Life Enrichment Coordinator in Norton Shores, Michigan at DaySpring Services

DaySpring Assisted Living and Independent Living Apartments

Base Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Schedule Flexibility: Regularly works a combination of first- and second-shift hours to ensure activities are carried out with excellence across all shifts. Evening, weekend, and holiday hours may also be required.
On-Call Requirement: Participates in the DaySpring Assisted Living on-call rotation.

DaySpring is a Christian, faith-based organization committed to meeting the needs of older adults by serving them with God’s love.

To promote unity of purpose, employees are expected, as a condition of employment, to read, understand, agree with, and sign DaySpring’s Statement of Faith. Employees must perform their responsibilities in alignment with DaySpring’s Christian mission, values, policies, procedures, and standards of conduct.

The Life Enrichment Coordinator is a member of the leadership team responsible for developing, coordinating, organizing, leading, evaluating, and maintaining a high-quality Life Enrichment program for DaySpring Assisted Living and the Independent Living Apartments.

Using professional experience and relationships with residents, tenants, staff, families, volunteers, and community partners, the Life Enrichment Coordinator creates meaningful activities based on each resident’s and tenant’s individual strengths, abilities, needs, interests, and social history.

The Life Enrichment program should support the social, physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual needs of residents and tenants while helping them experience activities and relationships that are truly “Full of Life.”

• Gather input from residents and tenants to develop monthly Life Enrichment calendars that reflect their strengths, needs, abilities, and interests.

• Create and implement an engaging balance of large-group, small-group, and one-on-one activities.

• Provide planned programming as well as meaningful “quality-of-the-moment” spontaneous experiences.

• Encourage residents and tenants to attend and participate in activities.

• Motivate residents, tenants, and Resident Life Partners to participate in scheduled programming and spontaneous experiences.

• Develop creative approaches for engaging residents and tenants who decline or are reluctant to participate.

• Encourage residents to participate in maintaining the greenhouse and gardens.

• Involve residents, tenants, staff, and families in planning special events.

• Take photographs of activities and events for approved social-media and promotional purposes.

• Plan, carry out, and follow through on activities in a timely manner.

• Ensure all required activity-related paperwork and forms are completed accurately and on time.

• Interview and assess residents and tenants upon admission to identify their abilities, strengths, interests, needs, and social history.

• Speak with family members as appropriate to gather additional information about the resident’s or tenant’s interests, abilities, strengths, preferences, and life experiences.

• Complete the Life Story, initial activity assessment, and annual activity assessment for each resident.

• Develop and implement an individualized Life Enrichment plan based on assessment results.

• Establish measurable activity goals that are consistent with the resident’s Life Plan.

• Update the activity section of each resident’s Life Plan to accurately reflect preferred activities and specific interests.

• Participate in resident care-planning meetings and interdisciplinary problem-solving discussions.

• Assist with updating and developing Resident Life Plans as needed.

• Document each resident’s and tenant’s activity attendance on the appropriate activity log.

• Review attendance information to ensure all residents and tenants are regularly engaged in life-enriching activities.

• Maintain an organized and consistent approach to completing activity logs and other required documentation.

• Evaluate the overall effectiveness of the Life Enrichment program.

• Modify programming when necessary to better meet residents’ and tenants’ needs and interests.

• Participate in continuous quality-improvement activities and organizational initiatives.

• Lead, model, mentor, teach, and train Resident Life Partners to carry out the established activity calendar.

• Train Resident Life Partners to provide spontaneous activities during residents’ waking hours.

• Provide day-to-day leadership, direction, training, coaching, and work oversight to Resident Life Partners in support of the Life Enrichment program.

• Supervise activity implementation across all shifts to ensure residents are actively engaged and planned activities are conducted in a manner that is “Full of Life.”

• Ensure Resident Life Partners treat residents and tenants with dignity and respect.

• Participate in interviewing, onboarding, performance management, and corrective-action processes in partnership with the Administrator.

• Provide written counseling or disciplinary documentation to staff when needed.

• Deliver written disciplinary action directly to Resident Life Partners when required.

• Recruit, train, supervise, schedule, and coordinate volunteers participating in Life Enrichment programming.

• Build meaningful relationships with residents and tenants while treating each person with dignity and respect.

• Provide resident care and assistance with activities of daily living, including bathing, toileting, and grooming, when needed.

• Provide Resident Life Partner coverage when required because of unforeseen circumstances.

• Assist residents with mobility, transfers, personal care, and other activities of daily living as needed.

• Maintain awareness of residents’ and tenants’ changing needs and conditions.

• Serve as a point of contact between Independent Living Apartment tenants and the DaySpring Services leadership team.

• Communicate changes in a tenant’s care needs or condition to the appropriate individuals.

• Maintain effective working relationships with the DayBreak Program Coordinator, Agape Home Resident Life Coordinator, and Agape Home at Blueberry Fields Resident Life Coordinator.

• Collaborate with other DaySpring programs and leaders to strengthen the Life Enrichment opportunities available to residents and tenants.

• Communicate effectively with staff, residents, tenants, families, volunteers, community members, and the public.

• Lead monthly Independent Living Apartment tenant meetings.

• Ensure tenant concerns, needs, or interests are addressed promptly.

• Take tenant-meeting minutes and ensure concern forms are delivered to the appropriate coordinator.

• Exercise responsible stewardship over Life Enrichment programming expenses.

• Maintain organized activity supplies and equipment.

• Use sound judgment and initiative when planning and carrying out programs.

• Balance multiple priorities and responsibilities effectively.

• Participate in the DaySpring Assisted Living on-call rotation.

• Perform other duties assigned by the Administrator, Director of Operations, or President.

Candidates must demonstrate:

• Leadership experience and the ability to guide a team toward desired outcomes, with the goal of helping all residents and tenants experience activities that are “Full of Life.”

• Experience, training, and a genuine desire to lead activities for older adults.

• A sincere interest in interacting with older adults, including individuals experiencing dementia or memory impairment.

• Passion for positively impacting the lives of older adults through a meaningful Life Enrichment program grounded in God’s love.

• Alignment with DaySpring’s Christian mission and willingness to read, understand, agree with, and sign the Statement of Faith as a condition of employment.

• The ability to obtain and maintain a chauffeur’s license and drive a 15-passenger van for resident and tenant outings.

• Good health and the ability to remain physically active throughout the workday.

• Sensitivity, empathy, patience, honesty, and compassion.

• An interest in working with frail and memory-impaired individuals.

• The ability to manage the mental and emotional stresses associated with working with individuals experiencing dementia or memory impairment.

• Reliability, flexibility, patience, a caring approach, and an appropriate sense of humor.

• The ability to motivate residents and tenants to participate in life-enriching activities and experiences.

• Effective verbal and written communication skills.

• Strong leadership and supervisory abilities.

• The ability to oversee and train staff in carrying out scheduled and spontaneous activities.

• The ability to recruit, train, coordinate, and supervise volunteers.

• The ability to problem-solve and find creative ways to engage individuals who decline or are reluctant to participate.

• The ability to provide written counseling or disciplinary action to Resident Life Partners when needed.

• Strong organizational skills, particularly in completing activity logs and documenting resident participation.

• Creativity, initiative, and self-motivation.

• Good judgment and sound decision-making abilities.

• The ability to manage multiple responsibilities effectively.

• A consistently positive attitude, cheerful disposition, and enthusiastic approach.

• A commitment to treating residents and tenants with dignity and respect and ensuring staff members do the same.

• The ability to work varied hours as needed, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and on-call periods.

• Bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation or a related field.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

The employee must regularly be able to:

• Stand and walk for extended periods throughout the workday.

• Remain physically active throughout the workday.

• Independently lift, transfer, push, pull, and reposition residents or equipment weighing up to 50 pounds.

• Assist with greater weights when additional help is available.

• Bend, stoop, kneel, squat, reach, twist, and climb as required to provide resident care.

• Assist residents with mobility, transfers, and activities of daily living.

• Use hands and fingers to operate equipment, administer medications, complete documentation, and conduct activities.

• Communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and through written documentation.

• Visually assess residents, medication labels, documentation, and environmental conditions.

• Drive a 15-passenger van for outings after obtaining and maintaining the required chauffeur’s license.

The work environment characteristics described below are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of the position:

• Work is performed primarily within an assisted-living and independent-living environment.

• The position involves frequent interaction with residents experiencing cognitive impairment, dementia, behavioral symptoms, or emotional distress.

• Exposure to bodily fluids, infectious diseases, and other healthcare-related hazards may occur. Appropriate personal protective equipment is provided.

• The employee may encounter residents exhibiting verbal aggression, resistance to care, wandering behaviors, or other challenging behaviors.

• The position requires flexibility in responding to emergencies and changing resident needs.

• Work may include first- and second-shift hours, evenings, weekends, holidays, and on-call responsibilities.

• The workplace, facility, and grounds are smoke-free.

• Successfully complete all required background checks, reference checks, and pre-employment screenings.

• Maintain all required certifications, licenses, and training.

• Obtain and maintain a valid chauffeur’s license for operating a 15-passenger van.

• Adhere to DaySpring’s mission, values, Statement of Faith, policies, procedures, and standards of conduct.

• Demonstrate a commitment to compassionate, resident-centered care consistent with DaySpring’s Christian mission.

• Personally uphold the Resident Bill of Rights and HIPAA requirements.

• Ensure volunteers and Resident Life Partners also uphold resident rights, privacy, and confidentiality.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive listing of every duty, responsibility, activity, or qualification associated with the role.

Employees may be required to perform other job-related duties consistent with the nature and level of the position. DaySpring reserves the right to modify, assign, or remove duties and responsibilities as organizational needs require.

This job description does not constitute an employment contract.