DeafBlind Aide Activities Assistant

About NEHD

New England Homes for the Deaf, founded in 1901, is a life plan community that offers a continuum of care to Deaf, Deafblind, and hard of hearing seniors, including independent living, rest home, skilled nursing community, Deaf senior centers, short‑term rehabilitation services, respite care services and hospice care. The mission is to provide long‑term healthcare, housing, recreational activities and social support for Deaf, Deafblind and hard of hearing individuals in an accessible, barrier‑free, and culturally sensitive environment with optimal communication and architectural resources.

• Communicate with Deafblind residents using tactile signs, braille, or the resident’s preferred mode of communication.
• Assist newly admitted Deafblind residents with facility navigation to build and develop their daily routine.
• Train and prepare residents with low vision on how to adapt to their environment and routine.
• Provide ongoing visual descriptions of the environment.
• Explain menu options.
• Explain time, nature, and place of activity sign‑up events when they are announced at the beginning of the month.
• Maintain continual dialogue with Deafblind residents regarding their preferences for routines, navigation, learning, and reading materials, initiating and supporting changes as needed.
• Document each Deafblind resident’s progress on desired training or service.
• Accompany Deafblind residents to on‑ and off‑campus appointments.
• Assist Deafblind residents with daily mail by reading it to them and/or transcribing into braille.
• Coordinate with other Deafblind aides to ensure all residents are assisted equitably.
• Remind, cue, and assist Deafblind residents as needed.
• Redirect Deafblind residents when necessary and notify clinical and/or social work staff when support is required.
• Help Deafblind residents find ways to enhance their quality of life through technology and equipment.

• Accompany Deafblind residents to general activities and provide 1:1 facilitation.
• Create and facilitate activities for Deafblind residents.
• Invite and encourage Deafblind residents to attend and participate in activities.
• Explain the time, place, and nature of activities as needed.
• Offer activity materials for Deafblind residents to peruse activities/interests in and out of the room as desired.
• Assist with Deafblind residents in sunroom activities.
• Assist Deafblind residents with activities as needed.
• Document each Deafblind resident’s daily activity participation in the appropriate logs.
• Provide appropriate group and one‑on‑one activities for all Deafblind residents.
• Provide appointment reminders to Deafblind residents who have signed up for in‑house activity services.
• Assist in the transport of Deafblind residents to activity locations.
• Read daily activity schedules to Deafblind residents.
• Set up activity areas as needed.
• Participate in off‑site activities that have a Deafblind resident attending as needed.
• Attend outdoor events with Deafblind residents on and off property.
• Assist non‑Deafblind residents as assigned by the Activities Director.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Activities Director in support of the Activities Department.

• ASL fluency.
• Ability to communicate effectively using tactile communication.
• A desire to learn and retain new skills related to Deafblind communication and culture.
• An attitude of respect and compassion toward all residents and staff.
• A pleasant personality and ability to maintain a calm demeanor during excited or emergency situations.
• Experience working with elderly people is preferred.
• Availability to work one weekend per month based on approval from the Activities Director.
• Availability to work two out of three major winter and summer holidays per year based on approval from the Activities Director.
• All staff are required to take free on‑site ASL and culture classes.

• Ability to exert up to 20 pounds of force to lift, carry, pull, push, or otherwise move objects and/or residents.
• Ability to push residents in wheelchairs, with an unknown limit of body weight.
• Ability to set up activities independently.
• Ability to transcribe.