Director of Care

Director of Care
Job Description

Reports to: Executive Director
FLSA Status: Exempt

Job Summary: The Director of Care is responsible for promoting the health and well-being of each resident by providing accurate nursing assessments, giving appropriate input to the development of care plans, and educating staff on the appropriate and proper care for each resident. This position is also responsible for developing systems, procedures, and training programs that support governing state and federal regulations.

Primary Responsibilities:

General Management
1. Adhere to and implement operational and resident care policies and procedures.
2. Order resident care supplies from approved vendors on a regular basis, maintaining inventory levels while staying within budgetary guidelines.
3. Oversee and ensure completion of state-required documentation and forms.
4. Complete and submit any required reports for the Medical Director, Consulting Pharmacist, or any other consulting healthcare professional.
5. Support Executive Director and Resident Engagement Director with any events or programs to promote the community, i.e. Health Fair.
6. Develop and support a system that allows for a constant flow of communication to the Executive Director regarding: resident, family, or employee concerns, decline of resident condition, employee injuries, budget disparities, or any matters that potentially impact operations.

7. Assume on-call responsibilities on a rotational basis and assign on-call responsibilities to other qualified management.

8. Develop knowledge of community policies, procedures and state/federal regulations pertaining to resident care.

9. Responsible for implementing periodic quality assurance measures.
10. Assist in monitoring employee’s on modified duty and actively participate in the community’s safety program.
11. Carry out other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Resident Health and Wellness
1. Oversee the safety and well being of the residents in accordance with the company’s philosophy and standards of care.
2. Possess and maintain a strong knowledge of the community, its benefits, the services provided, healthcare services overall, the residents and employees.
3. Review and perform evaluations of resident health and functional care needs prior to move-in to ensure that the community can meet the resident’s needs and regulatory requirements have been met.
4. Review all resident information and complete an assessment of the resident prior to move-in, when changes in resident’s condition occur, and as required by company policy and state regulation.
5. Develop and maintain an up-to-date individual service plan and participate in the service plan conference.

6. Coordinate with other community health care professionals, health services the resident may need, i.e. home health, hospice, specialty physician services, etc.

7. Monitor status of resident’s health condition and initiate actions in response to changing needs.
8. Perform selected clinical tasks that reflect an unusual or unique condition in a resident or that cannot be delegated, i.e. IM injections.
9. Assist in coordinating resident transfers, to or from a hospital or another health facility.
10. Ensure required paperwork for providing resident care is complete and up-to-date.
11. Review daily any and all communication tools used in providing resident care.
12. Establish a medication and treatment administration program. Monitor all medications and prescriptions.

Update system as needed and educate nurses and medication aides on the program, frequently reviewing their ability to safely administer medications.

13. Develop systems to effectively and efficiently communicate resident’s needs with caregiver staff, family, physician, or agency involved in the resident’s care, for any resident change of condition, new or re-admit, or as needed.

14. Establish and maintain an open-door policy and a high level of ongoing communication with residents and families and for responding to concerns/grievances in a timely manner.

15. Conduct periodic audits of resident service plans, ADL logs, fees, medication administration program, narcotic logs, and caregiver delegation assignments to assure accuracy and completeness.

16. Participate, as invited, in resident council or town hall meetings.

Hiring, Supervising, and Training
1. Assist the Executive Director in hiring, training, evaluating, corrective action and scheduling of all caregiving personnel to ensure adequate, well-trained staff are available to meet the needs of the residents.
2. Assist in developing and maintaining a schedule for the caregiver staff that sufficiently meets the needs of the residents and ensures proper staffing per state regulations and acuity of the residents.
3. Provide training for all nursing and caregiving staff in accordance with company standards, policies, training programs, and state and federal regulations.
4. Ensure all staff are provided on-going education on infection control guidelines and that standards of safe practice are met.
5. Provide an “open door” to employees, addressing all grievances/concerns in a timely manner and promoting a harassment free work environment.
6. Administer performance evaluations and corrective action when appropriate.
7. Lead by example, encourage teamwork, promote the company’s mission and values, and provide ongoing coaching to employees.
8. Motivate employees through recognition programs, training, and teambuilding.
9. Assist in providing staffing coverage in the event of staff shortages or emergencies.

Qualifications/Specifications:
1. Genuine concern for and ability to work with the elderly.
2. Knowledge of the basic scientific principles necessary to provide competent nursing care.
3. Ability to assess human responses to actual or potential health problems.
4. Understanding of the normal dosage, action, and common side effects of the most commonly prescribed medications in senior populations.
5. Must be able to utilize standard precaution knowledge and infection control measures where required.
6. Ability to utilize the principles of teaching and learning for both patient and staff education.
7. Ability to delegate responsibility while maintaining oversight of daily activities and major projects.
8. Intermediate computer skills with knowledge of: Microsoft Office software (Word, Outlook, and Excel).
9. Ability to respond during off-duty hours to questions and emergencies as needed.
10. Ability to manage and prioritize a large, complex workload.
11. Possess sufficient communication and language (orally and written) skills to perform job duties and communicate with residents, other staff, family members, etc., as needed.

12. Ability to make sound decisions when faced with ambiguous situations and to function effectively despite conflicting information.

13. Ability to work with supervisors and within the parameters of company policies and procedures.

Education:
Graduate of an accredited school of professional nursing.

Professional:
Unencumbered R.N. license in the state of Arkansas

Experience:
At least three verifiable years in a managerial nursing position. At least two of these three years must have been spent providing residential care to elderly or equivalent experience.

Physical Job Requirements:
In a typical eight-hour day, employee will:

• Stand/walk frequently, punctuated by opportunities to sit.
• Sit frequently, up to 1-2 hours at a time, punctuated by varying intervals to stand.

Constantly Frequent Occasionally Rarely
Lift < 5# < 10# < 35# < 50#
Carry < 5# < 10# < 20# < 50#
Push/Pull < 5# < 10# < 35# < 150# (resident wheelchair)

• Occasionally kneel, bend, and reach while filing paperwork for items < 10#.
• Secure proper assistance for transferring and lifting of residents as needed (training required for this task)
• Vision-must be able to read clearly with or without corrective lenses.
• Hearing-must be able to hear telephone, audible alarms, bells, and signals related to resident safety, with or without hearing devices.
• Speech/language-must have strong command of the English language sufficient to read and write and interpret medical and administrative information.
• Bloodborne exposure category: High-vaccine offered. Exposure tasks include: injections, direct resident care, and resident physical assessments.

Vacating Position
This position requires a 30-day written resignation notice from the employee.

Sycamore Springs Senior Living is an equal opportunity employer. This means we do not discriminate in employment decisions on the basis of race, color, national origin, citizenship status, creed, religion, sex, age, marital status, disability, political ideology, veteran status, or any category protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to hiring, placement, promotion, termination, reduction in force, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. We fully comply with our legal duty to provide reasonable accommodations to allow people with disabilities to apply for and perform their jobs. If you have a disability that would affect your ability to perform the essential functions of this job you must let us know prior to accepting this position and as soon as possible change should occur.

This job description may be changed to include new responsibilities and tasks or change of existing ones as Sycamore Springs Senior Living deems necessary.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $50,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• On call

Work Location: One location