Correct hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of infection, virus and disease. WorkSafe BC provides a great video on correct hand washing technique. Check it out:
WE HEARD YOU: Did you know…?
Each year we send out a survey and ask for your feedback. Last spring, we asked you two questions about your quality of life in your community:
- How could all services in your town better meet your needs?
- Is there anything that you would like to see in your community that speaks to your interests?
We got back lots of ideas about services, about recreation, and about transportation. Thanks!
Since we looked at the ideas and suggestions we got back, it seemed to us that people might not know that their communities are working hard to meet these needs – so we thought we would share what we know is currently going on.
Here is some information about what’s going on in the Okanagan, and in our Province:
Here is some information about what’s going on in the Kootenays, and in our Province:
Check it out! Feel free to pass along to others.
INFO: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Hey everyone, in addition to our last post, we are passing along more information about COVID-19 (coronavirus) as it comes to us.
First – from our friends over at COPCS:
- Information about the COVID–19 virus through the BC Centre for Disease Control Website
- Information by phone through the Government of Canada Coronavirus Information Line: 1-833-784-4397
- Ongoing by phone through Health Link BC: 811
Second – from the BCCEO Network:
- a memo from CLBC CEO Ross Chilton with information on what CLBC is doing
Please remember to wash your hands often, and to stay home if you’re feeling sick.
INFO: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Hey everyone, there’s been lots in the news lately about COVID-19, the newly identified respiratory disease that is also known as the coronavirus.
We want to support everyone to stay informed, and to stay healthy. HealthLink BC has some good information on their website. They also provide it in PDF format, as well, if you would like to print off. Check it out.
https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-feature/coronavirus-covid-19
HOME SHARE: Share your story!
Hey everyone, check out this opportunity to share YOUR home share story!
Request for Stories from Home Share Providers, People living in Home Share and their Families
As part of updating CLBC’s Home Share Handbook, the Home Sharing Handbook Working Group Committee has made an extensive revision of the various existing handbook materials, identified additional topics of importance that have surfaced in conjunction with the frequently asked questions about Home Sharing. The first draft of this project is to design a new resource handbook called an ‘Introduction to Home Sharing’ with specific go to references for Home Share Providers, People living in Home Share and for the persons family. Included in the content of this resource will be stories and videos about experiences in Home Sharing. These stories will invite enthusiasm and provide clear insight as to what Home Sharing exactly means.
If you are presently a Home Share Provider or a Person Living in Home Share or a family member, please share your stories! Your experiences with Home Sharing are valuable and important in understanding what Home Share truly means. Everyone’s successes tell a different story. We understand every person with diverse abilities assisted in Home Share are unique and come from different cultural backgrounds. The composition of the family of Home Share Providers varies as does living in rural regions.
Please forward your stories by Monday, March 16th, 2020. You can do so either by email to adultcare@shaw.ca or by mail to COPCS, 1844 Golbeck Court, Kelowna, BC, V1P 1L7. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us at 778-753-2625. We look forward to hearing your stories and inspiration! Please share this email with your Home Share networks.
Sincerely,, Margaret Milsom & Jack Sawatzky (Committee Members of the Home Share Handbook Working Group)
Kelowna: CCSS visits our local Radio Stations!
Hey everyone:
So, check this out! The community support crew in Kelowna organized a trip and tour of our local radio stations. Check out the video organized by our intrepid reporter Amit Ghosh and filmed and edited by our very own Kathy Herbert.
Great video – what an incredible day!
Home Sharing – CLBC Feedback
Here’s a email from Ross Chilton, CEO of CLBC
| View this email in your browser January 8, 2020 Happy New Year. I hope you enjoyed the holiday season with your family and friends. In June of 2019, CLBC and the BC CEO Network, together with the members of the BC Home Share Providers Association and the Central Okanagan Professional Caregivers Association, came together to form a Home Sharing Working Group. The Group works to find solutions for issues identified in home sharing and has implemented a 3-year work plan. Improving CLBC’s referral and matching process of individuals to home sharing providers as well as finding better systems around helping to prevent, avert and respond to crises in home sharing services were identified as priorities in the plan. Hearing directly from someone with lived experience or those who support someone living in home sharing is vital to the success of this work. CLBC is hosting eight consultation sessions across the province to hear first hand how we can improve our approaches. I am writing to ask for your help to spread the word by distributing the consultation invitation found here to your staff, home sharing providers you’re connected to, individuals living in a home share and their families / personal support networks. We are also launching an online survey later this month so we can make sure we reach as many people as possible. CLBC will send you the link to the survey when it is online. If you have any questions about the consultations or this project, please feel free to contact Zainum Bahadshah, Project Manager, at Zainum.Bahadshah@gov.bc.ca or Jack Styan, VP Strategic Initiatives, at Jack.Styan@gov.bc.ca. I appreciate your support in sharing this information with your networks. Sincerely, Ross Chilton CEO Community Living BCI |
Sad news…
Hi everyone:
It is with a very heavy heart that we let you know that we lost James Croston to cancer on Saturday. James, for those that may not have known him, was a Home Share Provider, Home Share Coordinator, Senior Coordinator and the Service Coordinator for Home Share at Community Connections. He literally performed every role with respect to Home Share at the agency and developed many great relationships with coworkers at the agency, Home Share Providers and our communities in his various roles along the way.
I will miss his tremendous sense of humour, his persistent quest for knowledge, constant commitment to improve things, his intensity and, most of all, his friendship.
James is survived by his loving family who were by his side throughout his illness, particularly his young son and daughter. A Go Fund Me page has been set up with the proceeds going to James’ kids. The link is here should you wish to donate.
As you can imagine, it will take us a few days to catch up on work that we had promised, my apologies particularly for the delay in getting out the breakdowns of the recent Home Share increases and retroactive payments if they applied to you. I will get those out to you as soon as I can.
Thank you all for your support of the CCSS team and especially your support of James.
He will be dearly missed.
Jackie and Brian (on behalf of the whole Home Share Team at Community Connections Support Services)
Update: James’ obituary is here.
Our 5th (!) CARF Survey…!
Hey Everyone:
Our intrepid reporter, Amit Ghosh, got a chance to sit down with Linda Siino from CARF to talk about accreditation, CARF and how it impacts Community Connections Support Services. Linda, Colleen and Paul (in the West Kootenays) were here the week before last surveying the organization.
More info about CARF is here. Check out the video below and hit us up with any other questions you may have. Thanks to Amit, Linda and Kathy for making this happen.
Kelowna: Community Support is Changing…
Hi everyone:
We just want to let you know that community support in Kelowna is changing. We have in the past had a combination one-to-one, small group and large group activities for the people that we serve in community support. We are changing the support model to either one-to-one or global (group) which means that you will have to make a choice about how your community support services are delivered to you.
Our intrepid reporter, Amit Ghosh, interviewed Joel Gunther (service coordinator) and yours truly to get more information and explain the changes happening over the summer. Check out the video below. We will be also sending around a letter with your options and will be chatting with you about these changes. If you still have questions, make sure you check in with your Community Support Worker.
Special thanks go out to Kathy Herbert (behind the camera) who put this fantastic video together for everyone. Thanks Kathy! Thanks Amit!
