We held yet another successful community engagement event this fall! Peel Senior Link sponsored the ‘Celebrating Peel Region Partnership’ on October 16, 2023. The event was a big accomplishment held to recognize and celebrate our 30-year partnership with the Region of Peel. Derek Rodrigues, PSL Board Chair; Councillor Martin Mederios, Region of Peel; Gary Kent, CAO, Region of Peel and Sean Baird, Commissioner, Human Services, presented speeches with the Region of Peel expressing their deep appreciation to PSL and the critical role we play in serving vulnerable seniors in Peel over the past 30 years.

With regret we inform you that former Mayor Hazel McCallion passed away earlier on Sunday at the young age of 101.

As many of you know, Hazel was a long time friend and supporter of Peel Senior Link, and of course the citizens of the City of Mississauga. She served as Honorary Chair of our initial fundraising campaign, and keynote speaker at our 25^th Anniversary.

What an amazing leader and person who governed with passion and great vision!

We wish to express our sincere sympathy to the former Mayor Hazel McCallion’s family and recognize her passing as a great loss to our community. Her support and leadership for Peel Senior Link over the years and the citizens of Mississauga enabled the City to grow and mature to where it is today, truly a great place to live, work, and thrive.

Derek Rodrigues, Chair
Board of Director

Hazel was an amazing advocate for all aspects of our lives and a true pioneer in community development and support for those who were vulnerable and at risk. She was always present and supportive of policy that enabled program and service growth to address ever changing community needs. We were so fortunate to have Hazel attend Peel Senior Link’s 25^th Anniversary as our keynote speaker. Click here for the full article.  As always she provided us with words of wisdom and strong direction for the future.

Raymond Applebaum
Chief Executive Officer

AdvantAge Ontario, the Alzheimer Society of Ontario, and the Ontario Community Support Association, in partnership with the Metamorphosis Network, are proud to announce that we are jointly organising a series of webinars moderated by Marcia MacMillan, morning news anchor at CTV News,  to discuss and highlight the commitments each major party has made to keeping older and vulnerable Ontarians living well in the community.

We’ve invited representatives from the Progressive Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party, the Liberal Party and the Green Party to be part of the series. At the end of this series we’ll also be holding a special 5^th webinar where the CEOs of our organizations will discuss what they heard from the various parties and share our priorities for the election[…]

Click here to obtain the the webinar schedule and to register:

Ray Applebaum, CEO, Peel Senior Link (PSL) participated in a meeting with the Ontario Minister of Finance and local MPPs last week, and had the opportunity to present our 2022 Ontario Budget Submission which we do annually.

Ray presented his recommendations to provide an investment of $677 million into the Home and Community Care Sector PSL has been advocating for adequate community support services base funding to address community needs and service gaps; exempt the community health sector from Bill 124; and for permanent personal support services wage enhancement in collaboration with the Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA)[…]

Click here to read the full Budget Submission

What is Nonprofit Appreciation Week 2022?

This is a new recognition of Ontario’s nonprofit sector and its nearly 850,000 workers. It’s based on legislation to recognize nonprofit workers and organizations by the Government of Ontario, Bill 9, Nonprofit Sector Appreciation Week, 2021.

It is championed by MPP Daisy Wai and the Bhayana Family Foundation; more about this week, and celebrates the vital role nonprofits and workers play in creating and maintaining healthy, vibrant and inclusive communities in Ontario.

A few reasons to celebrate:

1. Nearly 850,000 nonprofit workers are dedicated to serving, connecting, and supporting all Ontarians.
   • Nonprofit workers have continued essential services through the pandemic, such as child care, long-term care, shelters, community health centres, seniors support, and more.
   • Much of this work has been done by women workers who are the majority of the nonprofit workforce (77 per cent).
   • Nonprofit workers are your neighbours, your friends, your family, and your community leaders.

2. Ontario’s 58,000 nonprofits help to create healthy and thriving communities, and contribute $65 billion to the economy. 
   • Ontario’s nonprofit sector is diverse- from arts and culture, housing, sports and recreation, faith, child development, community health care, the environment, and more.
   • Nonprofits are leading advocacy and change for a better, greener, more equitable economy and inclusive society.

3. The innovative ways nonprofit workers support Ontarians with creative, local solutions.
   • During the pandemic, nonprofit workers have innovated with live virtual concerts to keep us connected, repurposing community kitchens for mobile food programs, telephone trees to reach isolated seniors, virtual sports programs for mental health and physical fitness, pre-loaded phones with wellness supports for Indigenous youth, and much more.

Celebrate with us

1. Join the conversation on social media through #NonprofitAppreciationWeek
2. Join the official virtual launch on February 14 from 12:30 to 1pm on Facebook Live.

Click here to learn more about Ontario’s nonprofit sector.

In 2016, 13% or 180,000 of Peel residents were over 65 years and by 2041 that number will increase to 20% or 276,000.

Peel Council on Aging (PCoA) is a not-for-profit collective of organizations and individuals whose vision is to advance ‘healthy aging for all in a connected and caring community’.

The first project PCoA will undertake is a community engagement survey. The survey results The survey results will provide important information to help organizations and groups identify gaps in programs and services[…]

Click here to read the full Press Release and to take part in the Survey.

Mississauga (October 27, 2021) – Ray Applebaum, CEO, Peel Senior Link (PSL) is delighted to announce that Lorena Cabral will be joining us as our new COO effective November 17, 2021.

Lorena comes with extensive experience in Health Care, having worked previously in Western Canada for several years in senior leadership roles for Alberta Health Services, as well as Regina Qu’Appelle Health in Saskatchewan in the area of Diagnostic Imaging. She also worked for Health Sciences North in Northern Ontario as the Administrative Director Programs, Diagnostic Services and Ambulatory Care Programs. Her community sector experience includes an interim Executive Director position at St. Clair O’Connor Community Inc.

Click here to read the full memo from Ray to PSL stakeholders.

Mississauga (October 1, 2020) – In honour of International Day of Older Persons, the Sheridan Centre for Elder Research hosted, in partnership with Peel Senior Link and Indus Community Services, an online panel discussion focussing on issues currently impacting service provision in support of older adults in our communities.

Community Support Services are experiencing major changes and opportunities in several areas. These include the transformation of funding and service models, shortages in Personal Support Staff, the development of Ontario Health Teams, changes to governance structures, virtual service models to address social isolation & loneliness, PPE supply chain management, and the acknowledgment of long-term systemic discrimination that is only now being exposed.

Panelist included:

• Raymond Applebaum, CEO Peel Senior Link
• Patrick Boily, Director of Policy OCSA
• Catherine Brown, President Shared Services Ontario Health
• Cathy Fooks, Patient Ombudsman Ontario
• Karen Parsons, ED Peel Addiction Assessment and Referral Centre
• Gurpreet Malhotra, CEO Indus Community Services

You can find a recording of this event here (password Ny3XUwvb).

Mississauga (September 16, 2020) – Peel Senior Link won the gold award in the 2020 National Canadian HR Award for the Best Reward & Recognition Strategy. The ceremony, held virtually, recognizes outstanding HR teams, leaders and employers for their achievements, innovation and exceptional HR practices.

The award is a testament to the work Marybeth Ward, Director HR & Privacy Officer, and Nastassia Jasinski, HR Advisor, have put in over the last couple of years to ensure ongoing engagement of staff and establishing an fantastic rewards and recognition program.

You can view the winning moment by clicking here. A full list of winners can be accessed on the Canadian HR Award website here.

Mississauga (August 19, 2020) –

On Saturday, September 19th, Peel Senior Link will be hosting a super-fun, family-friendly fundraising walk called The Grand Parade! This event is a key annual fundraising event for us, and will support our expanding work with seniors throughout our community.

Employees, friends, and families of Peel Senior Link successfully raised net proceeds in the amount of $11,942.77 in 2019 and were purposed for local programs and services operated by PSL.  Input was sought directly from our front-line healthcare workers as to how the funds raised by the walk this year would be best utilized. Priority categories were selected for supplemental programs which cannot be purchased with government (LHIN) funding and are listed below:

• Miscellaneous services, i.e. Handyman
• Christmas gift baskets
• Aides such as walkers, canes, bath handles etc.
• Food vouchers
• Clothing
• Technology to reduce loneliness and isolation
• Gift cards

Our goal is to raise $15,000 consisting of $10,000 from individual donors and $5,000 in corporate giving.  This year will be quite different from 2019’s inaugural Grand Parade wherein all participants and volunteers walked 5 km together on June 1, 2019.  We will not be gathering for an all-day event but will be walking individually or with the fundraising teams as led by Team Captains to respect social distancing measures on September 19, 2020.

So let’s roll up our sleeves together and get our fundraising caps on!

Click here to find out more and to get involved!

Mississauga (July 14, 2020) – Peel Senior Link has been selected as a finalist for The Workhuman Award for the Best Reward & Recognition Strategy in the seventh annual Canadian HR Awards, presented by HRD Canada and supported by Canadian HR Reporter.

The Canadian HR Awards celebrates the outstanding achievements of HR teams, leaders, employers and service providers across the nation.

Finalists were selected following an open call for nominations to HRD Canada and Canadian HR Reporter’s nationwide readership of 34,800 HR professionals.

Winners will be selected by an esteemed independent judging panel and revealed during a virtual awards show on September 16.

“This has been an incredibly challenging year for HR professionals,” said Canadian HR Awards project director Jessica Duce. “The list of finalists is a true snapshot of the best and brightest in HR and honours those who have stepped up and put their people first at a time when it mattered most. It’s our honour to acknowledge and celebrate this deserving group at the September show.”

For the full list of finalists, visit www.hrawards.ca.

Follow: Linkedin

About Peel Senior Link:

Peel Senior Link, a non-profit charitable organization established in 1993, provides personal care & home-making services and a range of other complementary supports. Peel Senior Link maximizes safe independent living to help seniors live with dignity and respect. Services are client-directed, flexible and individualized. Personal care & home-making services are provided at no charge to 325 clients in designated buildings and surrounding neighbourhoods in Mississauga and Brampton.

Peel Senior Link is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care through the Mississauga Halton and Central West Local Health Integration Networks, and through grants and personal and corporate donations. Peel Senior Link is also accredited with Exemplary Standing by Accreditation Canada.

About HRD Canada:

Human Resources Director Canada is Canada’s premier news source for senior human resource professionals and top corporate decision-makers. HRD Canada talks to leading HR practitioners worldwide to produce industry-standard reporting that supports both the business and best-practice functional requirements placed on HR leaders in their evolving roles. HRD Canada’s award-winning website (www.hcamag.com) features daily breaking news, an industry forum and exclusive multimedia content, and is complemented by sister sites in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Contact

Krissy Salvador – Marketing Executive, Key Media

[email protected]

Mississauga (June 10, 2020) –

As a community support agency, we are proud to publish our research work in the peer-reviewed British Medical Journal Open Quality.

Summary of article:

Today, healthcare is more complex than just ensuring clients receive quality care; it also involves consistently delivering excellent client experience. A non-profit community support services agency conducted an extensive diagnostic journey to determine root causes of inconsistent care delivery between regular and relief frontline staff. Clients and family caregivers noted lower satisfaction in care delivery when a relief staff (ie, internal staff or an external agency that is covering a shift) provided service in comparison with their regular staff. The diagnostic journey discovered that the shift exchange process—when outgoing staff transfers critical knowledge to incoming staff for continuing care—varied significantly between the 11 service locations, leading to a lack of consistent service delivery, thereby impacting client experience. Using best practices from the aviation industry, a checklist was developed that encapsulated all the critical steps needed to be undertaken for a successful, consistent shift exchange. Prior to the checklist implementation, 74% of clients were satisfied or very satisfied with their relief staff, and post checklist implementation client satisfaction improved to 90%. Staff self-assessments also indicated that PSWs agreed that the checklist helped provide consistent care. The use of checklists can transform the way care is delivered in the community support sector and other service delivery agencies alike to bring greater standardisation of care between providers, thus significantly improving client experience across the healthcare sector.

You can access the entire article here.

March 13, 2020

A message from our CEO

On March 11^th, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic and we all need to make decisions that best support our health and the health of those around us. As COVID-19 continues to have an impact in Canada and around the world, we wanted to share information about Peel Senior Link’s preparedness efforts to ensure the health and safety of our clients, family caregivers, health/human service system partners, staff, as well as our continued service and support. We are reviewing all of our programs and services, meetings, and special events on a regular basis to determine whether we need to curtail or suspend any of these activities to keep our client population, staff, and volunteers safe.

A COVID–19 leadership task force was formed with the CEO, COO, HR Director, Manager of Business Units, Coordinator Operations, and representation from our service locations to manage and coordinate information and direction from official sources and facilitate decision making and actions to be taken to protect and serve our client/family caregiver population and staff.

We are reviewing all of our programs and services, meetings, and special events on a regular basis to determine whether we need to curtail or suspend any of these activities to keep our client population, staff, and volunteers safe.

From the onset of COVID-19, PSL has communicated with its staff, clients and governance Board with information about the evolving situation and provided resources to access further relevant information, e.g. how to protect yourself and others from the risk of being infected. The primary guidelines we are following are the Health Canada, Ministry of Health, Public Health Ontario, Ontario Medical Officer of Health, Ontario Health, and Home & Community Care protocols.

We continue to update our Business Continuity Plan to ensure uninterrupted service and support to our clients should our front-line staff be impacted from delivering care on a daily. As well, a resource library is being provided for each of our service locations to support staff as this situation evolves.

We wish everyone good health during this challenging time.

Raymond P. Applebaum

Chief Executive Officer

Mississauga (February 4, 2020) – Raymond Applebaum, CEO, Peel Senior Link presented to the 2020 Ontario Budget Consultation panel (see photo). Serving on the panel was the Honourable Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance, and Deepak Anand, Sharef Sabawy, Rudy Cuzzetto, Kaleed Rasheed, Natalia Kusendova, local M.P.P.’s. We highlighted the Economic and Quality Of Life Impact PSL’s program & services have on the residents of Peel Region, as an employer, community support provider, and health & human services system partner. We reiterated the four key recommendations of our provincial organization, Ontario Community Support Association, as they presented to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs for the 2020 Pre-Budget Submission and Call to Action. Click here to read the presentation.

Mississauga (December 21, 2019) – Peel Senior Link was honoured at the 2019 International Peace Awards with the ‘Best Work In Seniors’ award. The awards provide a critical spotlight for the service of thousands of non-profit organizations in Canada and beyond that work tirelessly to improve living conditions and quality of life for millions of people worldwide.

There were 700 non-profit agency applications reviewed with 125 nominated in 25 categories. Peel Senior Link is proud to be recognized for its outstanding work with seniors in the community.

About International Peace Awards

The International Peace Awards is the initiative of the Gandhian Initiative for Development of Support Services (GIDSS) that has been working to promote peace and multiculturalism in the world.

Mississauga (November 25, 2019) – Today, the Honourable Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health was in Mississauga along with patients, families and community groups to announce the Mississauga Ontario Health Team (Mississauga Health) as the first of 24 Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) in the province.

OHTs are a new model of organizing and delivering health care to better connect patients and providers in their communities and improve patient outcomes. Integrated care teams will ensure patients experience better coordinated health care that allows them to access and navigate the system more easily, and to be better supported as they transition from one health care provider or from one setting to another.

Mississauga Health is aligned with the Government of Ontario’s plan to build a connected health care system that is centred on patients, families and caregivers. Mississauga Health’s vision to improve the health of people in the community by creating an interconnected system of care from birth to end-of-life. This model will focus on addressing the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of patients through simplified care.

Mississauga Health will work to make sure patients, families and caregivers have better access to the care they need when they need it. It will allow them to have access to a team of trained health care professionals, who are coordinated and working together to make sure there are seamless transitions for patients from one care setting to another and supports for patients seeking after-hour services or community supports. Mississauga Health will also enable family practices in the community to have access to supports, including specialists, through digital tools.

The implementation of the OHT model will be an ongoing process over the next several years. In the year ahead, Mississauga Health will work to develop and implement plans to better coordinate health and community care providers to improve access to care for patients.

QUICK FACTS:

• Mississauga Health is governed by a diverse group of partners including: CarePoint Health, Credit Valley Family Health Team, Home and Community Care, Metamorphosis Network, Summerville Health Team and Trillium Health Partners.
• Over 90 organizations representing health and social service sectors have also joined Mississauga Health as members and affiliates. This group includes primary care, home care, community care, acute care, long-term care, associations and community organizations.
• Early priorities of Mississauga Health include:
  o Expanding primary care access to urgent diagnostics and specialist supports in the community, reducing unnecessary Emergency Department visits; and
  o Streamlining care and supports for people with complex care needs such as for those who would benefit from a palliative approach to care, creating better patient, family and caregiver experiences.
• Over the next 20 years Mississauga Health’s catchment area will grow by 45%.
• Mississauga Health will initially focus on a population of 60,000 and over time will scale to serve the health needs of 878,000 people.
• Mississauga is one of Ontario’s most diverse communities with 53% of residents born outside of Canada.
• Over 39% of residents have two or more chronic diseases.

QUOTES:

“We are proud and humbled that Mississauga Health is being announced as one of the first OHTs in Ontario. This is a new day for health care and along with our partners, we have a tremendous opportunity to be a part of this once in a generation plan to transform the delivery of care and improve the health of residents in Mississauga and across Ontario.”
Michelle DiEmanuele, Chair, Mississauga Health Interim Governing Council and CEO, Trillium Health Partners

“Increasing capacity in primary care is essential to ensuring that all patients are able to receive access to health care services in the community that meets their care needs. Partnership with Mississauga Health will help to create a local health system where patients, families and caregivers can move seamlessly within one team of health care providers and services.”
Dr. Mira Backo-Shannon, Primary Care Physician and Executive Lead, Mississauga Health

“Mississauga Health presents a unique opportunity to look at how we can better integrate home care, community support, mental health and addiction services to provide patients, families and caregivers with a more collaborative approach to care.”
Raymond Applebaum, Co-Chair, Metamorphosis Network Leadership Team & Mississauga Health Interim Governing Council

“Aligning with Mississauga Health will enable us to better address the increasingly complex needs of patients, families and their caregivers. We are excited to work with our partners across the health care system, and the Ministry, to build on the work that is already underway and advance care in the community and across the province.”
Dr. Laura Harild, Clinical Co-Lead Mississauga Halton Palliative Care Network

About Mississauga Health
Mississauga Health is a partnership of local health care providers who are committed to better health in the community and better experiences for patients, families, caregivers and providers. Our partnership builds on the foundational pillars of primary care, home care, community care, and acute care in our region, enabled by relationships across a variety of sectors. Our vision is to improve the health of people in the community by creating an interconnected system of care from pre-natal care to birth to end-of-life. To learn more, please visit www.moht.ca.

For media:
Cailin Rodgers Manager, Public Affairs [email protected] / 647-628-8777
For information about Mississauga Health:
Mississauga Health Project Team [email protected]

Mississauga (November 20, 2019) – Metamorphosis Network held another successful forum at the Roma’s Hospitality Centre. The forum was developed to provide Community Sector updates, highlight the CSS value and role in OHT full applications, present a local panel of OHT full application representatives and engage providers in OHT’s with a focus on legal and risk considerations. To view the slides, please click here. 

Mississauga (October 22, 2019) – Peel Senior Link’s Checklists in Community Care has been accepted by Health Standards Organization as a leading practice. The submission titled “Checklists in Community Care – Improving Consistency and Client Experience” met all the required criteria to be defined as a “practice carried out by a health and/or social service organization that has demonstrated a positive change, is people centred, safe and efficient”.

Peel Senior Link sought best practices from other industries that have successfully mastered shift exchanges or hand-offs in high reliability settings. The checklist was developed, utilizing the airline construct, that encapsulated all the critical steps needed to be undertaken for a successful shift exchange. The purpose of the leading practice was to minimize the inconsistencies of care delivery among different frontline staff and service locations.

The checklist improved client satisfaction with care delivery, especially when care is delivered by a staff clients are unfamiliar with. The checklist also adds a level of safety and comfort for clients, ensuring the same, high quality care is delivered regardless of who is providing the service.

About Peel Senior Link

Peel Senior Link is a non-profit charitable organization that provides quality and valued assisted living services by helping seniors live independently and safely, with dignity and respect. Since its inception, the organization has provided personal support and homemaking as core services on a 24/7 basis, along with numerous research & innovative partnerships and complementary programs and support to over 1,200 clients and caregivers in the Region of Peel (Mississauga and Brampton). The organization has been accredited with exemplary standing with Accreditation Canada and is the recipient of numerous quality and leadership awards for its innovative community care model and health system improvements.

About Health Standards Organization

HSO stands for Health Standards Organization. Formed in February 2017, our goal is to unleash the power and potential of people around the world who share our passion for achieving quality health services for all. We are a registered non-profit headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. As our name states, our focus is on developing standards, assessment programs, and other methodologies to enable health and social service providers around the world to move the needle on quality while doing what they do best: saving and improving lives.

About Leading Practices

Health Standards Organization (HSO) and its affiliate, Accreditation Canada, have been identifying and publishing Leading Practices in the Leading Practices Library for over 15 years. A Leading Practice is a practice carried out by a health and/or social service organization that has demonstrated a positive change, is people centred, safe and efficient.

Interviews are available with Raymond Applebaum, CEO or Swapnil Rege, COO. To arrange an interview or for more information, please contact:

Raymond Applebaum

CEO

Peel Senior Link

905-712-4413 ext. 322

[email protected]

Swapnil Rege

COO

Peel Senior Link

905-712-4413 ext. 325

[email protected]

www.peelseniorlink.com

We are delighted to announce that the Grand Parade successfully raised net proceeds in the amount of $11,942.77. We are grateful to the 40 volunteers and 79 walkers in making this event successful. These donations will support local programs and services operated by PSL that enable seniors to live independently with dignity and respect.

Peel Senior Link
A non-profit, charitable organization enabling seniors to live independently in the community safely, with dignity and respect. The agency provides eligible seniors and persons with a physical disability with quality & valued 24-7 Assisted Living support and services including Personal Support Workers and Home Helpers, in designated buildings and neighbourhoods in Mississauga and Brampton/Bramalea.

Blue Sea Foundation
A registered Canadian charity that exists to help other charities thrive financially by providing easy access to profitable turn-key fundraising events and services like The Grande Parade, the Coldest Night of the Year, and the Ride for Refuge.

For further information about the Mississauga Grand Parade, contact Tiziana Pelusi, Event Director, [email protected] 905-712-4413 Ext. 341 or https://thegrandparade.org/home.

Mississauga (October 3, 2019) – Marybeth Ward, Director Human Resources & Privacy Officer opened the National Seniors Day event in conjunction with the Centre for Education & Training to acknowledge and celebrate older adults in the community.

Toronto (September 26, 2019) – Swapnil Rege, COO and Tiziana Pelusi, Community Development Coordinator presented at the First National Integrated Care Summit in Toronto. Their presentation titled “Integrating community pharmacy strategies to improve community care medication management” focused on the critical role PSW’s can play in reducing medication errors for frail and complex seniors in the community. This can only be possible with a collaborative and comprehensive medication management program. Peel Senior Link is proud to partner with Resident Care Pharmacy to deliver this Health Standards Ontario Leading Practice. You can visit the conference page here. 

Toronto (June 20, 2019) – Marybeth Ward, Director Human Resources & Privacy Officer was named a finalist for the Rising Star Award at the Your Workplace HR Awards of Excellence. The recognition celebrates her excellence and dedication to the employees of Peel Senior Link and ongoing commitment to the organization. On behalf of the organization, we wanted to congratulate Marybeth on this achievement and wish her continued success.

You can learn more about Your Workplace by going to www.yourworkplace.ca.

Toronto (June 12, 2019) – Swapnil Rege, COO, was invited to speak on a panel discussing the use of technology in seniors care. He was joined by Shelley Burnett, National Director – Digital Health & Innovation at Bayshore HealthCare and Candace Chartier, Healthcare Consultant. The panel debated the opportunities and challenges technology poses with its implementation in seniors care and its scope in the ongoing healthcare transformation. 

You can view the event details at: https://iotevents.ca/event/healthcare-2019/.

June 11, 2019 – To mark Seniors’ Month in Ontario this June, the Sheridan Centre for Elder Research is excited to launch the Building Connected Communities: Social Isolation and Loneliness Toolkit.

Mississauga (May 14, 2019) – Metamorphosis Network puts a spotlight on the newly approved Ontario Health Agency, and emerging Ontario Health Teams sponsoring a forum to provide a shared understanding of the health transformation agenda and partnership opportunities for Community Support, Mental Health & Addiction, and Community Health Centres Health Service Providers (HSP’s): Board governors; Clients/Caregivers; and CEO’s/Executive Directors/Senior Management.

The Metamorphosis Network is a partner in the Ontario Health Team readiness assessments submitted on May 15^th to the MOH&LTC with the Ontario Health Team in Mississauga, and the Ontario Health Team in Brampton/Bramalea/Malton/West Woodbridge/ and North Etobicoke.

The forum featured presentations by the Ontario Community Support Association on the Ontario Health Agency, Accountable Care Models by Trillium Health Partners, and a Community Health Ontario panel including OCSA, CMHA, AMHO, and AOHC. For a copy of the presentation click here.

Picture: front row (L-R): Deborah Simon, CEO OCSA; Uppala Chandrasekera, Director, Public Policy – CMHA Ontario; Adrienne Spafford, CEO – Addictions and Mental Health Ontario; Adrianna Tetley, CEO – Alliance for Healthier Communities

Back row (L-R): Karen Parsons, Executive Director – Peel Addiction Assessment and Referral Centre and Co-Chair Metamorphosis Network;  Jeremiah Hwee, Post-Doctoral Fellow – Institute for Better Health; Shawn Kerr, Associate Vice-President, Public Affairs and Strategic Partnerships – Trillium Health Partners; Patrick Boily, Manager Policy and Stakeholder Engagement – OCSA; Raymond Applebaum, CEO – Peel Senior Link and Co-Chair Metamorphosis Network.

Mississauga (May 13th, 2019)

The Grand Parade – ‘Walking for Independence’

In Canada, growing older can often rob people of status, a sense of being valued, and even self-respect. On Saturday, June 1st, we’re walking and fundraising to publicly honour and support aging friends and family. This event is a key fundraising event for Peel Senior Link, and will support our expanding work with seniors throughout Mississauga and Brampton.

Peel Senior Link, a non-profit charitable organization is hosting a super-fun family-friendly walk in Mississauga to support local programs and services that enable seniors to live independently with dignity and respect. We have partnered with Blue Sea Foundation who sponsors Grand Parade Canada-wide and supports charities through this and other key events year round.
There are 4 ways for the public to get involved:
1. Become a team captain, raise funds, invite others to join your team
2. Be a walker, and raise funds
3. Be a donor, and sponsor one of our dedicated walkers
4. Be a volunteer and help on the day of the event

We invited several special guests including Mayor Crombie, and local M.P.P.s/M.P.s who will say a few words during opening remarks at 10:00 AM, with the walk kicking off at 10:15 AM. Registration opens at 9 AM. We received confirmation that the Honourable Minister Cho, Minister for Seniors and Accessibility will be speaking.
The 2.5 km and 5 km walks will start/finish from 1555 South Parade Court, Mississauga, at the Creditvale Mills Community Wellness Hub (corner of Eglinton Avenue & Creditview Road).

Peel Senior Link
A non-profit, charitable organization enabling seniors to live independently in the community safely, with dignity and respect. The agency provides eligible seniors and persons with a physical disability with quality & valued 24-7 Assisted Living support and services including Personal Support Workers and Home Helpers, in designated buildings and neighbourhoods in Mississauga and Brampton/Bramalea.

Blue Sea Foundation
A registered Canadian charity that exists to help other charities thrive financially by providing easy access to profitable turn-key fundraising events and services like The Grande Parade, the Coldest Night of the Year, and the Ride for Refuge.

For further information about the Mississauga Grand Parade, contact Tiziana Pelusi, Director, [email protected] 905-712-4413 Ext. 341 or https://thegrandparade.org/home.

Brampton (April 12, 2019) – Peel Senior Link (PSL) was pleased to host Sara Singh, MPP, Brampton Centre and Deputy Leader, Official Opposition at Knightsbridge, to showcase the Assisted Living for High Risk Seniors 24/7 hub & spoke service model. We shared the unique medication management program offered by PSL, which significantly reduces medication-related hospital emergency visits and ensures continued independence for seniors in their community. Sara heard about the Assisted Living program client experience directly from the clients perspective highlighting the important services received from PSL, and the dignity and respect with which they receive their quality and valued services from front line staff on a daily basis.

We also shared information about the innovative program, Integrated Seniors Team funded by the CWLHIN, in partnership with the Punjabi Community Health Services (PCHS), and Services and Housing in the Province (SHIP) which currently serves west Brampton. The program includes a 24-hour on-call system for emerging crisis situations, in-home visits, chronic disease prevention and management, and assessment and management of environmental and home risk factors.

Mississauga (March 26, 2019) – Peel Senior Link and Resident Care Pharmacy’s partnership with the Medication Management Program has been accepted by Health Standards Organization as a leading practice. The submission titled “Health Quality, Safety, and Enhanced Experience for Community-Based Client – A Collaborative Medication Management Program” met all the required criteria to be defined as a “practice carried out by a health and/or social service organization that has demonstrated a positive change, is people centred, safe and efficient”.

Peel Senior Link (PSL) and Resident Care Pharmacy (RCP) developed a comprehensive Medication Management Program (MMP), including drafting of policies and procedures, orientation videos, audit procedures, service agreements, ongoing evaluation and performance improvement and access to 24 hours’ pharmacist support. Clients who are on multiple drug regimes, experiencing cognitive loss or physical challenges that keep them from safe medication administration, receive in-person delivery of the medications at the prescribed time by a Personal Support Worker (PSW). The PSW instruct, cue and encourage the client to take their medications under supervision and within their scope of practice.

The objective of the program was to reduce medication related errors, hospitalization rates, delay/avoid long-term care placements, and ensure the capacity for continued independence of seniors.

System value is demonstrated in three ways: (a) Potential cost savings: MMP has shown to reduce medication errors, thereby reducing emergency hospitalization and ER visits, (b) Client value: Seniors have clearly articulated on their preferred place to live independently in their own homes. With more seniors living with chronic conditions, multiple drug regimens are becoming the norm. Our MMP has essentially shifted the responsibility from clients to staff, thereby reducing a significant emotional burden on the client and caregivers, and (c) Societal value: By ensuring that seniors are supported in managing their medications, expensive hospitalizations and ER visits are avoided. These savings can be diverted towards other critical health system needs or simply used as cost savings for the entire society.

About Peel Senior Link

Peel Senior Link is a non-profit charitable organization that provides quality and valued assisted living services by helping seniors live independently and safely, with dignity and respect. Since its inception, the organization has provided personal support and homemaking as core services on a 24/7 basis, along with numerous research & innovative partnerships and complementary programs and support to over 1,200 clients and caregivers in the Region of Peel (Mississauga and Brampton). The organization has been accredited with exemplary standing with Accreditation Canada and is the recipient of numerous quality and leadership awards for its innovative community care model and health system improvements.

About Resident Care Pharmacy

Resident Care Pharmacy exclusively provides pharmacy services and products that are unique to supportive independent living residences and group homes across Ontario. As a specialty pharmacy they are not open to the public like a regular retail pharmacy which allows their team to focus solely on the individual and their care providers by providing specialty medication packaging, tailored training and on going support with medication management.

About Health Standards Organization

HSO stands for Health Standards Organization. Formed in February 2017, our goal is to unleash the power and potential of people around the world who share our passion for achieving quality health services for all. We are a registered non-profit headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. As our name states, our focus is on developing standards, assessment programs, and other methodologies to enable health and social service providers around the world to move the needle on quality while doing what they do best: saving and improving lives.

About Leading Practices

Health Standards Organization (HSO) and its affiliate, Accreditation Canada, have been identifying and publishing Leading Practices in the Leading Practices Library for over 15 years. A Leading Practice is a practice carried out by a health and/or social service organization that has demonstrated a positive change, is people centred, safe and efficient.

Interviews are available with Raymond Applebaum, CEO or Swapnil Rege, COO. To arrange an interview or for more information, please contact:

Raymond Applebaum

CEO

Peel Senior Link

905-712-4413 ext. 322

[email protected]

Swapnil Rege

COO

Peel Senior Link

905-712-4413 ext. 325

[email protected]

www.peelseniorlink.com

Brampton (March 22, 2019) – Peel Senior Link (PSL) was pleased to host M.P.P. Kevin Yarde Brampton North at Manorbridge to showcase the innovative collaboration for seniors living with mental health challenges. The program funded by the CWLHIN, Integrated Seniors Team, is a partnership between PSL, Punjabi Community Health Services (PCHS), and Services and Housing in the Province (SHIP). The program includes a 24-hour on-call system for emerging crisis situations, in-home visits, chronic disease prevention and management, and assessment and management of environmental and home risk factors.

M.P.P. Kevin Yarde also had the chance to learn more about the tremendous work Personal Support Workers and Home Helpers do in ensuring seniors continue to live independently and safely in their own homes. He was introduced to the unique medication management program offered by PSL, which significantly reduces medication-related emergency visits and ensures continued independence for seniors in their community.  He heard about client experiences from the clients perspective highlighting the important services received from PSL and the dignity and respect with which they receive their quality and valued services from staff on a daily basis.

To see more on M.P.P. Kevin Yarde’s twitter, click here.

Photo credit: M.P.P. Kevin Yarde.

Brampton (February 21, 2019) – Peel Senior Link (PSL) was a recipient of a honourary mention at the Central West LHIN Quality Awards 2019. There were a total of 15 applicants, of which 3 agencies received the honourary mention.

Peel Senior Link, in partnership with Resident Care Pharmacy, developed a comprehensive Medication Management Program (MMP) that reduces medication-related errors, hospitalization rates, delay or avoid long-term placements, and ensure that seniors have the capacity for continued independence.

This mention validates the work undertaken by the medication management team, led by Tiziana Pelusi, and the PSW’s in ensuring continued success of this program.