Finding a Job in Assisted Living in Louisiana
Are you searching for a job where you can positively impact your community, work alongside a team of highly trained professionals, and make meaningful relationships with those you serve? Assisted living in Louisiana is an excellent industry to get into if you’re looking to pursue your passion for serving others and for a job that will make a difference in the lives of those around you. If you’ve never worked in senior living before, it’s okay. As long as you desire to work with older adults, you can find a home in assisted living.
Before you begin your job search for opportunities in assisted living in Louisiana, get to know more about the industry, as well as what positions might be available at communities near you.
About Assisted Living in Louisiana
If you’re not familiar with assisted living, it is one type of senior living community that serves older adults who need support with tasks like bathing, showering, grooming, mobility, and eating. They might also need support with housekeeping tasks. In most cases, living at home is either unsustainable, unsafe, or too lonely. Assisted living communities allow residents to receive assistance from caregivers, connect with neighbors, and stay active.
Most residents in assisted living communities have their own apartment. They are often quite independent and can be quite the social butterflies! Assisted living communities provide amenities and services designed to enhance quality of life and support independence.
Caregiver Jobs in Assisted Living in Louisiana
The first type of job at an assisted living community is one of a caregiver. While you need a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification to work in a skilled nursing facility, assisted living communities do not require that type of expertise. Instead, anyone without a criminal background can apply to be a caregiver in an assisted living community. Those without caregiving experience can learn through on-the-job training.
Caregivers typically work part-time or full-time, during a specific shift. Available shifts and approximate times might include days (7 am – 3 pm), afternoons (3 pm – 11 pm), or overnights (11 pm – 7 am). Caregivers are responsible for resident care, which means tasks might include wellness checks on residents and reporting any observations you make to the nurse, assisting with activities of daily living with residents who require it, and helping residents to and from meals or activities. Tasks might also include sitting down and having a cup of coffee with a resident who is having a hard day, high-fiving a grandchild of a resident who is visiting for the afternoon, or singing along to songs during the community’s happy-hour entertainment.
Caregiving jobs are best for anyone who loves serving older adults, who has a kind and patient demeanor, and who would like a job where every day is a little bit different.
Caregivers can sometimes also decide to take their education further and attend nursing school. Nurses at assisted living communities oversee resident care, write care plans personalized for each resident, and follow up with family members and physicians as needed.
Dining Team Jobs
Not everyone who works at an assisted living community is a caregiver or a nurse. It takes a team of professionals with different expertise to make the resident experience exceptional. Dining team members, for example, are in charge of planning, preparing, and serving delicious and nutritious meals to residents three times per day.
Dining team jobs can include chefs, sous chefs, dining room servers, dishwashers, and more. In general, dining team members can work part-time or full-time, and across two shifts to ensure breakfast, lunch, and dinner are covered.
Working in the dining room is an excellent way to get familiar with assisted living, as servers get to know residents and their needs quickly. Servers and other dining team members are always focused on hospitality, wanting to give residents and their guests the best dining experience every time they visit the dining room.
A dining-team job is ideal for someone who loves the process of planning and preparing meals, who is creative and hospitality-focused, and who wants to form a relationship with the residents they serve.
Activity and Life Enrichment Jobs
Assisted living communities are hubs of activity, with residents participating in a variety of events and programs throughout the day and evening. The Life Enrichment Department (sometimes called Activities) is responsible for creating the activity calendar, encouraging participation, and leading events throughout the month.
A Life Enrichment Director is the leader of the department and some communities have Life Enrichment Assistants who are there to lead groups, invite and escort residents to events, and spend time with residents. Assistants can work part-time or full-time and typically work days, evenings, and weekends on rotation to ensure activities are available for residents throughout the week.
A Life Enrichment job might be right for you if you have been told you are the life of the party, if you are organized and love to plan, and if you are inspired to find ways to connect with seniors who all have a variety of personalities and preferences.
Housekeeping and Maintenance Jobs
For someone who wants to focus on providing a safe and clean environment for residents to live in, housekeeping and maintenance jobs might be the ideal fit. Housekeeping staff typically works full-time or part-time in assisted living during the days, evenings, and weekends. Housekeepers are responsible for the cleanliness of resident apartments as well as shared spaces throughout the community. Maintenance team members also work part-time or full-time and are there to ensure the community is safe and operating.
These roles are perfect for someone who is detail-oriented, who doesn’t mind working a bit behind the scenes, and who is devoted to creating a clean and safe environment for residents and visitors alike.
Leadership Roles in Assisted Living in Louisiana
Assisted living communities have leadership positions for all departments, staffed with people who have experience and expertise in their respective fields. You can find an Administrator leading the whole community with the help of positions like a Marketing Director, Dining Director, Nursing Director, Life Enrichment Director, Building and Grounds Director, and more. In many cases, Directors were once caregivers or servers who have worked their way up and invested in their education to learn more about how to be senior living leaders.
Jobs in assisted living in Louisiana have something for everyone, as long as you have a desire to serve seniors, want to work on a team, and want to learn every day you are working. We’re eager to hear from you at The Glen if you’re in Shreveport, Louisiana and are interested in a job in assisted living.