Residential services typically refer to support and care provided to individuals with disabilities in a home-like setting. A DSP, or Direct Support Professional, plays crucial roles in these services.

Some of the task you will be entrusted with:

• Personal Care: You may need to assist residents with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and grooming, ensuring their comfort and dignity at all times. Additionally, monitoring their hygiene and providing emotional support are essential aspects of this role. 

• Medication Management: Ensure residents take prescribed medications correctly and avoid any medication errors by maintaining accurate medication records, educating residents about their medications, and promptly addressing any concerns or side effects they may experience. Your vigilant oversight of this crucial aspect of their healthcare is paramount.

• Housekeeping: You will need to maintain a clean and safe living environment for the residents, including cooking and cleaning. Additionally, organizing recreational activities and creating a warm and inviting atmosphere within the facility can greatly enhance their overall quality of life and well-being.

• Behavioral Support: You may need to help manage challenging behaviors through positive interventions, creating individualized behavior plans, and working closely with residents and their families to promote a nurturing and supportive environment that fosters personal growth and emotional well-being. Your empathy and patience are invaluable in this role.

• Skill Development: You will be teaching residents life skills, like personal hygiene, cooking, budgeting, and communication, empowering them to lead more independent and fulfilling lives. Your guidance and mentorship play a vital role in their journey towards greater self-sufficiency and confidence.

• Emotional Support: You will need to offer companionship and emotional support to residents, fostering meaningful connections and providing a comforting presence during their daily lives. Your empathy and genuine care can make a significant difference in their overall emotional well-being and happiness.

• Health Monitoring: Keep accurate records of residents' health and report any issues to healthcare professionals promptly, ensuring that any changes in their condition are addressed promptly and with the utmost attention to their well-being. Your vigilance in this aspect of care is vital in maintaining their health and safety.

• Transportation: You will assist with transportation in the company vehicles to medical appointments or social/community outings, making sure residents are safely and comfortably transported. Your role as a reliable and compassionate driver enhances their access to essential healthcare services and enriching social experiences, contributing to their overall quality of life.

• Documentation: Throughout the shift, you will need to maintain records of residents' progress and daily activities, ensuring that all pertinent information is accurately recorded. This documentation serves as a crucial reference for the care team and helps tailor individualized care plans to best meet each resident's needs and goals.

Throughout the provider training, you will learn further about other roles that you will play and what will be expected of you while you work as a representative of Open Arms Link. This comprehensive training will equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in your multifaceted role, ensuring you can provide the highest standard of care and support to our residents.

BEGINNING YOUR SHIFT

• Always greet the people who live in the home positively!

  • Remember, that it may be your work location, but it is THEIR home.

• BEFORE THE STAFF YOU ARE REPLACING LEAVES, always visually check all the people who are home, and find out where anyone else is and when they are expected home.

• Always read the staff communication/Recent Notes at the start of your shift to keep up to date on what’s going on at the home. If you have not been at work for a few days, go back to the last time you worked and read all the entries.

• Ask the staff that are leaving if there are any special instructions or information that might not have been in the log.

DURING YOUR SHIFT

• ALWAYS know where everyone is.

• Know who is medically fragile or especially vulnerable and may need special precautions, care or supervision.

• You must follow the Individual Plan of Service/Treatment Plans (IPOS) for each person. These are specific guidelines on what to do to help each person stay healthy, safe, and to become more independent.

• As you get to know the people who live here, you will develop a relationship with them. We hope these will be trusting, friendly relationships, but remember they are also professional relationships.

• Remember that some of the people you help could get in trouble in a hurry. NEVER leave a person who is unsteady on his feet alone in the bathroom. Even for a minute! Plan ahead for these situations. If assisting in bathing, make sure you have shampoo, towels, change of clothes, etc. before you begin. If you forgot something, call for another person to get it for you. Don’t ever hesitate to ask for help!

• NEVER LEAVE KEYS LYING AROUND!

• Meals are planned by menus and prepared with recipes. Be aware if any of the people living in the home require special diets, need their food cut up or pureed, need special assistance or supervision because they may eat too fast or choke on certain foods or liquids. Educate yourself on individual needs related to meals. Substitutions are allowed!

• Documentation is your best friend! While you are working on a shift, you will be busy with different tasks to help meet the needs of the people who live there. Give yourself credit for the hard work you do by making sure it is properly documented. Remember... if it isn’t written down it didn’t happen!

BEFORE YOUR SHIFT ENDS

• Always make sure all of your daily charting, shift summarizes, and all other required documentation is completed!

• Always stay at the location until a trained staff arrives.  Give a team member(s) who are arriving to relive you a briefing of your shift.  Give them any special instructions that may be needed during their shift.

• Complete a controlled substance count when you are signing over keys to the next shift.

• Make sure you are signed out of any systems that you may be logged in on.

• ALWAYS PUNCH/CLOCK OUT on your timecard/payroll system.

• Always say "goodbye" to the individual's if they are up and awake.