Arthur’s Senior Care, Part-time Direct Care Professional (2-3 shifts/week, minimum)

Direct Care Professional (DCP) Complete Description And Requirements

REPORTS TO: Residential Supervisor (RS), Program Director (PD), Residential Coordinator (RC), Shift Supervisors and/or Residential Supervisor Assistants where applicable.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION: To provide for the health, safety and well-being of individuals with disabilities, and support their interests and choices so that they may lead fulfilling lives.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Interact with Residents

A. Talk to and interact with residents respectfully; be knowledgeable of and sensitive to resident verbal and nonverbal communication.

B. Provide guidance, counseling and assistance in order to engage residents in activities in the home and community in ways that are relevant and in tune with resident choices, interests, and concerns. Activities may include going to sporting events or out to eat, shopping, swimming, participating in exercise groups or church groups and other social activities as determined by resident choices. Choices must meet approval of supervisor.

C. Work with residents to discover and pursue personal goals in keeping with their Coordinated Support Service Plan Addenda (CSSPAs).

D. Guide and assist residents in learning daily living skills both in the home and in the community.

E. Support resident relationships with family members, friends, guardians and other advocates. This support may include but is not limited to facilitating phone calls, correspondence and visits with family and friends, and coordinating attendance at special events such as vacations, funerals, weddings and other celebrations.

F. Support each resident's personal and family religious belief system in the home and facilitate resident's attendance at religious services according to resident's choice.

G. Be attentive to and respect residents' desires and cues for personal space and privacy.

H. Interact appropriately and professionally with residents with regard to attitude, self-control, self-discipline, cooperation, tone of voice, language usage, and in other areas as needed.

I. Properly care for the house, furnishings and residents' clothes and make house TV, radio, and movie choices according to resident interests.

2. Support Resident Health and Well-Being

A. Read and follow each resident's CSSPA, protocols and program plans.

B. At the beginning of each shift, read resident Health Progress Notes ("HPNs"), Medication Sheets ("Med sheets") and the Communication Log ("Comm Log") going back to your previous shift in order to be aware of residents' current status and activities.

C. Make entries in HPNs, Med Sheets and the Comm Log as appropriate.

D. Provide guidance and assistance to residents in their personal hygiene and appearance in the areas of tooth brushing, bathing, toileting, perineal care, menstrual care, nail care, hair care including seeking/following guardian permission/direction with regarding to haircuts and hair coloring, care and selection of clothing and dressing appropriately for weather conditions.

E. Be attentive to resident medical issues and alert supervisors and/or house nurse to medical issues and/or changes in resident health and/or problems relating to medication or medical equipment. Also, alert day program staff and guardian as requested.

F. Follow medical orders and directions from medical staff and supervisors concerning resident health issues, treatments and therapies and be attentive to details in those orders and directions.

G. Talk to medical personnel by phone regarding resident health issues.

H. Accompany residents to medical appointments and to Urgent Care and the Emergency Room as needed. Facilitate communication of information between resident and medical staff. Assist resident participation in medical exams.

I. If a resident is hospitalized, follow training and directions in the hospital binder.

J. Administer topical, oral (by mouth or through feeding tube), ear, nasal, rectal and vaginal medication and any other treatment prescribed by medical personnel or required by supervisors and/or the house nurse.

K. Order medication refills as needed and pick them up from the pharmacy when necessary.

L. Assist residents in and out of the bathtub, the van, furniture and in other situations as needed. This may involve awkward, heavy-lifting. Use a mechanical lift or other lifting methods for moving residents who require them.

M. For those residents who require it, reposition them often as trained; this may involve lifting a resident and/or using a mechanical lift or other lifting methods.

N. Maintain records and documentation relating to resident finances and seek out receipts for all purchases and deposits made on behalf of residents.

3. Carry Out Safety, Meal Preparation and Cleaning Procedures

A. Safety and Emergency Response: follow all policies, procedures and training related to safety and emergency response.

1. Assist residents in evacuation drills and emergency situations in the home and in the community; this may include lifting and/or carrying residents who are non-ambulatory, non-compliant or for other reasons unable to move to safety.

2. Clear walkways, fire exits and driveways of snow and ice as needed.

3. Know how to use fire related equipment such as extinguishers and alarms as trained.

4. According to the resident's CSSPA, assist them with the appropriate adaptive equipment and properly secure residents with safety straps as trained.

5. Be familiar with all medical equipment used in the home including mechanical lifts and lifting methods.

6. Provide crisis intervention and assistance when necessary and as trained.

B. Meals, Food Handling and Preparation

1. Assist residents with meal planning, shopping for groceries, food preparation, and cleanup as needed.

2. Prepare meals following the regulatory standards and menu and nutrition guidelines provided.

3. Share food and table conversation with residents in family style meals when possible.

4. Assist residents with eating as needed.

5. Clean up table, food prep area, and dishes per regulatory standards.

6. Clean the kitchen appliances according to cleaning checklists.

7. Label food per regulatory standards.

C. Maintain a safe, clean and orderly home and van by:

1. Putting things away after use;

2. Follow the Cleaning checklist which may include tasks such as: taking out garbage and recycling; vacuuming and spot cleaning carpet; sweeping and mopping hard floors; cleaning bathrooms, disinfecting tubs and toilets; organizing cupboards; dusting; cleaning walls and windows; watering plants; purchasing and restocking supplies; changing light bulbs; cleaning and organizing the garage; and assisting with yard work; assisting with and/or caring for residents' pets, including feeding, watering, attending to the pets' health care and hygiene and cleaning up after them using equipment designated for those purposes.

3. Refueling and maintaining company van and completing van maintenance documentation as required.

D. Take care of laundry and bedding: Wash, dry, fold and put away clothes and other laundry in proper locations; change and launder wet or soiled bed sheets and disinfect bed when necessary, according to regulatory standards.

4. Seek and Follow the Advice and Directions of Supervisors

You must seek the advice of a shift supervisor, RS or RC, where applicable, when you have questions concerning your performance of the functions of your job. You must follow directions and assignments given by a superior concerning performance of functions of this position.

5. Work Effectively with Coworkers

You must work with coworkers as a team player. You must communicate with coworkers both verbally and in writing. You must recognize and respond appropriately to nonverbal and situational cues from coworkers, such as when there is a need for physical assistance with resident care or verbal reinforcement relating to a behavior issue. When problems or emergencies arise you must be willing and able to adapt to the needs of the group in the working environment.

6. Uphold Core Values

Understand and uphold the Company's Core Value statement at all times while on duty, regardless of personal practices and beliefs.

7. Participate in Training and Development

A. Assist, as directed, in training new employees.

B. Participate in performance reviews of your work.

8. Present a Positive Attitude and Professionalism

Present a positive attitude and maintain professionalism regarding all Company information (within the home, between ACR homes and outside the company) regarding resident, staff and company issues. This also means and refraining from inappropriate comments or gossip.

9. Adhere to Scheduling Policies

You must be punctual and ready to start your shift at designated times and you must continue working until you are replaced by another staff person. You must work a share of weekends and holidays.

10. Be On-Call