SILVERSUN HOME CARE
HOME CARE AIDE (HCA) - JOB DESCRIPTION
Definition
Provides unskilled personal care and household services for stable, maintenance clients in their homes in compliance with a service plan.
Level of Responsibility
Office Manager
Duties and Responsibilities
1. Completed agency training or have verified experience in the provision of home care tasks to consumers and passed a competency evaluation.
2. Observation and maintenance of the home environment that ensures the safety and security of the consumer.
3. Assistance with household chores including cooking and meal preparation, cleaning, and laundry.
4. Assistance in completing activities such as shopping, and appointments outside the home.
5. Companionship includes, but not limited to, social interaction, conversation, emotional reassurance, encouragement of reading, writing and activities that stimulate the mind.
6. Assistance with activities of daily living, personal care and any other assignments as included in the service plan.
7. Completion of appropriate service notes regarding service provision each visit. Documentation shall contain services provided, date, time in and out, and confirmation that care was provided. Such confirmation shall be according to agency policy.
8. To delineate the types of services that can be provided by home care aides, evidence of training in and competency in understanding and identifying situations where skilled home health care would be needed to meet higher needs of the consumer.
(1) Skin care. A home care aide may perform general skin care assistance. They may perform skin care only when skin is unbroken, and when any chronic skin problems are not active. The skin care provided by a home care aide shall be preventative rather than therapeutic in nature and may include the application of non-medicated lotions and solutions, or of lotions and solutions not requiring a physician’s prescription. Skilled skin care includes wound care other than basic first aid, dressing changes, application of prescription medications, skilled observation, and reporting. Skilled skin care should be provided by an agency licensed to provide home health services.
(2) Ambulation. A home care aide may generally assist consumers with ambulation who can balance and bear weight. If the consumer has been determined by a health professional to be independent with an assistive device, the home care aide may be assigned to assist with ambulation.
(3) Bathing. Assist consumers with bathing. When a consumer has skilled skin care needs or skilled dressings that will need attention before, during or after bathing, the consumer should be in the care of an agency licensed to provide home health services.
(4) Dressing. This may include assistance with ordinary clothing and application of support stockings of the type that can be purchased without a physician’s prescription. A home care aide shall not assist with application of an ace bandage and anti-embolic or pressure stockings that can be purchased only with a physician’s prescription.
(5) Exercise. However, this does not include assistance with a plan of exercise prescribed by a licensed health care professional. A home care aide may remind the consumer to perform an ordered exercise program. Assistance with exercise that can be performed by a home care aide is limited to the encouragement of normal bodily movement, as tolerated, on the part of the consumer and encouragement with a prescribed exercise program. The home care aide shall not perform passive range of motion.
(6) Feeding. Assistance with feeding may generally be performed by the home care aide. They can assist consumers with feeding when the consumer can independently chew and swallow without difficulty and be positioned upright. Assistance does not include syringes, tube feedings and intravenous nutrition. Whenever there is a high risk that the consumer may choke because of the feeding the consumer should be in the care of an agency licensed to provide home health services.
(7) Hair care. Assist consumers with the maintenance and appearance of their hair. Hair care within these limitations may include shampooing with non-medicated shampoo or shampoo that does not require a physician’s prescription, drying, combing, and styling of hair.
(8) Mouth care. This may include denture care and basic oral hygiene. Mouth care for consumers who are unconscious, have difficulty swallowing or are at risk for choking and aspiration should be performed by an agency licensed to provide home health services.
(9) Nail care. This assistance may include soaking nails, pushing back cuticles without utensils, and filing of nails. Assistance by a home care aide shall not include nail trimming. Consumers with a medical condition that might involve peripheral circulatory problems or loss of sensation should be under the care of an agency licensed to provide home health services to meet this need.
(10) Positioning. A home care aide may assist a consumer with positioning when the consumer is able to identify to the personal care staff, verbally, non-verbally or through others, when the positions need to be changed and only when skilled skin care, as previously described, is not required in conjunction with the positions. Positioning may include simple alignment in a bed, wheelchair, or other furniture.
(11) Shaving. Assist a consumer with shaving only with an electric or a safety razor.
(12) Toileting. Assist a consumer to and from the bathroom, aid with bedpans, urinals, and commodes; peri care, or changing of clothing and pads of any kind used for the care of incontinence.
(13) Transfers. Assist with transfers only when the consumer has sufficient balance and strength to reliably stand and pivot and assist with the transfer to some extent. Adaptive and safety equipment may be used in transfers, provided that the consumer and home care aide are fully trained in the use of the equipment and
can direct the transfer step by step. Adaptive equipment may include, but is not limited to wheelchairs, tub seats and grab bars. Gait belts may be used in a transfer as a safety device for the home care aide if the worker has been properly trained in their use.
(a) A home care aide shall not perform assistance with transfers when the consumer is unable to assist with the transfer. Home care aides, with training and demonstrated competency, may assist a consumer in a transfer involving a lift device.
(b) A home care aide may assist the informal caregiver with transferring the consumer provided the consumer is able to direct and assist with the transfer.
(14) Medication reminding. Assist a consumer with medication reminding only when medications have been preselected by the consumer, a family member, a nurse, or a pharmacist, and are stored in containers other than the prescription bottles, such as medication reminders. Medication reminder containers shall be clearly marked as today and time of dosage and reminding includes inquiries as to whether medications were taken; verbal prompting to take medications; handing the appropriately marked medication reminder container to the consumer; and, opening the appropriately marked medication reminder container for the consumer if the consumer is physically unable to open the container. These limitations apply to all prescription and all over-the-counter medications. Any irregularities noted in the pre-selected medications such as medications taken too often, not often enough or not at the correct time as marked in the medication reminder container, shall be reported immediately by the home care aide to the supervisor.
(15) Accompaniment. Accompanying the consumer to medical appointments,
banking errands, basic household errands, clothes shopping, grocery shopping or other excursions to the extent necessary and as specified on the service plan may be performed by the home care aide when all the care that is provided by the personal care staff in relation to the trip is unskilled personal care, as described in these regulations.
(16) Protective oversight. A home care aide may provide protective
oversight including stand-by assistance with any personal care task described in these regulations. When the consumer requires protective oversight to prevent wandering, the home care aide shall have been trained in appropriate intervention and redirection techniques.
(17) Respite care and companionship. Provide respite and companionship in the consumer’s home according to the service plan if the necessary provision of services during this time does not include skilled services as described in this regulation.
(18) Housekeeping services. May provide housekeeping services, such as dusting, vacuuming, mopping, cleaning bathroom and kitchen areas, meal preparation, dishwashing, linen changes, laundry, and shopping in accordance with the service contract. Where meal preparation is provided, the home care aide should
receive instruction regarding any special diets required to be prepared.
(19) The agency does not allow home care aides to:
(1) Perform skilled home health services
(2) Perform or provide medication set-up for a consumer; or
(3) Perform other actions specifically prohibited by agency policy, regulations, or law.
-
Observes and reports to the Manager and/or Supervisor any changes from normal.
-
Maintains timely records of home visits.
-
Practices standard infection control precautions, basic first aid and home safety.
-
Attends appropriate education meetings.
-
Attends and participates in appropriate care coordination conferences, staff meetings, and agency committee meetings.
-
Performs other related functions as directed.
-
Maintains confidentiality in all aspects of job performance.
-
Complies with all applicable laws, regulations, and standards in performance of job functions.
Minimum Qualifications
-
At least 18 years of age.
-
Possess a high school diploma or GED.
-
Be able to communicate and understand return communication effectively in exchanges between the consumer, family representatives, and other providers.
-
Additionally related annual training that equals 5 hours each year.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
-
Knowledge of principles and procedures of personal care and safety practices in the home care setting.
-
Understanding of family interactions and aging process.
-
Beginning knowledge of nutrition and food service.
-
Beginning skills in personal care.
-
Ability to observe, report, and record client's care and condition accurately.
-
Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing.
-
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with management, clients and families, and staff members.
Special Requirements:
-
Valid, current state driver's license & proof of automobile insurance and access to a reliable automobile, public or other reliable transportation
Required Abuse Reporting:
If you detect any of the following signs of abuse or suspect abuse of the client, it is critical that you alert the Office Manager immediately. Reports that a caregiver has neglected or abused a client will result in an immediate investigation, pending discharge and/or criminal charges.
-
Personal care is lacking or neglected.
-
Signs of malnourishment
-
Chronic health problems
-
Pressure sores (bed sores)
-
Dehydration
-
Trauma to the genital areas
-
Venereal diseases
-
Signs of psychological abuse may also be present with sexual abuse.
-
Visual signs of physical trauma (e.g., scratches, bruises, cuts, burns)
-
Injury-especially if repeated (e.g., fractures, sprains, dislocation)
-
Repeated unexplained injuries.
-
Inconsistent explanations of the injuries
-
Gap in time between injury and medical treatment
-
Unusual banking activities
-
Documents are being drawn up for the person, which they cannot explain or understand.
-
Personal belonging is missing.
-
Signatures on checks and other documents do not match the signature of the older adult/disabled person.
-
Anxiety
-
Depression, helplessness, hopelessness, thoughts of suicide
-
Confusion, disorientation
-
Clinging, lack of eye contact
-
Agitation
-
Evasiveness
-
Care provider or family member withholds or reads older adult/disabled person’s mail.
-
Care provider or family member has removed all the doors from the older adults/disabled person’s room.
- Care provider or family member has installed locks on the outside of the client’s room door.
