Job Number: 4625
Job Type: Temporary Part-Time
Vacancy Reason: Backfill
Temp Contract Length: Up to 13 months
Location: 247 Franklin St N - Sunnyside Home
Number of Positions: 2
Division: Community Services
Hours of Work: 46.5 hours biweekly, 0830-1630, 1200-2000, 0730-1530
Work Schedule:
- Week 1: Mon, Wed, Fri
- Week 2: Mon, Wed, Fri
- Week 3: Mon, Wed, Sat
- Week 4: Sun, Mon, Wed
- Greenfield/Riverside
Union: Unifor 1106
Grade: Unifor 1106 Grade 004
Salary Range: $28.64 - =$30.08 per hour
At Sunnyside Home, care is personal.
As the first long-term care home in Waterloo Region certified in The Butterfly Approach®, we are recognized for creating a warm, home-like environment where relationships, emotional well-being, and resident choice come first.
Here, you’ll be part of a compassionate and innovative team that is committed to meaningful connections, person-centred care, and making every day matter for residents and families.
If you’re looking for more than just a job, and want to be part of a workplace where kindness, collaboration, and dignity are at the heart of the work, we’d love to hear from you.
For more information about Sunnyside Home and our approach to care, visit: Person Centred Care, Region of Waterloo
The Region of Waterloo is a diverse and growing community committed to creating opportunities for current and future generations.
Waterloo Region is part of the Dish With One Spoon wampum, a treaty grounded in sharing, sustainability, and respect:
- Take only what we need
- Leave some for others
- Keep the dish clean
These principles continue to guide our commitment to reconciliation, inclusion, and community well-being.
Works collaboratively with the team to provide residents with the opportunity to engage in meaningful activities and programs. Provides residents with a sense of belonging and opportunities to be actively involved in the Sunnyside community.
Supports care approaches that are evidence-informed, recognize the uniqueness of each person, put people before tasks, and support an awareness of one’s contribution to the relationship, including personal attitudes, values, and actions. Assists the Recreation Therapist in implementing and monitoring therapeutic, person-centred programs.
- Works as part of a multidisciplinary team to create a caring, person-centred, home-like environment where people feel listened to and cared about.
- Creates opportunities for residents to engage in meaningful and purposeful therapeutic programs and daily living tasks (gardening, baking, household chores, making and serving tea, etc.) and activities in accordance with the residents’ assessed interests, needs, and abilities. Sets up the environment to support meaningful engagement, including items of historic/personal interest, to promote independent, spontaneous engagement and a sense of joy and purpose. Monitors to ensure residents are not left alone for long periods without engagement.
- Encourages meaningful, relaxed, social mealtimes for residents and team members. Serves and assists during meals, assists residents with eating as directed. Documents food intake per procedures and reports unusual occurrences to RPN, RN.
- Supports family, visitor, student, and volunteer involvement in the daily running of the home area. Maintains relationships and communication with residents, staff, students, volunteers, and visitors.
- Works with the Recreation Therapist to develop and administer therapeutic, individual, and group programs to meet the needs, abilities, and interests of a diverse population of residents.
- Completes daily attendance and charting as required.
- Responds promptly to resident call lights and assists in meeting residents’ needs.
- Participates in rounds, BSO meetings and care conferences as directed.
- Assists the team with planning and staging rooms and corridors, ensuring infection control practices are followed. Procures equipment required to renew and stage the environment.
- Assists the Recreation Therapist with planning outings involving residents and family members. When outside the facility, ensures resident care, including appropriate medication, safety, and comfort per policies and procedures. Reports significant occurrences to registered team members on return from outings, and documents accordingly.
- Participates in special events, such as bus trips, outings, seasonal social events, teas, and pub night.
- Maintains required documentation to communicate observed engagement, behaviour, participation in recreation programs, and changes in functional ability. Completes daily attendance and charting as required.
- Prepares regular reports on resident engagement, needs, and preferences to the care team.
- Uses standard therapeutic procedures to implement programs, including assisting residents, observing and monitoring residents' progress, and adjusting program content to meet residents’ needs. Communicates significant problems and concerns to resident care staff and management.
- Works with residents on a one-to-one basis or in group programs to engage them in activities related to their interests and life histories. Ensures resident safety and wellbeing throughout the day.
- Supports volunteers and/or students in their involvement in assisting with programs or providing one-to-one visits with residents.
- Monitors and identifies program supplies required and obtains approval for purchases as necessary. Communicates purchases with Recreation Therapist for budget tracking. Has a p-card to make purchases/pay for events. Submits statements to supervisor for approval. Submits requisitions for petty cash purchases upon supervisor’s approval.
- Ensures supplies and equipment are maintained and secure (e.g., pianos, bar, therapeutic courtyard, Snoezelen).
- Demonstrates/explains work procedures to help train volunteers, students and/or new staff as directed. Assigns and monitors the work of program volunteers who assist in providing care for participants during specific activities. Reports any related performance problems to supervisor.
- Keeps knowledge current through in-service training and communications.
- Performs related duties as assigned.
- Knowledge and skills are normally acquired through a community college diploma in Recreation or equivalent, with emphasis on dementia, plus directly related experience implementing social and recreational programs.
- Knowledge of normal aging processes, illness, and cognitive impairment, as well as planning and implementing activities for people with dementia.
- Ability to implement therapeutic programs and adapt activities to the interests, abilities and skill level of individuals.
- Knowledge of best practices in person-centred dementia care and meaningful engagement for older adults, normally acquired through training and education (e.g., DementiAbility, Validation Communication, Butterfly Approach, Eden Alternative, Gentle Persuasive Approaches, Positive Approach to Care).
- Must have a tuberculosis (TB) test and required immunization(s).
- Knowledge of and ability to comply with policies, procedures, and related legislation.
- Ability to demonstrate compassion, validate emotions, support dignity, and promote understanding of those living with dementia.
- Human relations and communication skills to interact pleasantly and professionally with residents, their families, volunteers and other staff; engage residents and their families in recreation and social programs, using positive language to support emotional wellbeing; assist on outings; work with RPN and RN to provide personal care; and participate as an effective team member.
- Ability to read and interpret resident charts, educational materials, and policy and procedure manuals.
- Ability to document progress or changes in residents' charts; maintain monthly statistics on program participation. Ability to write letters, program plans, monthly event calendars, newsletter articles, and related projects as assigned.
- Ability to read articles, journals, and memos and participate in professional development activities to keep knowledge current.
- Organization and time management skills to plan and coordinate programs and outings.
- Ability to work independently.
- Creativity, flexibility, organizational, advocacy, and problem-solving skills to meet changing resident needs.
- Computer skills with ability to use Microsoft Office (including Excel) and support residents using computers.
- Ability to work irregular, evening, and weekend hours.
- Working knowledge of passenger security devices, such as the Q-straint system.
- Must provide an acceptable vulnerable sector police records check.
- Ability to support and demonstrate the Region’s values.
Region of Waterloo is committed to building a workforce through fair, equitable, and accessible hiring practices that allow us to hire qualified staff who reflect the diversity of the community we serve and to promote a respectful, inclusive, and equitable workplace.
We invite all interested individuals to apply and actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity, including, but not limited to:
- First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, and all other Indigenous peoples;
- members of groups that commonly experience discrimination due to race, ancestry, religion and/or spiritual beliefs, or place of origin;
- persons with visible and/or invisible (physical and/or mental) disabilities;
- persons who identify as women; and persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions
For questions or to request accommodations during your recruitment, onboarding or employment, please contact [email protected], or by calling our Service First Contact Centre at phone number (519) 575-4400.
Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Hiring Process: Region of Waterloo may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to enhance efficiency during the recruitment process. However, applications will also be reviewed by a member of our Talent Acquisition team to ensure a fair and thorough assessment. AI does not make final hiring decisions.
Candidates who are asked to obtain a Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) as part of the due diligence process are required to do so in support of our obligations under the Long-Term Care Act and our commitment to maintaining a safe environment for residents. If police services are unable to process a VSC, candidates will then be asked to provide a Criminal Record & Judicial Matters Check (CRJMC) so that we can complete appropriate due diligence.
Please note: candidates will be provided an update on their application. Please check your spam or junk folder occasionally as some candidates have noticed our emails in those folders (Gmail and Hotmail in particular).
