About who needs care: Donald is a 62 year old that is kind, thoughtful, and caring. He has a bachelor in science from VT and MHA from VCU worked at VCU as a healthcare administrator prior to his spinal cord injury 36 years ago. He has two pet cats that he loves very much and is heavy into his aquarium hobby. He also loves to watch football and is a big fan of all Virginia tech athletics. He is a Christian that loves going church every Sunday if he can find a ride. Donald's care requires all activities of daily living. He has a C2 spinal cord injury and is entirely paralyzed. He can speak but requires mechanical ventilation. Transfers from bed to chair and frequent repositioning (every 2 hours). He has some equipment and some skilled nursing requirements that we will train a non nurse/ caregiver to do for him. The foundation of nursing is to do no harm and not doing his skilled care would cause harm so our caregiver absolutely must be comfortable with this. A typical 3pm - 11pm shift with Donald is as follows @3pm wash his face and give him a large glass of water with lemon then he takes a one hour nap in his wheelchair then Feed his cats. @4:00 Donald wakes up from his nap and might need suctioning of his trachea. Then he drives his chair using a sip and puff to his office to get on his computer where he will be until 5pm @ 5pm he eats dinner (or when ever you have something ready 5:15/5:30 is okay. He needs to be fed, don't mash his food or cut it into tiny bites he can chew and swallow just fine. He will drink another large glass of lemon with his medications after dinner. @6/6:30 he will need to have his bladder emptied by intermittent catheterization then he will do a weight shift in his chair and take a nap until 7:30 @7:30 he might need endotracheal suctioning again when he gets up from his nap (repositioning and using his heated and moisturized ventilator will loosen secretions and he will let you know if he feels he needs it, sometimes during his nap as well) then he will go back in his office and will ask you to give his fish some food. Fry food and guppy food but he will stay on his computer until 9:30 @9:30pm he will ask you to give the fish some more food veggie wafers and bottom feeder pellets of some sort. He has a 120, 29, & 10 gallon aquariums and probably 100 fish. He will have a bedtime snack, wash his face, brush his teeth, clean his endotracheal stoma and replace the inner cannula and drain sponges, and catheterization right before bed. He uses a mechanical over the bed lift. Make sure its charging when you come in at 3 because sometimes they forget to put it back on the charger. Lift him from the chair to his bed, undress him and turn him in his side. We have a lot of pillows we position him with. I try to wash dishes as I go and I just put all dirty clothes in the washer and start the washer before I leave at 11pm. That's a pretty typical day he may ask for help getting on his phone and making calls. Anytime you have to clean is also great appreciated I sweep/ vacuum daily and mop the floors once a week. Anytime spent disinfecting frequently touched surfaces with cleaner of your choice is also greatly appreciated (I don't use chemicals I use soap and water but he also has bleach, and vinegar use what you are comfortable with). His care is what really matters, helping clean is a bonus. Services needed include: meal preparation, errands / shopping, light housekeeping, feeding, bathing / dressing, and mobility assistance.
Mobility Assistance
Bathing / Dressing
Feeding
Light Housekeeping
Meal Preparation
Errands / Shopping