Adult Day Care Coordinators Career Guide: Duties, Earnings and Employment Outlook
Submitted by: Gypsy Santiago
Job Overview: Adult day care coordinators are responsible for “coordinating” day service programs for adults with physical and/or mental impairments. These programs are usually given to the elderly, but younger people who had a stroke or other impairments may also attend. Coordinators are also the ones who handle staff members that provide meals, health care, social activities and other tasks. They also keep their clients’ families updated with their loved one’s progress under their care.
Education, Training and Knowledge Requirements: If you want a career in this field, you must take courses in business, mathematics, consumer science, psychology, sociology, history, English and speech. You should then obtain a bachelor’s degree in social work, health services, rehabilitation therapy, human development, geriatrics, gerontology or a similar field. Regulations in working as an adult day care coordinator vary from state to state, but most states require coordinators to have licensure or certification from the state health department.
Skills & Abilities: To become successful in this field, one must be compassionate, patient, caring and work well with people of all ages. They must also possess excellent written and verbal communication skills, interpersonal skills, time management skills, problem-solving skills and leadership skills, among others.
Duties: The job of adult day care coordinators involves ensuring that clients are given the care of their specific needs.
Some tasks may include providing meals and medications, coordinating social activities, conducting therapies, but they are generally assigned to make sure that day-to-day tasks of adult day care employees are completed. Coordinators are also responsible for hiring, training and scheduling staff, leading staff meetings, overseeing meal planning, handling inventory of the center’s medical and food supplies, as well as planning and scheduling daily/weekly activities for the center’s clients.
Aside from planning and managing daily activities of the center, coordinators are also the ones who speak directly with the center’s clients and his/her family members. Depending on the size of the center, coordinators may also be assigned to handle fundraising activities, write and publish press releases, develop annual budgets, and perform general bookkeeping, among others.
Earnings & Job Outlook: These types of coordinators work in small or large, private or government adult day care centers. The employment growth in this field is expected to be much faster than average through 2014. Entry-level salary depends largely on a coordinator’s experience and education, location of job and size of day care center. Earnings may range from $18,000 to up to $45,000 per year. This job usually includes a benefits package and a retirement plan.
Gypsy Santiago is a professional resume writer and career search strategy/career branding coach with years of experience in assisting job seekers prepare for the job market. She helps create career-targeted resumes, provides useful tips about career transition, offers future career ideas and guide jobseekers about effective job search techniques.
Latest Articles about: Careers
1: College Mathematics Professors: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook2: Mathematics Teacher: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
3: Medical Assistant: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
4: Mathematicians: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
5: Medical Ethicist: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
Word Count: 462 Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2010 Time: 5:13 AM
Previous - Adult and Vocational Education Teachers Work Information: Education & Training Requirements, Job Outlook and Salary | Next - Advanced Practice Nurse Work Information: Education & Training Requirements, Job Outlook and Salary