Required Qualifications
Minimum requirements include one of the following:
- High school diploma or GED diploma
- Two years’ experience in foodservice. Prior experience in healthcare foodservice preferred.
Major Duties and Responsibilities
- Overseeing and purchasing of food and supplies, and food preparation, services, and storage.
- Maintaining a clean and sanitary environment.
- Overseeing safe and timely meal preparation, including the provision of meals and/or supplements in accordance with residents’ needs, preferences, and care plan.
- Monitoring regular and therapeutic diets, including texture of foods and liquids to meet the specialized needs of residents.
- Participating in interdisciplinary team meetings.
Dietary Cook Assigned Tasks
- Train, coach, and when necessary evaluate employees working in the Food and Nutrition Services department.
- Help maintain work schedules to ensure adequate staff to cover each shift.
- Use forecasts, food waste records, inventory, and equipment records to plan the purchase of food, supplies, and equipment.
- Follow standards and procedures for preparing food.
- Participate in menu planning including responding to resident preferences, substitution lists, therapeutic diets, and industry trends.
- Inspect meals and ensure that standards for appearance, palatability, temperature, and serving times are met. Ensure that foods are prepared according to production schedules, menus, and standardized recipes.
- Manage the preparation and service of special nourishments and supplemental feedings.
- Ensure safe receiving, storage, preparation, and service of food. Protect food in all phases of preparation, holding, service, cooking, and transportation.
- Help prepare cleaning schedules and maintain equipment to ensure food safety.
- Ensure proper sanitation and safety practices of staff.
- Process new diet orders and diet changes. Keep diet cards updated.
- Determine resident diet needs and develop appropriate dietary plans in cooperation and in compliance with physician’s orders.
- Review plan of care related to nutritional status. Document concerns that can be resolved, improved, or addressed to improve the resident’s nutritional status and eating function.
- Carries out other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.
Personal Skills and Traits Desired/ Physical Requirements
- Effective verbal and written communication skills and ability to exercise judgement.
- Basic computer skills.
- Ability to read, write, speak and understand the English language.
- Ability to work beyond normal working hours and on weekends and holidays when necessary.
- Mathematical and numerical skills.
- Organizational skills.
- Positive interpersonal relationship skills, including with persons of all ages and cultures.
- Current awareness of relevant regulations and standards of care.
- Ability to assist in evacuation of residents during emergency situations.
- Ability to bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, perform overhead lifting and perform other common physical movements as needed for the position.
- Ability to lift and carry in excess of 50 pounds.