Dietary Aide

Position Summary

A Dietary Aide, or Dietary Assistant, works to ensure patients in a healthcare facility maintain a healthy diet. Their primary responsibilities include assisting in all aspects of food service assembly, ensuring dishes adhere to a particular menu, and maintaining health and sanitization standards.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Follows established departmental procedures in accordance with state regulations and administrative policies
• Follows the established standardized recipes and monitors food production and waste
• Prepares the portions of meal items according to menu and diet requirements
• Reviews menus for special diet needs prior to meal
• Maintains tray line at meal times to ensure proper portion control standards, dietary restrictions, and dietary supplementation are being adhered to
• Prepares food to coincide with meal serving hours so that quality, quantity, temperature, and appearance of food are preserved
• Operates all kitchen equipment as necessary
• Maintains proper food and freezer storage
• Maintains proper food handling techniques and ensures glove usage, as appropriate
• Performs other related duties as required or requested

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities)

• Ability to be an independent contributor and work as part of a team
• Strong organizational and time-management skills
• Capable of working efficiently in a fast-paced environment
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Ability to work under minimal supervision and stay self-motivated
• Strong problem-solving skills
• High interpersonal and customer service skills

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Physical Demands – Office: While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls. The employee is required to stand; walk; sit; reach with hands and arms and pull/push; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must lift and/or move up to 50 pounds without assistance and 51-100 pounds with assistance. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus
• Work Environment – Office: Will need to be comfortable working with others, assisting in cleaning the dining room, kitchen maintenance, or delivering food. Dietary aides will be required to take part in certain Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or specific training. It is often required for a dietary aide to work nights, weekends, or on holidays.