Caregiver Personal Care Assistant

About Senior Helpers of Gwinnett & DeKalb:

We are an independently owned and operated franchisee of SH Franchising, LLC dba Senior Helpers®. Senior Helpers® has been the nation’s premier franchisor of in-home senior care franchisees since 2005, with locations across the country. Our services range from specialized care for those with chronic diseases to companion services for seniors looking for assistance with daily activities. Our mission is to provide compassionate care and improve the quality of life for our clients, their families, and our employees.

We believe the best care comes from strong, trusted relationships, and we value collaboration with partners who share our commitment to dignity, respect, and compassion. We would welcome the opportunity to work with you and build a meaningful partnership that makes a positive difference in the lives of the seniors we serve!

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination/harassment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, and local laws.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The PCA is responsible for providing professional care giving services to our clients to help clients maintain independence while assisting with the activities of daily living and household and family support. This role will be servicing clients based in Tucker, Lilburn, Snellville, Stone Mountain, and the surrounding areas. 

SUMMARY OF ROLE

Full-Time/Non-Exempt: $15-16/hour; based on applicable skills & experience.

Benefits:

• Our benefits include group benefit plans, including Health, Vision, and Dental.
• Paid Training and Development.
• Flexible Schedule.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES (including, but not limited to):

• The performance of all personal care activities in a written care plan, which include assisting the client with personal hygiene, ambulation, eating, dressing, shaving, physical transfer, and other duties.
• Maintenance of a clean, safe, and healthy home environment, which may include light cleaning and straightening of the bathroom, straightening the sleeping and living areas, washing the client's dishes or laundry, and other tasks to maintain cleanliness and safety for the client.
• Other client care activities according to the care plan for a specific client may include the following: 

• Assisting with the change of a colostomy bag, reinforcement of dressing
• Assisting with the use of devices for aid to daily living such as a wheelchair or walker
• Assisting with prescribed range of motion exercises
• Assisting with prescribed ice cap or collar
• Completing simple urine tests for sugar, acetone or albumin
• Measuring and preparing special diets
• Teaching household routine and skills to well members of the family
• Measuring intake and output of fluids
• Measuring temperature, pulse, respiration or blood pressure
• Keeping records of personal health care activities
• Observing appearance and behavioral changes in the client and reporting to management
• Providing nutritional support.

• Assistance with a client’s self-administration of medication, including: 

• Taking the medication in its previously dispensed, properly labeled container, from where it is stored and bringing it to the client, or from a prefilled mediplanner
• Placing an oral dosage in the client's hand or a container and assisting the client in the self-administration process. 
• Applying topical medications
• Keeping a record of when a client receives assistance with self-administration of medication.

• Prepare necessary items such as juice, water, cups, or spoons to assist the client in the self-administration of medication
• Assist the client by placing unused doses of solid medication back into the medication container.

• Adheres to standard medical precautions.
• Additional duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Demonstrated ability to effectively interact with colleagues, clients and supervisors.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and self-control.
• Good comprehension and communication skills, with the ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through verbal and written communication.
• Demonstrated enthusiasm, trustworthiness, personal integrity and honesty.
• Decision making skills, with the ability to analyze information, evaluate results, and implement the best solution to solve problems or challenges.

• Proficiency in building rapport and fostering trust with both the internal Senior Helpers team and clients along with their family members.
• Verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills to effectively and respectfully communicate with company staff, clients, and clients’ families, even under stress.
• Ability to work autonomously and understand when a superior needs to be involved in decision making.
• Ability to assist others with moving and with other daily care activities.
• Ability to handle occasional physical and verbal mistreatment from clients with an understanding of the challenges of geriatric care.
• Ability to maintain standards of professionalism, ethics, and safe operation in the workplace.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma or educational equivalent.
• Current Georgia PCA licensure required.
• Prior work experience of 2+ years in home health/care or geriatric care preferred.
• Valid Georgia driver’s license and insurance, access to reliable transportation to and from the client’s location and/or facilities and have a vehicle available during assignments in order to assist clients.
• Must be available to work various shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability to successfully pass a background check & pre-employment screening, including a current TB test.
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) preferred; excellent written and verbal communication skills in both languages.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS (including, but not limited to):

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with medical limitations or disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to lift 50 pounds.
• Moving, lifting or transferring of patients may involve lifting of up to 100 pounds.
• Ability to reach forward and exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull or carry patients.
• Ability to use abdominal and lower back muscles over time without fatigue.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods
• Ability to talk, hear, bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, stretch, twist, sit, and reach.
• Fine motor skills to handle or feel and visual acuity including close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Ability to operate office equipment such as a computer, phone, etc.
• Ability to work in a constant state of alertness and in a safe manner.

Senior Helpers is an Equal Opportunity Employer.