Dietary Technician

The Dietary Technician will be working with the Dining Services Director to meet dietary needs of residents, staying within the guidelines of state regulations.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities

Dietary

• Interview residents or family members to obtain diet history. Participate in maintaining records of the resident’s food likes and dislikes. Involve the resident/family in planning dietary objectives and goals for the resident. Assist in developing diet plans for individual residents.
• 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.
• 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.
• Assist in planning regular and special diet menus as prescribed by the attending physician. Review therapeutic and regular diet plans and menus to ensure they are in compliance with the physician’s orders.
• Assist in establishing a food service production line, etc., to ensure that meals are prepared on time.

Personnel

• Provide instructions on food ordering topics.
• Assist in staff development. Formally and informally

Safety and Sanitation

• Ensure that dietary service work areas, food storage rooms, preparation areas, etc. are maintained in a clean and sanitary manner.
• Ensure personnel follow safety regulations and protocols in the use of equipment and supplies or tasks that involve exposure to blood, body fluids, infectious materials, and hazardous chemicals.
• Assist 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.

Care Plan and Assessment

• Assist in developing preliminary and comprehensive assessments of the nutritional needs of each resident.
• Review nurses' notes to determine if the care plan is being followed.
• Ensure that the care plan identifies any special equipment and utensils the resident may need (e. g., plate guard, enlarged silverware handles, etc.).
• Ensure that all dietary personnel are aware of the care plan and that care plans are used in planning daily dietary services for the resident.
• Review and revise care plans and assessments as necessary, but at least quarterly.

Education and Experience

• An Associate's or Bachelor’s Degree in Dietetics from an accredited college or university
• Must have training in cost control, food management, diet therapy, etc.
• Must be able to read and interpret dietary cost reports, financial data, etc.

Licensing/Certifications

• License to practice as a dietitian in this state.