Lead a social work driven memory care program and business development initiative for the Center for Memory Care & Rediscovery at Timber Ridge Village in East Lansing, Michigan, with a Master’s degree required.
Responsibilities
- Lead the rollout and ongoing evolution of the Center for Memory Care & Rediscovery program.
- Shape the program into a Brain Healthy Living framework with Alzheimer's support.
- Enhance the Remember Me program and introduce new brain health, longevity, family support, and meaningful engagement components.
- Collaborate across nursing, med techs, lifestyle, culinary, caregiving, and leadership to ensure a cohesive resident and family experience.
- Guarantee practical consistency in day-to-day program delivery beyond marketing materials.
- Provide training and coaching on dementia communication, redirection, behavior support, family sensitivity, and best practices in memory care.
- Act as a trusted resource for families navigating dementia, placement options, transitions, and emotional adjustment.
- Offer counseling, education, and guidance to families pre and post move-in.
- Lead or coordinate family conferences, caregiver support groups, and educational sessions.
- Support resident assessments, psychosocial reviews, transition planning, and ongoing family updates.
- Educate families on disease progression, evolving care needs, grief, caregiver stress, and available supports.
- Cultivate and sustain relationships with referral partners: physicians, discharge planners, social workers, neurologists, elder law attorneys, hospices, home care agencies, senior advisors, and Alzheimer’s Association contacts.
- Represent Vista Springs in the market as a knowledgeable, compassionate dementia care and brain health resource.
- Facilitate tours, discovery calls, assessments, and family consultations with emphasis on trust, education, and program distinctiveness.
- Drive inquiry conversion to move-ins by articulating the program’s value, quality, and distinction.
- Engage in outreach events, seminars, caregiver support activities, and professional networks.
- Partner with the Associate Managing Partner to achieve occupancy goals, census growth, retention, and reputation enhancement.
- Track program effectiveness and propose improvements based on resident outcomes, family input, staff performance, and market needs.
- Foster a culture where residents feel safe, known, engaged, respected, and meaningfully connected.
- Ensure the center embodies dignity, family partnership, hospitality, and the Full of Life living ethos.
- Support a team culture built on compassion, consistency, accountability, creativity, and excellence.
Requirements
- A master’s degree in Social Work, Gerontology, Psychology, Counseling, Human Services, or related field preferred.
- Licensed Social Worker preferred.
- Experience in Alzheimer’s disease, dementia care, memory care, assisted living, hospice, geriatric care management, behavioral health, or senior services strongly preferred.
- Experience with business development, referral networking, admissions, marketing, or senior living sales highly desirable.
- Strong understanding of dementia progression, family dynamics, grief, transition stress, caregiver burden, and resident-centered care.
- Ability to educate families, referral sources, and team members in a compassionate and credible manner.
- Excellent communication, presentation, relationship-building, and follow-through skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively with nursing, caregiving, lifestyle, culinary, medication management, and leadership teams.
- Passion for serving older adults and families with dignity, empathy, and professionalism.
About Vista Springs — Center for Memory Care & Rediscovery
Vista Springs seeks a compassionate, mission driven Social Worker and Memory Care Program & Business Development Director to help grow, implement, and position the Center for Memory Care & Rediscovery at Timber Ridge Village in East Lansing, Michigan.
The Center is being developed as more than a traditional memory care setting, aiming for a Brain Healthy Living and Alzheimer’s Support program that blends dementia care, family education, personalized engagement, wellness, and a longevity focused daily life.
The opportunity is to shape a distinctive model that supports people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias while helping families rediscover connection, confidence, dignity, and meaningful support.
About the Role
This is a unique leadership position for someone who understands the emotional journey of families facing dementia and has the ability to build a trusted program in the marketplace. The candidate will serve as a social worker, memory care program leader, family advocate, referral relationship builder, educator, and business development ambassador for the Center.
Ideal candidates are master’s level social workers or similarly qualified professionals with strong backgrounds in dementia care, family support, care coordination, community outreach, admissions, and senior living business development.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate can listen with compassion to a worried family member, confidently educate referral sources, motivate a care team, and help build a memory care program families truly trust. You are heart centered, highly organized, creative, and results oriented, recognizing memory care requires empathy, structure, education, meaningful engagement, family communication, referral trust, and a clear program identity.
Why Join Vista Springs
Vista Springs views memory care as a thoughtful, uplifting, relationship based experience where residents feel known, valued, connected, and supported. This role offers the chance to lead and grow a Brain Healthy Living and Alzheimer’s Support program at the Timber Ridge Village location, making a lasting impact on residents, families, team members, and the East Lansing community.
Compensation
Competitive salary based on experience, credentials, and leadership background.
