Home Health Aide

Company

Providence at Home with Compassus

The Home Health Aide (HHA) is a trained paraprofessional who performs basic nursing or therapy functions, such as personal care, prescribed therapeutic exercises, and household services essential to providing health care at home following a specific written plan of care. The Registered Nurse Clinical Case Manager supervises the HHA and the HHA plan of care in the home. If there is not an RN on the case, then a Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, or Speech Language Pathologist supervises the HHA and the POC for that case.

• Provides competent personal care as outlined on the Home Health Aide Plan of Care established by the patient, family/caregiver and case manager.
• Recognizes that the plan of care identifies the tasks the HHA is allowed to perform and that recognizing other patient’s needs requires a new POC to be developed by the case manager specific to that patient.
• Care provided in a safe, comprehensive fashion, treating each patient with dignity and respect while maintaining confidentiality.
• Performs basic nursing care as directed and instructed by the supervising nurse including taking and recording vital signs and temperature, performing simple dressing changes, assisting with routine bowel care.
• Provides personal care, including, but not limited to, bath assist, oral and denture care, skin, hair and skin, shaving, and nail trimming.
• Helps patient to use the bathroom or in using bedpan or commode.
• Provides care of surgical or prosthetic appliances or devices as instructed, i.e., catheters, colostomies, leg braces, dentures, etc.
• Assists with prescribed exercises which patient and aide have been taught by the Physical or Occupational Therapist or Registered Nurse and as described in the Home Health Aide plan of care.
• Assists patient in bed with positioning, assists patients in and out of bed, and assists with transfers and ambulation.
• Assists patients as per agency procedure with medications that are ordinarily self-administered by the patient under the direction of the Registered Nurse.
• Performs light housekeeping, which facilitate the patient’s self care at home and which are necessary to prevent or postpone institutionalization and are essential to the patient’s health care recovery at home.
• Observes and reports changes in condition, body functions, and needs to the professional responsible for patients care.
• Completes appropriate records and documentation of the status and the care and/or services furnished.
• Works collaboratively with interdisciplinary team to develop, implement, and update plan of care/treatment.
• Responds to urgent needs by prioritizing and triaging visits.
• Communicates schedule and work plan to supervisor and/or Scheduler daily and other team members as needed/appropriate.
• Provides patient information to Clinical Supervisor/Manager and staffing for efficient communication.
• Independently manages own caseload, plans and schedules home visits and coordinates with other team members as needed to maximize effectiveness of overall care plan.
• Organizes weekly schedule to attend required meetings within schedule of patient care needs.
• Organizes and coordinates transfer of patient information for coverage during absences.
• Provides reinforcement to patient and their family in areas identified in the Home Health Aide plan of care in order to promote the optimum independence and health at discharge.
• Obtains required 12 hours of in-service per year.
• This education may be classroom or documented “in field” education.
• Recognizes that ongoing instruction is necessary to maintain and advance skills and knowledge needed when caring for patient in their home.
• Participates in required agency in-service programs and community continuing education to remain clinically current in nursing assistant practice and home health care and participate in quality improvement programs as requested.
• Demonstrates ability to manage time effectively and efficiently.
• Is able to meet agency’s productivity expectations.
• Responsible to check, respond and follow-up with Voice Mail messages in a timely manner.
• Responsible to manage & update schedule on a daily…