Job SummaryUnder the supervision of the Program Director, displays a comprehensive knowledge of clinical nutrition and therapeutic diets; completes participant nutritional assessments and reassessments as needed; obtains participant food preferences and observes for adherence to dietary modifications; determines adequacy of current diet and supplements when necessary; conducts meal rounds and sanitation inspections; provides nutrition education to participants, caregivers, and High Desert PACE staff.
 
Responsibilities
| • Participate as a member of the interdisciplinary team (IDT); perform initial, semi-annual, unscheduled, and annual assessments of participants; and develops and implements the nutritional plan of care, including physician orders for special diets, for each participant.
• Involved in the development and implementation of Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) activities.
• Plan, Create, Implement and Monitor adequacy of lunch and snack menus for the center.
• Responsible for supervision of dietary aide; meet with dietary aide regularly.
• Monitor therapeutic diets and special dietary modifications, communicate concerns with interdisciplinary team, determine each participant’s need for liquid nutritional supplements; and order as needed.
• Monitor participant food intake; follow up with dietary aide, interdisciplinary team, and participants with comments/concerns.
• Assess participants’ access to food and make appropriate referrals to interdisciplinary team for: meal preparation evaluation, Meals on Wheels, sack lunches, grocery shopping needs, and meal preparation provided.
• Communicate with in-home service providers regarding participants’ meal preparation skills, safety in the kitchen, stock of groceries, and intake of food and fluids at home as needed.
• Update sack lunch list, supplement sheet, and feeding room guide as needed.
• Assist with meal service.
• Monitor stock in refrigerator, freezer, and dry storage as needed.
• Communicate regularly with vendors.
• Monitor dietary expenditures, complete budget reports, anticipate projected budgetary needs, and discuss with supervisor.
• Maintain safe and sanitary working environment; and follow High Desert PACE safety policies and procedures; handle potentially infectious specimens with appropriate biohazard precautions and practice Universal Precautions.
• Provide basic nutrition and sanitation education for participants, families, primary caregivers, and/or High Desert PACE staff as needed. • Participate in wound care meetings with updates on participants’ nutritional status; family meetings; and work area development and department meetings.
• Responsible for staff hiring, orientation, training, and development, and performance appraisal; set clear expectations and assign appropriate authority to staff; hold staff accountable for their scope of work and compliance to company policies and procedures.
• Interact in a courteous, pleasant, and friendly manner with participants and families, High Desert PACE staff, and staff at contracted facilities, as applicable; and demonstrate effective partnership management skills.
• Maintain the confidentiality of all company procedures, results, and information about participants or families.
• Attend and participate in staff meetings, in-services, projects, and committees as assigned.
• Adhere to and support the High Desert PACE center’s practices, procedures, and policies including assigned break times and attendance.
• Accept assigned duties in a cooperative manner; and perform all other related duties as assigned.
• Be flexible in schedule of hours worked.
• May require use of personal vehicle.
Skills & Abilities
· Comprehensive knowledge of clinical nutrition and therapeutic diets; and ability to assess clients’ nutritional needs.
· Skilled in medical terminology, including knowledge of the appropriate documentation for completing written assessments.
· Ability to establish and maintain effective communication with employees, participants, and the public.
Education & Training
· Minimum of one (1) year of documented experience working with a frail or elderly population.
· Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in food science, nutrition, and/or dietetics.
· Certified by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) as a Registered Dietitian.
· Is medically cleared for communicable diseases and has all immunizations up-to-date before engaging in direct participant contact
Working Conditions
The working conditions and physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 
· Requires full range of body motion including handling and lifting, manual and finger dexterity, and eye-hand coordination. 
· Requires standing, walking, pushing, bending, kneeling, and reaching at arm’s length and overhead in PACE center for prolonged periods of time. · Requires the ability to use and maintain department equipment. 
· Requires the ability to lift/carry up to 50 pounds and push or pull objects exceeding 150 pounds, using appropriate body mechanics.
· Requires corrected vision and hearing to normal range, with or without reasonable accommodation. 
· Must be able to document care provided in participant’s service records.
· Requires working under stressful conditions. Working conditions may be noisy and crowded with fluctuating indoor temperatures. Moderate pressure to meet scheduled appointments while dealing with frail and confused participants. Subject to participants that may have the potential for verbal or physical aggression.
· May be exposed to a risk of bodily injury through contact with moving instrumentation, toxic substances, medicinal preparations, bodily fluids, communicable diseases, and any other conditions common in a clinic environment. Subject to unpleasant odors.