By: James Watson
The Premier Homecare Services, Toronto office has been a buzz with activity over the past couple weeks. With many calls coming in from families and individuals seeking personal home care services, our team of Care Coordinators has had to be keep busy interviewing, hiring and training a new team of caregivers.
Our non-medical Personal Support Workers (PSWs) undergo an extensive hiring then orientation process at Premier Homecare Services (bonded, insured, background check, etc.). To the left is a photo of one of our Care Coordinators, Pakiza Rennie, with a group of caregivers attending an orientation session at our Leslie St. & York Mills Rd. (Toronto) office – qualified and valued additions to The Premier Team!
On another front, our Founder and President, David Watson, was interviewed by a journalist from Canwest Global Communications Corp. regarding the state of affairs in the home care and healthcare industry. His charm and good nature must have rubbed off because a few days later a photographer arrived at the office to take a photo for the article. David’s vanity aside, the photo shoot ensued and I was able to snap a few photos of the process.
A photo of him and pieces from his interview are featured in the Financial Post section of the May 20th National Post newspaper under the title, Heath-care’s prescription. An online version of the article is posted too: Private sector lures healthcare pros – Governments seeing benefits of home care.
As Premier Homecare Services continues to market its franchise opportunities, its public exposure will continue to grow. With professional and friendly people like Pakiza and David showcasing its unique business philosophy, the Premier Homecare Services’ future growth certainly looks brighter than ever.
By: James Watson
I came across this coin the other day and it sparked this blog post. It is a coin dedicated to the veterans of Canada and depicts a younger veteran in the background and an older veteran in the foreground. I did some further research and discovered that there were only 15 000 of these coins minted. It is quite the stroke of luck that it came into my possession. Here is a photo I took of the coin:
The contrast between young and old depicted on this coin is common within the day-to-day interactions Premier Homecare Services shares with the families that currently or may one day receive our in-home services. When I am out in the community attending health fairs, speaking to members of a community centre or introducing our services to a healthcare professional, I am always trying to inform people about the care options and opportunities available to them.
Services for Elderly Veterans
One thing that I especially like to inform people about is the Veterans Independence Program (VIP), administered by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). It is a program that was set up "more than 20 years ago to help eligible veterans remain independent in their own homes for as long as possible. Under this program, services are based on need and can include such things as housekeeping, grounds maintenance, home delivery of nutritious meals, certain in-home personal care services, even home adaptations that may be needed to make it easier or more safe for them to do daily activities like bathe, prepare a meal or move around their home." (Veterans Affairs Canada 2005)
Home Care for Veterans
At Premier Homecare Services, we routinely receive inquires about in-home personal care support for veterans, their loved ones or their survivors. So often they are prompted to phone us only after they have discovered by chance that they are eligible for VIP benefits. Given your VAC Identification Card or your ‘K’ number, our team of Care Coordinators is able to check your degree of eligibility – the number of hours you are eligible to receive and the types of services. Knowing that piece of information and given your approval, our staff can continue by filling out the appropriate paperwork on your behalf. In very little time or hassle you can begin receiving the home care services you deserve.
The Royal Canadian Mint issued this coin in 2005 after the federal government declared 2005 to be the year of the Veteran. After the recent dedication of the Highway of Heroes (and another news release here) and the mounting casualties of Canadian soldiers in the Afghanistan conflict and elsewhere, it is poignant to declare that each year – not only 2005 – is indeed the Year of the Veteran.
Note:
For further information on any of the topics I have written about, click on the corresponding bolded terms. I have provided them with links to web pages that may educate you further. This is, after all, an education blog. In addition, if you have any specific questions, feel free to email me: jwatson@homecarephs.com.
Works Cited:
Veterans Affairs Canada, "Caring support for those who care for veterans," The Family Caregiver Newsmagazine (Volume 2, Issue 1), November 2005.
