PeopleCare Human Resources Report

Organization Overview

PeopleCare began as a grassroots organization in 1968 when LeRoy and Ruth Schlegel began looking after people less fortunate in the Tavistock community. (peopleCare, n.d.)  Since its inception, peopleCare Communities has grown to include the operation and management of eight Long Term Care (LTC) homes and one Retirement Home in Ontario.   The organizations’ primary mission is to ensure “each resident is valued and cared for.” (peopleCare, n.d.) PeopleCare Oakcrossing is located in London, Ontario and is one of the homes owned and operated by PeopleCare Communities.  PeopleCare OakCrossing is a Long Term Care Home with 160 beds.  The home is divided into five home areas (including one secure home area for individuals with different degrees of cognitive impairment) and offers a combination of private and semi private rooms.  Oakcrossing LTC home serves a diverse population including seniors (with a physical / cognitive impairments) as well as adults with chronic impairments and diseases. Oakcrossing’s Recreation Team provides programs seven days / week between 9:30 am and 7:00 pm and they occur in various locations throughout the home.  The programs are based on five domains (social, physical, cognitive, spiritual, and emotional) and occur in large and small group settings as well as individually.  The RT`s plan and facilitate a variety of meaningful recreation / leisure programs based on the residents’ interests and current abilities.  The programs offered vary from day to day.  A typical day consists of two morning programs and one with one visits followed by one large group program or two medium size programs in the afternoon and one small group program in the evening. Currently, the Recreation Team consists of a Program and Services Manager (in the process of hiring), three full time recreationists and two part time recreationists (who provide group and individualized Therapeutic programming), as well as recruiting for another part time and a couple casual positions.

Job Description

As a member of the Recreation Team at Oakcrossing, the Recreation Therapist would report to the Manager of Programs and Services.  The Recreation Therapist will assess, plan and implement recreation and leisure interventions to help the resident maintain and / or improve their quality of life and well-being.  The RT will facilitate a variety of social, physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual programs based on our residents’ needs / strengths and abilities as well as maintain appropriate documentation.  In addition, the Therapist will work collaboratively with residents / families and the interdisciplinary team to develop resident centered goals and care plans.

Job Responsibilities

• Maintain professional conduct by adhering to peopleCare’s policies and procedures as well as upholding TRO’s standard of Practice and Code of Ethics.
• Complete initial assessments, RAI - MDS coding, maintain accurate care plan and documentation for assigned residents in a manner that meets specific professional, agency, and / or government requirements. (TRO, 2019).
• Implement a client- centred approach to program development (TRO, 2019)
• Develop individualized intervention plans based on the information collected during the Therapeutic Recreation Assessment (TRO, 2019)
• Collaborate with residents and interdisciplinary team during therapeutic Recreation program development. (TRO, 2019)
• Implement and facilitate recreation programs based on the resident’s needs, interests, strengths, and abilities.
• Provide a safe environment where residents can engage in meaningful leisure interests with minimal risks attached.
• Collaborate and coordinate large group programs with Recreation Team.
• Assist in the dining rooms (as needed)

Qualifications and skills required

• Post-Secondary education in Therapeutic Recreation (TRO, 2019) or College Diploma Recreation and Leisure Studies with a Post - Graduate Certificate in Therapeutic Recreation.
• Professional member in good standing with Therapeutic Recreation Ontario (TRO, 2019)
• Current CPR certification
• Minimum one year experience working in a Long Term Care environment (preferred)
• GPA and Montessori training (preferred) (peopleCare, 2019)
• Safe Food Handling / Smart Serve Certifications (preferred)
• Ability to work independently and part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Excellent interpersonal / observation skills
• Exceptional time management and organizational skills
• Computer / technology skills

Job Posting

peopleCare Oakcrossing in London, Ontario is currently accepting applications for a part time Recreation Therapist position.  Interested candidates should apply on line at http://www.peoplecare.ca/careers/oakcrossing-recreation-therapist/

About the Organization

Peoplecare Communities is a third generation family owned organization that `has developed an outstanding reputation in the long-term health-care field. `` (peopleCare, 2019).  The family`s personal involvement and dedication has shaped the organizations philosophy.  ``peopleCare is a place where seniors are treated with dignity, respect, and love.  It’s a place where the mind is exercised, the spirit is honored, and individuality celebrated.  (peopleCare, 2019) Peoplecare Oakcrossing is located in the vibrant northwest area of London and is one of homes owned and operated by PeopleCare Communities.

About the Position

The successful candidate will plan and facilitate a variety of recreational programs for the residents at peopleCare Oakcrossing in London Ontario.  Under the supervision of the Program and Services Manager, the Recreation Therapist will organize and implement meaningful programs that reflect the needs, abilities, and interests of the residents. Potential candidates must have post Secondary education in Therapeutic Recreation, be in good standing with the Therapeutic Recreation Ontario (TRO), and be available to work all shifts. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of one-year experience working in a LTC setting as well as GPA and Montessori training.  The candidate will have excellent interpersonal / observational skills and be able to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team.  We thank you for your interest in peopleCare Oakcrossing. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Recruitment Process

Internal posting

I would begin the recruitment process by posting the job at Oakcrossing as well as ask the other peopleCare Community homes to post the position on their job posting board. I would also recruit potential candidates by posting the position on Various Websites:

Employment Agency Websites

Government of Canada Job Bank (can select specific region) - www.jobbank.gc.ca Indeed only requires one search for all jobs posted unlike Monster or Workopolis - www.indeed.ca

Professional Organization Websites

Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association (CTRA) - https://canadian-tr.org/ Therapeutic Recreation Ontario (TRO) - https://www.trontario.org/

Colleges and Universities -post job announcement on Job board of each school

University of Waterloo        Georgian College Brock University     Mohawk College Seneca College     Lambton College

Networking

I would contact RT colleagues (through social media) that I met at school, conferences, or training to see if they knew anybody that would be interested.

Interview Questions:

Please tell me a little about yourself. Friendly, good communications skills, professional, organized in what they have to say about themselves, genuine interest in therapeutic recreation, enjoy working with seniors / people with a variety of disabilities What attracted you to this position?  Expresses his é her passionate about helping people and improving residents’ quality of life, personal experience working in recreation, likes to family values of the organization., How would you describe your working style (The muse, 2019) Likes to work as a team and independently, takes initiative when I see a need,  don’t have to be the leader all the time, I welcome feedback from people (good and bad), likes variety What kinds of skills can you bring to this position? Characteristics beyond skills listed in job description For example are they creative, organized, patient, empathetic, flexible, hard worker, dependable. How do you stay current with your knowledge and skills? Continue to take courses through TRO webinar recordings, Alzheimer Society, attend TRO conference and in service training opportunities through current / previous employers What did you like most and least about your previous employment? Like - Interacting with the residents and learning from them.  (i.e. they are a wealth of information) Dislike - time sensitive tasks é responsibilities added to your day without prior notice. Tell me about a work experience you are most proud of. Organization, steps they took to make the situation successful, creativity, the persons’ role in the situation.  I would be paying attention to the enthusiasm in the candidates’ voice. How would you describe resident-centred programming? Get to know the individual (likes, dislikes, current abilities, barriers, previous hobbies etc) and implement meaningful programs that correspond with their interests. What would you do if a resident became agitated and disruptive during a program? If alone - calmly approach the resident, ask them what is bothering him é her and attempt to remove the trigger.  (i.e. move the resident to another location within the group) or redirect the residents attention. If these interventions donèt work, ask for assistance from another staff member who would engage with the resident one to one and remove them from the program. Do you have any questions about the position? -          Could you describe a typical day as a Recreation TherapistÉ -          What are some of the challenges of this position In addition, I would also observe the personsè eye contact, facial expressions body language and gestures during the interview.

References

• peopleCare Communities. (2019.) Community. Retrieved from  http://www.peoplecare.ca/about-us/community/
• peopleCare Communities. (2019.) Careers. Retrieved from http://www.peoplecare.ca/careers/hilltop-recreation-therapist/
• The muse. (2019.)  10 Best Questions To Ask Interviewee.  Retrieved from https://www.themuse.com/advice/top-10-questions-to-ask-an-interviewee
• Therapeutic Recreation Ontario. (2015.) Recreation Therapist Role Description. Retrieved from  https://www.trontario.org/files/ProfessionalDocuments/rt-role-description-2015-reformatted-Oct-2018.pdf