Certified Nursing Assistant/Personal Care Aide-PACE

Job Description

Job Description

About Us  

Community health is about more than just vaccines and checkups. It’s about giving people the resources they need to live their best lives. At Neighborhood, this is our vision. A community where everyone is healthy and happy. We’re with you every step of the way, with the care you need for each of life’s chapters. At Neighborhood, we are Better Together.

Neighborhood Healthcare PACE is a managed medical plan built around surrounding participants with a team of physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists and care coordinators to help them maintain good health and a good quality of life. Our goal is to keep our seniors happy and healthy at home surrounded by their family and community.

As a private, non-profit 501(C) (3) community health organization, we serve over 500k medical, dental, and behavioral health visits from more than 100,000 people annually. With two PACE centers located in Riverside County, our PACE program is positioned to serve over 650 senior participants.

ROLE OVERVIEW and PURPOSE

The PCA/CNA supports the mission and vision of Neighborhood Healthcare PACE by providing person-centered care to PACE participants across the day center and community settings to support their health, safety, independence, and quality of life. This role will assist participants with their basic needs, activities of daily living, recreational activities, and provide escort services for participants traveling to and from medical appointments and services. The CNA/PCA supervises participants, promotes safety, dignity, independence, and engagement, and supports the delivery of person-centered care and daily PACE Day Center operations.

Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.

Responsibilities

• Performs and records routine technical tasks for participants, such as vital signs (temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiratory rate), collection of specimens, as well as participant care documentation, including meals, hydration, toileting, and other assigned participant care activities, in accordance with established policies and procedures
• Documents adverse events, changes in condition, behaviors, incidents, and other observations that are pertinent to the participant's care, health, safety, and the interdisciplinary team's clinical decision-making
• Ensures documentation is timely, accurate, objective, and completed in accordance with agency policies and regulatory requirements
• Supports participant care by safely escorting, lifting, and positioning participants
• Reinforces selected patient teaching initiated by registered nurses
• Assists with taking inventory, transferring, and stocking assigned supplies and equipment to support daily operations
• Considers special needs and behaviors of specific participant age groups
• Prepares and performs recreational activities with participants, as needed
• Performs and assists with home visits, including activities of daily living (ADLs), transfers, and companionship
• Accompanies and escorts participants to medical appointments, pharmacy services, and other PACE services as assigned, including participant pick-up, return trips, arrivals, departures, and transfers, as needed
• Provides personal care for participants, such as toileting, bathing, eating, transferring, dressing, and grooming, ambulation, mobility assistance, and one-to-one participant support, as assigned
• Encourages participant independence and choice by providing assistance only as needed while promoting participants' highest level of function
• Provides continuous supervision of participants to promote participant safety, engagement, dignity, emotional well-being, and timely response to participant needs
• Provides behavioral support, cues, redirection, and emotional reassurance consistent with the participant's individualized plan of care
• Observes participants for changes in physical, cognitive, emotional, or behavioral condition and promptly communicates observations and concerns to the appropriate licensed staff
• Assists in carrying out the meal services program as directed, including serving meals/snacks and performing meal counts, preparing dining areas, encouraging hydration, assisting participants during meals, and restoring dining areas following meal service, in accordance with infection control prevention and food safety practices.
• Aids participants and families, as needed, by providing courteous, compassionate support; responding to routine care needs within the scope of the role; facilitating communication with the care team; and promoting participant dignity, comfort, and satisfaction throughout the participant experience.
• Supports participant flow in the day center by assisting with participant arrivals and departures, front desk coverage as needed, participant reception, escorting participants, coordinating participant movement throughout the day, and completing other assigned operational responsibilities in accordance with department procedures and leadership
  
• Follows infectious disease precautions to prevent the spread of organisms, including but not limited to proper hand hygiene procedures
• Performs assigned participant, environmental, and equipment safety responsibilities in accordance with department procedures and promptly reports identified hazards or safety concerns
• Attends and actively participates in the intake and assessment process, as needed by observing and documenting the participants' functional, cognitive, behavioral, and mobility status
• Identifies and promptly reports safety concerns, including fall risk, wandering or elopement risk, changes in condition, and the need for cueing or additional assistance as it pertains to their safe function in the day center and community
• Shares accountability for overall participant health outcomes by working in coordination with care teams
• Ensuring care is implemented as it was ordered, approved, and authorized by IDT; monitoring the participant’s condition to ensure that the care provided is effective and meets the participant's needs
• Regularly inform the IDT of the medical, functional, and psychosocial condition of each participant
• Attends center staff meetings and in-service educational training programs
• Supports care coordination across alternative care settings (ACS), as needed, by communicating pertinent participant information, observing and reporting changes in condition, assisting with transitions of care, and collaborating with the IDT to ensure continuity, safety, and implementation of the participant's plan of care.
• Provides hands-on training to CNAs and PCAs, as needed, on participant care tasks outlined in established competencies.
• Observes and validates that CNAs/PCAs demonstrate competency in required participant care tasks prior to performing them independently
• Other duties as assigned
  

Qualifications

Education/Experience

PCA

• High school diploma or GED required
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification is required upon hire and must be maintained as a condition of employment. These courses must follow AHA guidelines, but may be completed through approved online providers such as ProMed or other equivalent programs that meet recognized BLS standards
  • In addition, current CPR and First Aid certification are required for all PACE employees in accordance with CMS and DHCS requirements. First Aid training will be provided at onboarding and must be renewed annually.
• Minimum of six months of experience as a Personal Care Aide in a professional or personal care setting required
• Minimum of one year of experience working with frail, elderly, or medically complex populations required

CNA

• High school diploma or GED required
• Active California Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) certification required
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through an American Heart Association (AHA)-approved source is required upon hire and must be maintained as a condition of employment
  • AHA-approved courses include an in-person, hands-on skills check with a certified instructor using a mannequin to demonstrate CPR and emergency response techniques
  • Online-only BLS courses without a live skills check do not meet this requirement
  • In addition, current CPR and First Aid certification are required for all PACE employees in accordance with CMS and DHCS requirements. First Aid training will be provided at onboarding and must be renewed annually
• Minimum of one year of experience working with the frail elderly population required

Additional Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities)

• Valid CA driver's license and proof of auto insurance required
• Reliable transportation needed - may need to occasionally meet participants at medical appointments outside of regularly scheduled work hours (after regular start times/after)
• Knowledge of safe, effective, and participant-centered care practices and competency-based training principles
• Skill in demonstrating care techniques, observing performance, and providing clear, constructive feedback and coaching
• Ability to assess PCA performance, identify training needs, and determine when competency has been demonstrated for independent performance
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including superior composition, typing, and proofreading skills
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form
• Knowledgeable about and experience with working with elderly populations
• Ability to successfully manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Excellent planning and organizational ability
• Ability to work as part of a team as well as independently
• Ability to work with highly confidential information in a professional and ethical manner
  

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift/carry 50 lbs/weight
• Ability to stand for long periods of time

COMPLIANCE (Safety & HIPAA)

• Follows all safety procedures as outlined in Neighborhood Healthcare’s Illness and Injury Prevention Plan (IIPP) and report any injuries and/or unsafe conditions immediately
• Maintains current knowledge of policies and procedures as they relate to safe work practices
• Follows all safety procedures and reports unsafe conditions
• Uses appropriate body mechanics to ensure an injury free environment
• Familiarity with location of nearest fire extinguisher and emergency exits
• Follows all infection control procedures including blood-borne pathogen protocols
• Maintains privacy of all patients, employees and volunteer information and access such information only on a need-to-know basis for business purposes
• Comply with all regulations regarding corporate integrity and security obligations
• Reports all behavior and/or activity that are unethical, fraudulent, or unlawful

Pay range: $22.88 - $32.08 per hour, depending on experience.

Compensation Disclosure:  The posted salary range reflects the designated pay grade for this position. While this range represents the broader classification of the role, actual compensation will be based on several factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s overall knowledge, skills, and experience, market data and industry benchmarks, internal equity within the organization, Budgetary considerations and organizational needs. As a result, placement within the range is not guaranteed, and the full pay grade range may not be utilized.