PCA

Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist with dressing, undressing, and bathing of the client, including routine skin care to include maintenance and care of external condom catheters.
• Assist with grooming of hair, cleaning of nails, and shaving with an electric razor.
• Assists with the care of teeth, mouth, and dentures.
• Provide incontinence care and toileting assistance: can include emptying of external indwelling catheters, i.e., Foley or suprapubic catheters, urostomy, or colostomy.
• Assists the individual to ambulate, turn/change positions, or transfer; often involves lifting greater than 25-50 lbs. or more at a time unassisted, performing extensive bending, stooping, standing, squatting, kneeling, crouching, reaching, and safely transferring clients using mechanical lifts.
• Prepare meals and assist the individual with eating or feeding, following special diets or swallow restrictions.
• Assists the individual with self-administered medications; may remind the individual of medications at prescribed times; doesn’t include pouring of, determining dosage of, instilling, injecting, or applying medications in any form.
• Provides supervision for those individuals who require the physical presence of an aide to insure their safety during times when no other support system is available.
• Provides routine wound care that does not include sterile technique, may wash with soap and water, and apply a non-sterile bandage.
• Obtain and report vital signs: temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and weight.
• Recognize and report significant changes in the client.
• List supplies needed for purchase, to grocery shop, and assists with mail if no caregiver.

Knowledge and Skills

• Ability to understand and carry out exact oral or written instructions without close or constant supervision.
• Possess and maintain an electronic device capable of sending and receiving email, for access to schedules and care plans, to record worked time, for the production of the client record, and to access off-site training courses.
• Possess good interpersonal skills to remain professional, ethical, and courteous to provide effective and appropriate services, while maintaining strict confidentiality.
• Maintain an unrestricted driver's license and automobile insurance.
• Complete all assigned trainings, evaluations, competencies, and license renewals, as required by the Agency, including a minimum of (12) hours of annual education.
• Must be telephone accessible and willing to work flexible hours throughout the service area.
• Maintain a bank account for direct deposit of wages earned.

Key Physical and Health Requirements

• Must be physically able to perform duties, often lifting 25-50 lbs. or more unassisted.
• Lift, push, pull, or move clients.
• Frequent bending, stooping, kneeling, squatting, crouching, reaching, stair climbing, or changes in body positions.
• Demonstrate proficiency in skills (hands-on).
• Must be in good physical and mental health to work in varied environments, which may include pets and smoke.
• A current, negative TB skin test.
• Successful completion of CPR and First Aid.