Caregiver, Personal Care Assistant

Caregiver For Developmentally Delayed Young Adult in North Ooltewah

Why This Role Matters

We're seeking compassionate caregivers to provide exceptional care for our 23-year-old daughter. This isn't just a job—it's an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in someone's life while gaining valuable experience in specialized healthcare, behavioral management, and disability services that will serve you well in nursing, therapy, social work, or related careers.

About Our Daughter

Our daughter is a delightful young adult with a bright sense of humor and a love for activities that reflect her girly personality, including games, videos, dress-up, and jewelry. Despite her cheerful and sometimes mischievous nature, she faces significant cognitive and developmental delays, functioning at the level of a 3 to 5-year-old child. She also has mobility challenges and primarily moves by crawling or using a wheelchair. She has been diagnosed with Epilepsy and Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood, requiring specialized care and attention. Her conditions can result in behavioral challenges including physical aggression such as scratching, hair pulling, biting, and throwing objects—particularly when she experiences seizures, communication frustration, or sensory overload. This role requires exceptional patience and emotional resilience.

What Makes This Position Valuable

• Professional Development: Gain hands-on experience in complex medical care (G-Tube management, medication administration, seizure protocols) and behavioral management—invaluable training for healthcare careers.
• Meaningful Relationships: Build a genuine connection with our daughter and become an integral part of our family's support network.
• Flexible Scheduling: We work with college students and those with other commitments. We can adjust schedules to accommodate your needs while maintaining consistency for our daughter.
• Competitive Compensation: $19/hour with reliable payment through TennCare's Consumer Direction program.
• Comprehensive Training: We provide thorough training in all specialized care techniques, including behavioral management and de-escalation strategies. Prior experience is preferred but not required—we'll teach you everything you need to know.

Key Responsibilities

1. Safety & Supervision: Provide constant, vigilant supervision to always ensure our daughter’s safety and wellbeing.

2. Engagement & Activities: Plan and facilitate age-appropriate activities that cater to her interests and developmental level, including games, creative play, videos, and outings.

3. Mobility Assistance: Support her mobility needs within the home and during outings using available equipment (Hoyer lift, slide board, wheelchair).

4. Medical & Personal Care: Administer medications, manage G-Tube feedings, provide personal hygiene care, incontinence care, showers, and monitor overall health status.

5. Household Support: Complete housekeeping tasks related to our daughter's care (meal preparation for her, laundry, tidying her spaces, etc.).

6. Behavioral Support: Our daughter experiences behavioral challenges that can include physical aggression such as scratching, hair pulling, biting, and throwing objects. These episodes are often related to her seizures, communication frustration, or sensory overload. You'll need exceptional patience, de-escalation skills, and the ability to remain calm and compassionate during difficult moments while keeping yourself and our daughter safe. We provide thorough training in behavioral management techniques.

7. Communication & Collaboration: Maintain clear, proactive communication with our family regarding daily activities, health changes, and concerns. Work collaboratively with healthcare professionals and therapists.

8. Health & Safety Protocols: Strictly adhere to nut allergy protocols and asthma management (no smoking/vaping, no strong perfumes or odors).

9. Emergency Response: Respond appropriately to medical emergencies, including seizures, using established protocols and trained procedures.

Required Qualifications

- Essential Requirements

• Character: Patient, empathetic, positive, reliable, and genuinely passionate about caregiving. You must have patience for challenging behaviors and the ability to remain compassionate even during difficult episodes.
• Emotional & Physical Resilience: Ability to remain calm and composed during episodes of physical aggression, with effective de-escalation skills. Must be physically resilient and able to protect both yourself and our daughter during challenging moments.
• First Aid/CPR Certification: In-person certification required prior to Background check and hiring. CNA or BLS can be substituted for First Aid.
• Physical Capability: Must be physically able to assist with mobility tasks, provide hands-on support, and manage behavioral episodes safely. Equipment available to assist.
• Communication Skills: Strong written and verbal communication abilities.
• Transportation: Valid driver's license and insurance required. Wheelchair accessible vehicle will be provided for outings and emergencies with daughter.
• Pet-Friendly: Must be comfortable with our two medium-sized, high-energy (but well-behaved) Vizslas who are family members and often snuggle with our daughter.
• Background Check: Must pass a thorough background check performed by Consumer Direct.

- Preferred (But Not Required)

• Experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities, epilepsy, or complex medical needs
• Experience managing challenging behaviors or physical aggression in care settings
• Certification in medication administration or G-Tube feeding
• Background in nursing, occupational therapy, special education, or related field

Compensation & Employment Details

• Hourly Rate: $18.50 per hour
• Employment Type: Part-time or full-time positions available (10-40 hours per week)
• Payroll Processing: Direct hire through Consumer Direction for TennCare, offering professional payroll services and tax management. No LLC required.
• Program Information: This position is funded through Tennessee's CHOICES program (www.tn.gov/tenncare/long-term-services-supports/choices.html) with employment managed by Consumer Direct (www.consumerdirecttn.com)

Schedule Options

Total Weekly Hours:

Current Schedule:

• Front-Half: Sunday – Tuesday: 8am-8pm
• Back-Half: Wednesday – Friday: 8am-8pm
• Saturday: 9am - 9pm

Ideal Arrangement:

• Front-Half: Primary caregiver 1 (32-40 hours/week)
• Back-Half: Primary caregiver 2 (32-40 hours/week)
• Saturday: Part-Time caregiver, 12 hours, Currently Filled
• Additional caregivers may be trained for respite or PRN shifts.

Schedule Flexibility: We understand many applicants are college students or have other commitments. We're open to discussing schedule adjustments to accommodate your needs while maintaining consistency for our daughter.

What We're Looking For

We're seeking someone who:

• Views caregiving as more than just a paycheck—finds meaning in helping others
• Celebrates small victories and finds joy in daily moments of connection
• Communicates openly and proactively with parents about our daughter's care
• Is self-motivated and takes initiative without constant direction
• Has the emotional maturity and physical resilience to handle challenging behaviors with compassion, understanding that aggression is a neurological response rather than intentional
• Can commit to at least one year to provide stability.

Important Considerations

Please carefully consider these aspects of the role:

• Physical Demands: This role requires stamina for lifting, transferring, and constant movement.
• Behavioral Challenges: Episodes of physical aggression can be emotionally taxing even when you understand they're not personal. This work requires someone who can separate the behavior from the person and maintain compassion through difficult moments.
• Emotional Investment: You'll build a meaningful relationship with our daughter, which makes this work rewarding but also means behavioral episodes can feel personal even though they're not.

Application Process

If this opportunity resonates with you, we'd love to hear from you.

Our hiring process includes:

1. Initial phone screening to discuss the role and your interests

2. In-person interview at our home

3. Meet our daughter and observe work environment

4. Reference checks, employment paperwork, and background check (2-4 weeks)

5. Paid evaluation period to ensure mutual fit and assess comfort with all aspects of care

6. Comprehensive training period (concurrent with evaluation period) before independent care.

How to Apply

Contact Us:

Phone: 850-240-6388

Email: jamieangelasparks3@gmail.com

Please include in your email:

• Subject Line: Caregiver Application – [Your Name]
• Brief introduction: Who you are and why this position interests you
• Relevant experience: Any caregiving, medical, disability services, or behavioral management experience (or your willingness to learn)
• Availability: Your schedule preferences, hours available per week, and potential start date
• References: At least two professional or character references

We look forward to welcoming a dedicated caregiver to our family's support network.

This is more than a job—it's an opportunity to make a real difference.

Equal Opportunity: We are committed to creating an inclusive environment and welcome applicants of all backgrounds who share our commitment to exceptional care.

Questions? Don't hesitate to reach out if you'd like to learn more about our daughter, our family, or the position before formally applying. We're happy to have an informal conversation first and answer any questions about managing behavioral challenges.

Pay: $17.00 - $19.18 per hour

Work Location: In person

Salary : $17 - $19