What Is the Job Description for a Home Care Provider?
A home care provider, also called a personal care provider or home health provider, assists with activities of daily living such as meal preparation and housekeeping tasks. Home care providers are often hired to help elderly or disabled adults who need some assistance to remain in their own homes but are not yet ready or able to move to an assisted living facility or nursing home.
A home care provider may assist with personal hygiene tasks such as bathing, toileting and dressing. Some home care providers have medical training that allows them to perform basic health-related duties, such as giving medications and monitoring vital signs. To perform these tasks, home care providers operate under the direction of a registered nurse, nurse practitioner or doctor.
Household tasks that may be performed by a home care provider include meal preparation and cleanup, laundry, housecleaning and running errands. Home care providers also often provide companionship for elderly people who might otherwise not have contact with others for days at a time.
Home care providers must maintain records of the duties they perform and the hours they work. They also maintain records of the client’s condition and any changes that should be brought to the attention of the client’s family or physician.