CNAs and caregivers at The Kensington Sierra Madre provide essential daily support to residents in assisted living and memory care.
This work calls for practical skill, patience, and genuine human connection. Our team members help residents feel safe, respected, and known while collaborating with nurses and other care professionals.
CNA and Caregiver Jobs: Quick Overview
Depending on the position, CNAs and caregivers may:
- Assist with grooming, dressing, and personal care
- Support meals, hydration, mobility, and transfers
- Observe and communicate changes in resident needs
- Document care and participate in shift handoffs
- Provide calm, respectful memory care support
- Collaborate with nurses and other team members
Apply for CNA and caregiver roles at The Kensington Sierra Madre.
What Do CNAs and Caregivers Do?
CNAs and caregivers support the routines that help residents feel comfortable, confident, and engaged. Exact responsibilities vary by position, qualifications, and assigned neighborhood.
Beyond completing daily tasks, team members pay close attention to each resident’s preferences, abilities, and changing needs. They may notice differences in mobility, appetite, mood, comfort, or behavior and communicate those observations to the appropriate care professionals.
Our caregiver and nursing assistant roles emphasize:
- Resident privacy
- Individual preferences
- Independence whenever possible
- Respectful communication
- Accurate documentation
- Quality of life
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing assistants provide basic care, help with activities of daily living, and work as part of a care team under the supervision of licensed nurses.
At The Kensington Sierra Madre, this work also requires a personal approach. Every resident has their own history, routines, strengths, and communication style.
Understanding those details helps team members provide more consistent and meaningful support.
How Medication Support Fits Into the Role
Medication responsibilities depend on the position.
Qualified team members may provide medication-related support when it falls within their training, authorization, and assigned duties. CNAs and caregivers also communicate with licensed nurses when a resident’s condition or routine changes.
Applicants should review each job description carefully. The listing will explain whether medication-related responsibilities are included and which qualifications are required.
Who Is a Good Fit for CNA and Caregiver Jobs?
Previous experience can be valuable, but technical ability is only one part of providing excellent care.
Strong candidates often demonstrate:
- Patience and dependability
- Respect for resident privacy and choice
- Clear, warm communication
- Careful observation
- Strong organization
- A willingness to learn
- Comfort working within a team
- Calmness when needs change
- A genuine desire to work with seniors
This career may be a good fit for someone who finds purpose in helping another person feel understood, supported, and valued.
Direct care can also be physically and emotionally demanding. Depending on the role, team members may assist with personal care, transfers, mobility, and other daily needs.
Experience, certification, availability, and physical requirements vary by opening.
A Day in the Life of a CNA or Caregiver
No two days are exactly alike.
Residents have their own histories, preferences, abilities, and routines. Getting to know those details helps team members provide personal and consistent support throughout the day.
Morning: Beginning the Day with Confidence
The morning may begin with updates from the previous shift and a review of relevant care information.
CNAs and caregivers then help residents prepare for the day.
Support may include:
- Dressing and grooming
- Personal hygiene
- Mobility or transfers
- Breakfast
- Hydration
- Familiar morning routines
These first interactions also give team members an opportunity to observe how each resident is feeling.
A change in movement, appetite, comfort, or mood may be important. Team members document and communicate concerns so the appropriate care professionals can respond.
Midday: Supporting Daily Life
Late morning and midday often include meals, personal care, mobility assistance, documentation, and resident engagement.
Team members may notice:
- Changes in appetite or fluid intake
- New discomfort
- Increased fatigue
- Difficulty moving
- Changes in mood
- Increased confusion
- Less interest in a familiar activity
Observation is not separate from the job. It is part of each interaction.
A conversation during lunch or a reassuring explanation before a program can also help a resident feel included and at ease.
Afternoon and Evening: Creating Continuity
Later in the day, CNAs and caregivers continue supporting residents while preparing for the transition between shifts.
Responsibilities may include:
- Assisting with dinner
- Supporting evening personal care
- Helping residents prepare for rest
- Completing required documentation
- Sharing concerns or changes during handoff
- Communicating useful details to the next team
A thoughtful handoff supports continuity. It helps the next team member understand what happened during the day and what a resident may need next.
Supporting Assisted Living and Memory Care Residents
CNA and caregiver jobs at The Kensington Sierra Madre may involve supporting residents in assisted living or memory care.
People experiencing cognitive change have different abilities and needs. Our memory care model provides distinct levels of support across three neighborhoods.
The Kensington Club
The Kensington Club is for new and current assisted living residents experiencing mild changes in cognition.
Residents receive added structure and relationship-based support while remaining part of assisted living.
Team members may offer reminders, reassurance, peer connection, and assistance with daily routines while encouraging residents to use their existing abilities.
Connections
Connections supports residents with mid-stage memory loss.
Residents may require more guidance with communication, orientation, personal care, and familiar routines.
Team members use patience, consistency, and respectful redirection to help residents feel more secure.
Haven
Haven supports residents with later-stage memory loss.
Residents may need more extensive assistance with personal care, mobility, comfort, and communication.
Spoken language may become more limited during later-stage memory loss. Facial expressions, gestures, movement, or behavioral changes can provide important information about a resident’s needs.
Caregivers learn to notice these cues and respond with dignity.
Positive Approach to Care at The Kensington Sierra Madre
The Kensington Sierra Madre is a Positive Approach to Care Designated Community.
Positive Approach to Care, developed by dementia educator Teepa Snow, teaches care teams how brain change can affect a person’s abilities, behavior, and communication.
For CNAs and caregivers, this approach encourages:
- Calm and respectful communication
- Awareness of a resident’s retained abilities
- Recognition that behavior may communicate a need
- Flexible responses to confusion
- Greater confidence during challenging interactions
- Stronger relationships with residents
The goal is not to argue with a resident or focus only on what has been lost.
Team members learn to recognize what the person can still do and adjust their approach accordingly. This creates a more supportive and relationship-centered experience.
Training, Nursing Collaboration, and Career Growth
Applicants often want to know how they will be supported as they begin or grow within a role.
Depending on the position and current offerings, professional support may include:
- Role-specific orientation
- Required training
- Dementia-focused education
- Guidance from experienced team members
- Collaboration with licensed nurses
- Feedback from department leaders
- Opportunities to develop additional skills
Training, benefits, and development opportunities vary by position.
Professional growth is personal. One team member may want to deepen their memory care knowledge. Another may pursue medication-related qualifications, a nursing credential, or a future leadership position.
Available pathways depend on qualifications, performance, professional goals, and open roles.
A Culture of Communication and Shared Responsibility
Direct care requires teamwork.
CNAs and caregivers communicate with nurses, life enrichment professionals, culinary team members, community leaders, and other departments. Each person may notice something different about a resident’s wellbeing.
For example, a caregiver may notice that a resident is quieter than usual. A culinary team member may observe a change in appetite. A nurse may then assess whether the changes suggest a health concern.
Sharing those observations creates a clearer understanding of what the resident may need.
We value:
- Open communication
- Respectful collaboration
- Accurate handoffs
- Accountability
- A willingness to ask for help
- A shared commitment to resident wellbeing
No one team member carries the entire responsibility for resident care alone.
Collaboration helps residents receive more consistent support and helps team members approach their work with greater confidence.
CNA and Caregiver Jobs Near Pasadena
The Kensington Sierra Madre is located at:
245 West Sierra Madre Boulevard
Sierra Madre, CA 91024
(626) 355-5700
Our location may be convenient for applicants seeking:
- CNA jobs near Pasadena
- Caregiver jobs near Arcadia
- Senior living careers near Monrovia
- Memory care jobs near Altadena
- Caregiving roles near San Marino
- CNA jobs in the San Gabriel Valley
Schedules and employment requirements vary by opening. Review each listing for current information about hours, qualifications, compensation, and responsibilities.
FAQs: CNA and Caregiver Careers
Requirements vary by position. Previous experience supporting people with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia may be preferred for certain roles. Each job listing identifies the required and preferred qualifications.
Not every caregiver position has the same certification requirements.
Applicants should review the title and qualifications of each opening to determine whether CNA certification or other credentials are required.
Schedule availability changes according to the community’s current hiring needs.
Openings may include full-time, part-time, per diem, daytime, evening, overnight, or weekend schedules. Refer to the current listing for exact details.
Visit the Kensington Sierra Madre careers page and review the available positions.
Select the role that matches your experience, qualifications, and schedule. Then follow the application instructions provided with the listing.
Apply for CNA and Caregiver Roles in Sierra Madre
Caregiving is built through moments that may seem small but have lasting meaning.
It is helping a resident begin the morning with dignity. It is noticing a change and communicating it. It is offering calm reassurance when a routine feels unfamiliar.
At The Kensington Sierra Madre, CNAs and caregivers combine attentive support with genuine human connection.
Apply for CNA and caregiver roles at The Kensington Sierra Madre.
Join a community where your skills, attention, and compassion can make a meaningful difference.