Adult Day Care Coordinator Job Description, Career as a Adult Day Care Coordinator, Salary, Employment

Training/Educational Requirements: High school diploma

Median Salary: $9.00 per hour

Job Prospects: Very good

Job Description

An adult day care coordinator is the liaison between the medical staff at a medical facility and the patients, who works in a coordination role for all relevant activities. Adult day care coordinators oversee the staff that cares for the elderly or mentally disabled who require round-the-clock care.

Adult day care coordinators oversee that all patient needs are met in terms of personal care and all other activities. They create social and educational activities to keep patients engaged and functioning, and manage the patient’s behavior during these activities. They work to adjust activities based on the specific needs of the patients, and act as a liaison to ensure a comfortable and learning environment is created.

Adult day care coordinators work in conjunction with social workers, and take direction from them as they develop the programs and activities deemed appropriate. Although they work in an overseeing role, they are often involved in the firsthand administration of the activities and sometimes participate in them with the patients. They are constantly working to extend the therapy process in the activities they utilize for their patients, working with the social worker or physical therapist.

They handle patient care on a firsthand basis as necessary, and are often responsible for tracking changes in vital signs if applicable. Adult day care coordinators plan out meals and snacks, and monitor the activities of patients including their eating. This is a working supervisor position where experience helps, since adult day care coordinators are involved in all daily activities for their patients.

Training/Educational Requirements

There is no educational requirement for this position, though it is expected that most adult day care coordinators have a high school diploma or GED. Any coursework focused on a related profession is helpful. Some serve in this role as they work towards a college degree or so they gain experience within this environment.

Working in a patient care or technician role prepares individuals for this role, although it is not required. Since this is a supervisory position, adult day care coordinators are often promoted from a worker role once they gain experience. However, people can be hired from the outside since the best training takes place on the job.

How to Get Hired

Having any experience in an adult day care environment greatly increases the chances of someone getting hired. Alternatively working as an event coordinator is another way to get hired since many of these skills are called upon in this role. Although education and training is not important for this position, any related experience is an excellent way to get hired.

This is often a position where someone working in a lesser role is promoted. It is helpful to gain experience in patient care within an adult day care facility or related environment. This ensures the individual is ready for the responsibility of this role, and often shows through in a promotion. This is a common way for people to get hired as adult day care coordinators.

Job Prospects, Employment Outlook, and Career Development

Since this is an entry-level position within the healthcare industry, there is excellent opportunity for growth. As the population, particularly baby boomers, ages there is great potential for these positions to open up. Not every adult day care or medical facility offers this role, however, more are getting on board and seeing the value of this role within their facility.

There are a variety of environments adult day care coordinators can work in, which means more potential for job opportunities. Looking into clinics, nursing homes, and home health care agencies helps uncover these opportunities. This is a role in which someone serves in as they work their way towards greater responsibility within the healthcare industry, adding growth and additional job openings.

Working Environment

There are a variety of environments adult day care coordinators work within even though they all typically centered around patient care. They work in nursing homes, for health care agencies, at long term care facilities, in hospitals, clinics, or other medical facility. Whenever there is a need for adult day care, such as for the elderly or those with special needs or limited functioning, there is a need for adult day care coordinators.

The typical work environment is medical in nature where adult day care coordinators travel between patient rooms throughout the day. They have an office where they handle coordination and communication activities. They also have access to a recreation room or cafeteria where they can plan out and execute the activities they offer to the patients. In some instances, they ravel to scheduled outings and events with the patients.

Salary and Benefits

Most adult day care coordinators earn about $9.00 per hour, but this varies based on responsibilities, experience, and geographical location. The typical range varies anywhere between $8.90-$10.93 per hour. There are some adult day care coordinators who are paid an annual salary instead of an hourly rate, depending on the employer. If paid on an hourly basis or working as part of a home health care agency, the adult day care coordinator may not make receive any benefits. If working on a full-time basis for an adult day care facility directly, the individual in this role can expect to earn typical benefits of paid vacation and holidays, as well as medical coverage.