Casual Dietary Aide, Riverview Gardens

Position Details

• Job Status: Permanent Casual
• Union: UNIFOR (RVG)
• Number of Positions: 2
• Hours of Work: 22.5 hours/weekly
• Location: Riverview Gardens, LTC
• Closing Date: October 8, 2026 at 11:59pm EST

The Dietary Aide contributes to the well-being of residents by providing nutritional meals and snacks to residents and visitors at Riverview Gardens in a timely fashion, in accordance with Safe Food Handling Practices, Ministry of Health, Public Health Regulations and Sanitation Code and departmental policies and procedures.

Essential Responsibilities

• Demonstrate Chatham-Kent’s core values and competencies
• Prepare and serve meals and snacks (meat and dairy products, fruits and vegetables, snacks and desserts) to residents
• Operate all equipment in the dietary department
• Clean and sanitize all food service equipment and wares
• Use all provided tools and information to ensure every resident receives their prescribed diet and texture of meals and snacks
• Discuss resident meal service requirements with health care team members
• Make sure food is hygienically and correctly prepared and attractively presented
• Set and clean dining areas and ware washing
• Record on Quality Assurance records, and report unmet criteria to coordinator or supervisor
• Report resident meal service issues to registered staff supervising dining room meal services
• Strict adherence to the Ministry of Long-Term Care and Fixing Long-Term Care Act and Regulations for Nutrition and Hydration, Occupational Health & Safety Act, Public Health Regulations, and the Sanitation Code is required
• Ensure that nursing home and dietary department policies and procedures are followed

Essential Qualifications

• Secondary School Diploma or equivalent education (e.g. GED certificate) required
• Dietary Aides must have:
  • Successfully completed a Food Services Worker (FSW) training program at an established college or registered private career college in Ontario (Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021)
  • OR be currently enrolled in a Food Services Worker (FSW) training program at an established college or registered private career college in Ontario (Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021)
  • For applicants currently enrolled in the FSW course, they must successfully complete the program within three (3) years from the first day of employment
• Must be knowledgeable with respect to the nutritional/dietary needs of geriatric residents
• Knowledge of good sanitation and food handling techniques to avoid infection or the spread of contagious illnesses
• Basic computer skills

Other Qualifications

• Previous experience working as a Dietary Aide or Cook in a Long-Term Care setting an asset
• Previous experience working as a Food Service Worker/Dietary Aide in a non-long-term care setting an asset
• Experience on a work committee (i.e. health & safety, education, wellness, etc.) an asset
• Previous experience providing training to new staff preferred

Certifications, Memberships, Licenses

• Enrollment in a Food Services Worker Program required to start
• Safe Food Handling Certificate-Public Health required

Work Environment / Hours of Work

• This position works mostly indoors
• There are no guaranteed hours for this position
• This position works day and afternoon shifts on weekdays and weekends
• Must be able to accept call-in hours for day and afternoon shifts (both weekday and weekend), which may include four (4) hour shifts and statutory holidays

Background Check Requirements

Successful candidates will be required to complete a background check prior to commencement of employment. A background check may include the following: education/certification verification and employment reference check. This position works with vulnerable residents in a position of trust and authority, on a sustained and regular basis, in a largely unsupervised capacity. A Vulnerable Sector Screen is required (Fixing Long-Term Care Act Section 252 O. Reg. 246/22) prior to being accepted for employment. You must be 18 years of age or older to obtain a vulnerable police check.

As per the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, all staff members shall promptly provide the employer with a signed declaration disclosing new charges, convictions, orders and restraining orders, consistent with Ontario Regulation Section 253 O. Reg 246/22, with respect to the period since the date the person’s last criminal reference check under subsection (2) was conducted.

Essential Physical and/or Safety Requirements

• Annual Flu immunization is required
• 2 step TB skin test to be completed within two weeks of starting position
• The employer may request a “Physical Task Analysis”
• Provides regularly scheduled meals and snacks; prepares food and provides meal service: meat and dairy products, fruits and vegetables, desserts, may include potential allergens to individual staff
• Bending: frequent stooping (up to 4.55 kgs or 10 lbs) (prepares food and provides meal service to residents; performs cleaning duties as scheduled; sets up tables in the dining rooms with utensils and ware for breakfast, lunch and supper; manual and mechanical ware washing of all dishes, utensils, pots/pans, etc.; stocks work areas with required food and non-food items)
• Walking: frequent walking on level surface, balancing (up to 13.64 kgs or 30 lbs) (delivers/returns food items/non-food items and equipment to work areas using hatch carts, cambro carts, dessert cart, nourishment cart, three tier carts etc.; sets up tables in the dining rooms with utensils and ware for meals; stocks work areas with required food and non-food items)
• Reaching: frequent reaching forward; constant