Working as a care provider in the home (nurse or caregiver) is highly responsible for attendance. These clients have Care because they need Care, their families have planned to work, they never break, and they are feeling burned out; the care provider on the previous shift needs relief so they can go home to their families. It is easy to lose sight of how important what you do day-to-day is for your clients. But you make their lives better. You allow them to be capable human beings. You encourage them. What you do is more than provide Care. It disrupts their Care needs when a call-off, a no-show, or somebody quits without notice and a positive transition.
Your role as a care provider is crucial. The patients and their families rely on your consistent presence and effective communication, especially when you need to call out or are running late. Your commitment to good attendance and timely communication is imperative for the smooth operation of our team and the well-being of our clients.
It is the responsibility of the care provider to read and understand the client's care plan before arriving at their shift.
If you are unfamiliar with a task within the care plan, please request additional training—before—when you need to use this skill to ensure that you are comfortable completing care. It is a professional responsibility to recognize where your training may need growth.
While we acknowledge the necessity of using your phones for charting, we strongly urge you to refrain from using them during patient care. We request that you reserve phone usage for breaks and ensure it is done in a respectful manner. This is not just a guideline, but a crucial step in upholding a professional and respectful environment for both our clients and our staff.
All staff should look professional and clean, and this includes maintaining good personal hygiene. Care staff may wear scrubs or business casual clothing. Clothing shall be in good repair, be of an acceptable length, and fit properly. Midriffs and abdominal areas should be covered. All clothing must be clean and wrinkle-free. Professional appearance and good personal hygiene are required. Makeup, perfume, cologne, or scented lotions should be minimal and considerate of clients and families. Clothing should be free of the smell of smoke. Long jewelry, such as hoops or dangling earrings, and necklaces outside of clothing should not be worn. Fingernails are to be short (1/4-inch max) and clean. Artificial nails are not acceptable when providing direct patient care. Body piercing should be modest.
Footwear: must be closed toed, have tread, be appropriate for providing care. Shoes should be clean and in good repair.
Name Badge: Your individual name badge must be worn at all times unless stated in the care plan you should additionally upload a photo into your digital Axxess ID Badge.
Employees, we understand the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Therefore, we have designed flexible break and rest break schedules for hourly employees who work in administrative capacities or are completing visits. You are encouraged to take a 30-minute lunch break between your second and fifth hours and a 10-minute rest break at least every 4 hours. This flexibility allows you to manage your time effectively and ensures you are always at your best during work hours. Employees working in continuous care shifts must stay on-site and are considered “engaged to wait” (caregiving or nursing). Those who must remain on-site and engaged for shifts will be paid through their lunch break. You may take breaks and meals but are expected to respond to patient concerns. Please plan with your patient/family at the beginning of your shift about times to step away from care for lunch or prayer so that it accommodates both parties. Ensure tasks the clients need are completed before these times
Provide proper turnover when you depart shifts or take a break. If you leave for a break off-site, you will need to work with scheduling by notifying your supervisor, clocking out, and scheduling a second shift to cover the time you are away.
It is crucial that we, as a team of caregivers and nurses, provide proper turnover to the next shift or someone who can and is willing to provide care for the patient. Once you accept the client's care, it becomes our shared responsibility to ensure that your client has adequate care whenever you depart from them. Failure to complete effective turnover may impact your licensure as there is potential for it to be viewed as abandonment or neglect.
Providing a comprehensive report to the oncoming care provider- staff, or family is not just a task, but a crucial step in reducing errors and ensuring continuity of care. This report may highlight areas of concern that need to be addressed with the following care provider, equipping them with the necessary information to provide the best care possible.
Proper turnover means not just handing over the responsibility but also ensuring that the next caregiver is fully aware and prepared. It's not considered proper turnover if you leave for a break, lunch, or a walk without informing a capable caregiver, or if you leave a family member or another person in the house who is unaware of your absence and not expected to provide care. Similarly, leaving a shift without properly handing over patient care to a capable and willing caregiver is also not acceptable.
In the case of a call-off or schedule, rest assured that we will work diligently to get you relief as soon as possible. However, in the event that no one else is available to provide safe care, staff would be required to stay, ensuring that our patients' needs are always met.
Please ensure that all communication with clients goes through the main office. Whenever you need to make a scheduling change, modify a plan of care, or speak with someone, please make a phone call to the main office, and they will direct your call to the appropriate person.
It's important not to contact staff members directly, unless it's for returning a phone call. Using personal phone numbers or texting is not the preferred method to communicate with the main office, as employees may be out of the office due to vacation or illness, and messages may not be received promptly.
However, there is always an on-call person available. If you have an urgent issue, leave a message with the on-call staff, and they will arrange for a callback immediately. If you have called in with short notice and haven't received a callback within 15 minutes, please call again.