Assisted Living Staff Member Qualifications
When you move to assisted living, you become a part of a vibrant community full of new neighbors. But it’s not just friendly peers who will greet you and welcome you to your new home; there are team members there who quickly become a part of your extended family. Assisted living staff members all have a passion for serving older adults, but they are also quite unique in their education, backgrounds, and talents. It’s these dedicated workers that keep an assisted living community functioning, the residents safe and happy, and the culture engaging.
Let’s learn more about the staff who work in an assisted living community and their qualifications.
Leadership Staff
An excellent assisted living community begins with the culture set by the top leaders. You’ll find leadership roles in assisted living that include Director, Director of Nursing, Resident Services Coordinator, Dining Director, Grounds and Maintenance Director, and Life Enrichment Director, to name a few. Each community is different, which means that you might find more leaders in a larger community or fewer in a smaller community. In all cases, leaders are experienced and have the tools they need to grow the team that works in their department.
Assisted Living Directors typically have at least a Bachelor’s degree in geriatrics, public health, or another relevant degree. They also come with a background in working in senior living in some capacity. Similarly, a Director of Nursing not only has a nursing degree but also experience working in senior living, usually in a caregiving capacity. Other Directors in assisted living will have relevant experience in the department they lead.
Caregivers
Caregivers are the heart of any assisted living community, and are the team members that often know the residents who live there the best. While assisted living caregivers are not required to have a formal Certified Nursing Assistant certification, they do need to undergo training to ensure they know how to safely and effectively assist residents with activities of daily living. Those who work in a memory care unit will take additional educational classes all about dementia and best practices in dementia caregiving.
Caregivers in assisted living come with varying backgrounds. Some might have cared for a loved one of their own and came to an assisted living community because they fell in love with serving seniors. Others might be getting their degree in nursing and are using their caregiving role as a way to get to know more about healthcare and serving others. Some might just know they have a heart for serving their community and found their way to caregiving. In all cases, caregivers are often selfless, compassionate, and driven to advocate for those they serve.
Dining and Activity Staff
An assisted living community is a busy place, and you’ll find the most activity happening during meal times and fun events that happen daily throughout the community. Dining staff and activity (or life enrichment) staff members are there, in the heart of the action, finding new ways to connect residents with one another, with favorite traditions, and with new hobbies.
Dining team members, depending on their role, come with experience such as a chef. Servers in the dining room might be young adults looking to experience a healthcare job or retirees looking for a fun way to stay active.
Activity staff members are often the social butterflies of the team. You’ll find them setting up a variety of events and activities while singing a tune with the residents who arrive early to the event or leading a group exercise class. These staff members are energetic, friendly, and have never met a stranger.
It takes each staff member working together to create the magic of an engaged and vibrant assisted living community. Be sure to watch the staff in action while you tour any senior living community. How team members interact with residents and with one another can tell you a lot about the culture inside the community.