Home care assistants provide direct and indirect age-specific care to patients outside hospital facilities. This position requires compassion, medical knowledge, and technical skills to ensure quality patient care in a non-hospital setting. The role requires not only physical assistance, but also emotional support, education, and care to promote the patient’s comfort and quality of life.
Purpose and Scope of the Job
A Home Care Nurse Assistant has to provide direct and indirect care for patients of all ages outside the hospital facilities. Their responsibilities include assisting patients with daily life activities, ensuring comfort, and providing treatments according to the physician’s instructions. They have to work under the supervision of home care administration. They must follow the home care program’s workflow, schedules, and instructions while maintaining high-quality care standards.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
The main responsibilities of the Home Care Nurse Assistant are as follows:
Clinical Responsibilities
• Home care nurse assistants prevent the spread of infection at home and in the client’s room.
• They will teach and aware the family members of all safety measures to be taken for the newborn or the elderly patient.
• They must document all activities done on the patient data sheet.
• The Home Care Nurse Assistants will inform the supervisors and families if they notice any changes or deterioration in the client’s condition.
• They will also do the bedding for bed-ridden patients.
• The Home Care Nurse Assistant will provide the catheter care (emptying drainage bags, recording intake and output) and assist in feeding (feeding patients, serving meals, helping with hydration needs, and preparing formulas for newborns).
• Helping with a range of motion exercises and positioning the patient when needed to prevent bedsores.
• Assist in ambulation or transporting patient in a wheelchair and ambulation with walkers and canes.
• Organize the patient’s room, and preserve his belongings. Read for the patient if required.
• Perform post-mortem care when needed.
• Report any misuse or damage of any instrument or equipment used.
Management Responsibilities
Home care nurse assistants are responsible for efficiently managing resources. Proper patient care should be ensured. They must track and charge all used consumables while adhering to the borrow-lend procedure for leased equipment. Providing patient and family education when necessary is essential to improving home care outcomes. Communicate with patients and their families if needed. Additionally, they must check the emergency kit and nursing bag daily, replacing any used items. When managing patients with infectious diseases, they must maintain safety and prevent the spread of infections.
Development and Planning
• Develop a prevention program according to the patient’s case (prevention of bed sores, prevention of pneumonia…etc.) following the Home Care guidelines.
• Respect patient confidentiality and privacy.
• Preserve the patient’s dignity
• Value the patient’s cultural beliefs and religious needs.
Physical Demands
• Ability to perform lifting.
• Ability to bathe the patient alone.
• Ability to deal with heavy-weight patients.
• Change the patient’s position when needed.
• Ability to work for extended periods while standing.
• Apply the ergonomic guidelines while working.
Working Condition
Home Care Nurse Assistants must be able to work under stress. They must be able to travel with patients when needed for an agreed period. They must adapt to the patient’s home environment. They must attend training when needed outside the work hours. They have to work on a shift rotation basis.
Qualifications and Skills:
Education: Certified in health care and nursing or any equivalent degree.
Experience: Has at least two (2) years of experience as a patient assistant. Preferable to have experience as a Home Care Nurse assistant.
Licensure: Not Applicable
Language: Able to read and write in English. Able to communicate in English with preference to Arab speakers.
Computer Proficiency: Basic Computer skills.
Performance Competencies:
• Have excellent communication skills.
• Have critical thinking to assess any alarming situation
• Have strong interpersonal skills and Time management skills
Principle Working Relationships and Remarks
• With patients and family members.
• With supervisors and colleagues.
How to Apply
Apply on the official website of Dar Al Shifa Hospital, Kuwait!
Note
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