Inside the Circle – September 26, 2023

As a worker of Circle of Care, you MUST wear your identification badge to all visits and have it clearly visible throughout the visit. This lets the client and their family know that you are an employee of Circle of Care and is for your safety. If you do not arrive with your identification badge, know that our clients have the right to call our office and confirm your identity for their own safety.

Attending Visits with Other PSWs
ONLY enter the homes of clients that you are scheduled to visit. If another PSW asks for your support, only do so if it has been approved by your supervisor.

Protect Our Clients’ Privacy
You must do everything you can to protect the privacy of our clients. You must not discuss a client’s condition or personal affairs with anyone, unless you are authorized to do so by a Circle of Care manager. This includes employee-to-employee conversations that may happen casually and outside the home. You must not share any medical information with other clients or visitors. If you are not sure about whether you are able to share certain information, please talk to your supervisor before taking action.

Last week we raffled off two TVs. We had 208 PSWs and Homemakers sign up for the raffle!!

Congratulations to the following PSWs for being the lucky winners:

• Jenny Parayno
• Maria Divinia Torres

As the weather cools down, and the leaves begin to change, fall is a great time of the year to enjoy being outside. There are some great locations around Toronto to enjoy the fall colours and get some extra steps in!

There is no health without mental health. Statistically, one in five Canadians will personally experience a mental health problem or illness. Mental illness also indirectly affects all Canadians at some time either through their own experience or that of a family member, friend or colleague.

Take CMHA’s ‘Mental Health Meter’ to answer questions based on various characteristics that make up mental health, to understand how mentally fit you are:
https://cmha.ca/find-info/mental-health/check-in-on-your-mental-health/mental-health-meter/

If you haven’t already done so, be sure to download the ‘Beyond Silence’ app which is available for iOS and Android. Circle of Care has partnered with McMaster University to provide this free and confidential mental health support program to our PSWs and Homemakers. Through the app, you are able to access resources in form of blogs, videos, documents to support your mental well-being, and you are able to speak with a trained Peer Support Provider. Scan the QR code with your personal device to download the app:

The best ways to prevent the flu:
• Get the flu shot.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid others when you yourself are sick, including staying home from school or work.
• Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands frequently.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when sneezing or coughing.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, especially when someone is ill.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Drink lots of fluids & eat nutritious food.
• Manage your stress.

A trip occurs when your foot collides with another object abruptly, causing you to lose balance and eventually fall. Common causes of tripping include:
• obstructed views (not being able to see clearly)
• Poor lighting
• Clutter
• Wrinkled carpets
• uneven flooring or walking surfaces

Circle of Care has implemented a Safe Footwear policy to ensure our employees are wearing the proper footwear (PPE) to prevent trips.

Every one of us is having a hard time paying for groceries, housing, etc. I have seen people who are on a fixed income and don’t know what to do when their money runs out. My question is will Circle of Care ever give us a pension?
We have a Group RRSP Plan for full-time and part-time employees, which is voluntary. Please refer to Article 24 Group RRSP Matching Plan in the current collective agreement for more information. To be eligible to enroll in the Group RRSP Plan, you will need to have acquired twelve (12) months seniority as of December 31st, in the contribution year. If you are interested in enrollment, please contact Payroll@circleofcare.com.

Will we have an increase in our hourly wage to keep up with inflation?
As we receive government funding, we were restricted by Bill 124, which limited wage increases to one percent per year of the collective agreement. As of late last year, Bill 124 was deemed unconstitutional so we will be discussing increases when we negotiate a new collective agreement in June 2024.

I completed all learning sessions and didn’t get my promised points on Achievers. Where are they?
Our Learning & Development team ran a raffle earlier in the year for Applause points. Anyone who completed all the learning sessions was entered into a raffle, and two winners were picked. They have already received their points on Applause.

How do we get massage benefits?
All full-time Circle of Care PSWs and Homemakers are enrolled in the benefits plan. To get massage benefits, you need to use your plan. You should have received instructions on how to file claims when you were enrolled. If you are not a full-time employee, then unfortunately you are not eligible to receive benefits through the union. If you need help with your benefits, please contact SEIU Benefits 416-635-6000 or email seiubenefittrust@globalben.com.

I work at the Sheppard Terrace and recently there were 4 PSWs, and the complaints are always why are there 4 of us?

Sometimes another PSW would come for only one person first only half hour, so why not just that one person to PSW who is already in the place to give that care.
After looking into this, there was recent scheduling errors for Sheppard Terrace. The regular Service Coordinator was off, and the Service Coordinators that were replacing this caseload scheduled the PSW in error. This has been followed up on, and the scheduling should be fixed now.