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What Can You Do with an HCA Certification in Washington State?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, home health and personal care aides had the highest job growth in 2021 and are projected to continue growing in the next decade. By 2031, the demand for these positions will continue growing by 25.4%, or 924,000 available job openings. 


Suppose you’re considering a career change and exploring an HCA career in Washington State. In that case, you’ll be glad to know it’s easier than you might think—no advanced medical degree, extensive education, or prior experience required.


You must be over 18, pass a background check by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), complete the HCA training requirements, and pass the state licensing exam. 


Cornerstone Healthcare Training offers 100% online training courses approved by the Washington State DSHS that you can complete at your own pace and convenience. You can choose between twelve different learning plans (depending on your previous level of training), general and a wide array of specialty training topics, as well as training in English or Spanish. 


After getting your online training and receiving an HCA certification in Washington State, you may be wondering what exactly you can do with it. As a licensed HCA, you are able to make a difference and have a positive impact on the daily lives of people who are elderly, ill, injured, or disabled. What’s more, as an HCA, you can work in a variety of settings. 


We’ll discuss a few potential options for what you can do after receiving your HCA certification. 

things you can do as a certified HCA in Washington State


HCA in an Adult Family Home 

An adult family home (AFH) is a small, more intimate, family-style living situation. The DSHS regulates and licenses AFHs to provide room, board, laundry, social services, necessary supervision, help with daily activities, and personal care for up to six non-related residents. AFHs are typically (though not always) run by gerontology specialists or (often retired) resident nurses and are situated in residential houses, providing a more comfortable, home-like rather than institutional environment. 


what to expect when working in an adult family home

As an HCA in an AFH, your daily duties depend on each client. Still, they will usually include supervision, medication assistance, transportation to medical appointments, and help with personal care, like grooming, bathing, dressing, and exercising. 


Because there are so few residents in an AFH, it guarantees higher-quality, more comprehensive, and personalized care for the clients, and it also allows you flexibility as a caregiver. Your work schedule at an AFH may offer more flexibility to be able to work as much or as little as you want, which gives you room to pursue an academic degree, a secondary job, or the chance to spend more time with your loved ones. 



HCA Career in Washington State in an Assisted Living Facility 

Unlike AFHs, assisted living facilities have a more institutionalized feel. However, they usually provide a higher level of care and support and offer a wider range of services, including medical care and rehabilitation services. They also have a larger capacity, with many more staff and residents living in family-style homes. Also, they typically have more strict rules and regulations than AFHs. 


what to expect when working in an assisted living facility

An AFH and an assisted living facility have in common that they provide access to 24/7 care. That means that as an HCA in an assisted living facility, you may also have a similar level of freedom and flexibility that you have working in an AFH. 


Assisted living facilities also tend to have organized transportation to medical appointments, freeing you from transporting clients to appointments yourself. There is also more staff to share responsibilities with, so you may feel less overwhelmed in this work environment. 



HCA in Home Care Agency 

When you are working as an HCA in a home care agency, you are typically sent to different clients’ personal homes to assist them in whatever daily living tasks they need help with, as well as to provide them with companionship. You also have the flexibility to choose how many hours a week you want to work so that you still have time for your other personal, work, or academic obligations. 


what to expect when working with a home care agency

Home care is typically for people who are aging, disabled, ill, or recovering from surgery and do not require highly specialized, intensive, or 24/7 care. This type of care is more personalized, and it allows you to build strong personal relationships with your clients and their family members. It may be more emotionally demanding at times when patients are uncooperative or in a bad mood as you are working by yourself with full responsibility for care.


It may also be more emotionally rewarding to be able to develop a close personal relationship with your clients in their own homes. When working for a home care agency, you will have a supervisor and care team to lean on for support, but the day-to-day work is mostly solo.



Certified Nursing Assistant

If you are interested in a career in nursing, becoming a certified HCA can be a great first step toward that goal. A little additional training can help you become a certified nursing assistant (CNA), also known as nursing assistant-certified (NAC). 


In fact, after receiving your HCA certification, you will have completed around two-thirds of the training needed to become a CNA. Cornerstone also offers nurse delegation courses that can help you on this path.  


nurse delegation course

CNAs/NACs provide hands-on care (including bathing, dressing, and any other basic daily activities) to patients in medical settings under the supervision of a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse. They can work in more advanced medical environments, such as nursing homes and hospitals, as well as adult family homes, assisted living facilities, and in-home care. 



Adult Family Home Owner

An HCA certification in Washington State can also lead you toward a path of opening your own AFH. If you are interested in training others to provide the highest possible level of care and managing your own team of caregivers, then opening your own AFH may be a great step toward your career goals. 


You can either buy a home or transform your own home into an AFH, following licensing requirements from the DSHS. Of course, being an AFH owner will require a much higher level of responsibility than the abovementioned HCA options, but you can absolutely become a successful business owner who will help others and make a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable members of our society. 



Receiving an HCA certification opens the door to a fulfilling HCA career in Washington State, with opportunities in various caregiving settings. If this is the future you can see yourself in, don’t hesitate to take the first step toward it. 





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