General Purpose:
To help maintain an activities/life enrichment program for our residents in our Extended Care Facility (ECF) at Niobrara Community Hospital. Allocates resources in an efficient manner to ensure each resident achieves the highest practicable physical, mental and psychosocial well-being. Essential Duties/Responsibilities: Be able to be creative to develop a plan of activities to try to encompass all resident’s needs. Be able to develop diverse Life Enrichment Program, available during days, evenings, and on weekends, that is responsive to individual resident needs that provide stimulation or solace, which promotes physical, cognitive, or emotional health and enhances each resident’s functional abilities. Be able to implement Life Enrichment interventions that achieve treatment goals, address resident needs, link social supports, physical care and physical environment to enhance quality of life. Demonstrates satisfactory level of interpersonal skills to interact with residents, families, community, and government agencies, interdisciplinary staff. Able to apply facility policies to facts leading to job actions without regard to race, religion, age, national origin, sex, or disability. Able to express self adequately in written and/or oral communication and to communicate effectively in an interdisciplinary care setting with residents, families, staff members, representatives of community, and government agencies. Able to understand and to follow written and verbal directions, able effectively to communicate with staff members and residents through verbal and/or written means. Demonstrates knowledge of and respect for the rights, dignity and individuality of each resident in all interactions. Able to act as role model for unit staff by protecting and promoting residents’ rights in all interactions with residents and families. Carries out all duties in accordance with the facility mission and values. Appreciates the importance of maintaining confidentiality of resident and facility information. Able to train and maintain a volunteer program. Demonstrates honesty and integrity at all times in the care and use of resident and facility property. Knowledge of emergency and disaster procedures of facility. Able to locate nearest exit, to understand and respond to written or oral instruction in case of emergency. Sufficient mobility and strength to move freely through the building, to assure resident safety at all times, and to assist, transfer or otherwise move residents of facility out of danger in case of emergency. Demonstrates respect for co-workers and responds to needs of residents by complying with facility policies on attendance and punctuality, and dress code. Able to arrive and to begin work on time and to report for duty as scheduled on all shifts.
Working knowledge and ability to comply with facility policies and procedures for workplace safety, including infection control procedure, application of universal precaution for blood borne pathogens, use of personal protective equipment and handling of hazardous materials. Demonstrates ability to prioritize tasks/responsibilities and complete duties/projects within allotted time. Able to respond to change productively and to handle additional task/projects as assigned. Able to carry out the essential functions of this job (with or without reasonable accommodation) without posing specific, current risk of substantial harm to health and safety of self and other.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: NOTE: The essential functions of this job may be revised or updated as facility needs dictate.
Gathers information to design Life Enrichment program that meets the function levels, needs, and interests of each resident. Is a member of and works cooperatively with members of the interdisciplinary team to develop, implement, and evaluate plan of care. Attends care conferences. Develops Life Enrichment interventions as part of the comprehensive plan of care. Communicates resident concerns and responses to interventions to interdisciplinary team members and to direct care staff. Develops and provides individual, group, and bedside activities for residents that reflect interest of residents, are offered at hours convenient to residents that appeal to all age groups, both men and women, take place in a variety of locations, and include special and seasonal events. Post monthly Activities calendar. Provides activities to residents confined to their rooms that reflect life-long interests such as music, reading, visiting with people of shared interests, and in-room projects that the resident can work on independently or with staff assistance. Provides structured activities to meet the needs of cognitively impaired residents, such as music events, gross motor games, or outdoor walks. Seeks ways to adapt activities so that all residents can participate, such as segmenting activities into simple steps, providing verbal prompts, physical support, demonstration, and hand-over-hand assistance when the resident is unable to complete a task independently.
Develops and implements effective procedures to ensure that all residents are informed that activities are occurring, that staff encourage participation, and that transportation is provided.
Provides notes in the clinical staff or to the DOCS, including subjective findings, objective symptoms, observations of behavior, interventions provided to resident, and resident’s responses to activity interventions. Participates in the development of the department budget. Provides relevant financial information to CEO and/or direct supervisor. Communicates with CEO/direct supervisor to discuss resident care, personnel, and budget issues. Develops staffing plan and recommends to CEO/direct supervisor numbers and types of Life Enrichment personnel needed to meet resident needs in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations. Actively participates in long-term care survey process by instructing staff in matters of conduct and disclosure, maintaining a presence when surveyors are on site, and directing the timely collection of information required by the survey team. Demonstrates concern for identified problems and undertakes corrective action while survey is in progress if appropriate. Gathers and presents supplemental documentation to avoid potential deficiencies. Collaborates with CEO to develop responses to survey report as needed. Reports injury of self or other to charge nurse and direct supervisor immediately. Safely transports residents and volunteers in company vehicle (if applicable). Maintains current skills and knowledge through continuing education. Applies information to job responsibilities. Participates in fire and disaster drills. In event of an emergency, carries out assigned duties to assure resident safety.
PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND ERGONOMIC REQUIREMENTS:Successful performance of essential functions can best be achieved through consistent application of current knowledge, use of good judgment, teamwork, common sense, ability to establish and carry out priorities, effective use of interpersonal skills, and ongoing communication with residents, staff, families, interdisciplinary team members, and government officials, including State surveyors and ombudsman. This job cannot be performed without exposure to the stresses associated with the intimate, 24 hour residential care environment that delivers care and services primarily to disabled and cognitively impaired residents. Example of these stresses include, but are not limited to: shift rotation, weekend and holiday duty, unusual or impaired behavior by residents, family reactions to having a loved one in the nursing home, death and dying, oversight of State surveyors, ombudsman, and federal officials, presence of consultants and attorneys, and variable involvement of medical staff. Essential functions are carried out in a variety of positions, including standing and sitting. To meet residents’ needs, virtually all positions require the ability to move freely through the building. Stooping, bending, lifting, and carrying, as well as other physical demands may be required as described in the Essential Physical Demands of this position.
