Dining Services Director

Responsible for the management of all dining services and personnel to ensure that nourishing, palatable, and well-balanced meals are prepared and served to meet the daily nutritional and special dining needs of each resident consistent with accepted nutritional standards and regulatory requirements.

Job Duties/Requirements:

Department Management

• Develop and implement operational methods and management systems to achieve the maximum efficiency within budget allowances for food and dining staffing and supplies.
• Collaborate with the Registered Dietitian and respond timely to requests for information and suggestions to improve the quality of Dining Services.
• Supervise food preparation using techniques that conserve nutritional value, flavor, and appearance.
• Ensure meals are prepared according to posted menus, served according to scheduled timeframes, and that menu substitutions are appropriate and recorded, and that portion control procedures are followed.
• Assure that food substitutes of similar nutritional value are available to residents who refuse food served.
• Encourage resident participation in menu decisions.
• Assure that there are recipes for all menu items, including pureed recipes, and guidelines for adjusting the recipe for the number served.
• Collaborate with Nursing to develop efficient meal delivery systems that maintain food quality and temperatures.
• Collaborate with Activities and Marketing to provide food and hostess services for special events.
• Collaborate and cooperate with Nursing to assure that request for trays or food at times other than mealtimes are met; for example, when a resident misses a meal period because of an outing or appointment.
• Collaborate and cooperate with the consulting Dietitian and address issues identified in the consultant’s report.
• Assure that food is stored, prepared, and served under sanitary conditions to prevent the development or transmission of foodborne bacteria.
• Order food economically and efficiently from approved sources and those considered satisfactory by federal, state, and local authorities.
• Maintain a sufficient inventory of supplies, a system to track the inventory, and secures storage areas.
• Maintain a 3-day emergency food supply and rotates this stock periodically.
• Monitor the condition and inventory of dishware and notify the Administrator if replacements are needed.
• Follow dining policies regarding food donations.
• Supervise the depart m ent ’ s conformance with regulations, administrative policies, and accepted standards of dining services.
• Monitor dining department for fire and safety hazards, and correct or report problems to Maintenance.
• Maintain the department in a clean and orderly manner with on-going cleaning schedules, proper storage of supplies and equipment, and completion of cleaning assignments.
• Assure that food preparation equipment is used and cleaned properly , and safety precautions followed.
• Assure that a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for each department chemical is in the Hazards Communication manual and that copies of the applicable sheets for the dining department are readily accessible in the work area.
• Dispose of trash and waste, including any bio-hazardous waste that requires special handling, in compliance with state and federal requirement.
• Assure that all garbage and waste is properly contained in covered containers and dumpster(s).
• Inspect the areas for signs of rodents or pests daily and implements pest control measures.
• Make regular inspections of work, storage, and serving areas to determine compliance with dining regulations, sanitation standards, safety , and proper storage and handling procedures.
• Ensure that appropriate diets are served to all residents according to current diet orders.
• Maintain a list of the special diets that are available.
• Verify resident infor m ation daily for new admissions, diet order changes, room changes, and census.
• Assess each resident’s nutritional status at admission and thereafter to identify needs, risk factors, and food allergies. Visit each resident at admission to determine food preferences and intolerances.
• Monitor Key Quality Indicators of weight, hydration, and skin risk to identify , implement, and evaluate appropriate dining interventions.
• Assure that supplemental nourishments are prepared when ordered, and that evening snacks are available in the nourishment pantry.
• Collaborate with the Interdisciplinary Care Plan Team to plan and evaluate care, participate in team meetings and resident care conferences, and complete dining’s portion of the MDS assessment.
• Develop a care plan based on the MDS assessment.
• Chart progress notes on each resident, as dictated by regulations or m edical condition, including subjective findings, objective symptoms, observations of behavior, dining interventions provided and the resident’s response to these interventions.
• Conduct 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.
• Conduct 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.
• With appropriate additional training, may help feed residents needing meal assistance.

Administrative Responsibilities

• Assure that trained and sufficient staff is hired, scheduled, and on duty to deliver dining services.
• After conditional offer of employment, screen prospective employees according to the Food Borne Illness policy.
• Apply principles of personnel management and facility policies in the selection, placement, orientation, and evaluation of department employees.
• Train cooks in food preparation, diet orders, portion control, menus, recipes, preparation of special diets, and appropriate nutritional substitutions.
• Train all staff in department equipment, including safe operation and cleaning.
• Train and inservice staff in depart m ent safety h azards and workplace precautions required to prevent accidental injury or exposure, and retrains one-on-one when needed or required by safety policies.
• Train and inservice staff in sanitary standards for food handling, kitchen, and sanitary work practices to prevent contamination of food products and food borne illness, including proper handwashing.
• Conduct 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.
• Keep appropriate records to account for the nu m ber of employees and guests served daily.
• Periodically conduct a written survey of residents’ overall satisfaction with dining services.
• Attend mandatory inservice education programs and staff meetings and applies information to job tasks.
• Complete and maintain all dining 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.
• Actively participate in the long-term care survey process by instructing staff in matters of conduct and disclosure and gathers and presents supplemental documentation if requested.
• Maintain sound customer service principles to respond to and adequately resolve complaints and/or concerns of residents and sponsors about dining services.
• Investigate food - related problems or complaints and takes necessary actions.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education/Qualifications/Skills:

• Indiana certification as a Certified Dietary Manager,
• Minimum of three (3) y ears of supervisory experience in a food-service health care setting, preferably long-term care.
• Cooking/Culinary experience is required.
• Must hold Serv-Safe Certification.
• Can read, write, and make simple mathematical calculations.
• Ability to understand and carry out instructions that are provided in written, oral, or diagram form .
• Well-developed communication and interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of State and Federal Regulations pertaining to Dining Services Department.
• Expertise in food-service related long-term care concepts, practices and procedures.
• Business experience and solid judgment to plan and accomplish goals; and to discern solutions to problems and obstacles that might deter the department from achieving its objectives.
• Ability to get along well with diverse personalities; is tactful, mature and flexible.
• Ability to establish credibility and empower supporting memb ers of management and staff.
• Must have a valid Indiana Operator’s License.
• Maintains good attendance and attends mandatory inservice meetings.
• Is able to work overtime or on weekends if needed to complete duties.