Carolina Meadows, located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is one of the nation's foremost continuing-care retirement communities. Our mission is to enrich and improve the lives of residents and those connected to our community. We do this by continuously striving to be the best place to live and work.

The Life Enrichment Coordinator is responsible for creating, developing, and implementing a diverse range of programs and events that enhance the daily lives of residents, under the direction of the Community Life Manager. Although this position is primarily allocated to The Fairways (Assisted Living), it operates as part of an integrated Life Enrichment team. The Coordinator must be able to support and facilitate programs across all levels of care as needed, including Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing.

Activities should be thoughtfully designed to be engaging, meaningful, and appropriate for each care setting, supporting the Seven Dimensions of Wellness: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, environmental, and occupational. This role is essential in promoting holistic well-being and fostering a vibrant, resident-centered community at Carolina Meadows.

Planning, implementation and/or leading individual and group activities
• Activity Planning & Development: Develop and implement diverse individual and group activities, guided by the Community Life Manager, resident committees, and comprehensive assessments.
• Calendar & Communication: Design, create, and distribute engaging monthly activity calendars. Develop and post individual posters for special events, effectively communicating activity details to residents.
• Resource Coordination: Collaborate with outside vendors to procure necessary supplies, equipment, and resources. Schedule and coordinate off-site trips, including transportation and volunteer support.
• Program Preparation: Continuously research and integrate new ideas from activity planning resources to enhance resident well-being and engagement.
• Resident-Centric Programming: Ensure all activities cater to the physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, environmental, and occupational needs of residents. Tailor activities based on residents' strengths, interests, and needs, utilizing resident feedback to inform current and future event planning. Coordinate seamlessly with other departments for event support (e.g., food, cleanup, furniture).
• Departmental Collaboration: Actively participate in monthly team meetings, providing valuable input for calendar development and ensuring no overlap in special events.
• Event Logistics: Coordinate room setups for each activity, including furniture arrangement, testing of sound/visual equipment, and preparation of all necessary supplies.
• Resident Engagement: Proactively gather residents for activities, encouraging participation through positive and enthusiastic promotion. Provide transportation to and from activities as needed.
• Activity Facilitation: Introduce each activity using creative methods to foster meaningful resident participation.
• Post-Activity Management: Ensure thorough room cleanup after each activity, restoring the space to its original condition and layout.

Maintains current records of all activities including resident participation, ideas, and feedback
• Orders supplies needed for activities and submits large or capital expense requests to the Community Life Manager for approval. Keeps all invoices and receipts and submits them accordingly.
• Logs all resident participation per event and maintains a participant binder or digital format if requested. Accesses data for program evaluation.
• Completes quarterly progress notes on resident participation in activities and enters into the medical chart (AOD) .
• Completes an initial activity assessment including interests, abilities, and needs, and documents in the resident chart (AOD).

Schedule Flexibility:
• This position requires flexibility, including availability for evening and weekend shifts. Participation in weekend rotation is expected. You may also be required to provide coverage for colleagues as needed to ensure seamless operations and consistent resident support.

Required Education and Experience
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Minimum of 1 year of experience working in a life enrichment, activities, or recreation role in a senior living or healthcare setting
• Experience planning and leading group programs for older adults
• Strong communication and organizational skills
• Computer skills, including Microsoft Office
• Understanding of federal, state, and local regulations related to resident care, activity documentation, and confidentiality.

Preferred Education and Experience
• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Recreation, Therapeutic Recreation, Gerontology, Social Work, or a related field
• Certification as an Activity Professional (e.g., NCCAP or NCTRC)
• Familiarity with person-centered programming and dementia-friendly practices

Additional Eligibility Qualifications
Valid driver’s license and ability to transport residents in community vehicles (if applicable)

Carolina Meadows is an equal opportunity at will employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of age, race, religion, color, disability, sex, sexual orientation or national origin.

Learn more about this Employer on their Career Site