What are the responsibilities and job description for the Home Health Aide (CNA) position at VICARS LANDING?
JOB SUMMARY
This position provides companionship/personal care to the client and keeps records on personal health care activities as defined within the respective regulatory environment (State Home Health Regulations). C.N.A./HHA will comply with the dress code and the Agency and present a neat and clean professional fashion as well as project a positive demeanor.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
1. The performance of all personal care activities contained in a written assignment by a licensed health professional employee or contractor of the home health agency, and which include assisting the patient or client with personal hygiene, ambulation, eating, dressing, shaving, physical transfer, and other duties as assigned.
2. Maintenance of a clean, safe, and healthy environment, which may include light cleaning and straightening of the bathroom, straightening the sleeping, and living areas, washing the patient's or client's dishes or laundry, and such tasks to maintain cleanliness and safety for the patient or client.
3. Other activities as taught by a licensed health professional employee or contractor of the home health agency for a specific patient and are restricted to the following: A) Assisting with the change of a colostomy bag. B) Assisting with the use of devices for aid to daily living, such as a wheelchair or walker. C) Assisting with prescribed range of motion exercises. D) Assisting with prescribed ice cap or collar. E) Doing simple urine tests for sugar, acetone, or albumin. F) Measuring and preparing special diets. G) Measuring intake and output of fluids, and H) Measuring temperature, pulse, respiration, or blood pressure.
4. Keeping records of personal health care activities.
5. Observing appearance and gross behavioral changes in the patient or client and reporting to the registered nurse, and.
6. Supervision of self-administered medication in the home is limited to the following: A) Obtaining the medication container from the storage area for the patient. B) Ensuring that the medication is prescribed for the patient. C) Reminding the patient that it is time to take the medication as prescribed. D) Observing the patient self-administering the medication.
7. Personal care activities may include: A) Personal Hygiene/Grooming - Helping the client with shaving, oral care, care of hair and nail care. B) Ambulation - Provide physical support to enable the client to move about within or outside of their home or facility. Physical Support includes supporting or holding the client's hand, elbow, arm; holding on to a support belt worn by the client to assist in providing stability or direction while the client ambulates; or pushing the client's wheelchair. C) Eating/Meal Preparation - Helping with cutting food, pouring beverages, and feeding clients who are unable to feed themselves. D) Dressing - Helping the client to choose and to put on and remove clothing. E) Toileting - Assisting the client to the bathroom, helping to undress, positioning on the commode, and helping with related personal hygiene, including assistance with changing an adult brief. Assistance with toileting includes assistance with the routine emptying of a catheter or colostomy bag. F) Bathing - Assembling towels, soaps, and other necessary supplies. Helping the client in/out of the shower, turning the water on/off, adjusting the water temperature, washing, and drying portions of the body which are difficult for the client to reach, or being available while the client is bathing. G) Transfer - Provide verbal and physical cueing or physical assistance or both while the client moves between bed and a standing or between bed and a chair or wheelchair.
8. Perform any other related duties as required or assigned.
Qualifications:Skills, Abilities & Competencies:
High school or GED, plus specialized schooling and/or on the job education in a specific skill area, e.g. data processing, clerical/administrative, equipment operation, etc., plus 12 to 18 months related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Physical Demands: Visual/hearing acuity sufficient to understand written/oral communication and to observe the client's condition. While performing this job, good body mechanics are involved, and may be required to lift, transport/transfer clients. Bending, squatting, standing, and walking as required. Must be able to push approx. 250 pounds in a wheelchair. Must be able to lift between approximately 50-100 pounds.
Mental Demands: Must be able to work under stress and cope with sometimes difficult, confused, disoriented and physical disabled clients. Equipment: Operations of washer/dryer, vacuum cleaner, cooking equipment and other household appliances.
Safety: Responsible for client safety. Must use care in performing job duties to prevent accidents and injury to self & others. Must be familiar with and use proper lifting techniques. Maintain compliance with the Agency safety program. If issued, safety equipment must be used.
Working Conditions: Good working conditions in the home. Occasionally may be exposed to unpleasant odors, soiled clothing, and linens. May be subject to verbal abuse or non-cooperative clients.
Travel: May be required to take a client to physician's appointment, shopping, or errands. If transportation is involved, must have a current driver's license, require auto inspection and carry adequate auto insurance.
Work/Others: Follows the direction of the nursing care plan under the guidance of the Director of Home Health/Designee. Accepts responsibility for completing assignment(s) once it has been accepted.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
While performing the essential functions of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, talk hear, and occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, and crouch. Employee must have excellent balance and be able to climb a ladder and walk around a roof. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds and be able to work at heights. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close, distance, and peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus as well as work on a computer for extended periods of time. The employee must be able to communicate verbally with other on the phone or in person.