Housekeeper/Laundry Aide

Meadowbrook at Oconto Falls•Oconto Falls, WI

About The Position

The Housekeeper/Laundry Aide performs day-to-day housekeeping activities to maintain the facility in a clean, safe, and comfortable manner, following applicable federal, state, and local standards and facility procedures. The role carries out assigned work under the direction of the Administrator and/or Director of Housekeeping and coordinates routine cleaning with nursing services when working in resident living or recreational areas. Duties include cleaning resident rooms and common areas, bathrooms, floors, carpets, walls, windows, hallways, stairways, and elevators; removing waste; conducting isolation cleaning; maintaining and storing equipment and supplies; and reporting hazards, equipment problems, accidents, incidents, or supply needs. The position also follows infection-control, sanitation, fire-safety, chemical-handling, confidentiality, and resident-rights procedures. It requires communication and tact when interacting with residents, families, visitors, coworkers, and others, as well as participation in meetings and required training. The job involves working throughout the facility, moving intermittently, responding to interruptions, and potentially working beyond normal hours, weekends, holidays, other shifts, or emergency call-backs when necessary. The employee may encounter hostile or emotionally upset people, infectious materials, hazardous chemicals, dust, disinfectants, tobacco smoke, and other workplace hazards. Physical duties include moving or lifting at least 25 pounds and potentially assisting with resident evacuation.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English.
Ability to make independent decisions, follow instructions, and accept constructive criticism.
Ability to deal tactfully with personnel, residents, family members, visitors, government personnel, and the public.
Ability to maintain supplies and equipment and the appearance of housekeeping areas, and to inspect resident rooms or units for sanitation, order, safety, and performance of assigned duties.
Willingness to work harmoniously with other personnel and to work with residents at their current level of maturity and ability.
Ability and willingness to seek out new methods and principles and incorporate them into housekeeping practices.
Ability to follow written and oral instructions for mixing cleaning compounds, liquids, and disinfecting solutions.
Ability to communicate information concerning a resident’s condition.
Must not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others in the workplace.
Ability to move intermittently throughout the workday and to speak and write English understandably.
Ability to cope with the mental and emotional stress of the position.
Adequate sight and hearing, with or without prosthetics, to meet the job requirements.
Ability to function independently and demonstrate flexibility, personal integrity, and effectiveness working with residents and personnel.
Must meet facility general health requirements, including a medical and physical examination.
Ability to relate to and work with ill, disabled, elderly, emotionally upset, and sometimes hostile people.
Ability to push, pull, move, and/or lift at least 25 pounds to a height of at least 5 feet and carry or move that weight at least 50 feet.
May need to assist with evacuation of residents during emergencies.
Ability to use appropriate safety equipment and supplies when lifting or moving heavy objects and handling infectious materials, hazardous waste, or chemicals.

Responsibilities

Follow work and cleaning schedules as closely as practical and complete assigned daily housekeeping tasks.
Coordinate routine cleaning assignments in resident living and recreational areas with nursing services.
Report accidents, incidents, hazards, equipment problems, missing or improperly labeled hazardous-chemical containers, and supply needs to a supervisor.
Protect resident and facility information, including protected health information, user IDs, and passwords; report suspected unauthorized access or disclosure.
Attend departmental and staff meetings, participate in assigned studies and projects, and complete required in-service education and training.
Follow fire-safety, sanitation, infection-control, universal-precaution, handwashing, chemical-handling, personal-protective-equipment, and waste-disposal procedures.
Maintain assigned areas in a clean, safe, comfortable, and attractive condition, free of hazardous objects.
Maintain housekeeping supplies in utility and janitorial closets and keep supervisors informed of supply needs.
Clean and properly store carts, equipment, tools, and supplies; assist with lifting heavy equipment and supplies as directed or requested.
Clean and sanitize resident rooms, recreational areas, bathrooms, furnishings, fixtures, windows, mirrors, floors, carpets, walls, ceilings, hallways, stairways, and elevators.
Set up appropriate caution and safety signs before floor-cleaning work.
Empty and sanitize ash trays using the specified metal containers with self-closing covers.
Remove waste and trash using proper containers and liners, and dispose of infectious waste appropriately.
Perform isolation cleaning in coordination with nursing services and according to infection-control procedures.
Turn in found articles to the supervisor.
Respect resident rights and property, knock before entering rooms, and inform residents when personal possessions need to be moved for cleaning.
Perform regular inspections of resident rooms or units for sanitation, order, safety, and proper completion of assigned duties.
Report suspected or known fraud, including concerns related to false billings, cost reports, or kickbacks.
Work beyond normal hours, on weekends or holidays, on other shifts, or during emergency call-backs when necessary.