Life Enrichment & Activities Consultant (Non-Direct Care)

The Life Enrichment & Activities Consultant (Non-Direct Care) supports nursing homes and long-term care facilities by designing, implementing, and improving life enrichment and activities programs that align with person-centered care principles, regulatory requirements, and quality outcomes. This role provides consultative guidance related to activities programming, care plan integration, and interdisciplinary collaboration, without providing direct resident care.

The position also delivers remote training and education to nursing home staff on company-developed activities programs, tools, and resources to ensure effective adoption, documentation, and sustainability in daily practice.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. Design and support implementation of company-developed activities and life enrichment programs.
2. Consult with facility leadership and activities staff on program structure, calendars, documentation practices, and regulatory alignment.
3. Provide consultative guidance on integrating activities and engagement interventions into resident care plans and IDT processes.
4. Support facilities in aligning activities programming with resident preferences, assessments, and outcomes.
5. Identify gaps, risks, and opportunities related to activities programming and survey readiness.
6. Consult on care plan language and approaches related to activities, engagement, psychosocial needs, dementia care, and quality of life.
7. Support interdisciplinary teams in linking activities interventions to resident goals and preferences.
8. Provide guidance on documentation practices that demonstrate meaningful engagement and regulatory compliance.
9. Reinforce that all recommendations are advisory and implemented by facility staff within their licensed scope of practice.
10. Deliver and support company-developed training materials and implementation resources.
11. Facilitate virtual training sessions for Activities, Nursing, Social Services, and IDT members.
12. Develop and update training materials, implementation guides, and job aids.
13. Support facilities in operationalizing programs into daily routines, not just activity calendars.
14. Support alignment with CMS requirements related to activities, person-centered care, and quality of life.
15. Translate regulatory expectations into practical application using company-approved tools and guidance.
16. Stay informed on regulatory trends and best practices impacting activities and life enrichment programs.
17. This position is consultative and educational in nature and does not involve providing direct resident care, conducting clinical assessments, or directing medical treatment. All guidance provided is advisory and intended to support facility staff in meeting regulatory and quality expectations.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

1. Proficient computer skills (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
2. Excellent oral, written, and customer service-oriented communication skills.
3. Excellent and demonstrated criticalthinking ability.
4. Excellent organizational skills with the ability to respond to and coordinate multiple activities simultaneously under short time frames.
5. Customer service-oriented when working with internaland external customers.
6. Activities and life enrichment program design.
7. Care plan consultation and documentation support.
8. Regulatory interpretation related to activities.
9. Adult learning and training facilitation.
10. Relationship-building with facility leadership and staff.
11. Ability to translate regulatory expectations into practical application.

Education, Experience, & Licensing Requirements

Education

1. Bachelor’s degree required in Recreation Therapy, Gerontology, Healthcare Administration, Social Services, or related field.

Experience

1. Minimum five (5) years of experience in nursing home or long-term care activities, life enrichment, or related consulting roles required.
2. Experience with activities program development and implementation preferred.
3. Strong knowledge of nursing home regulatory expectations related to activities and quality of life.
4. Experience participating in care planning and IDT collaboration.
5. Certified Activity Director (ADC) or Certified Activity Consultant (CAC).
6. Certified Dementia Care Practitioner (CDP) preferred.
7. Dementia-focused or person-centered care certifications preferred.
8. Training in managing aggressive behaviors and de-escalation preferred.
9. Quality or performance improvement credential related to healthcare or long-term care preferred.