Admissions Director
Department: Admissions / Marketing
Reports To: Executive Director / Administrator
Employment Type: Full-Time
Location: Bakersfield, California
Position Summary
The Admissions Director is responsible for overseeing the facility’s admissions process from the initial inquiry through move-in and successful transition of the resident into the community. This position plays a key role in maintaining occupancy, developing referral relationships, coordinating assessments, and ensuring that prospective residents and their families receive a professional and compassionate admissions experience.
The Admissions Director works closely with the Executive Director, nursing/care team, social services, families, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, physicians, case managers, discharge planners, placement agencies, and community referral sources.
The ideal candidate is highly organized, responsive, professional, compassionate, and results-oriented, with strong communication and relationship-building skills.
Essential Responsibilities
Admissions & Intake
- Manage the admissions process from initial inquiry through resident move-in.
- Respond promptly to inquiries from prospective residents, families, referral partners, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, physicians, and community organizations.
- Gather and review information regarding prospective residents’ medical, behavioral, functional, and social needs.
- Coordinate pre-admission assessments and facility evaluations.
- Determine whether prospective residents appear appropriate for the services and level of care provided by the community, in coordination with the appropriate clinical and administrative personnel.
- Coordinate admissions documentation and ensure required paperwork is completed prior to or at admission.
- Coordinate admission dates, transportation, room assignments, family communication, and move-in logistics.
- Provide families with information regarding services, policies, fees, required documentation, and expectations.
- Ensure a smooth transition from the hospital, skilled nursing facility, home, or other setting into the community.
- Follow up with new residents and families after admission to ensure a positive transition.
Census Development & Referral Relationships
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with referral sources throughout the community.
- Establish relationships with hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, physicians, social workers, discharge planners, case managers, placement agencies, senior organizations, and other referral partners.
- Conduct regular outreach to referral sources to generate qualified admissions.
- Maintain an organized referral pipeline and track prospective residents from inquiry through admission.
- Follow up consistently with leads and referral partners.
- Participate in community events, networking opportunities, senior fairs, healthcare events, and other outreach activities.
- Identify opportunities to increase occupancy and strengthen the facility’s reputation within the community.
- Maintain professional relationships with existing referral sources and actively develop new sources.
Family & Resident Relations
- Serve as a primary point of contact for prospective residents and their families throughout the admissions process.
- Conduct facility tours and present the community, services, amenities, and care options in a professional manner.
- Clearly communicate costs, services, policies, and admission requirements.
- Address questions and concerns promptly and professionally.
- Maintain confidentiality and treat all residents and families with dignity and respect.
- Help families understand available resources and options as they navigate the transition to assisted living.
Documentation & Compliance
- Maintain accurate and complete admissions records.
- Ensure required admission documents are obtained and properly maintained.
- Coordinate with appropriate staff to verify that residents can be safely and appropriately served by the facility.
- Maintain accurate records of inquiries, referrals, tours, assessments, admissions, and conversions.
- Monitor the status of pending admissions and outstanding documentation.
- Follow all applicable federal, state, and local requirements, as well as facility policies and procedures.
- Protect confidential resident and family information.
Internal Coordination
- Work closely with the Executive Director, Administrator, caregivers, social services, and other departments to coordinate admissions.
- Communicate relevant resident information to appropriate team members before admission.
- Participate in interdisciplinary meetings as needed.
- Coordinate with staff regarding room availability and resident placement.
- Assist in identifying potential barriers to admission and developing solutions.
- Ensure the admissions team and facility staff are prepared for scheduled move-ins.
Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent required.
- Bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, social work, business, marketing, gerontology, or a related field preferred.
- Previous experience in admissions, senior living, healthcare, hospital discharge planning, social services, or healthcare marketing preferred.
- Experience working with seniors and their families strongly preferred.
- Knowledge of assisted living and senior care services preferred.
- Strong understanding of the admissions and referral process.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Ability to manage multiple prospective residents and referral relationships simultaneously.
- Professional presentation and strong interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Must demonstrate sound judgment, professionalism, and discretion.
Preferred Experience
Experience in any of the following is highly desirable:
- Assisted living admissions
- Residential care
- Senior living marketing
- Hospital discharge planning
- Skilled nursing facility admissions
- Home health
- Hospice
- Social services
- Case management
- Placement services
- Healthcare business development
- Medicaid/Medi-Cal or Medicare-related services
- Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) program
Performance Expectations
The Admissions Director is expected to:
- Maintain a strong and organized admissions pipeline.
- Respond quickly to new inquiries and referrals.
- Build and maintain productive referral relationships.
- Conduct professional facility tours.
- Convert qualified inquiries into admissions.
- Maintain accurate admissions documentation.
- Coordinate timely and successful resident move-ins.
- Support facility census and occupancy goals.
- Provide an exceptional experience for residents and their families.
- Represent the facility professionally within the healthcare and senior living community.
Key Performance Indicators
Performance may be evaluated based on:
- Qualified referrals received
- Admissions completed
- Inquiry-to-admission conversion rate
- Facility occupancy and census growth
- Referral-source development
- Number of facility tours
- Follow-up responsiveness
- Accuracy and completeness of admissions documentation
- Resident/family satisfaction with the admissions process
- Strength and retention of referral relationships
Schedule
This is a full-time position. The Admissions Director may be required to work occasional evenings, weekends, or holidays based on resident admissions, facility needs, referral opportunities, and scheduled tours.
Compensation & Benefits
Compensation will be based on experience and qualifications.
Benefits may include:
- Competitive compensation
- Paid time off
- Performance incentives
- Professional development opportunities
Equal Opportunity
We are committed to providing an inclusive and professional workplace and to treating all employees, residents, families, and community partners with dignity and respect.
Pay: $24.00 - $31.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
