Dietary Aide HCC

PruittHealth•Columbia, SC

About The Position

The Dietary Aide assists with food preparation according to established procedures and as directed by the Dietary Manager or supervisor. The role follows facility procedures for storing, serving, and transporting food and supplies and is responsible for cleaning, sanitizing, and maintaining equipment. The Dietary Aide follows diet and NPO orders; helps prepare meals, desserts, and snacks; prepares and serves between-meal nourishment; sets up and serves the tray line; delivers meals to patients and residents; and offers and records menu substitutions. The role also supports a clean and safe kitchen, handles food and equipment according to facility procedures, and communicates with patients, residents, clients, families, and visitors in a helpful and professional manner. The position requires sufficient education to demonstrate functional literacy. No prior experience is required, and on-the-job training is provided. Previous food service, food preparation, or long-term care dietary experience is preferred.

Requirements

Sufficient education to demonstrate functional literacy.
No previous experience required; on-the-job training is provided.

Nice To Haves

Previous food service and/or food preparation experience.
Long-term care dietary experience.

Responsibilities

Follow diet orders and NPO diet orders.
Assist the cook with preparing meals, desserts, snacks, salads, and other dishes.
Use proper food-handling processes, procedures, and policies.
Deliver trays to patients and residents on the halls.
Deliver and serve food and beverages to patients and residents in the dining area.
Prepare and serve between-meal nourishment, such as sandwiches, according to procedural guidelines.
Offer menu substitutions and record them according to procedural guidelines.
Follow procedures for serving partner meals.
Communicate with patients, residents, clients, family members, and visitors in a warm, friendly, helpful, and professional manner; respond to expressed concerns and answer questions when appropriate.
Clean dining-area tables after each meal and clean the work area at the end of shifts and after meals, including sweeping and mopping.
Remove garbage from kitchen areas and hose out garbage containers.
Comply with infection-control policies and established safety procedures and regulations.
Scrape and wash dishes, pots, and pans.
Record freezer and walk-in refrigerator temperatures and check and record water temperatures according to established procedures.
Check stock as needed and store food, supplies, leftovers, opened food, and cleaning materials appropriately.
Set up and serve the tray line; make coffee or tea as requested.
Clean kitchen equipment, including carts, tables, counters, ice machines, buckets, blenders, mixers, meat slicers, freezers, refrigerators, stoves, steamers, garbage disposals, dish machines, coffee and tea makers, and steam tables.
Operate coffee and tea makers, dish machines, garbage disposals, mixers, blenders, meat slicers, and steamers.
Follow standardized recipes and use serving equipment such as ladles, spoons, and scoops.
Check dishwashers with sanitizer strips, check chemical levels, and replace chemicals when needed.
Participate in center or agency surveys, including Licensure and JCAHO surveys, and complete subsequently required reports.
Attend and participate in continuing education programs and mandatory in-services.
Honor patients’ and residents’ rights, including fair and equitable treatment, self-determination, individuality, privacy, property, civil rights, and the right to make complaints.
Comply with the corporate compliance program.
Report job-related tasks or functions involving occupational hazards, including exposure to blood and body fluids.
Follow established safety procedures when performing tasks or working with equipment, including fire protection and prevention, smoking regulations, and infection control.