Direct Support Professional/Older Adults

JOB TITLE: Direct Support Professional/Older Adults

DEPARTMENT: Senior Adult Services

SUPERVISOR: Site Supervisor - Brown Program

Gesher Human Services is a bridge to hope and opportunity for people at work, at home, and in the community. Gesher’s workforce development, behavioral health, and inclusion programming serves all Metro Detroiters while meeting the needs of the Jewish community.

 GENERAL JOB DESCRIPTION 

Providing care and support to older adults with dementia in a day program setting.

QUALIFICATIONS 

Required:

• Valid Michigan driver’s license.

Other:

• Six months related work experience with senior adults who have cognitive, memory, and/or physical impairments preferred.
• Experience providing personal care and/or therapeutic activities preferred.
• Successful completion of Agency dementia training within the probationary period.
• Interpersonal skills sufficient to communicate with participants, public and staff.
• Reading skills sufficient to follow written instructions and writing skills sufficient to maintain logs and schedules.
• Interpersonal skills sufficient to communicate with public and co-workers, which may include older adults and individuals with physical and/or mental impairments.
• Six months to one-year related driving experience; background with 20 foot or larger buses preferred.
• Driving record must meet safe driving standards as established by Agency insurance carrier.

 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop an effective working relationship with each participant based upon knowledge of each participant’s psychosocial and physical health assessment.
• Help develop and monitor participants’ care plans.
• With input from professional staff, lead activity groups.
• Provide one-to-one support to participants when indicated.
• Assist participants with personal care, including toileting, hygiene, grooming, and bathing when applicable. Provide assistance in transferring individuals with physical impairments.
• Ensure safety of participants by monitoring their health status, behavior, and immediate environment.
• Accompany participants on outings to community sites.
• Assist with cleaning program areas as needed to maintain a sanitary environment, avoid risk to participants and enhance program operation.
• Prepare food for participants’ breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack.
• Transport designated passengers in SMART vehicle according to assigned routes and schedules.
• Ensure that transportation safety requirements are met.
• Ensure that all required vehicle maintenance is carried out on a timely basis, by checking and maintaining minor items and requesting/scheduling more extensive service. Clean the vehicle interior as needed.
• Attend technical/driving-related and program-related seminar(s) as necessary.
• Assist passengers on and off vehicle to ensure their safety, providing door-through-door escort as needed.
• Maintain trip records.
• Serve on Agency committee(s) as appointed.

Supplemental Duties:

• Provide supportive intervention to family caregivers, as requested.

 WORKING CONDITIONS 

Environmental conditions:

• Moderate noise (i.e., business office with computers, phone, and printers, light traffic).
• Ability to work in a confined area.
• Ability to sit at a computer terminal for an extended period.

Physical requirements:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to, stand, sit; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard, reach, stoop, kneel to install computer equipment.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work.
• Work involves physical assistance (i.e., transfers and mobility) of participants with weights averaging 130 pounds.

Accommodation(s):

As appropriate and fiscally reasonable.

 NON-EXEMPT 

This position is non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay in accordance with the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

The above job description is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be all inclusive or limiting as to specific duties. The Agency reserves the right to modify, interpret, or apply this job description in any way the Agency desires and in no way implies that these are the only duties, including essential duties, to be performed by the employee occupying the position. The described job requirements are subject to change to reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability.

This job description is not an employment contract, implied or otherwise and any employment relationship remains “at-will.”

Gesher is proud to be an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran or disability status, or any other applicable characteristics protected by law.