What Does a Community Living Assistant Do?

Community living assistants provide fundamental health care and assist patients with daily living activities. They apply practical intervention procedures for behavioral issues as well. It is their job to lessen discomfort and preserve patient dignity while performing duties like bathing. Also, they support housing administration through equipment maintenance, staff contractors, and expense monitoring.

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Community Living Assistant Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real community living assistant resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

Monitor patient's vital signs in order to improve their rehabilitation.
Work with dementia and Alzheimer's residents.
Provide primary first aid, CPR, etc.
Provide care to the resident by feeding, bathing, assistance in ADL'S when need.
Attend staff meetings as well as staying up to date on CPR and first aid training sessions.
Preserve patient dignity and minimize discomfort while carrying out duties such as bathing, assist in ADL's.
Care manager for elderly residents, assisting with medication, bathing, dressing, companionship, laundry and transporting internally
Provide companionship and encouragement to individuals.
Provide nursing assistance to residents in a long-term-care and rehabilitation facility.
Transport non-ambulatory patients and facilitate their appointments, financial accounts, and supervise family visits.
Complete physical checks and monitor patients to detect unusual or harmful behavior and report observations to management.
Obtain and evaluate patient medication regimens, allergies, lab values and past/current medication history utilizing electronic medical records.
Work on IEP's with students within home settings
Execute and surpass education and IEP goals for special needs children.
Document progress and communicate to MHMR case manager.

Community Living Assistant Job Description

When it comes to understanding what a community living assistant does, you may be wondering, "should I become a community living assistant?" The data included in this section may help you decide. Compared to other jobs, community living assistants have a growth rate described as "much faster than average" at 13% between the years 2018 - 2028, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, the number of community living assistant opportunities that are predicted to open up by 2028 is 52,200.

Community living assistants average about $14.58 an hour, which makes the community living assistant annual salary $30,317. Additionally, community living assistants are known to earn anywhere from $22,000 to $41,000 a year. This means that the top-earning community living assistants make $18,000 more than the lowest earning ones.

As is the case with most jobs, it takes work to become a community living assistant. Sometimes people change their minds about their career after working in the profession. That's why we looked into some other professions that might help you find your next opportunity. These professions include a direct care worker, residential program worker, residential assistant, and assistant.

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5 Community Living Assistant Resume Examples

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Brittany Baker Community Living Assistant Contact Information Hartford, CT (610) 555-4974 bbaker@example.com Skills DHS Memory Care Budget Targets Residential Setting Personal Goals Independent Living Animal Care Facility Personal Needs Health Care Employment History Community Living Assistant 2020 - Present Chrysalis Hartford, CT Certified in CPR and SOAR physical restraint training to best serve the residents. Interact with and oversee clients staying or living in group homes around the local area. Provide personal care for adults with special needs while in their home. Helped mental/physically disabled individuals with daily living activities. Participated in the development of initial treatment plans (ITPs), ITP updates, and 90-dayreviews of ITPs. Direct Care Professional 2016 - 2020 PEOPLE Buffalo, NY Assisted to prepare all meals as per required instructions Coordinated with clients and provide appropriate companionship. Care of elderly clients including meal preparation, household cleaning and companionship Activities/Volunteer 2006 - 2016 YWCA USA Buffalo, NY Worked as a child care volunteer. Worked Emergency Sexual Assault Center Phone Line Accomplishments 1. Communicate with children's parents or guardians about daily activities, behaviors, and related issues. Assisted children in all daily activities including, but not limited to: toileting, personal hygiene, dressing and eating. Education High School Diploma 2006 - 2006


Anna Shaw Community Living Assistant Contact Info Detroit, MI (820) 555-8739 ashaw@example.com Skills CNAPatient CareIndividual Service PlansTreatment PlansPsychosocial AssessmentsFacilityPersonal GoalsPersonal CareCPRDaily Living Activities Employment History Community Living Assistant 2019 - Present American House Senior Living Communities Detroit, MI Provide high-quality patient care in an assisted living plus facility. Provided companionship, assisted the elderly with daily living activities, assisted with grooming tasks such as bathing and meals. Offer supportive communication to fire department staff, and administration assisting wherever needed. Direct care of clients with intellectual disabilities. Resident Aide 2018 - 2019 Balanced Care Detroit, MI Reference: Karen McDonald RN and Clinical CNA teacher at SRJC Tel: cell [ ] Assisted with Patent medical, nutritional, and ADL needs. Greeted patients and visitors to the facility and answered any questions or concerns that arose, administrate visiting pass. Transfer patients using assistive devices such as a sliding board, Hoyer lift , Stand up lift or walker. Case Manager Internship 2016 - 2017 Catholic Charities USA Alexandria, VA Work closely with Behavioral Health Specialist to update patient treatment plans and referrals. Coordinated services for juvenile clients for mental health, drug rehabilitation, therapy, and counseling. Education Master's Degree Social Work 2017 - 2018 Wayne State University Detroit, MI Bachelor's Degree Social Work 2013 - 2016 University of Wisconsin Colleges Madison, WI


Anna Shaw Community Living Assistant Detroit, MI (820) 555-8739 ashaw@example.com Experience Community Living Assistant2019 - Present American House Senior Living Communities•Detroit, MI Provide high-quality patient care in an assisted living plus facility. Provided companionship, assisted the elderly with daily living activities, assisted with grooming tasks such as bathing and meals. Offer supportive communication to fire department staff, and administration assisting wherever needed. Direct care of clients with intellectual disabilities. Resident Aide2018 - 2019 Balanced Care•Detroit, MI Reference: Karen McDonald RN and Clinical CNA teacher at SRJC Tel: cell [ ] Assisted with Patent medical, nutritional, and ADL needs. Greeted patients and visitors to the facility and answered any questions or concerns that arose, administrate visiting pass. Transfer patients using assistive devices such as a sliding board, Hoyer lift , Stand up lift or walker. Case Manager Internship2016 - 2017 Catholic Charities USA•Alexandria, VA Work closely with Behavioral Health Specialist to update patient treatment plans and referrals. Coordinated services for juvenile clients for mental health, drug rehabilitation, therapy, and counseling. Skills CNAPatient CareIndividual Service PlansTreatment PlansPsychosocial AssessmentsFacilityPersonal GoalsPersonal CareCPRDaily Living Activities Education Master's Degree Social Work2017 - 2018 Wayne State University•Detroit, MI Bachelor's Degree Social Work2013 - 2016 University of Wisconsin Colleges•Madison, WI

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Community Living Assistant Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 23% of Community Living Assistants are proficient in Medication Reminders, Quality Care, and Patients. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Compassion, and Organizational skills.

We break down the percentage of Community Living Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Medication Reminders, 23%
Performed medication reminders, performed ambulatory assistance and assisted with personal hygiene at an Independent/Assisted Living Facility
Quality Care, 7%
Developed and maintained quality care systems and standards, including but not limited to creating and improving medical protocols/guidelines.
Patients, 7%
Transported non-ambulatory patients and facilitated their appointments, financial accounts, and supervised family visits.
Rehabilitation, 6%
Transport clients to appointments Pass Medications Rehabilitation of clients lifestyles
Culinary, 6%
Developed and trained culinary staff to raise resident satisfaction scores.
State Regulations, 5%
Created and maintained adequate paperwork to ensure Resident files comply with State Regulations.

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Some of the skills we found on community living assistant resumes included "medication reminders," "quality care," and "patients." We have detailed the most important community living assistant responsibilities below.

Communication skills can be considered to be the most important personality trait for a community living assistant to have. According to a community living assistant resume, "social and human service assistants talk with clients about the challenges in their lives and assist them in getting help" community living assistants are able to use communication skills in the following example we gathered from a resume: "specialized processes working with residents requiring memory care requiring strong communication and processing details with a team. "

Another trait important for fulfilling community living assistant duties is compassion. According to a community living assistant resume, "social and human service assistants often work with people who are in stressful and difficult situations." Here's an example of how community living assistants are able to utilize compassion: "functioned as a certified nursing assistant, providing compassionate care ensuring patients safety using technical skills and appropriate knowledge base. "

Community living assistants are also known for organizational skills, which can be critical when it comes to performing their duties. An example of why this skill is important is shown by this snippet that we found in a community living assistant resume: "social and human service assistants must often complete lots of paperwork and work with many different clients" We also found this resume example that details how this skill is put to the test: "functioned as management team member, contributing to organizational strategic planning, development and oversight of company mission attainment. "

A community living assistant responsibilities sometimes require "problem-solving skills." The responsibilities that rely on this skills are shown by this resume excerpt: "social and human service assistants help clients find solutions to their problems" This resume example shows how this skill is used by community living assistants: "developed skills including: timemanagement, conflict resolution, minor cpr training, minor safety/fire training. "

As part of the community living assistant description, you might find that one of the skills that might be helpful to the job is "time-management skills." A community living assistant resume included this snippet: "social and human service assistants often work with many clients" This skill could be useful in this scenario: "insured all plans were turned in on time and that case managers complied with state regulations for billing. "

While "interpersonal skills" is listed last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to community living assistant responsibilities. The skill is described by this resume snippet, "social and human service assistants must make their clients feel comfortable discussing sensitive issues" Here is an example of how this skill is used, "cited for excellence in interpersonal communications, teamwork, customer service, flexibility and reliability. "

See the full list of community living assistant skills.

After discovering the most helpful skills, we moved onto what kind of education might be helpful in becoming a community living assistant. We found that 38.0% of community living assistants have graduated with a bachelor's degree and 5.0% of people in this position have earned their master's degrees. While some community living assistants have a college degree, you may find it's also true that generally it's possible to be successful in this career with only a high school degree. In fact, our research shows that one out of every four community living assistants were not college graduates.

The community living assistants who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied nursing and business, while a small population of community living assistants studied psychology and medical assisting services.

When you're ready to become a community living assistant, you might wonder which companies hire community living assistants. According to our research through community living assistant resumes, community living assistants are mostly hired by Greystar Real Estate Partners, Asset Living, and American Campus Communities. Now is a good time to apply as Greystar Real Estate Partners has 51 community living assistants job openings, and there are 24 at Asset Living and 9 at American Campus Communities.

But if you're interested in companies where you might earn a high salary, community living assistants tend to earn the biggest salaries at American Senior Benefits, Ilitch Holdings, and San Diego College of Continuing Education. Take American Senior Benefits for example. The median community living assistant salary is $49,162. At Ilitch Holdings, community living assistants earn an average of $44,260, while the average at San Diego College of Continuing Education is $40,368. You should take into consideration how difficult it might be to secure a job with one of these companies.

View more details on community living assistant salaries across the United States.

We also looked into companies who hire community living assistants from the top 100 educational institutions in the U.S. The top three companies that hire the most from these institutions include Sunrise Community, Syracuse University, and Advoserv.

For the most part, community living assistants make their living in the real estate and professional industries. Community living assistants tend to make the most in the non profits industry with an average salary of $31,450. The community living assistant annual salary in the professional and health care industries generally make $30,298 and $30,113 respectively. Additionally, community living assistants who work in the non profits industry make 5.1% more than community living assistants in the government Industry.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious community living assistants are:

Greystar Real Estate Partners51 Community Living Assistants Jobs
Asset Living24 Community Living Assistants Jobs
American Campus Communities9 Community Living Assistants Jobs

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What Direct Care Workers Do

A Direct Care Worker's responsibility revolves around overseeing clients' welfare and health care from different ages and conditions. Most of the duties will involve assistance in basic hygienic tasks such as bathing or going to the toilet, performing light chores such as preparing healthy meals and cleaning a bedroom, and ensuring the patient's medication intake aligns with the schedule. Furthermore, it is also the duty of a Direct Care Worker to empathize and build rapport with clients to make them feel more at ease.

We looked at the average community living assistant annual salary and compared it with the average of a direct care worker. Generally speaking, direct care workers receive $974 lower pay than community living assistants per year.

While their salaries may differ, one common ground between community living assistants and direct care workers are a few of the skills required in each craft. In both careers, employees bring forth skills like medication reminders, quality care, and patients.

As far as similarities go, this is where it ends because a community living assistant responsibility requires skills such as "rehabilitation," "culinary," "state regulations," and "senior care." Whereas a direct care worker is skilled in "direct care," "crisis intervention," "companionship," and "mental health." So if you're looking for what truly separates the two careers, you've found it.

Direct care workers really shine in the professional industry with an average salary of $29,581. Whereas community living assistants tend to make the most money in the non profits industry with an average salary of $31,450.

On average, direct care workers reach similar levels of education than community living assistants. Direct care workers are 2.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a Residential Program Worker?

A residential assistant is in charge of overseeing the living conditions of students in a university or similar establishment. They are primarily responsible for assisting students and making them feel at ease within the dormitory or campus community. Moreover, a residential assistant must respond to inquiries and concerns, handle and settle any issues or problems, take part in organizing activities that are beneficial to the students, and keep them informed on all community-related updates. Furthermore, it is crucial to adhere to and implement the campus rules and regulations at all times, maintaining a safe environment for everyone.

Now we're going to look at the residential program worker profession. On average, residential program workers earn a $2,008 lower salary than community living assistants a year.

While the salary may be different for these job positions, there is one similarity and that's a few of the skills needed to perform certain duties. We used info from lots of resumes to find that both community living assistants and residential program workers are known to have skills such as "patients," "state regulations," and "developmental disabilities. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences that are worth noting. For example, community living assistant responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "medication reminders," "quality care," "rehabilitation," and "culinary." Meanwhile, a residential program worker might be skilled in areas such as "motor vehicle," "mental health," "direct care," and "adaptive." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

It's been discovered that residential program workers earn lower salaries compared to community living assistants, but we wanted to find out where residential program workers earned the most pay. The answer? The health care industry. The average salary in the industry is $28,780. Additionally, community living assistants earn the highest paychecks in the non profits with an average salary of $31,450.

In general, residential program workers study at similar levels of education than community living assistants. They're 1.5% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Residential Assistant Compares

An assistant intern is responsible for facilitating administrative and clerical tasks as assigned by the management. Assistant interns' duties include keeping records of meetings, receiving calls and handling customer inquiries, assisting on writing reports and data entry processing, cooperating and providing support for business events, and adhering to company policies and regulatory procedures. Successful assistant interns must have excellent time-management, multi-tasking, and communication skills. They must be a team player and fast-learner to handle various tasks in the corporate industry.

The third profession we take a look at is residential assistant. On an average scale, these workers bring in higher salaries than community living assistants. In fact, they make a $601 higher salary per year.

By looking over several community living assistants and residential assistants resumes, we found that both roles utilize similar skills, such as "quality care," "patients," and "rehabilitation." But beyond that the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers as shown by resumes from each profession. Some of those differences include the skills required to complete responsibilities within each role. As an example of this, a community living assistant is likely to be skilled in "medication reminders," "culinary," "state regulations," and "food preparation," while a typical residential assistant is skilled in "direct care," "mental health," "meal preparation," and "social work."

Interestingly enough, residential assistants earn the most pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $32,278. As mentioned previously, community living assistants highest annual salary comes from the non profits industry with an average salary of $31,450.

Residential assistants typically study at similar levels compared with community living assistants. For example, they're 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of an Assistant

Now, we'll look at assistants, who generally average a higher pay when compared to community living assistants annual salary. In fact, the difference is about $7,046 per year.

While their salaries may vary, community living assistants and assistants both use similar skills to perform their jobs. Resumes from both professions include skills like "patients," "food preparation," and "senior care. "

While some skills are shared by these professions, there are some differences to note. "medication reminders," "quality care," "rehabilitation," and "culinary" are skills that have shown up on community living assistants resumes. Additionally, assistant uses skills like customer service, patient care, sales floor, and scheduling appointments on their resumes.

Assistants earn a higher salary in the education industry with an average of $39,026. Whereas, community living assistants earn the highest salary in the non profits industry.

The average resume of assistants showed that they earn similar levels of education to community living assistants. So much so that the likelihood of them earning a Master's Degree is 0.4% more. Additionally, they're more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.6%.

Updated October 2, 2020