What Kind of Person Works at an Assisted Living Facility?

By Janet Smytherton


It's nice to know a little about the staff when a loved one moves into an assisted living facility. Each and every day, these are the people who will be interacting with your loved one. Their competence, attitude and demeanor can set the tone for the entire facility. Nothing could be more important than to have a quality staff in the assisted living facility you select.

The following are positions that many assisted living facilities have: executive director, medicine technician, caregiver, activities coordinator, receptionist, housekeeper, maintenance, cooks, servers and kitchen help.. The ultimate responsibility of seeing that the facility meets the needs of its residents and the state requirements belongs to the executive director.

First, consider their general competence. They need adequate preparation for their job. The statutes in each state are different. For specific information, you will need to go to the state website to determine the level of training required.
Each person must be trained for the position they hold. When you visit an assisted living facility, don't be afraid to ask about the training given. Some of the areas that are common to all positions include emergency evacuation training, how to respond in an emergency, how to treat residents with consideration and respect.

It's important that the staff have a genuine affection for seniors. If an employee does have this quality, it will eventually become evident to the residents and guests. The only position I have seen that does not often interact with the residents is the kitchen staff. Employees in all other positions have the opportunity to interact with residents on a daily basis.

Patience is a valued resource for a staff member. The staff learns quickly, that it is sometimes necessary to repeat themselves as many seniors suffer from early dementia. Even those seniors with dementia are aware when a staff member is being impatient with them.

Many of the positions require an attention to detail. An example of that would be the medicine technician, who is responsible for storing many prescription and over the counter medications. In most cases, they also remind the resident to take the medications as prescribed by their doctor. A small mistake on the part of the staff member could have disastrous effects.

A knowledge of the residents' capabilities is essential for the person that plans the activities. Activities, outings, games and entertainment should be planned to engage the seniors at their own level of abilities. Often the activities include involvement with the local community.

A genuine desire to help seniors and the elderly is essential. There are a great many rewards for working in this business, but only for a person who loves to help others. Some people are just looking for any job and
Patience is a valued resource for a staff member. The staff learns quickly, that it is sometimes necessary to repeat themselves as many seniors suffer from early dementia. Even those seniors with dementia are aware when a staff member is being impatient with them.

Many of the positions require an attention to detail. An example of that would be the medicine technician, who is responsible for storing many prescription and over the counter medications. In most cases, they also remind the resident to take the medications as prescribed by their doctor. A small mistake on the part of the staff member could have disastrous effects.

A knowledge of the residents' capabilities is essential for the person that plans the activities. Activities, outings, games and entertainment should be planned to engage the seniors at their own level of abilities. Often the activities include involvement with the local community.

A genuine desire to help seniors and the elderly is essential. There are a great many rewards for working in this business, but only for a person who loves to help others. Some people are just looking for any job and ends up working at an assisted living facility. If they don't have a knowledge of the aging process and a genuine desire to help seniors, their attitude will undoubtedly show in their performance.




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