Laundry Aide

Position Overview
Accepts the responsibility for processing linens and personal laundry with existing supplies and equipment according to current standard procedures and established schedule.

• Some knowledge of laundry methods, supplies and equipment.
• Follows verbal and written instructions.
• Sincere desire to work with elders and others who have a limited capacity for self-care.
• Mental and physical capacity to perform the essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodations.
• Work with and provide care to individuals of a wide range of personality types and maturity levels.
• Willingness to perform routine repetitive tasks.
• Demonstrate creative initiative and mature judgment in making competent decisions.
• Consistently maintains courteous, empathetic, and professional attitude.
• Maintain a professional appearance at all times.
• Communicate and comprehend orally and in writing to effectively receive and share information as necessary to perform job duties.
• Transportation accessible to enable flexibility of work schedule.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Assure Resident safety at all times.
• Willing to address each Resident by his/her preferred name as well as learn and abide by Residents’ Rights, rules and regulations.
• Commitment to work well with other staff avoiding petty conflicts that disrupt a productive work environment. Does not participate in facility gossip and rumors.
• Follows proper techniques in the use of chemicals and potentially hazardous materials in the workplace and ensures that established infection control and universal precaution practices are maintained when performing housekeeping and laundry procedures.
• Maintain confidentiality of all activities, persons, and records.
• Sort washable items by fabric, soiled condition and color.
• Keep soiled articles covered until ready to process.
• Use standardized procedures to pre-soak, wash, dry and hang or fold articles.
• Operate machines and equipment according to instructions. Report malfunctioning equipment promptly to Supervisor and/or maintenance.
• Promptly attends dryer upon completion of cycle to avoid excessive wrinkling.
• Fold, sort and stack clean linen prior to transporting to storage areas.
• Monitor laundry supplies, such as bleach, detergent, etc. and linen supplies and restocks as necessary.
• Ability to be economical with use of supplies and equipment in the laundry department.
• Maintain security of inventory to ensure availability of adequate laundry supplies.
• Weigh or count laundry items and forwards reports to Supervisor upon request.
• Maintain clean, sanitary and orderly work areas.
• Organize Residents’ personal articles for rapid identification and distribution and make sure they are returned as quickly as possible.
• Ensure safe, clean and sanitary environment, by reporting unsafe/hazardous conditions immediately.
• Adhere to departmental policies and procedures.
• Ensure adherence to Residents’ Rights by maintaining confidentiality and reporting any situations or individuals that fail to respect Residents’ Rights to the Executive Director or Director of Nursing.
• Listen to suggestions from Residents about laundry services and discuss indicated changes with Supervisor.
• Accept change in a positive and productive manner.
• Follow standardized work methods, and be particularly attentive to safety precautions, such as, storing supplies in a secure and locked location.
• Knock before entering Resident room and do not interrupt Resident unnecessarily.
• Comply and maintain correct isolation procedures as ordered by physician.
• Follow disease specific techniques as posted on Residents’ door.
• Launder isolation items separately. Use correct detergents/chemicals in processing contaminated laundry. Especially ascertain that contaminated waste and linens are bagged and labeled properly. Perform terminal cleaning when isolation is ended.
• Resident preferences are followed when providing care and service.
• Maintain Resident privacy, values and right for decision making.
• Immediately notify supervisor and Executive Director for any injury, illness, or if develop a condition, that might impact the aptitude to perform job functions.

Ancillary Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform duties in compliance with established policies and procedures.
• Note changes in Resident’s condition and report immediately to charge nurse or Director of Nursing.
• Maintain positive public relations by greeting Residents and visitors cheerfully.
• Establish and maintain positive rapport with administration, interdepartmental personnel, volunteers, Residents, visitors and outside agency representatives.
• Monitor personal items for wear and recommend replacements when indicated. May mend or iron some items as instructed by supervisor.
• Maintain an attitude of support for department activities.
• Remain alert to health safety standards by reporting expediently to his/her Director of Housekeeping/Laundry suspected unsafe conditions and respond according to policies and procedures during fire/disaster drills and emergencies.
• Respond quickly to requests to obtain annual TB tests.
• Do not work during periods of illness that might transmit disease.
• Adhere to safety policies and procedures by demonstrating proper body mechanics when lifting, bending and stooping.
• Demonstrate proper precautions to avoid accidental fires and bodily injuries.
• Adhere to dress code.
• Be receptive to constructive feedback from co-workers and supervisors.
• Attend mandatory in-services or seminars as often as possible and apply new knowledge to day–to-day job performance.
• Accept additional assignments within scope of training, education or experience that may be assigned from time to time by the Director of Housekeeping/Laundry.

Resident Rights

• Maintain the confidentiality of all Resident care information including protected health information. Report known or suspected incidents of unauthorized disclosure of such information.
• Ensure that the Resident’s rights to fair and equitable treatment, self-determination, individuality, privacy, property and civil rights, including the right to wage complaints, are well established and maintained at all times.
• Review Resident complaints and grievances and make written reports of action taken. Discuss such actions with Resident and family as appropriate.

Safety and Sanitation

• Ensure that you and all facility personnel, Residents, visitors, etc., follow established safety regulations, to include fire protection/prevention, smoking regulations, infection control, etc.
• Ensure that the building and grounds are maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner as well as in good working order by reporting all concerns to management.
• Ensure that you and all facility personnel follow established regulations governing the use of labels and SDSs for hazardous chemicals.
• Ensure that facility procedure manuals identify safety precautions and equipment to use when performing tasks that could cause bodily injury or exposure to a hazardous chemical or infectious waste.
• Ensure that you and all facility personnel follow established ergonomics policies and procedures to prevent selfinjury.
• Ensure that you and all facility personnel performing tasks that involve potential exposure to blood, body fluids, or hazardous chemicals are appropriately trained prior to performing such tasks.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT: All statements addressed in the "Working Hours," "Environment" and "Physical/Sensory Demands" sections below are applicable to all jobs maintained by the employer.

Working Hours: The employee will

• Be employed on a full-time, part-time or PRN (as needed) basis. May be subject to change after employment.
• Work unusual hours as necessary and as required.
• Be expected and required to adhere to policies and procedures regarding attendance.