nucleus

Client Satisfaction Survey Results 2025

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:17:42 GMT

Your Voice in Action

At Nucleus Independent Living, the experiences and perspectives of the people we support guide how we grow, adapt, and deliver care. Each year, our Client Satisfaction Survey gives us meaningful insight into what matters most to clients and where we can continue strengthening the services to which they rely to live independently in their home.

The 2025 Client Satisfaction Survey results show not only strong confidence in the care we provide, but also clear signs of improvement, improvements shaped directly by client and caregiver feedback. We’re excited to share the progress we’ve made together and the steps ahead as we continue working toward better experiences for everyone we serve.

Growing Engagement and Stronger Participation

In 2025, client participation increased to 48%, representing a 12%-point improvement from 36% in 2024 and exceeding typical response rates in the Canadian healthcare sector, which generally range between 30–35%.

Through expanded outreach methods including email, mail, phone calls, and tablet-supported technology, more clients had the opportunity to participate in this year’s survey. This increase response opportunity reflects greater accessibility as well as a stronger sense of engagement across our community. Clients took the opportunity to share their unique experiences, helping Nucleus to better understand what is working well and where we can improve.

What Clients Told Us

The 2025 survey results affirm Nucleus’ commitment to person-centred care, built on trust, professionalism, and compassionate service delivery. Across all areas of care, clients shared positive experiences with Nucleus services. Highlights from this year’s results include:

✔ Safety

Most clients expressed that they feel safe while receiving care.

✔ Courtesy & Respect

Clients consistently reported being treated with kindness, dignity, and respect—values that sit at the heart of Nucleus’ philosophy.

✔ Arriving on Time

Many clients shared that service providers arrive on time or keep them informed when plans change.

✔ Care Planning

Over 80% of clients reported that they are involved in planning their care.

✔ Consistent Care Teams

Clients continue to value consistency, especially when supported by the same worker or care team.

Importantly, 86% of clients rated their overall experience as “Good”, “Great”, or “Excellent” , reflecting a high level of trust in the care delivered. A significant majority shared that they feel safe while receiving care.

Together, these results reflect the dedication of our staff and the strong, meaningful relationships built with the individuals and families we serve.

Turning Feedback into Action

Survey insights are reviewed using a structured Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) approach - identifying themes, implementing targeted improvements, monitoring outcomes, and refining our practices over time. This ensures that client feedback translates into measurable action and meaningful progress.

Clients told us that reliability and consistency were essential. In response, Nucleus strengthened dedicated care teams, enhanced scheduling practices, and improved communication to ensure greater clarity around visit timing and care planning.

While most visits occur at convenient times, some clients shared that scheduling can still be a challenge. We are continuing to focus on visit time convenience, working to create more predictable and reliable scheduling windows.

These improvements reinforce our value of Accountability , ensuring we take responsibility for elevating the care experience, and Excellence , our commitment to ongoing improvement.

Looking Ahead

Nucleus is grateful to all its clients who took the time to complete the survey. Their feedback matters. It strengthens our organization and reinforces our commitment to the people we serve.

We look forward to continuing this work, building on insights through collaboration, targeted improvement, and ongoing dialogue. Together, we turn feedback into meaningful change!

Nucleus Reimagined

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 20:13:50 GMT

Reimagining community and care, together

It started with a Makeover

On November 3, 2025 , Nucleus officially reopened its head office following a four-month long renovation. The physical metamorphosis reflects who we are at Nucleus - collaborative, creative, innovative, and modern - achieving our vision of a high performing team, with the Art of Possible around every corner. Stepping into this new chapter, where the walls literally came down, Nucleus staff celebrated as ONE Team , remembering that everyone has an important role to play in advancing Nucleus’ mission of delivering extraordinary care at home.

Features of the new office include: an open and bright new main entrance, walls strategically placed for team collaboration, and happily, greater light dispersion, all new furniture including height adjustable desks and six phone booths to expand our space from 29 to 59 staff, Lavazza coffee bar, new high-tech AV systems in the meeting rooms, and refreshed décor including a History and Awards Wall honouring Nucleus’ roots and evolution.

A Celebration of ONE Team

To commemorate the reopening, Nucleus hosted an open house event titled “ Nucleus Reimagined” on November 19, 2025 . The event brought together staff, partners, and community leaders to celebrate both the revitalized space and the shared vision guiding the organization forward. It was truly a pivotal moment for Nucleus; a day filled with inspiring stories from our community partners, thought leaders in digital excellence, and celebrating the integral parts of our organization – the committed and compassionate staff, and the clients we get the privilege of caring for every day.

The day opened with a staff team huddle led by Laura Salisbury, CEO , who reflected on Nucleus’ journey over the last five years and emphasized the importance of unity, adaptability, and collective purpose. Guided tours followed, giving attendants and office staff an opportunity to experience the reimagined workspace. Stations along the tour were led by each department following the journey of a Nucleus client along the care pipeline, highlighting how each team contributes to our mission, from Central Registry to Finance to MITO, our digital powerhouse.

Thought Leadership and Community Connection

Nucleus was honoured to have respected leaders in community and healthcare speak at the event, reinforcing Nucleus’ role as a forward-thinking organization committed to innovation and collaboration.

We were honored to welcome Dr. Karima Velji , Assistant Deputy Minister of Health whose leadership in advancing home and community care continues to inspire us.

Dr. Velji reminded us that “The healthcare system of tomorrow must be different from the healthcare system of today. We have a rapidly ageing population. We cannot afford to operate the healthcare system the way we are operating it today. You have to change the size and shape of the healthcare system and put extraordinary number of investments into home and community care.”

Her words reinforce why our work matters, "PSWs help manage [my mom's] activities of daily living in a way that I'm grateful for. They treat her like a family member, and they have become a family member.”

Miranda Romanowicz , CEO, shared a few words and Nucleus was grateful to have the incredible team at OPSWA for join our even. Miranda had some encouraging words for our team:

"Nucleus was the first employer in Ontario to mandate OPSWA professional verification, a bold commitment that raised the bar for excellence across the entire home and community sector. Their belief in professionalism, safety and high standards has made a meaningful difference in the lives of both PSWs and the clients they support… Together, with Nucleus, we are laying the groundwork for the first ever provincial Best Practices for community care PSWs. It will bring clarity, consistency, and stronger safety standards to home and community care."

Additionally, it was a pleasure hosting the OCSA team and hearing valuable insights from CEO, Lori Holloway . Lori highlighted:

“Nucleus has been investing in staff digital literacy, process redesign, and change management, recognizing that digital transformation is as much about people and culture as it is about technology. This thoughtful, practical approach positions Nucleus not just to adapt to system changes, but to help shape them.”

Finally, it was an absolute pleasure having Aleem Bhanji and colleagues from Alaya Care join the event. As the keynote speaker, Aleem’s insights on leveraging technology to enhance empathy and teamwork truly resonated with everyone in attendance. We are grateful for his thoughtful remarks:

“Nucleus’ transformation shows what’s possible: when you break silos, adopt common processes, and use digital tools with purpose, you create space for the human moments that matter most. We show Ontario that community care is not the afterthought of the system but it’s the heartbeat.”

More Than a Renovation

Nucleus Reimagined is about more than walls, furniture, or technology. It reflects a strategic shift toward greater integration and collaboration across teams, including the alignment of Nucleus’ key programs such as Attendant Outreach (AO) and Support for Daily Living (SDL), and strengthened connections with our Central Registry, and Regional Learning Centre divisions.

The renovated head office now serves as a dynamic hub for collaboration, learning, and innovation, equipping staff to deliver seamless, high-quality care that empowers clients to live safely, independently, and with dignity.

As Nucleus steps into this new chapter, the message is clear: with a renewed environment, a sharpened focus, and a united ONE Team, the organization is well positioned to create lasting impact. Together, Nucleus continues to strengthen communities, support safer homes, and build brighter futures, one client, one caregiver, and one success at a time.

PSW Best Practice Guidelines for Safer Client Mobilization

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 20:56:30 GMT

January 19, 2026, marked the release of the Ontario Personal Support Worker: Best Practice Guidelines for Safer Client Mobilization in Community Care — the first-ever province-wide Best Practice Guidelines developed specifically for Personal Support Workers (PSWs). It was a proud moment for Nucleus as we recognize the significant leadership of our Regional Learning Centre in creating these guidelines in collaboration with the Ontario Personal Support Worker Association (OPSWA) .

The Best Practice Guidelines are created to guide critical thinking, ensure consistency, and foster high-quality care. They offer PSWs clear, evidence‑based, and practical recommendations that support safer client mobilization , helping to minimize risk, uphold dignity, and improve outcomes for clients and their families receiving care in their homes and communities.

Personal Support Workers (PSWs) play a vital role in helping people live safely and independently at home. One of the most critical aspects of their work is client mobilization , assisting individuals to move, walk, or transfer safely while protecting both the client and the caregiver.

To support this essential work, PSWs rely on standards and guidelines . Standards define the minimum requirements for safety and quality, while guidelines provide practical, real-world direction on how to meet those expectations consistently. Together, they ensure care is safe, effective, and person-centered.

Why These Guidelines Matter

Until now, mobilization practices varied widely across organizations. These new Best Practice Guidelines provide clarity, consistency, and confidence by aligning daily practice with established safety standards.

They support:

Safer outcomes for clients
Reduced risk of injury for PSWs
More consistent care across the community care sector

These guidelines empower PSWs with evidence-based tools that respect client dignity, abilities, and preferences. For clients and families, this means safer care and greater trust in community-based services.

For employers, the guidelines provide clearer expectations, improved consistency, and enhanced workforce safety. At a system level, they contribute to improved public safety, reduced workplace injuries, and higher-quality community care.

The launch of Ontario’s first PSW Best Practice Guidelines marks an important starting point, not the finish line. More guidelines will be developed and released , continuing to strengthen PSW education, practice, and professional recognition across Ontario.

Learn More:
Ontario Personal Support Worker: Best Practice Guidelines for Safer Client Mobilization in Community Care

Nucleus Earns Fifth Consecutive CARF Accreditation

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 15:09:23 GMT

At Nucleus, quality is not just a standard—it’s our culture

Rooted in our mission quality shapes our processes, guides our decisions, and fuels our commitment to continuous improvement. We believe in listening - truly listening - to feedback from staff, clients, and families. That openness is what helps us grow stronger every day.

We’re proud to share that Nucleus has received a fifth consecutive three-year Accreditation from CARF International for Home and Community Services and Governance Standards , achieving outstanding results in all standards on the survey . Over three days in June 2025, CARF surveyors engaged with our teams, clients, and families to explore how our services align with internationally recognized standards of quality.

Out of 1,550 standards assessed , we achieved:

✅ 100% compliance in:
• Financial Planning & Management
• Risk Management
• Technology
• Rights of Persons Served
• Accessibility
• Performance Measurement & Management
• Performance Improvement
• Leadership
• Strategic Planning
• Input from Stakeholders
• Legal Requirements

Nucleus beat the Benchmark in 12 of the 13 categories!

This accomplishment reflects the dedication, professionalism, and heart that our teams bring to their work every day working towards our vision of “reimagining community and care, together .”

We are celebrating this success, but more importantly, we’re listening, learning, and building forward. The next three years will be focused on growth, innovation, and rising to new challenges as we continue our journey toward excellence in every standard.

Nucleus New Partnership Press Release

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 17:22:23 GMT

Nucleus is the first organization in Canada to become a Premier Partner with OPSWA.

For Immediate Release

Oakville, Ontario, July 31, 2025 — Nucleus Independent Living is proud to announce a unique collaboration with the Ontario Personal Support Workers Association (OPSWA), becoming the first organization in Canada to ensure that all Personal Support Workers (PSWs) are active members in good standing of their professional association. This milestone is not only historic for Ontario, but for the entire country, as it establishes how Canadians want to be supported in their communities and homes, and further recognizes the critical work of PSWs.

As OPSWA’s first Premier Partner, Nucleus is taking a bold step in raising the bar for standards, accountability, and professional excellence in home and community care. By guaranteeing professional association membership for every PSW, Nucleus reaffirms its commitment to recognizing PSWs as skilled professionals and ensuring they are supported with the resources, advocacy, and professional development they deserve.

"At Nucleus, we believe in our people, and know that they are the key ingredient to supporting clients and consumers in their homes and communities, with dignity, compassion, and expertise. This partnership goes beyond symbolism. It is a structural change that ensures our PSWs are supported in their daily work, as well as recognized, empowered, and aligned with a higher professional standard that all Canadians deserve." - Laura Salisbury, CEO, Nucleus Independent Living

“This initiative reflects how we want to support PSWs with real tools, real recognition, and a strong voice.” - Trish Maxwell, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Client Services.

This collaboration introduces Ontario’s first-ever professional practice guidelines for PSWs and sets a new benchmark for quality and accountability in care delivery across the sector. By supporting this initiative, Nucleus is helping lead transformative change in how PSWs are integrated into the healthcare system and how their roles are respected by both employers and the public at large.

For over four decades, Nucleus has been committed to delivering exceptional care and creating inclusive, respectful environments for both clients and staff. This partnership represents the next phase of that commitment, advancing both client outcomes and workforce growth and sustainability.

For media inquiries, please contact Nucleus Communications:

communications@nucleusonline.ca

Registration Open: Ontario Health Central Region CSS Advisory Committee Virtual Conference

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 17:34:42 GMT

Taking place on March 18, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Shared on behalf of the CSS Advisory Table.

The Ontario Health Central Region Community Support Services Advisory Committee - Partnerships Working Group is thrilled to invite you to a virtual conference hosted by Peel Region's Virtual Adult Day Services Team.

We are working to put together an amazing morning agenda for you, including:

Keynote speaker: Dr. Walter Wodchis

Panel conversation including representatives from Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA), Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN), and Imagine Canada

Question and answer period with Ontario Health Team leadership

More details to follow!

We are pleased to offer this conference at no cost as the initiative is funded by the Ministry of Health.

Please click here to register!

Please share with your teams, and we welcome multiple staff from your organization to join us!

Improving Care, One Connection at a Time

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 16:05:29 GMT

How Nucleus Independent Living Transformed Care Communication and Efficiency with AlayaCare’s Family Portal

Clear and efficient communication is at the heart of delivering exceptional care. For Nucleus Independent Living, enhancing the way we engage with families isn't just a goal—it is a necessity.

In the latest AlayaCare case study, How Nucleus Independent Living Transformed Care, Communication and Efficiency with AlayaCare’s Family Portal , we dive into our journey of innovation, collaboration, and the transformative results achieved.

Discover how our implementation with the AlayaCare Family Portal helped streamline care updates, built trust with families, and empowered our team to focus on what matters most—delivering outstanding care.

Check out the full case study here and uncover insights that might inspire your own care delivery strategies.

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For more information, connect with info@nucleusonline.ca

Research Institute for Aging

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 17:39:44 GMT

Future Facing, Global Impact: Pushing the boundaries of knowledge and innovation to enable successful aging.

The Research Institute for Aging (RIA) is a charitable, non-profit organization that enhances the quality of life and care for older adults through research, education, and practice. RIA connects research to the real world and tackle the biggest issues facing an aging population. Their innovative approach to research is helping to change the way we age in Canada.

RIA supports research and explores aging across various topics by engaging stakeholders throughout the research process. Using these research findings, they then create resources, programs, education and training and inform practice and policy change to enhance quality of life and improve care for older adults everywhere.

Their website is full of excellent resources to support older adults and caregivers to information on aging as well as learn and/or participate in research.

We encourage you to review the vast amount of resources available as well as sign up for their newsletter, RIA Insiders .

Digital Health Canada Award Winners announced at Vancouver e-Health 2024 Conference and Tradeshow

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 14:58:09 GMT

Nucleus' CEO, Laura Salisbury, recognized as Community Care Leader of the Year 2024

Digital Health Canada Award winners were announced at the e-Health 2024 Conference and Tradeshow, held this year in Vancouver from May 26 -28, 2024. Digital Health Canada annually offers awards in six categories—Digital Health Executive of the Year; Digital Health Leader of the Year; Clinical Innovator of the Year; Community Care Leader of the Year; Emerging Leader of the Year; and Start-Up Innovator of the Year—as well as the Steven Huesing Scholarship.

This year, Nucleus was thrilled to learn that our very own CEO, Laura Salisbury was selected for the Community Care Leader of the Year. Every year, this award recognizes up to three individual community care leaders who have shown outstanding leadership in Canada in advancing the use of digital health or virtual health, resulting in improved provider and patient experiences and outcomes. Laura's visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to advancing digital and virtual health in community care has set new standards for excellence, significantly improving provider and patient experiences and outcomes in Canada.

Since assuming the role of CEO of Nucleus in September 2020, Laura has demonstrated unparalleled leadership in the adoption and innovative application of digital health technologies. Her work has been instrumental in transforming the landscape of community care. Under her guidance, Nucleus has seen substantial improvements in operational efficiency and service delivery, exemplified by the enhancement of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and eReferral systems. These advancements have directly contributed to a 15.6% improvement in client experience and a notable increase in base funding for programs and services by 18%, amounting to an additional $3 million.

Laura's approach goes beyond the implementation of technology; she emphasizes the appropriate use of digital and virtual health solutions to foster better health outcomes. Her leadership has ensured that these technologies are leveraged to improve decision-making processes, enhance care coordination, and encourage client engagement. Laura's efforts have not only benefited the clients served by Nucleus, but also set a pioneering example for the broader community care sector, particularly highlighting the significance of digital health in areas that have been traditionally underserved.

"I have had the opportunity to observe Laura's dedication to advancing the use of digital health and virtual health in our community," says Squib Vali, Board Chair, Nucleus. "Laura serves as a role model, champion, and leader in encouraging digital health health to improve knowledge-based practice and the quality of client care."

Congratulations Laura!

To learn more, contact info@nucleusonline.ca

The Human Library Experience

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 17:04:27 GMT

Resetting Mindsets for Equitable Care. Leading experience-based education for providers across Central Region, one ‘book’ at a time.

Last year, Nucleus, through its Regional Learning Centre (RLC), was asked to lead the implementation of the Human Library for all Health Service Providers (HSPs) across Central Region. The project was so successful that funding has been expanded for another year.

The Human Library is a not-for-profit international organization and movement that first started in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2000 and has been used in over 80 countries by a wide range of organizations. The Human Library approach promotes understanding and celebrates differences of diverse individuals and groups who are often subject to prejudice or discrimination. Its diversity learning approach aims to address stigma and stereotypes through open personal conversations with people they may normally not meet. The experience creates a safe space to explore diversity through transparent dialogues. In this library, readers borrow people instead of books, in the hopes of bridging misunderstandings, misconceptions, and divisions. Participants, known as ‘readers’ ‘check out’ a human book (trained volunteer with lived experience) and have a conversation that wouldn't normally happen due to social norms to avoid being socially inappropriate, insulting or uninformed. Human books could include, but are not limited to, communities most affected by social and health inequities, such as Indigenous, 2SLGBTQ+, refugees, racialized individuals, and people with disabilities.

To date, the RLC has led 12 Human Library events, with over 600 participants, including post-reflection sessions for 'readers' to critically discuss initial reactions of the experience. The initiative has also led to the publishing of 21 Ontario-based ‘books’ within the following pillars: Health, Social Status, Ethnicity, Gender, Mental Health, Addiction, Victim/Survivor, Disability, Religion, Neurodiversity, Sexuality, Lifestyle, Family Relations, Ideology, which health service providers will continue to read in the coming years.

The response from participants to date have been overwhelmingly positive with many requesting to attend a second (or third!) time.

Participant Response

97% of Readers completely agree/agree that the Human Library experience provided them with new knowledge.

96% of Readers believed they could apply the new knowledge they gained in a work-related setting

88% completely agree/agree the experience will change the way they interact with groups of people at work

96% completely agree/agree they gained knowledge about a certain group that would help them at work in the future

To learn more or to participate , visit the Regional Learning Centre.

Values Inspired Person Award

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 16:34:27 GMT

The Nucleus Values Inspired Award (VIP) award recognizes and celebrates one Nucleus staff member annually who demonstrates our core values – integrity, collaboration, compassion, accountability, respect and excellence, every day.

The Nucleus Values Inspired Award (VIP) award recognizes and celebrates one Nucleus staff member annually who demonstrates our core values – integrity, collaboration, compassion, accountability, respect and excellence, every day. Nominations are submitted by staff and our Staff Experience Council blindly reviews and scores all submissions.

This year, the committee unanimously selected Kimberly Martinez, Manager, Central Registry as the 2023-2024 recipient after receiving seven nominations. “Kimberly is a daily embodiment of our values,” says Laura Salisbury, CEO. “She consistently supports her team, our clients and this organization through her relentless commitment and positivity to going above and beyond in absolutely everything she does. She is so deserving of this incredible achievement.”

Kimberly shows integrity by advocating for anyone who needs help using a strong moral compass. She demonstrates compassion by listening to the needs of others and helping others by exhausting all resources. Her compassion is evident in her efforts to improve processes in the healthcare and social service industry, which demonstrates her commitment to promoting quality of life for others. Her ability to collaborate with members within her organization and external parties has enabled positive change by improving processes and allowing for increased communication between parties, ultimately improving the quality of services to our clients. She has shown accountability by taking responsibility for her actions and decisions. Kimberly's respect for others is clear in her ability to treat everyone with kindness, which creates a quality work environment for all enabling excellence by setting a high standard for others to strive for.

Congratulations Kimberly! We are so lucky to have you as a key member of this team.

We also want to recognize and celebrate all nominees. These extraordinary individuals lead with their hearts and are integral to our clients and colleagues every day. Thank you - Jenny (Client Services & Scheduling Coordinator), Krystyna (PSW), Natalia (Respite Advisor), Helen (PSW), Nilmini (PSW), Beverley (PSW) and Neha, Care Team Lead.

Impact Report 2024

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 16:18:51 GMT

“We’re here to exceed expectations, every time. Our focus is on transforming care in the community through reimaging and solutioning a new path forward.” We invite you to read out 2023-2024 Annual Report

Read the 2023-2024 Annual Report.

This year, Nucleus celebrated an important milestone - 40 years of service. While much has changed over the course of four decades, our relentless commitment to improving the lives of the people we care for, is unwavering. Throughout 2023-2024, we reflected on our past, celebrated our accomplishments and imagined what we could become in our future. Ultimately, how did we do in our strategic quest for securing the core, learn and explore and be ready for more?

Since 1983, Nucleus has had exponential growth in programming, geographic-reach and staffing complement. From the 14 founding clients to now, thousands annually, Nucleus stands as a leader in modernized, integrated, compassionate home-based care in our region. Further, we create a lifeline for clients and families navigating the health system by connecting them to the best supports to meet their whole-person needs through our Centralized Intake program. For the last 10 years, it has also been a leader in training and educating personal care staff, regulated professionals and family caregivers in the community sector through the Regional Learning Centre (RLC). The programming is elevating the standards of care across all service provision, allowing people to live and thrive in their communities, as long as they wish. As you’ll read in this report, there are many more highlights along the way.

2023-2024 will be remembered as the year we improved our clients’ and staff’s experience. In August, through the Family Portal, we connected clients and caregivers to their own digital information. The portal provides access to timely and tangible information to improve their quality of life, based on their own needs. Further, we transitioned to new digital assets creating a powerful platform from which to launch Snowflake, PowerBI, ADP and Beanworks; collectively enabling us to expand access to information and empower our stakeholders. From a regional perspective, the continued expansion of Adult Day Services (ADS), in partnership with CareDove, has enabled us to assess and connect 681 clients to their preferred ADS program and reduced the waitlist by nearly 70% (from over 1400 to 450 people). By consolidating wait-list information across 22 providers, we minimized single caregivers and care recipients from experiencing multiple transition points across the system to just one.

This year also saw our continued commitment and perseverance of equity, diversity and inclusion. Through leading an experience-based education series for nearly 600 providers across Central Region, embedding culturally-sensitive meals through the food programs and cultivating staff-driven improvements, we remain in pursuit of equity across all facets of our organization and communities we serve. In May 2023, three years into our leadership journey, we were humbled to receive recognition from the Canadian College of Health Leaders with the Healthcare Leadership Award for outstanding contribution to an organization, community and health system.

Aspiring for excellence, every time, remains our north star, and the truth remains that our transformation journey has only begun. Our new vision of reimagining community and care, together, is the culmination of our experience to date that laid the foundation for future growth, performance and innovation beyond traditional community care thinking. We’re solutioning for what a person-centred health care system can be through our new mission to “enable adults to live with independence and a high quality of life in their communities, by delivering extraordinary care at home.”

When we started, the ‘art of possible’ made us envision endless opportunities for Nucleus. Thanks to the strong commitment from our talented and committed Board of Directors, dedicated staff, and our many stakeholders, including Ministry of Health, Ontario Health, Ontario Health Teams, community partners and collaborators, our commitment towards reimaging care in the community is catapulting us towards exceeding excellence, every time.

We thank you for your trust. Onwards and upwards.

Laura Salisbury, CEO Saquib Vali, Board Chair

The Family Portal Experience at Nucleus

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 16:33:56 GMT

Nucleus was invited to join AlayaCare at their Family Portal webinar on March 28, 2024 to share our experience with implementing the Portal to our clients.

Excerpt from: The key to better client experience? Improving communication between home-based care providers and clients.

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Leveraging technology to its fullest potential can be transformative. While platforms like AlayaCare’s Family Portal offer immense value, it’s essential to recognize that their effectiveness hinges on more than just activation. As Nucleus Independent Living exemplified during The Family Portal Experience at Nucleus Independent Living Webinar, simply having access to a Family Portal isn’t enough; it requires a strategic approach to maximize its benefits.

During the webinar, Karin Archer Myles and Bushra Kundi from Nucleus Independent Living emphasized that the Family Portal is more than a passive tool—it’s a strategic vehicle for communication and client empowerment. By focusing on a guided onboarding experience, Nucleus ensures clients fully understand how to activate their accounts and how to use the platform from the outset. By leveraging their Care Team Leads and their existing client relationship, Nucleus lays the groundwork for continuous meaningful engagement and collaboration between clients and caregivers.

Watch the on-demand webinar below to learn more about AlayaCare’s Family Portal

Nucleus Presents at McMaster University's eHealth Poster Fair

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 18:45:35 GMT

McMaster's eHealth Master's students showcased their posters from their internship at Nucleus.

Interns (turned employees) Bushra, Thanh and Charlie from the McMaster University’s eHealth program, shone a light on Nucleus’ projects at the annual McMaster eHealth poster fair. It was wonderful to learn about the impact students from this program are having on healthcare organizations across the system (and beyond!).

To learn more about internship opportunities at Nucleus contact Oliver Blunn: Oliver.Blunn@nucleusonline.ca.

International Women’s Day 2024 –Inspire Inclusion

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 17:46:11 GMT

Happy International Women's Day 2024!

International Women’s Day (IWD) is Friday, March 8, 2024. IWD gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. This year’s theme is Inspire Inclusion and is designed to encourage everyone to recognize the unique perspectives and contributions of women from all walks of life, including those from marginalized communities. Learn more here .

Here’s our team doing the #inspireinclusion pose.

Forward with Dementia

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 17:56:35 GMT

Following a dementia diagnosis, it’s only natural to ask questions. This resource is designed to help.

Forward with Dementia is an education initiative through the Research Institute for Aging, co-designed with clients and caregivers with dementia, with resources available and developed specifically developed for three cultural communities: the Chinese community, the Italian community, and the South Asian Community (with plans to expand to other communities).

The website has resources available for:

People living with dementia.

For Caregivers.

For health and social care providers.

Visit: https://forwardwithdementia.ca/

Client Experience Results

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 17:33:59 GMT

Hear what our clients have to say about us and what we're working on to continue to improve their experience.

Bi-annually, we engage with our clients through a short survey to learn about their experience at Nucleus. This helps us understand things we are doing well and where we can continue to improve. The latest results from Fall 2023 have been reviewed by our internal teams and are being mailed to every client. We're excited to share the results here:

Highlights:

• 98% of clients reported 'usually’/'always' feeling safe while receiving care.

• 96% of clients reported feeling 'usually’/'always' treated with courtesy and respect.

• 90% of clients reported being "fully" or "mostly" involved in planning their home care.

How we're actioning areas of improvement:

More enhanced communication through the Family Portal
Innovative scheduling practices with a partnership with the University of Ottawa
Attracting, recruiting and onboarding more PSWs through college practicums.

See the below for a deeper summary of the results, as well as the opportunities.

If you have any questions, reach out to info@nucleusonline.ca.

Happy Lunar New Year!

Sat, 10 Feb 2024 17:39:44 GMT

Wishing everyone celebrating a very Happy Lunar New Year! May the light of the moon illuminate your paths and guide you always!

Black History Month

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 17:48:49 GMT

February is Black History Month. Learn how Nucleus is committed to celebrating contributions, amplifying voices and addressing Anti-Black Racism.

Every February, people across Canada participate in Black History Month events and festivities that honour the legacy of Black people in Canada and their communities.

The 2024 theme for Black History Month is: “ Black Excellence: A Heritage to Celebrate; a Future to Build.” This theme celebrates the rich past and present contributions and accomplishments of Black people in Canada, while aspiring to embrace new opportunities for the future.

At Nucleus, we are proud to embrace the theme of “A Future to Build,” pursuing initiatives that shape a brighter tomorrow for our Black community, clients and staff. We welcome staff, clients and caregivers to share their reflections on the theme and invite you to share experiences of how Nucleus can make strides in combating Anti-Black Racism (ABR).

Our Staff Experience Council, (who meets monthly) is tackling our policies related to equity, diversity and inclusion and will be reviewing frameworks aimed at dismantling systemic barriers within Nucleus and beyond. You can learn more about the Staff Experience Council here or read our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, here .

Staff Experience Results

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 19:51:54 GMT

We're pretty proud of our latest staff experience survey results. We love hearing about what is working, where we're improving and what can be done to make Nucleus the employer of choice. Check it out!

Nucleus has been routinely collecting staff experience information through short “pulse” surveys. The responses from these surveys are thoroughly reviewed by management and incorporated into quality improvement work.

Here are some of the top highlights from Fall 2023:

96.5% of staff “feel a sense of meaning/purpose in their roles at Nucleus
84% ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ they feel well informed about what is happening at Nucleus
On a scale from 1-10 how likely are staff to recommend Nucleus’ services to friends/family, the response was 8.2/10 which is an increase from 6/10 in the December 2022 results.
87.7% ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ they feel comfortable giving opinions and feedback to their manager
85.7% would recommend Nucleus as a great place to work
100% ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ their role gives them a sense of meaning and purpose
100% ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ we are committed to serving our clients
When asked to select three words to describe Nucleus, the three most common were: happy, diverse, innovative, supportive, comfortable

What our staff want - What we are doing about it

More training! Many staff identified ‘training opportunities’ as something they are seeking more of. This is why a training survey was sent to all staff to ensure training plans are created based on what our staff skills and knowledge our staff want to focus on.

Food & Refreshments! Staff would like food and refreshments to be provided at meetings and training. Where possible, we aim to do this, however this is not something we are always able to budget.

Meet & Greets! Now that COVID is less of a risk, we are transitioning staff town halls, team meetings and introducing 1:1 sessions between staff and people managers, including Attendants and their Care Team Leads.

Working Close to Home! We know many staff would like our scheduling efforts to include their travel time to home into consideration. Through the University of Ottawa scheduling work, this is an input we are exploring, however our priority remains our funded commitment obligations, which are to delivering care to the clients we serve across our region.

IT Issues! We encourage everyone, every time, to report any and all IT issues to our IT Help Desk so that we can address, investigate and identify trends; and more importantly resolve and prevent these issues.

If you have any questions about our staff surveys, e-mail karin.archer-myles@nucleusonline.ca

A Visit & Funding Announcement from Oakville MP, Anita Anand

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 16:42:20 GMT

An investment in Adult Day Programs for older adults in our community.

It was an absolute pleasure to have the Honorable Anita Anand, Member of Parliament for Oakville and President of the Treasury Board, stop by Nucleus on December 20, 2023 to announce a $176,000 investment in the Central Registry on behalf of the Community Services Recovery Fund.

The funding will enhance service integration for seniors in our region and provide better access to clients and caregivers for Adult Day Programs , including CANES Community Care, Alzheimer Society Peel, Halton Region, Seniors Life Enhancement Centres, Next Step Active Living - City of Mississauga, Indus Community Services, Acclaim Health, Region of Peel, Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care, and ESS Support Services.

Click here to learn more about the initiative.

Canada Disability Benefit Act & CRA Webinar

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 18:37:14 GMT

Online Engagement Tool and benefits and credits available for persons with disabilities and their caregivers

A message from the Office of the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, Government of Canada

The Canada Disability Benefit Act received Royal Assent on June 22, 2023, after being passed unanimously by the House of Commons and being passed by the Senate.

The Government of Canada is taking the next step in implementing the Canada Disability Benefit , with our launch of the Canada Disability Benefit Regulations Online Engagement Tool , which will give all Canadians, but especially Canadians with disabilities, the opportunity to have their say in the development of the benefit’s regulations. The engagement tool provides an overview of the regulatory areas under the Canada Disability Benefit Act, and space to comment on each of them. The engagement tool is accessible and available in American Sign Language and Langue des signes québécoise.

The Canada Disability Benefit is a cornerstone of Canada’s Disability Inclusion Action Plan and has the potential to transform the lives of working-age Canadians with disabilities currently living in poverty. The benefit aims to reduce poverty and support the financial security of working-age Canadians with disabilities by supplementing, not replacing, existing federal and provincial and territorial supports.

There are a number of avenues to comment and provide input outside of the online engagement tool, including by mail, phone, and video relay. There are also alternative ways to access the information provided through the online engagement tool, including in the form of a Word document or alternate format.

Should you have any questions specific to the tool, please do not hesitate to contact the Office for Disability Issues at edsc.pcph-cdb.esdc@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca .

_____________________________________

Benefits and credits available for persons with disabilities

and their caregivers

You’re invited to join the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for the live and interactive webinar on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, to learn more about the benefits and credits available to persons with disabilities and their caregivers.

We’ll be talking about:

Disability tax credit (DTC)
Child disability benefit, Canada workers benefit disability supplement, Canada caregiver credit and other benefits and credits
registered disability savings plan (RDSP) and Home Buyers’ Plan
ways to do your taxes and other CRA services

We will also hold a Q&A during the webinar to answer questions live. Space is limited, so make sure to register for the webinar in advance! If you are an organization that provides tax services to persons with disabilities, we encourage you to join us and share the event details with your clients.

Vaccines for Older Canadians

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 18:34:05 GMT

Webinar on November 13, 2023. An Update on What Everyone Needs to Know to Enable Healthy Ageing.

One of the best defenses against serious illness in older adults this fall and winter is getting vaccinated against Seasonal Influenza, RSV, COVID-19, Pneumococcal Disease and Shingles while also ensuring that one is staying up-to-date with their other routine recommended vaccines like Diphtheria and Tetanus. Navigating which vaccines to get and when, can be challenging as we age, especially when coverage and where one can get them can vary as well.

The past year has seen the arrival of both new and updated vaccines to prevent Seasonal Influenza, RSV, COVID-19 and Pneumococcal Disease. While the Canadian vaccine landscape is fragmented — knowing what vaccines can help support healthy and independent ageing, can help older adults and their families make better informed choices.

Join Toronto Metropolitan University for an expert discussion with Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Health Policy Research at NIA; Dr. Vivien Brown, Family Physician and Author; and Dr. Allison McGeer, Microbiologist and Infectious Disease Consultant at Mount Sinai Hospital that will examine what this year’s cold and flu season is looking like now and advise on what are the latest vaccines that are currently recommended to protect older adults this cold and flu season and beyond.

Accessibility Information

We strive to present accessible and inclusive events. If you have specific accommodation questions or needs, please contact alice.sk@torontomu.ca. Live captioning will be available for this event.

Client Experience Results

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 17:15:14 GMT

Learn about our latest client satisfaction survey results.

Twice a year, we formally check-in with our clients and request their feedback through a short survey. The feedback provided through this helps us understand how satisfied clients are with our services and helps us focus on areas where we can improve. We hope you will take the time to share your thoughts. Last week, surveys were sent to all active clients. If you did not receive the survey, please contact info@nucleusonline.ca.

This survey has eleven (11) questions and should take less than five minutes to complete. All responses are completely anonymous and are kept confidential.

We're so proud of the quality improvement work we've been doing at Nucleus to improve the experience for our clients and their caregivers. The latest results from March 2023 were a significant improvement from years prior. Here are some of the highlights:

94% of clients reported to 'usually' or 'always' feeling safe when receiving care from Nucleus
90% of clients felt they are 'usually' or 'always' treated with courtesy and respect
there was a significant improvement in how often clients reported receiving service from the same employee (20% responded 'always' in 2022/23 vs. 7% in 2020/21)
83% of clients rated their services as 'good,' 'very good,' or 'excellent' in 2022/23 compared to 72% in 2019/20

Opportunities for improvement that we are working on include:

Scheduling and punctuality of our staff : we have a partnership with the University of Ottawa to establish sophisticated scheduling practices through automation and have also launched the 'Focus 4 customer service excellence' with our staff that focuses on core behavioural expectations, such as arriving on time for client visits.
Equity and diversity: we have launched our staff experience council that is aimed at focusing on equity, diversity and inclusion practices for our organization. We are also establishing client profiles to better understand our regional demographics to better plan and meet the needs of our clients.

We look forward to reviewing our next results in November 2023. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to your Care Team Lead or e-mail: info@nucleusonline.ca

Return to Mandatory Masks for Staff

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 20:39:56 GMT

Changes to Masking Requirements for Our Staff Effective October 2, 2023.

Our community continues to see a rise in respiratory illness, which is why, Nucleus is reintroducing mandatory masking for our staff for every interaction with clients. Mandatory masks for every visit, every time, takes effect on Monday, October 2, 2023 . Many of our staff have continued to wear masks since we moved to a mask friendly environment in the summer. This will be once again be a standard of care.

The safety of staff and clients is always at the forefront of our decision-making. We closely follow the advice of our local Infection Control and Prevention (IPAC) Specialists. We know masks play an important role in preventing the spread of respiratory virus, such as COVID-19. We also know that vaccines prevent severe illness and encourage you to book your annual flu shot and COVID-19 booster through your family doctor or local pharmacy. You can book your COVID-19 booster here: https://www.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/

If you have any questions, please contact your Care Team Lead or call our head office at 905-829-4499.

Better Access to Adult Day Programs in Central Region

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 14:55:23 GMT

Creating a More Equitable and Efficient System Together for the Caregiver Respite Strategy in the Ontario Health Central region.

Partners: Alzheimer Society Peel (ASP), Halton Region, Next Step to Active Living - City of Mississauga, Seniors Life Enhancement Centres (SLEC), Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care, Indus Community Services, Acclaim, ESS Support Services, Region of Peel and CANES.

Access to care through reducing wait times for services has been an ongoing priority across the healthcare system, with pressures further exacerbated over the last three years during the pandemic.

For clients in their local community, the wait often includes additional referrals for other programs and services where the experience can feel like an endless labyrinth with no positive outcome in sight. This year, the Mississauga Halton Central Registry (offering centralized intake and coordinated access for networks of community health providers and their programs and services in the Mississauga Halton region) collaborated with the Adult Day Service (ADS) community service providers to breakdown the silos and uncover efficiencies through collaboration and partnership.

What are Adult Day Services (ADS)?

Adult Day Services are professionally-designed recreational and therapeutic activities for older adults to enhance well-being by providing social, physical and mental stimulation in a supportive group environment and can include the provision of personal care such as bathing, medication management, and foot care. Simultaneously, these programs enable caregivers a break from caregiving knowing their loved one is in a safe place, effectively preventing caregiver burnout and preserving informal caregiving as a crucial resource in our ‘healthocracy.’

As with any transformation agenda, 100% of all health service providers involved agreed there was a better way to do business, for clients, caregivers, and service delivery. As part of the health system’s recovery through COVID, and by discussing the cross-section of old and new gaps in the system, the community partners envisioned a solution to their efficiency paradox in delivering ADS. The results were a standardization of processes and expectations across agencies to provide an equitable and efficient system that is transparent and easy to navigate for clients and caregivers alike.

The group started by reconciling their individual waitlists into one centralized waitlist, in order to depict the accurate number of unique individuals waiting for ADS service within the region. Across agencies, there was a duplication rate of 15%, which led to an inaccurate understanding of unique number of clients. This (now) integrated waitlist provides better insight into demographic needs, availability and offering of all programs. A central team offers equitable access and information on all available ADS and respite programs to the clients in an effort to help them remain in their community, at home.

“When we initiated this work with the different providers, everyone had a unique process. It was important to take the time to build good relationships, learn from each other and coordinate everything in one place. It has saved a lot of time and phone tag for clients, and agencies al ike,” says Natalia Sokolova, Respite Advisor, Central Registry.

"This program helped my mom have more independence and helped with her dementia a lot, especially with recall. I truly can't thank everyone involved enough.”

- ADS Caregiver

A key ingredient to their solution was the group’s adoption of the same e-referral solution, Caredove , to share information and ensure there was one source of truth. A change in process meant that all referrals would be sent through Central Registry. For every referral, a comprehensive assessment is conducted to assess client and caregiver needs. By centralizing the referral, there is a one-stop shop for assessment, saving time for both clients and providers. The initial assessment in the siloed model had approximately 800 people expected to be waiting for services. The by product of the consolidation led to a list of about 450 people who are still active candidates for Adult Day Services. Where clients and caregivers may have had up to nine different contacts at individual agencies, this has been reduced to one. They know who to speak to for their support needs and questions.

“We wasted time, duplicated services and confused clients when we weren’t working together,” says Kimberly Martinez, Manager, Central Registry . “There are so many pieces to the puzzle for care that it can be very difficult to understand what information the client has been given and who they have spoken to. Having community providers be on the same platform has significantly streamlined the process where we no longer worry about everyone being on a different page and now spend our time working with clients to meet their holistic needs.”

The team learned that the amount of days between sending a client to the preferred ADS location and the time they confirmed to start the program was 21 days +. There were two significant areas that seemed to bottleneck the process: transportation and scheduling site-specific care plans with the caregiver/family. Today, Central Registry manages transportation arrangements with CANES as well as point of contact scheduling. There is a centralized calendar of all programs so that clients are told in the moment when programs begin. This process results in less delays and puts clients in programs faster with better knowledge.

“The waiting game for care is unfortunately synonymous with publicly-funded healthcare. Through collaboration, co-design, and technology, we’re changing that – we want clients and caregivers to expect more from our system – and we are working together to realize our shared vision, where clients are empowered to drive their own desires and outcomes, which includes living in their communities as long as possible,” says Laura Salisbury, CEO of Nucleus Independent Living and lead agency for Central Registry.

“On my mom’s bad days, the staff [at the ADS] have truly been a huge support. She comes home happier and more relaxed. It has completely changed our lives. I felt like I was in the middle of a nervous breakdown before my mom was accepted because things had progressed with her dementia and behaviors. I am just so thankful to the Central Registry staff for helping our family.”

- ADS Caregiver.

The sky’s the limit! The lessons learned through this initiative will be expanded to other collaborations experiencing the same obstacles.

“At the end of the day, it’s about the family and the caregiver and showing them there are so many opportunities to help them. It is such a fulfilling job to share the programs and services that will help meet their needs and give them hope,” says Martinez.

For more information:

905-281-4443
info@centralregistry.ca

Changes to Masking Requirements

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 15:16:19 GMT

Public Health Updates to Masking Requirements that impact Nucleus care delivery effective August 1, 2023. *Updates as of October 2, 2023: Nucleus returns to mandatory masks for staff.

*UPDATE EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 2, 2023 : Nucleus has returned to mandatory masks for every client interaction due to rising respiratory illnesses in our region. We continue to closely monitor this situation and follow Infection Control and Practice (IPAC) measures.

_______________________

Effective August 1, 2023, Nucleus, in alignment with heath care providers and infection control specialists across the province, will encourage, but no longer require mandatory masking. This change is due to the low respiratory viral infections, including COVID-19, in our community. This means that Nucleus staff and/or clients will wear a mask during your service delivery time if you request this specifically during each visit. If you are more comfortable with masks, our staff will wear them. If you are not feeling well, our staff will wear masks.

Please know you can ask our staff at any time during a visit to wear a mask.

What does this mean?

For clients, wearing a mask will be a personal choice.

For staff, mask use will be determined based on routine respiratory screening practices, which should include conducting a point of care screening before every visit with every client. If you are unwell, or possibly, members of your household, staff will wear a mask. Otherwise, staff will wear masks based on both your preference and their own comfort and safety precautions.

For visitors, follow instructions on screening posters at all entrances. If you have any respiratory symptoms, we ask you to not enter and to call our offices.

Please contact your Care Team Lead and/or our offices if you have any questions or concerns.

Smart Tips for Stroke Care

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:30:26 GMT

Smart Tips for Stroke Care: A healthcare providers guide to caring for a person with stroke.

Shared on behalf of the Regional Stroke Networks of Ontario.

The Regional Stroke Networks of Ontario are pleased to announce the release of a new resource to support best practice stroke care in the community and Long Term Care called “Smart Tips for Stroke Care: A healthcare providers guide to caring for a person with stroke.” This guide was intended/created for Personal Support Workers (PSW) working in Long Term Care in Ontario, however, anyone interested in stroke care can benefit from using this resource, including PSWs in the community, and family members.

Benefits of “Smart Tips for Stroke Care:”

Covers 15 topics in stroke care
Evidence-based
User friendly- Quick guides are only 2 pages each
Visually appealing, standardized illustrated format for easy location of information
Design makes it easy to translate knowledge to practice

“Smart Tips for Stroke Care” was created through a collaborative partnership between the 11 regional Stroke Networks of Ontario, and incorporated significant input from subject matter experts and end-users from across the province.

The goal of the Smart Tips resource is to highlight common changes due to stroke and strategies for managing these changes.

For more information, contact the Central South Stroke Network , located within Hamilton Health Sciences Centre.

Annual General Meeting 2023

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 18:23:00 GMT

Members of the Nucleus Board, staff and partners came together for a night of reflection and celebration.

On Monday, June 26, 2023, Nucleus held its Annual General Meeting with Board members, staff and partners, for an evening of connection, reflections and celebrations.

Here are some highlights from the event:

We heard from our keynote speaker, Dave Dame, on living with a physical disability and the unique obstacles he has had to face and overcome. He spoke of the need to always provide person-centred care that takes personal style, preferences and expectations into account, every time.

Nucleus Founding Member Al Reeves, kicked off our 40th year anniversary celebration to tell his story of how Nucleus came to be and the evolution of the organization since 1983.

We honoured our Long Service Award recipients, who have a combined tenure with Nucleus of over 200 years!!
5 years: Jignesh Dudhela, Rajkiran Ghatora, Nicola Mcnaught, Loreta Raymundo, Mildred Shere, Kelly LePage, Jolanta Bialek, Adewale Adeleke, Porchia Tjiramba, Mario Tolentino
10 years: Allesia Mindley, Yvonne Adjei-Okyere, Lally Reuillon, Sandra Davis, Tien Ma, Janet Aluko
20 years: Mary Lindsay
30 years: Nelson Daquiz
35 years: Leo Robinson

Values Inspired Person

This year we established a new award that recognizes an individual who demonstrates outstanding contributions to the organization and embodies our six values – integrity, compassion, collaboration, accountability, respect and excellence – every day.

The Nominations Committee evaluated all submissions, and awarded Oksana Yarymovych, SDL Attendant, who has been with Nucleus for 14 years. “Oksana is able to support her clients in challenging situations. She is a team player, who works together providing suggestions on how to improve the quality of care for her clients,” says Kenzie Greenhalgh, Care Team Lead. Congratulations are also in order for Nilmini Senewiratne and Griselia Alfaro for being the finalists of this year’s award. Together, all of these Attendants exemplify excellence every day.

Board Members

Thank you Ingrid!

We said goodbye to long-standing Board member, Ingrid Hann, who has been a integral part of the Board during her tenure. Thank you Ingrid for your curiosity, commitment and support of Nucleus over the years. We wish you all the best and will miss you.

We welcomed new Board member Mark Vytvytskyy. You can read more about Mark here.

We also unveiled our 2022-23 Annual Report .

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making the evening such a success! To the organizing committee, staff, Board, guests, speakers and partners, we thank you.

Forward Together: 2022-23 Annual Report

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 15:09:37 GMT

We're so proud of everything Nucleus has accomplished this year and are excited to share the highlights in our Annual Report.

Our 2022-2023 Annual Report was shared with our Board of Directors at this week's Annual General Meeting. Every year, the report shares highlights over the previous fiscal year and it’s remarkable to pause and reflect on just how much we’ve accomplished.

It may feel cliché, but ‘onward and upward’ seems fitting for our organization’s mantra this year. We have emerged stronger and more interconnected since the deep COVID haze and begun to function with such breadth and depth that nothing feels impossible when we work together.

2022-2023 was a year of hard work, achievement and celebrations through adversity and a relentless commitment to exceeding our goals. Ideas that felt further to reach, but never impossible, were realized through a ‘can-do’ attitude thanks to the foundational resiliency that was strengthened within the team.

Most notably this year, we were awarded exemplary standing from CARF Accreditation in November 2022, which felt like the culmination of many pieces coming together – people, policy, process and persistence. Client experience also improved, with a 15.6% increase since 2020/21 in clients saying they ‘always’ feel respected by Nucleus staff members when surveyed in March 2023. We also saw an increase in staff satisfaction with 100% of respondents saying they felt a sense of meaning and purpose in their roles.

One of the key strategies we successfully kicked off in 2022-23 was a dedicated focus on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). Our Staff Experience Council is the driving force behind this important work and will create initiatives that unpack biases in our thinking and organizational design to ultimately build an environment where everyone feels they belong. We’re very proud of our commitment statement.

This year also saw the overhaul of Nucleus’ most significant digital asset with the implementation of a new electronic health record, which required a complete redesign of organizational processes. Through our pursuit for continuous improvement in client and staff safety, we developed a quality framework related to incident reporting and documentation practices.

Our transformation journey has only begun. When we started, the ‘art of possible’ made us envision endless opportunities for Nucleus. Thanks to the strong commitment from our talented Board of Directors, dedicated staff, and our many stakeholders, including Ontario Health, community partners and collaborators, we have made great strides towards greater and better.

As we celebrate our 40 ^th year in 2023, we will honour and reflect on all of Nucleus’ accomplishments in its rich and vibrant history, while also moving forward together.

Read the full report here .

Q&A: Getting to Know our COO, Oliver Blunn

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 16:41:29 GMT

Learn more about Oliver and his journey into healthcare and future plans for #TeamNucleus.

Last month, Nucleus announced the appointment of Oliver Blunn as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Oliver joined Nucleus in November 2020 as the Director of Innovation, Strategy and Performance and has been an integral part of the team ever since. In this newly created role, Oliver will be accountable for strategically leading the daily business operations of the organization as well as support the leadership and management team in their growth, development and continued transformation.

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU ENDED UP IN HEALTHCARE.

I was born in the Parkdale area of Toronto. I originally thought I would be an archeologist and went to Laurier University for it. Early in my studies, my professor held up some tools and twine and said “these are going to be your best friends for the next 20 years of your life.” I immediately stood up and left and signed up for psychology. After graduating, I travelled through Europe, settling in London England for a year and a half working with a young boy with autism. The experience was a pivotal turning point for me. When I returned to Canada I went back to school to train as a behavioral therapist and quickly became interested in program development and expansion, which led me to take my Masters in Health Administration at the University of Ottawa. I did a placement with the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) in performance, evaluation and accountability. I loved it and ended up getting hired.

On a personal level, I am a basketball enthusiast. I probably listen to basketball podcasts for 5-6 hours a week. I am also a DIYer and am renovating my home in Hamilton.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE?

Collaborative, inclusive and sometimes patient to a fault sometimes, which I think comes from my earlier days working with children with autism. I try my best to be authentic in my interactions and am always willing to roll-up my sleeves and do the work. I also try to incorporate as much humour as possible into my day to day.

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO NUCLEUS?

In one word, Laura. I worked with Laura at the LHIN and she has one of the brightest minds I’ve ever met. She provides me with a ton of reign to take risks and think outside the box. I have also always had a passion for community and I believed this role would give me the opportunity be in a position to more directly drive the decision making. I knew Laura would not put a lid on my thinking and that there would be a lot of variety to this role which would be very intellectually stimulating. It has been all of that and more.

MAKES THIS ORGANIZATION SO SPECIAL?

The people!! Definitely the people. There is a genuine drive to make the system a better place and to put the system before Nucleus if need be to create the right change. We are all working for the clients who navigate across the entire system. The attitude here is, “let’s take challenges head on, think creatively about how we can drive through barriers or work around them if need be to drive system and organizational improvement. Let’s make this a great place to work while being innovative and action oriented.”

WHAT'S NEXT FOR NUCLEUS?

Data and technology maturity. We have laid the groundwork of modernization and taking on “the war against repetitive tasks.” We are moving to a place where every action is value-add work. It’s about the right information, right place and right time through automation.

WHAT EXCITES YOU?

Seeing other people get excited! Hearing about new ideas and coming up with some of my own. I love seeing the University of Ottawa team (who we are collaborating with on scheduling sophistication) getting excited about something. The reaction of someone after hearing about a new way of doing things and seeing people get excited about it. The idea of doing something different and unique. All of this and the theme song to the NBA and NBC. John Tesh is a legend….

Thanks Oliver! Nucleus sounds like it is on the cusp of some exciting digital endevours!

Nucleus CEO announced as recipient of HealthCare Leadership Award

Fri, 19 May 2023 02:26:46 GMT

Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL), GTA Chapter, announces Laura Salisbury as recipient of HealthCare Leadership Award

Laura Salisbury, Chief Executive Officer of Nucleus Independent Living, has been named as this year’s recipient of the Canadian College of Health Leaders, GTA Chapter, Healthcare Leadership Award for outstanding contribution to her organization, community and health system in 2022.

“We are so very, very pleased and unanimously chose Laura this year,” noted the CCHL chapter nomination committee. “As CEO of Nucleus Independent Living, Laura embodies integrity, passion, trust (and a great sense of humour). She drives those around her to always aim higher and think bigger, while remaining highly-action oriented. Her vision as an organizational leader is to create a culture where barriers are viewed as problems yet to be solved and that the art of possible lies in every staff member. In Laura’s mind, no idea is out of reach, no question is too wild.”

Since taking over as CEO in September 2020 (following her 11-year tenure with the Mississauga Halton and South West Local Health Integration Networks), Laura has already accomplished what many attempt to do in a decade. She has galvanized staff towards the common focus of modernization and culture transformation, quality improvement, overhauled Nucleus’ digital assets, including the implementation of a new electronic health record and eReferral, improved client experience by 15.6%, increased base funding for programs and services by 18% ($3 million), and re-imagined the administrative structure that has halted staff turnover – all in two and a half years!

“I am truly honored, humbled and a bit speechless to be receiving this award,” says Laura. “Healthcare is a true passion of mine and I am so appreciative to the Nucleus Board of Directors for taking a chance on me, the first CEO to be recruited externally in 40 years, as well as to my exceptional team for supporting and realizing our vision towards the art of possible for clients and staff. Thank you so very much.”

Laura received the award at the CCHL (GTA Chapter) Annual General Meeting on May 17, 2023. She will also be recognized at the CCHL National Conference in Toronto on June 4, 2023.

“The Board is thrilled to have Laura leading the organization. She is a high-energy, impact-oriented leader who is putting a well-thought-out strategy into action,” says Yves Bélanger, Nucleus’ Board Chair.

________________________________________

About the Canadian College of Health Leaders

The Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL), a national member-driven non-profit association, is the connected community that develops, supports, and inspires health leaders across Canada. The College strives to provide the leadership development, tools, knowledge and networks that members need to become high impact leaders in Canadian healthcare. Learn more about the GTA Chapter .

Staff Experience Council

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:55:27 GMT

The Nucleus Staff Experience Council - Driving Strategic Initiatives

We believe that the best solutions come from those closest to the work.

The Staff Experience Council is a high impact working group that has hit the ground running and is actively driving results! Comprised of 13 dedicated Nucleus employees, the Council represents all roles, programs, and experience levels. This powerful group brings incredible depth to our mission: they collectively speak 17 different languages and contribute over 100 years of organizational experience. This unique and rich perspective makes them the essential subject matter experts needed to guide and execute our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion work plan.

SEC is focused on improving provider work-life, its influence is already extending to the client experience. Demonstrating tangible progress, the team has successfully conceptualized and initiated an innovative approach to client engagement by utilizing language cards to overcome communication barriers.

The Council maintains a regular meeting schedule to ensure a consistent platform for members to share unique voices, discuss areas of concern, and advise on practical solutions for our annual initiatives.

Current Strategic Focus: Implementation Feedback and Analysis

SEC is currently strategically discussing, analyzing, and making proposals for several major organizational improvements. Their work is crucial for gathering feedback on the implementation of:

Total Rewards Enhancements: Analyzing the communication and rollout of the new HOOPP Pension Plan and reviewing the structure of the Long Term Service Awards to ensure they are impactful and equitable.
Cultural Excellence: Deep diving into Great Place To Work (GPTW) initiatives and making actionable proposals to embed GPTW principles into our daily culture and operations.
Social Responsibility: Initiating discussions and proposals regarding meaningful Indigenous initiatives , focusing on education, reconciliation, and developing respectful community partnerships.

The Council continues to make progress toward improving the experience for everyone at Nucleus.

Participate in an online survey for a research study on aging and mental health

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 17:50:50 GMT

his study responds to the growing mental health crisis for Canada’s diverse aging population. The goal of this work is to act on priority research questions identified by older adults, caregivers, and health and social care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sent on behalf of Dr. Justine Giosa, Scentific Director, SE Research Centre:

I am writing to tell you about an opportunity to participate in a brief (~15-20 minute) survey as part of a research study called “Co-designing action-oriented mental health conversations between care providers and aging Canadians in the community: mitigating the wider impacts of COVID-19”. The online survey will remain open until Thursday April 6, 2023.

This research is being led by researchers at the University of Waterloo, University of British Columbia, St. Francis Xavier University, and the SE Research Centre of SE Health. Dr. Justine Giosa is the lead investigator.

The study is funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and has been reviewed by and received ethics clearance through a University of Waterloo Research Ethics Board.

About the survey

We are looking for older adults (age 55+), family/friend caregivers, and community-based health/ social care providers to participate. You must be able to read, write, speak and understand English or French to participate, and currently be residing in Canada.
In the survey, you will be asked to review a visual model, the Mental Health Continuum for Aging Canadians, that describes a range of mental health experiences. You will also be asked to indicate your level of agreement with the model’s components for guiding mental health conversations when receiving care in the home and community.
Survey participants will have an option to enter a draw to win 1 of 10 $50.00 CAD gift cards from one of the following three vendors of your choice: 1) Amazon; 2) Indigo; or 3) Shoppers Drug Mart. To withdraw from the study but still be eligible to enter the draw you will be able to select “I choose not to answer” for all the questions in the survey.

Complete the survey here: https://uwaterloo.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0V7kmnpRU72MdnM

Thank you for considering taking part in this important work.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE STUDY AND SURVEY

This study responds to the growing mental health crisis for Canada’s diverse aging population. The goal of this work is to act on priority research questions identified by older adults, caregivers, and health and social care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to co-design a process to support mental health conversations between health and social care providers and older adults in home and community care settings to de-stigmatize aging and mental health and build resilience through better linkages to support, care and treatment options.

The online survey is being conducted using Qualtrics software. The survey should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. The first section of the survey will consist of several screening and eligibility questions. The second section of the survey will review information about the study and ask individuals to indicate their informed consent to participate. The third section of the survey will include questions about the visual model for mental health. The fourth section of the survey will ask a few demographic questions. The fifth and final section of the survey will ask whether you would like to be contacted about future phases of the research and whether you would like to be entered into a draw. If yes, we will ask you for your contact information.

Your name and contact information will be collected separately from your demographic and survey data. Your identity will be kept confidential. De-identified demographic and survey data will be aggregated for analysis.

Client Satisfaction Survey

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 17:47:02 GMT

We want to hear from you! Share feedback on your experience as a client of Nucleus.

We are currently conducting a short survey with our clients to understand how satisfied they are with Nucleus’ services. The feedback provided is vital, and will be used to help improve the services that are delivered to our clients.

The survey is comprised of nine (9) questions and takes approximately five (5) minutes to complete. You can access the survey here.

If you would prefer to complete the survey by telephone, please call 905-829-4499.

Thank you for taking the time to provide your input. Your feedback is invaluable and helps us learn where we can improve.

CARF Accreditation

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 19:35:36 GMT

Celebrating an achievement in quality. Nucleus awarded a Three-Year Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, CARF International.

In November 2022, Nucleus Independent Living was awarded a Three-Year Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, CARF International. The designation is the highest award possible through the accreditation program. To achieve accreditation, Nucleus must demonstrate that it conforms to a series of rigorous and internationally recognized CARF standards.

What is Accreditation?

Accreditation is an ongoing process of assessing health care organizations against standards of excellence to identify what is being done well and what needs to be improved. Receiving a CARF accreditation designation is evidence that an organization strives to improve efficiency, fiscal health, and service delivery -- creating a foundation for client satisfaction.

Over the course of three days – October 12-14, 2022, surveyors (a team of expert practitioners) from CARF Accreditation reviewed every document, policy and resource at Nucleus, as well as met with staff across all programs and roles. Here’s a summary of their findings:

“Nucleus Independent Living demonstrated substantial conformance to the standards. It was apparent that Nucleus has a strong commitment to the CARF standards and has excellent policies and procedures in place for serving the organization’s mission and enhancing its clients’ lives. There are mechanisms in place for continuous measurement and quality improvement. The organization has many strengths that include a professional board of directors and executive leadership team, a dynamic strategic plan, a focused workforce development and management department, a client-centred approach in services, and a high client satisfaction.”

In announcing its decision, CARF International singled out numerous Nucleus strengths, as well as highlighting 100% conformance in areas such as: health and safety, risk management, technology, accessibility, performance measurement and management as well as performance improvement.

“It’s wonderful to be recognized in this way. It means we are achieving what we set out to do every single day, for every single client and staff member – superior quality,” says CEO, Laura Salisbury. “Congratulations to the entire team and thank you to CARF for this experience.”

Read our full Accreditation Report here.

Metro Morning's Ismaila Alfa on Nucleus' Companion Call Program

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 20:15:53 GMT

An antidote for loneliness: this program matches seniors with young volunteers for ongoing conversations

CBC's Metro Morning host Ismaila Alfa spoke with Nucleus client Joselyn on her experience with the Companion Call Program. Take a listen to the impact the experience has had on both her and her volunteer.

About the Companion Call Program:

To reduce isolation among our clients, Nucleus launched the Virtual Companion Call (VCC) program earlier this year. In partnership with CompanionLink and the Seniors Life Enhancement Centre (SLEC) , the program created virtual social connections between isolated, frail seniors and trained volunteers through technology (phone, tablets).

Want to make a referral to the Virtual Companion Call Program? Access our referral form here .

Caregivers: Does your loved one need a gait aid?

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 18:33:01 GMT

People with dementia have an annual fall risk of 60-80%, (Allan et al. PloSONE 2009) twice that of the cognitively healthy and have a higher risk of serious fall-related injuries, such as hip fractures (Asada et al. Age Ageing 1996).

By Marguerite Oberle Thomas, RN, BScN and Dr. Susan Hunter

Nobody ever said caregiving is easy. It is especially not easy when your loved one has dementia and you worry about them falling but are uncertain as to what is to be expected and when to take action. Research has shown that people with dementia can learn new skills like exercises or using a mobility aid through repetition and practice, which is frequent training with positive feedback.

There are changes in balance and walking that occur from the underlying disease process of dementia that make people more unsteady. Balance and gait deficits are common and present early in the disease.

What might a caregiver first notice that their loved one is having problems with balance and walking? People with dementia tend to walk slower, take shorter steps and will have difficulty recovering their balance when unsteady. People with cognitive impairment and dementia also have problems multitasking, such as walking and talking at the same time. Thinking, balance and walking problems are common and progressive in dementia, leading to impaired mobility, falls and fall-related injuries. The mechanisms for the increased risk of falls in people with dementia, are not fully understood, yet balance and walking problems and leg weakness are prominent risk factors. The severity of the dementia also increases risk as the changes in the brain directly affect a person’s ability to control movement.

A common treatment option for balance and walking problems is the use of a gait aid, such as a 4-wheeled walker, as it increases stability for the person. The good news is that many people with dementia can be assessed and trained to use gait aids (e.g., cane or walker) effectively, especially early in the disease process.

While it can increase mobility, the use of gait aids by people with dementia can also result in an increased risk of falls. The reasons for this increased risk are due to increased demands on the brain to use the gait aid or to do multi-tasking. It can be difficult to use the aid and do another task such as carrying something. The person`s hands may not be available to reach for support when there is loss of balance. People may start use of the aid late in the disease and thus may have more trouble learning how to use it correctly and may lack insight on safety (e.g., forget to put on the brakes). Since many people obtain mobility aids without consultation with health care professionals, there can be unsafe use and maintenance of equipment. There is a learning curve to using the aid safely.

Healthcare professionals with special training in the assessment, prescription and training in use of gait aids include physical and occupational therapists. The therapists will meet with people individually to take a history to understand the problems someone is experiencing and perform a physical assessment for balance, walking and leg strength to determine which areas are causing problems. The therapists will then determine the most appropriate gait aid for the level of physical activity and home situation which will also include training on the aids use. As balance, walking and leg strength problems are progressive it is good to have re-evaluations if you notice a change in function or if a person is experiencing falls. Additionally, seeing a healthcare professional will determine the type of aid, whether it is sized appropriately and that the best training is offered.

Therapists will work to avoid errors and minimize inaccurate performance during the learning process. This helps to reduce frustration and it increases participation of the person with dementia. Therapists will provide training over a period of time and also encourage exercises, which help to keep muscles strong.

Overall conclusion: If you notice your loved one is no longer walking with the same skill or if your loved one seems to stumble more or has actual falls, please have him or her professionally assessed. People with dementia can and do learn to use mobility aids effectively. Professionals also help with ongoing assessment of your loved one and with the ongoing maintenance of the aid.

Click here for resources for older adults and caregivers from Fall Prevention Canada.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dr. Susan Hunter is an Associate Professor in the School of Physical Therapy at the University of Western Ontario. Her clinical and research interest is in older adult health.

Marguerite Oberle Thomas, RN., BScN is Consultant Liaison, Fall Prevention Community of Practice, sponsored by Parachute. She is a senior and former caregiver, keen to prevent injuries.

Q&A: Getting to Know Laura Salisbury, CEO

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 02:41:31 GMT

Learn more about Laura and her metaphor (and deep passion!) on life and work that helps her lead #TeamNucleus.

Laura Salisbury is an authentic, strategic and collaborative leader with a deep understanding of the health system in Ontario (having worked in every sector over the past two decades). Laura is a passionate, systems-thinker who empowers others and works collaboratively to create a culture of continuous improvement, while keeping clients at the centre of all decisions. Prior to joining Nucleus in 2020, Laura was the Director, Health System Performance, Funding and Contract Management with Ontario Health, where she and her team collaborated with system partners for the effective and sustainable implementation of many strategic initiatives.

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I was born in Toronto and moved to Calgary when I was 5. I went to 4 different elementary schools and 3 different high schools. In short – I grew up in a lot of different places! I think that experience really shaped me to be extremely curious, open-minded and welcoming to change. My dad owned some businesses, and I hung around his restaurants, helping in the kitchen or providing the entertainment by playing the accordion. Managing my dad’s businesses was my first experience with “keeping the books.”

Most of my spare time is spent with my family – my two kids and husband. In the winter, you’ll find us in hockey arenas or skiing and in the summer, we love to camp, hike, bike ride, or swim – sometimes all in the same day! I come from a big and wonderful Italian family so spending time with them – eating my mom and dad’s homemade everything! and just being together is incredibly important to me. COVID was a very difficult time for so many reasons, but for me that was one of the hardest things.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE?

I have an active imagination, and generally challenge the status quo on all fronts. I LOVE thinking outside the box, and figuring out new (and easier, I hope) ways of doing things. I try to foster a high trust environment where we can challenge each other in a respectful way that amalgamates various ideas, perspectives and questions. It is important that our team understands the “why” behind decisions, and feels a part of those decisions, to help us grow and learn together.

I am also really passionate about all things Mount Everest. I closely follow the summit teams every May/June – reading their posts/blogs and truly just try to visualize vicariously what they must be doing to prepare for the climb, and as important, the descent. It’s riveting to me! I view climbing as the metaphor for my leadership style. It’s about the journey for me and what you learn from that, adjusting constantly for changing circumstances, making sure the steps we take are solid – and that is what I am trying to bring to Nucleus - to work with high integrity, be kind and have a team that is highly accountable to each other. There’s going to be rainy days, you don’t always summit, you sometimes have to tie yourself to someone else so you don’t fall off, but you also achieve things you only imagined and celebrate the wins together because that’s how you got there.

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO NUCLEUS?

Having worked at the health system level for over a decade, I was ready to get back to making a difference at the source and to try and make a positive impact for the clients and staff in the community where I live.

Nucleus was always an organization that stood out for me due to its regional programs – Central Registry and the Regional Learning Centre, which I was fortunate enough to be a part of developing when I was at the LHIN. The team beyond our 4 walls, our partnerships, are incredibly important to me. I want to do better work together and know these regional programs are a step in the right direction towards that goal of serving our community residents, as we all evolve in our new world.

MAKES THIS ORGANIZATION SO SPECIAL?

I’ m really lucky to be surrounded by talented leaders who care deeply about their work, the staff and our clients. From a management perspective, it’s a relatively small team so to make us effective, people really have to roll up their sleeves and support one another.

I am also in awe of the sheer number of front-line staff who have been with Nucleus for over a decade and continue to be so passionate about delivering exceptional care every day.

Nucleus as an organization plays a very unique role in the health system in that our Supports for Daily Living program helps alleviate hospital strain as we expedite discharges and bring people onto service very quickly, which is unusual. Most community organizations accept referrals when they have space. We’re designed to accept referrals at any time and get care in as quickly as possible. Our team really is amazing!

I think we’re also known for our strategic system leadership by the tables we get invited to. Nucleus is known to be solution oriented and very results driven. We’re willing to put our skin in the game and just figure it out.

WHAT's next for NUCLEUS?

So many things! Up until this point, we have been heavily focused on rebuilding ourselves from the inside out – evolving us into a high performing organization with the best people, systems and processes to help us achieve that. I am excited about all the work that is continuing to unfold in our operational reset, and to really empower staff at all levels for nimble decision making and solutioning.

I’m also really excited about our modernization strategy, which will enable client’s to be more involved and responsible for driving communication which I believe will result in better client experiences.

We also know that COVID is still very much here. I want to continue to keep our staff safe.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM COVID?

You cannot underestimate the importance of a small and mighty team when faced with enormous obstacles in a high-stress environment. It’s a time when you are forced to push eachother, but to also have one another’s backs.

Immediately after I started, I learned about so many opportunities to improve both the staff and client experience. What COVID really showed me is that you can’t push through everything on your agenda. You must keep a level of stability, which is tricky in an environment when you want to encourage continuous PDSA.

Seeing where we’re at now and how much we had to learn in such a short amount of time, I believe the team knows we can – and are – aggressively tackling our challenges that had to wait on the sidelines due to having our hands tied during COVID.

I am thankful that all that focus was impactful to families and caregivers – that our doors remained open and that our IPAC practices were as strong as they were which resulted in zero cases of transmission. The innovative work that was achieved during the depths of those waves has made us a much stronger team.

WHAT EXCITES YOU?

Slowly tackling everything that has been growing on my to-do list since 2020!!

I am very much looking forward to implementing our family portal that will connect clients and caregivers in a much more meaningful way to Nucleus staff.

I am hopeful to understand the capability in our scheduling optimization. Scheduling continues to be a challenge across the health system, especially in a mobile community-based workforce. We have been entrenched in scheduling since my first day as CEO – doing deep QI work and assembling the best resources in the most fiscally responsible way through a partnership with researchers from the University of Ottawa. With their support, we are developing solutions to scheduling that may be able to benefit others in the sector, which is very rewarding to me.

Given the health human resources pressures, I look forward to developing and trialing new models of care to serve our existing clients better, and expand to serve other clients in our community. I want Nucleus to be the employer of choice in the region through better jobs and working creatively to see what that could look like for people and clients.

I am also excited about our equity, diversity and inclusion work that we have just started to heavily focus on this summer. I want to bring more awareness to our staff about the unconscious bias we all carry and to establish ways to break the cycle of misunderstanding, misconception and misrepresentation of all those we serve and work with.

I am so appreciative of each and every one of our Board of Directors. They have been very invested partners in our transformation journey. They are truly exceptional!

Thanks Laura! It sounds like Nucleus is moving onwards and upwards, having already proven to scale some pretty big obstacles together. It will be exciting to learn what the organization does next.

COVID-19 Booster

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 21:13:10 GMT

Vaccination Update: Bivalent COVID-19 Booster Dose Availability

Read here for the most up to date COVID-19 Information for Nucleus.

Bivalent COVID-19 Booster Dose is now available for vulnerable populations, including healthcare workers (Nucleus staff) and September 26 for all Ontarians aged 18+.

“The bivalent COVID-19 booster is a safe and effective way for people to better protect themselves against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variants in Ontario,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health. “As vaccine protection decreases over time, I encourage all Ontarians aged five and over to receive the booster dose they are eligible for.”

Appointments can be booked through the COVID-19 vaccination portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre (PVCC) at 1-833-943-3900.

Combating Social Isolation is a Phone Call Away

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 14:29:42 GMT

Companion calls helping to create social connections between isolated seniors and trained volunteers.

The health impacts of social isolation are a current and growing challenge faced by clients and service providers. COVID-19 further isolated many older Canadians and highlighted how many were already suffering from depressive symptoms and loneliness.

See Companion Call Program featured in Global Heroes

“Those who were socially isolated, experiencing poorer health and of lower socioeconomic status were more likely to have worsening depression as compared to their pre-pandemic depression status collected as part of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging since 2011,” says co-author Parminder Raina, a professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact and scientific director of the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging.

Clients were matched with volunteer companions provided by CompanionLink, based on common interests and languages spoken. To date, 60 clients have participated in weekly connections, dramatically increasing the hours of engagement that clients received and providing them with newfound social interactions.

The program successfully recruited not only Nucleus clients, but seniors from across Central Region through our community partners. The program also enhanced access to care delivery for frail seniors transitioning to home from hospital by onboarding clients residing on the Central Registry waiting list awaiting service.

We are in the process of conducting an impact evaluation of the program. The interim data suggests that clients feel the program has reduced their feelings of loneliness. At the start of the program, the majority of clients said they felt lonely “occasionally or a moderate amount of time” or “all of the time.” At the interim evaluation, of the clients surveyed so far, fewer rated their loneliness at those higher levels, while more of them reported feeling lonely ‘rarely or none of the time.” In addition, all clients surveyed so far have said they were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ with the program, that they have received social interaction through the program and that their companion has become an important part of their life. Client testimonials reinforce these preliminary findings:

“This program makes me feel so good. I am very thankful and very excited to be a part of it. It helps me have contact with other people and being connected with younger people helps me understand what is going on in the world in a different way," said a Nucleus client.

Clients were also provided tailored activity kits that included stretching and mobility exercises as well as social recreation activities supported by tablet-based applications. To encourage the use of the activity kits, volunteers received the same content digitally and participated in training provided by SLEC.

To prepare and empower volunteers, CompanionLink, in partnership with leading experts from the University of Toronto, designed and delivered six eLearning modules:

1. Volunteer Rights and Responsibilities (Risk Management)

2. Introduction to Companion Calls

3. The Art of Conversation with a Senior

4. Identify, Assist, Refer – recognizing and assisting crisis/needs of seniors.

5. Overcoming common Communication Challenges with Seniors.

6. Socialization and Communication with Seniors with Dementia.

Volunteers’ “aging literacy” – their knowledge of challenges facing older adults – is reinforced by monthly Community of Practice events hosted by CompanionLink, where volunteers share experiences, ask questions, and often hear from guest speakers. Of note, a preliminary evaluation has also shown benefit for the volunteers:

"CompanionLink has brought me so much joy. Not only have I formed a new connection with a different generation but I have also brought joy and happiness to someone who has been socially isolated. I have weekly calls with my companion and I look forward to them. I always learn something new and it brightens my day," says a CompanionLink volunteer.

A longer-term study on tablet adoption and loneliness is underway and the program continues to connect new clients with volunteers.

Want to make a referral to the Virtual Companion Call Program?

Access our referral form here .

Older Adults Emergency Preparedness Guide

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 12:46:57 GMT

A disaster or an emergency can happen at any time, sometimes without warning. Thankfully, there are things you can do to be prepared, to respond safely and help speed your recovery.

(A letter from the National Institute on Ageing and the Canadian Red Cross)

On behalf of the National Institute on Ageing (NIA) at Toronto Metropolitan University and the Canadian Red Cross, we would like to share new emergency preparedness resources that are available for older adults. The Older Adults Emergency Preparedness Guide has been developed as an additional resource of the 2020 NIA/Red Cross report, Closing the Gaps: Advancing Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery for Older Adults .

In recognition that June was National Seniors Month in Canada, we are pleased to share these resources. The 2020 NIA/Red Cross report clearly demonstrated the need to better support emergency preparedness for older Canadians, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent disasters and emergencies such as the deadly storms in Ontario and Quebec that resulted in lengthy power outages, the prolonged heatwaves last year in British Columbia, and the annual seasonal risk of floods and fires are good reminders that emergency preparedness is vital to the health and safety of our communities.

The report also revealed a diverse continuum of capacity amongst older adults, from reduced capacity due to physical and cognitive impairments, to high capacity for active engagement in the community. Older adults themselves should be empowered to reach out and connect with their peers, particularly those who are more vulnerable, supporting each other in anticipating and preparing for disasters. The critical role of caregivers, whether they be partners, family members or friends, must also be recognized and supported.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 21:05:13 GMT

How Nucleus is focusing on EDI.

Nucleus is committed to addressing racism and discrimination and reducing inequities in the health system. We value inclusion and diversity and recognize that our organizational culture needs to be equitable to contribute to better outcomes for staff who work here as well as the communities we serve.

Ethnically diverse companies perform 33% better than the norm. Organizations with strong diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are more likely to have employees with increased job satisfaction, higher levels of trust, and be more engaged. Understanding the experience of our clients and staff will help us to understand our current situation and improve our culture.

Over the summer, we plan on focusing our efforts on conducting a thorough environmental scan to learn more about how Nucleus can better understand and address diversity, inclusion and equity. We're also conducting an all-staff survey and 1:1 interviews to learn about the unique experiences of our staff. All of this will lead way to the development of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy. We look forward to sharing more!!

Unlock your Unconscious Bias

I encourage you to see her TedTalk: “How to Outsmart Your Own Unconscious Bias” and consider:

How does your own unconscious bias impact the work you do?
How could your own unconscious bias impact others at Nucleus?
What can you do to become more aware of your unconscious bias and how can you diminish it?

The human brain is a remarkable achievement in evolution. Unfortunately, the brain activity that kept the human species alive for millions of years is the same brain activity that keeps us from achieving equality today. Author, speaker and CEO, Valerie Alexander, explains how the human brain instinctively reacts when encountering the unexpected, like saber-toothed tigers or female tech execs, and proposes that if we have the courage to examine our own behavior when faced with the unfamiliar, we can take control of our expectations, and by doing so, change the world.

PRIDE!

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 20:56:55 GMT

June is PRIDE month!

June is Pride Month, when the world's LGBTQ communities come together and celebrate the freedom to be themselves.

Pride is dedicated to the uplifting of LGBTQ voices, celebration of LGBTQ culture and the support of LGBTQ rights. Pride is celebrated around the world where people celebrate the political activism and all that the LGBTQ community has achieved over the years.

Here are Nucleus, we celebrate PRIDE. Learn more about our commitment to creating a more equitable, diverse and inclusive organization here .

You can learn more about the history of Pride in Canada here .

Monkeypox

Fri, 27 May 2022 18:39:49 GMT

A letter from Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health

Monkeypox

(letter from Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health)

The Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation concerning monkeypox cases reported in Europe and the US, as well as two confirmed cases in Quebec. I am urging all healthcare providers to be alert for patients presenting with symptoms that are consistent with monkeypox virus infection, especially if they have had travel or contact with a known case.

Monkeypox virus is an orthopoxvirus that causes a disease with symptoms similar to, but less severe than, smallpox. It is typically mild and self-limiting, however severe illness can occur. Monkeypox virus infection presents with a prodrome that includes fever, chills, headache, myalgias, lymphadenopathy, and fatigue, followed one to three days later by a progressively developing rash. The rash characteristically begins on the face and then spreads to other parts of the body, including the hands, feet and genitals.

While historically rare, human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through close contact with an infected individual’s bodily fluids, respiratory droplets, or lesions, or through items that have been contaminated with the infected person’s fluids or lesions. The incubation period is typically 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 days to 21 days. Individuals are communicable from symptom onset until all scabs have fallen off and new skin is present.

For Nucleus staff, if clients are presenting with any symptoms, they will adhere to the same personal protective equipment protocols established for a probable, suspected or confirmed case of COVID.

Personal Support Worker Appreciation Day!

Thu, 19 May 2022 20:51:03 GMT

We love our Personal Support Workers! Thank you for keeping our clients safe in their homes.

In recognition of Personal Support Worker Day (May 19), we’re shining a spotlight on some of our PSWs who go above and beyond in their role to keep seniors healthy and safe in their homes, for as long as possible.

Not only do PSW visits allow older adults to age with dignity, but they also act as an important safety check and respite for caregivers. We thank our PSWs for everything they do today, and every day.

"I enjoy meeting many wonderful consumers and learning more about them, their stories, and their past. I’m grateful for this job because I get to serve and love people every day. I feel I can make a difference by entering their homes with a smile and positive attitude so that we are both happy by the time I walk out."

- Tien Ma, PSW, Supports for Daily Living Program, 10 years.

"I enjoy the care that I am able to deliver to the clients. Talking to them and seeing them smile. Giving back to a community is often an afterthought.

- Czarina Aragon, PSW, Supports for Daily Living Program, 13 years.

“At Nucleus, they strive to be the best they can by improving the quality and safety of their employees.”

- Dorene Tugwell, SDL Attendant, 13 years.

Personal Support Services Temporary Wage Enhancement

Tue, 17 May 2022 16:42:31 GMT

A Message from Ontario Health, May 17, 2022

In October 2020, the Minister of Health issued a Directive (Minister’s Directive to Home and Community Care Support Services, Ontario Health, and Home and Community Care Health Service Providers: Personal Support Services Temporary Wage Enhancement in Response to COVID-19) to temporarily enhance Personal Support Services (PSS) wages to support a high-quality PSS workforce to meet Ontario’s demand for home and community-based services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The enhancement provided an hourly wage increase to eligible workers providing PSS in the home and community care sector. This included the wages of workers in all programs in which PSS are provided under the Home Care and Community Services Act, 1994 and are funded by Ontario Health.

Further to these enhancements, this year the Ontario Government passed the Supporting Retention in Public Services Act, 2022 which allows a temporary pandemic wage increase for personal support workers (PSWs) and direct support workers (DSWs) to become permanent.

Update

On May 2, 2022, Ontario Health was notified by the Ministry of Health that the Directive was amended to provide a further extension from April 1, 2022 up to April 27, 2022. As a result, Ontario Health will provide funding to increase the wages of eligible home and community care PSS workers by $3 per plus up to $0.75 per hour (25%) for statutory benefits for the above timeframe. This 25% increase is an estimate and does not reflect an entitlement to any change in contract rates or funding for existing compensation and services. Please review the Directive for the General Mandatory Requirements and other pertinent details.

Additionally, the Ministry of Health notified Ontario Health that as part of the Personal Support Worker Permanent Compensation Enhancement Program under the Supporting Retention in Public Services Act, 2022, the Government of Ontario is making a permanent, targeted hourly compensation enhancement for eligible PSS workers. As such, funding will be provided to applicable Health Service Providers (HSPs) to permanently increase the wages of eligible PSS workers as of April 28, 2022.

Next Steps

In support of both the extension of the Directive to the end of April and the permanent targeted enhancement, Ontario Health regions are preparing letters for HSPs. These letters will be distributed by each region to their respective HSPs during the week of May 24th to 27 ^th . In the meantime, if you have any questions, please reach out to Jeff Kwan, your Ontario Health regional VP, Performance, Accountability and Funding Allocation at: jeffery.kwan@ontariohealth.ca .

March for Independent Living: For Clients, By Clients

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 18:02:08 GMT

March scheduled to take place on Tuesday, May 3 at 1:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, May 3, 2022 advocacy group, For Client, By Client (FCBC) will be holding a march to raise awareness for those will disabilities who are struggling to maintain their independence in the community.

FCBC are advocating the following:

• Ensure a living income for persons living with disabilities;

• Increase access to accessible, affordable, community-based housing and outreach;

• Ensure fair wages and working conditions for essential front-line workers.

The march will take place at Trinity Bellwoods Park in Toronto to City TV on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. For more information, you can reach their Facebook page, here.

Statement from Health Service Providers in Ontario’s Central Region

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 13:56:12 GMT

We Stand Together to Support Respect and Safety for Ontario’s Workers Who Provide Care

We, as leaders in Ontario’s health-care system, recognize every person has been impacted by the pandemic. We thank them for the sacrifices made over the past two years to protect our health-care system and its lifeline, health-care workers.

The pandemic, however, is not over for Ontario’s workers who provide care.

We appreciate the public’s support over the last two years and we are trying to hold strong. We still need that support. Our health-care workforce is depleted and tired. We need to protect this precious resource for the good of all Ontarians to ensure the health-care system is there when the public needs it most – in recovery and rejuvenation.

As the pandemic has evolved, our workforce maintained its commitment to using the best scientific evidence and guidance to keep themselves safe and healthy, so they could continue to provide care for those in need. Hospitals, institutions, doctor’s offices, homes, or wherever health care is provided, must always be places where the best public health guidance is followed.

We all have responsibility to ensure our health-care workers are safe and respected, whether at work, home, or in your local community. As some restrictions are lifted, we recognize that vaccination and masking policies will be necessary in health-care settings to protect us all.

We ask for kindness and to be respectful of each other, and our health-care workers, as we move forward together safely.

Break the Bias: International Women’s Day 2022

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 19:35:46 GMT

How can you #breakthebias?

This year’s International Women’s Day – celebrated on March 8 – was focused on breaking the bias (#BreakTheBias) by imagining a gender equal world; a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. Breaking the bias starts with you and me. In Canada, women still hold less positions of power, earn less on average, and, contribute to more of the domestic duties compared to men.

I am so fortunate to be surrounded by such empowering women here at Nucleus. Here’s a few of us demonstrating this year’s #BreaktheBias pose.

What is International Women’s Day?

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality

A leading health economics and data expert, and former professor of mine, Dr. Walter Wodchis, once conducted a study on hospital readmissions for patients. He concluded that the most significant difference between those who were readmitted versus to those who remained at home was that the ones who remained at home had daughter’s or daughter-in-law’s, which truly speaks to the powerful caregiving nature and role women play in our society.

Around the world women are less educated, chronically hungrier and have much less opportunities for careers and career advancement. What can we do to #BreaktheBias? Here are some tips from UNWomen.org.

1 ) Talk about it. Embrace talking to your kids about gender equality and women’s rights. By talking to your kids about equality between the sexes and what still needs to be done for us to reach a gender-equal world, you’re setting them up to lead the way for a better future for all.

2) Share the care work. From cooking and cleaning, to taking care of children and the elderly. Set the example by equally dividing all housework and childcare in your home. Involve boys in care work and household chores from an early age, along with girls!

3) Embrace diverse role models. Role models come in all shapes, sizes, genders, skin tones and cultural backgrounds. Encourage your children to embrace diversity, show them role models from different genders, ethnicities and colour.

4) Empower kids to speak out . Young people around the world are stepping up for gender equality. When we empower and educate young advocates about women’s rights, we are ensuring a better future for us all.

5) Fight stereotypes, including your own . Gender is not about biological differences between the sexes, rather, it’s a social construct—people define what it means to be a boy or a girl, and these social conditionings often expect children to conform to specific and limiting gender roles and expectations from a young age.

6) Stop the body shame. Body shaming is a learned behavior, so it’s important to lead by example. Be careful not to be critical of body image, including your own.

February and Forever: Celebrating Black History Today and Every Day

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 19:31:00 GMT

Black History Month 2022

(excerpt from the Minister of Health)

Every February, people in Canada are invited to take part in Black History Month to honour, celebrate, and learn about the contributions of Black Canadians and their communities.

For hundreds of years—even before Canada became a country—Black communities have made important contributions to our social fabric and to building the country that we know today.

Individual names stand out: Viola Desmond, the Honourable Lincoln Alexander, and Portia White, to name just a few. We must also acknowledge all Black Canadians who have helped pave the way in our healthcare system, including Dr. Anderson Ruffin Abbott, first Canadian-born Black doctor and Bernice Redmon, the first Black nurse to practice in Canada's public health system.

As the pandemic has further amplified, anti-Black racism continues to drive health inequities in Canada. This type of racism, rooted in an unjust distribution of power, resources, and opportunities that discriminate against Black communities, continues to fuel poor health outcomes for racialized Canadians.

We also know that discrimination against Black communities is deeply entrenched and normalized in our institutions, policies, and practices and is often invisible to those who do not feel its effects. This must change and we must and will do better.

We have a lot of work to do here at Nucleus to address anti-black racism. I look forward to relaunching our Staff Experience Council whose main mandate will be to identify, address and improve barriers towards achieving equity for our staff and clients. If you want to know more about this work or have ideas for how we can improve, e-mail info@nucleusonline.ca

Bell Let's Talk

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 19:11:59 GMT

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Bell Let’s Talk Day was this week and once again helped illuminate discussions about breaking the silence around mental illness and supporting mental health across Canada.

The Let’s Talk Toolkit is filled with so many excellent resources about starting conversations around mental health and this year has a separate page devoted to COVID-19 resources for yourself and your loved ones. With 40% of Canadians reporting that their mental health has declined since the start of the pandemic (source: CAMH), there may be something useful there for many of us. As always, you are not alone. Please reach out – either as a listener or to talk through what you are going through.

Make Meaningful Connections to Combat Isolation

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 16:28:37 GMT

Virtual Companion Calls connects isolated seniors with volunteers to make great social connections.

The demand for social connection in seniors has never been higher. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it increasingly challenging to stay connected with friends, family and communities, leaving many feeling isolated and lonely. This is why Nucleus has partnered with CompanionLink to connect clients with trained volunteers to combat isolation.

With funding from Ontario Health's Virtual Care Program, Nucleus and CompanionLink are implementing a new service that matches clients with CompanionLink volunteers for regular virtual calls to build strong social connections and minimize feelings of isolation.

Interested in participating in the program? E-mail Karin Archer Myles - karin.archer-myles@nucleusonline.ca to learn more.

Interested in becoming a virtual companion volunteer? Visit CompanionLink's volunteer page .

IMPORTANT: Possible Service Disruption for our Clients

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 16:23:21 GMT

Rising COVID cases present significant challenges to the healthcare system.

Click here for the latest information related to COVID-19 at Nucleus.

A message to our clients.

We continue to be living in unprecedented times. Due to the significant rise in COVID-19 cases in Ontario, I wanted to communicate possible service changes and disruptions due to staffing shortages due to illness or high-risk COVID exposure.

Across the health system and beyond, organizations are preparing for the worst, which at this point, is not only COVID hospitalizations, but healthcare organizations operating with reduced staffing. At Nucleus, we have mandated vaccination, pay staff for their time to get vaccine boosters, and have very strict screening protocols. We have also communicated to all staff that they are unable to work if anyone within their household is positive for COVID, regardless if they are asymptomatic. This is due to the very high transmission of the new Omicron variant.

Service Disruption Plan Initiated

We have initiated our service disruption process. This process is enacted anytime resources may be limited or restricted. This is a similar process all of our other community partners are transitioning to. The goal is to minimize disruption for those clients who are considered priority one; who have no caregiver(s) or alternative supports to help them without Nucleus. Our Managers and Care Team Leads are in the process of reviewing all client care plans and will be in touch if there is any disruption.

Please review your emergency back-up plan and inform us of any changes or updates required.

We are also in the process of doing everything we can to increase PSW resources to meet client needs. This includes posting full-time and permanent part time as well as securing as much full-time agency staff as possible to fill in our vacant shifts and anticipated sick time. Please know our agency staff are also experiencing shortages due to illness.

What can you do?

Book your vaccination or booster to ensure you are protected. Having two doses of a COVID vaccine offers less defense against symptomatic infection from the Omicron variant. Early studies demonstrate having a booster dose provides 70-75% protection. If you need assistance, please contact Nucleus. Ontario has also shortened the required interval between doses from six to three months.
Test yourself if you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID or have been exposed to someone who has COVID.
Reduce or put services on hold. If you are not comfortable receiving services, you may opt to put them on hold for a time period.

Friendly Calls

As we enter another period of reduced social interactions, you may benefit or be interested in receiving calls from our friendly volunteers. If you are interested in learning more, speak with your Care Team Lead or contact Karin.Archer-Myles@nucleusonline.ca

Keeping our clients, staff, families and community safe is all of our responsibilities. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate this ever-evolving situation.

Mandatory COVID Vaccination for all Staff

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 16:41:57 GMT

How We're Keeping You Safe

Click here for the latest COVID-19 information for Nucleus.

Effective November 30, 2021 all Nucleus staff, volunteers and contractors (including agency staff) must be fully vaccinated to be scheduled for work and deliver care. This is to ensure both client, staff and community safety against COVID-19.

All of our existing COVID protocols remain in place. This includes daily screenings (twice for anyone delivering front-line care) for staff, hand washing, maintaining physical distancing where possible, screening clients before every visit, and wearing personal protective equipment properly.

If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Ontario Makes COVID-19 Vaccination Policies Mandatory for High-Risk Settings

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 15:37:32 GMT

Since the pandemic began, Nucleus has delivered over 200,000 visits without any transmission of COVID.

Click here to read the latest COVID-19 information at Nucleus.

UPDATE from December 6, 2021** See blog post on mandatory vaccination for all Nucleus staff here .

On August 17, 2021, the Ontario Provincial Government released Directive 6, which requires mandatory vaccination for all employees who work in a health care setting or regular COVID testing if unvaccinated.

The Directive requires Nucleus’ employees, including those who work on behalf of Nucleus, to provide proof of vaccination or a medical certificate issued by a physician or nurse practitioner, indicating the employee has a valid medical reason for not being vaccinated. All unvaccinated staff must attend a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine education session as well as participate in regular COVID-19 testing (minimum of once per week). All education and testing for unvaccinated staff will be complete by October 5, 2021.

Anyone who presents with a positive COVID-19 test result will be removed from service until their symptoms are cleared and their test result is negative. This practice remains true for both vaccinated and unvaccinated staff. If an employee does not provide proof of their negative COVID-19 test, they will not be cleared for service delivery, and subsequently, will be removed from the schedule for the week. As a result, this policy may create service disruption to you (e.g. a last-minute staff changes) – with the goal of ensuring our staff are safe to provide care to you.

An individual’s vaccination status is protected under the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004, which is why employee health and/or vaccine information is kept entirely confidential. As an employer, we continuously share information on the important role vaccines play in protecting ourselves, our consumers and our communities. We continue to rely on expert, medical advice on the safety and efficacy of vaccines as well as on the validated data, which shows the discrepancy between hospitalization and ICU admissions for those who are unvaccinated versus vaccinated. Thus, while you may ask an employee if they are vaccinated, they are not required to respond as part of their own protected rights.

Vaccination is only one tool in our toolbox.

We recognize that vaccination is only one layer of protection in our toolbox against COVID. Our front-line employees are also required to screen twice daily, adhere to all Public Health guidelines, wear proper personal protection equipment when delivering care and remain home when they are feeling unwell. I feel fortunate to say that since the pandemic began, Nucleus has delivered over 200,000 visits without any transmission of COVID. This speaks to the level of commitment our staff have taken to ensure your safety and their own. Our fight against COVID continues and we will not let down our guard to ensure all protections are in place.

Staff Reflections - Tien Ma, PSW

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 15:57:06 GMT

A Day in the Life: Supports for Daily Living PSW, Tien Ma

What program do you work in?

I work in the Supports for Daily Living program.

How long have you worked at Nucleus?

I’ve worked at Nucleus for almost nine years!

Tell us about your typical work day/week?

On a typical work day, I visit around six or seven homes. There, I meet with consumers whom I get to talk to and build meaningful connections with. I prepare light meals, help them shower and get dressed, assist in their ROM exercises, and provide medication. If a consumer is in pain or feels unwell, I assist or comfort them how I can. When they feel down, I try to empathize with them and add positivity to their day!

What are the different tasks that take up most of your time in a typical day?

The tasks that take up most of my time include preparing light meals, helping consumers shower and get dressed, assisting in their ROM exercises, and providing medication.

What do you enjoy about your job?

I enjoy meeting many wonderful consumers and learning more about them, their stories, and their past. I’m grateful for this job because I get to serve and love people every day. I feel I can make a difference by entering their homes with a smile and positive attitude so that we are both happy by the time I walk out.

What brought you to Nucleus?

I appreciate the opportunities Nucleus provides me to work closely with consumers every day and to have a positive impact in the community around me.

What do you think your consumers say about you?

I think my consumers would say I always arrive with a good attitude and that they’re able to build positive relationships with me.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Although it’s not an easy job, I think the PSWs at Nucleus have a large impact because we act as the eyes and ears in our community and we are able to add so much positivity. I’m proud of the work we get to do every day!

Staff Perspectives - Oksana Yarymovych

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 16:04:14 GMT

A Day in the Life, Oksana Yarymovych, PSW in the Supports for Daily Living program.

What program do you work in?

I work in the Supports for Daily Living program.

How long have you worked at Nucleus?

I have worked at Nucleus for almost 12 years!

Tell me about your typical work day /week?

On my typical day, I help my consumers with their daily routine, like personal care, meals, medications and, of course, to bring them a good mood.

It all depends on how consumers feel on the day. Sometimes, they want to talk to you. I think companionship and conversation helps them more than anything else.

What do you enjoy about your job?

I really enjoy working with elderly people and helping them with their activities of daily living. I also learn lots of helpful things from their life stories.

What brought you to Nucleus?

I like the way Nucleus helps the community

What do you think your consumers say about you?

I hope they appreciate my kindness and compassion, friendliness and sense of humor.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I have met so many different people, cultures and I have found really good friends through Nucleus.

Introducing the new NucleusOnline.ca

Tue, 18 May 2021 20:13:54 GMT

Your destination to everything Nucleus Independent Living. Get informed. Get Inspired. Stay up-to-date.

Our newly redesigned website is now easier to navigate. We love it because it matches where we’re going as an organization – refreshing, modernizing and simplifying. Our new logo, colours and content are designed to create a brand-new user-experience from start to end. Same great services, different look.

Programs & Services. Self-Refer. Meet Our Team. Find a New Career with us. Fully-Accessible.

Want to stay engaged with us? Sign-up for our newsletter.The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

How We're Keeping You Safe During COVID-19

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 17:01:58 GMT

Your safety and that of our staff remain our constant priority.

We are living in extraordinary times. Your safety and that of our staff remain our constant priority. The third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause significant disruption to all of our lives, with positive cases in Ontario growing higher than previously recorded. The new COVID-19 variants are more contagious and deadlier than what we have seen to date. The purpose of this letter is to update you on our COVID-19 safety practices and to share resources about the COVID-19 vaccine.

*see updated COVID post from July 2023

Screening for COVID-19 Symptoms

You will be screened by our staff for symptoms of COVID-19 before every visit. This step is mandatory before starting care. This means if you are receiving care multiple times a day, you will be asked these questions multiple times a day to ensure our staff can properly protect themselves. We strongly urge you to answer these questions honestly. Your answers will not impact your care. You will still receive care. The only difference will be the addition of a gown worn by our staff. Refusing to answer the screening questions may result in delayed or suspended service.

Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)

Every time one of our staff enters your home, they must wear a medical mask, eye protection (goggles or face shields) and gloves, every time. If you notice staff not wearing any of these pieces of protection, you can either remind them to wear it or notify us at 905-822-2273 ext. 160. If you are able to wear a mask during your visit, we request that you do so.

Protecting Yourself from COVID

COVID is extremely dangerous and deadly. We protect you from COVID by having our staff wear proper PPE and by having our staff screen themselves for symptoms daily. If they fail the screener, they do not attend work and are tested before returning to work. You can protect yourself from COVID by adhering to the Provincial guidelines, minimizing who enters your home (only essential care), washing your hands frequently and most importantly, getting your COVID-19 vaccine.

Get Your COVID-19 Vaccine – the #1 Way to Prevent Hospitalization and Death Due to COVID

We want to ensure you remain protected against the deadly impact of COVID. The safest and most effective way to do that is to get your COVID-19 vaccine. You are eligible for the vaccine. You can book it here: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/ and select “Chronic home health care recipients.” If you need assistance with booking or are homebound and need alternative options, please contact our office for assistance: info@nucleusonline.ca or 905-829-4499.

Nucleus staff have been eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine since the end of February 2021. As of November 30, 2021, Nucleus requires all staff, volunteers and contactors (including agency staff) to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to be scheduled for work.

Our continued vigilance to safety has resulted in zero cases of transmission from person-to-person within Nucleus to date. Every time we learn of any improvement to be made, we update our practices immediately and without hesitation. If you would like to continue to be updated on the latest information, please send your e-mail to info@nucleusonline.ca .

Free mental health resources & counselling with WTC

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 16:44:28 GMT

In response to the unprecedented rise in mental health distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada has introduced Wellness Together Canada (WTC) , an online, confidential wellness service to support Canadians on their mental health and wellness journey.

Wellness Together Canada is an innovative new joint venture between leading Canadian mental health providers Kids Help Phone, Stepped Care Solutions and Homewood Health, and supported by Toronto-based leader in mental healthcare technology Greenspace Health, to offer a full range of mental health support to people of all ages in every part of Canada.

Based on a Stepped Care model that provides support at different levels or steps, WTC allows individuals to make decisions about the care they require and choose from a multitude of 24/7 services, such as immediate crisis support, self-assessment tools, educational resources, peer-to-peer support and counselling support by phone, text or live chat.

Activity Kits for Isolated Seniors Pilot

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 16:15:47 GMT

Nucleus and Seniors Life Enhancement Centres (SLEC) will be conducting a new pilot initiative that provides activity kits designed to meet the holistic needs of adults/seniors in the community who are experiencing isolation. Nucleus has selected 65 of our most isolated consumers to pilot this with between January – April 2021. Activity kits include trivia, crossword puzzles, colouring books, strengthening exercises, cards, etc. and are replenished on a monthly basis.

Care Coordinators will be delivering kits to consumer homes as well as doing a check-in on their wellbeing. The kits include instructions, frequently asked questions, links to instructional videos as well as SLEC’s contact information. Consumers are encouraged to contact SLEC if they have questions and/or want specific additional items in their kits. The materials in the kits have been generously donated and are free to Nucleus’ consumers.

CEO's Blog: How to Introduce a Caregiver

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 14:45:05 GMT

Families hire paid caregivers for their elderly loved ones for different reasons. Family caregivers need help to complete the many required tasks, or they need a break from the physical and emotional demands of caregiving. Family members may live too far away to provide support regularly. Often, a senior’s needs are too many or too complex for families to handle on their own.

Make a list

Lists are great ways to stay on track. Write down some big things you want to accomplish and some smaller things, too.

Check the list regularly

Don’t forget to check in and see how you’re doing. Just because you don’t achieve the big goals right away doesn’t mean you’re not making progress.

Reward yourself

When you succeed in achieving a goal, be it a big one or a small one, make sure to pat yourself on the back.

Think positively

Positive thinking is a major factor in success. So instead of mulling over things that didn’t go quite right, remind yourself of things that did.

What You Should Know About COVID-19 Vaccines

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 14:45:05 GMT

There are so many good reasons to communicate with site visitors. Tell them about sales and new products or update them with tips and information.

Here are some reasons to make blogging part of your regular routine.

Blogging is an easy way to engage with site visitors

Writing a blog post is easy once you get the hang of it. Posts don’t need to be long or complicated. Just write about what you know, and do your best to write well.

Show customers your personality

When you write a blog post, you can really let your personality shine through. This can be a great tool for showing your distinct personality.

Blogging is a terrific form of communication

Blogs are a great communication tool. They tend to be longer than social media posts, which gives you plenty of space for sharing insights, handy tips and more.

It’s a great way to support and boost SEO

Search engines like sites that regularly post fresh content, and a blog is a great way of doing this. With relevant metadata for every post so search engines can find your content.

Drive traffic to your site

Every time you add a new post, people who have subscribed to it will have a reason to come back to your site. If the post is a good read, they’ll share it with others, bringing even more traffic!

Blogging is free

Maintaining a blog on your site is absolutely free. You can hire bloggers if you like or assign regularly blogging tasks to everyone in your company.

A natural way to build your brand

A blog is a wonderful way to build your brand’s distinct voice. Write about issues that are related to your industry and your customers.

The Benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 14:45:05 GMT

Write about something you know. If you don’t know much about a specific topic that will interest your readers, invite an expert to write about it.

Speak to your audience

You know your audience better than anyone else, so keep them in mind as you write your blog posts. Write about things they care about. If you have a company Facebook page, look here to find topics to write about

Take a few moments to plan your post

Once you have a great idea for a post, write the first draft. Some people like to start with the title and then work on the paragraphs. Other people like to start with subtitles and go from there. Choose the method that works for you.

Don’t forget to add images

Be sure to include a few high-quality images in your blog. Images break up the text and make it more readable. They can also convey emotions or ideas that are hard to put into words.

Edit carefully before posting

Once you’re happy with the text, put it aside for a day or two, and then re-read it. You’ll probably find a few things you want to add, and a couple more that you want to remove. Have a friend or colleague look it over to make sure there are no mistakes. When your post is error-free, set it up in your blog and publish.

COVID-19 Vaccine Q&A Session with Dr. David Burt

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 16:12:29 GMT

Dr. David Burt is an immunologist with more than 30 years research experience in universities and vaccine companies. He has led scientific teams involved in the development of vaccines against various infectious diseases including influenza and SARS. He received his Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Birmingham, UK and a BSc. in Biological chemistry from Essex University, UK. David received the African Canadian Achievement Award in Science in 1997 and the Harry Jerome Award for Health Sciences in 2006 for his professional work and promotion of science in the community. Currently, Dr. Burt is President of D. S. Burt, R&D Consulting, offering independent consulting advice in biotechnology and vaccine research and development. Dr. Burt is a member of the City of Toronto’s Black Scientist Task Force on Vaccine Equity whose mandate is to engage the communities most impacted by the pandemic around issues related to COVID-19 and vaccines.

There are seemingly a lot of vaccines being developed and being approved. What are the differences between the vaccines and is one better than another?

There are 4 COVID vaccines that have been authorized: Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen and AstraZeneca
These vaccines are based on new technologies that use a code or recipe which tells us how to make the virus spike protein. Our immune system recognizes new protein as foreign and makes an immune response that will protect us from the virus.
Based on clinical studies, they all significantly protect against severe COVID-19, hospitalization and death. Data from clinical studies has been verified in real life.
All are two doses except for Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen, which is one dose.

Can you choose which brand you receive?

Not sure if that is going to happen because there have been a few supply issues
We know that all of these vaccines are safe and effective

Is the efficacy the same across all vaccines?

It’s important to note that when the initial clinical trials were taking place - Pfizer and Moderna studies – there weren’t variants of the virus. The AZ and J&J vaccines were tested when the variants were circulating. Because of this it is difficult to compare the efficacy of the various vaccines.
The most important fact is that they all protect against severe cases of COVID, risk of hospitalization and death
The main strain circulating in Canada is still the original COVID virus, against which any of these vaccines will still work very well. We are starting to see new strains come now to Canada now, but 80%+ are still original

Are there any reasons why someone would advocate for one brand over the other? Are there any co-morbidities that react better with one brand?

Answer is no. There is no data that suggests that one is better than the other. No evidence that one works better in diabetics, for example, then another.

There is conflicting information about time lag between inoculations.

What they are now finding through real life use of vaccinations, is that it is possible to delay the timing between the first and second immunization.
They are finding they are still 70-80% effective after the first dose; finding that the longer the distance between first and second dose, the greater the immune response. This new information is now giving more flexibility in administering the vaccines and enabling more people to get first dose and be protected, knowing that second can come later

What will it mean once I have the vaccine? What kind of immunity will I have? How should we respond when the healthcare worker is vaccinated, but the consumer is not?

If you are fully vaccinated, you should be protected against severe COVID (protected from hospitalization and death due to COVID).
If a patient or family has not been vaccinated, but you have, you still need to take the same precautions to keep them safe
It is not clear yet if these vaccines prevent transmission; not sure if they stop the virus from spreading
For now, after vaccination, you still need to be careful that you are not transmitting the virus; still must use PPE. Variants are beginning to emerge and that means that even if you are protected from the original strain, you may not be as protected from the variant
Until everyone has been vaccinated or the majority have herd immunity; even if you have had vaccine, you should still practice all the other safety and protective measures. Vaccine is only one tool in our preventative toolbox.

Some staff have vaccine, some staff don’t.

You want to limit your chances of spreading or contracting the virus. Still should use PPE

Are there any special populations who should not get the vaccine?

Have discussion with your doctor
AstraZeneca, for example, is not recommended for over 65’s at the moment
Underage in groups were not tested; under 18 or under 16 depending on the vaccine
Pregnant, immunosuppressed, those with auto immune disease – these groups were not well represented in clinical trials so there is not a lot of data in efficacy or safety. It is thought that the risk is going to be minimal in terms of adverse effects due to vaccine, but speak with your doctor
Persons with known severe allergies to one or more of the vaccine components
If you have had a serious allergic reaction after the first dose.
How to know if you are severely allergic to substances in the vaccines, you may not know:
Main ones that cause rare allergic reaction – polyethylene glycol (not in J&J and AstraZeneca) – found in cough syrups and colon drink, skin care products, cosmetics

This vaccine has received emergency approval only; these are only in trial phase.

True. Health authorities have assessed data and determined that the benefits outweigh risks. And we are now seeing the way they perform in the real world is the same as they performed in clinical trials i.e. they are very safe and effective.
Yes, they have been authorized for emergency use. The trials are still ongoing. Typically these trials go on for a few years. However, there has been enough interim data to show they are effective and they are safe. All vaccines have to go through a critical safety period of 60 days and all of these COVID-19 vaccines have had to pass that window before being authorized for use.

These vaccines were not tested on animals.

This is false. All have been tested on animals.
Before going into human clinical trials, you have to test on animals. Animals were given multiple doses at levels much higher than the human dose. Every aspect of animal testing is done and must be done before any vaccine can be approved or authorized.
During the development of these vaccines, because so much work had been done with prototypes of these vaccines showing their safety and efficacy, the health authorities in the US, Canada and UK allowed new animal studies to continue in tandem with the human clinical studies. But authorization and approval of vaccines are always done on the basis that they are completely safe in animals and humans.

This concoction falls under the Nuremberg code.

This is false.
That code is a set of medical ethical research principles established as a result of inhumane experimentation on humans during WWII.
This code does not apply to vaccines because vaccines are always tested in clinical trials in a controlled, consented, ethical manner. The Nuremberg code deals with experimentation – not vaccine trials.

These vaccines are sold as vaccines, they are really gene therapies.

This is incorrect.
They are a new class of vaccines - mRNA and DNA vaccines but they work in the same way as traditional vaccines - they produce an immune response against a pathogen
They are approved by the same regulatory authority that reviews any other vaccine we have had.
They do not alter our DNA

Pharmaceutical industry - They are exempt from liability and we cannot sue them for death or injury. Why are exemptions like this given to pharma companies?

Countries allow vaccine companies to be exempt from liability in order to incentivize them to focus their efforts on manufacturing urgently needed vaccines during pandemic periods
This does not mean that the vaccines are not safe. Vaccines are not authorized unless they are shown to be safe and effective
There is a National Vaccine Injury Program – fairly new in Canada. A no fault injury program where your situation will be assessed and if there is a vaccine related injury then the vaccine injury program will see about compensation. This program has been running in Quebec for over 30 years, and there have only been 1 claim in 1 million cases of vaccine delivered. So, these vaccine-related injuries are very rare.
Pharma companies are not entirely exempt for example in the US vaccine manufacturers pay the government a 75c excise tax per dose of vaccine produced that goes towards a trust to compensate vaccine injuries that occur.

The vaccines contain polyethylene glycol (PEG) that 70% of people are allergic to and may lead to cases a severe allergic reaction.

False. This is not correct.
It is true that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines contain PEG, the main allergen that causes allergic reactions, but 70% of individuals are not allergic to this material. In Canada, after $1.7 million vaccine doses were administered, there were only 194 serious, adverse events – most of which were allergic reactions. This only represents 0.011% of people vaccinated.

Is the COVID-19 Vaccine mandated or not?

In Canada, vaccination is not mandated. Canadian government has said COVID-19 vaccine is not mandatory.
To date more than 20,000 have died and there have been more than 800,000 cases of COVID in Canada
It’s important to understand why vaccination is recommended even though it is not mandated

How safe is the vaccine? I am diabetic, I am taking other medication. Can it do harm?

This is a very good question. In the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine trials– there were diabetics that were taking medication and there were no differences in adverse effects or efficacy of the vaccine between diabetics and non-diabetics.
Always important to see your family doctor to let them know what medication you are taking so they can be aware and advise.

If someone tested positive, is there a certain amount of time they need to wait to get the vaccine?

If you tested positive, the recommendation is you can take the vaccine 7-10 days after testing positive (as long as you don’t have symptoms). I would recommend you wait the full 14 day incubation time if you are asymptomatic. If you have symptoms, then you should wait until they completely resolve.

What brand will we be receiving?

I am not sure. I know at the moment, Canada is expecting half a million doses each of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines.
We should not be worrying about the brand. They are all going to protect us from severe disease and hospitalization.

Is it possible that the vaccine could cause harm years later?

We don’t know what the long-term effects are going to be
We know the critical 60-day safety window has been met with these vaccines
We are under the threat of COVID right now and that is what we need to deal with
We will have to see from real life use of the vaccine to see if there are things that will happen in the future. Does not seem like this will be the case.

Is the vaccine recommended to younger people?

No, not anyone under 18 of 16 depending on brand
Exemptions are those at high risk of contracting severe COVID because they have co-morbidities such as heart failure, diabetes, liver disease or chronic kidney disease
Should always have chat with your health practitioner for clarification

Is a person required to have flu shot to receive COVID?

No, there is no connection between the two
If you are thinking of getting another vaccine, it is recommended to wait 28 days to be prudent.

Tracking of vaccinations. We understand that Public Health will be collecting information, but how do we have access to that as employers; understanding it is PHI?

Falls into the realm of privacy
Health Canada is tracking vaccinations and they are thinking about getting some sort of vaccination card. There is talk about whether or not we are going to need that to travel or to work in certain sectors, but not sure what the legal ramifications of that are

What are your thoughts on letting the virus flow through a community where we’ll all get herd immunity naturally?

Some countries were recommending that type of approach; letting nature take its course, but a lot more people would get ill and a lot more people would die.
Herd immunity only happens ethically and safely after most people have taken the vaccine
With seasonal flu, we have all been exposed and we all have a level of immunity. Even if a different flu strain comes along, we have enough immunity that we are unlikely to get very ill. This is not the same with COVID. It is brand new, none of us have immunity. Vaccines will help us get to herd immunity
There are also cases of “Long COVID” – persons that had COVID, but did not have a severe reaction, but now have long-lasting issues, such as joint pain, heart problems for a very long periods of time even though they were not hospitalized.

With the variants. Are there new vaccines or changes underway to current vaccines?

Yes. Most companies are developing ‘variant’ versions of their vaccines e.g. J&J are evaluating a booster dose that takes into account variants.
Great thing about RNA vaccines is that they are simpler to make compared with traditional vaccines therefore variant versions can be made quickly

If someone is pregnant or breastfeeding, what is your recommendation?

The National Advisory Council says that if that individual is at risk of contracting COVID because of their workplace or environment they are in, the person can get the vaccine with the proviso that they recognize that because there were few pregnant women in the clinical trials thhere is not enough data to show safety or efficacy. Person will probably need to sign informed consent saying they understand that. Need to speak with physician.
Will have new studies to better understand impact in the future
It is an individual choice at the moment

What if healthcare workers are refusing?

It is personal choice.
Vaccine is not mandated

COVID-19 Impact on Services

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 14:55:50 GMT

Your safety and that of our staff remain our constant priority.

Click here for the latest COVID-19 information for Nucleus.

We continue to provide services to consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to advise you that a service disruption may occur if we do not have the required staff to provide all services. If services are disrupted, you will be notified and we will need to prioritize essential services to ensure consumer safety. If you have a back-up plan, we would ask that you be ready to activate it. If a disruption in services occurs as a result of the changing situation, Nucleus will notify each consumer of these changes.

COVID-19 Prevention

There are simple, but very effective things you can do to help protect yourself and others from COVID-19:

Wash your hands
Don’t touch your face
Stay home unless going out is essential
Avoid physical contact unless it is essential; maintain a distance of 2 metres or 6 feet from others
Regularly clean high touch surfaces, such as door handles, phones, remotes
Make sure to strictly follow instructions if you or a family member has been told to self-isolate at home including not leaving the house
Stay home if you are sick

Public Health Resources

Please visit your public health website for updates on the COVID-19 situation:

Halton Region Public Health

Peel Region Public Health

Toronto Public Health

Consumer Memo 5 Re: COVID-19

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 17:13:23 GMT

Dear Valued Nucleus Consumer,
I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and let you know how you can get a hold of me. My name is Laura Salisbury and I am the new Chief Executive Officer at Nucleus Independent Living. I have discovered many new things in my first 60 days here, including ideas on how we can better communicate with one another. One of our top priorities is to ensure your safety and to create a positive experience with every visit. I want to keep you informed on all the ways we are working to achieve that every time. A few highlights I would like to share so far are ...

COVID-19: Our Mutual Commitment to Ensuring Safety

COVID-19 has been a part of our lives for eight months and remains a volatile situation. Nucleus continues to work closely with Public Health and the Ministry of Health to ensure the safety of our staff and consumers, and to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within our communities. To ensure we do our part, our staff monitor their health daily, and are required to stay home if they are feeling unwell.

When delivering care, they are required to wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE) that includes a mask, face shield or goggles for every visit; and gloves when required. Staff will not wear boot covers over their indoor shoes, as they pose a fall risk, however, they will clean the sole of their indoor shoes prior to wearing them in your home. There may be times when a gown is required as part of the PPE that staff wear. You will be advised when that is required. In keeping with the guidelines for physical distancing, staff will endeavor to maintain a 6-foot distance where possible during service delivery and we would ask the same of persons in your home.

If staff are not wearing their PPE, I encourage you to remind them oftheir responsibility to safety.
In return, you (and anyone else present during the visit) are required to have a mandatory COVID screening before every visit, and where possible, to wear a mask or face covering e.g. scarf or bandana while receiving care. The outcome ofthe screening will not impact your care. However, should you or any of the persons in your home refuse to be screened, we will not be able to provide services.
For the latest information on COVID-19 visit: https://covid-19.ontario.ca

Exhibiting symptoms or need a COVID test?

Please notify the office immediately if you notice that you or someone in your home is unwell and/or may be exhibiting symptoms. To support every effort in preventing the spread of the virus, we've included a list of the testing centres if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 here .

Symptoms of COVID-19 can vary from person to person. They may also vary in different age groups. Some of the more commonly reported symptoms include:
• new or worsening cough
• shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• temperature equal to or over 38°C
• feeling feverish
• chills
• fatigue or weakness
• muscle or body aches
• new loss of smell or taste
• headache
• gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting)
• feeling very unwell

Additional COVID-19 Resources:
You can download the Canadian COVID-19 app to help break the cycle of infection. The app alerts users who may have had possible exposure to COVID-19 before any symptoms appear. You can download the app by clicking on the link below.
Download COVID-19 ap p

Safety first!
Our staff continue to work tirelessly to maintain both your safety and their safety. We ask for your understanding and patience as they comply with the new rules (e.g. waiting for the elevator with physical distancing, which may delay their arrival).

Communication - Share your Thoughts and Suggestions
One of the ways I want to continue to learn in my new role is to hear about your experiences and ideas. I hope you'll share them with me so that I can address your concerns and better understand where we could improve. Please e-mail me anytime: Laura.SaIisbury@nucleusonIine.ca
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your care you can:
phone: 905-829-4499 ext. 125 or email info@nucleusonline.ca .

Consumer Memo 4 Re: COVID-19

Wed, 27 May 2020 12:38:37 GMT

As the COVID-19 pandemic circumstances continue to unfold, our priority has been and continues to be the safety and health of our staff and our consumers. We continue to be guided by the public health experts and our teams are working very hard both planning for and responding to the rapidly changing and evolving COVID-19 situation. Some examples of these efforts include:

regularly updating our COVID-19 screening tools used to screen all consumers before each visit, staff daily before starting work and all guests/visitors to our sites before entry;
updating our policies and procedures as new directives and/or guidelines are released;
regularly communicating with staff; providing training and/or materials about new processes/protocols; addressing staff questions;
working closely with Public Health departments in our communities for guidance on specific COVID-19 situations to manage and address any potential exposures;
securing the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplies;
actively working with our funders and many community partners to address health system pressures and COVID-19 related issues; and
participating in advocacy efforts to ensure the needs of our consumers and employees are heard by those who are developing policies and guidelines at the provincial and regional levels.

In an effort to minimize the risk of transmission of the virus between our staff and our consumers, we continue to offer essential services to our consumers who are unable to be supported by other means. Despite the need for the government to re-open some businesses and activities in order to stimulate the economy, unfortunately, this pandemic and the state of emergency is not over.

Given that Nucleus supports many consumers, and employs some staff, who fall into categories of higher risk related to the impact of this virus; and because our staff must go into multiple consumer homes in order to provide the essential services our consumers need; it is extremely important to the wellbeing of our consumers and staff as well as to the sustainability of our healthcare system, that we all continue our preventative efforts to protect ourselves and one another from the COVID-19 virus. Therefore, we expect you will continue to practice the following:

Stay at home unless you need to go out for essential purposes (groceries, medications, or healthcare services). Wherever possible utilize the support of family and friends (or support services if required) to obtain essential items. Please contact your Nucleus Supervisor if you need some assistance with getting what you need.
Maintain a physical distance of 2 metres (or 6 feet) between yourself and others who do not live in your home.
Do not allow guests into your home, however if this is unavoidable because they are assisting with essential tasks, ask them to use a face mask/face covering.
Respond truthfully to the screener questions as they are asked of you
Comply with any directions received by health officials regarding self-isolation

As per our current policy, our staff are expected to use face masks, eye protection (goggles or face shield) and gloves for all consumer visits, even when the COVID-19 screening results are negative. When there is a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, staff will have additional personal protective equipment (PPE) to wear. Out of an abundance of caution, these additional precautions (PPE) are currently required for at least two weeks following a consumer’s visit to a hospital or other high risk environment. Please notify the office if any Nucleus staff who come to see you are not wearing the required equipment so we can address this issue quickly.

Nucleus will continue to follow the guidelines from public health officials and take the necessary steps to help mitigate the spread of the virus. Our Supervisors will continue to be fully available to assist you by telephone, so please do not hesitate to call our office if you need some creative problem-solving to assist you during these challenging times.

Consumer Memo 3 Re: COVID-19

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 14:48:22 GMT

As the COVID-19 situation continues to unfold, our efforts are focused on protecting the safety and health of our staff and our consumers while sustaining essential services. During this crisis period, it is critical that you comply with the instructions given by health authorities and governments.

Physical Distancing:

Please comply with physical distancing and stay home unless you need to go out for essential purposes (groceries, prescription, healthcare) - although it is best if someone can get these essential items for you. You need to maintain 2 metres (or 6 feet) of distance between you and others. Physical distancing includes avoiding all visits with family members and friends who do not live in your home and restricting people from entering your home unless it is absolutely essential. If possible, it is best if items delivered are left outside your door.

Self-isolation:

If you or anyone in your household has been instructed to self-isolate, please notify Nucleus immediately and make sure that you comply with all the directions given by health officials. It is important that you not have any contact with someone who has been told to self-isolate even if they do not appear to be sick. They should not enter your home. This includes anyone who has returned from anywhere outside Canada in the last 14 days.

Screening before visits:

It is critically important that you answer the screening questions truthfully. This will ensure that our staff use the right protection and precautions to protect themselves and other consumers. At this time and given the seriousness of the current crisis situation, if these steps are not taken or if we suspect they are not being taken, we are prepared to suspend services in order to protect the health of our employees and other consumers who receive our services. During this pandemic, everyone depends on our healthcare workers and everyone has a responsibility to do everything they can to prevent the spread of the virus and reduce the risk to our healthcare staff. If our staff get sick, we will not be able to sustain essential services for consumers who need it. We are all in this together and we are asking that you do all you can to help us support you.

Temporary service reduction:

In anticipation of staff shortages and in order to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus for our employees and our consumers, and in keeping with physical distancing, Nucleus will be temporarily reducing services by eliminating non-essential tasks or visits. This is an unprecedented action and is only temporary until the state of emergency is lifted. Our goal is to decrease the number and duration of visits to reduce close contact between staff and consumers while continuing to provide essential services that will keep consumers safe at home. You can expect to receive a call from a member of our management team to discuss adjustments to your service plan. We know that this may be inconvenient and we ask for your understanding. This temporary adjustment is necessary to ensure we do all we can to protect our staff and consumers. During this time, our supervisors will keep in contact with all consumers to do safety checks, answer questions, and will be able to send a staff member to your home to assist you if you have essential needs. Our Supervisors will continue to be fully available to assist you by telephone. If you need assistance to get essential items (i.e. food or medications etc.), do not hesitate to call our supervisors and they will get you some help.

Background:

As the number of people in Ontario diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus continues to rise quickly, public health officials are projecting that there will be more people needing help than the health care system can support with human or equipment/supply resources. Therefore, on March 17th 2020, the Ontario government declared a State of Emergency and implemented extreme measures to help contain the COVID-19 virus and reduce its spread within our communities. These measures include implementing social/physical distancing for all people; social isolation for anyone who has been outside of Canada within the past 14 days; and the temporary closure of non-essential businesses. Although public health experts say most people who get the COVID-19 virus, (approximately 80%) will experience only mild to moderate symptoms, those at highest risk for more severe symptoms include seniors over the age of 70 and people with serious underlying medical conditions. Nucleus supports many consumers, and employs some staff, who fall into these higher risk categories. Because our staff go into multiple consumer homes in order to provide our consumers with the personal support they need, it is extremely important that we all work together to keep one another safe.

Consumer Memo 2 Re: COVID-19

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 12:27:53 GMT

On Wednesday, March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the COVID-19 outbreak is now a pandemic. A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease and at this time, more than 100 countries have confirmed cases. Nucleus receives regular updates and guidance from the Ministry of Health and Public Health Ontario regarding infection prevention and control measures. All cases in Ontario so far have been travel related however, experts are advising us that it is likely that COVID-19 will begin to spread in our communities. It is therefore important that each and every one of us take the recommended precautions to control the spread of the virus in the community. As a result, we have implemented the following measures:

Screening:

All our employees are instructed to monitor their own health and not come to work if they have any respiratory symptoms (fever and onset (or exacerbation of chronic) cough). Additionally, our employees have been asked to report any contact/association with any person linked to the COVID-19 illness. We are monitoring this situation daily and are following directions from public health officials.
Nucleus consumers are being contacted and screened with the recommended COVID-19 Screening Tool questions before each visit (or series of visits). Screening is very important to ensure that we make every effort to help control the spread of the virus. We appreciate your cooperation with this process.
If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, difficulty breathing), please notify us as soon as possible and call Telehealth (1-866-797-0000) or your local public health unit for further instructions regarding testing.

Infection Prevention and Control:

Our Attendants, Supervisors and Care Coordinators who visit with you, are regularly trained in infection prevention and control best practices. They also have access to the personal protective equipment (PPE) they require to carry out their work safely.
We have a small stock of personal protective equipment (PPE) required by our staff for use related to COVID-19, however, due to a recent increase in global demand,
some of these items are in short supply. We are working with our health partners, suppliers and the Ministry of Health to obtain the supplies we require and we are following Public Health Ontario guidelines for their use.
Due to the reduced availability of hand sanitizer at this time, and because washing hands with soap and water is an equally effective method for cleaning hands, our attendants are being provided with a bottle of soap to take with them to one of your next visits and to leave in your home. This soap is being provided for use by Nucleus attendants, at no cost to you, in order to maintain infection prevention and control best practices. We have labelled the soap bottle to help with its identification and ask that you help ensure it is not used by anyone else in the home and is kept available for use by our attendants.

Currently, we plan to continue to provide services during this pandemic. However, it is likely that our staff will also be impacted by COVID-19. For this reason, we want to advise you that a service disruption will occur if we do not have the staff required to provide all services. If services are disrupted, we will prioritize essential services, to match staffing levels, in order to maintain consumer safety. You will be notified of any changes to your service schedule or tasks. If you have a back-up plan for assistance, we ask that you be ready to activate it. Also, if your circumstances change during the pandemic and you require less service for any reason, we ask that you notify our office so that we can temporarily reduce your services accordingly.

At this time, experts are telling us that we all play a very important role in efforts to control the spread of the virus in our communities. To help keep you informed, we have attached some materials provided by Ministry of Health to help explain this virus and what you can do. We will continue to communicate with you when new and important information becomes available and we be posting announcements/information on our website at www.nucleusonline.ca . Until then, you may wish to refer to Public Health Ontario for information on the COVID-19 virus at www.publichealthontario.ca .

Nucleus Independent Living earns Three-Year CARF Accreditation

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 16:18:57 GMT

CARF International announced that Nucleus Independent Living has been accredited for a period of three years for its Home and Community Services programs including Governance. This latest accreditation is the 3rd consecutive Three-Year Accreditation that the international accrediting body, CARF, has given to Nucleus Independent Living.This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be given to an organization and shows the organization’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards. An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process. It has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit its commitment to offering programs and services that are measurable, accountable, and of the highest quality.

Nucleus Independent Living is a non-profit healthcare organization that offers services in Oakville, Mississauga and Etobicoke York. It has been providing support services to seniors and people with physical disabilities since 1983.

CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process and continuous improvement services that center on enhancing the lives of the persons served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF International, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services. For more information about the accreditation process, please visit the CARF website at www.carf.org .

For additional information contact:

For additional information contact:
Lisa Gammage, Director of Quality, Systems and Accreditation
905-829-4499 ext. 136
www.nucleusonline.ca

Consumer Memo 1 Re: COVID-19

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 16:07:57 GMT

In January 2020, a new coronavirus (COVID-19) was identified as the cause of an outbreak of pneumonia originating in Wuhan, China. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak a ‘public health emergency of international concern’, however, the risk to Ontarians is still considered low. As the situation evolves, Nucleus Independent Living receives regular updates and guidance from Public Health Ontario and the Ministry of Health on infection prevention and control.

COVID-19 can spread from person-to-person through close contact (for example, in your household or workplace) with people who became infected when they travelled to the affected area. Although the risk of this virus spreading in Ontario continues to be low, Nucleus Independent Living, as a healthcare provider, is taking the steps recommended by the Ministry and Public Health to help identify and control the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus. As a result, our staff will be asking you screening questions before visiting you. They will ask if you are experiencing any of these symptoms: fever, cough, difficulty breathing; and whether you have been in contact with someone who has travelled to the affected area. They will also ask you to alert us of anyone in your home who is experiencing any of these symptoms so we can take the appropriate steps to prevent the spread of any illness.

Our Attendants are regularly trained in infection prevention and control best practices and have access to the personal protective equipment (PPE) they require to work safely. At this time, we are asking you to be patient with our staff as they conduct this screening before entering your home. Staff will be calling you before each visit and we ask that you answer the phone in order to avoid delays to your visit.

We will update you again should any new and important information become available. Until then, you may wish to refer to Public Health Ontario for information on the COVID-19 virus at www.publichealthontario.ca .

nucleus

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Nucleus Reimagined

PSW Best Practice Guidelines for Safer Client Mobilization

Nucleus Earns Fifth Consecutive CARF Accreditation

At Nucleus, quality is not just a standard—it’s our culture

Nucleus New Partnership Press Release

Nucleus is the first organization in Canada to become a Premier Partner with OPSWA.

Registration Open: Ontario Health Central Region CSS Advisory Committee Virtual Conference

Taking place on March 18, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Improving Care, One Connection at a Time

Research Institute for Aging

Future Facing, Global Impact: Pushing the boundaries of knowledge and innovation to enable successful aging.

Digital Health Canada Award Winners announced at Vancouver e-Health 2024 Conference and Tradeshow

Nucleus' CEO, Laura Salisbury, recognized as Community Care Leader of the Year 2024

The Human Library Experience

Resetting Mindsets for Equitable Care. Leading experience-based education for providers across Central Region, one ‘book’ at a time.

Participant Response

Values Inspired Person Award

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Impact Report 2024

“We’re here to exceed expectations, every time. Our focus is on transforming care in the community through reimaging and solutioning a new path forward.” We invite you to read out 2023-2024 Annual Report

The Family Portal Experience at Nucleus

Nucleus was invited to join AlayaCare at their Family Portal webinar on March 28, 2024 to share our experience with implementing the Portal to our clients.

Watch the on-demand webinar below to learn more about AlayaCare’s Family Portal

Nucleus Presents at McMaster University's eHealth Poster Fair

McMaster's eHealth Master's students showcased their posters from their internship at Nucleus.

International Women’s Day 2024 –Inspire Inclusion

Happy International Women's Day 2024!

Forward with Dementia

Following a dementia diagnosis, it’s only natural to ask questions. This resource is designed to help.

Client Experience Results

Hear what our clients have to say about us and what we're working on to continue to improve their experience.

Happy Lunar New Year!

Wishing everyone celebrating a very Happy Lunar New Year! May the light of the moon illuminate your paths and guide you always!

Black History Month

February is Black History Month. Learn how Nucleus is committed to celebrating contributions, amplifying voices and addressing Anti-Black Racism.

Staff Experience Results

We're pretty proud of our latest staff experience survey results. We love hearing about what is working, where we're improving and what can be done to make Nucleus the employer of choice. Check it out!

Here are some of the top highlights from Fall 2023:

What our staff want - What we are doing about it

A Visit & Funding Announcement from Oakville MP, Anita Anand

An investment in Adult Day Programs for older adults in our community.

Canada Disability Benefit Act & CRA Webinar

Online Engagement Tool and benefits and credits available for persons with disabilities and their caregivers

Benefits and credits available for persons with disabilities

and their caregivers

Vaccines for Older Canadians

Webinar on November 13, 2023. An Update on What Everyone Needs to Know to Enable Healthy Ageing.

Client Experience Results

Return to Mandatory Masks for Staff

Changes to Masking Requirements for Our Staff Effective October 2, 2023.

Better Access to Adult Day Programs in Central Region

"This program helped my mom have more independence and helped with her dementia a lot, especially with recall. I truly can't thank everyone involved enough.”

- ADS Caregiver

﻿

Changes to Masking Requirements

Public Health Updates to Masking Requirements that impact Nucleus care delivery effective August 1, 2023. *Updates as of October 2, 2023: Nucleus returns to mandatory masks for staff.

Smart Tips for Stroke Care

Smart Tips for Stroke Care: A healthcare providers guide to caring for a person with stroke.

Annual General Meeting 2023

Members of the Nucleus Board, staff and partners came together for a night of reflection and celebration.

Forward Together: 2022-23 Annual Report

Q&A: Getting to Know our COO, Oliver Blunn

Learn more about Oliver and his journey into healthcare and future plans for #TeamNucleus.

Nucleus CEO announced as recipient of HealthCare Leadership Award

Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL), GTA Chapter, announces Laura Salisbury as recipient of HealthCare Leadership Award

Staff Experience Council

The Nucleus Staff Experience Council - Driving Strategic Initiatives

Participate in an online survey for a research study on aging and mental health

his study responds to the growing mental health crisis for Canada’s diverse aging population. The goal of this work is to act on priority research questions identified by older adults, caregivers, and health and social care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Client Satisfaction Survey

We want to hear from you! Share feedback on your experience as a client of Nucleus.

CARF Accreditation

Celebrating an achievement in quality. Nucleus awarded a Three-Year Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, CARF International.

Metro Morning's Ismaila Alfa on Nucleus' Companion Call Program

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Caregivers: Does your loved one need a gait aid?

People with dementia have an annual fall risk of 60-80%, (Allan et al. PloSONE 2009) twice that of the cognitively healthy and have a higher risk of serious fall-related injuries, such as hip fractures (Asada et al. Age Ageing 1996).

By Marguerite Oberle Thomas, RN, BScN and Dr. Susan Hunter