Secrets from a Dietary Aid: OSHA hates her takes!

In the most recent interview I conducted, I spoke with Consuela Hood, a Dietary Aid at a Veterans home. Swae has an associates degree in art from John Tyler Community College, and has worked with the Veterans home for about 2 years. She was working independently as a singer/artist, and decided to join the healthcare field for a change of scenery. As a dietary aid, some responsibilities include making sure patients eat at the right times, making sure they don’t choke or have an allergic reaction, and just taking care of patients in general. According to her, the workplace is extremely unsustainable, especially in the kitchen. OSHA guidelines force food to be thrown out after 7 days after opening, regardless of its condition or usage. This is extremely wasteful, as something like a gallon of juice can be wasted in a week. Swae believes that packaging should be more sustainable, not only in the kitchen, but also within the medical aspect. COVID tests come individually prepackaged, creating a ton of plastic buildup. Although the job isn’t rated too high on sustainability, the joys of working there are. Swae states that one of the most rewarding aspects of her job is seeing people smile and improve. Being part of someone’s journey is the most rewarding thing to witness. Something that surprised Swae was the amount of people who don’t care about the job. Although the pay is nice, you shouldn’t work if you don’t actually want to help people. Her final advice to someone who’s planning on joining is make sure you’re passionate and genuinely care about what you’re doing, and make sure you have good mental support. The healthcare field is stressful, and sometimes it can be difficult to separate work from home. Having a good therapist, or just an ear to listen, can make all the difference in your career. After talking to Swae, I actually learned a lot of things. I didn’t realize how strict OSHA guidelines were regarding food safety, and the amount of mental toll it takes on a person.