Dietary Director

Purpose Of Your Job Position

The primary purpose of your job position is to assist the Dietitian in planning, organizing, developing and directing the overall operation of the Dietary Department in accordance with current federal, state, and local standards, guidelines and regulations governing our facility, and as may be directed by the Administrator, to assure that quality nutritional services are provided on a daily basis and that the dietary department is maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner.

Delegation Of Authority

As the Dietary Director, you are delegated the administrative authority, responsibility, and accountability necessary for carrying out your assigned duties.

Essential Job Functions Statement

Every effort has been made to identify the essential functions of this position. However, it in no way states or implies that these are the only duties you will be required to perform. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or is an essential function of the position.

Safety Factors

Risk Potential to Blood/Body Fluids:

• Category I : Tasks in this category involve exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissues, and require the use of personal protective equipment.
• Category II : Tasks in this category involve no exposure to blood, body fluids, and/or tissues, but employment may require performing unplanned category I tasks.
• Category III : these tasks require no exposure to blood, body fluids, and/or tissues, and category I tasks are not a condition of employment.

Job Title: Dietary Director

Location: Tunkhannock, PA

Department: Dietary Services

FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports To: Administrator

Shifts Hiring: Full-time

Essential Job Functions & Responsibilities

• Assist in planning, developing, organizing, implementing, evaluating, and directing the Dietary Department, its programs and activities.
• Coordinate dietary services and activities with other related departments (i.e., Nursing, Housekeeping, Social Services, etc.).
• Assist in developing and maintaining written dietary policies and procedures.
• Assist in developing and maintaining written job descriptions and performance evaluations for each level of dietary personnel.
• Interpret the department's policies and procedures to employees, residents, visitors, government agencies, etc., as necessary.
• Assist the dietary staff in the development and use of departmental policies, procedures, equipment, supplies, etc.
• Assume the responsibility of obtaining/maintaining material safety data sheets (MSDSs) for hazardous chemicals used or stored in the dietary department.
• Perform administrative duties such as completing necessary forms, reports, evaluations, studies, etc., to assure control of equipment and supplies.
• Review the department's policies, procedure manuals, job descriptions, etc., at least annually for revisions, and make recommendations to the Dietitian and/or Administrator.
• Develop and maintain a file of tested standard recipes.
• Keep abreast of economic conditions/situations and recommend to the Dietitian and/or Administrator adjustments in dietary services that assure the continued ability to provide daily dietary services.
• Make written and oral reports/recommendations to the Dietitian and/or Administrator as necessary/required concerning the operation of the Dietary Department.
• Submit accident/incident reports to the Human Resources Office within twenty-four (24) hours after their occurrence.
• Assume administrative authority, responsibility, and accountability of supervising the Dietary Department.
• Inspect food storage rooms, utility/janitorial closets, etc., for upkeep and supply control; assuring compliance with local/state/federal regulations.
• Review, assist in developing, and implement a plan of correction for dietary service deficiencies noted during survey inspections and provide a written copy of such to the Administrator.
• Process diet changes and assure new diets are served per physician order; as received from nursing services.
• Assist the Infection Control Coordinator in identifying, evaluating, and classifying routine and job related dietary functions to ensure that tasks involving potential exposure to blood/body fluids are properly identified and recorded.
• Review departmental complaints and grievances from personnel and make written reports to the Dietitian and/or Administrator of action(s) taken. Follow facility's established procedures.
• Assist in developing and implementing a dietary service organization structure.
• Assist the Quality Assessment and Assurance Committee in developing and implementing appropriate plans of action to correct dietary deficiencies.
• Assist in developing, implementing, and maintaining an ongoing quality assurance program for the Dietary Department.
• Assist the Discharge Planning Coordinator in planning the dietary services portion of the resident's discharge plan.
• Participate in facility surveys (inspections) made by authorized government agencies.
• Interview residents or family members, as necessary, to obtain diet history.
• Participate in maintaining records of the resident's food likes and dislikes.
• Assist in developing methods for determining quality and quantity of food served.
• Ensure that charted dietary progress notes are informative and descriptive of the services provided and of the resident's response to the service.
• Ensure that menus are maintained and filed in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Maintain an adequate liaison with families and residents as necessary.
• Maintain a reference library of written material, laws, diet manuals, etc., necessary for complying with current standards and regulations and that will provide assistance in maintaining quality food service.
• Visit residents periodically to evaluate the quality of meals served, likes and dislikes, etc.
• Involve the resident/family in planning objectives and goals for the resident
• Assist in planning regular and special diet menus as prescribed by the attending physician.
• Assist in developing diet plans for individual residents.
• Review therapeutic and regular diet plans and menus to assure they are in compliance with the physician's orders
• Review the dietary requirements of each resident admitted to the facility, as may be required, and assist the attending physician in planning for the resident's prescribed diet plan.
• Meet with administration, medical and nursing staff, as well as other related departments in planning food service programs and activities.
• Ensure that residents are offered a nourishing snack at bedtime.
• Others as deemed necessary and appropriate, or as may be directed by the Administrator and/or Dietitian.

Committee Functions

• Serve on, participate in, and attend various committees of the facility (i.e., Infection