**SIGN ON BONUS, PTO, GAS INCENTIVES**

Job Summary

The Home Health Aide is responsible for direct personal care of the client's daily living needs and for the compassionate and accurate performance of job duties.

Minimum Qualifications Preferred (Must Have One of Three)

• Active Ohio STNA License
• Ohio CNA Certification that is less than two years old
• One full year of experience within the last two years where RN supervision can be verified

Major Job Responsibilities

• Follows the Plan of Care for Home Health aide responsibilities, and notifies the RN Case Manager or Horizon Home Home HealthCare office if the Plan is not available in the client's home.
• Bathes clients, including shampooing hair. (Clients must sit, not stand, while in shower unless able to steadily bear their own weight on the judgment of RN) A shower chair or stool of sturdy non-corrosive material should be used. The aide may assist with a tub bath if, in the RNs judgment, the bath can be safety carried out. Non-slip mats and safety rails are necessary.
• Attends to the client's skin care; trims fingernails (except for client with poor circulation or diabetes); assists with oral hygiene, assists with dressing. Trimming of toenails is not allowed.
• Assists clients with ambulation, as necessary; assists with transfers; assists with support equipment such as a walker, cane, crutches.
• Accurately performs urinary catheter care and empties bedside commode, as necessary.
• Assists clients with exercises, as required, such as range of motion.
• Assists clients with toileting via use of bedpan, commode, urinal; assists with incontinence care.
• Performs light housekeeping including, but not limited to, changing of bed linens, vacuuming, sweeping and washing of floors; dusting of the client's immediate environment, emptying wastebaskets and garbage as necessary. The refrigerator/freezer is defrosted, when necessary, if the client or caretaker is unable to do so. Cleaning of the bathroom shall including cleaning of the bathtub and/or skin prior to and after client use including, as necessary, cleaning of the pans used in administering a bed bath. The floor shall be mopped if it becomes wet. Cleaning the kitchen shall include washing dishes used by the aide to fix meals for the client, wiping counters and dry mopping the floor. Washing inside widows within reach form the floor may also be done.
• Plans meals and assists with feeding.
• Launders personal laundry of the client, essential to the client's health care.
• Run errands, if directed in the Plan of Care, such as picking up medications, and does grocery shopping of essentials at the nearest grocery store.
• Assists with self-administration prescription medications. The Home Health Aide should remind the client to take their own medications. This includes bringing the medication to the client. If does not include determining the quantity of medication, nor directly giving the dosage to the client.
• Provides transportation for the client, family member and/or caretaker only with permission from Horizon Home HealthCare office.
• Provides companionship, motivation and emotional support to the client with friendliness, care and compassion.
• Appropriately and accurately completes required agency records; maintains communication with the agency.
• Appropriately and accurately observes patient status; reports and documents changes in patient condition for agency and RN Case Manager.
• Recognizes emergencies and reacts appropriately and accurately with emergency procedures; practices basic home safety.
• Practices Universal Precautions for infection control including, but limited to, hand washing techniques.
• Other job - related duties as requested or required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of the skills and abilities necessary to perform direct personal care for individuals in their homes, and the ability to perform these skills and abilities with compassion, accuracy and dependability.
• Knowledge of the correct practice of Universal Precautions and the ability to apply Universal Precautions to the performance of job responsibilities in home health care.
• Knowledge of the use of support equipment such as, but not limited to, wheel chairs, walkers, canes, and crutches, and the ability to assist individuals in the use of this equipment with safety, caution, and care.
• Knowledge of the correct completion of required written and oral reporting, and the ability to give concise, accurate and timely reports as required or requested.
• Knowledge of the correct procedures for emergencies including, but not limited to, fire and health emergencies, and the ability to reach calmly and accurately.
• The ability to recognize changes in the client's condition and/or behavior, and to report these changes in a timely manner to the agency and RN Case Manager.
• Knowledge of the procedures and philosophies constituting the delivery of exceptional customer service.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions, including the accurate use of highway and street maps.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, other departments and consumers.
• Ability to deal courteously and diplomatically with staff, clients and the general public.
• Ability to be trained to accurately operate equipment necessary to function of the position.