Activities Director

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Activities provides an ongoing program of activities designed to meet the interest and

physical, mental, and psychological well being of each patient.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supervises activities provided by Activity Assistant Director, Activity Aides, volunteers and

others for whom they are administratively or professionally responsible.

• Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organizational policies and

applicable laws.

• Supervisory responsibilities include:

o Interviews, hires, and trains activity employees and volunteers.

o Plans, assigns and directs work.

o Prepares work assignment sheets, taking into consideration patient safety, the educational

preparation, experience, knowledge and ability of staff.

o Receives calls and finds replacements for absent staff.

o Prepares performance evaluations with the understanding such evaluations impact tenure

of probationary employees and wage increases of non-probationary employees.

o Schedules and adjusts lunch and rest breaks.

o Approves errors in time cards or other timekeeping records.

o Receives and resolves employee complaints.

o Monitors and corrects job performance of employees.

o Disciplines employees up to and including discharge.

o Adequately supervises assigned staff and assures that those staff are supervising

employees assigned to them.

• Uses independent judgment and discretion on behalf of the organization in the performance of

these duties.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Experience/Certifications/Licenses/Registrations:

• A qualified therapeutic recreation specialist or an activities professional who

o Is licensed or registered, if applicable, by the State in which practicing; and

o Is eligible for certification as a therapeutic recreation specialist or as an activities

professional by a recognized accrediting body on or after October 1, 1990; or

o Has 2 years of experience in a social or recreational program within the last 5 years, 1 of

which was full-time in a patient activities program in a health care setting; or

o Is a qualified occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant; or

o Has completed a training course approved by the State.

• Meets state and federal criminal background check requirements.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each key function satisfactorily.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the key

functions.

• Completes assessments, MDS, care plans and gathers information to design activities that are

multi-faceted, meets resident’s functional levels, and reflects needs and interests of each resident.

• Provides stimulation or solace, promotes physical, cognitive and/or emotional health.

• Offers activities that enhance each resident’s physical and mental status.

• Promotes each resident’s self-respect by providing activities that support self-expression and

choice.

• Offers activities that involve facility, staff, volunteers and visitors.

• Provides residents who are confined or choose to remain in their rooms with in-room activities in

keeping with life-long interest (music, reading, visits with individuals who share their interests or

reasonable attempts to connect the resident with such individuals) and in-room project they can

work on independently.

• Informs residents when activities are occurring; encourages their involvement in activities.

• Occasionally assists with escorting residents to and from activities.

• Maintains sufficient activity supplies.

• Interviews residents, interested family members, legal representatives and significant others to

obtain and update information needed to develop individualized activities programs, to

accommodate individual needs and preferences and to protect and promote resident’s rights.

• Attends care conferences with members of the interdisciplinary team to develop, implement and

evaluate plans of care.

• Communicates residents’ concerns and responses to interventions to interdisciplinary team

members and to direct care staff.

• Develop and coordinate individual, group, and bed side activities that reflect the needs and

interests of residents.

• Coordinates resident outings.

• Schedules routine schedules for cleaning equipment and materials.

• Identifies ways to accommodate resident choices, preferences, functional capacity and customary

routines in activities. Includes these approaches in plan of care and gives this information to

direct care staff.

• Posts monthly activities calendars that:

o Reflects the schedules, choices, and rights of the residents,

o Offers activities at hours convenient for the residents,

o Reflects the cultural and religious interests of the resident population,

o Appeals to both men and women and all age groups living in the facility.

• Performs daily rounds and observations of activities in progress.

• Records progress notes in the clinical record including subjective findings, objective symptoms,

observations of behavior, interventions provided to the resident, and their responses to activity

interventions. Review chart entries written by activities staff for completeness and accuracy.

• Completes documentation accurately and timely.

• Participates in the development of the department budget. Provides relevant financial

information to the Administrator regarding the department's financial needs and status.

• Actively participates in the long-term care survey process and works with Administrator to develop

responses to survey reports as needed.

• Participates in facility committees as required.

• Interprets Company policy and makes decisions based on the application of those policies where

applicable.

• Exercise unimpaired judgment in the interest of the Company.

• Performs other duties as assigned.