Resident Care Associate

POSITION SUMMARY

The Resident Care Associate provides the special service and care required to each ALZ / Dementia resident. Provides resident care and program/activity needs to residents while assisting in maintaining a positive physical, nutritional and social environment for the residents, while ensuring they feel safe and purposeful.

POSITION DUTIES/ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Assists residents with activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, transfer, mobility, and continence care while using appropriate modeling and validation techniques.
• Supports the resident’s abilities by understanding that all aspects of care can be viewed as an activity.
• Supports the resident’s family, friends and significant others as ongoing caregivers and members of the Caregiving team.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the cognitive, physical, behavioral and psychosocial approach to all aspects of dementia by using a sensitive approach to all aspects of resident care.
• Provides appropriate interventions to maximize the resident’s social and ADL functioning.
• Demonstrates therapeutic conversation and redirection conversation with residents, offering appropriate cues for participation in engagement and dining programs.
• Encourages residents to participate in daily activity programs.
• Participates with program staff and residents in daily programs and recreational activities as directed.
• Initiates programming and activities with residents, leading one-on-one, small group and large group activities.
• Demonstrates knowledge of residents regarding background, participation needs, physical abilities, interests, cognitive capacity and attention span capability.
• Participates in service plan updates and introductory visit updates.
• Serves residents food as directed, following dietary guidelines. Facilitates the Fieldstone Enhanced Dining program and provides snacks and hydration between meals and as needed.
• Knows and complies with all resident rights.
• Receives and gives reports of on-going shifts by oral and written shift report.
• Observes and reports any changes in resident’s condition (behavior or health), takes action to ensure safety of the resident and report to supervisor.
• Checks all residents daily for cleanliness, appropriate clothing, and any continence issues.
• Uses proper sanitary procedures to wipe tables and sweep dining room and kitchen after meals.
• Checks on resident rooms daily for general cleanliness and neatness; ensures high risk rooms are double checked.
• Checks common areas ¾ including bathrooms ¾ for cleanliness.
• Can measure and accurately record vital signs (temperature, pulse, blood pressure) as directed by nurse.
• Assists residents with medication per state regulations.
• Reports resident and family concerns and issues to supervisor.
• Successfully follows and implements the plan of care.
• Recognizes and assists in the prevention of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation (financial and other).
• Recognizes and reports to Program Director or Nurse a resident’s change of condition, including needing more time to deliver care due to the aging process.
• Provides ongoing supervision of residents’ health related activities: complies with health care instructions. explained by health care professionals and promptly and appropriately seeks and obtains medical attention when needed.
• Responds to emergencies and personal emergency response system and knows when to call for backup.
• Effectively handles difficult resident behaviors.
• Reacts calmly and effectively in emergency situations.
• Efficiently documents and provides accurate record-keeping as appropriate.
• Assures resident information is communicated to the team through the report process and communication log (i.e. appointments, outings, etc.).
• Documents residents’ material needs (i.e. briefs, clothing, toothpaste, pads, etc.) and communicates to family.
• Accurately completes incident reports prior to the end of shift and reports all incidents to supervisor.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Must possess a current Certified Nursing Assistant in accordance with the Massachusetts State regulations, or a Certified Home Health Aid Certificate. - required