Home Health Aide On-The-Go In-Service Lessons: Vol. 4, Issue 6: Sleep Apnea

This lesson on Sleep Apnea includes a complete training packet. Each in-service packet takes approximately one hour to complete and fully meets the Medicare in-service training requirements. As aides need training, you can make as many copies as you want - there's no restriction when used with aides assigned from your office location. Remember that Home Health Aides must have 12 hours of in-service training every year.

LESSON OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this program, the home health aide will be able to: Name the three types of sleep apnea. Identify continuous positive airway pressure as the most common treatment of sleep apnea. List sleep apnea symptoms. Define sleep apnea as a condition in which a person stops breathing during sleep.

OVERVIEW
While sleep apnea is not a primary diagnosis, many patients seen by home health aides for personal care may also have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is estimated to affect between 12 and 25 million people, although less than one million people are actually diagnosed. Therefore, aides need to understand sleep apnea and recognize its symptoms.


In addition, aides may be required to clean positive airway pressure systems, which are machines used to treat sleep apnea. Patient compliance in using positive airway pressure systems is another important part of an aide's contribution to successful patient care.