Mental Health Care Assistant, Tertiary Older Adult

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Detailed Overview: Provides personal care and observation of patients with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) / serious mental illness, as directed by the Registered Nurse/Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RN/RPN), or LPN as required, using a person-centered approach. Works as a member of the interdisciplinary team to assist with activities of daily living, including personal hygiene, meals, laundry and organization; reports observations of patients' conditions to designated nursing staff; facilitates patients' participation in recreational activities; performs patient care tasks as assigned; accompanies patients on appointments and activities. Responsibilities:

- Provides personal care to patients such as assisting the patient with bathing, dressing, personal hygiene, prosthetics, elimination, and overseeing patient exercise routines.
- Assists patients in making beds, personal laundry, organizing personal belongings and assists them in retrieving personal care supplies from storage area as required.
- Assists patients with meals by serving and collecting meal trays and feeding designated patients.
- Performs procedures such as weighing patients, monitoring patients' nutritional/fluid intake and elimination, and collects specimens, and administers suppositories and enemas as directed.
- Charts/documents patient information in accordance with established procedures/practice on the patient care health record, and reports problems and/or changes to nursing staff. Observes patients as directed by the Registered Nurse/Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RN/RPN), or LPN as required, in accordance with the care plan.
- Monitors patient safety and responds to escalating behaviour through actions such as verbal de-escalation and use of other violence prevention strategies, in accordance with the care plan; advises nursing staff and/or seeks assistance from other members of the care team as appropriate.
- Assists nursing staff with care of patients in seclusion rooms as directed by the RN/RPN including assisting with activities of daily living, delivering food, and use of restraints.
- Carries out patient activity programs such as arts and crafts, sports, music, woodworking, cooking, gardening and exercises as directed; sets up and organizes furnishings and equipment for activity projects, teaches the techniques of related activities to patients/residents, oversees the patients/residents activities and reports problems and/or changes to supervisor.
- Escorts patients off unit for treatment or diagnostic procedures; transports patients utilizing mechanical aids such as wheelchairs and/or stretchers.
- Carries out patient activity programs outside the facility; checks that patient/resident has appropriate clothing and necessary equipment for the activity, confirms details of proposed activity with nursing/medical staff, co-ordinates the movement of patients/residents during the activity and teaches the techniques of related activities.
- Participates in orientating patients, families, staff, volunteers, and students to the unit by familiarizing them with the layout of the unit, patient rooms and unit routines.
- Assists care team with routine search of rooms and patient belongings in order to maintain unit safety.
- Assists patients with retrieval/storage and/or relocation of personal effects to different rooms within the unit.
- As part of the interdisciplinary team, participates in team meetings and ward rounds as directed and provides feedback on observations related to patient care pro