The Memory Care Director / LPN / RN will maintain a therapeutic environment for Residents with dementia that supports the Bethesda Senior Living Communities’ Mission and Vision. Nursing degree required for this position.

• Assures that the dignity of all residents is maintained, and that respect is shown, regardless of the nature of the interaction.
• Assures care team adapts the “environment” to the individual Resident’s needs and preferences, which includes everything a Resident encounters.
• Assures the care team has the knowledge, skills and attitude required to care for residents with dementia.
• Provides initial and ongoing training and support to the care team employees.
• Provides skills coaching and counseling when employee performance expectations are not met.
• Assures that structure and consistency is provided to residents in their daily lives
• Works with care team to design activities that are conducted throughout the day to provide a sense of usefulness, sense of pleasure, sense of success, support life roles, and encourage maintaining function. Assures that the program is implemented by care staff.
• Evaluates the program utilizing quality assurance tools and customer and staff feedback.
• Keeps current with trends and issues related to dementia care.
• Uses problem solving skills to improve outcomes when expectations are being met.
• Conducts Resident assessments and develops an accurate, individualized service plan that is communicated to care team.
• Updates and maintains a care plan that is continually developed through an ongoing flow of information from the care team about individual residents.
• Is responsible for leading special activities that require a higher degree of knowledge, skill and understanding that may include cognitive activities, creative/expressive activities and reminiscence activities.
• Maintains budget control by reviewing program costs and keeping them in line with the established budget.
• Supports and actively participates in the program’s census building initiatives assisting Marketing in planning and support and in pointing out features and benefits of the program to prospective residents and their family members.
• Assures excellent customer service by maintaining open and honest communication and assuring residents, families, physicians and employees needs are met.
• Provides tours to potential residents and families and promotes the concept of care of the Memory Care Community.
• Maintains a supportive relationship with Internal and External customers understanding that at times family members need as much support as the resident with dementia. Supports employees by supporting them during stressful times on the job and gives them praise and recognition for a job well done.
• Promotes and protects Residents’ rights and is a Resident advocate.
• Involves the care managers in problem solving and facilitates a pro-active problem solving approach to challenging resident behaviors.
• Gains support of staff members by practicing good interpersonal skills.
• Leads by example by following the SERVANT model of Bethesda Senior Living Communities.

Managerial Breadth/Scope of Job: Manages Care Managers, Medication Aides/Techs, and Activities Assistant. Is responsible for the development, implementation, and ongoing program in the Memory Care Unit following Bethesda Senior Living’s Missions and Values.

• Knowledgeable of local, state, and federal regulatory systems for assisted living communities.
• Interpersonal skills to communicate with residents, families, physicians, emergency personnel, and unit staff, internal and external customers.
• Compassionate and genuinely cares for people with dementia
• Resident assessments
• Complaint resolution
• Conflict resolution
• Identification of concerns and strengths of the program
• Training and inservices
• Teamwork
• Customer Focus
• Relationship management
• Flexibility
• Integrity
• Decision making and problem solving

Education/Experience

• Degree in a related field, such as Nursing, Social Services, or Therapeutic Recreation preferred.
• Previous leadership experience in a specialized dementia program preferred.
• Knowledge of and experience with program facilitation and activity program development.
• Knowledge of and experience with caring for persons with dementia.
• Knowledgeable of the disease process, changes associated with a dementing illness and how they affect an individual’s ability to function.
• Demonstrates skills necessary to work effectively with an individual with dementia.
• Ability to read and interpret company policy and procedure manuals, operations manuals and governmental rules and regulations.
• Ability to perform budget analysis, review and control.
• Able to identify problems, collect data and use this information to solve identified problems.
• Certification, licensed, or registrations and certificates as defined by individual state regulations.

Working Environment/Physical Requirements: Moderate physical activity required to handle objects up to 20 pounds. Must be able to bend, stoop, reach and handle bulky objects. Must be able to assist in lifting residents in excess of 100 pounds.