Resident Advocate - SNF/Clearfield (56075)

Rocky Mountain Care Group•Clearfield, UT

About The Position

The Resident Advocate assists with planning, organizing, implementing, evaluating, and directing the facility’s Social Services Department in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local standards, regulations, and facility policies. The role supports resident-centered care, advocacy, care planning, discharge planning, and access to social services and resources. The position reports to the Social Services Director, Social Worker, Social Services Consultant, and Nursing Home Administrator; it has no direct reports. The Resident Advocate helps residents and their representatives understand and exercise resident rights, participate in care planning, address grievances, and access appropriate treatment and resources. The role includes documenting social-service interactions, supporting advance care planning, assisting with suspected abuse or neglect reporting and investigations as assigned, coordinating with facility departments, and completing administrative and quality-improvement duties. The position requires a high school diploma or equivalent. The employee must complete assigned training and competency requirements, follow facility policies and applicable regulations, protect confidential health information, and comply with safety and infection-control procedures. The role may require work beyond normal hours, on weekends or holidays, and physical movement and assistance during emergencies.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English.
Supportive team member with the ability to contribute to and model teamwork.
Ability to make independent decisions when circumstances warrant.
Ability to deal tactfully with personnel, residents, family members, visitors, government agencies or personnel, and the general public.
Patience, tact, and willingness to work with difficult residents, family members, and staff.
Ability to relay information concerning a resident’s condition.
Must not pose a threat to the health and safety of others in the workplace.
Ability to move intermittently throughout the workday and assist with resident evacuation during emergencies.
Meet facility general health requirements, including medical and physical exams and immunity-status checks for infectious diseases.
Ability to work beyond normal working hours and on weekends and holidays when necessary.
Ability to bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, perform overhead lifting, and perform other common physical movements needed for the position.
Ability to work around potential falls, equipment burns, odors, dust, tobacco smoke, disinfectants, other air contaminants, infectious waste, and infectious diseases or conditions, including AIDS, coronavirus, hepatitis B, and tuberculosis.
Ability to handle potentially hostile or emotional residents, family members, visitors, or personnel.
Effective verbal and written communication skills and sound judgment.
Ability to maintain composure in stressful situations; resourcefulness; strong leadership skills; and a positive attitude.
Ability to coordinate meetings and set and achieve goals; organized and efficient work habits.
Basic computer skills.
CPR license and first-aid training.
Agreement to abide by facility standards, policies, procedures, and compliance and ethics requirements; compliance is a condition of employment and a factor in performance evaluation.

Responsibilities

Assist the Social Services Director, Consultant, or Administrator with planning, developing, organizing, implementing, evaluating, and directing social services programs.
Meet with administration, medical and nursing staff, and related departments to plan social services as directed.
Participate in discharge planning, care-plan development and implementation, and resident assessments.
Encourage residents and responsible parties to participate in care-plan development and invite them to care-plan meetings.
Assist residents in obtaining transportation to medical appointments and upon discharge.
Accurately and completely document social-service actions and interactions in residents’ medical records.
Assist with facility policy development and annual review to support quality of care.
Help ensure staff understand residents’ rights and promote each resident’s dignity and individuality.
Engage in advance care planning for assigned residents upon admission and ensure advance directives are reviewed regularly with residents or their representatives.
Help ensure staff know residents’ code status and end-of-life wishes, and help inform residents and representatives about health care options and their ramifications.
Advocate for residents and assist them in asserting their rights within the facility.
Report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation to the Social Services Director and/or Administrator; assist with reporting to the appropriate state agency and with investigations as assigned.
Help residents experiencing mental illness or psychosocial difficulties, including grief and loss, access appropriate treatment and resources.
Treat residents with dignity and respect; promote and protect residents’ rights; and comply with facility policies, business-conduct standards, and applicable regulations.
Maintain confidentiality of protected health information and report policy noncompliance, confidentiality breaches, retaliation, discrimination, and allegations of resident abuse, neglect, misappropriation, exploitation, or mistreatment to appropriate personnel.
Follow safety, hygiene, and infection-control procedures; report occupational exposures, work-related injuries, and illnesses; participate in life-safety and emergency drills and training; and fulfill assigned emergency-plan responsibilities.
Complete assigned training and skills competency requirements.
Interview residents and/or responsible parties to obtain social histories.
Arrange for residents to obtain items such as clothing and personal-care supplies.
Assist residents in voicing grievances and obtaining resolution; review complaints and grievances and report actions taken to the Social Services Director and/or Administrator according to facility procedures.
Participate in Resident and/or Family Council as needed or requested.
Assist with or arrange communication of residents’ needs using their primary communication method or a language they understand.
Coordinate social-services activities with other departments and complete and submit assigned reports.
Contribute to quality-of-care efforts by attending care-plan meetings, mandatory in-services, and requested department-head or standup meetings; serve on the QAPI or Behavior Management Committee if requested.
Coordinate meetings, set and achieve goals, and perform other duties assigned by the Administrator.