Inside the Circle – March 15, 2022

There may be times when your PSW phone is not working, and you can’t view your schedule. DO NOT assume that your schedule will still be the same as the last time when you viewed it, and make sure you receive confirmation of your schedule first before visiting a client.

How do I get confirmation?

Please call the office and speak to a LIVE Agent so they can provide you with the schedule and review the Care Plan or Alerts with you. Under no circumstance should you continue to a visit without reviewing the care needs of a client.

Once you have received confirmation of the visit then follow the instructions listed below.

Checking your Schedule
Step 1: Call 647-478-8424 from the client’s home. Once prompted by the system, enter “8.”
Step 2: When prompted for your voicemail #, enter your regular voicemail #. When prompted for your password, enter your voicemail password.
Step 3: Listen to the menu options. Select the option you would like followed by “#”.
– “1” for today’s schedule
– “2” for tomorrow
– “3” for the day after tomorrow (up to 6 days)

Important notes:

• At any time when the schedule is being played, press “*”, then “7”, then “#” to repeat the days’ schedule
• Press “*”, followed by “#” to exit and return to the main menu
• Press “0” to pause – once you wish to continue, press “0” again to un-pause
• When you have all the information you need, you can hang up.

N95 respirators protect the wearer from respiratory hazards. Circle of Care has the following general guidance for N95 respirator use related to COVID-19:

• N95 respirators are required for COVID-19 environments (COVID positive client or COVID caution client).
• After you wear a N95 respirator for providing care to a COVID positive or COVID caution client you should throw out the mask after leaving the client environment. Additionally, N95 respirators should be thrown out if they are visibly soiled, contaminated, damp, damaged or difficult to breathe through.
• Any staff working at a congregate/group setting where an N95 respirator is required for daily use must throw out their respirator at the end of day or if visibly soiled, contaminated, damp or damaged.
• Before you use an N95 respirator, inspect it to make sure that the straps are intact, the respirator forms a proper seal and that there are no signs of damage.
• Wearing a cloth or medical mask over the N95 respirator is not recommended. Double masking is not recommended.

N95 respirators can be ordered through Circle of Care. Please request these when you are placing your supply order on your mobile phone and input your respirator size in the note/comment section.

For more information about the proper us of N95s, please refer to our Universal Precautions Policy and COVID-19 and Mandatory PPE Policy.

Putting on an N95

Recently, Circle of Care was invited to discuss PSW career opportunities with George Brown college. Allison Kujbida and Tara Stickwood discussed what it takes to be a PSW, some information about the hiring process, and the opportunities PSWs have to grow their career after joining our team!

Circle of Care staff Maria Campo, Cathy Tan, and Janelle Backan test the virtual reality equipment ahead of the start of the research study.

Circle of Care’s Adult Day Program is currently collaborating on an innovative study being done at York University. Lora Appel, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Health at York University and her team are looking to VR (virtual reality) therapy to improve the mood and behaviour of frail older adults living with cognitive, sensory and/or mobility impairment.

“At the ADP, we’re constantly looking at how we can better engage with our clients,” says Janelle Backan, Client Services Director. “Participating in this study is an exciting way that we can help to support research into Alzheimer’s care. We see the value in research, and we’re excited to observe the outcomes of this research project and the new learnings that will come out of it.”

A few Circle of Care clients and their caregivers will participate in the four-week study, which will investigate how VR might impact communication and relationship building for people with dementia. It will consider how much customization is needed to simulate a more meaningful experience or environment, and whether simulations that trigger memories of the past will have positive or negative outcomes.

York University has published an article about the full scope of the project, which you can read by clicking the link below.

This program is designed to recognize employees who go above and beyond their day-to-day duties, and who exemplify Circle of Care’s values.

A friendly reminder that nominations are used to determine the yearly Champions of Care Award winners. Nominations submitted by employees on behalf of their colleagues should be specific and detailed regarding why the employee deserves to be nominated.

As much as possible, you must provide examples that back up your nomination, as this helps the senior team select winners each year. Failure to provide a detailed nomination may result in your nomination not being published.

As part of our work, we’re proud to provide service and care to many wonderful clients. One of these clients is Setsuko Thurlow: a strong, passionate woman who has been fighting for peace throughout her life.

Setsuko was born in Hiroshima, Japan on January 3, 1932 and is a survivor of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima. She lost her entire family, colleagues, and friends from the atomic bombing and has spent her entire life advocating for nuclear disarmament. She is well known as a leading figure of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear weapons (ICAN). She also attended and graduated from multiple post-secondary institutions, including from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Social Work (BSW & MSW).

Thanks to all of her hard and inspiring work, Setsuko is a recipient of the 2015 Arms Control Person of the Year (Arms Control Association, Washington, DC); the Distinguished Peace Leadership Award (Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, California); and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for the Advancement of Peace (London, UK). She has been named Peace Ambassador (University for Peace, San Jose, Costa Rica) and Hiroshima Peace Ambassador. In 2017, she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, and in 2018, she received honorary degrees from her alma mater, the University of Lynchburg, and the University of Waterloo.

Watch her video to hear her story and experience as she recalls the very day of the Hiroshima bombing attack.

Having lots of color on your plate is a great sign that you’re getting a variety of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Darky leafy greens, oranges, tomatoes, and even herbs are loaded nutritional value. Aiming to have a variety of color at every meal is a way to make sure you are consuming enough fruits and vegetables that are not only higher in nutrition, but keep you feeling full and satisfied for longer.