Activity Director

Job Description

Job Description

Vista Senior Living Management is the dedicated senior living division of our organization, focused exclusively on the operation and growth of senior living communities. With more than 30 communities across multiple states, we specialize in Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Independent Living. Our mission is to provide outstanding care rooted in compassion, humility, accountability, and a genuine commitment to the well-being of our residents. We strive to create communities where residents receive personalized support, families have confidence in their care, and team members are empowered to succeed.

Eden Vista Greendale is an industry-leading assisted living community in the heart of Greendale, WI. Our campus allows each resident to enjoy life to the fullest with the peace of mind that our care team is always there to support them when needed. We cultivate a culture and home-like environment to attract the best healthcare professionals to ensure that each resident is treated like family.

Position: Activity Director

Job Summary

Responsible to plan, organize, and implement a program of therapeutic activities designed to meet the social, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, educational, and physical needs and interests of residents in accordance with the comprehensive resident care plan.

Essential Job Functions

Every effort has been made to make your job description as complete as possible. However, it in no way states or implies that these are the only duties you will be required to perform. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or is a logical assignment to the position.

Resident Rights

• Know and respect residents’ rights.

• Ensures all protected health information is kept confidential.

• Reports all complaints made by residents to supervisor

• Reports allegations of resident abuse, neglect, and/or misappropriation of resident property.

Safety and Sanitation

• Follows established safety policies and procedures.

• Ensures potential safety/health hazards are eliminated.

• Wear and/or use safety equipment and supplies when indicated and properly trained to use.

• Demonstrates job-specific knowledge of fire and disaster preparedness during drills or actual situations.

Staff Development

• Attends and participates in scheduled in-service training, educational classes, and meetings to maintain current certification as applicable and managed by regulatory agencies and company policies.

• Attends and participates in in-service training as mandated by regulatory agencies and company policy.

• Participates in the QAA process as needed.

Activities Director Responsibilities

• Develops and delivers therapeutic recreational services to promote the residents’ opportunities for engaging in normal life enhancement pursuits and to increase and/or maintain functioning levels.

• Completes a monthly calendar of available recreational services and posts it in the center.

• Plans community activities that jointly include the community, staff, families, and residents.

• Completes an Activity Assessment within 14 days of admission; Attends and participates in Resident Care Plan Meetings; Reviews/documents residents progress regularly according to center policy.

• Assures physician approval for involvement in recreational services; maintains precautions/limitations list on each resident.

• Charts individual resident’s attendance and participation in group, individual and one-on-one recreational pursuits daily.

• Provides residents with opportunities and support for involvement in group and individual leisure pursuits (i.e., arts/crafts, community outings, religious activities, intellectual/educational activities, community/center services activities) based upon individual interested and needs. Invites/encourages residents’ participation.

• Supports each resident’s right to self-determination; Documents resident refusal of activity services offered; Outlines consequences of the refusal for the resident and informs resident of any therapeutic alternative to the refused service.

• Assists residents in the organization and implementation of Resident Council Meetings.

• Assists in the development of a center newsletter.

• Coordinates an effective Volunteer Program

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Assists in planning, coordinating, and conducting continuing education programs and special in-service training sessions relevant to the needs of the department personnel.

• Staff the department with capable people.

• Ensured that employees are adequately oriented and trained to perform their duties.

• Reviews employee performance annually and makes recommendations for pay increases, promotions or performance improvement plans as deemed appropriate.

• Counsels/Disciplines personnel as necessary up to and including termination.

• Establishes and maintains effective two-way communication to understand employees' needs and concerns.

• Devotes adequate time and attention to personal development and training, particularly in the management of people resources.

• Receives, investigates, and responds to employee complaints.

Administrative Responsibilities

• Attends and participates in staff meetings, departmental head meetings, and other center meetings and sits on required committees.

• Coordinates work of department with work of other departments.

• Assists in developing and updating departmental procedures and policies.

• Participates in department budget planning and supplies monthly reports to Administrator.

• Performs any miscellaneous work assignments as required.

Education

To be qualified, must meet one of the following criteria:

• 10% completion of a state-approved training course.

• Qualification as Occupational Therapist or Therapist Assistant and/or qualification as an Activity Professional or Recreational Therapist who is: licensed or registered either nationally or by the state in which practicing; and eligible for certification as an Activity Professional or as a Therapeutic Recreational Specialist by a recognized accrediting body on or after October 1, 1990.

Experience

• Two years of experience conducting social/recreational programs within the past five years, one of which was full-time in a resident activities program in a health care setting.

Physical Demands

• Lifting 20 pounds maximum with frequent lifting and/or carrying of objects weighing up to 10 pounds; Standing, walking, talking, hearing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, handling, feeling

Working Conditions

• Works closely with residents, family members, and center staff.

Principal Contacts

• Works closely with residents, family members, legal representatives, and center staff.

General Requirements

Must be able to execute the terms and conditions set forth in the Edenbrook Employee Handbook, including, but not limited to:  

• Works in a safety-conscious manner which ensures that safe work practices are used in order not to pose a risk to self or others in the workplace. Reports any safety violations or hazards to supervisors. 

• Complies with company policies and procedures and local, state, and federal regulations.

• Adheres to a Drug-Free Workplace

• Interacts in a tactful, diplomatic, and humanistic manner with residents, families, visitors, and co-workers to provide a safe, efficient, and therapeutically effective caring environment which ensures the self-respect, personal dignity, rights and physical safety of each resident and facility guest.

• Maintains a dependable attendance record and adheres to standards of cleanliness, grooming, hygiene, and dress code.

• Takes positive action to ensure equal opportunity in the conduct of all business activities without regard to race, color, religion, sex/gender, age, national origin, disability, citizenship, veteran status, or any other legally protected category.