ALF/Lead Caregiver

Odd Fellows•Walla Walla, WA

About The Position

The Lead Caregiver provides oversight and assistance to caregivers during assigned shifts, oversees scheduled care and services, and helps ensure adherence to care plans and facility procedures. The role also provides assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) and medication services for residents in the assisted living facility. The position supports nursing staff, the Resident Care Manager, and the Assisted Living Director as needed, and reports to the Assisted Living Director, Resident Care Manager, or Charge Nurse. The Lead Caregiver coordinates and monitors care schedules, assists caregivers with care and medication passes, distributes work, and helps maintain resident records in the electronic medical record. The role observes and reports changes in residents’ conditions, participates in care planning, and assists with dining, activities, resident transfers, and other routine needs. The Lead Caregiver is expected to uphold residents’ dignity, rights, safety, privacy, and confidentiality; follow facility policies and applicable regulations; and participate in training, drills, and quality improvement activities. This position requires caregiving experience in long-term care, leadership training, and the ability to perform resident care tasks involving movement, lifting, and extended periods of walking, standing, sitting, bending, and stooping. Work may involve exposure to infectious materials and other environmental hazards, and may require working beyond normal hours, weekends, or holidays when necessary.

Requirements

Home Care Aide certification.
At least two years of caregiving experience in long-term care.
High school diploma or equivalent.
Current CPR/BLS certification.
Meet initial leadership and continuing education leadership training requirements.
Have no disciplinary action in effect against certification.
Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English.
Basic computer skills, including the ability to navigate electronic medical record systems.
Ability to make independent decisions when circumstances warrant.
Ability to communicate resident condition information and deal tactfully and professionally with residents, families, staff, visitors, government personnel, and the public.
Patience, tact, teamwork, strong listening skills, and the ability to handle conflict professionally and courteously.
Positive interpersonal relationship skills with people of all ages and cultures.
Ability to move intermittently throughout the workday and to walk, stand, sit, bend, and stoop for extended periods.
Dexterity of hands and fingers sufficient to perform resident care.
Ability to lift, move, push, or pull a minimum of 35 pounds.
Ability to bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, perform overhead lifting, and make beds according to facility standards.
Knowledge of safe body mechanics, gait belt use, and injury-prevention practices when assisting residents.
Meet facility health requirements, including medical and physical exams and immunity-status checks.
Ability to work beyond normal working hours and on weekends and holidays when necessary.
Ability to assist with evacuation of residents during emergencies.
Must not pose a threat to the health and safety of others in the workplace.
Ability to work with potentially hostile or emotional residents, family members, visitors, or personnel, and to tolerate possible exposure to falls, equipment burns, odors, dust, tobacco smoke, disinfectants, air contaminants, infectious waste, and infectious diseases or conditions.

Responsibilities

Provide oversight and assistance to caregivers during shifts and ensure scheduled care and services are completed.
Monitor shower, laundry, refrigerator-cleaning, assistive-device-cleaning, and vital-sign schedules, including required documentation.
Assist caregivers with resident care, medication passes, and daily tasks; assign additional tasks and distribute work equitably.
Carry the nurse phone and keys when the nurse is at lunch, away from the building, or when additional support is needed in an emergency.
Assist residents with activities of daily living in accordance with care plans and facility policies and procedures.
Provide routine standby assistance for resident transfers.
Assist with dining-room service, meal delivery to residents’ rooms when needed, and feeding assistance in emergency or hospice situations.
Deliver nutritional supplements at assigned times and assist residents as needed to support intake.
Assist with weighing residents, record weights, and report weight changes to the nurse and supervisor.
Oversee monthly resident vital signs and their documentation according to assisted living standards and nursing instructions.
Help track residents’ skin condition and report pressure areas, skin breakdown, or skin tears to the nurse and supervisor.
Assist nursing staff with toileting program activities.
Document completed tasks and resident progress in the electronic medical record as directed.
Keep the nurse and supervisor informed of factors that interfere with assigned work, including resident refusals or reassignment to a nursing unit.
Report changes in residents’ conditions to the resident’s nurse and supervisor.
Check the schedule regularly, report to assigned shifts, and coordinate scheduling changes and time off with the administrator.
Set up basic activities, such as movies or card games, when the activities director is absent.
Attend weekly care conferences with assisted living administration and contribute to care plans and resident updates; participate in care plan creation and updates as requested.
Treat residents with dignity and respect, promote and protect resident rights, and maintain confidentiality of protected health information.
Follow facility policies, procedures, business conduct standards, state and federal requirements, safety measures, hygiene practices, and infection control procedures.
Report policy or regulatory noncompliance, confidentiality breaches, retaliation, discrimination, suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, mistreatment, or misappropriation of resident property to the appropriate personnel.
Protect residents from abuse and cooperate with investigations.
Report occupational exposures to blood, body fluids, infectious materials, or hazardous chemicals, as well as work-related injuries and illnesses.
Participate in life-safety and emergency drills and training, and carry out assigned responsibilities during activation of the facility emergency plan.
Complete assigned training and skills competency requirements.
Attend safety committee meetings if requested and participate in QAPI or facility assessment activities as needed.
Use proper lifting and body mechanics while providing resident care and assist with resident evacuation during emergencies.