Description: This position provides custodial and personal care services to clients that contract with Assisting Hands for services under the direction of the Staffing Coordinator in compliance with the Plan of Care.
Education: High School Diploma/GED required
Qualifications: One (1) year experience in the home or long-term care setting is preferred.
Reports to: Staffing Coordinator
Primary Duties: - Maintaining a clean, safe, and healthy environment within client's residence. Duties may include light cleaning and straightening of the bathroom, straightening the sleeping and living areas, washing client's dishes or laundry, and other tasks to maintain cleanliness and safety for the client.
- The performance of all personal care activities contained in a written Plan of Care which may include assisting the client with personal hygiene, ambulation and exercise, eating, dressing, shaving, physical transfer, and other duties as assigned.
- Providing nutritional support as needed.
- Reporting changes in the client's condition.
- Other activities that are determined necessary and trained on for a specific client and are restricted to the following:
- Assisting with the use of devices for aid to daily living such as a wheelchair, walker, or hoyer lift;
- Assisting with prescribed range of motion exercises;
- Teaching household routine and skills to well members of the family;
- Measuring intake and output of fluids;
- Measuring and recording temperature, pulse, respiration or blood pressure;
- Keeping records of personal health care activities;
- Observing appearance and gross behavioral changes in the client and reporting to the agency supervisor.
Assisting the client with the self-administration of medication, limited to the following tasks:
Taking the medication in its previously dispensed, properly labeled container, from where it is stored and bringing it to the client.
In the presence of the client, reading the label, opening the container, removing a prescribed amount of medication from the container, and closing the container.
- Placing an oral dosage in the client's hand or placing the dosage in another container and helping the client by lifting the container to his or her mouth.
Returning the medication container to proper storage.
Keeping a record of when a client receives assistance with self-administration of medication.
The caregiver may also provide the following assistance with self-administered medication, as needed by the client:
- Preparing necessary items such as juice, water, cups, or spoons to assist the client in the self-administration of medication;
- Opening and closing the medication container or tearing the foil of prepackaged medications;
- Assisting the client in the self-administration process. Examples of such assistance include the steadying of the arm, hand, or other parts of the client's body so as to allow the self-administration of medication;
- Abides by the agency's infection control policies, including proper hand washing techniques consistent with CDC Guidelines.
- Abides by all policies and procedures outlined in the agency's Policy and Procedure Manual, Caregiver Handbook, and Caregiver Training Manual.
Hours: Dependent on assignment; Shifts available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week and based on availability. Assisting Hands does not guarantee hours.
FLSA Status: Non-exempt, hourly
Assisting Hands Home Care prides itself on offering compassionate, dependable home care to their clients across the US. Their unparalleled reputation of quality home care covers a broad spectrum of services ranging from aging care for the elderly, post-surgery care, transitional care from a hospital or rehab, to post maternity care for those mothers who need care after the birth of their child.
Aside from the company's mission for quality home care and passion for the value of family, one of the other reasons that Assisting Hands has provided such exceptional care to their clients is due to their high standards for hiring.
According to the company's Vice President, Gail Stout, Assisting Hands Home Care believes that the caregivers are the face of the company. "Our agencies hire caregivers that first and foremost align with our company's core values." Gail went on to explain that their agencies do a complete interview process of each hiring candidate. "We look for the three most important qualities in our caregivers which is professionalism, empathy, and strong communication skills." Additionally, the agencies do a comprehensive background screening, training and verification of skill competency. "Each AHHC agency has a robust pool of caregivers but we are always looking to hire additional caregivers that meet our guidelines and criteria for caring for our clients," Gail said.
According to some of the agencies' caregivers, Assisting Hands motivates their employees to give the best care possible. "They treat their caregivers with very high standards," said Fatima L. She went on to say that the company strives to provide quality care to their clients for all their individual needs. "Because of this quality care it makes a great difference to all elderly clients and their families."
Some of the other comments made by various Assisting Hands caregivers are "I applaud this company for the high standards and ethics that I have witnessed..." - Julie J.
"I have worked for home care companies in the past and none of them are at all like Assisting Hands Home Care. I feel like a genuinely valued employee." Kelsey L.
"What I have experienced since working at AHHC is that the company truly cares about its clients just as well as its employees. They are always willing to help and go the extra mile to meet everyone's needs." LaEasha G.
Assisting Hands Home Care and their employees believe that there is value to offering dependable care and compassion to those in need which is witnessed on a daily basis by both the staff and the clients. No matter what service is being provided, from light housekeeping and making meals to helping with bathing and grooming needs, caring for others with dignity and dedication is paramount to Assisting Hands Home Care which is reflected in AHHC caregivers.