Inside the Circle – April 5, 2022

The 2021-2024 Collective Agreement is now available to view. PSWs and Homemakers can review this information on the PSW Portal, and non-union staff can access this information on the intranet – Human Resources page.

N95 Mask Fit sessions will be running on April 21st and April 28th at 4211 Yonge Street, Suite 242. Upon arrival, please head to suite 242 on the 2nd floor – you do not need to check in at the main reception.

To book an upcoming session, please visit: http://register.firstaidcare.ca/ or call 905-272-9214
On the home page, please click ‘Register Here’ under Mask Fit Testing.

Important reminders – please read:

• Please register for an appointment outside of your regular availability. If you need any scheduling changes, please speak to your Service Coordinator.
• Your schedule will be blocked as ‘unavailable’ for you to attend the session. You do not need to use your phone to sign into the training. The mask fit sessions will take approximately 1 hour.
• You will be paid a total of 1 hour for the mask fit session – this will be added to your schedule 1-2 weeks after the session has been completed and you will receive payment. The code will appear on your paystub as ‘Miscellaneous’.
• You will receive an electronic certificate with your mask size – this will be sent via email within 1 week of the session.
• You may not be able to access the login link via the PSW mobile phones, and you may need to access the link using your personal phone or computer.
• All bookings/cancellations must be managed through the online portal. You will receive a confirmation email/text notification and will also receive a session reminder.
• 15 minutes prior to mask fit testing, please refrain from consuming coffee, tea, candy, gum or anything with taste.

As part of an ongoing effort to prioritize safety for our PSWs and clients, we have included messaging on the new PSW phone cases that remind them that safety is our top priority and that they should call 911 when needed. These new phone cases will be provided to our PSWs as the IT department upgrades their phones in the coming months. This upgrade is necessary for security purposes, and will give our PSWs access to phones that hold a longer battery charge and work more efficiently.

As it is now April 5, and we have started a new fiscal year, please note that nominations for the 2021-2022 Champions of Care Awards are now closed. Any nominations received from now on will be collected for next year’s awards. Thank you to everyone who has submitted a nomination on behalf of a colleague!

Congratulations to this week’s Champions of Care nominees:

“AnnMarie Barronette-Grant brings her best to work every single day. She always remain calm and takes the time to be a good listener and proactively works to understand and identify our clients’ needs along with providing solutions and never making assumptions. I have received multiple phone calls from clients that just want to inform me about how awesome she is!” – Lin Zhao

“At the New Hire Support forum, held in March 2022, one of our PSWs shared the following about her CSS Olena Zhdanova. The PSW said Olena always listens well, answers all questions and can be reached on the phone at any time. The PSW feels well supported by Olena and is and grateful to be working at Circle of Care. Thank you Olena for your dedication and leadership to your PSW team!” – Reeshma Harripersad

Here’s a reminder of some important safety tips when using public transit in the community:

If you’re thinking about trying to get healthier and eat better, spend time to define what you want to change and then take it one step at time.
Smaller goals will be easier to achieve, which will lead to results, which will motivate you to make more changes and take on bigger challenges. Ditch the ‘all or nothing’ mentality – small practical changes over time really do add up to big results.

Responding to client emergencies quickly is an important part of ensuring excellence in care. Some examples of emergencies that could occur while a worker is providing service include:

• A client who has fallen and is unable to get up unassisted
• A medical emergency
• Fire

Our policy is that for all of the above, the worker on site must emergency services immediately.

On March 18, a client’s private caregiver told PSW Ma Anne that if there was a medical emergency for the client, the PSW should call a family member first for permission to call emergency services. Ma Anne knew that this did not align with our policy and that emergency services must be the first call. Ma Anne recognized that the approach proposed by the caregiver would create an increased risk to the client and immediately reported the situation to her CSS.

The CSS confirmed that Ma Anne was correct and followed up with client’s caregivers to advise them of our policy regarding emergencies. Because Ma Anne reported the conversation immediately, the CSS had the opportunity to have a discussion proactively, before the client was in a situation to require emergency services.

Lessons Learned:

• If an emergency situation arises, workers do not need permission before calling for emergency services
• PSW should always call emergency services first and call the office after
• Report immediately to CSS if clients, private caregivers, and family members provide instructions that conflicts with Circle of Care’s policies related to emergency care