Just hired at an assisted living facility.......

[dkjh]

Hello! I've been reading your forums for awhile and I love all the info! :) Anyway, I just became a CNA and got hired at a assisted living facility. I was told I'm in charge of everything, and I do everything like meds,vitals, toileting, showers, incontinent cares, laundry, vacuuming, etc. I am also the only one there, although I can get a hold of someone if need be. Starting next week there will be a total of 16 residents ( 4 coming in next week). My hours are from 2 -8:30 and I get paid $10.00/hr. What am I in for? My first impression was a heavy workload and 6.5 hours to get it done in and kinda low pay for doing everything. Also they seem to have a hard time keeping anyone on second shift. I'm the only one that's hired for second. The day shift has been taking turns taking second shift. My sister who has worked in an ALF told me to find something different. I don't know what to do. Help!

[aprilrose]

I work in assisted living and I only do personal care, no housekeeping and no meds. I would look for another place, maybe a larger company to work for.

[yousoldtheworld]

Give it a shot before you look for something else - it does sound like a lot. HOWEVER, it really depends just how independent the residents are. Some ALFs have mostly residents that require very, very little care, while some are a bit more care intensive. At any rate, I always think it's best to give a new job a chance - if nothing else, you'll know what your limits are and what to avoid in the future.

And all places have a hard time keeping 2nd shift - no one wants to work those hours because unless you're a morning person, it takes up the whole usable part of your day. So don't necessarily hold that against the specific facility until you see what's up. :)

[tomc5555]

Usually laundry is split between shifts, or days. You may do several residents laundry per shift. The same goes for showers.

You should get a schedule for cares.

I agree with the other poster, some of the people are very independent and require little assistance.

I can't advise on taking the job, other than these days its hard to find a job.

Good luck.