Job Description

Summary: A Home Health Aide (HHA) is a trained paraprofessional prepared to assist healthcare personnel in providing services to clients by performing personal care and home management duties to maintain comfort, health and safety of a client living at home.

All employment at Best of Care is employment-at-will. This means that either the employee or Best of Care may terminate the employment relationship, with or without cause and with or without notice at any time and for any reason, or for no reason at all. No policy or practice of Best of Care, and neither the existence nor the content of this Handbook, should be construed as altering the employment-at-will relationship.

I agree that in consideration of the company employing me, I will not seek or accept employment either directly or indirectly from any customer of the company for at least 2 years after the last date of work that I was assigned. It is understood that this restriction shall terminate 2 years after the last day of employment with the company. Violation of this Policy shall warrant forfeiture of all income earned from the company clients up to $5,000.00.

Relationships: The home health aide is responsible to the coordinator, Human Resources, nurses, payroll, CEO, and President.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

All HHAs accept responsibility for their actions and:

Provides necessary information on health status, skills, specialties, and experience.
Attends Best of Care orientation and attends minimum of twelve (12) hours of in-service education requirements annually.
Practices safely and competently within the job description.
Communicates with Best of Care all problems and concerns related to carrying out job duties and the client’s status – including concerns of abuse and neglect.
Complies with state/federal regulatory acts and agency policies.
Communicates with office staff regarding all scheduling of home health aide services to clients.
Completes required documentation accurately and on a timely basis.
Adheres to strict privacy and confidentiality in regard to client's personal life and medical history.
Refrains from discussing personal problems, concerns, opinions, religious beliefs, and political beliefs with clients.
Establishes and maintains a therapeutic relationship with clients.
Provides necessary information to verify work availability.
Is knowledgeable and practices principles of infection control and universal precautions.
Acknowledges and complies with role as a mandated reporter of elder abuse, neglect, mistreatment, and misappropriation.
Employee is responsible to adhere to all agency policies to act as a role model in adhering to agency policies.
Provides psychological and emotional support to client.
Is accepting of and responsive to supervision of nursing and other supervisory staff.
Makes oneself available for consultation and conference with the Homecare Teams of assigned cases when necessary.
Escorts clients to appointments with the approval and permission of the supervisor.

The HHA assists in providing care by providing tasks according to the plan of care , such as:

Assisting or supervision of activities of daily living (ADLs).
Encouraging client to perform as much self-care as possible to enhance or maintain independence.
Participating in activities.
Assisting and encouraging clients to follow prescribed exercise programs, which may include range of motion (ROM) exercises and ambulation.
Providing and assisting with skin care.
Routinely protecting pressure point areas of the body by turning and repositioning dependent clients to prevent possible skin breakdown.
Observes and reports changes in skin condition.
Assisting and guiding clients with transfers and ambulation.
Assisting in elimination process by providing bedpan/urinal or bringing to the bathroom.
If required by care plan, measures and records intake and output.
Bathing assistance – whether complete or partial – in the shower, tub or as a bed bath.
Assisting with mouth care and hair care.
Simple dressing changes (non-sterile dressings only) and reporting wound status to supervising nurse.
Grocery shopping and planning/preparing/serving meals according to dietary restrictions.
Using and maintaining special equipment and supplies for prescribed care appropriately.
Informing supervisor of any change in client's condition or family/living situation.
Accompanying client outside of the home when permitted.
Providing or assisting with postmortem care.
Reminding client to take prescribed medications that are ordinarily self-administered.
Collecting urine samples when prescribed.
Performing only those duties listed on care plan except when instructed otherwise by clinical supervisor.
Maintaining a clean and safe home environment by performing household services such as:
1. Cleaning and changing bed linens.
2. Mopping or vacuuming floors.
3. Cleaning bathrooms and kitchen.
4. Laundering and ironing client clothes as needed.
5. Grocery shopping – using only the following methods of payment:

Cash
EBT
Check made out to specific store

Taking and recording vital signs, including temperature, pulse, blood pressure and respiration.

Observes, documents and reports to supervisors:

Physical, mental or behavioral changes in the client.
Actual or suspected instances of abuse, neglect, mistreatment, and misappropriation.
Emergency situations.
Requests from client, family or healthcare team any changes in schedule or service plan.

Prohibited Services and Activities

Performing any duties or procedures which require the skill or education of a licensed clinician.
Performing any duties or procedures not listed on the care plan .
Making judgment or give advice on medical or nursing problems.
Administering, instilling, or applying medications – both prescription and OTC.
Applying sterile dressings.
Administering enemas or performing disimpaction.
Performing any irrigations such as colostomy, urinary catheter, etc.
Performing gastric lavage or nasogastric tube feeding.
Applying hot or cold compresses.
Caring for tracheostomy tube.
Cutting toe or finger nails.
Bringing another person into the client’s home – even at client request, or if the client does not object.
Providing transportation for client, family or friends unless approved by Best of Care management.
Giving out personal phone number, email, or address to a client.
Working directly for Best of Care clients on a private basis.
Providing or purchasing alcoholic beverages, lottery tickets, and/or cigarettes
Handling client’s money including reconciling checkbooks, writing checks, using ATM cards, or providing banking services.
Performing any activity which will jeopardize client, agency or Best of Care employees.
Visiting clients or client representatives during unscheduled times.
Arriving late to a scheduled shift without notifying Best of Care staff.
Cannot work for a client if the client is not home.
Witness any legal documents or be identified as a client’s healthcare proxy, power of attorney or legal guardian.

All services provided by employees are to be scheduled with the coordinators directly. Communication and establishing scheduled visits is done through direct communication between: 1.) the client and the coordinator, and 2.) the coordinator and the employee.

All employees are only responsible and permitted to perform duties and tasks that are assigned.

Evaluation: HHAs must continue to achieve a satisfactory performance evaluation annually. Performance evaluations are conducted by a Nurse Supervisor.

Qualifications:

Is at least 18 years old.
Is flexible, sensitive to the needs of others, reliable, and able to effectively cope with emergencies.
Has successfully completed the required training program or its equivalent for Home Health Aides, and has demonstrated competency.
Is able to read, write and speak English.
Is able to carry out and understand directions and instructions.
Is able to document tasks and communication accurately.
Is physically and emotionally capable of performing the job duties.

Best of Care, Inc. Home Health Aide Functional Job Requirements

Job Summary: Employment in the position of home health aide does not guarantee a definitive number of scheduled hours per pay period. The HHA provides assistance with personal care and other activities of daily living in the client’s residence on an intermittent basis. HHAs are involved in safely transferring and ambulating of clients. This type of work requires the use of the body’s musculoskeletal system. Without applying proper body mechanics, there is significant potential for back injuries and muscle strains related to performing the duties of the job. In addition, this position is identified in the "At Risk" category for exposure to blood borne pathogens. All personnel are offered the HBV vaccine free of charge, as outlined in the “Exposure Control Plan”.

Essential Functions:

Educational and Training Demands: The HHA must have knowledge, skills and training appropriate to do the work required, including demonstrated maturity to handle effectively situations that may be emotionally demanding and stressful. The HHA will perform job duties proficiently with routine intermittent supervision. HHAs must be at least 18 years old and have completed approved training and hold valid certification within 6 months of employment.
Communication Demands: The worker must be able to relay emergency information by telephone, communicate with clients, relay client related information and communicate effectively with the supervisor. The HHA must also be able to follow a plan of care. He/she must ensure patient confidentiality.

Physical Demands – General Requirements:
1. Good standing balance defined as the ability to stand and walk without a loss of balance.
2. Full range of motion of upper body extremities as defined as the ability to obtain:
  1. Full shoulder flexion, extension, abduction and rotation.
  2. Full elbow flexion, extension, supination and pronation.
  3. Full wrist flexion, extension, radial and ulnar deviation.
3. Normal upper extremity strength defined as the ability to move the specified body part through a full range of motion against maximum resistance.
4. Full range of motion of lower body extremities as defined as the ability to obtain:
  1. Full hip flexion, extension, abduction, adduction and rotation.
  2. Full knee flexion and extension.
  3. Full ankle flexion and extension.
5. Normal lower extremity strength defined as the ability to move the specified body part through a full range of motion against maximum resistance.
6. Full trunk range of motion as defined as the ability to obtain full flexion and extension, rotation and side bending.
7. Full cervical range of motion as defined by as the ability to obtain full flexion and extension, lateral flexion and rotation.

Definitions Related to Activities Performed

Continuous: 66 to 100% of the time
Frequent: 31-65% of the time
Occasional: 10-30 % of the time
Rarely: less than 10% of the time

Occurrence of Activities to be Expected While on Assignment

Continuous: None.
Frequent: Standing, walking, climbing stairs, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, twisting, lifting, carrying, and repetitive hand motion.
Occasional: Crawling, sitting, pushing, pulling, reaching, and fine motor skills.
Rarely: Working overhead, balancing.

Weight Lifting Requirements

Continuous: None.
Frequent: Up to 20 pounds.
Occasional: Up to 50 pounds.
Rarely: More than 50 pounds.

Equipment Used to Carryout Job Duties: Gloves, aprons, masks, vacuum, washer, dryer, mops, brooms, etc.