(a) Policy.  Each congregate meals project maintains sufficient staff to carry out the required service activities.

(b) Authority.  The authority for this Section is Section 1321.11 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(c) Procedures.  The congregate meals project is required to:

• (1) employ a full-time director who is empowered with the necessary authority to conduct the daily management and administrative functions of the project;
• (2) obtain the services of a licensed registered dietitian (RD) to provide monthly nutrition consultation.  The RD:
  • (A) is an employee or independent consultant hired by the project or the Area Agency on Aging (AAA).  A paid caterer or certified dietary manager is not acceptable in this position.  If obtaining the services of a licensed RD consultant exceeds three months, the nutrition project or AAA:
    • (i) provides to Aging Services Division (ASD) documentation of hiring efforts in the form of newspaper advertisements and job announcements;
    • (ii) requests in writing a temporary waiver for an additional period of time, not to exceed three months; and
    • (iii) submits a revised budget reflecting the reallocation of funds not used while the position was vacant; and
  • (B) verifies by signature on the monthly Form 02AG025E, Dietary Consultant's Report, the monthly consultation requirements, including:  • 1
    • (i) limiting site visits to one per day per RD;
    • (ii) monitoring food service to include measurement of food temperatures and portion sizes, and assessment of food quality and adherence to contract specifications;
    • (iii) training staff and volunteers monthly in areas of food service management, nutrition, and sanitation;
    • (iv) assessing participant satisfaction and preferences;
    • (v) reviewing menu and commodity utilization;
    • (vi) coordinating monthly nutrition education programs;
    • (vii) providing nutrition education and counseling, when appropriate, to meal participants;
    • (viii) monitoring perpetual inventory;
    • (ix) documenting site recommendations for improvement;
    • (x) documenting on the date of the site visit the number of:
      • (I) reservations;
      • (II) meals prepared;
      • (III) meals served; and
      • (IV) leftovers; and
    • (xi) providing individual consultation for participants whose nutritional score on Form 02AG002E, Part I, Older Americans Act Assessment, page 4, Determine your nutritional health, is six or more to:
      • (I) congregate meals participants, upon participant's approval; and
      • (II) homebound meal participants, where feasible, and upon participant's approval;  • 2
• (3) provide quarterly nutrition consultation, which includes:
  • (A) assessing food preferences; and
  • (B) preparing menus and documenting nutrition analysis to meet one third recommended dietary allowance for each meal; and
• (4) determine appropriate staffing patterns for each meal site in the project service area.  AAAs are the final authority on appropriate staffing patterns in the Title III projects.

(d) Cross references.  See OAC 340:105-10-50.1(a)(4) and (7), 340:105-10-51, 340:105-10-68 through 340:105-10-71, 340:105-10-73 through 340:105-10-80, and 340:105-10-86.