How to Start a Home Health Aide School
Home Health Aide Schools train and prepare talented people for a career in the home health industry, which can include careers caring for individuals, working in retirement or disability facilities or in medical facilities. Students train in the manner of a technical college. Opening a technical or vocational school that specializes in the home health industry is similar to opening a business; many of the necessary start up steps are the same.
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Instructions
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Writing a Business Plan
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Decide what kind of school you'd like to open. Home health aide is a diverse industry and includes many related careers. Research other home health or similar programs to decide how your program will be structured, what certificates you will offer, the kind of teachers you'd like to hire and even what careers you envision your graduates embarking on.
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Research funding. The biggest obstacle to opening a school will be funding. Speak with members of your community who have opened schools, and see where they received funding. Talk to banks to find out what credit requirements are needed to qualify for a loan. Request information from the U.S. Department of Education to find out if you qualify for any start-up grant money.
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Write a business plan. Before you ask anyone for money, you will need a descriptive and professional business plan. It should include an executive summary of the plan, a description of your school (including what specific programs you will offer), ideas about how you will attract and enroll students and your expected revenue for the first few years.
Starting a Home Health Aide School
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Secure funds. With your business plan in hand, secure the funds needed to start your school, either from one source or a variety of means. Banks and credit unions are often the main sources of funding for schools. Also look for opportunities with existing technical schools that may want to partner with you in opening your school. Federal and state grants and loans may also be available from the U.S. Department of Education or your state's education agency. Smaller donations from benefactors that support educational causes may also supplement your funding.
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Comply with federal, state and local regulations. Contact the U.S. Department of Education to find out what rules your school should abide by to enter into federal compliance. For regional, state and/or local regulations, contact the state education agency for regulations.
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Hire a great staff. This is one of the most important steps in starting your school; the teachers, counselors and deans will be the face of the school. If you do not have industry experience in home health, you should look to add faculty and staff who are very knowledgeable about the industry. Your team should include a minimum personnel of a President (unless you plan to take this post), Academic Dean, Academic Counselor/Advisor, Financial Aid representative and professors.
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Design a curriculam. The programs that you offer should all work to give your students state certification in Home Health Aide. Every state differs, but in general, offer them at least 75 hours of classroom work and opportunities to practice what they have in learned. Some states require an exam, so be sure that courses are designed around prepping to pass that test.
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Gain accreditation. There are two main grant accreditation bodies for vocational schools: ACCSC (Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges) and ACICS (Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools). Both of those accrediting bodies require that you are in federal and local compliance, that you are effectively preparing students for their career (i.e. graduating and passing exams) and that you have operated for at least two years. Accreditation is not an immediate goal, but it should always be a long term goal.
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References
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