Activity Director Orchards of Alliance

Summary

Plans, organizes, and conducts activity programs in the assisted living facility setting to meet the interests, physical, mental and psychosocial needs of each resident within facility policies and state/federal regulations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Teamwork with the following and all other duties and responsibilities assigned.

• Effective leadership that includes supporting core values, addressing zero tolerance behaviors and maintaining active communication with employees supervised.
• Plans and produces monthly calendar of activities based on needs and interests of residents.
• Arranges with outside vendors to entertain or conduct programs with residents.
• Assign tasks to staff and provide recognition.
• Monitor annual budget.
• Manage department in accordance with regulatory requirements and established policies and procedures.
• Consult with other appropriate personnel in planning and coordinating activities and events.

Other Responsibilities

• Listen to resident’s desires and needs for activity.
• Produce or oversee production and distribution of activities schedules.
• Coordinate resident escort to and from in-house and community based activities.
• Decorate for holidays and other events.
• Attend meetings and training session required for position.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position directly supervises employees in the department; carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and procedures.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

One-year certificate in activities, social service, occupational therapy, or related field of study from a college, community college, or technical school. Requires three to six months of related experience as an Activities assistant; or equivalent combination of education and experience; Complete annual state mandated training requirements (Regular In-services as well as any external training).

Language Skills

Ability to read and interpret professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations as they relate to geriatric activities in an assisted living, long term care or personal care facility. Ability to write initial, quarterly, and annual resident assessment reports, progress notes, daily participation notes, and correspondence. Ability to present information and respond to questions from individuals and groups of managers, residents, family members, and the general public.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals in order to monitor the department budget and inventory of supplies and equipment. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs when making presentations to volunteers, residents, family members, The Orchards at Foxcrest management, and the general public.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to deal with several abstract variables to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions when prioritizing work and that of subordinates, arranging alternate plans on a moment's notice, interpreting policies and government regulations as they relate to operational decisions, and handling situations that arise from residents, family members, supervisors, and employees. Ability to interpret and follow written and verbal instructions from supervisor and those furnished as schedules (calendars and spreadsheets of tasks to be performed).

Computer Skills

Uses e-mail to communicate with others internally and externally. Individual should also have knowledge of spreadsheet, database, and word processing software to create reports, calendars, and correspondence and to maintain state or federally mandated resident documentation.

Certificates, Licenses, Registration (Optional)

Activity Director Certified (ADC). Requires 30 continuing education credits every two years.

Other Skills and Abilities

Skills in planning and leading activities for geriatric residents are needed. Requires additional skills with special-need geriatric residents, such as those with dementia, Alzheimer's, or those requiring advanced health care.

Medical Screenings

Tuberculosis screening is required annually.

Mental Abilities

* The ability to get along with others and engage them in activities and projects

* The ability to concentrate for extended periods of time

* The ability to shift focus from one task to another

* The ability to prioritize tasks effectively

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear when interacting with various individuals or groups and when communicating instructions to residents for performing activities. The employee is frequently required to stand during activities with residents and while conversing with various individuals; walk when doing a one-on-one activity with a resident, escorting residents to a planned activity, and in the course of performing activities with residents; sit at a desk when charting resident information or in a chair when doing an activity with residents; use hands to finger, handle, or feel when using the telephone or computer or to manipulate items or materials before, during, and after planned activities with residents (balloons, baking supplies, books, radios/tape players, musical instruments, etc.); reach with hands and arms for supplies, to assist residents with an activity or craft, to push residents in wheel chairs, or to walk with residents using a walker; and stoop, kneel, or crouch to communicate with residents, to assist residents with activities, and to place items in or get items from low drawers or shelves. The employee is occasionally required to balance while walking or standing in the course or performing the job. The employee is occasionally required to use his/her sense of taste during baking activities and sense of smell to detect odors within the resident units and emanating from the residents. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, which is generally supplies and furniture required for planned resident activities. The employee is regularly required to move up to 200 pounds when transporting residents by wheelchair to planned activities or for one-on-one activities. Specific vision abilities required by this job include: close vision, distance vision, and peripheral vision in order to monitor residents at close range and at a distance and to maneuver residents in wheelchairs and with walkers through unit hallways; close vision for computer and paper detail work, reading or playing music, and observing residents during an activity; color vision to work with materials for activities involving craft materials or baking supplies and to review color-coded spreadsheets or documents; and depth perception and ability to adjust focus from far to near and from computer to desk or unit hallways.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to humid conditions in resident units; moving mechanical parts and risk of electrical shock from kitchen equipment; fumes from bathroom odors and cleaners; toxic chemicals that may be used to clean bathrooms and kitchen areas; outside weather conditions when performing outdoor activities, such as gardening, balloon catch, etc; and extreme heat in the departments due to keeping residents comfortable at warm temperatures. The employee may be exposed to airborne viruses, bacteria, and other bodily pathogens carried by residents. The noise level in the work environment can range from quiet while in a private office to loud when working near the dishwasher in the kitchen or participating in large-scale resident activities.