*Provided emotional and behavioral support to dementia residents, and family members.*Ensured ADLs were completed while promoting resident independence and dignity*Charted resident behaviors, moods, mental status changes, and physical changes. Recommended updates to care plan as needed.*Consulted with Physical, Speech, and Occupational Therapy, as well as the Wellness, Fitness, Spiritual, Community Life, and Dietary departments to address issues that impacted a resident’s quality of life and submit updates to care plans.*Assisted the HR (Human Resources) manager by providing feedback on potential hires after a 4 hour shadow experience.*Trained new co-workers in providing direct care while promoting independence and dignity, charting resident changes and behaviors, dining and housekeeping protocols, using the Global Deterioration Scale to select appropriate and rewarding activities for residents, teaching families how to have positive interactions with loved ones as dementia progresses, as well as recommending additional trainings to improve their skills. Provided focused additional support during the first year, in addition to providing information on reaching the next step of the PCA career path and completing the required annual training.*Retention Committee Charter Member - assisted the HR manager in identifying potential items that negatively affected the turnover rate, reviewed post training surveys and exit surveys to identify potential issues affecting turnover, identified co-workers at risk for leaving, and provided additional mentoring to at risk co-workers in the secure dementia neighborhood to increase retention. Planned co-worker events.*Learned the ASL alphabet and basic signs to communicate with a deaf resident who lost the ability to read lips and trained other co-workers to use basic signs. Refreshed basic French conversational skills to communicate with an ESL resident who was losing her ability to communicate in English.

*Provided memory support, spiritual, fitness, purposeful service, and social activity programming to accommodate residents with varying levels of cognitive and physical functioning.*Compiled resident life stories. Provided small group programming to reflect interests expressed and to introduce residents to social groups. Recognized residents on their birthdays, professional appreciation days, and couples on their anniversaries. *Redesigned task flow sheets used by PCAs to improve their understanding of resident needs. Created small group activity books and trainings to improve PCA success rate in leading small group activities. *Designed realistic looking pretend checkbooks to reduce resident anxiety over lacking money. Published newsletter monthly for families and designed posters to promote activities.*Organized holiday parties and other special events.*Coordinated with Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and local school choirs to provide intergenerational opportunities. Assisted resident volunteers in finding purposeful service opportunities. Trained regular volunteers to provide simple small group programming, and in assisting with off campus trips.*Provided very small group or individual off campus activities for higher functioning residents, such as swimming, veterans’ appreciation events, and concerts.*Worked evenings as necessary to facilitate special events and train co-workers to provide evening activities.*Presented trainings and inservices to coworkers on new memory support techniques and activities.*Assessed and staged residents using Global Deterioration Scale (GDS).* Led validation group therapy sessions with residents at various GDS levels to reduce problem behaviors and promoted increased positive social interactions between residents.

Provided direct care to clients, including assistance with ADLs (activities of daily living), and home exercises given by physical or occupational therapists. Provided memory support care for individuals with dementia, as well as family support to increase positive interactions with loved ones. Assessed and documented any change in clients’ condition or environment, and follow up to acquire necessary services for clients to maintain their current living situation. As a Team Leader, managed team of 40 direct care workers and ensured all team members met yearly training requirements and skill assessments. Presented new training sessions to teach caregivers new skills to provide services to a wider range of clients. Resolved client and family questions and concerns.

* Convert concepts for geocoins into a digital format required by mint.* Develop icon art for each geocoin for Geocaching.com website.* Develop a web app to distribute Geocaching.com activation codes for individual geocoins and maintain active database of activation codes.* Design custom package inserts for each geocoin series.* Develop e-commerce website to sell geocoins, accessories, and manage pre-orders of new geocoin series, as well as inventory control. Added functionality to provide an accurate shipping cost to certain international destinations, in addition to allowing each item in a single order to be shipped to multiple locations with an accurate shipping cost.* Attend official Geocaching.com conventions, and set up a kiosk to allow customers to pay with a credit/debit card or ship an order.

Developed training sessions and reference book to help non traditional students become comfortable using the technology in the Nursing Department Computer Lab. Students learned how to access required applications and websites, in addition to basic computer skills. Provided one on one sessions for students who had never used a computer before. Streamlined document used for charting patients by student nurses to suit the needs of various professors. Assisted professors in developing presentations for students and conferences. Developed web application that allowed Nursing Department Professors to update their own webpages with new information and modify basic design elements.Developed and delivered inservices on new software adopted by Louisiana Tech and/or the Department of Nursing to faculty and students.

* Maintained lab of 20 Windows computers and 3 interactive video training systems.* Maintained faculty computers.* Review and test new educational software for faculty.* Installed software and new hardware as needed.* Developed hardware requirements and estimates for faculty writing educational technology grants.