Responsibilities

Under supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist, the Home Care Physical Therapy Assistant helps carry out treatment interventions as directed by the Physical Therapists. The staff Physical Therapy Assistant also performs designated routine tasks related to the operation of the department. The Home Care Physical Therapy Assistant demonstrates competency in skills necessary to provide quality service/care to primarily adolescent, adult and geriatric age patients in the home care setting.

Essential Functions:

• Demonstrates competence in the performance of the physical therapy treatment interventions and selected tests and measurements, which she/he is expected to provide for quality patient care to adolescent, adult and geriatric patient.
• Demonstrates the ability to assist the Physical Therapists in the examination and evaluation of new patients and in appropriate follow-through of the treatment plan on a continual, supervised basis to provide quality patient care to adolescent, adult and geriatric patients.
• Demonstrates knowledge and use of the patient pain assessment and management system by monitoring his/her patients' pain level and implementing appropriate pain interventions.
• Demonstrates awareness of treatment precautions and the need to closely monitor patient tolerance of treatments by ongoing patient observation to ensure safety and desirable provision of care.
• Shows ability to competently treat home care patients and instruct caregiver/patient.
• Assists the Physical Therapist in addressing the discharge planning needs and service early in the treatment program.
• Demonstrates high awareness of Infection Control and Universal Precaution principles in treatment application to protect the patient and self from infection.
• Shows initiative in his/her work and willingness to identify personal clinical education needs and methods to enhance professional growth to improve patient care and treatment outcome. Patient education is interdisciplinary whenever appropriate.
• Identifies and incorporates appropriate educational/teaching needs of the patient/caregiver into his/her treatment process to facilitate the learning components of the patient care plan.