HOME COMPANION POSITION DESCRIPTION

Position: Home Companion

Supervised by: Administrative Coordinator or Director of Operations

Minimum qualifications:

• Current Driver's License, Proof of automobile insurance, and daily availability of a car for business use.
• Satisfactory compliance with ComForcare^SM bonding criteria.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate and interact with clients, families, co-workers, and all supervisors. Including ability to proficiently follow and process written and verbal instruction in the English language.
• Satisfactorily demonstrate and perform competency in direct care skills through completion of competency checklist.

Desired qualifications:

Six months of continuous direct care/home care experience.

Physical Qualifications:

1. Eighteen years of age or older.
2. Visual and hearing capacities functioning at a level sufficient enough to provide for the supervisory and physical care needs of clients.

Job description:

The Home Companion provides specifically defined, non-skilled health care services under the supervision of a Registered Nurse to enable the client to remain in the home.

The Home Companion is a non-licensed health care employee who provides personal care and light housekeeping services in a home care setting for clients and families who are unable to perform these activities independently. The Home Companion conforms to all agency policies and procedures including providing care in compliance with the agency Bill of Rights, observing client and family confidentiality, and adherence to agency dress code.

General responsibilities:

1. Meal planning, preparation, and assistance with feeding.
2. Emotional support and motivation through conversation, encouragement and recreational activities.
3. Maintenance of appropriate agency records, primarily in a senior care setting.
4. Present and conduct themselves in a professional manner according to the agency.
5. Adhere to infection control and safety procedures that are in accordance with policy.

Household management:

1. Light Housekeeping - including changing of bed linens, vacuuming, sweeping, dusting of client's environment, emptying client's wastebaskets and garbage. Refrigerators are defrosted, when necessary, if client is unable to do so. Cleaning of the bathroom includes bathtub, sink, and toilet. The floor should be vacuumed and mopped if it becomes wet. Cleaning of kitchen includes washing dishes, counter tops and the floor.
2. Personal laundry- That laundry that is essential to client's health care. Laundry for any family members or others in the same home is not the responsibility of caregiver.
3. Grocery shopping.

Performance standards:

1. Provides care in compliance with agency's established protocols and as specifically outlined in the client's service plan in a competent, safe, and timely manner.
2. Documents activities on required agency records.
3. Submits paperwork in a timely manner per agency policy.
4. Observes, reports and documents client's status and care provisions in a timely manner according to agency policy.
5. Attends mandatory in-services.
6. Attends additional in-services as schedule allows.
7. Functions in a positive and professional manner.

Services that are not permitted by home companions:

• Administration of medications (companions may remind and assist under nurse's care plan).
• Administration of enemas or douches.
• Assisting with any tube feeding.
• Providing any IV procedures.
• Administration or setup of oxygen.
• Monitor/Record vital signs.
• Provide care for any assistive devices/equipment (braces, slings, walker, and/or hoses).
• Monitor intake and/or output.
• Provide diabetic care, including monitoring hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, urine testing, and preparation of special diet
• Collecting specimens of any body fluids.
• Provide incontinent care- changing briefs, etc...
• Personal care such as bathing, toileting, dressing, etc...
• Companions can provide assistance in basic patient transfers as long as the patient has been assessed as capable of ambulating without assistance and/or another trained caregiver (including family) is involved.
• Application of warm/cold compresses for any clinical symptoms. A companion can prepare a compress under patient, nurse, or ComForcare administrator direction in an emergency situation.
• Assist with Range of Motion exercises.

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