Francis House Mission and Core Values:

Francis House provides a home and extended family to persons with terminal illnesses so they can die with dignity surrounded by the unconditional love of God. We will use our lived experience as a resource for others.

Our Core Values are Compassion, Acceptance, Respect, Dignity

Position Summary:

Caregivers at Francis House provide person-centered sacred care to people at the end-of-life. Under supervision of the Resident Care Manager, often a Nurse, this position is responsible for assisting with daily care activities to maintain Sacred Caregiving Standards for physical, mental, spiritual, and psychosocial well-being. At Francis House, caregivers become trusted companions, creating an environment where every person is treated with compassion, acceptance, respect and dignity while supporting residents and families during life’s most important moments. 

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities (Additional duties may be assigned): 

• Help and complete physical care to residents according to the individual care plan in a compassionate and understanding manner consistent with the Francis House philosophy. 
• Assist residents with hygiene and daily activities including bathing, oral care, skin care, meals, turning in bed and supporting hospice and family, administration of medications as necessary. 
• Ensure that resident needs are addressed in a timely manner, and they are treated with respect and dignity and feel surrounded by love in a peaceful, serene environment. 
• Provide light housekeeping duties.
• Monitor residents on an hourly basis for changes in condition. 
• Maintain accurate and detailed resident records so that any problem, plan of care, action, or goal are accurately and clearly stated, and changes are reflected as they occur and update medical staff and family members as needed. 
• Provide emotional and spiritual support to the residents and family during the disease and dying process. 
• Maintain the comfort, privacy, and dignity of each resident in the delivery of services to them. 
• Communicate and interact effectively and tactfully with the residents, visitors, families, volunteers, peers, and supervisors in a manner that displays warmth and promotes a caring environment. 
• Perform all job responsibilities in accordance with prescribed safety and infection control procedures including thorough hand washing, use of disposable gloves where indicated, and proper disposal of soiled materials. 
• Report all incidents and accidents immediately.

Resident Care/Service Accountabilities: 

• Support and demonstrate the organization’s mission, vision and core values.
• Demonstrate a commitment to Francis House philosophy of sacred care.
• Demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of death, dying, bereavement, ethical issues, palliative and spiritual care.
• Comply with the health and safety requirements of federal, state and local laws.
• Maintain organization and client confidentiality.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position does not have any supervisory responsibilities. 

Education and Experience: 

• 
  
• High school diploma or GED required.
• Current certified NYS Home Health Aide/CNA/LPN a plus.

Special Requirements:

• Must have patience, tact, and a cheerful disposition. 
• Ability to work shift work and weekends.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to work with and function as a team member at all levels within the organization.
• Ability to respect the dignity of all who serve and are served.
• Ability to educate residents and/or families as to the nature of disease and to provide instruction on proper care and treatment.
• Demonstrated skill in sacred caregiving, ability to cope with family emotional stress, and tolerance of individual lifestyles.
• Ability to observe and record symptoms, reactions, and progress.
• Ability to communicate with others in a courteous and professional manner. 
• Ability to maintain resident confidentiality.
• Ability to read and follow instructions on care plan.

Training Opportunities:

• Provided: Training in Sacred Caregiving program, medication administration under the direction of an RN, documentation procedures and equipment(see training opportunities section).
• Course and clinical work in Sacred Caregiving.
• Resident care logs and resident history.
• Clinical and social services documentation procedures and standards.
• Medical equipment use.
• Wheelchair and stretcher safety.
• Safe patient handling.
• Medication administration.

Equipment Used: 

• Hoyer lift, stretcher bed, and wheelchair.

Physical and Mental Requirements:

• Ability to sit, stand, walk, talk, hear, use hands to finger, grasp, handle or feel, and perform repetitive motions of the hands and/or wrists; push, pull, reach, stoop, bend, kneel and climb.
• Exerts up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently or constantly to move objects.
• Moderate mental and visual attention required to perform machine operations and set up, read, and document resident information.
• Clean professional appearance and commitment to self-care

Environmental Conditions:

Work is performed in a typical medical environment. Duties include handling garbage or soiled linen. There is substantial exposure to blood, body fluids and/or pathogens, infectious diseases, unpleasant odors and hazardous materials that require following extensive safety precautions and include the use of protective equipment including vinyl protective gloves, gown and mask. 

Disclaimer:

• All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.
• This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by their supervisor. 
• The company reserves the right to add to or revise an employee's job duties at any time at its sole discretion.
• This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” employment relationship.