Oops, there went September

Fall is here! And WOW, it looks like I missed the whole month of September. I just noticed when I opened the file to write this week’s message that the last message I wrote was Aug 31. I don’t know about you, but time is very hard to track the older I get. Not only do days go by incredibly fast, but apparently so do months. Ughhhhh.

I have a couple of important items to update you on. First, the COVID premium stopped on Sept 30. If the state restarts it, we will follow along, but at this time we do not have any word they are extending the premium pay. As you know, we offered the COVID premium pay on a much broader basis than the state, but we are still using their service dates for the benefit. We will keep you advised if anything changes.

November is Caregiver Appreciation Month and we have historically hosted a Thank You Dinner for all employees and a guest during the month. Due to the pandemic, we will not be hosting everyone at one dinner this year. We still have a Thank You Event planned, but we had to get a little creative this year. More to come on this mystery event in the next few weeks.

The new TEAM pay has been a nice reward for about half of our caregivers. We have shifts everyday that go unfilled that are available to help you get to the minimum weekly 20 hour threshold. Open shifts are offered to you via text and are always available to view on-demand in your ClearCare Go mobile app. If you are not seeing these offerings, please give the office a call and talk with Linda or Mark.

My 5K Turned into a Marathon

Okay, this might just be my favorite quote of the summer…

Life sort of feels like…the 5k Fun Run I didn’t want to sign up for, and planned to walk anyway, has turned into a marathon that I am forced to sprint and comes with no finish line. Good grief, is it just me, or did the race officially just get too long? Laura Phelps

What do you think? As we get to the end of August, I feel like the summer has been so long, yet also suspended in time. Maybe it is that the end of summer is always the beginning of school and yet that was a moving target this year. It some ways it feels like the finishing line keeps moving. In times like this I find it helpful to remember that there is more to the race that the track I am running. When I focus only on the race, I become exhausted. However, when I challenge myself to set my eyes on heaven, the true goal of life, I find the strength to persevere. For me, I am finding my best days are when I look up and not at the track.

Nora and I pray you and your families are well and that you are always able to look upward. We have been offering the new TEAM pay incentive for a month now and more of you have qualified each week. If you haven’t chosen to take advantage of it yet, please consider how making a 20 hour commitment could work in your life. We have been very gratified at how many caregivers have chosen to take advantage of the incentive program. We are still running a waiting list for all new clients, but with your help we have been able to start several families this month. Thank you for all you do.

Congratulations!

We are so excited to share that we have a 98% compliance result of our employees passing the Infection Prevention and Control course. This course provides critical information on preventing the spread of infections and helps both the employee and senior. If you haven’t printed your certificate yet, you can go into the course record in Paycor at any time and print it. Be proud! You are part of an amazing team doing their part to Stop the Spread.

Wondering about something?

During our first all employee Zoom meeting last week, we shared some exciting news about new opportunities for all of our employees. First, we introduced our new TEAM pay program. Starting August 2, 2020, we are offering an additional $2.00 per hour worked, when you work 20 hours during the week.

The world is in turmoil and our community is in need. Our agency is receiving a record number of requests for assistance. Families want their parents at home and our waiting list has turned into a No List. There is nothing harder than turning away families. Additionally, we truly believe our caregivers are the best in the state and we hate the idea of them having to rely on less quality care. For those of you on the fence about working more hours, we hope this will be the incentive you need to commit to helping more families.

Additionally, Nora and I announced that we were going to again offer the Premium Pay that we provided during the 2nd Quarter retroactive to July 1. Our Premium Pay is a combination of additional reimbursement from the government for some accounts and our agency’s desire to acknowledge the extra commitment you are showing to take hours during the pandemic. At this time, we anticipate paying the additional Premium Pay thru Sept 30.

And if that wasn’t enough good news, in addition to your retroactive Premium Pay, you’ll notice in your paychecks this week that you were also paid for completing the Infection Prevention course. Everyone that passed the course was paid for the 1/2 hour that the course took to complete.

I know this is a lot to put out at one time. If you have any questions, you know Nora and I are always available. You can reach us at the office number, 616-234-0190. We sincerely appreciate all that you do for us and your seniors.