FHW (PACE) Activity Assistant

Fallon Health; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Fallon Health Weinberg seeks a dedicated recreation professional to support PACE participants with individualized therapeutic activities. You will lead group and individual sessions, promote mental health and social connections, and ensure safety and engagement within the day center.

You will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team, document participation, and contribute to activity planning in a community-based aging program.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• CPR and Alzheimer's certifications preferred or willingness to be certified.
• Access to reliable transportation.
• One or more years of experience in an activities program in a health care setting serving elderly or frail populations in the last 5 years.

Responsibilities

• Conducts a variety of therapeutic recreational groups and individual activities to improve cognitive, physical, social, psychosocial, spiritual and artistic needs.
• Plans and participates in a comprehensive recreation program tailored to participants’ needs.
• Maintains clean, safe recreational supplies and documents attendance and participation daily.
• Collaborates with the Interdisciplinary Team and participates in meetings as assigned.

Skills

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Communication skills

Patient-centered care

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

Overview

About us:

Fallon Health Weinberg is a partnership between Fallon Health of Massachusetts and Weinberg Campus of Erie County, New York. Fallon Health Weinberg offers a Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) to serve the health needs of dual-eligible residents of the Western New York counties of Erie and Niagara.

Fallon Health is a company that cares. We prioritize our members--always-making sure they get the care they need and deserve. Founded in 1977 in Worcester, Massachusetts, we deliver equitable, high-quality coordinated care and are continually rated among the nation’s top health plans for member experience, service, and clinical quality. Weinberg Campus has been providing needed services to the elderly for more than 100 years, through both community-based programs and nursing facility care. It is a renowned geriatric education and training institution offering the widest range of housing and care options available on one campus.

At Fallon Health Weinberg, we believe our individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, self-expression and unique capabilities allow us to better serve our members. We embrace and encourage differences in age, race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, socio-economic status and other characteristics that make people unique.

Brief Summary of purpose:

Serves as a member of the PACE interdisciplinary team assessing the needs, interests, and capabilities of participants and developing individualized therapeutic recreational care plans based on individual diagnoses and assessments.

Plans, organizes, directs, and participates in a comprehensive therapeutic recreation program tailored to the general and individualized needs and limitations of participants within an “active ageing” mindset in which policies and programs that promote mental health and social connections are as important as those that improve physical health status.

Responsibilities

Primary Job Responsibilities:

• Conducts a variety of large and small therapeutic recreational groups and individual recreational activities targeted to improve or maintain participants’ cognitive, physical,social, psychosocial, spiritual and artistic needs.
• Contributes activities ideas for incorporation into the monthly activity planning calendars.
• Demonstrates and appreciates programming for regular educational and culturally competent activities including but not limited to exercise, arts and crafts, music appreciation, and spirituality.
• Ensures participant choices and engagement when planning and conducting activities.
• Builds and fosters a sense of community and a warm social atmosphere, treating all participants with respect and dignity, providing a solid support system to participants at the FHW Day Center.
• Maintains the cleanliness of all recreational supplies and equipment according to procedure; notifies supervisor of damaged or unsafe equipment.
• Contributes suggestions for supplies/equipment which may be beneficial to the activity program.
• Participates as a member of the Interdisciplinary Team and attends team meetings as assigned by supervisor.
• Participates in individual and/or family meetings or case conferences as assigned by supervisor.
• Informs supervisor of changes noted in participants’ condition or of complaints registered by participants.
• Completes assigned work with a high degree of reliability and within identified time frames.Documents PACE center attendance daily as assigned.
• Documents participation in activities and other record keeping requirements daily as assigned.
• Demonstrates flexibility in meeting various department needs.
• Communicates and interacts effectively and personally with participants, co-workers and external customers; displays a positive manner and always works as a team member.
• Consistently strives to understand, anticipate and respond to participants’ needs within the scope of his/her duties.
• Attend staff and other meetings assigned.
• Performs all duties in accordance with Fallon Health and Fallon Health Weinberg policies and procedures.
• Completion of activity assessments as needed and within the timelines required by PACE regulations.

Qualifications

Education:

High school Graduate or GED

License/Certification:

Access to reliable transportation. Willingness to occasionally assist other FHW PACE centers either in person or remotely, as appropriate, when there is an opening or a gap in coverage.

Experience:

One or more years of experience in an activities program in a health care setting providing services to a frail or elderly population within the last 5 year.CPR and Alzheimers certifications, or willingness to be certified, is preferred

Pay Range Disclosure: In accordance with the Massachusetts Wage Transparency Act, the pay for this position is $19.00 per hour which reflects what we reasonably and in good faith expect to pay at the time of posting. Final compensation will depend on the candidate’s experience, skills, and fit with the role’s responsibilities.

Fallon Health provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.