Inside the Circle – July 11, 2023

Extremely hot weather can be difficult for everyone, but spending excess time outdoors travelling from home to home in the community in hot and humid conditions can put extra stress on your body. To be prepared and limit the risk for heat-related illness, please review these prevention tips:

• stay hydrated by drinking water regularly throughout the day
• wear light, loose clothing that allows for the evaporation of sweat
• wear sunscreen with a good SPF to prevent sunburns
• take breaks as needed, especially after completing a physical demanding task and if the client’s home does not have air conditioning
• stick your hands under a tap with cold water, this will help to cool down your body temperature
• find shelter when you have a break in your schedule. Spending time in an air-conditioned cooling center is the best way to escape high temperatures. The City of Toronto has a number of established cooling centers for the summer season, click below to find a location near you.

Workplace relationships can make or break how you feel about your work. When civility and respect are missing, this can lead to emotional exhaustion, burnout, and even physical health problems.

All employees are reminded that Circle of Care has an anti-bullying policy, and we need to ensure we are treating each other with respect and civility.

Here is what you can do to ensure you are treating others with respect and civility:

• use sensitive, respectful language
• hold team members accountable
• be an ally and support your colleagues
• share concerns and potential solutions with your CSS

Need some help overcoming some challenges you are experiencing with a client with Dementia?

There is a great FREE online course on Dementia offered by Conestoga College.

Simply register online by clicking below.

This course can help you deal with difficult situations you may have with clients by going through a series of realistic client scenarios with Dementia.

The scenarios study specific care plans and client behaviors and discuss the causes, symptoms, and how escalated situations can be handled as well as how to prevent them.

This course is completely optional and can be done in your own time and pace. Thank you to Leeann Small for sharing this resource.

For all staff participating in the Summer Step Count Wellness Challenge, please remember to log your step count for the previous week by clicking the button below.

*If you are having difficulties accessing the spreadsheet, try accessing the spreadsheet using your personal mobile phone or device, or  email Nasrin (nalam@circleofcare.com) with your step count for each week, and we will enter your steps on your behalf.

Heatstroke happened to me yesterday because working in small bathrooms or washroom, without any air-conditioning, many times sitting and standing and bending with sweating, hot water inside and outside. I could not continue my duties yesterday because of Heatstroke.

We are sorry to hear that you had suffered from a heat-related illness, and we hope you are feeling better now.

As we continue into the summer months, it is important to note that heat can cause hazards to our health.  It’s also important to know the signs and symptoms for heat related illness (such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion), along with how to prevent heat related illness from occurring, and treat it when it does.

Please refer to the information on this PSW post: https://www.circleofcare.com/sun-and-heat-safety-tips/, and remember to call into the office if you are feeling impacted by the heat and not able to continue with your visits, so that we can book you off as sick.

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We invite you to submit your questions or feedback below. Please note that it may take us longer to provide some answers, so if you’ve asked a question that hasn’t been answered yet, we will get back to you in the coming weeks.