THE HOME HEALTH AIDE PERFORMS SIMPLE PERSONAL CARE FUNCTIONS UNDER NURSING SUPERVISION IN THE HOME CARE OF AN ILL OR DISABLED PERSON. THE PROJECT OBJECTIVES WERE TO TRAIN AS AIDES 30 MEN AND WOMEN AGE 45 YEARS AND OLDER WITH LIMITED INCOMES TO MEET A COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT NEED AND TO EXPERIMENT IN RECRUITMENT, SELECTION, TRAINING, AND EMPLOYMENT PROCEDURES. RECRUITMENT AND INITIAL SCREENING WERE HANDLED BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD EMPLOYMENT CENTERS, AND FINAL DECISIONS WERE MADE BY THE PROJECT DIRECTOR. THIRTY APPLICANTS WERE ACCEPTED IN TWO GROUPS. FOUR WEEKS OF PRE-SERVICE TRAINING AIMED AT DEVELOPING NEEDED SKILLS. DURING A 2-WEEK ON-THE-JOB TRAINING PERIOD, THE AIDES WERE ASSIGNED TO CAREFULLY SELECTED PATIENT CARE SITUATIONS IN WHICH, UNDER SUPERVISION, THEY DEMONSTRATED THEIR ABILITIES TO GIVE PERSONAL CARE. ON THE 5TH DAY OF EACH WEEK THEY RETURNED TO THE TRAINING FACILITY TO DISCUSS THEIR EXPERIENCES AND REVIEW PROCEDURES. THE 14- TO 16-WEEK INTERNSHIP MARKED THE BEGINNING OF FORMAL EMPLOYMENT AND, DURING THIS PERIOD, A GROUP CONFERENCE, LED BY THE PROJECT DIRECTOR , WAS HELD 1 AFTERNOON A WEEK. TRAINEES WERE PAID $1.40 PER HOUR DURING THE FIRST AND SECOND PERIODS AND $1.50 DURING THE INTERNSHIP. OF THE 30 TRAINEES, 27 COMPLETED THE INTERNSHIP, AND 23 WERE EMPLOYED IN TRAINING-RELATED WORK AT THE TIME OF THE REPORT. A DESCRIPTION OF THE HOME HEALTH AIDE SERVICE OF THE VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION AND A LIST OF PERSONAL CARE PROCEDURES ARE INCLUDED. (JK)