Home Health Aides are one of the fastest-growing and high-in-demand jobs in Massachusetts because of the services they deliver to the rising number of elderly, ill, or disabled people.
The Home Health Care industry has plenty of opportunities for growth and opportunities, but overall, it is a very rewarding field to work in if you love helping people.
There are only a handful of schools that offer home health aide certification courses in the state.
5 Home Health Aide Schools in Massachusetts
1. Bunkers Hill Community College
Bunkers Hill Community College offers a mixed-format nurse aide program.
The program runs for a total of 24 weeks and includes:
- Principles of Clinical Practice
- Patient Care Skills
- Practicum for Nurse Aide
Principles of clinical practice may be completed online and include subjects such as anatomy and physiology, diseases and conditions, standard transmission-based precautions, communication skills, medical terminology, and ethics in healthcare.
Patient care skills are taught in person for two to three nights of the week and include patient care theory and clinical skills.
The practicum for nurse aide is a 21-hour clinical practicum that may be completed at a skilled nursing facility.
Tuition for this school is as follows:
- In-District Students – $176/credit
- Out-of-State Students – $382/credit
2. International Training and Healthcare Services LLC
This school offers a 137-hour, fast-paced, home health aide program.
The program comprises classroom instruction, lab skills, and practical experience.
Students spend 122 hours training on nursing health aide courses and 15 hours on home health aide courses.
Enrollment for the program is ongoing.
Students can opt to attend day or evening classes.
Day classes run for 20 days, from Monday through Friday, from 08:00 am to 14:30 pm.
Evening classes run Monday through Thursday as follows:
- NAT classes – 17:30 pm to 22:00 pm
- Clinical program – 16:00 pm to 21:00 pm
- HHA – 16:00 pm to 21:30 pm
Tuition for the program is $1,600.
3. Middlesex Community College
The college offers a nurse aide training program.
The program is offered in a mixed format and each format is billed separately.
The online theory is offered on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 16:00 pm to 21:00 pm.
Tuition for this course is $999.
The online theory runs from March through mid-April.
Skills lab training is offered in person and runs from May 17 to May 24th.
Tuition for this part of the program is $299.
Classes run on Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Lowell Campus from 16:00 pm to 20:00 pm.
Clinical training runs over the weekend on Saturdays and Sundays.
Tuition for clinical training is $699.
Training runs from the start to mid-June, from 08:00 am to 15:00 pm.
There is an alternative spring intake with similar times and dates.
In-take is in January every year.
Students are required to purchase their own textbooks which are not included in the tuition price.
4. Spectrum Healthcare Training Center
This school offers a nurse aide program.
The 120-hour course is offered over four weeks during the day.
Classes meet Monday through Friday from 08:00 am to 14:45 pm.
Evening classes meet Monday through Friday from 16:00 pm to 22:45 pm for ten weeks.
This is a fast-paced and very intense program. Students are advised to be on time and attend all classes.
Tuition for the program is $1,200.00.
Students are required to purchase their own textbooks for the course, which is an additional $70.
Upon successful completion of the program, students are issued a certificate of completion.
They are then eligible to take the American Red Cross Examination.
5. LifeStream
LifeStream offers a Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide Training Program.
The 120-hour course is offered over five weeks and includes theory, hands-on experience, and lab work.
Students gain valuable hands-on experience in local nursing homes supervised by licensed nursing professionals.
This school is licensed under the Massachusetts Office of Private Occupational School Education, Division of Professional Licensure.
The American Heart Association (AHA) trains and certifies students in CPR and First Aid.
Classes for this program are scheduled monthly.
Tuition for the program is approximately $1,000.
Home Health Aide Schools in Massachusetts – Summary Table
Top 5 Schools in Massachusetts
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| LifeStream | 13 Welby Road New Bedford, MA 02745 |
| International Health Care Training and Services LLC | 2 Second Street Attleboro, MA 02703 |
| Bunkers Hill Community College | 250 Rutherford Ave, Boston, MA 02129 |
| Middlesex Community College | 591 Springs Rd, Bedford, MA 01730 |
| Spectrum Healthcare Training Center | 330 Lynnway suite 112, Lynn, MA 01901 |
Salary
The average annual salary for a certified nursing assistant in Boston, Massachusetts is $37,508.
That is approximately $18 an hour, $721 a week, or $3,126 a month on the high end for an entry-level position.
The salary varies according to the exact location in the state of Massachusetts, the type of employer, and the number of years of experience the candidate has.
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of Home Health Aides in Massachusetts
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Boston | $31,044 |
| Worcester | $29,013 |
| Springfield | $28,586 |
| Lowell | $30,033 |
| Cambridge | $31,044 |
| Brockton | $29,840 |
| New Bedford | $29,041 |
| Fall River | $29,041 |
| Lynn | $31,044 |
| Quincy | $31,044 |
Regional Salary in Massachusetts
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable Town, MA | 2,130 | $36,170 | $17.39 | $40,550 | $32,580 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH | 63,260 | $35,630 | $17.13 | $39,820 | $33,680 |
| Leominster-Gardner, MA | 2,240 | $37,120 | $17.84 | $43,310 | $32,710 |
| New Bedford, MA | 3,380 | $34,650 | $16.66 | $37,190 | $32,660 |
| Pittsfield, MA | 1,790 | $36,440 | $17.52 | $40,080 | $32,890 |
| Springfield, MA-CT | 18,900 | $34,570 | $16.62 | $37,000 | $31,930 |
| Worcester, MA-CT | 11,110 | $34,870 | $16.77 | $39,110 | $31,350 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is education a requirement to become an HHA in Massachusetts?
Yes.
Candidates must complete 75 hours of training combined with a minimum of 16 clinical hours.
In addition, candidates must receive 12 hours of in-service training annually.
Are home health aides licensed in Massachusetts?
There are only 33 states in the US that follow federal guidelines for HHA training.
Massachusetts is one of them.
While the HHA themselves do not need to be licensed, they will need to attend training and pass the state exam to be registered as an HHA in Massachusetts.
Do I need to complete the state examination to be a qualified HHA in Massachusetts?
Yes.
After attending the appropriate program, candidates must take the state exam and pass the exam in order to work in the industry as an HHA in the state of Massachusetts.
