Inside the Circle – September 7, 2022

Circle of Care requires that all PSWs and Homemakers be certified with valid and current CPR training.
We have an upcoming session running in North York on September 21st, and appointments can be booked here: http://register.firstaidcare.ca/ 

Important reminders – please read:

• Please arrive at the training session 15 minutes before the class begins.
• Gloves and surgical mask will be required for the duration of the class.
• After you have booked your appointment, please speak to your Service Coordinator if you need any scheduling arrangements and have clients that you will need to be booked off from to attend the CPR training. Please try to book a date/time where you do not have client visits scheduled.
• 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.
• You will be paid a total of 4 hours for the training – 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 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.

Getting vaccinated and staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines is the best way to protect yourself, your loved ones and our community from COVID-19 and its variants. If you have not already done so, please consider getting your third dose (first booster) as soon as possible, and getting your fourth dose if you have already received your third dose.

As a reminder, once you have received the third dose and/or fourth dose, please submit a copy to HRDept@circleofcare.com. You will also receive an additional 1 hour of payment on an upcoming paycheque.

Now that we have launched our new Applause platform for employee engagement and recognition, we have moved all nominations for our Champions of Care program to Applause.

The Champions of Care Award winners for 2022-23 will be selected from all the nominations that have been previously submitted this fiscal year, plus any new nominations submitted through Applause. For next fiscal year, only recognitions submitted through Applause will be used.

To submit a nomination through Applause, log into the platform, and recognize an employee. You will be prompted to choose a value to pair your recognition with, and this will be used when selecting a shortlist of nominees for our annual awards.

Alicia was able to use her creativity to help support a new and more efficient system of scheduling for Personal Support Workers (PSWs) through an online tool. This tool gives Circle of Care PSWs the opportunity to be involved in creating their day-to-day schedules and makes it easier to connect PSWs with clients based on location and previous interactions.

In June 2022, Alicia was presented with Circle of Care’s Award for Innovation through our Champions of Care program.

SEPTEMBER

September is World Alzheimer’s Month

• Sept 11: Grandparents Day
• Sept 22: First Day of Autumn
• Sept 25-27: Rosh Hashanah
• Sept 28: Circle of Care In-Person PSW Hiring Event

Body mechanics are the coordinated efforts of muscles, bones and the nervous system. Body mechanics are crucial in maintain balance, posture and body alignment during movement. The following tips will help to achieve good body mechanics:

• Injury prevention: your job as a PSW or Homemaker requires a lot of physical activity. It is important to have strength and flexibility in the back, abdominal, arm and leg muscles. Regular movement and stretching of these muscles will help to protect your from strain injuries.
• Back care: The way you use your back is very important. If you work in quick, rough motions or if you take positions that bend or twist your back awkwardly, you may become injured. You must be aware of your back and remember to be careful at all times. Making sure that your back is healthy and pain-free will help to make your work more enjoyable.
• Safe lifting and transfers: the position of your body and the technique that you use to lift, transfer clients or complete household tasks is important. Make sure to communicate with your client prior to the transfer, to let them know where and when they will move.  Keep your feet at shoulder width apart when doing the transfer.
• Safe bending: make sure to bend at the he hips, and not your back. When bending forward, use your whole body and not just your arms.