Personal Care Aide (PCA)

The Personal Care Aide is responsible for providing patient assistance with nutritional and environmental support and personal hygiene, feeding and dressing and / or, as an extension of a self-directed patient, selected health related tasks in his / her home or facility under the supervision of a registered nurse.

Responsibilities :

• Carries out the Agency's mission, philosophy, goals and objectives within guidelines of Agency policy and position function.
• Interprets and implements the Agency's philosophy to staff and members of the community.
• Participates in the development and implementation of a realistic goal-oriented plan of care.
• Provides personal care and rehabilitative services and assists in activities of daily living as directed by the nurse or therapist.
• Follows care plan instructions as directed by the nurse.
• Provides Environmental Support :
• Make / change bed linen, occupied or unoccupied.
• Light housekeeping : Patient areas to include kitchen, bath, bedroom, etc.; dust, mop, sweep, vacuum, clean kitchen sink, counter, stove top, table, refrigerator, clean bathroom sink, tub, shower, toilet.
• Clean up after meal preparation and provision of care.
• Personal laundry : clothing and bed linen, wash, iron, and mend, prepare for laundry service.
• Maintain safe environment and clean patient equipment.
• Provides Nutritional Support :
• Develops menu.
• Prepares grocery list, shop.
• Prepares meals / snacks.
• Assists with feeding.
• Measures and records intake of food and fluids.
• Personal Care Functions- assists with or performs and records :
• Skin care.
• Grooming : hair shampoo, beard, nails, shave, oral hygiene, denture care; assist with dressing, apply elastic stocking, clean glasses.
• Toileting : bedpan, urinal, commode or toilet, adult diapers.
• Wound dressing : change clean dressing (band-aid, gauze pad and tape);
• Assist nurse with changing sterile dressing
• Performs and records simple measures :
• Blood pressure on arm
• Vital signs : temperature, pulse, respiration
• Collect specimens : stool, urine, sputum (without suctioning)
• Measure intake and output
• Test for urine sugar and acetone
• Weigh patient
• Carries out maintenance exercise program.
• Assists with use of medical supplies and equipment; assist nurse with changing sterile dressing.
• Walking : assist with our without assistive equipment, walk inside or outside of home, use of safety belt.
• Provides Related Supportive Tasks :
• Accompanies out of doors and to medical appointments.
• Assists with socialization and recreation activities.
• Assists with completion of personal business activities such as telephoning, correspondence, paying bills.
• Observes, records, and reports patients condition.
• Other Activities :
• Participates in selected case conferences.
• Maintains daily patient record and timesheet.
• Promptly informs nurse of changes, needs or problems with patients condition and / or environment.
• Performs related activities as directed by the nurse.
• Adhere to care plan instructions.

Qualifications :

Basic Training Program in home health aide services;

Equivalency Examination or Competency Only Program in home health aide services;

Written evidence of having successfully completed a New York State Department of Social Services approved Training or Competency Program in personal care services;