This As They Told It essay is based on a conversation with Careb Bien-Aime, 23, who attends New York University. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I majored in management information systems at New York University 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 am also very familiar with this line of work because it is very important in the Haitian community, of which I am a part.

I was looking for a job with flexible hours while I was at community college that would still allow me to focus on school, and I didn’t want a job that was too technical. My mom told me to get a personal care assistant certificate, which required a week of training around my school schedule. I applied online and then attended in-person training and classes eight hours a day for a week. Then I started receiving cases.

In April 2025 I decided to leave one of the agencies I worked with and look for a new one. Around the same time, I started earning income through social media sponsorship. In the summer, I was preparing to study abroad in August, and when I returned, I didn’t go back to work as a home health aide. My specialty is not health and I want to develop my career in technology.

my schedule varied

I really liked the job because of the flexible schedule. It would fit into my school schedule; Sometimes I worked three days a week and on the days I didn’t work I had classes. If I really needed the money that week, I would work a 12-hour shift. I also occasionally took on in-house cases, where I would stay with a client for a full day or two.

Sometimes you may have an ongoing case where you see the same client every week. Other times, an agency would call me to ask if I wanted to take on 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 them with their hygiene, including brushing their teeth and bathing them. I also prepared food for clients, helped them walk, and assisted with transfers from bed to wheelchair, if necessary, or from a chair to a walking aid. Sometimes when a client cannot walk, they have a Hoyer lift. It’s like a parachute in a way, where they’re on the bed, and then you tie them down and then you pull this lever to lift them up. Some workers don’t like dealing with Hoyer Lifts because they are a little scared if something happens to the patient.

Sometimes, to be honest, patients don’t really need anything. They can walk, they are mobile, they just need someone to prepare their food or be there with them.

If I had free time during the case, I would do some schoolwork.

The work is difficult and rewarding.

One agency paid me $19.15 an hour. I think the salary was decent, but it could be more because people don’t realize that caring is a lot of work. Emotionally and physically, you are caring for a human being, and you have a hard time caring for someone, especially if the person needs more help.

I miss talking to clients. It is definitely a rewarding job because you are 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.

Sometimes it is difficult because there is a lot of physical tension on the body, especially if patients are transferred from bed to chair. It is also emotionally demanding. Some of them feel alone and it’s sad. My first client, who I helped with for about a year, died. When you have a permanent case, you start to build a relationship with this person, and one day they are gone.

I would recommend the job

I would recommend this to other students to be patient and compassionate. This job is not for anyone who can’t 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 are having a difficult day with the client, you cannot walk away from someone you are caring for. I’ve worked in retail before and it’s not comparable, although I wouldn’t say being a home health aide is harder. They are two different jobs.

Many older people around the world need help

There are older people who are active, but if they fall they may no longer be able to take care of themselves.

There is a high demand for home health care aides because many families are unable to care for their elderly parents alone. 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.