Aides often visit four or five clients on the same day. Surroundings differ from case to case. Some homes are neat and pleasant, while others are untidy or depressing. Homemaker-home health aides generally work on their own, with periodic visits by their supervisor. They receive detailed instructions explaining when to visit clients and what services to perform.
Many aides work part time, and weekend hours are common.
Most aides generally travel by public transportation, but some need a car. Either way, they are responsible for getting to the client's home. They are particularly susceptible to injuries resulting from all types of overexertion when assisting patients, and falls inside and outside their homes. Mechanical lifting devices that are available in institutional settings are seldom available in patients' homes. Employment Homemaker-home health aides held about 697,000 jobs in 1996.