Dietary Aide

Pennington Health Services

2001 Eastwood Drive

Thief River Falls, MN 56701

Mission and Core Values: Expressing Christ’s love by providing care that values every human life.

Integrity: We adhere to high principles and professional standards.

• Follows policies and procedures and ensures compliancy.
• Admits and corrects mistakes in a professional manner.

Commitment: We dedicate ourselves to those we serve.

• Follows through with tasks given or undertaken.
• Is committed to healthcare as a vocation.

Respect: We value and treat others with compassion and dignity.

• Keeps a clean environment.
• Maintains confidentiality and observes privacy, respecting and recognizing consumer and co-worker dignity.

Excellence: We have the passion to do our best.

• Strives to provide exceptional care in the work performed so those served can experience his/her commitment to excellence.
• Honors the knowledge and experience of co-workers and works together to develop best practices which produces extraordinary results.

Service: We contribute to the wellbeing of others.

• Focuses on the person, responds to voiced needs and strives to anticipate future needs.
• Works as a team and helps others meet the needs of those we serve.

Stewardship: We wisely manage all resources God entrusts to us.

• Values what has been entrusted to him/her, making sure to care for others and the environment in which he/she works.

Is creative and shares best practices, strives for excellence while being prudent in his/her use of resources.

Position Purpose: 

The primary purpose of your job position is to provide assistance in preparing food, setting up meal trays, food carts and serving food and performing dishwashing and cleaning duties as directed/instructed and in accordance with established food policies and procedures.

Essential Job Functions:

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Individual Responsibilities:

• Report all complaints and grievances, according to company policies and procedures, which are made by the individual receiving services, family, or visitors and make a written/oral report to supervisor indicating what action(s) were taken to resolve the complaint or grievance.
• Report any communicable or infectious disease that you contract to the appropriate supervisor.
• Assist in food preparation for special meals (i.e. parties, etc.).
• Clean work tables, meat blocks, refrigerators/freezers, etc.
• Sweep and mop floors.
• Carry soiled linens, etc. to wash areas.
• Wash and clean utensils as directed.
• Return clean utensils to proper storage areas.
• Carry out garbage and keep work areas clean, dry and free of hazardous equipment, supplies, etc.
• Set up meal trays, food carts, dining room, etc., as instructed.
• Prepare food, etc., in accordance with sanitary regulations as well as with our established policies and procedures.
• Distribute and collect menus as necessary.
• Obtain food supplies for next meal.
• Deliver food carts, trays, etc., to designated areas.
• Serve food in dining room as instructed.
• Perform dishwashing/cleaning procedures. Assure that utensils, etc., are readily available for next meal.
• Remove food trays from carts, dining rooms, etc. and take to dishwashing area.
• Prepare and deliver snacks, etc., as instructed.
• Put away stock in proper labeled areas, dates and rotates items as needed.
• Ensure that food and supplies for the next meal are readily available.

Attendance:

• Attend departmental and staff meetings as directed.
• Attend and participate in scheduled training and educational classes, department specific and care center wide.
• Attend and participate in scheduled onboarding programs and activities.
• Give adequate notice to appropriate person when absence is necessary.

Education and Experience:

• Must possess, as a minimum, an 8th grade education.
• Must have a good understanding of quality food production.

Specific Requirements:

• Must be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language while conducting company business.
• Must be able to follow oral and written instructions.
• Must adhere to the Corporate Compliance Program Code of Conduct.
• Must adhere to company policies and procedures.
• Must have a positive and friendly attitude.
• Must be able to solve diverse procedural problems and plans.
• Must be able to communicate, coordinate, and facilitate with other departments, families, and the general public.
• Must respect the individual receiving services’ personal and property rights.
• Must possess the ability to deal tactfully with personnel, individual receiving services, visitors and the general public.
• Must possess the ability to work harmoniously with other personnel and departments.
• Must be able to relate to and work with the disabled and elderly individuals within the care center who may at times be ill, confused, uncooperative, emotionally upset, or hostile.
• Must be willing to work beyond normal working hours when necessary and on other shifts/days.
• Must not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals in the workplace.
• Must be able to request and/or accept direction/education as needed to develop new skills
• Able to operate the following equipment:
• Alarms and other safety interventions/devices.
• Call light systems;
• Walkie talkies and/or pagers, if provided by care center.
• Must maintain the care and use of supplies, equipment, the appearance of work areas, and perform regular inspections of food service areas for sanitation, order, safety and proper performance of assigned duties.
• Must possess the ability to seek out new methods and principles and be willing to incorporate them into existing food practice.

Working Environment:

• Work in all areas of the care center and its premises.
• Move intermittently during working hours.
• Is involved with individual receiving services, personnel, visitors, government agencies/personnel, etc., under all conditions and circumstances.
• Is subject to hostile and emotionally upset individual receiving services, family members, personnel and visitors.
• Is subject to frequent interruptions.
• Is subject to strain in lifting, moving and supporting individual receiving services.
• Communicate with all employees and other department directors.
• Work beyond normal working hours, on weekends and on other shifts/days, when necessary.
• Is subject to call back during emergency conditions (e.g. severe weather, evacuation, post-disaster etc.)
• Is subject to injury from falls, burns from equipment, odors, etc. throughout the workday, as well as reactions from dust, disinfectants, tobacco smoke and other air contaminants.
• Is subject to the handling of and exposure to hazardous chemicals.
• Works in well-lighted/ventilated areas. Atmosphere is warm for cooking.

Physical and Sensory Requirements:

• Must be able to move intermittently throughout the workday.
• Must utilize proper body mechanics during every shift worked.
• Must possess sight/hearing senses or use prosthetics that will enable these senses to function adequately so that the requirements of the position can be fully met.
• Must be able to cope with the mental and emotional stress of the position.
• Must be able to walk, stand and sit.
• Must be able to bend, stoop, squat, twist, reach above shoulders and push/pull frequently.
• Must be able to kneel, crawl and crouch occasionally and climb rarely.
• Must be able to perform repetitive motions during the workday.
• Must meet the general health requirements set forth by the policies of this care center.
• Must be able to follow infection control procedures when exposed to infection.
• Must be able to push, pull, move, and/or lift a minimum of thirty (30) pounds to a minimum height of five (5) feet and able to push, pull, move, and/or carry such weight a minimum of fifty (50) feet. 
• May be needed to assist in the evacuation of individual receiving services during emergency situations.
• Must be able to push, pull, move, and/or lift a maximum of twenty-five (25) pounds to a minimum height of five (5) feet and be able to push, pull, move, and/or carry such weight a minimum of 50 feet.