Life Enrichment Assistant: Seasonal

Kendal at Oberlin is a full-service life plan community, which primarily serves older adults in the Quaker tradition. Residents are assured a lifetime of healthcare including short- and long-term nursing services, memory care and assisted living. Equally important, residents enjoy an independent, enriching living experience.

Kendal at Oberlin's Creative Arts Therapy Department is currently seeking a caring and creative individual for a seasonal (May thru September) Life Enrichment Assistant for our Jameson House. The hours may vary between days, evenings and weekends.  This ever important individual will support a high quality of life, as defined by those with cognitive loss and their advocates by meeting the social, creative, physical, cognitive, spiritual and emotional needs of the residents and by implementing a variety of programs and one on one engagement. More specifically, the Life Enrichment & Dining Assistant will be responsible for including but not limited to: 

• Lead a large dining experience with 8-12 residents.
• Encouraging residents to engage in meal prep and clean up.
• Encouraging and initiating residents to participate in conversations at meal time.
• Recognizing when a task needs to be adjusted to fit a resident's cognitive capabilities.
• Promoting an activity-based approach to all life activities.
• Organizing small and large group and one-to-one opportunities for meaningful activity, friendship, growth, purpose and joy throughout the day.
• Implementing Person/Process/Product theory to engage with residents.
• Demonstrating flexibility, innovation and creativity to engage residents in activities of interest. 

Qualifications and Experience: 

• High School degree: MEPAP I, MEPAP II completion preferred;
• One or more years demonstrated success in caring for and supporting elders living with a cognitive impairment, including creating activities of purposeful engagement;
• Demonstrated expertise in recreational activities and social interventions achieved through education, training, and experience that results in high quality of life for those living with a cognitive impairment;
• Demonstrated creativity and innovation in designing and employing purposeful and life enriching programs for the cognitively impaired;
• Dementia training certificate such as: Teepa Snow Engagement, Montessori Training Method or Alzheimer's Association: Certification as Dementia Practitioner preferred;
• Strong computer skills: Microsoft office products;
• Works well with constant interruptions while maintaining a calm environment;
• Demonstrates patience to work with residents at all levels of cognitive strength;
• Ability to work independently and ask for guidance when needed, possessing good organizational abilities, a friendly demeanor, and a good amount of patience;
• Ability to read aloud to individual, medium and large sized groups;
• Ability to adhere to food safety requirements;
• Ohio Child Abuse History Clearance as well as requirements from the Ohio Department of Health.