Dietary Aide

Memorial Healthcare•Owosso, MI

21d

About The Position

The Dietary Aide performs dietary duties related to meal assembly, delivery, service, and cleanup, with limited food preparation as needed. The role supports departmental operations and contributes to the patient and family experience through reliable service and patient- and family-centered care. The Dietary Aide assists with preparing and serving food for residents or patients, employees, and special events while following food-handling and food-safety practices and maintaining a clean, safe work environment. The position includes preparing and pre-portioning food for regular and therapeutic diets, following menus and standardized recipes, meeting service schedules, and observing residents’ diet orders and preferences. The aide maintains appropriate food temperatures and records required temperatures, labels and stores food properly, washes dishes, keeps work areas clean, and ensures supplies and equipment are ready for service. The role also involves receiving and storing supplies, reporting stock or equipment issues, and working positively with residents, families, visitors, coworkers, and other customers.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
ServSafe Handler Certificate.
Ability to organize and maintain a safe work environment.
Ability to understand dietary procedures and basic principles of food and nutrition in a healthcare environment.
Ability to follow semi-complex directions and master multiple work procedures.
Ability to read and understand menus, labels, census reports, recipes, and other work materials; perform simple arithmetic; and record numbers correctly.
Ability to adapt and maintain focus in fast-paced, changing, or stressful situations and interpret policies, instructions, regulations, and related documents.
Ability to communicate and interact professionally, courteously, and tactfully with supervisors, coworkers, hospital staff, patients, families, physicians, visitors, and other customers; remain calm and maintain self-control; and work cooperatively as a team member.
Ability to use knives safely, set up patient trays, and serve food in patient and cafeteria areas.
Proficiency using modern office, computer, and telephone equipment used by Memorial Healthcare.
Ability to identify hot and cold, taste and smell food, recognize signs of spoilage, and see and hear for work-related purposes.
Ability to stand for long periods and work in a hot environment; frequently stand, kneel, and crouch; and move about, sit, climb stairs, and bend as needed.
Ability to lift and carry up to 20 pounds frequently, repeatedly lift 10–20 pounds daily, and potentially push, pull, or carry items weighing 20–100 pounds, including pushing equipment in excess of 50 pounds.
Ability to reach forward, handle and feel objects, use hand and finger movements, and operate tools or equipment requiring reaching with the hands and arms.
Ability to travel independently throughout hospital facilities and access patient and family areas, including spaces restricted by equipment or limited space.
Ability to access storerooms, walk-in coolers and freezers, and elevated reach-in refrigerators and freezers; store, retrieve, and move items weighing up to 16 pounds; and transport full trays and pour liquids without spilling.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in food service is desirable.

Responsibilities

Coordinate, set up, and serve food and support materials in patient and cafeteria areas.
Prepare and serve food for patient meal supplementation between regular service hours.
Prepare and pre-portion food for regular and therapeutic diets, meals and snacks, employees, and special events, following planned menus and proper food-safety practices.
Use standardized recipes and serve food in an attractive and appetizing manner.
Deliver meals and snacks to designated areas according to established schedules and prepare appropriate quantities within those schedules.
Serve meals and snacks according to planned menus, residents’ diet orders, and food preferences.
Maintain and record food temperatures; label, date, and store food properly; and report temperature discrepancies to the supervisor.
Check and record refrigerator and freezer temperatures and report discrepancies.
Wash dishes according to manual or automatic dishwashing procedures, record water and sanitizer temperatures, and report problems promptly.
Keep work areas clean and uncluttered, perform assigned cleaning using appropriate chemicals, and store dishes and equipment in designated locations.
Ensure areas are stocked and ready for service across shifts, report inadequate stock levels, and assist with receiving, storing, and verifying incoming food and supplies.
Operate and maintain equipment safely and cleanly according to manufacturer and supervisory direction, and promptly report equipment problems.
Recommend improvements to recipes, menus, food production and service, and equipment.
Work as a team member and interact appropriately and positively with residents, families, visitors, coworkers, and other customers.
Support the hospital’s mission, values, standards, policies, procedures, confidentiality requirements, compliance plan, customer service standards, and ethical behavior.
Perform other assigned tasks.