Home health aide is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the United States, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting 17% growth from 2024 to 2034 — far above the national average — and approximately 740,000 new positions opening over the decade. Yet the resume resources available to HHAs are among the weakest in any occupation: most templates list vague duties and miss the specific keywords that home care agency ATS platforms scan for. This guide gives you six fully written HHA resume examples, a credential comparison table for HHA vs. CNA vs. personal care aide, EVV platform keywords that competitors ignore entirely, and a before-and-after bullet transformation table to show you exactly how to convert generic duties into measurable achievements.
Home Health Aide Job Market at a Glance
The HHA occupation is now the largest single occupation by employment in several states. High demand does not eliminate competition: agency HR departments use dedicated home care platforms — not general-purpose ATS software — to screen applicants, so the keywords that matter on an HHA resume differ from those on a hospital-based nursing resume. The sections below walk through every layer of that distinction.
Home Health Aide Resume Examples by Specialization
Each example below is written for a specific HHA setting. Copy the resume summary and bullet phrasing that match your background, then customize names and dates.
1. Medicare-Certified Agency HHA
2. Medicaid Home Care HHA
3. Dementia and Alzheimer's Specialist HHA
4. Pediatric Home Health Aide
5. Post-Surgical Recovery HHA
6. Hospice Aide
Home Health Aide Resume Summary Examples
Your resume summary is the first text an ATS scores and the first thing a recruiter reads. Match your summary type to your experience level and target setting.
Entry-Level HHA (No Prior Agency Experience)
Experienced HHA (3+ Years, Agency Setting)
HHA Transitioning to CNA
Specialized Dementia Care HHA
HHA vs. CNA vs. Personal Care Aide: Credential Comparison
Three credential levels exist in home-based care. Which one you hold changes what job titles you can apply for, what settings you are authorized to work in, and what keywords to use on your resume.
| Credential | Minimum Training | State Exam Required? | Authorized Setting | Resume Keyword |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HHA (Home Health Aide) | 75 hours federal minimum (42 CFR 484.80); states may require more | Competency evaluation (not always a state registry exam) | Medicare-certified agencies, Medicaid home care | Certified Home Health Aide, HHA Certificate |
| CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) | 75–150 hours (state-approved nurse aide training program) | Yes, state competency exam required; listed on state nurse aide registry | Nursing homes, hospitals, home care agencies (some states) | Certified Nursing Assistant, State Nurse Aide Registry |
| PCA (Personal Care Aide) | Varies by state; often no minimum (some states require 40 hours) | Generally no | Private-pay home care, non-medical companion services | Personal Care Aide, Companion Aide, Sitter |
The federal 75-hour minimum training requirement under 42 CFR 484.80 applies specifically to HHAs employed by Medicare-certified home health agencies. Of those 75 hours, at least 16 must be supervised practical training completed in a clinical or in-home setting under RN oversight. If you completed training through a CMS-approved program, list this explicitly: "75-hour HHA training, [State] Dept. of Health-approved program" signals Medicare-agency eligibility to agency recruiters.
The distinction matters most when you are transitioning from private-pay to Medicare-certified agency work. Private-pay agencies rarely require the 75-hour certification; Medicare-certified agencies are legally required to verify it. Including the certification source and approval number (if issued by your state) on your resume eliminates a common compliance-screening rejection.
EVV and Home Care Software as ATS Keywords
Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) is federally mandated for all Medicaid-funded personal care services under Section 12006 of the 21st Century Cures Act, with rollout effective from January 1, 2020 onward. EVV requires real-time, location-based clock-in and clock-out for every Medicaid home care visit. Every HHA working in a Medicaid agency setting uses an EVV platform daily, and agency ATS systems explicitly filter for EVV familiarity because untrained staff create compliance violations that put Medicaid funding at risk.
List the specific EVV platform you have used. General phrases like "electronic documentation" or "visit verification software" do not match the keyword filters agencies configure in their ATS. The platforms most commonly deployed by agency type are:
| Platform | Common Agency Type | ATS Keyword to Use |
|---|---|---|
| HHAeXchange | Medicaid managed care, state-contracted agencies | HHAeXchange, EVV documentation, Medicaid compliance |
| WellSky Personal Care (formerly ClearCare) | Mid-to-large private-pay and Medicaid agencies | WellSky Personal Care, ClearCare, WellSky scheduling |
| AxisCare | Private-pay agencies, smaller Medicaid providers | AxisCare, EVV tracking, caregiver scheduling |
| Santrax / Sandata | State EVV systems (multiple state Medicaid contracts) | Santrax, Sandata EVV, telephonic EVV |
| Kinnser / WellSky Home Health | Skilled home health agencies with clinical focus | Kinnser, WellSky Home Health, clinical visit notes |
Include your EVV platform in two places: the Skills section and embedded in at least one bullet under your most recent position. Example: "Completed EVV check-in and check-out for all Medicaid visits via HHAeXchange; maintained 100% compliance over 24-month audit period."
Home Health Aide Skills and ATS Keywords
The following skills list is organized by category. Use the terms that match your actual experience — do not list platforms or procedures you have not performed.
- ADL assistance (bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting)
- Ambulation and transfer assistance
- Vital signs monitoring (BP, pulse, temperature, SpO2)
- Medication reminders (non-administration)
- Wound care observation and reporting
- Range-of-motion exercises
- Hoyer lift and gait belt operation
- Skin integrity monitoring and pressure injury prevention
- Catheter care observation
- Enteral nutrition support (g-tube, under RN supervision)
- EVV documentation (HHAeXchange, WellSky, AxisCare, Santrax)
- HIPAA compliance
- Care plan reading and adherence
- Visit note documentation
- Incident reporting
- Infection control (PPE, hand hygiene, isolation protocols)
- Mandatory reporter training
- OSHA bloodborne pathogen standards
- Fall prevention protocols
- SBAR communication
Before and After: HHA Resume Bullet Transformation
Generic duty statements fail ATS keyword scans and fail to demonstrate impact. The table below shows how to convert common HHA duties into achievement-oriented, keyword-rich bullets.
| Before (Generic Duty) | After (ATS-Optimized Achievement) |
|---|---|
| Helped clients with bathing and dressing | Provided ADL assistance including bathing, dressing, grooming, and toileting for 10 clients per week; zero skin integrity incidents over 12 consecutive months of care |
| Documented visits in the computer system | Completed EVV check-in/check-out for every Medicaid visit via HHAeXchange; maintained 100% documentation compliance across a 2-year agency audit cycle |
| Took vital signs and reported to nurse | Monitored and recorded vital signs (BP, pulse, temperature, SpO2) at each visit; escalated 4 abnormal readings to supervising RN within 2-hour protocol window, resulting in 2 timely medication adjustments |
| Worked with dementia patients | Applied validation therapy and non-pharmacological behavior redirection for clients with moderate Alzheimer's; reduced agitation incidents from 8+ per week to fewer than 2 through consistent routine implementation |
| Helped with cooking and cleaning | Prepared physician-ordered therapeutic meals (low-sodium, diabetic, renal diets) and maintained clean home environment for 8 clients, supporting nutritional compliance and infection control standards |
| Used the company app to log visits | Documented all visit activities in AxisCare platform including task completion, behavioral observations, and client-reported pain levels; zero late entries over 14 months |
Medicaid Agency vs. Private-Pay vs. Independent Caregiver: Resume Differences
The type of agency you work for (or have worked for) changes what keywords belong on your resume, because different payers have different compliance requirements.
Emphasize EVV compliance, state certification, Medicaid documentation standards, mandatory reporter status, and incident reporting procedures. Name the EVV platform explicitly.
Key phrases: EVV-compliant, Medicaid personal care, state-certified HHA, HHAeXchange, WellSky, Santrax, HIPAA-compliant documentation
Emphasize client relationship longevity, family satisfaction, specialization (dementia, pediatric, hospice), and reliability metrics. Compliance framing matters less; trust and specialty matter more.
Key phrases: long-term client relationships, dementia-trained, family communication, AxisCare, private-duty caregiver, companion care
Emphasize professional references, background check history, self-management, training credentials, and any professional liability coverage. Build trust through verifiable credentials rather than agency affiliation.
Key phrases: independent home care provider, professional references available, background check cleared, CPR/AED certified, bonded and insured
Home Health Aide Resume Template
Frequently Asked Questions
What certifications should a home health aide put on a resume?
List your state HHA certificate first, followed by CPR/AED (American Heart Association BLS for Healthcare Providers is the agency gold standard), and First Aid. If you work for a Medicare-certified agency, add the specific training program that meets the 75-hour federal minimum under 42 CFR 484.80. Specialty credentials to include: Alzheimer's Association Essentials of Dementia Care, Teepa Snow PAC certification, NHPCO hospice aide competency, and any state-required in-service training completions. Always list the issuing organization and expiration date.
How do I write a home health aide resume with no experience?
Lead with your certification and any informal caregiving: family caregiving for a parent or grandparent is valid experience when described with specific tasks (ADL assistance, medication reminders, appointment coordination) and duration. Include your CPR/AED and First Aid certifications prominently. In the summary, acknowledge you are seeking your first professional placement and emphasize your training hours, supervised practical experience from your HHA program, and any volunteer care experience. Avoid the word "entry-level" in your summary — instead, state what you have completed and what you are ready to do.
What is the difference between HHA and CNA on a resume?
A CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) has completed a state-approved nurse aide training program (typically 75–150 hours), passed a state competency exam, and is listed on the state nurse aide registry. An HHA (Home Health Aide) has completed a federally mandated minimum of 75 hours of training for Medicare-certified agency work but is not always listed on a state registry. On a resume, list the exact credential: "Certified Nursing Assistant, [State] Nurse Aide Registry #XXXXXXX" or "Home Health Aide Certificate, [State] Department of Health, [Year]." Do not use the terms interchangeably — recruiters and ATS platforms treat them as different credential levels.
How do I list EVV experience on my home health aide resume?
Name the specific EVV platform: HHAeXchange, WellSky Personal Care, AxisCare, or Santrax. Add a quantified compliance metric where possible: "Completed EVV check-in and check-out for all Medicaid visits via HHAeXchange; zero compliance exceptions across 18-month audit period." Include the platform name in your Skills section as well. General phrases like "electronic visit verification" without a platform name match fewer ATS keyword filters than the specific software name.
What home care software should I list on my resume?
List every platform you have actually used. Common platforms by setting: HHAeXchange and Santrax for state Medicaid agencies; WellSky Personal Care (formerly ClearCare) for mid-to-large agencies; AxisCare for private-pay and smaller providers; Kinnser (now WellSky Home Health) for skilled home health agencies. If you have used scheduling tools, EVV apps, or telephonic check-in systems, list them. These platform names are direct ATS keyword matches because agencies post jobs on the same platforms they use internally.
How do I transition from private-pay caregiver to a Medicare-certified agency job?
The key barrier is the 75-hour federal training certification under 42 CFR 484.80. If you lack a state-approved HHA certificate, complete one before applying — many community colleges and agency training programs offer the course in 2–4 weeks. Once certified, reframe your private-pay experience using Medicare-agency language: "ADL assistance" instead of "helped with daily tasks," specific condition names (Alzheimer's, COPD, CHF) instead of "elderly care," and platform names or structured documentation if you used any. Obtain a CPR/AED certification through the American Heart Association specifically, as some Medicare-certified agencies require AHA certification rather than equivalent alternatives.