Dining Services Manager

EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS, CREDENTIALS: Indiana certification as a Food Services Supervisor, and a minimum of three (3) years of supervisory experience in a health care setting, preferably long-term care. Cooking experience is required.

RESPONSIBLE TO: Administrator, Consulting Dietitian

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
The employee must be able to perform each essential function effectively to be successful in this position.

1. Develops and implements operational methods and management systems to achieve the maximum efficiency within budget allowances for food and dietary staffing and supplies.
2. Collaborates with the Registered Dietitian and responds timely to requests for information and suggestions to improve the quality of Dietary Services.
3. Supervises food preparation using techniques that conserve nutritional value, flavor, and appearance.
4. Ensures meals are prepared according to posted menus, served according to scheduled time frames, and that menu substitutions are appropriate and recorded, and that portion control procedures are followed.
5. Assures that food substitutes of similar nutritional value are available to residents who refuse food served.
6. Develops seasonal menu cycles (winter/summer) in consultation with the Registered Dietitian, and encourages resident participation in menu decisions.
7. Assures that there are recipes for all menu items, including pureed recipes, and guidelines for adjusting the recipe for the number served.
8. Collaborates with Nursing to develop efficient meal delivery systems that maintain food quality and temperatures.
9. Collaborates with Activities and Marketing to provide food and hostess services for special events.
10. Collaborates and cooperates with Nursing to assure that requests for trays or food at times other than meal times are met for example, when a resident misses a meal period because of an outing or appointment.
11. Collaborates and cooperates with the consulting Dietitian and addresses issues identified in the consultant's report.
12. Assures that food is stored, prepared, and served under sanitary conditions to prevent the development or transmission of food borne bacteria.
13. Orders food economically and efficiently from approved sources and those considered satisfactory by federal, state, and local authorities.
14. Maintains a sufficient inventory of supplies, a system to track the inventory, and secures storage areas.
15. Maintains a 3-day emergency food supply and rotates this stock periodically.
16. Monitors the condition and inventory of dishware and notifies the Administrator if replacements are needed.
17. Follow dietary policies regarding food donations.
18. Supervises the department's conformance with regulations, administrative policies, and accepted standards of dietary services.
19. Monitors dietary department for fire and safety hazards, and corrects or reports problems to the Maintenance Supervisor or Administrator.
20. Maintains the department in a clean and orderly manner with on-going cleaning schedules, proper storage of supplies and equipment, and completion of cleaning assignments.
21. Assures that food preparation equipment is used and cleaned properly, and safety precautions followed.
22. Assures that a Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each department chemical is in the Hazards Communication manual and that copies of the applicable sheets for the dietary department are readily accessible in the work area.
23. Disposes of trash and waste, including any bio-hazardous waste that requires special handling, in compliance with state and federal requirement.
24. Assures that all garbage and waste is properly contained in covered containers and dumpster(s).
25. Inspects the areas for signs of rodents or pests daily and implements pest control measures.
26. Makes regular inspections of work, storage, and serving areas to determine compliance with dietary regulations, sanitation standards, safety, and proper storage and handling procedures.

Resident Needs and Care Plan

1. Ensures that appropriate diets are served to all residents according to current diet orders.
2. Maintains a list of the special diets that are available.
3. Verifies resident information daily for new admissions, diet order changes, room changes, and census.
4. Assesses each resident's nutritional status at admission and thereafter to identify needs, risk factors, and food allergies. Visits each resident at admission to determine food preferences and intolerances.
5. Monitors Key Quality Indicators of weight, hydration, and skin risk to identify, implement, and evaluate appropriate dietary interventions.
6. Assures that supplemental nourishments are prepared when ordered, and that evening snacks are available in the nourishment pantry.
7. Collaborates with the Interdisciplinary Care Plan Team to plan and evaluate care, participates in team meetings and resident care conferences, and completes dietary's portion of the MDS assessment.
8. Develops a care plan based on the MDS assessment.
9. Charts progress notes on each resident, as dictated by regulations or medical condition, including subjective findings, objective symptoms, observations of behavior, dietary interventions provided and the resident's response to these interventions.
10. Conducts regular meal observations and staff and resident interviews to monitor meal service, meal acceptance, and meal waste so that areas needing changes or improvements can be identified.
11. Conducts observations and record reviews to ensure that food for an individual resident is in the amount, type, consistency, and frequency needed to maintain adequate nutrition.
12. With appropriate additional training, may help feed residents needing meal assistance.

Administrative Responsibilities

1. Assures that trained and sufficient staff is hired, scheduled, and on duty to deliver dietary services.
2. After conditional offer of employment, screens prospective employees according to the Food Borne Illness policy.
3. Applies principles of personnel management and facility policies in the selection, placement, orientation, and evaluation of department employees.
4. Trains cooks in food preparation, diet orders, portion control, menus, recipes, preparation of special diets, and appropriate nutritional substitutions.
5. Trains all staff in department equipment, including safe operation and cleaning.
6. Trains and inservices staff in department safety hazards and workplace precautions required to prevent accidental injury or exposure, and retrains one-on-one when needed or required by safety policies.
7. Trains and inservices staff in sanitary standards for food kitchens and sanitary work practices to prevent contamination of food products and food borne illness, including proper handwashing,
8. Conducts periodic QA tours of the kitchen to monitor management areas such as sanitation, cleanliness, handwashing compliance, diet orders compliance, temperature of food and refrigerators/freezers, strength and use of chemical sanitizing solutions, food waste, etc.
9. Keeps appropriate records to accounts for the number of employees and guests served daily.
10. May periodically conduct a written survey of residents' overall satisfaction with dietary services.
11. Attends mandatory inservice education programs and staff meetings and applies information to job tasks.
12. Completes and maintains all dietary records, forms, and reports required including but not limited to expense reports, budget variances, menus, inventory, work schedules, cleaning schedules, equipment repairs, reports to the Quality Assurance Committee, etc.
13. Actively participates in the long-term care survey process by instructing staff in matters of conduct and disclosure and gathers and presents supplemental documentation if requested.
14. Maintains sound customer service principles to respond to and adequately resolve complaints and/or concerns of residents and sponsors about dietary services.
15. Collaborates with Activities and Marketing to provide food and hostess services for special events.
16. Investigates food related problems or complaints and takes necessary actions.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
At hire, must volunteer certain information about medical history and high-risk conditions involving certain diseases that are transmissable through food, and also report these conditions if developed after hire. Must wear a hair net at all times when preparing or serving food and wear closed shoes with non-slip soles. According to the 2001 Federal Food Code, food service workers cannot have artificial nails or use nail polish. Must be able to work overtime or report to the facility in an emergency if necessary to assure continued services.

WORKING CONDITIONS
Works in a climate-controlled and well-lighted environment with a smoke-free policy. Uses cleaning chemicals and mechanical/electrical equipment, but receives safety training to prevent harmful exposure or injury. Is subject to interruptions, noise, and a hot and humid work environment. Has a low risk of exposure to infections, but receives training in handwashing practices and has access to personal protective equipment if needed.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands below are typical of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be available for individuals with disabilities.

Lifting/Carrying 11-25 lbs.
Frequently - (31-60%)

Lifting/Carrying 26-50 lbs.
Occassionally - (1-30%)

Pushing/Pulling 20-50 lbs.
Frequently - (31-60%)

Pushing/Pulling Over 50 lbs.
Occassionally - (1-30%)

Climbing/Balancing
Occassionally - (1-30%)

Stooping/Bending
Frequently - (31-60%)

Standing/Sitting
Continuously - (61-100%)

Walking
Frequently - (31-60%)

Travel
Occassionally - (1-30%)