Arbor Acres Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Position Description

The Resident Nutrition Assistant assists in the skilled nursing kitchens and dining rooms prior to, during, and after meals have been served to the residents. The Resident Nutrition Assistant maintains the kitchen and dining room work areas, and keeps equipment, utensils and food plates clean and in good condition. This position will also assist in preparing, serving and retrieving room trays for residents. Resident Nutrition Assistants will serve meals and snacks in a timely manner; maintain high quality standards and food that is safe and hygienic. Resident Nutrition Assistants will act as a team player and provide assistance to the activities coordinator as needed, and/or as assigned.

Status: Non-Exempt

Job Relationships

1. Reports to and is supervised by the Healthcare Dietary Managers. Works closely with CNAs and Activities Coordinator.

Core Competencies:

• Resident Nutrition Assistant should seek to demonstrate an empathetic response to residents needs in all interactions; seek resident desires, concerns, participation and input while establishing high priorities for quality and integrity.
• Demonstrate the ability to clearly and fully observe a situation; to probe more deeply, seeking additional information as necessary, exploring current reality as well as cause and effect; and finally to link appropriate actions, resources, and solutions to a situation. Consistently apply critical thinking skills to daily tasks, and team efforts to problem solve. Demonstrate good judgment and appropriate decision-making skills.
• Take responsible actions within the parameters of your role, without a constant need for detailed direction from others. Be able to respond appropriately to situations, and develop and apply appropriate solutions to problems as encountered. Be sensitive to opportunities for improvement. Have the ability and confidence to initiate conversations with formal leaders, as well as others, with pertinent observations or suggestions.
• Arbor Acres' culture is one of encouraging growth, learning, and mutual discovery. Demonstrate a real sense of inquiry and a personal willingness to learn. Demonstrate an interest in improving your own quality of service through seeking new information and training pertinent to your roles.
• Recognize your personal responsibility to significantly contribute to the growth, development, and direction of a healthy community climate. Demonstrate strong team skills - team participation, team-based decision-making, team management. Understand the concept of "community" as elders, staff, and other stakeholders. Exhibit a sense of pride, belonging and loyalty to Arbor Acres.
• Understand and apply healthy conflict resolution processes within your personal interactions with fellow staff, residents, and others in the community. Respect the diversity of people and recognize that conflict is a normal part of community life and can lead to creative solutions and deepened relationships when dealt with in a healthy way. When dealing with conflict and differences, act with integrity. Seek to resolve issues directly, taking care not to participate in gossip, "back biting" or other destructive means of tearing down others or the organization.

• Conduct yourself in a manner that shows consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Be polite, respectful, and are aware of how your own behavior impacts others. Understand the nature many of the challenges faced by frail elders, and demonstrate an ability to interact with them in ways that both encourage and support them. Exhibit a sensitivity to actions and situations that may be embarrassing, upsetting, or otherwise difficult and relate in ways that avoid or lessen negative impact.

General Duties and Responsibilities

1. Know the residents.
2. Assist with maintaining equipment and cooking area to ensure safety and sanitation requirements including; keeps a clean, tidy and organized kitchen in compliance with all regulations; cleans when necessary; reports repair and maintenance needs appropriately.
3. Prepare and serve coffee, tea, juice etc, and assist with the pouring of the beverages at each meal.
4. Assist in preparing high quality food in accordance with all pertinent safety and health regulations, guidelines and standards, i.e. proper hand washing, labeling, food storage, temperature control, etc.
5. Follow menus and recipes correctly, making any necessary or requested substitutions appropriately and in a timely manner.
6. Take temperatures of foods and equipment and maintains proper documentation for regulatory compliance.
7. Help to prepare and serve meals and snacks throughout the day at various times in the dining room and room trays. Examples include omelettes, eggs, pancakes, waffles, menu items on the Always Available Menu including burgers, sandwiches and salads.
8. Facilitate mealtime conversations and maintains a warm, pleasant atmosphere while elders are eating.
9. Required to maintain dish room area(s), washing all dishes, tableware, glasses, and other kitchen and dining room equipment and assures they are stored, dry and clean in an orderly fashion.
10. Wash all pots, pans and cooking utensils used to prepare a meal.
11. Required to assist in cleaning work areas, dining room floor, dining room tables, and dining room chairs after each meal and occasionally after special events, sweep and mop floor at the end of shift.
12. Consistently follow standard principles of sanitation and universal precautions to preserve food quality and prevent the transmission of food-borne illness.
13. Support all aspects of the household environment, including pets, plants, children, visitors and guests, assisting with all planned and spontaneous needs and activities. Bottom of Form

Other Duties:

1. Performs any other duties and/or tasks assigned on an as-needed basis by an authorized supervisor.

Typical Physical Demands

1. Meet successful completion of the WorkSTEPS Functional Testing program. This program assists in determining whether applicants/employees are capable in meeting safety performance for essential job functions.
2. Must be able to lift 30 lbs. of weight; to reach and extend hands and arms in any direction; to seize, hold, grip, turn or otherwise work with hands.
3. Be able to bend, stoop, kneel, bend at the waist.
4. Be able to see clearly at 20 inches or less.
5. Have an acute sense of smell.
6. Must be able to sit and stand for extended periods of time.

Key Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1. Be able to express thoughtful responses and impart information to residents and residents families. i.e. "I don't know" or "we don't have enough people, we're short staffed" and "that's not my job" are unacceptable statements.
2. Extensive ability to respond to spontaneous needs rapidly.
3. Work habits should include regular attendance, punctuality, teamwork, initiative, willingness to learn, dependability and promptness.
4. Must be able to perform mental functions and withstand moderate amounts of stress.
5. Must be able to work flexible hours to meet the demands of a 24 hour daily operation.
6. Strong verbal communication skills. The ability to read, to write, and to speak fluently and correctly in the English language.
7. Ability to embody and uphold the corporate personality and culture of Arbor Acres with its emphasis on warmth, caring, generation of community, enthusiasm, achievement of excellence, and joy.
8. Ability to read, write, follow oral instructions, and report progress.
9. Ability to collaborate and manage conflict. Ability to work well with others.
10. Total belief in and commitment to Arbor Acres' Mission, Values, and Vision.
11. Ensure Arbor Acres is complying and operating within state and federal guidelines and laws.
12. Maintain confidentiality, as defined by HIPAA and Corporate Compliance
13. Bilingual is a plus, but not required.

Minimum Experience

1. Six months experience, preferably long-term care experience, but will train without experience.
2. License and/or Certification Required & Continuing Education Requirements
3. Completion of requirements to maintain food handling certification (ServeSafe or equivalent) desired.

This job description is not intended as an all-inclusive list of essential functions which the individual holding this position may be required to perform. The individual may be required to perform additional tasks at the discretion of any authorized supervisor. Arbor Acres reserves the right to change or modify this job description at any time with or without notice.