Resident Assistant

Resident Assistants provide care for our residents with a variety of tasks including nurse delegated personal cares such as dressing, personal hygiene and grooming, mobility such as turning and positioning and transferring, elimination such as toileting and peri care, and medication administration with allowable medications to encourage independence. These cares must be completed according to each resident’s individual service plan and established procedures.

Resident Assistants also assist with supportive care tasks such as meal service, light housekeeping, trash removal, and laundry as well as provide companionship and activity engagement to provide a more thoughtful and complete care experience.

A. Resident Cares                         

• Ensure understanding of each resident’s current individual service plan.
• Ensure understanding of and adherence to resident rights. Fully understand resident rights including the right to be free from restraints and free from abuse. Any violation of resident rights must be immediately reported.
• Assist or supervise residents with personal care in a way that supports the highest level of independence and meets their physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual needs and preferences.
• Complete supportive duties such as laundry, bed making, and trash removal.
• Respond to emergencies and provide first aid treatment per training and policy. Report emergencies to Nurse on Duty. Complete incident reports as appropriate.
• Observe and report changes in resident condition to Nurse on duty and/or Director of Clinical Services.
• Provide timely, accurate documentation for individual service plans, medication records, and activity records.
• Following completion of medication administration and related training, administer or supervise self-administration of medications per physician order under the supervision of the Nurse and according to regulation.
• Perform RN delegated tasks per training and policy as assigned.
• Answer resident call lights promptly and courteously.

B. Dining

• Serve meals as prepared by the central kitchen as requested in accordance with all pertinent safety and health regulations, guidelines, and standards.
• Elicit residents’ direction in choices of foods.
• Maintain and clean equipment and cooking area to ensure safety and sanitation requirements are met. Ensure that the kitchen service areas are kept clean, tidy and organized in compliance with all regulations. Report repair and maintenance needs immediately.
• Take temperatures of foods and equipment. Maintain proper documentation for regulatory compliance.
• Help to prepare and serve appropriate snacks and meals.
• Support residents with independent eating only as directed by Nurse or Director of Clinical Services.
• Facilitate mealtime conversations and maintain a warm, pleasant atmosphere during meals.
• Ensure that necessary supplies, equipment, and utensils are clean and available.
• Provide necessary kitchen and dining room cleanup activities.
• Consistently follow standard principles of sanitation and universal precautions to preserve food quality and prevent the transmission of food-borne illness.

C. Housekeeping and Laundry

• Promote a homelike environment for all residents.
• In conjunction with housekeeping, maintain clean spaces throughout RSL including resident rooms and common spaces.
• Comply with all regulatory sanitation requirements pertinent to the physical environment.
• Use appropriate cleaning supplies and equipment when cleaning floors, furniture, bathrooms and other areas as needed.
• Understand and implement universal precautions to prevent transmission of disease through contamination.
• Assist residents as needed to wash, dry, fold and sort resident’s personal laundry. Provide assistance to ensure resident’s personal laundry is maintained in quality condition. Ensure the personal laundry needs of the resident met within the staffing resources of the household.

D. Teamwork

• Promote teamwork by showing dignity and respect to peers. Work scheduled shifts at scheduled times. Complete work as assigned.
• Demonstrate pride and loyalty to Three Pillars, Riverside Lodge, and our residents.
• Maintain a professional manner and demonstrate a caring demeanor in interactions with residents, family members, visitors and co-workers including consistently demonstrating respect for self and others in manner (body language, dress, etc.), spoken language, and behaviors.
• Maintain a clean, orderly, and safe working environment.
• Use equipment, supplies, and other materials with effort to reduce waste and maintain such in good working order.
• Take ownership of job responsibilities by initiating prompt and appropriate follow-up and/or action to problems.
• Ensure all needs and met and tasks for the shift are completed.
• Anticipate needs of residents and co-workers in a proactive manner, in an effort to increase satisfaction.
• Welcome suggestions and new ideas, viewing as opportunities to learn and improve services.
• Assist with resident moves in or out of rooms as requested.

E. Additional Duties and Responsibilities                                                      

•  Monitor building security and emergency systems including proper response to alarms.
• Maintain confidentiality of information in relation to residents, family members, visitors and co-workers.
• Achieve satisfactory performance in all performance evaluation areas.
• Keep current with job standards through in-service training, continuing education, and personal and professional development.
• Continually seek opportunities for Quality Improvement.
• Actively recognize and appropriately respond to customer needs.
• Assist in providing and performing activities with residents as assigned including scheduled activities. Encourage resident attendance at activities.
• Promote Three Pillars in a positive manner in all business interactions within and outside Three Pillars.
• Demonstrate knowledge of and support Three Pillars’ mission, vision, purpose, values, standards, policies and procedures, operating instructions, confidentiality standards, corporate compliance, and employee handbook.
• All other duties as assigned.

Minimum education, certification and/or licensure: 

• Department of Health Services CBRF training courses (Standard Precautions, First Aid, Fire Safety, and Medication Administration) training preferred or will be provided.
• American Heart Association (AHA) First Aid certification within 6 months of hire, or within 2 years of initial CBRF First Aid & Choking class. AHA First Aid certification is valid for 2 years and must be renewed.
• Required to become med delegated and be able to pass medications.

Physical requirements: 

• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• Able to walk or stand constantly; squat, kneel, twist, and bend frequently.
• Able to lift, push, and pull objects weighing 60 pounds frequently.

Mental requirements: 

• Read, write, and speak English fluently.
• Handle hostile or emotionally upset residents and loved ones.
• Able to work independently and make decisions within set guidelines.
• Demonstrate attitude of teamwork when interaction with coworkers, other departments, and supervisors.

Experience: 

• Healthcare facility, long-term care, or assisted living experience are strongly preferred.

Computer knowledge: 

• Ability to use computers for charting and communication.