home care assistant

In the State of Florida an aide can only change a non sterile bandage. If a patient asks for assistance and the doctor's order requires a sterile dressing than this is considered skilled nursing care and requires both a script from a physician and an LPN or higher. Only non sterile applications apply to the scope of a home health aide's or a certified nursing assistant's license.

Hiring a licensed caregiver to provide non-medical home care in the home does not require a prescription from a doctor. Often times a physician will write a prescription for a home health aide to assist in conjunction with other services requiring a prescription such as Medicare Home Health Services. Medicare Home Health requires a prescription from a physician.