A career in senior care
Cook
The care-home cook prepares daily meals respecting seniors' special diets and HACCP rules. A role with a direct impact on beneficiaries' health.
About the job
A cook (COR code 512001) prepares daily meals following the approved menu and beneficiaries' special diets (diabetes, hypertension, dysphagia). Complying with HACCP food-safety rules is mandatory. Knowledge of geriatric nutrition is an important advantage.
Responsibilities
- Preparing daily meals per the approved weekly menu
- Respecting special diets (diabetic, low-sodium, modified textures for dysphagia)
- Applying HACCP rules — traceability, temperatures, separate storage
- Managing food stock, receiving and checking ingredient quality
- Keeping the kitchen clean and disinfected per public-health rules
- Completing production documents (recipe sheets, HACCP registers)
- Working with the doctor / dietitian to adapt the menu
Requirements
- 'Cook' qualification (vocational school or ANC level-2 certificate)
- Valid health card (periodic public-health medical checks)
- HACCP training (mandatory — EC Regulation 852/2004)
- Preferred: experience in institutional nutrition / hospital canteen
Certifications & courses
- ANC level-2 'Cook' qualification (or vocational school)
- Accredited HACCP course (1–2 days, ANSVSA-authorised firms)
- Nutrition and dietetics course for medical / social institutions (recommended)
Where you can work
- Private residential centres for seniors (with their own kitchen)
- DGASPC — public residential homes
- Catering firms serving care homes (outsourced kitchen)
- Hospitals with a geriatrics ward
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to know medical diets to work in a care home?
- Practically yes — beneficiaries most often have chronic conditions with dietary restrictions (diabetes, low-sodium, modified textures for dysphagia). An institutional-nutrition course prepares you for this.
- Is HACCP certification a one-time thing?
- The law doesn't mandate a renewal frequency, but serious employers and public-health inspections recommend refreshing it every 2–3 years or when procedures change.
- Can I work part-time as a cook in a small home?
- Yes, small homes (under 20 places) can hire a part-time cook or outsource. A 4h/day contract is legal, with proportional pay.
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