Sarah R.

Provided stand by and direct care during Activities of Daily Living (A.D.L's) including bathing/toileting assistance, dressing and general hygiene. I was responsible for medication management such as, distributing, refills, warnings of side effects or interactions. Utilizing my certifications in Range of Motion (R.O.M)/Restorative Care, we personalized an exercise plan specific to patients abilities and needs. Obtaining and recording vital signs. Basic house keeping and cooking.

Providing set up and stand by assistance during Activities of Daily Living, dressing, toileting, showering and basic hygiene. Obtaining and recording vital signs and weights reporting any questionable differences to the appropriate staff. I worked the weekend option schedule without department heads, left us responsible for setting up and assisting with activites/crafts, movies, church, ect. Helping in dinning room during meals, passing drinks and clearing tables as the residents finished. Making sure residents had toiletries and supplies, making beds with clean linens as needed/or on scheduled days, daily trash pick up, assising with personal laundry.

Under the direction of L.P.N. and department heads in a long term facility setting, having permanent assignments to specific a hall, mine being the Alzheimer/Dementia hall, I was responsible for direct/total patient care. Duties included, transfers utilizing mechanical lifts and/or gait belt depending on patients abilities and plan of care based on assessment and needs. Toileting being continent and/or incontinent care with specific guidelines set by State and OLTC regulations. Residents were totally dependent on staff for dressing, appropriate dress, and showering/general hygiene. Obtaining and recording of vital signs, intake an output, meal/fluid percentages, and weights as directed. Making sure the hall was clean and stocked with supplies. It was at this time that I took additional classes to gain my certification in Restorative Care, focusing on Range of Motion (R.O.M.) therapy, maintaining the use of joints and musles that would otherwise deteriorate without use. Making sure skin was in tact without breakdown or dryness. I was assigned the position of Supply Manager, working closely with Dietary, Laundry/Housekeeping supervisors, and Director of Nursing, ordering and passing the medical supplies for the facility.

As a medical staffing agency employee, I had the opportunity to work at multiple facilities giving me a wide range of experience. I provided care for toddlers/elementary age children with birth defects causing them to be completely dependent. This included transfering, dressing, showering/personal hygiene. More importantly the kind of one on one personal attention required by this job. At this time also working with teenagers that were completely dependent on caregivers to perform basic daily needs such as transfers and personal care, teenagers require a certain kind of attention all there own. While I spent quality time with this group of teenagers I was also responsible for providing direct/total care including personal hygiene, bathing and making sure they looked "cool!" This was a learning experience due to the fact that these patients were close to me in age, who would now need assistance for the rest of their lives due to choices. Filling in for the staffing needs at this Neurological Facility, the individuals had different brain or spinal injuries that occured after birth. Most of them being accidents involving vehicles. Other involved things like drugs or violence. The facilitirs I've encountered...the basic care is pretty standard...the clients are not.