When installed in the old plaster they cut/push a slight countersink that keeps the washer very nearly flush with the plaster surface...........easier to cover than might be expected............Find the rafters and pop some lines and reattach the entire ceiling......not just the loose spots
I'd dig out any cracks and apply a real (patching)plaster with a latex ad-mix (no-water)....applied to a well cleaned ceiling surface........A sponge and trowel can become a friend when finishing.....