Aged Care Support Worker

**POSITION DETAILS**
**POSITION TITLE CARE SUPPORT WORKER**

**REPORTS TO **Executive Officer

**AWARD/GRADE/LEVEL **Social, Community, Home Care & Disability Services Industry Award
2010

**HOURS **Casual/Permanent part-time

**LOCATION **Home based locations and other venues

**DATE CREATED **Updated November 2021

**REVISION DATE **November 2023

**ROLE PURPOSE **The Care Support Worker at ITSOWEL can expect to work with consumers who receive services either from our Commonwealth
Home Support Program (CHSP) or Home Care Packages Program
(HCP).

The Care Support Worker will develop a professional relationship with consumers and their family members or representatives to provide a reliable, high quality service where the consumers’ goals regarding their autonomy, wellbeing and cultural needs are primary.

They will maintain a consumer focused approach in all activities.

**WORKING RELATIONSHIPS **The position holds working relationships with:
**Internal stakeholders**
- Executive Officer
- Home Care Advisors
- Rostering and Client Services
- Coordinator
- Administration Officer

ITSOWEL Position Description, Care Support Worker, updated November 2021

**POSITION TASKS AND RESPONSIBLITIES**
The employee’s responsibilities include but are not limited to:
**1. CHSP: Social Support Individual & Flexible Respite**
**Social Support Individual** is normally provided in the consumer’s home but may include accompanying the consumer on an outing, transport to appointments or shopping. The support provided is consumer focused and helps them to participate in in the community.

**Flexible Respite** is to assist carers to have a break from their caring role and providing support to the aged person while the carer is taking a break.

**2. Home Care Packages Program**
The range of duties provided within a HCP is broader and is inclusive of Personal Care (including medication prompting), Cleaning and Household Tasks, In-Home Respite, Social Support/Community
Participation. The Care Support Worker will respond to the needs identified, within the physical limits listed below, and encourage consumers to participate in any aspect they choose.

**Personal Care**
- Assist in shower with soaping and rinsing hard to reach areas (ask the consumer first)
- Ask consumer if they would like their hair washed and assist with drying hair (use warm heat in winter)
- Dry consumer with large towel, offering the consumer a hand towel to dry themselves if they wish
- Wash feet and dry between toes where indicated
- Dress consumer from bottom to top reducing the consumer’s need to sit-stand-sit-stand
- Note any skin integrity problems for action (i.e. report back to the consumer’s representative)
- Medication Prompting - see below

**Cleaning and Household Tasks**
The extent of tasks will depend on the service duration, prioritisation of tasks with consumer may be required.
- Ensure bathroom is left tidy, floor is mopped and dried of water, shower is wiped down
- Laundering of towels and other items used in showering the consumer
- Clean areas used by consumer - vacuuming and mopping floors, small rugs shaken outside, clean toilet etc.
- Dusting of furniture within reach, consumer can assist if possible
- Ironing of essential items of clothing if required
- Laundering of essential clothing items and linen, without overextending to hang, if required

**Social Support/Community Participation**
- Accompany consumer to go shopping
- Assist with meal preparation, encourage consumer to participate
- Accompany to medical appointments
- Accompany to participate in social activity, visit cemetery or other community participation activities

ITSOWEL Position Description, Care Support Worker, updated November 2021

**In-Home Respite**
- Provide respite to the carer when they are absent from the home.

**Medication Prompting**
Medication prompting will be provided only when the consumer has all of their current medications dispensed via a Webster Pak.
- If consumer is unable to pop open the blisters in the Webster Pak, open it for them and place tablets into a small cup or dish. Count tablets with consumer. Watch them take the tablets.
- Never make a suggestion for an additional dose of a particular medication
- Consumer dials up the required dose if they use an insulin pen or other dispenser. Aged Care
- Support Worker checks dosage against prescription. Consumer self-administers.
- Update Medication Record in folder in consumer’s home each time medication prompting occurs
- Report back to Home Care Advisor any medication incidents - i.e. consumer refuses to take medication, throws them away, tablets due at time are missing from the blister cell in the Webster
- Pak

**Accountabilities within the Role**
- Identify hazards/risks affecting the safety of the consumer and yourself in the workplace; remediate the hazards/risks yourself if possible; report to Home Care Advisor for action if necessary
- Aged Care Support Worker is not to leave the