Certified Hospice Aide

Kinder Hearts Home Health and Hospice•Amarillo, TX

About The Position

The Certified Hospice Aide is a paraprofessional member of the interdisciplinary group who works under the supervision of a registered nurse. The aide provides services to meet patients’ personal needs and promote comfort, observes patients, reports and documents observations and care, and is assigned in a manner that supports quality, continuity, and safety of care. The role includes personal care, assistance with meals and mobility, safety support, observation of skin and patient condition, and help with assigned household tasks. The aide must follow care and documentation standards, respect patients’ and families’ environments and needs, and participate in quality assessment and performance improvement activities. The aide must not perform nursing functions, administer medications, take physician’s orders, or perform procedures requiring the training and skill of a licensed nurse, such as sterile techniques. The employer is a separate operating subsidiary of The Pennant Group, Inc., which operates healthcare services through home health and hospice agencies and senior living communities across the United States.

Requirements

Successfully complete a state-established or other training program meeting the requirements of § 484.36(a) and a competency evaluation program, or a qualifying state licensure program or competency evaluation program meeting § 484.36(b).
Meet the training requirements of the State.
Be at least 18 years of age.
Be able to read and follow written instructions and document care provided.
Understand hospice philosophy and be comfortable providing specialized care to the terminally ill.
Provide satisfactory references from previous employers.
Be self-directing and able to work with little direct supervision; be secure with issues of death and dying and maintain a calm manner in a patient’s home.
Have empathy for the needs of ill, injured, frail, and impaired people.
Possess and maintain current CPR certification.
Demonstrate tact, patience, and good personal hygiene.
Be able to drive or have access to transportation for agency-related travel; maintain a valid driver’s license and automobile insurance coverage, and have access to an automobile.
Have good oral and written communication skills.
Have good organizational skills.

Responsibilities

Provide assigned personal care promptly and report immediately to the Case Manager if unable to perform a task.
Meet patient safety needs and use equipment safely and properly, including foot stools, side rails, and oxygen equipment.
Provide personal care such as baths, back rubs, oral hygiene, shampoos, and changing bed linen as assigned.
Assist patients with dressing and undressing as assigned.
Plan and prepare nutritious meals, including shopping, as assigned.
Assist with feeding as assigned.
Take and record oral, rectal, and axillary temperatures, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure when ordered and when competency has been completed or demonstrated.
Provide appropriate skin care and observe skin to help prevent tissue breakdown over bony prominences.
Report patient condition and significant changes to the Case Manager, and remain aware of caregivers, other household members, and interpersonal issues.
Assist with ambulation and exercise as instructed by the hospice nurse or therapist.
Offer and assist with bedpans and urinals, and provide assigned light laundry assistance.
Perform range-of-motion and other simple procedures as an extension of therapy when ordered and when competency has been completed or demonstrated.
Provide respite for the patient, family, or caregiver when on-site, as appropriate.
Keep the patient’s living area clean and orderly as assigned.
Follow the organization’s documentation and care procedures and standards of personal and professional conduct.
Participate in quality assessment performance improvement teams and activities.
Respect the patient’s and family’s or caregiver’s environment and the patient’s personal needs.
Do not administer medications, take physician’s orders, or perform procedures requiring the training, knowledge, and skill of a licensed nurse.