Housekeeping

The Housekeeper is responsible for maintaining a clean, sanitary, safe, and comfortable environment for residents, staff, and visitors. The Housekeeper follows facility infection-prevention practices, cleaning schedules, safety procedures, and residents’ rights while performing assigned duties.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Clean and disinfect resident rooms, bathrooms, hallways, common areas, offices, nurses’ stations, dining areas, and other assigned areas.

• Sweep, mop, vacuum, dust, and clean floors and surfaces according to facility procedures.

• Clean and disinfect toilets, sinks, showers, handrails, furniture, high-touch surfaces, and other equipment as assigned.

• Empty trash and dispose of waste in designated areas using proper infection-control procedures.

• Follow appropriate procedures for handling potentially infectious materials and contaminated waste.

• Follow isolation precautions and use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when required.

• Use cleaning chemicals and disinfectants according to manufacturer instructions and facility policy.

• Maintain housekeeping carts and supplies in a clean, organized, and secure manner.

• Keep chemicals, cleaning products, and potentially hazardous materials secured and inaccessible to residents.

• Place appropriate wet-floor or safety signs when cleaning.

• Immediately report spills, damaged equipment, environmental hazards, pest concerns, unusual odors, or unsafe conditions.

• Follow the facility’s infection prevention and control program, including proper hand hygiene.

• Respect residents’ privacy, dignity, personal belongings, preferences, and right to a clean and comfortable living environment.

• Knock and identify yourself before entering resident rooms and communicate respectfully with residents.

• Immediately report suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or misappropriation of resident property according to facility policy.

• Report changes or concerns observed in a resident’s environment to the appropriate supervisor or nursing staff.

• Follow OSHA, infection-control, emergency preparedness, fire safety, and facility safety procedures.

• Participate in required orientation, annual in-services, safety training, competencies, and other facility education.

• Complete assigned cleaning schedules, logs, or documentation as required.

• Assist with deep cleaning, terminal cleaning, room changes, admissions, discharges, and isolation-room cleaning as assigned.

• Maintain confidentiality and comply with HIPAA and facility privacy policies.

• Perform other housekeeping duties as assigned by the Housekeeping Supervisor, Administrator, or designee.

Physical Requirements:
Must be able to stand and walk for extended periods and perform frequent bending, reaching, pushing, pulling, and lifting associated with housekeeping duties. Must be able to safely operate housekeeping equipment and use required PPE.

Qualifications:
Ability to understand and follow cleaning, infection-control, and safety instructions. Previous housekeeping experience in a healthcare, long-term care, or skilled nursing environment is preferred but may not be required. Must complete all facility-required orientation and training.

Performance Expectations:
The Housekeeper is expected to maintain resident areas in a consistently clean, sanitary, odor-controlled, and safe condition while demonstrating professionalism, teamwork, respect, and sensitivity toward the elderly and residents requiring skilled nursing care.