Part Time Culinary Support Specialist – Memory Care

The Culinary Support Specialist is part of the Memory care team and plays a lead role assisting with kitchen and dining room operations in our memory care communities, ensuring a high-quality culinary experience for our residents. This role emphasizes both the preparation and presentation of food as well as fostering a warm, comforting, engaging, nurturing, home-like environment for our residents. The Culinary Support Specialist - Memory Care demonstrates a passion for the kitchen and has deep understanding of and patience for working with individuals with cognitive impairments.

 The Culinary Support Specialist - Memory Care is accountable for ensuring high quality culinary experience for our residents with a focus on food safety, dietary needs and kitchen compliance.

Minimum Qualifications

·         High school diploma or equivalency required

·         One-year experience in kitchen and dining room operations, preferably in a healthcare or senior living setting.

·         ServSafe upon hire or acquire during on-boarding training.

Skills, Knowledge, Abilities & Personal Characteristics

·          Must be able to convey and understand information and ideas to residents in English.

• Strong organizational and multitasking capability.
• Compassionate, patient, and empathetic approach that memory care residents require.
• Basic cooking skills and knowledge of dietary requirements for seniors.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team and build positive relationships with residents and staff.
• Commitment to high-quality service and food safety standards.

·         Must work well in stressful, high-pressure situations.

·         Must maintain composure and objectivity under pressure.

• Physically able to move at least 50 lbs. without assistance.

·         Exerting up to 60 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently or constantly, to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.

·         Ability to stand for long hours and walk long distances without fatigue.

·         Ability to work under variable temperatures and noise levels.

Typical Work Duties & Functions

• Acting as the primary point of contact between memory care and the main kitchen and culinary team, ensuring seamless communication and food service operations.
• Coordinating and facilitating cooking-related activities for residents, such as baking cookies, making smoothies, and other culinary experiences.
• Creating a warm, inviting dining atmosphere and ensuring the culinary experience is top-notch for our memory care residents.
• Owning and overseeing the front of house operations on the memory care floors to ensure cleanliness, organization, and efficiency.
• Collaborating with Memory Care and Culinary leaders to ensure mealtimes and culinary activities meet company standards.
• Assisting residents during meals and culinary experiences in the kitchens/dining rooms.
• Assisting with the flow of food and meals from the main kitchen to memory care dining areas.
• Ensuring kitchens and dining rooms are fully stocked with necessary supplies.
• Liaise with the main kitchen to order and replenish supplies as needed, ensuring no disruption to the culinary experience of the residents.
• Conduct regular inventory checks and maintain stock levels accordingly.
• Setting and clearing tables before and after meals.
• Maintaining cleanliness and organization in the kitchen and dining areas, including cleaning up after meals and preparing for subsequent meals.
• Recording food temperatures and ensuring compliance with health and safety standards.

·         Soliciting feedback from residents and their families about the ambiance and making changes accordingly.

·         Provide outstanding customer service to all residents and visitors of residents in the community.

·         Be flexible in work schedule to accommodate special events and evening/weekend programs.

·         Assists with the execution of special events.

·         Participate in on-going in-service and training requirements.

·         Follow emergency procedures.

·         Understand and comply with all Maplewood safety practices and procedures.

·         Carries out other duties as assigned by supervisor.

.         Provides feedback, coaching, and mentoring to servers/RSA's

.         Ensures adaptive devices that have been recommended by OT and speech are utilized.

.         Ensures menus are posted and available to residents for lunch and dinner.

.         Ensures show plates are used for residents to assist in making menu choices prior to ordering. 

.         Maintains a resident diet book that includes a picture of each resident, their current diet, any special food consistency, and food allergies for staff to utilize as a                         reference when serving meals.

.         Follows Maplewood safe and sound protocol to ensure residents receive 3 meals daily. 

Working Conditions

·         Subject to exposure to infectious waste, diseases, conditions, etc. including COVID-19, HIV, AIDS and Hepatitis B & C viruses

·         Under variable temperature conditions

·         Under variable noise levels

·         Around chemicals, fumes and/or odor hazards

·         Around dust and/or mite hazards

·         Property operates 7 days a week, 24 hours a day

·         Required to work weekends and holidays as scheduled

·         Required to work extended hours and to report to work during times of need including inclement weather and when building concerns arise

·         Could be subject to hostile and emotionally upset residents due to mental infirmities

·         Criminal background check required

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)