PRIMARY DUTY 

The primary purpose of the Resident Assistant (RA) is to provide personal care to residents in a manner conducive to their safety and comfort consistent with policies and procedures while complying with state, federal and all other applicable health care standards. 

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS include the following. Other duties may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Assists with lifting, turning, moving, positioning, and transporting residents into and out beds, chairs, bathtubs, wheelchairs, lifts, etc.

• Assists with the daily physical and hygienic care needs of residents as directed. These duties include but are not limited to the following:

o Assists residents with dressing and ensure that dependent residents are dressed in clean, dry clothing appropriate for season, in good repair, changing clothes/gowns when wet or soiled.

o Gives or assists resident with bathing and daily dental/mouth care.

o Assists residents with hair combing, brushing, shampooing, and styling.

o Keeps incontinent residents clean, dry, and odor free; maintain per community policy.

o Assists residents with bowel and bladder functions.

• Makes beds and changes bed linens when soiled.

• Assists residents in preparing for activity and social programs.

• Assists and accompany residents with travel if necessary.

• Prepares residents for meals, assists, serving food trays or feed residents, as necessary and record/or report residents intake or acceptance of food, serve snacks or nourishments in between meals.

• Advises nurse of residents' status and condition at beginning and end of shift and documents observations as required.

• Maintains records and flow sheets accurately and timely.

• Observes and reports the presence of skin breakdown or redness to the nurse.

• Observes and reports any physical or emotional changes observed in the residents including any complaints or grievances made by the resident.

• Promotes a safe and clean environment.

• Assures that all equipment is clean and functional and reports any malfunctions to supervisor.

• Complies with requirements of procedures for safe lifting and/or transfer of residents per established policies and procedures.

• Washes hands before and after performing any service for the resident and follows infection control guidelines and universal precautions.

• Reports all hazardous conditions and equipment to a nurse immediately.

• Reviews care plans daily to ensure provision of appropriate care.

• Maintains confidentiality of all resident information and ensures resident privacy in accordance with HIPAA and community guidelines.

• Promotes and supports the greatest possible degree of independence for residents.

• Reports any issues or problems that may arise to the Nurse and/or Wellness Director.

• Complies with state, federal, and all other applicable health care and safety standards.

• Assists families and other visitors as needed.

• Attends/completes required in-services and other required meetings.

• Performs other duties as directed.

SUPERVISORY REQUIREMENTS of this position are generally as follows: 

This position does not require supervisory responsibility.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE an equivalent combination of education, training and experience will be considered. 

High School Diploma or equivalent; minimum of 1 year of previous long-term care experience preferred; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES which may be representative but not all inclusive of those commonly associated with this position. 

Reading Ability -Able to read and interpret written information . 

• Written Communication -Able to write clearly and informatively . 

• Verbal Communication -Able to talk to others to convey information effectively .

Reasoning Ability -Able to apply common sense understanding to carry out simple written or oral 

instructions. 

• English Language -Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language . 

• Math Ability-Knowledge of basic arithmetic . 
• Medicine -Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms and preventive healthcare measures. 

• Customer and Personal Service -Knowledge of principles for providing customer and personal services . This includes meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

•  Judgment and Decision Making -Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to 

  choose the most appropriate one.

• Active Listening -Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

• Safety and Security -Observes safety and security procedures; reports potentially unsafe conditions; 

  uses equipment and materials properly. 

  • Problem Solving -Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner . 

  • Organizational Support -Follows company policies and procedures . 

• Adaptability -Adapts to changes in the work environment; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent changes, delays, or unexpected events. 
• Planning/Organizing -Prioritizes and plans work activities; advises for additional resources in needed . 
• Attendance/Punctuality-Arrives to work/meetings on time . 
• Dependability -Completes tasks accurately and on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan.

• Professionalism -Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; accepts responsibility for own actions.

COMPUTER SKILLS/EQUIPMENT USED TO PERFORM THE JOB which may be representative but not all inclusive of those commonly associated with this position. 

• Various medical equipment, including, but not limited to, blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, Accu-Check machine, thermometer, weight scales, etc.

WORK ENVIRONMENT environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job. 

• The associate is occasionally required to wear protective clothing.

• The associate may be exposed to blood, bodily fluids, odors and airborne particles, dust or fumes.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

PHYSICAL ABILITIES commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the associate is frequently required to talk or hear, stand, walk, sit, stoop, kneel or crouch, use hands to use hands to grasp, manipulate or feel objects and reach with hands and arms. The associate is occasionally required to smell.

• The associate must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds unassisted. The associate may lift and/or move up to 200 pounds with assistance.

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.