Cook - Dietary Aide HCC

PruittHealth•Lithonia, GA

12d

About The Position

The Cook prepares palatable, nutritionally sound meals in accordance with departmental policies and procedures and applicable state and federal laws and regulations. Meals must meet residents’ daily nutritional needs and special diet requirements, and be served at the proper temperature and time. The Cook works with the Director of Food Service to use resources efficiently so residents receive food in the appropriate amount, type, consistency, and frequency to support acceptable body weight, nutritional values, and quality of life. The role also assists with food preparation and service, including preparing meals and between-meal nourishments, following diet orders, assembling and delivering trays, offering and recording menu substitutions, and maintaining food supplies and equipment. The Cook helps oversee kitchen staff assisting with preparation, tray assembly, cleaning, and storage. The position requires compliance with food safety, infection control, workplace safety, resident-rights, and facility procedures, as well as participation in training and inspections.

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 that comply with state and federal laws and regulations.
Ability to apply food-service regulations to cooking duties and supervision of staff assistants.
Knowledge of standardized recipes and ability to follow them.
Knowledge of facility emergency and disaster procedures and ability to understand and respond to written or oral emergency instructions.
Ability to report for scheduled duty on time, including shifts, weekends, and holidays.
Working knowledge of and ability to comply with workplace safety, infection-control, universal-precaution, personal-protective-equipment, and hazardous-material procedures.
Ability to maintain sanitary food-preparation and storage areas and follow special-handling procedures for resident trays.

Nice To Haves

Experience in long-term-care food production.

Responsibilities

Assist with preparing meals, salads, desserts, snacks, and between-meal nourishments.
Follow diet orders, including NPO orders, and serve nourishments according to procedural guidelines.
Store leftover and opened foods properly and follow procedures for serving partner meals.
Offer menu substitutions and record them according to procedural guidelines.
Comply with infection control policies and deliver trays to residents in halls and dining areas.
Assist with serving beverages and prepare coffee or tea as requested.
Clean dining tables after meals and clean the work area, including sweeping and mopping.
Clean kitchen equipment and remove garbage from kitchen areas; hose out garbage containers.
Scrape, wash, and properly store dishes, pots, and pans.
Record freezer and walk-in refrigerator temperatures; maintain dishwashing equipment and sinks, check and record water temperatures, test sanitizer, and monitor chemical levels.
Maintain supply stock and store items according to established procedures.
Set up and perform tray-line service.
Operate dish machine, garbage disposal, mixer, blender, meat slicer, steamer, and coffee and tea makers.
Use, clean, and maintain serving equipment according to established procedures.
Follow recipes and menu cycles, preparing attractive, nutritionally adequate meals in institutional quantities and serving them at the proper times.
Assist with supervising kitchen staff who help with food preparation, tray assembly, cleaning, and supply and equipment storage.
Continuously clean food-service work areas and use supplies and equipment efficiently to prevent waste.
Prepare and maintain food substitutes that accommodate resident choices and cultural, ethnic, and religious preferences.
Inspect trays after meal service, monitor and record residents’ acceptance of menu items, and report findings to the Dietary Manager.
Use food-preparation equipment according to manufacturer instructions and follow cleaning and preventive-maintenance schedules.
Handle, store, and dispose of food supplies and prepared food according to department procedures and applicable regulations.
Participate in center or agency surveys and complete subsequently required reports; assist with preparation for state inspections and attend survey training.
Attend continuing education programs and mandatory in-services, and maintain current license or certification if required.
Respect residents’ rights, dignity, individuality, privacy, property, and civil rights; handle resident and facility property honestly and with integrity.
Follow facility safety, fire-prevention, infection-control, universal-precaution, personal-protective-equipment, and hazardous-material procedures.
Report occupational hazards, safety or maintenance problems, injuries, and other concerns promptly to the supervisor or Dietary Manager.
Communicate with the Dietary Manager during the shift as needed, interact with state surveyors as instructed, and perform other related duties as directed.
Know facility emergency and disaster procedures, locate the nearest exit, follow emergency instructions, and report for scheduled duty on time, including shifts, weekends, and holidays.