Inside the Circle – September 20, 2022

Circle of Care requires that all PSWs and Homemakers be certified with valid and current CPR training, and that employees be properly fitted for N95 masks.

Upcoming sessions for both CPR and mask fit have been booked for October, November and December. Appointments must be booked through our vendor, First Aid Care, and can be booked by clicking the button below or by calling 905-272-9214

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.

As we head into flu season, here are some reminders about healthy habits to prevent getting, and spreading the flu. The best way to prevent the flu is to get a vaccination against the virus. The flu vaccine is different every year, so getting the flu shot annually is important. Flu shots are anticipated to be available starting in the next few weeks.  Other best practices include avoiding close contact with people who are sick and avoiding others when you yourself are sick, including staying home from school or work. During flu season it is also important to practice good hand hygiene by washing hands frequently and avoiding touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when sneezing or coughing can also help prevent the spread of germs. Practicing other good health habits like cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, especially when someone is ill, and getting plenty of sleep, drinking lots of fluids, eating nutritious food and managing stress can also help protect and prevent against getting sick.

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.

This Week’s Winner:

Congratulations to this week’s winner: Ione Mortejo Ortiz

Winners will be contacted by a member of the Human Resources Department.

Next week, on September 28, we’re hosting an in-person Personal Support Worker hiring fair in Scarborough! This event will take place at Heron Park Community Centre. We’re interviewing candidates who are interested in working in or near M1E, M1C, or M1B.

Interested individuals are welcome to apply online and be interviewed at the fair, or they can stop by and get to know Circle of Care.

Feel free to share this event with anyone you think would be interested in attending!

Any information related to client safety needs to be reported to the appropriate supervisors, funders, and others involved in the client’s care. Our workers pay close attention to how our clients act, look, and cope to identify any changes from the client’s baseline. Sometimes these changes are very subtle and may take place gradually over time.

This was the case for a client that PSW Jadeen Russell was providing care for early in August. Jadeen noticed small changes: the client seemed to be more confused and generally unwell. Jadeen reported these concerns to the client’s visiting nurse who was in the home at the time and reported to Circle of Care. The visiting nurse performed an assessment immediately and confirmed the client required further care. The client was transferred to the hospital for assessment.

Jadeen’s prompt response and keen awareness for the client’s needs and overall health helped to ensure that the client received the support they needed as quickly as possible. Thank you Jadeen for being so attentive to the clients you care for.

SEPTEMBER

September is World Alzheimer’s Month

• Sept 22: Applause Lunch & Learning; First Day of Autumn
• Sept 25-27: Rosh Hashanah
• Sept 28: Circle of Care In-Person PSW Hiring Event

Toronto North Local Immigration Partnership (TNLIP) in collaboration with Hong Fook Mental Health Association, is hosting an afternoon information session tailored to frontline workers, including those from the Asian community, and anyone else who would like to learn more.

The 1.5-hour session aims to bring awareness to the topic of Anti-Asian racism, and other complex challenges faced by the Asian community during the pandemic. Discussions will include identifying different forms of racism faced by the Asian community historically and presently during COVID-19, and understanding the mental health impact it has had on the community as a whole. Self-care tools, mitigation strategies, and resources for combating mental health as a result of discrimination will also be shared.

Webinar Details

Wednesday, September 21, from 1:30 – 3:00 pm.