PACE Southeast Michigan

Compensation

Full Description

The Registered Dietitian (RDN) is responsible for assessing the nutrition status and implementing appropriate interventions to ensure the needs of the participant are met. • Reviews nutritional needs prior to enrollment into the program. • Responsible for completing initial, semi-annual, and annual assessments. Participant comprehensive assessments may include evaluation of: • Diet recall • Current diet • Meal patterns • Assistance with meal preparation and grocery shopping • Anthropometric analysis • Weight monitoring • Appetite changes • Difficulty chewing and/or swallowing • Food allergies and preferences • Monitoring for food insecurity • Cultural and religious preferences • Past medical history • Evaluation of laboratory indicators • Need for nutritional supplements and/or frozen meals • Education follow up • Reviews and determines appropriate therapeutic diets. • Works and collaborates with participants and caregivers, as well as members of the Interdisciplinary Team in developing the participant’s plan of care. • Evaluates participant’s motivation for changes towards positive outcomes. Implements individualized interventions and adjusts goals of care as needed. • Supervises the participants in the Day Health Center to ensure that meals served are in compliance with the RDNs diet recommendations. Communicates changes in dietary needs to Interdisciplinary Team. • Collaborates with Day Health Center Staff and other members of the Interdisciplinary Team in identifying participants with difficulty chewing and/or swallowing and refers to the appropriate team member for evaluation as needed. • Counsels and educates participants and their caregivers to enhance the health and overall well-being of the participant. • Organizes and maintains updated frozen meal and nutritional supplement lists. • Approves and revises all cycle menus. • Coordinates care with outside healthcare professionals. • Maintains frequent contact and follow up with participants identified at high nutritional risk. • Identifies clinical characteristics of malnutrition. • Calculates nutritional needs and coordinates care with Home Infusion Company for participants receiving enteral nutritional support. • Understands, complies with and promotes the Participant Bill of Rights and work to achieve high levels of participant satisfaction. Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: • A professional level of knowledge such as that required though the completion of a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition. • Completion of dietetic internship or equivalent practicum, plus registration as a Dietitian by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. • Must have (1) year of experience with aging adults. • Participates in annual, mandatory, in-service training and screening, including but limited to: infection control, TB testing, safety training, and BLS training. • Requires a professional level of analytical skills in order to analyze and solve problems and develop viable plans of interventions. • The ability to establish and maintain interpersonal and interdepartmental relationships. • The ability to apply principles of adult learning in planning and implementing educational activities; one-to-one teaching participants and family members at the center or at home, staff education formally or informally in settings such as in-services and group activities with higher functioning participants. • Participates in and/or facilitates quality improvement projects resulting from data analysis. • Ensures compliance to departmental and external standards in the provision of quality focused care by attendance at professional meetings/committees and review or national standards of practice. • Participation in various committees as assigned. • Must meet a standardized set of competencies before working independently. • Must be medically cleared for communicable diseases and have all immunizations up-to-date before engaging in direct participant contact. Working Conditions: • Working conditions are variable with exposure to communicable disease, due to patient environment. • Driving is required within PACE of Southeast catchment area, with possible exposure to extreme temperatures, including heat and cold. • Frequent walking, bending, lifting of forty (40) pounds or more may be needed in the performance of duties.