KEEPING UP WITH
Volume 3 | Issue 2
K E N S INGTON
March 2019
PCAs: VALUABLE MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM
LETTER
FROM THE
CEO
First of all, I want to acknowledge everyone at Kensington who came in during the multiple snowstorms last month. Our front-line staff made sure residents, patients, and families at Kensington received the care they needed, despite the dangerous weather conditions. Your commitment to putting our resident, patient and family needs above your own, is an inspiration to all of us and exemplifies the Kensington spirit. February was a time for us to celebrate our Kensington culture of acceptance and inclusion. A diverse and fully inclusive work environment enables all of us to learn and grow. There are many ways to advocate for equality, but I believe that one of the most powerful ways is to simply support those around us. The W.R.A.P. (We Respect All People) Committee held their first ever Black History Month Celebration on Friday Feb. 15. We were honoured to host Arthur Downes, Kensington Life Member, Dwayne Morgan, poet and social entrepreneur, and Rosemary Sadlier, historian and educator. Kenn Lewis united the crowd through a steel drum performance. The presentations were powerful, and helped us learn the important role Kensington Market and Toronto played in Canadian Black History. Thank you to everyone who made this event possible!
The Clinical Education team at Kensington Gardens has been busy supporting an important new initiative: Excellence in Resident-Centered Care (ERCC). The three musketeers, Gagandeep Dhillon (second from the left), Antoinette Julien (second from the right) and Eliana Araujo (first from the bottom right) have been supporting Personal Care Attendants’ training. At Kensington, we pride ourselves in cultivating a culture of quality and safety. Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) play an important role in living out that culture. “PCAs are an essential component to the nursing team here at Kensington Gardens. They spend the greatest amount of time with the residents and family members.” said Eliana, Clinical Educator at Kensington Gardens. Excellence in Resident-Centered Care (ERCC) is a program that aims to build PCAs’ capacity to deliver high quality and safe care that meets the needs of people living in long-term care across Ontario. The training is delivered in partnership with Conestoga College as well as with SchlegelUW Research Institute of Aging, and aims to build practical skills using a person-centred , train the trainer approach. It’s a Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care initiative, in collaboration with the Centers for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care. Personal Care Attendants: Perlita Agyekum, Sangyal Dolma, Margaret Piotrowska and Katerina Slater completed 16 hours online and eight hours in class training to become ERCC instructors and to share knowledge with their colleagues at Kensington. The leadership team at Kensington Gardens is committed to train 109 Personal Support Workers overall before the end of the month.
PCAs are an integral part of the nursing team The Clinical Education team provides support for trainers during sessions. “PCAs are often the first to alert the team to subtle changes in a resident’s condition and through their close relationship with the residents’ have insight to their needs. RECC provides a perfect platform for PCA staff to feel supported, build strong teamwork, develop leadership qualities and incorporate innovation in their resident care.” said Gagandeep. The Clinical Education team is confident that this training will help Kensington employees exceed the expectations of the people we serve by raising the quality of care. For more information, please contact Antoinette Julien, at ajulien@kensingtonhealth.org
