For CNA or HHA light housekeeping is part of the description. But only for the client. If others live in the household, you do not clean up after them.
I worked for a VNA. A clients wife was able to get him help with a CNA/HHA while she worked.. The wife was complaining that the aide did not do laundry or wash dishes. My boss explained that the aide was there for the Client not the wife. If the aide got the client a meal, she was only responsible for the clean up from that meal. If wife and family left dishes in the sink, that was not the responsibility of the aide to wash them. Same with laundry, the aide does not wash the family laundry. Now if client soils his clothes or bedding, then the aide does not leave them for the wife. If the client makes a mess of course the aide cleans it up. Cleaning wise, aide is responsihle for the area the Client uses. Bedroom, strip beds and maybe dust and run the sweeper. Bathroom they use, yes clean it. But an aide does not clean for the whole household.
If your client lives alone, of course do some light cleaning but I don't think aides are responsible for cleaning a whole house.
Monday mornings with my client was ALWAYS cleaning the bathroom and doing her laundry. I would walk in the house and take a deep sniff and know just how MUCH work I would be doing. She was incontinent and refused adult diapers until her family refused to take her places b/c she'd inevitably have an accident and then they had a mess in their cars and homes.
I didn't have the same 'voice' with her as her family did. And it frustrated me to pieces that she'd wet herself and just let the soiled clothes dry out on their own. OR she'd dump the soaking wet clothes in the hamper to simmer all weekend.
Until her family put down their collective foot and forced her to wear depends, it was rough. I cleaned her bedroom carpet every single week. Her clothes hamper was cloth, and absorbed the odors so badly. That got replaced with a plastic one that could be bleached.
So--yes, a part of a CG day for me WAS cleaning. I knew that going in and so it was not an issue. I often did the dishes for the family, too, my client felt that if I was doing it and I worked for HER, then somehow, she was doing the dishes. If I had felt used or abused by this I would have spoken up.
My client was a wonderful woman and I loved what I learned from her.
You have to be upfront and honest with the family about what you will and won't do. If you work for an agency, things are pretty spelled out.
And yes, I cleaned up after more than one party. With my client kind of 'in charge'. The family never asked me to do things--it was my client who wanted to 'help' and I was her 'healthy body'.
If I understand correctly, you are caregiver and have weekends off and after coming back to work are you excepted to clean? Do they leave huge mess and expect you to clean it? Not sure if it is in your job description, light housekeeping or similar, but leaving huge mess would not be acceptable to me.
Are you private pay or with an agency? If private pay it is whatever you and your employer agree to. If agency fall back on the agency contract. I assume light housekeeping is included but read your contract.
Didn’t you discuss what your responsibilities were before accepting your job?
If you did discuss these matters with your employer and they feel as if they can take advantage of you, then remind them that you agreed on specific terms.
If you haven’t discussed what your job entails and I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t have, but anyway, please start a clear cut discussion now.
Finally, if you’re totally miserable at your job, look for something else. When you find something suitable, give your notice and look at this unpleasant experience as a lesson learned.
I wish you luck in resolving these issues with your employer.
Even if agreed to a contract that includes housekeeping can be open to interpretation, as can most clauses in an employment contract - that's why unions have lawyers.
Did the family have a big party and leave the mess to you or did all the daily mess and clutter simply pile up because nobody was taking care of it? The answer really doesn't matter because when an employer treats you without any consideration you have two choices, you can suck it up or you can move on - I suggest you polish your resume.
Sure. You are a hired employee. It is up to you to ask what duties are expected of you. Funny thing in our nextdoor ads of late. A gardener costs about 40.00 to 50.00 an hour, and a mother's helper, who drives the kids, cleans up, does food prep and sometimes cooking, watches the kids? She gets about 25.00 to 30.00 an hour. Let me tell you, I am going for the garden. I WILL say that they expect the gardener to be able to handle faulty sprinkler systems (and they are ALWAYS faulty) as well.
I worked for a VNA. A clients wife was able to get him help with a CNA/HHA while she worked.. The wife was complaining that the aide did not do laundry or wash dishes. My boss explained that the aide was there for the Client not the wife. If the aide got the client a meal, she was only responsible for the clean up from that meal. If wife and family left dishes in the sink, that was not the responsibility of the aide to wash them. Same with laundry, the aide does not wash the family laundry. Now if client soils his clothes or bedding, then the aide does not leave them for the wife. If the client makes a mess of course the aide cleans it up. Cleaning wise, aide is responsihle for the area the Client uses. Bedroom, strip beds and maybe dust and run the sweeper. Bathroom they use, yes clean it. But an aide does not clean for the whole household.
If your client lives alone, of course do some light cleaning but I don't think aides are responsible for cleaning a whole house.
I didn't have the same 'voice' with her as her family did. And it frustrated me to pieces that she'd wet herself and just let the soiled clothes dry out on their own. OR she'd dump the soaking wet clothes in the hamper to simmer all weekend.
Until her family put down their collective foot and forced her to wear depends, it was rough. I cleaned her bedroom carpet every single week. Her clothes hamper was cloth, and absorbed the odors so badly. That got replaced with a plastic one that could be bleached.
So--yes, a part of a CG day for me WAS cleaning. I knew that going in and so it was not an issue. I often did the dishes for the family, too, my client felt that if I was doing it and I worked for HER, then somehow, she was doing the dishes. If I had felt used or abused by this I would have spoken up.
My client was a wonderful woman and I loved what I learned from her.
You have to be upfront and honest with the family about what you will and won't do. If you work for an agency, things are pretty spelled out.
And yes, I cleaned up after more than one party. With my client kind of 'in charge'. The family never asked me to do things--it was my client who wanted to 'help' and I was her 'healthy body'.
If you did discuss these matters with your employer and they feel as if they can take advantage of you, then remind them that you agreed on specific terms.
If you haven’t discussed what your job entails and I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t have, but anyway, please start a clear cut discussion now.
Finally, if you’re totally miserable at your job, look for something else. When you find something suitable, give your notice and look at this unpleasant experience as a lesson learned.
I wish you luck in resolving these issues with your employer.
Funny thing in our nextdoor ads of late. A gardener costs about 40.00 to 50.00 an hour, and a mother's helper, who drives the kids, cleans up, does food prep and sometimes cooking, watches the kids? She gets about 25.00 to 30.00 an hour. Let me tell you, I am going for the garden. I WILL say that they expect the gardener to be able to handle faulty sprinkler systems (and they are ALWAYS faulty) as well.
Are you a privately hired, live-in caregiver?
Do you mean should you clean on the weekends when you are supposed to be "off duty"?
No, unless you are getting paid and want to do it.
Or on Monday, after you've been off for the weekend?
Only if it's in your contract to perform that function at that time.