Aide/CNA- Home Health

Job Profile Summary 

​This role focuses on providing professional and nonprofessional nursing care services in accordance with physician orders.  In addition, this role focuses on performing the following Nursing Support duties: Provides basic care services to patients, but does not have an RN or LPN license.  Positions in this nursing support work under the direction of physicians, mid-level practitioners, and may work under the direction of registered nurses depending on their unit.  A clinical technologist role that has specialized knowledge or skills gained through a combination of vocational education, training, and experience. This role will be most commonly applied to patient care and/or scientific/laboratory jobs.  An experienced level role requiring basic knowledge of job procedures and tools obtained through work experience and requiring vocational or technical education.  Works under moderate supervision, works through problems of a routine nature, but may at times require interpretation or deviation from standard procedures and communicates information that requires some explanation or interpretation. 

Job Overview 

The position is a trained paraprofessional who provides personal care and other incidental care to patients as instructed by and under the supervision of the professional clinician.  Position provide care to patients in a variety of community settings, including to patients under home health and hospice plans of care, residing in private homes, assisted livings, skilled nursing facilities and hospice inpatient facilities. 

Job Description 

Minimum Qualifications: 

1. High school diploma or equivalent. 

2. Certified Home Health Aide 

3. Licensed Nursing Aide 

Preferred Qualifications: 

1. Dementia Care and Hospital Care experience 

Duties and Responsibilities: The duties and responsibilities listed below are intended to describe the general nature of work and are not intended to be an all-inclusive list.  Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned. 

1.Provides care to patients as instructed in the home health aide or hospice aide care plan.  Provides the level of assistance designated in the plan of care, ranging from supervision and cueing to total care. 

2. Notifies the supervising clinician and or aide supervisor promptly when the patient refuses care or the patient’s care needs change. 

3. Provides patient care including bathing, dressing, grooming, ambulation/mobility, toileting and nutrition/hydration. 

4. Assists with grooming and dressing, including hair styling, manicure and pedicure, supports patient and family choices for clothing and accessories, hearing aids and eyeglasses. 

5. Provides bowel and bladder training, catheter care, ostomy care, and adaptive equipment (e.g., raised toilet seat) as designated in aide care plan. 

6. Identifies risks to personal safety (e.g. firearms in the home, oxygen safety) and promptly reports concern to aide supervisor. 

7. Follows designated infection control protocol including universal precautions, biohazardous disposal, and isolation techniques. 

8. Identifies changes in mobility, weakness, sleepiness, and fatigue and reports these changes to the supervising professional clinician 

9. Identifies physical, mental and functional changes and reports these changes to the supervising professional clinician 

10. Identifies respiratory concerns, such as a change in breathing pattern, or increased secretions and reports these changes to the supervising professional clinician 

11. Respects differences and maintains a neutral attitude regarding ethnicity, race, cultural background, religious/spiritual preference, sexual preference, age difference, living conditions, social and economic circumstances, and treatment choices (e.g. advance directives) 

12. Makes appropriate referrals for education for the patient and family. 

13. Facilitates effective communication between patient, family and care providers through the use of interpreters, active listening, reading, life reviews, clarifying goals of care, seeking answers for patient/family questions and using adaptive communicate devices if necessary. 

14. Maintains personal boundaries with patient/family 

15. Observes and reports threats to Patient/Family safety such a physical abuse, neglect, substance abuse, and the caregiver’s inability to provide care. 

16. Maintains professionalism with colleagues, peers and customers. Puts forth a positive agency image. 

17. Visits patients as scheduled. 

18. Notifies HHA Scheduler immediately if unable to keep visit appointment as scheduled. 

19. Demonstrates a knowledge and understanding of what to report to the CEO or Chief Compliance Officer when concerns of corporate compliance arise.   

20. Ensures compliance within guidelines set forth by regulatory agencies (DPH, ERISA etc.) and demonstrates compliance with Home Health Foundation policies and procedures.  

21. Practices confidentiality principles set by the agency and federal HIPAA/HITECH guidelines. 

22. Participates in all mandatory in-services. 

Physical Requirements:  

1. Frequent bending is required to care for patients in their bed or chair.  

2. Lifting may be required in transfer from bed to chair, chair to bed, up in chair or bed (lifting of other objects may be required).  Approximate pounds required to lift will range according to size of patient which varies from newborn to adult.  Object size varies.  

3. Walking and stair climbing is required in many apartments and homes which may have several levels of stairs.  

4. Able to distinguish hot and cold temperatures. 

5. Use fine motor skills to grasp items, manual dexterity and the motor skills to lift items. 

6. Able to detect and distinguish odors. 

7. Normal ranges of vision and hearing are required with or without correction.  

8. Able to speak clearly when forming words and changing vocal tone to accommodate clients' needs. 

Skills & Abilities: 

1. Flexible, sensitive to the needs of others, able to cope with emergencies. 

2. Ability to read/write and communicate in English.  

3. Excellent interpersonal skills. 

4. Tact and sensitivity in dealing with emotional or stressful patient situations. 

5. Responsible and reliable. 

6. Good organization skills.