Disability Support Worker

I am hiring personal support workers to help me with day to day tasks.

Who am I ?

I am an 37 year old queer, trans, power wheelchair user with a g-tube. I live on my own with my cat, work an office job and do my own contract work, sing in a choir, and volunteer.

I make all the decisions about my support workers, as well as my own healthcare, personal care, daily schedule, food, and every aspect of my life. This job simply requires listening to me and what I would like, and then helping me with it.

Being able to show you can do this is more important than experience or certifications in disability support work or continuing care. These certifications are not required.

 

These roles start as soon as possible and applications will be assessed as received.

However, please indicate if interested in other roles that may start in November, December or January.

Roles are generally 1-3 shifts per week regularly, with additional shifts as needed.

 

Typical Shift Times:

AM/Day shifts: 8:30am-2:30pm on weekdays, 9 am – 3 pm on weekends.

Evening shifts: 5:30 pm-10:30/11pm

Start and end times may change earlier or later than this with my personal and work schedule.

 

Current available shifts:

– Tuesday evening,

– Sunday evening (4:30-11pm I have choir these nights),

– Tuesday morning

– Thursday evening

– any other availability to cover gaps and when staff get sick.

Backup role: *Please indicate if you are only available for casual backup shifts. These roles help cover shifts when regular staff are sick or need time off.

 

Submit your resume and the answers to the following questions. (No need to format as a cover letter.)

Q: How does your experience (work, volunteer, or life experience) makes you a good fit for this position?

Q: What is your experience with disability community, rights, and/or support?

Q: What is your experience/ familiarity with queer and trans community or rights?

Q: What email and phone number can we reach you at?

Q: What is your availability for shifts and how many regular hours are preferred?

Q: Due to the nature of the position, a minimum 6 weeks commitment is required, but preferably 6 months or longer (can be permanent). A minimum 6 weeks notice is required to end contracts. Can you commit to both of these?

 

Description

This position is a support role for me (the employer) to go about my daily life as a disabled person. It is important that the person in this role sees themselves as taking my lead and helping with what I ask, rather than “caring for me” or expecting direction from a healthcare team.

On-the-job training will be provided.

Support workers must mask while in close proximity. The work environment is queer and trans friendly, sex and body positive for the employer, and scent and smoke free (with the exception of occasional medicinal marijuana vapour and mild natural scents).

This position is great for people who can work somewhat flex hours, enjoy working one-on-one, and want to be a part of building a culture of community that prioritizes the choices and assets of people with disabilities.

Responsibilities:

• Tube feeding preparation and cooking and baking (gluten and dairy free).
• Assisting with medication management. (Crushing tablets and administering through a g tube. Preparing medicinal marijuana.)
• Providing assistance with toileting, including emptying a catheter, preparing for the day and nighttime with bathing, dressing, and personal grooming.
• Accompaniment on trips for appointments, errands (i.e. grocery shopping), recreational and social events using the Carshare, taxi or Access-a-Bus.
• General house cleaning, organization, and laundry.
• Support with positioning, transfers, physio exercises and stretching.
• Administrative support.

Requirements:

• Reliable, dependable, punctual.
• Comfortable with providing personal care, food preparation, household tasks, and handling medications.
• Capable of light lifting (ex. laundry and groceries.)
• Valid first aid and CPR upon hiring.
• Up to date vaccinations upon hiring.
• Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check upon hiring.
• Able to follow verbal and written communications.
• Comfortable asking questions and can learn tasks and routines easily.
• Organized with strong time-management skills.
• Open to feedback and working collaboratively.
• Able to multitask and work independently as needed.
• Prioritizes the person with a disability making decisions and choices.
• Flexible to changes in routines and remains calm in new situations.
• Will take pride in keeping the client’s home clean and tidy.
• Able to prioritize the needs of the client before their own.
• Comfortable with respectful queer and trans language and demonstrates a willingness to learn.
• Familiar with person centered, community language around support work. (Ex. Person with a disability is your employer, not a “patient”.)

Assets: (helpful, but not necessary)

• Experience with disability community.
• Experience with queer and trans community.
• Comfortable cooking gluten-free and dairy-free.
• Experience or familiarity with feeding tubes, catheters, and/or medications.
• Likes to organize things.
• Open to travel and overnight shifts for trips out of the city or province. These are rare, but they do come up. If they do happen, staff do not need to be vigilantly awake at night.
• Basic knowledge of any household maintenance skills (such as sewing or putting up a shelf).
• Familiar with medicinal marijuana and vaping
• Has a driver’s license, clean driving record, and reliable access to transportation.

This position is funded through the Nova Scotia Department of Seniors and Long Term Care and Department of Opportunities and Social Development, which provide funding to people with disabilities to hire their own personal support workers.