Registered Dietician

Description

Under the supervision of the Program Director and Dietary Manager, the Registered Dietician will display 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.

Requirements

• Participate as a member of the interdisciplinary team (IDT); perform initial, semi-annual, unscheduled, and annual assessments of participants; and develop and implement 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 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.

• 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.
• It is medically cleared for communicable diseases and has all immunizations up-to-date before engaging in direct participant contact.

• Comprehensive knowledge of clinical nutrition and therapeutic…