Cook - Dietary Aide HCC

PruittHealth•Forsyth, GA

21d

About The Position

The Cook prepares palatable, attractive, nutritionally adequate meals in institutional quantities, following departmental policies, procedures, menus, recipes, residents’ diet orders, and applicable state and federal requirements. The role ensures food is prepared and served at the proper temperature and time, and meets residents’ daily nutritional and special-diet needs. In coordination with the Director of Food Service, the Cook helps use resources efficiently so residents receive food in an appropriate amount, type, consistency, and frequency to support nutritional needs and quality of life. The position also assists with meal preparation and service, including nourishments, substitutions, tray-line service, and delivery of trays. It maintains food, equipment, and work areas through proper handling, storage, cleaning, temperature and chemical checks, and supply management. The Cook assists with kitchen staff supervision and communicates resident acceptance or operational concerns to the Dietary Manager. The role requires functional literacy and at least one year of institutional food-service experience as a cook. Long-term care food-production experience is preferred. The employee is expected to attend required training and in-services, follow facility safety and infection-control practices, respect residents’ rights, and participate in surveys and inspection preparation as directed.

Requirements

Sufficient education to demonstrate functional literacy.
At least one year of institutional food-service experience as a cook.
Working knowledge of food handling, preparation, and storage techniques and the ability to apply relevant state and federal requirements.
Ability to follow standardized recipes and facility procedures.
Knowledge of facility emergency and disaster procedures.
Ability to follow workplace safety and infection-control procedures, including universal precautions, personal protective equipment, and hazardous-material handling.
Ability to arrive and begin work on time and report for scheduled duty, including shifts, weekends, and holidays.

Nice To Haves

Experience in long-term care food production.

Responsibilities

Assist with preparing meals, salads, desserts, snacks, and other dishes, including between-meal nourishments.
Follow diet orders and NPO diet orders.
Serve nourishments in accordance with procedural guidelines.
Store leftovers and opened food properly.
Follow procedures for serving partner meals.
Offer menu substitutions and record them according to procedural guidelines.
Comply with infection-control policies in the work area.
Deliver trays to residents in halls and dining areas.
Assist with serving beverages and prepare coffee or tea as requested.
Clean dining-area tables after each meal.
Clean the work area at the end of shifts and after meals, including sweeping and mopping, and store cleaning equipment properly.
Clean kitchen equipment, including carts, tables, counters, ice machines, blenders, mixers, meat slicers, freezers, refrigerators, stoves, steamers, garbage disposals, dish machines, coffee and tea makers, and steam tables.
Remove kitchen garbage and hose out garbage containers.
Scrape and wash dishes, pots, and pans, and store them properly.
Record freezer and walk-in refrigerator temperatures according to established procedures.
Maintain the dishwasher and dish sink; check and record water temperatures, test dishwasher sanitizer with strips, check chemical levels, and replace chemicals as needed.
Maintain supply stock and store items according to established procedures.
Set up and provide tray-line service.
Operate the dish machine, garbage disposal, mixer, blender, meat slicer, steamer, and coffee and tea maker.
Use, clean, and maintain serving equipment according to established procedures.
Apply food-handling, preparation, and storage practices that comply with applicable state and federal requirements.
Follow recipes and menu cycles prepared by the Dietitian, preparing attractive and nutritionally adequate institutional meals for service at the proper times.
Assist with supervising kitchen staff who prepare food, assemble trays, clean, and store supplies and equipment.
Continuously clean food-service work areas during food preparation and service, and use supplies and equipment efficiently to prevent waste.
Prepare and maintain food substitutes to accommodate residents’ choices and cultural, ethnic, and religious preferences.
Inspect trays after meals to monitor and record residents’ acceptance of menu items, and report findings to the Dietary Manager.
Use food-preparation equipment according to manufacturer instructions; follow cleaning and preventive-maintenance schedules; and handle, store, and dispose of food in accordance with department procedures and regulations.
Participate in center or agency surveys and any required follow-up reports; attend survey training and assist with state-inspection preparation as directed.
Attend continuing education programs and mandatory in-services, as required.
Respect residents’ rights, dignity, individuality, privacy, property, and civil rights, and comply with the corporate compliance program.
Report job tasks involving occupational hazards, including exposure to blood and body fluids, and follow safety, fire-prevention, smoking, infection-control, universal-precautions, personal-protective-equipment, and hazardous-material procedures.
Know facility emergency and disaster procedures, locate the nearest exit, and respond to emergency instructions.
Inspect food-service work areas for pests, safety or fire hazards, and housekeeping or maintenance problems; correct or promptly report problems to the Dietary Manager.
Communicate with the Dietary Manager as needed, report injuries immediately, and perform other related duties as directed by the supervisor.
Arrive on time and report for scheduled duty, including shifts, weekends, and holidays.