Group Home CNA

[t2091]

I finally got my license and have received an offer for a CNA position at a group home for developmentally disabled adults with about 4-10 residents depending on what home I end up working in. Has anyone had experience in a place such as this and could give me an idea of what's it like versus a LTC or semi-acute setting? Thanks.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I worked at a group home for developmentally disabled adults back in 2000 and 2001. Six adults were residents at the group home. Four of them had profound mental retardation, and two had mild mental retardation.

I worked the midnight shift, which was from midnight to 8:00am. I basically changed diapers as needed, prepared breakfast and sacked lunches, passed oral medications in the morning, got the residents showered and dressed, made sure they caught the school bus in the morning, washed dishes, made beds, did laundry, completed flow sheets, and performed a whole host of random tasks.

In my opinion, working in a group home is far easier than working in a LTC or subacute type of setting due to less residents.

[lindseylpn]

I'm an lpn in a group home and I love it. It's a lot less stressful than ltc & more rewarding. I work with a dsp-direct support professional (basically a cna, they are called different things in different places, some have medication certification). We work as a team and have 3 patients. I do all the meds, tube feedings, all the "nurse" stuff :-) and 90% of the paperwork. We do all the repositioning and brief changes together and the dsp does the majority of the house cleaning. The rest of our homes don't have a nurse so the dsps either work by themselves or with another dsp and each of our homes have 2-3 residents.

[t2091]

Thanks guys. I also got an offer at one of the Life Care Centers of America and I'm torn on which to accept as my first job.

[rosey35cna]

Thanks guys. I also got an offer at one of the Life Care Centers of America and I'm torn on which to accept as my first job.

I know some people who have worked at the Life Center of America and it wasn't good.

[CNAMichelleC]

I actually did my clinicals at a Life Care Center, here in TN. I love it and would have worked there but the drive from my house was a little too far. It may depend on the individual facility.

[t2091]

Thanks guys for the input. I ended up taking the Life Care job as it was closer to home, better pay and they were really good about working around my school schedule.