The Senior Living Executive Director: Their High Demand, Daily Responsibilities & How to Hire the Right One

The Rising Demand for Executive Directors

The Baby Boomers generation will be over the age of 65 by 2030. Furthermore, the number of people who are 85 and older is projected to double from 2022 to 2040. As the elderly population grows in the US, there’s an increasing need for more senior living workers and care services to meet the rising demand for assistance with daily activities and medical needs. 

For these reasons, the growth outlook for the position of Executive Director in Senior Living is on an upward trajectory. If more elderly people need care, there’s a greater need for more senior living facilities, care givers, and leadership roles like Executive Directors. 

Executive Directors oversee a number of Senior Living Facilities including: 

Independent Living
Assisted Living
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
Memory Care
Nursing Homes
Hospice Facilities

Executive Director Responsibilities Include:

Leadership and Staff Management: 

The Executive Director supervises department heads, recruits and trains staff, and fosters a positive work environment to reduce turnover. They ensure that all employees follow best practices in senior care.

Resident and Family Engagement: 

The Executive Director maintains strong relationships with residents and their families, addressing concerns and ensuring a high quality of life for residents. They often lead resident programs and oversee activities that enhance residents’ social and emotional well-being.

Operational Oversight: 

Operational oversight includes managing budgets, controlling expenses, and ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations. Executive Directors are responsible for maintaining the community’s profitability without compromising care quality.

Community Outreach and Marketing: 

The Executive Director often collaborates with the sales and marketing team to maintain occupancy rates, including hosting events, meeting with potential residents and their families, and establishing the community’s reputation.

Compliance and Quality Assurance: 

Executive Directors ensure that the community meets regulatory standards and compliances set forth by state and federal governments, conducts regular assessments of operations, and ensures safety to uphold a high standard of resident care and staff safety. 

Hiring the Right Executive Director

Hiring the right Executive Director is crucial for your senior living’s community’s success since they have a direct impact on resident care and satisfaction, staff morale and retention, operational efficiency and financial health, and community reputation and growth. For that reason, what qualifications and skills should you look for when hiring an Executive Director? 

Qualifications

-Educational Background: A bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, gerontology, or related field is required. Some communities prefer candidates with a master’s degree. 

-Industry Experience: The top-tier Executive Directors have significant experience in senior living or long-term care and have been successful in their leadership roles. 

-Licensing & Certifications: Some states require Executive Directors to hold specific licenses such as NHA or Assisted Living Administrator license. 

-Financial Acumen. Many communities require a strong understanding of budgeting, financial planning and revenue management.

Key Skills

-Leadership & Team Building

-Communications & Interpersonal Skills

-Operations Management Including Budgets

-Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving

-Resident Care Focused

-Marketing & Community Engagement 

Assessing Candidates Beyond Qualifications & Skills

When considering an Executive Director for your community, hiring managers and talent acquisition teams should not only look at qualifications and skills but other criteria to make sure your top candidate is a good match for your community. 

Evaluate culture fit

Your community has a unique mission or philosophy and you need to assess whether a candidate’s values align with your organization’s culture. 

Check track record of compliance and quality 

A candidate’s history with regulatory compliance and quality standards is very important in order to ensure there’s no pattern of deficiencies or citations. 

Gauge problem solving & adaptability 

Ask for real life scenarios that highlight an Executive Director’s ability to handle challenges and crises such as Covid. Learning how they’ve adapted to unexpected events shows their resilience. 

Perform background check  

Background checks can help identify any criminal offenses that may indicate a candidate is not a good fit for the role or could be a safety risk.

Check references 

Contact the list of references given by the candidate. Get their feedback on the candidate’s overall performance and capabilities to ensure a good fit. 

Facilitate Behavioral or Personality Assessments

Results from assessments offer data that can help you make a wise hiring decision. These assessments help to identify those candidates who will be good fit, have success, and stay for the long-term,  

FAQs About Executive Directors

What are some common challenges a senior living Executive Director faces?  

An Executive Director has to be ready to face any crisis, staffing shortages, staff retention, top notch resident care, state and federal regulatory compliances, team building, and community reputation.

What salary range should I expect to offer an Executive Director?  

Salary range for a senior living Executive Director varies depending on the type of senior living community and location. However, according to Zip Recruiter, the range in 2024 is between $75,000 – $103,000. 

Can an Executive Director influence resident satisfaction? 

An Executive Director can prioritize the resident experience in several ways including first-rate food, amenities, activities, and of course, excellent staff and care.  

How can an Executive Director stay ahead of the pack? 

According to a survey by Senior Housing News, 85% of senior living executives cited staying informed about industry trends and developments as the most important way to stay ahead of the competition.

Has technology become important to Executive Directors and senior living communities?  

Absolutely.  The Executive Director of a senior living community must embrace the latest technologies.  Technology can have a significant impact on resident satisfaction and the community’s financial performance. Successful Executive Directors should stay informed about the latest technological advancements, implement those that will support the needs of their residents and staff, and provide training to ensure the effective use across the organization.

What’s an Interim Executive Director? 

An Interim Executive Director serves as a temporary band-aid when a healthcare facility needs it the most. For example, if there’s an immediate exit or a leave of absence by the current Executive Director, an interim Executive Director could be hired as a temporary fix.

 

ABOUT JULIE RUPENSKI

Julie Rupenski is the Founder & CEO of MedBest Recruiting. Since opening its doors in 2001, Julie has grown MedBest into an award winning, multimillion-dollar national firm, garnering impressive awards including Top 20 Executive Search Firm 2024, Top Interim Services Provider 2023, INC 5000 2021 and Tampa Bay Fast 50 2021!  In addition, Julie was named as one of the “Top 100 Women Leaders in Tampa 2022″ by Women We Admire.

MedBest has gained national recognition due to Julie’s industry expertise and high level of success. Julie has an in-depth knowledge of the senior living / long term care industry.  She previously worked in operations for both senior housing and senior living prior to founding MedBest. Today, Julie and her industry-savvy team of recruiters make it their mission to place exceptional industry executives in senior living positions where they have the greatest impact. Contact Julie at jkrupenski@medbest.com.

ABOUT MEDBEST
MedBest is an award-winning national Executive Search Firm exclusive to the Senior Living / Long Term Care Industry. For more than two decades, we have connected senior living / long term care organizations with exceptional senior living executive talent for both permanent and interim roles. MedBest was named as a  Top 20 Executive Search Firm and Top 10 Interim Services Provider! In addition, we were one of American’s top companies by Inc.5000 and a Tampa Fast 50 Company in 2021! MedBest is a member of the National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS) and American Staffing Association (ASA). Contact MedBest at 727-526-1294.