Inside the Circle – July 2, 2024

Circle of Care is dedicated to making safety easy for everyone. Through Perkopolis, you can get special discounts on shoes that help prevent slips, trips, and falls.

Investing in good shoes is investing in your safety and well-being!

Visit the PSW Portal and check out the “Wellness at Work” section for more details and instructions:

We have extended the deadline to redeem your Applause points until Friday, July 19. This is the last possible extension, and after this date, the points will be lost. You can transfer your point balance onto a single gift card via the Applause Catalogue. Points that are redeemed for a cash gift card (ie. VISA. MasterCard, Amazon), or over $500 total in value, will be a taxable benefit.

If you are not able to log into your Applause account, please contact Human Resources at HRDept@circleofcare.com, 416-635-2900 x267, or 416-270-6376 and we can assist with account resets.

For detailed instructions on how to redeem you points, please refer the linked PDF and video tutorial:
How to redeem your full point balance

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 are available. Appointments must be booked through our vendor, First Aid Care, and can be booked by calling 905-272-9214 or by online here:

Important reminders – please read:

• Please arrive at the training session 15 minutes before the class begins.
• 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 and/or mask fit 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 (CPR) and 1 hour for mask fit – 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’
• 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.

Vitamin D supports your immune system, mood, and cell health. Unlike most nutrients, it’s mainly obtained from sunlight. Modern indoor lifestyles and sunscreen use often lead to vitamin D deficiency, causing health issues like Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in winter.

In less sunny areas, summer sun exposure is key to storing enough vitamin D for winter. Your body can store vitamin D for months!

Learn more about vitamin D deficiency and its symptoms:

Watch the video below as Brene Brown explains empathy. It’s a short and animated video. This video is great if you want to understand how to build stronger relationships:

Don’t forget to check-out the ‘Beyond Silence’ app! This is a free and confidential mental health support program for you. Through the app, you can access resources to support your mental well-being, and you are able to speak with a trained Peer Support Provider. You can access the app on your Circle of Care work phone, and on your personal device.

ACCESS CODE: CCYP527J8

For more information about the program, please visit:

The training is focused on increasing awareness of historical and current Indigenous culture and the implications for health care professionals.

To access the course:
⁃ Log into your Dayforce account
⁃ Selecting the ‘Learning Tab’.

You will receive 30 minutes of paid training for this course, which will be paid out in August after the course has completed.

• William Maneja
• Sepiso Mukelabai
• Aakanksha Aakanksha
• Elion Aman

Do we still get paid if the client cancels their visit 3 hours before?
It primarily depends on the length of the visit. If the visit is of less than 3 hours, then the worker will not be paid, no matter when it was cancelled. If the visit is of more than 3 hours and cancelled with less than 3 hour notice, then a certain amount that will be paid, and this is determined based on a set calculation.

What is a cluster visit?
A cluster visit is a visit to a building where we have many clients. These are generally buildings like retirement homes and seniors’ buildings. All visits there are entered and referred as cluster visits.

As a PSW I need protection against viruses and any spreading illnesses. Whenever I order supplies it’s always not complete. The 3 supplies most frequently requested: mask, gloves and…
We’re sorry your question didn’t get submitted in full, but we think we understand what you were asking about, and that you meant to add “gowns” to the end of your list.

If you’re having issues with your supplies order not being complete, please reach out to Jennifer Van Der Wath, who can look into your order and see what happened. You can reach out to her at extension 372, or at jvanderwath@circleofcare.com

Same question that is not being addressed: Number of working hours. Other PSWs have lots of number of working hours others don’t have. Can we distribute fairly to address inequality?
Our service coordinators do their best to distribute hours across all the workers assigned to their caseload. There are a few different reasons for why some workers may receive more visits than others, including the availability that they have provided, the distance which they are willing to travel, and client preference. We are putting together more information about this topic, which we hope to share in the coming weeks.

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.