certainly wouldn't pay for the little training I received. It would be a huge waste of money. I would go on and become an R.N. or at least an L.P.N............. |
| Instruction | 2 | We were herded into a room and shown how to do certain things like how to transfer patients, clean them, feed them, and dress them. There were no tests, or books. You received a few hours of "training" and you were put on the floor. |
| How Difficult | 1 | If you were half way listening you could do the job. It took more muscle power than brain power. You are to do all the work the nurses do not want to do. The Aide does the dirty work and the hard stuff. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | You learned as you watched and they let you try a couple of things. Most of it you learned by trial and error when you were actually doing the job. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | They told you when to show up; either you showed up or you didn't. If you didn't show up for the training, you did not have a job. |
| Academic Facilities | 1 | I was in a room for several hours listening to a lecture and watched a few demonstrations. There were no academic resources other than another Nurse Aide showing you how to do the job. |
| Social Life | 1 | You were only there for a few hours, so there were no athletics or events. It was a one day training. |
| Placement Services | 1 | You are trained by them and you either work for them or you don't. They don't place you in any other facility or homes other than the ones they own. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | There is no alumni or network support where I work. You either work there or you don't. It is pretty cut and dry. |
Tiffin University • Tiffin, OH
Studying Forensic Psychology (completion in 2010)
• 10/14/2011
"I had some trouble getting my thesis approved in a timely manner, but overall I learned a lot. Receiving my master's was very important to me."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It depends on what people would like to do in the future, and whether they will want to continue schooling, as there was no doctorate program there. Overall, it was a good program. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | It is a private school and quite small. It is heard of, however, so the reputation is good. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I was interested in what I was learning. Also, I got some experience. |
| Instruction | 10 | The professors were all professionals in the field. This made it easier for them to provide real world examples. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The hardest part was the thesis. The classes were challenging, but not overly so. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It tended to be slightly more oriented off of the books that we had. However, we did go on different trips to some prisons, and learned about real world cases. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | As the school was small, there were really no choices for class times. This was okay for me, however, as the classes were on weekends. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The library and Ebsco host were very good resources. There were writing tutors available as well, although I did not use them, so I cannot assess their helpfulness. |
| Social Life | 3 | As it was small, we became close-knit. There were not a lot of school activities, but we created our own activities. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I did not receive much assistance in looking for a job. This is one flaw of the program. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | There were people I could go to with problems when I had them. There is a strong alumni network. |
Cleveland Job Corps Academy • Cleveland, OH
Studying Allied Health Program: State Tested Nursing Assistant (completion in 2009)
• 11/15/2011
"I feel there should have been more clinical practice to have that experience under my belt. A few hours a day for four days barely prepared me for what I would encounter in this field."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If you are looking for a quick and free way to get into the allied health field then this is the route to take; however, it takes a strong will to achieve success in this program since they seem to be in quite a rush to get students in and out of the program. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | They turn out a lot of STNAs and home health aids, but often those students go on to work in fields not related to the one they studied. |
| Program Quality | 7 | The equipment was in short supply and in bad repair. There were missing or broken pieces on the stethoscope, broken c.p.r. dummies, and broken wheel chairs. |
| Instruction | 6 | They provided all the necessary learning tools, instructions, and practices for passing the state test. They also provided decent clinical hours; however, there were varying answers to simple, real life questions such as what to do if a patient has continual bowel movements that are hard to keep clean. One instructor offered the idea of using two incontinence briefs at a time to contain the mess, while another instructor insisted that was bad practice and was "the lazy way out." |
| How Difficult | 3 | The course is common sense. You know that bodily fluids are dangerous so wear gloves and wash your hands often. You know that bed-ridden residents need assistance in ambulation and are fragile, so use care when assisting them. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The class is equal parts book learning and hands on experience. You practice what you read if the equipment is available. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | You live on campus and are not allowed to stay in your dorm room during school hours regardless of your condition. You may not leave the campus at any point without being in a vehicle. In the event of a family death, the hospital or funeral home will be contacted to confirm it before you are allowed to take a leave of absence from your classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | There is internet access, career counselors, and equipment, but all of them are limited and usually the counselors are too busy or not available to meet with you and discuss courses of action, difficulties with the curriculum, or your class schedule. |
| Social Life | 10 | Students live together on a nine acre campus with limited resources. Most of your time outside class is spent socializing. They offer athletic programs as well as clubs to join for students' varying interests. |
| Placement Services | 3 | They send you packets by mail of job applications and job listings in fields ranging from housekeeping to restaurant work. In my particular case, any further assistance I needed in my job search was not met with advice or suggestions after I graduated. They have career preparation classes which are mandatory and they allow you access to the internet during class to apply, but do little to assist you with any questions you might have. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | The school does little to keep in contact with you after you graduate. They assign a counselor to you to check in on you monthly for three to four months after you graduate, but they are primarily concerned with whether you got any job rather than if you ended up with a job in your field. |
Laurel Oaks • Wilmington, OH
Studying STNA Classes (completion in 2003)
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I feel that people will learn a lot from this class and get the training they need. The instructors were very helpful in teaching the correct procedures. |
| Program Reputation | I don't really know the reputation of this school. I was sent there by the company I applied for; they paid for my classes, so I had to go to this school by their choice, but I feel it was a good school to go to. | |
| Program Quality | 10 | I feel the school was very good. They took their time in teaching you the steps and the right ways of doing them. If you had questions, you could always ask, and your questions would be answered for you. |
| Instruction | 10 | I feel the instructors at the school I went to were very nice. They tried their best to teach the right ways of doing things, and if you needed extra help, they weren't afraid to give it. |
| How Difficult | 2 | I found the classes to be easy, with the instructors we had. They made themselves very clear and provided books in which we could look things up if we needed answers when we were at home. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The book was a great way to learn and be able to go back if you forgot something. For me, the hands on was a lot better, because I actually got to see and hear how things are really done. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | They only offered evening classes, but it worked out for me. If someone else had an evening job and wanted to take the course, I'm not sure it would work for them. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The room was nice and big. As far as computers, we had none; we did everything on paper. Books were provided at our cost. If you wanted to study with people in the class, it was ok to do so. |
| Social Life | 8 | The social experience was good. I socialized with people when needed. We all helped each other in class, as far as the right ways to do things. If someone had a harder time, those who made it look easy helped them out. |
| Placement Services | I was sent to this class by the company I applied for; they paid for the classes, as I was going to work for them. |
Colorado Technical University • Online, OH
Studying Medical Assisting (completion in 2011)
• 12/20/2011
"I loved the online flexibility and the career help that they provided after I graduated. The instructors were all wonderfully knowledgeable, and I'm thinking about going back to receive my BS."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | They go beyond just instructing you in your program. There is always more than one person that can answer any question you may have. They are always available, and it's entirely online, so you don't have to change your current schedule to go to school - I still worked at least part-time through my program. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | A lot of colleges that offer a few degree programs entirely online are still looked down on slightly by some people, even though the programs are comparable, if not harder, than any on-campus program. I hope that this changes, especially with more and more adults choosing to go to school online. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The program was good. I liked the freedom of completing it entirely online, but I did have to stay focused and continually motivate myself. |
| Instruction | 7 | The instructors were very knowledgeable. They provided career info on the many paths I could take with my medical assisting degree. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Medical assisting requires a certain amount of knowledge and focus on its own. Add in taking it entirely online and my own personal goal of completing it as quickly as possible, and it turns into an above-average difficulty level. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most classes were really book centered, but had real-world examples instructed to us. Since I chose the medical assisting degree, I HAD to have hands-on experience, in the form of two practicums and volunteer work that I took on myself, in order to get as full of an experience from CTU that I could. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | It was entirely online, so scheduling was easy. I still had to "check in" a couple times a week with the instructors, but I could pick the time and place. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | They offered all the help I needed throughout my program. I used the online library more than once, and my instructors were only an e-mail/phone call away and available whenever I had any questions. The school offered tutors for those students who needed/wanted it. |
| Social Life | I was an online student, so I was never involved with the on-campus social events. I still talk to a couple fellow students through e-mail who were in my online classes, and when I was actually in classes, every student was involved with the online forums/discussion boards. | |
| Placement Services | 7 | When I graduated, the school helped me find a lot of job openings in my area. They helped me compose a good resume. One of my instructors is a reference for me and helped me with making sure that I was fully prepared for my job interviews. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | When I graduated, I was helped with finding job openings and career info. Since I just graduated only 4 months ago, I haven't had enough of a chance to fully review all of the alumni programs and support. |
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