About this role
Position Overview
Accept responsibility for preparation of therapeutic and routine Resident meals as approved by a Dietitian. Follows standardized recipes to achieve appetizing and nutritious food in large quantities.
Qualifications
- Some experience in institutional cooking.
- Knowledge of food preparation, sanitation and hygienic methods.
- Follow verbal and written instructions.
- Sincere desire to work with elders and others who have a limited capacity for self-care.
- Mental and physical capacity to perform the essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodations.
- Work with and provides care to individuals of a wide range of personality types and maturity levels.
- Demonstrate creative initiative and mature judgment in making competent decisions.
- Consistently maintain courteous, empathetic, and professional attitude.
- Maintain a professional appearance at all times.
- Communicate and comprehend orally and in writing to effectively receive and share information as necessary to perform job duties.
- Transportation accessible to enable flexibility of work schedule.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
- Assure Resident safety at all times.
- Willing to address each Resident by his/her preferred name as well as learn and abide by Residents’ Rights, rules and regulations.
- Commitment to work well with other staff avoiding petty conflicts that disrupt a productive work environment. Does not participate in facility gossip and rumors.
- Follows standardized recipes and makes appropriate substitutions when necessary.
- Accept change in a positive and productive manner.
- Commute to and from work on a regular, dependable basis.
- Prepare each meal according to established serving times by closely supervising cooking schedules.
- Maintain equipment in a clean and well-functioning manner.
- Maintain confidentiality of all activities, persons, and records.
- Supervise other dietary employees.
- Prepare attractive, tasty foods and nutritious meals and snacks by ensuring food is palatable and appetizing.
- Prepare food carefully to avoid wastefulness and supervises portions served.
- Take care not to overcook or undercook food.
- Provide correctly labeled snacks between meals as needed.
- Ensure safe preparation of foods served by using good personal hygiene and utilizing correct sanitary techniques during food preparation, handling and serving.
- Adhere to established dietary policies and procedures.
- Ensure compliance with Residents Rights by giving consideration to individual Residents’ likes and dislikes and by calling Resident by his/her preferred name.
- Prepare special diets as ordered by physician.
- Alter food texture for edentulous Residents or Residents who have difficulty with chewing and/or swallowing.
- Season food, or not, in compliance with established regimens.
- Prepare adequate amounts of eternal feedings to last through the night. (when applicable)
- Exercise prudent independent judgment and follow through with preparation of meals without supervision.
- Make independent decisions regarding substitution of items in recipes.
- Take initiative in utilizing leftover food.
- Accurately estimate quantities of food required for each meal.
- Be familiar with optimal methods of preparing meats according to cuts.
- Store raw and cooked food in proper containers and in correct locations.
- Maintain efficient workflow by following standardized work methods.
- Demonstrate flexibility in adapting and to unexpected changes in routine.
- Closely follow timetable for schedule duties to ensure that food does not set too long before serving, and to ensure meals are ready to serve at established times.
- Store equipment in proper place ready for next use.
- Report malfunctioning equipment or lack of supplies to supervisor immediately.
- Resident preferences are followed when providing care and service.
- Maintain Resident privacy, values and right for decision making.
- Immediately notify supervisor and Executive Director for any injury, illness, or if develop a condition, that might impact the aptitude to perform job functions.
Ancillary Duties and Responsibilities
- Perform duties in compliance with established policies and procedures.
- Note changes in Resident’s condition and report immediately to charge nurse or Director of Nursing.
- Report on and off duty at assigned times.
- Establish and maintain positive rapport with administration, interdepartmental personnel, volunteers, Residents, visitors and outside agency representatives.
- Maintains an attitude of support for department activities.
- Remain alert to health safety standards by reporting expediently to his/her Director of Dietary suspected unsafe conditions.
- Adhere to employee health and safety program by consistently washing hands before handling food products and wearing gloves when indicated by activity.
- Obtain timely annual TB tests.
- Do not work during periods of illness that might transmit disease.
- Is careful to avoid contamination of food.
- Adhere to safety policies and procedures by demonstrating proper body mechanics when lifting, bending and stooping.
- Demonstrate proper precautions to avoid accidental fires and bodily injuries.
- Responds according to policies and procedures during fire/disaster drills and emergencies.
- Be receptive to constructive feedback from co-workers and supervisors.
- Establish annual objectives by achieving at least two (2) objectives related to job in a twelve-month period and setting personal goals for self-fulfillment.
- Attend in-services or seminars as often as possible and apply new knowledge in day–to-day job performance.
- Secure department during off-duty hours.
- Be creative in utilization of leftovers to avoid excess waste.
- Accepts additional assignments within scope of training, education or experience that may be assigned from time to time by the Director of Dietary.
Resident Rights
- Maintain the confidentiality of all Resident care information including protected health information. Report known or suspected incidents of unauthorized disclosure of such information.
- Ensure that the Resident’s rights to fair and equitable treatment, self-determination, individuality, privacy, property and civil rights, including the right to wage complaints, are well established and maintained at all times.
- Review Resident complaints and grievances and make written reports of action taken. Discuss such actions with Resident and family as appropriate.
- Safety and Sanitation
- Ensure that you and all facility personnel, Residents, visitors, etc., follow established safety regulations, to include fire protection/prevention, smoking regulations, infection control, etc.
- Ensure that the building and grounds are maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner as well as in good working order by reporting all concerns to management.
- Ensure that you and all facility personnel follow established regulations governing the use of labels and SDSs for hazardous chemicals.
- Ensure that facility procedure manuals identify safety precautions and equipment to use when performing tasks that could cause bodily injury or exposure to a hazardous chemical or infectious waste.
- Ensure that you and all facility personnel follow established ergonomics policies and procedures to prevent self-injury.
- Ensure that you and all facility personnel performing tasks that involve potential exposure to blood, body fluids, or hazardous chemicals are appropriately trained prior to performing such tasks.
WORKING ENVIRONMENT: All statements addressed in the "Working Hours," "Environment" and "Physical/Sensory Demands" sections below are applicable to all jobs maintained by the employer.
Working Hours: The employee will
- Be employed on a full-time, part-time or PRN (as needed) basis. May be subject to change after employment.
- Work unusual hours as necessary and as required.
- Be expected and required to adhere to policies and procedures regarding attendance.