Dietary Aide

Dietary Aide

Position Summary

Responsible for preparing and serving of food; following food storage policies and insuring a clean and sanitary work environment through cleaning and ware washing within the department; following established sanitary and infection control policies and procedures.

This hourly, non-exempt position reports directly to the Director of Dining Services and is a member of the Dining Services Department.

General Purpose

To assist the food service team in food preparation, food service, and in maintenance of a clean sanitized environment.

Role Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Position Responsibilities

• Aids cooks in washing, trimming, cooking, seasoning, portioning and serving of food for the residents.
• Assembles and portions a variety of menu items.
• Sets up food trays and delivers to units; keeps dining rooms and units’ supplies with food and beverages.
• Works in dining rooms as a server and host.
• Cleans dining rooms and related areas.
• Assists residents in dining rooms as necessary.
• Prepares desserts, salads, gelatin, etc., according to standardized recipes.
• Cleans kitchen and dining areas and equipment.
• Sweeps and/or mops kitchen areas.
• Operates dish machine, cleans and sanitizes all kitchen equipment.
• Operates ovens, blenders, steamers, steam table, slicers, kettles, coffee machine, toasters and transports food carts.
• Reviews menus and production sheets to determine type and quantity of all foods to be prepared and adjusts recipes to meet therapeutic diets and quantity as instructed.
• Uses manual ware washing sink and keeps sanitation levels at appropriate levels
• Stores supplies and keeps stockrooms neat and orderly.
• Will assist other employees with putting stock away.
• Assists with preparation and service of food for special activities.
• Utilizes kitchen equipment as instructed and required.
• Attends meetings, training and in-service as required.
• Performs other job-related work as necessary.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

N/A

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Ability

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED).
• Preferred one to three months related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Preferred 1-year experience as food service worker in a hospital, institution, or restaurant preferred but not needed.

KNOWLEDGE

• Foodservice:  Some knowledge of quantity foodservice, sanitation principles.
• Nutrition:  Basic understanding of food guide pyramid and importance of good nutrition.
• Customer and Personal Service:  Knowledge of principles and processes for providing excellent customer and personal services.  This includes, but is not limited to, meeting the quality standards for foodservice/nutrition techniques and treatment practices, and health care sanitation and hygiene, in a manner which promotes resident satisfaction.

SKILLS/ABILITIES

• Mathematics:  Ability to perform basic mathematics for recipe calculations.
• Active Listening:        Ability to give full attention to what others are saying.    Ability to hear and respond to residents.
• Critical Thinking:        Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Service Orientation:  Is a part of the dining services team.
• Problem Sensitivity:        Ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.  It includes recognizing and solving problems.
• Inductive Reasoning:  Ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions and finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events.
• Deductive Reasoning:  The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Attention to Detail:  Being careful, accurate and thorough in completing work-related tasks.
• Emotional Stability:  Ability to cope with the stresses of the environment. 
• Integrity:  Ability to be an honest and ethical employee while exercising both patience and tact and complying with the Facility’s policies and procedures.
• Technical:  Ability to understand equipment function and operation of equipment used in the performance of duties.  Some ability to use basic computer technology with training as required to complete job duties.
• Oral Communication: Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.
• Written Communication: Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.
• Teamwork: Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed.

• Quality Management: Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
• Judgement: Displays willingness to make decisions; Exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions; Includes appropriate people in decision-making process; Makes timely decisions.
• Planning/Organizing: Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Plans for additional resources; Sets goals and objectives; Organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; Develops realistic action plans.
• Dependability: Follows instructions, responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments; Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan.

Core Values and Ethos of the Grove Manor Corporation

A. Honoring the Lord

Because Jesus is not only God, but God for us, who humbled himself to act on our behalf, who conquered death and is actively working toward the reconciliation of all creation, He is not only worthy of our honor, thanks and praise, but also of our ongoing participation in his ministry of reconciliation with all that we are and do and say.

• As Jesus himself summarized, the greatest commandment is to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. (Matthew 22) 

B. Serving Others

Because we are sharing in Christ’s ministry, it is His attitude and actions that are impactful and transformative and are conveyed to others through our own. His ministry is invariably personal and inherently relational, making even the most menial task a vehicle of his love. As we humbly attend the needs of others, his love is conveyed by our service.

• As Scripture says, even the Savior himself came “not to be served, but to serve.” And Jesus, after washing his disciples’ feet, told them, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” (John 13)

C. Vocation

Because we believe that the caring profession is a vocation, that we are called by the Lord to participate in his ministry of loving others, we offer our labors from the heart, perceiving them as a sacred trust and pursuing them according to the excellence this call demands.

• “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.   Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Eph 4)

D. Compassion

Because we believe that Jesus laid down his own life for each human being, that we ourselves are dependent upon his grace, and that he continues to be at work through the circumstances of life to draw all men and women unto himself, each person we encounter is to be treated with the compassion, kindness and generosity characteristic of Jesus himself.

• As Scripture says, “and he saw him, and he was moved with compassion.”  (Luke 10)

E. Collaboration

Because we are part of a team, a family, every task we perform is significant as part of a larger whole, with none being independent unto itself, so that 

• As Scripture says, we are members of one God, with Christ as our head, with each member designed to perform a different role, each complementing the other and together for “two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9–12)

Position Hours and Travel

This position is a full-time or part-time job located in a designated home with travel as required for training purposes. Hours in addition to regular work scheduled may be necessary, with little or no notice, if deemed necessary.

Compliance Program  

The Grove Manor Corporation is committed to compliance with program requirements and ensuring that employees understand the value the Facility places on its compliance program.   All relevant personnel will participate in compliance education and training programs of the Facility.   Employees will be required to have a minimum number of educational hours per year, as appropriate, as part of their employment responsibilities.  Participation in training programs is a condition of continued employment.  These training requirements will be a factor in each employee’s annual evaluation.

Physical Demands and Work Environment  

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physical Demands:        While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to walk, reach, climb, bend, stoop, lift, grasp, balance, push, and pull residents.  The employee must be able to lift, push, and/or move up to 75 pounds, with or without assistance.  Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.  Additionally, employees must have the ability to hear and respond, distinguish smells, tastes, and temperatures.  
• Work Environment:        While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to hazardous chemicals, infectious waste, blood and body fluid, diseases, and conditions prevalent at the time.  Employees may also be subject to emotionally distraught residents, family members, visitors, and personnel.  The noise level in the work environment is typically minimal to moderate.
• PPE: Personal protective equipment will be provided, used, and maintained when it has been determined that its use is required to ensure the safety and health of our employees and that such use will lessen the likelihood of occupational injury and/or illness.

Affected employees whose jobs require the use of PPE will be informed of the PPE selection and will be provided PPE by Grove Manor Corporation at no charge.  Careful consideration will be given to the comfort and proper fit of PPE in order to ensure that the right size is selected and that it will be used. 

Personal protective equipment must not be shared between employees until it has been properly cleaned and sanitized.  PPE will be distributed for individual use whenever possible.  

Any worker required to wear PPE will receive training in the proper use and care of PPE before being allowed to perform work requiring the use of PPE.   Periodic retraining will be offered to PPE users as needed.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), signed into federal law in 1996, set national standards regarding security and privacy of a person’s health information.

Our Facility is committed to protecting the privacy, security, and integrity of individually identifiable health information received from or, on the behalf of, our employees.  Our Facility adheres to the highest standards in integrity in the performance of its business and is prepared to maintain compliance with HIPAA and other regulatory requirements by adopting and adjusting policies and processes as necessary.  

Employees will hold confidential any proprietary information including all resident records, medical documentation and third party insurance information.  All resident medical records shall be treated as confidential so as to comply with all applicable laws regarding the confidentiality of resident records, including, without limitation, the privacy and security standards promulgated under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA").  Employees do not divulge, disclose or communicate to any person or entity (other than as required by law), information affecting or relating to residents or employees.