Dietitian

Under the direction of the Director of Care of the Nursing Home, the Dietitian participates actively in Kenneth E. Spencer Memorial Home Leadership Team. The Dietitian works in collaboration with the Director and Director of Support Services in order to maintain service at the highest possible level of efficiency as outlined by the dietary department and nursing home policies.

Nutrition is a basic care need of every individual. It is the responsibility of the Home to provide residents with the food and fluids necessary to meet nutritional needs, support symptom management of chronic diseases and enhance quality of life. The dietitian through expertise and a member of the multidisciplinary team supports quality nutritional care.

**Qualifications**:

- Professional Dietitian - Bachelor of Science Degree in Foods and Nutrition
- Graduate from a Dietitian’s of Canada approved and recognized internship program
- Active registrations with NBAD - the New Brunswick Association of Dietitians and a member of Dietitians of Canada with professional liability insurance.
- A minimum of three years’ current experience in the dietetic field, with preferably varied responsibilities such as therapeutics, including geriatric nutrition, staff education and food service administration is preferable.

**Duties and Responsibilities**:

- Visit residents within 3 weeks of admission to assess nutrition needs and preferences.
- Respond to referrals from physicians, case managers, nurses, reports from Support Services and other members of the health care team as well as requests from residents and family.
- Liase with all of the above including partnerships with other facilities (transfers from other Homes, Extra Mural Hospital Services team members-speech language pathologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapist, dietitians; medical staff from the Moncton and Georges Dumont Hospitals. (Inpatient Dietitian & Dialysis Unit Dietitian)
- Reviews daily 24-hour Nursing Report to identify areas of nutritional concerns for residents.
- Performs nutritional assessments, diet histories, calorie counts, feeding assessments, and restorative feeding interventions. Detail strategies and interventions for nutritional care of specific residents and reviews care teams’ ability to follow up.
- Designs meal patterns and makes provisions for nutritionally adequate and appropriate foods that are provided within the Home’s meal service system.
- Monitors and evaluates the adequacy of nutritional intake of residents, care plans, special diets, tube feedings, nutritional supplements and monthly weight checks of residents.
- Performs Regular Meal Rounds.
- Attends meetings specific to the care of residents (i.e. Residents Care Planning Meetings, Multidisciplinary Meetings, etc.) and provides nutritional intervention as required and updates Care Plan.
- Maintains dietary/nutritional information profile as part of each resident’s care plan in Long Term Care Facilities Tool (Momentum).
- Performs Feeding Assessments.
- Maintain up-to-date records on the resident’s chart according to established procedures and record keeping systems.
- Support Food Safety Standards throughout facility and safe resident feed practices.
- Assesses and approves menus to ensure meals and snacks meet Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating for senior population as well as Dietitians of Canada’s Menu Planning in Long-Term Care standards.
- Maintains necessary records in the Dietary Department, diet Kardex food allergies, reviews resident dietary requisition forms, and directs Dietary Staff as required in completing individual resident tray cards and Dining Room diet sheets.
- Provides input to the Director of Care, Resident Care Coordinator and Manager of Support Services, in regard to nutrition services as it relates to specific programs, staff education, policies and procedures, menu development, and short
- and long-term planning.
- Serves as a management team member on the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, Kenneth E. Spencer Memorial Home Leadership Team, and other committees, as determined by fit and interest.
- Evaluates and coordinates the protocol for residents in the Home requiring tube feeding and develops their individual plan of care including the type of formula recommended, the feeding pump and tubing required, the delivery of the feeding. Contacts sales representatives, coordinates and orders from suppliers the necessary tube feeding formulas/supplies.
- In collaboration with Nursing, develop tube feeding policies, procedures and coordinates staff training as required.
- Supports the RNs in Wound Management and initiates action to restore/optimize nutritional intake to support optimal skin integrity.
- Supports the RNs through diet intervention in reducing the incidence of urinary tract infections and promoting bowel regularity in residents.
- Nutrition intervention is utilized whenever possible to minimize residents’ use of medications.
- Performs other relat