Position Description: The Personal Care Aide is prepared to assist clients and families with personal care and home management. The Personal Care Aide provides services to patients whose medical conditions are stable. The Personal Care Aide works under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse.
The Personal Care Aide qualifications will conform to NYCRR Title X 700.2
Qualifications: Meets all general qualifications for employment contained herein. Has a certificate of basic training or has demonstrated competency by assessment methodology in a program approved by the New York State Department of Health. Has demonstrated interest in sick or disabled persons.
Physical Requirements:
Physical agility with repetitive occurrence including but not limited to: Walking, running, bending, stooping, climbing stairs, kneeling, crouching, reaching, sitting and twisting.
Lifting greater than 50 lbs repeatedly throughout the work day.
Ability to write, perform data entry and look at a computer up to two hours daily.
Vision acuity correctable to normal with normal color perception.
Hearing acuity correctable to normal.
Acute sense of smell for normal perception.
Ability to verbalize so that the average person can comprehend.
Cognitive Requirements:
Ability to provide direct care according to the established plan of care.
Ability to carry out a variety of treatments and procedures.
Responsibilities:
Assist with care of the teeth and mouth.
Assist with care of the hair including shampooing and shaving.
Assist with ordinary care of the nails, including washing, drying, and filing with an emery board.
Assist with bathing in bed, tub or shower.
Assist with feeding.
Assist with walking, use of walker, or wheelchair.
Assist with dressing.
Assist with transfers from bed to chair or commode and back.
Prepare and serve meals according to instructions.
Change bed linen.
Dust, vacuum, and straighten the room that the patient uses.
Wash dishes, scour kitchen and bathroom sink.
Maintain general cleanliness of the patient environment.
List needed supplies.
Shop for patient in the absence of family members.
Launders patient's clothes and linens in the absence of family members. The following health related tasks may be performed by the Personal Care Aide who has had documented training in such tasks and is deemed competent to perform them in performance of patient care under conditions in which the patient is self directing. Self directing means that the client is capable of making choices about activities of daily living, understanding the impact of the choice and assuming the responsibility of the choice or the client has an individual, agency or other formal organization assuming responsibility for making choices about activities of daily living. This requirement is governed by the document "Level I and Level II Personal Care Aide Function and Tasks, Scope of Practice"
Permissible Tasks:
Preparation of a simple, modified diet.
Weighing the client.
Infant care.
Hydraulic lift use.
Assistance with self-administration of medication.
All Personal Care Aides report client condition changes immediately to RN.
Document care as directed by the agency.
Participate in conferences, and ongoing training as directed to do so.
Other such duties as assigned by the managing nurse.