The role of a caregiver
The role of a caregiver in a senior living community is one of the most important positions in senior care and vital to the overall resident care and happiness. Caregivers provide hands-on support to residents everyday and often develop close personal relationships with residents as well as their families. Caregivers are often tasked with assisting residents to take a shower, helping with toileting needs or incontinence care and many other aspects of assistance of resident care. For more information as to what the state of Arizona requires from the caregiver or assistant caregiver position take a look below:
- A manager shall ensure that:
- A caregiver or an assistant caregiver:
- Provides a resident with the assisted living services in the resident’s service plan;
- Is only assigned to provide the assisted living services the caregiver or assistant caregiver has the documented skills and knowledge to perform;
- Provides assistance with activities of daily living according to the resident’s service plan;
- If applicable, suggests techniques a resident may use to maintain or improve the resident’s independence in performing activities of daily living;
- Provides assistance with, supervises, or directs a resident’s personal hygiene according to the resident’s service plan;
- Encourages a resident to participate in activities planned according to subsection (E); and
- Documents the services provided in the resident’s medical record; and
- A volunteer or an assistant caregiver who is 16 or 17 years of age does not provide:
- Assistance to a resident for:
- Bathing,
- Toileting, or
iii. Moving the resident’s body from one surface to another surface;
- Assistance in the self-administration of medication;
- Medication administration; or
- Nursing services.
Top Takeaway:
- Is only assigned to provide the assisted living services the caregiver or assistant caregiver has the documented skills and knowledge to perform;
You should always make sure caregivers are not overstepping the boundaries of their training. They should only be providing assistance to residents for skills they are documented to knowledgeable of.