Lead Dietitian

Job Description

Job Description

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Center Director or Center Manager, the Lead Dietitian completes participant nutritional assessments and reassessments, obtains participant food preferences and makes dietary modifications as needed, in addition to providing nutrition education to participants, caregivers and PACE staff. Physical attendance at an InnovAge facility and/or an InnovAge participant home is essential to performing the job duties.

Participant Care – 50%
• Develops and implements nutritional Plan of Care (POC) for participants and reassesses every six (6) months for each participant, or as necessary if there are changes in participant status.
• Assesses participants’ access to food and makes referrals to Inter-Disciplinary Team (IDT) for; meal preparation evaluation, Meals on Wheels, sack lunches and grocery shopping needs.
• Determine participants’ need for and orders liquid nutritional supplements accordingly.
• Communicates with In Home Service providers regarding participants’ stock of groceries, intake of food and fluids at home or as needed.
• Monitors food intake, therapeutic diets and special dietary modifications and communicates information and concerns with the IDT.
• Communicates diet changes and nutrition concerns with dietary aides, interdisciplinary team, participants and/or caregivers.
• Provides basic nutrition and sanitation education for participants, families, primary caregivers and/or IGCP staff as needed.
• Assists with meal service on an as needed basis.

Administration – 30%
• Conducts sanitation and safety checks for kitchen and kitchen equipment as needed.
• Monitors adequacy of lunch and snack menus for the ADHC and notes/makes changes as necessary.
• Updates the sack lunch list, supplement sheet, diet lists and assisted dining room guide as needed.
• Attends Care Planning conferences, Family and wound care meetings and reports on nutritional status of participants.
• Assists in the training of new Dietary Aides and Lead Dietary Aides.
• Participates in work area development, in-service training and department meetings.
• Works with the State Food Program as guided by state rules and regulations.

Lead – 20%
• Assists Center Directors with auditing of chart notes for Dietitians as needed.
• Provides logistical support to Dietitians by scheduling Float Dietitian(s) as appropriate to maintain coverage of PTO, Leaves, and day-to-day operations as appropriate.
• Maintains records, reporting and leads all aspects of the USDA Food Program (Sponsor of Centers) by coordinating with each Center on gathering of statistics and all other duties associated with maintaining regulatory compliance with program and working to optimize funding from the program.
• Acts as a mentor to new employees; planning, assigning, and directing work in coordination with each Center Director; providing appraisal of performance to each Center Director; recognizing and rewarding employees.
• Leads/Facilitates Dietitian’s Cross Site meetings to provide leadership, development, and a forum for communication to ensure standardization and collaboration in meeting organization and individual goals in coordination with each Center Director.
• Coordinates and provides final approval of menus for daily lunches at all centers in conjunction with USDA Food Program guidelines and InnovAge Standards and Best Practices.
• Serves as clinical nutrition expert resource and spokesperson for the RD team with InnovAge Leadership (including Primary Care, Education department trainings, Quality, and outside vendors that are related to nutritional services).

REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, nutrition, and/or dietetics or a related field from an accredited college/university is required
• Current medical terminology and the ability to complete written assessments and document participant care.
• A minimum of one year experience working with the frail or elderly is required.
• Two years’ experience working as in direct care as a dietitian required

• CA: Certification by Commission on Dietetic Registration as a Registered Dietitian
• CO: Certification by Commission on Dietetic Registration as a Registered Dietitian
• FL: State Board License; Certification by Commission on Dietetic Registration as a Registered Dietitian; StateServ Certification obtained within 30 days of employment
• NM: State Board License; Certification by Commission on Dietetic Registration as a Registered Dietitian
• PA: State Board License; Certification by Commission on Dietetic Registration as a Registered Dietitian

PREFERRED

• Current Certification by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) as a registered dietitian is strongly preferred.
• Bi-lingual-Spanish Preferred