Personal Care Aides & Home Health Aides

The Personal Care Aide will be supervised by a Registered Professional Nurse.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Change simple non-sterile dressing to stable wound.
2. Assist with care of teeth and/or dentures and mouth.
3. Assist with grooming-care of hair including shampoo, shaving, and the ordinary care of nails.
4. Assist with bathing of patient in bed, in tub and in shower.
5. Assist patient with toileting that includes use of bedpan, commode or toilet.
6. Assist patient in moving from bed to chair or wheel chair, including mechanical lift.
7. Assist with turning & positioning patient on bed, wheelchair, etc.
8. Assist patient with walking beyond that provided by durable medical equipment.
9. Assist patient with eating.
10. Assist patient with dressing.
11. Assist patient with medication which includes: prompting patient as to time, identifying medication for the patient, bringing medication and necessary supplies or equipment to the patient, opening the container for the patient, positioning the patient for medication administering, disposing of used supplies and materials, storing medication properly and applying non-prescription topical medication.
12. Assist with weighing a patient, empty catheter drainage bag, measure intake & output.
13. Incidental Housekeeping (performed only where there is a responsible adult in the household, who may be the patient) may be required.
14. Prepare and serve meals according to instructions that may include simple modified diets including low sugar, low fat, low salt, and low residue diets.
15. Dust and vacuum the rooms the patient/client uses.
16. Clean lightly and/or tidy bathroom.
17. List needed supplies.
18. Shop for patient if no other arrangement is possible.
19. Assist with patient’s personal laundry if no family member is available; this may include necessary ironing and mending.
20. Send linen to laundry.
21. Assist with payment of bills and perform other essential errands.
22. Make and change beds
23. Clean lightly and/or tidy bedroom-may do floors, furniture, bedding
24. Clean lightly and/or tidy kitchen-may includes floors, appliances, dishes, cabinets, walls, garbage.
25. Keep simple records as instructed by the RN Care Coordinator and/or Regional Nurse Manager.
26. Carry out other pertinent care functions as assigned and demonstrated by the RN Care Coordinator and/or Regional Nurse Manager.
27. Accompany patient to obtain medical care.
28. Attend or complete in-service training hours as required.
29. Use medical supplies and equipment such as walkers and wheelchairs.
30. Adheres to and reflects organizational values in daily work.
31. Serves on agency committees as may be assigned.
32. Maintains obligation to report wrongdoing/violation of agency policies, applicable federal, state and local laws, and rules and regulations, as pertaining to agency operations to immediate supervisor or identified compliance officer.
33. Completes all mandatory in-service education programs and completes any other additional in-service hours that are minimally required for the position.

FUNCTIONS NOT TO BE PERFORMED:

1. Make judgements or give advice on medical or nursing problems.
2. Any personal care not included by the RN Care Coordinator in the plan of care.
3. Those prohibited tasks include, but are not limited to, the following:
4. Applying over the counter debriding topical medications.
5. Applying prescription topical medications.
6. Assistance with ostomy care.
7. Hands on care in performance of therapy program such as Range of Motion

exercises.

1. Irrigation of Foley catheter.
2. Testing urine for acetone or sugar.
3. Obtaining specimens.
4. Inserting Foley catheter.
5. Collecting sterile specimen.
6. Applying/changing sterile dressing.
7. Nail cutting.
8. Giving an enema.
9. Gastric lavage or gavage.
10. Application of heat in any form.
11. Care of tracheostomy tube.
12. Vaginal irrigation.
13. Injections
14. Handling contaminated/used syringes

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

1. 18 years of age or older
2. Minimum of 8th grade math and reading skills
3. Ability to lift a minimum of 20 pounds, perform one person transfer under routine and emergency situations, reposition a bedbound patient alone, and able to sit, stand, bend, stoop, kneel, pull, climb, reach, lift, and perform repetitive movements of the upper extremities.
4. Acceptable driver’s license and automobile available for use with current insurance.
5. Has successfully completed PCA training from an approved DSS program, or an approved equivalency test.
6. Availability by phone.

Other requirements (physical) – see attached.