This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with 23-year-old Careb Bien-Aime, who is attending New York University. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I’m an information systems management major at NYU, after studying at a community college.
I worked as a home health aide for a few years during college. My mom is a certified nursing assistant and introduced me to the job. I’m also very familiar with this line of work because it’s really big in the Haitian community, which I’m part of.
I was looking for work with flexible hours while in community college that would still let me focus on school, and didn’t want a job that was too technical. My mom told me to get a personal care aide certificate, which took one week of training around my school schedule. I applied online, then attended in-person training and classes eight hours a day for one week. Afterward, I started getting cases.
In April 2025, I decided to leave one of the agencies I was working with and look for a new one. Around the same time, I had started earning income through social media sponsorships. By the summer, I was preparing to study abroad in August, and after I returned, I didn’t go back to home health aide work. My major isn’t in health, and I want to build my career in technology.
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My schedule varied
I really liked the job because of the flexible hours. I would work around my school schedule; sometimes I worked three days a week, and on the days I wasn’t working, I had classes. If I really needed the money that week, I would pick up a 12-hour shift. I also occasionally accepted live-in cases, where I would stay with a client for one or two full days.
Sometimes, you can have a permanent case where you see the same client every week. Other times, an agency would call to ask if I wanted to take a nearby case for a couple of hours. They would explain what the client would need and how demanding the case would be.
I would help people with their daily needs. I helped with their hygiene, including brushing their teeth and giving them baths. I also prepared food for clients, helped them walk, and assisted with transfers from the bed to a wheelchair, if needed, or from a chair to a walking device. Sometimes, when a client can’t walk, they have a Hoyer Lift. It’s kind of like a parachute in a way, where they’re in the bed, and then you strap them in, and then you pump this lever to pick them up. Some workers don’t like dealing with Hoyer Lifts because it’s kind of scary if something happens to the patient.
Sometimes, the patients don’t really need anything, to be honest. They can walk, they’re mobile, they just need someone to make them food or be there with them.
If I had downtime during the case, I would do some school assignments.
The job is difficult and rewarding
One agency paid me $19.15 an hour. I think the pay was decent, but it could be more because people don’t realize caregiving is a lot of work. Emotionally, physically, you’re caring for a human being, and it does take a lot out of you to take care of someone, especially if the person needs more help.
I miss talking to the clients. It’s definitely a rewarding job because you’re helping someone in need. It’s rewarding because I’ve learned a lot in this job, including family dynamics and how to think about my own health.
It’s hard sometimes because there’s a lot of physical strain on your body, especially if you’re transferring patients from the bed to the chair. It’s also emotionally demanding. Some of them are lonely, and it’s sad. My first client, with whom I assisted for about a year, died. When you have a permanent case, you start building a relationship with this person, and then one day they’re not there.
I would recommend the job
I would recommend this to other students who are patient and compassionate. This job is not for anyone who cannot work well with people. You can’t neglect your client.
It can be a particularly good job opportunity if the person is a nursing student or looking to enter healthcare.
As a home health aide, if you have a hard day with the client, you can’t walk away from someone that you’re taking care of. I’ve worked in retail before, and it’s not comparable, though I wouldn’t say being a home health aide is harder. They are two different jobs.
A lot of older people all over the world need help
There are older people who are active, but if they fall, they might no longer be able to take care of themselves.
There’s a huge demand for home health aides because many families aren’t able to care for aging parents on their own. They don’t have time for it. They have other responsibilities. In my experience, some older adults don’t have much support from family, so home health aides play an important role in helping them stay safe and cared for.
