Seniors Wellness

 Who We Are

Founded in 1889, YWCA Hamilton is known as one of Hamilton's original social innovators and works from a feminist, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive framework. We are dedicated to strengthening women's and girl's voices, broadening their choices, building dynamic leadership and providing essential services that promote safe, inclusive and equitable communities.

 YWork
for us?

At YWCA Hamilton, we are intentional about fostering a workplace culture that values positive physical and emotional well-being through our values of Intersectional Feminism, People Centered, Belonging, Responsibility, and Partnerships. We invest in our employees so that we can bring our values into the communities in which we live. We offer our employees:

• On-the-job training and professional development opportunities
• Childcare discounts
• Opportunities to get involved in our community
• A competitive total rewards package

If you're passionate about making a positive impact in the lives of women, children, and families every day, we would love for you to join our team

 Position Description

Job Code: 9-MSI-2025 

Department: Immigrant & Settlement

Reports to: Manager, Immigration and Settlement

Location: Hamilton, ON

Hours of Work: 37.5 hours / week

Contract Start Date: TBD

Contract End Date: March 31st, 2029

Posting Date: November 10th, 2025

The Seniors Wellness & Inclusion Coordinator is responsible for building social inclusion for diverse seniors living with dementia by developing, implementing, and evaluating therapeutic recreation programs that support their cognitive, emotional, social, and physical well-being. A key focus of this role is to develop, design and deliver culturally appropriate, person-centered programs for individuals living with dementia from racialized and newcomer communities. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to anti-oppressive practice and equitable care, ensuring that programs are accessible, respectful, and meaningful for all participants.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

· Engage with clients and families from diverse cultural backgrounds to assess leisure needs, interests, and barriers to participation;

· Design culturally inclusive activities such as music, storytelling, cooking, arts, movement, and intergenerational programs that reflect the lived experiences of racialized and newcomer communities for individuals living with dementia;

· Facilitate both group and one-on-one sessions, adapting activities to meet cognitive and physical abilities;

· Works closely with the Manager, Seniors & Community Wellness Programs to create programming that addresses emerging needs of diverse seniors and their caregivers impacted by dementia;

· Works in partnership with the Immigrant & Settlement Services team to plan and deliver outreach and informational sessions;

· Provides guidance on community-based programs and services that support seniors living with dementia, both immediately and on an ongoing basis;

· Recruits, trains, schedules, and coaches Cultural Navigators and volunteers to deliver linguistically and culturally appropriate dementia-related social inclusion programs for diverse seniors and their caregivers;

· Collaborates with clients and Cultural Navigators to co-design programs, strengthen peer[1]support networks, and build facilitation skills related to dementia interventions. Collaborate with community partners, cultural organizations, and settlement services to ensure programming is reflective of the community's needs;

· Advocate for equitable access to services and support the cultural safety and dignity of participants at all times;

· Maintain accurate documentation, including assessments, care plans, participation records, and program evaluations;

· Contribute to care conferences, interdisciplinary meetings, and organizational planning as needed;

· Monitor and evaluate program outcomes, incorporating feedback from clients, caregivers, and staff;

· Promote awareness and understanding of dementia in racialized communities through outreach and educational activities;

· Creates and implements appropriate program guidelines and procedures/templates for program to ensure consistency and excellence;

· Provides program reports to Management as required;

· Works safely, reports all workplace hazards and follows all YWCA Hamilton Health and Safety policies and procedures;

· Nurtures and forms meaningful internal and external working relationships and partnerships;

· Understands and incorporates emerging trends, leading practices, industry professional standards;

· Supports YWCA Hamilton mission, vision and values;

· Performs other duties as required.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

· Works 37.5-hour work week;

· Work schedule includes days, early mornings, afternoons, evenings and weekends based on program need;

· Ability to use frequent medium to heavy physical effort: lifting up to 22.7 kg (50 lbs.), bending and stooping. Support participant mobility and use of adaptive equipment;

· Ability to travel to partner locations as required.

 Qualifications

· Completion of 3 years' college or university in Therapeutic Recreation, Recreation and Leisure Studies, or a related/relevant combination of education and experience;

· Minimum 2 years' experience working with older adults with dementia in a therapeutic or community-based setting;

· Must have current Emergency First Aid and CPR certificate or willingness to obtain at own cost;

· Must be able to lead and work from a feminist, anti-racist / anti-oppressive perspective for operations and strategic planning;

· Experience in trauma-informed counselling is an asset;

· Demonstrated experience creating and delivering programs that reflect cultural diversity and anti-oppressive frameworks;

· Understanding of the intersectionality of race, immigration status, language, and health outcomes for seniors;

· Strong facilitation, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills;

· Knowledge of dementia-related illnesses, behavioral techniques, and person-centered care models;

· Proficiency in using standard office applications (e.g. Microsoft Office).

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills;

· Must provide a current Vulnerable Sector Police check or willingness to obtain at own cost;

· Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, and also work effectively in a team;

· Understanding of diverse cultural backgrounds and practices is a strong asset;

· Lived experience as a member of a racialized, immigrant, or marginalized community;

· A valid driver's license and access to a reliable vehicle is an asset;

· Experience working in a non-profit, community health, or long-term care setting;

· Bilingual English and other languages spoken by newcomer and racialized populations.

As part of YWCA Hamilton's commitment to Access and Equity, we strive to represent the diverse communities that we serve. Individuals who are women, First Nations, Métis, immigrant, refugee, LGBTQ2S+; individuals with disabilities; and individuals from racialized communities or other marginalized communities are encouraged to apply.

Accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process. Please inform us of any accommodation requests.

Please Note: Personal information collected during the recruitment process will only be used for employment opportunities only in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act. Only applications from individuals eligible to work in Canada will be considered.

Thank you for your interest in YWCA Hamilton. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

Please visit our careers page to see more job opportunities