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In This Issue

Alison & Jamie McKee

Trivia Question

Hub Update

Title Changes

Winter Driving

Quality Update

Provincial Patient & CaregiverAdvisory Coucil

Access2Entertainment

New Faces

Community Events

Bookshare

Cheshire Gives Back

Newsletter Recruitment

Quick Links

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About Cheshire

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Cheshire Chat Winter Edition 2016

Spotlight - Alison & Jamie McKeeBoccia Ball AthletesSubmitted by Michaela P.

I had the great pleasure to meet with Alison and Jamie attheir apartment, to talk about their busy lives and passion forBoccia Ball. Alison and Jamie have known each other foralmost 26 years. First they were friends; in 1999 they wentout on their first date on Valentine's Day. In 2007 they tiedthe knot! They are a great team not just on the court but asa couple. They always bring out the best in each other and itshows in their achievements in Boccia. Listening to theirstories and seeing their equipment shows their love for thissport. Before Boccia, Alison and Jamie participated in totallydifferent sports.

Alison was a professionalswimmer and almost made itinto the Paralympics in Sydneyin 2000. She then decided totake the pressure off ofcompetitive swimming andwent back to College to pursue

a career.Alison is a player, coach and is now going tobecome a Referee in the sport she loves so much.

Jamie used to play Hockey andbroke both of his shoulders.You would think that wouldhave stopped him but no way!Once he healed up he startedBoccia as a player and is alsothe players' representative.Both are playing at different levels (Canadian National &Provincial). Jamie's goal is to compete in the Paralympics inRio in 2016. In addition both have won several medals. Theyboth play for the London Cannonballs Boccia Club, which

Forward to a Friend is also the biggest club in Southwest Ontario with 13members. I have learned a lot during our meeting aboutBoccia. Boccia, Italian in origin, is a unique sport that canbe played by everyone, however only wheelchair athleteswith a physical disability may compete at the national andinternational levels. Boccia is a tactical target sport. Bothmen and women compete together, individually, in pairs oras a team. Players may play using their hands or feet, withor without assistive devices to throw or direct the ball to thetarget. It is a strategic game that requires tactical, technicaland mental preparation to beat your opponent. It is a gamewhere anything can happen.Alison and Jamie are great coaches and it was reflected inour conversation. If you want to find your next hobby andhave fun in a great team atmosphere or want to check outthe club's website at www.londoncannonballs.ca, please feelfree.Thank you Alison and Jamie for this great afternoon! Jamiewe all wish you the best of luck in achieving your goal toparticipate in the Paralympics in Rio 2016.

Our Readers Are Winners!

What is the focus for the February2016 Kaizen event?

Click the link to see how you can win!

Hub Update

BackgroundIn response to the update Assisted Living High Risk SeniorsPolicy -2011, the Southwest LHIN through the Access toCare initiative completed an environmental scan and currentstate analysis in 2014 to assess the need for AssistedLiving(AL) Hubs within the Southwest. This work includedcase reviews by CCAC Care Coordinators, and datacollection from current AL providers including current waitlists and location of current programs. Using the informationgathered, the LHIN has prioritized the need for AL hubs bycommunity.

What is an Assisted Living Hub?"AL Hubs" are outlined in the Provincial High Risk SeniorsPolicy (January, 2011) as geographic areas in whichassisted living services are available on a 24-hour basis toclients who reside in the hub in a variety of settings,including their own homes. In order for an area to support a

hub there must be a critical mass of clients whose needscan be met by assisted living services in the community inan efficient manner with expected face to face responsetime for clients needing unscheduled care to be no morethan ½ hour.All new funding will be under the hub model of servicedelivery and will not be building based. As such, housing isno longer linked to service and as consumers in buildingstransition off of service, new consumers coming on toservice will not be required to live in a building (although,where accessible housing is of concern to the individual,they may).

What did this mean for Cheshire?Cheshire has been working very hard over the past year toshift our service delivery models toward a hub orneighbourhood model of service delivery in each of thecommunities identified by the LHIN where we currentlyprovide service.St. Thomas, London and Woodstock were designated asphase 1 communities for hub development andimplementation (April 2015), and Stratford was designatedas a phase 2 community (April 2016).St. Thomas: St. Thomas was the first community forCheshire to implement an Assisted Living Hub, with the shifttoward a hubbed model of service delivery achievedcompletely through attrition. As Assisted Living (previouslyknown as Supported Housing) consumers transitioned off ofservice we were able to bring new, community-basedAssisted Living consumers on to service. This has been a relatively seamless transition and, atpresent, we are supporting half of our Assisted Livingconsumers in their own homes in the community. AssistedLiving and Attendant Outreach staff are now shared tosupport both building and community consumers with theirscheduled and unscheduled needs. This transition wasaccomplished without any additional funding from the LHIN.London: In London the changes were much more significant- combining three very large city-wide programs, and thendividing them into five neighbourhood hubs with the aim toimprove response time, reduce travel time, and create morecontinuity of service. This was a massive undertakingwhich took nine months of planning and went live onNovember 16th, 2015. The magnitude of these changesmeant that many consumers had new staff teams providingtheir support. This was understandably upsetting initially toboth staff and consumers, but we are pleased to be hearingpositive feedback now that the initial disruption is nowsettling -- as consumers become more familiar with their newstaff, staff become more settled into their new rotations, andthe errors and glitches from the initial weeks are being

fixed. We are continuing to identify areas of concern andare working diligently to fix and improve upon the servicewith the goal of making it better than ever before.Through the planning and implementation of these changes,Cheshire's London programs have received funding toprovide support to an additional 19 individuals (both HighRisk Seniors and Adults with Disabilities) through ourAssisted Living program.Woodstock: Our Oxford program is currently gearing up toimplement the Hub model of service delivery in the City ofWoodstock. New funding was approved this year forCheshire to support 2 additional consumers with acommunity based Assisted Living program for Adults withDisabilities.Much like the experience in St. Thomas, we expect thistransition to be seamless for existing consumers as weidentify new consumers in the community in need ofscheduled and unscheduled support, and as we transitionotherwise through attrition.Stratford: Stratford is in the very beginning stages ofplanning with the LHIN and our community partners. Identified as a phase 2 community, we expect to have moreinformation about timelines and funding in the upcomingmonths. Stay tuned for more information.

Title Changes For Cheshire Team LeadersAnd Managers

As a part of the organizational planning activities thatCheshire has been undergoing for the past several months,the Cheshire Leadership Team has taken some time toreview and discuss the roles and titles of some of thepositions. It was identified specifically that our leadership titles werenot in line with those of "like" organizations and it was feltthat the perception of these titles disadvantaged our staffwhen interacting with other organizations and outsideparties. Our intent was not to restructure these roles but toproperly align our titles with existing duties and to lendcredibility to our team when interacting with parties outsideof Cheshire. After careful consideration it was agreed thatthe following titles would be changed effective MondayOctober 12, 2015.

Team Leaders will now be titled "Program Managers".Attendant Services Managers will now be titled"Directors of Community Support".The Finance Manager will now be titled "Director of

Finance"The Human Resources Manager will now be titled"Director of Human Resources".

If anyone has any questions or concerns regarding thesechanges please do not hesitate to contact us.

Winter Driving How to be Road-Ready

and Weather-Wise

While the danger from winterweather varies across thecountry, nearly all Canadians,regardless of where they live, are likely to face some type ofsevere weather at some point in their lives. Weatherconditions can be unpredictable, placing extra demands onyour vehicle and your driving skills. Ensure you are wellprepared for winter roads and always adjust your drivingspeed to road and weather conditions.

Be PreparedIt is very important to make sure your vehicle is winter-ready. Some ways to do this are: having a maintenancecheck-up done, making sure your vehicle is mechanicallyready for winter conditions, keep your fuel tank sufficientlyfull - at least half a tank is recommended, and always makesure you have enough windshield washer fluid. Winter tiresare also recommended.Before heading out, make sure that your clothing isn't goingto restrict your movement while at the wheel, check theweather and road conditions and always make sure youhave planned your route and pre-set your GPS so that youdon't have to worry about it when you are on the road.It is also a good idea to have a Road Safety kit in yourvehicle stocked with items to keep you and your passengerscomfortable and safe in the event that you becomestranded. Some recommended items include:

Ice Scraper/SnowbrushShovelSand or Road SaltBooster CablesFlashlight and BatteriesFirst Aid KitExtra Clothing and FootwearBlanketNon-perishable FoodsCandleMatches or Lighter

Be Mindful on the RoadStay alert, slow down and stay in control!Make sure to clear the snow and ice from all windows,lights, mirrors and the roof. After starting your vehicle, waitfor the fog to clear from the windows to ensure good visibilityall around.Always consider that it takes longer to stop your vehicle onsnow-covered roads. You should avoid using cruise controlon roads that are wet, snowy or icy because it may causeyour vehicle to accelerate in an unpredictable manner,possibly reducing your reaction time and ability to controlyour vehicle.Maintain a safe distance between yourself and the vehicleahead of you and avoid situations where you have to stopsuddenly. Always use your signals so that other drivers areaware of your intentions to change lanes and can leave youenough space to do so safely.Plan extra time to get to your destination and considerdelaying or cancelling your trip in bad weather.

Safety is as simple as ABC - Always Be Careful!

Quality Update - January 2016

Cheshire's Quality Journey Continues!

As many of you may know, several months ago weembarked on a quality event to look at the Program Manager(previously Team Leader) role, with a focus on identifyingand prioritizing the standard work of the Program Managerso that there is more consistency across programs, andbetter, more efficient ways of doing the work.We know that that Program Managers are busy, and thatbusy-ness takes them away from their most important role,which is relationship building with consumers and staff. Wealso know that, in order to increase our focus in that area,we would need to identify efficiencies in our processes andensure that the tasks our Program Managers are currentlyperforming are properly aligned with the objectives of thisrole.As such, the same rigour was taken in reviewing the current

Team Assistant role - looking at core activities of the roleand finding ways to streamline, rearrange and prioritize thatwork to free up time so that the TA can help to support theProgram Manager with other activities. At the end of an exhausting 4 days, we emerged with astandard role for both Program Managers and TeamAssistants. This new role was tested as a pilot in theOxford, Perth and Elgin programs through September andOctober, with positive results. The Huron program went livein November. The London programs were scheduled to go live inNovember, however with the significant changes related toHub implementation it was decided to delay our start untilearly in 2016. What can you expect as part of the new standard role? 1. Increased consumer engagement: Team Leaders will be:

Connecting with consumers by phone for a quickcheck-in once every 5-6 weeks.Completing Service Reviews annually.Meeting with consumers face to face twice annually(service review plus one other)

2. Increased staff engagement: Team Leaders will be:

Connecting with staff every other month in a quick15-minute face-face meeting to check in and providementoring.Scheduling and communicating consistent and daily"Open Office" time in their calendars to allow for staffto bring forward successes and/or concerns, discussissues, brainstorm issues, etc.Consistently conducting annual performanceappraisals

In order to make this happen, the Team Assistants will beproviding additional supports to the Program Managers with:

All aspects of staff and consumer schedulingScheduling and administrative coordination of servicereviews, performance reviews, and staff training.

Additionally, front line staff will have improved access toforms, training tools and information packages, as well asmore direct means of submitting health and safety reportsthrough the new intranet which will be coming in theupcoming months.

Next up? Health and Safety!In February 2016 we will be hosting a four day Kaizen eventto improve our Health and Safety processes with goal of

1. Decreased incidents and injuries;2. Timely resolution of health and safety concerns;3. Improved clarity of roles and responsibilities;4. Clear and standard processes across the organization, and;5. Improved efficiency through technology. A team of staff and consumers will work through our currentpractices, identify opportunities for improvement, anddevelop strategies for implementing immediateimprovements. Stay tuned for what comes next!

Provincial Patient and Caregiver AdvisoryCouncil We are very pleased that Mike Lang has been appointed tothis committee. Mike lives in St. Thomas and is supportedby Cheshire. He has been a member of the CheshireConsumer Advisory Council and is now a member ofCheshire's Board of Directors. He is an excellent choice forthis new provincial committee and will be able to share hislived experience with the other members of the committeeand with government.

Access2Entertainment Card

http://www.access2card.ca/This information was taken directly from the link above.Launched in December of 2004, the Access 2 Entertainmentprogram seeks to offer more opportunities for people withdisabilities to participate in recreational activities with anattendant, without added financial burden. It is alsodesigned to raise awareness and help businesses providequality customer service to customers with disabilities.The Access 2 Card provides persons with a disability apersonalized card printed with their name and the card'sexpiry date. When going to their attraction of choice, theysimply need to present the card along with a piece of ID (notrequired for cardholders who are minors), and their attendantwill receive a free ticket. The Access 2 card is accepted atentertainment venues across Canada.

New Faces at Cheshire

Eric Chapman, Board MemberMy entire professional career beganafter graduating from highschool andon to managing The Chas. ChapmanCompany Limited. This firm wasestablished in 1855 and has been inmy family for four generations. Today,it operates under the banner of HeinnChapman. Although I was chairman and co-owner with mybrother, most of my working responsibilities were involved withcorporate acquisitions along with product development,marketing and sales management, particularly in the USAmarkets. After 35 years, I retired in 2001 to enjoy my personalinterests that include world travel, music, gold and time wellspent with friends and family at our camp situated on the KeyRiver.

Mike Lang, Board Member

Hello my name is Mike Lang, I am 51years old and married to my beautifulwife now for 21 years, and she hasbeen my rock since my health problemsstarted many years back. I have beena recipient of Cheshire Homecare sincethe fall of 2011and since then my

quality of life has improved in so many ways. My life before wasvery interesting as I was in sales and computer networking andhardly ever had the time for hobbies and family. I suffered astroke in 2010 and soon after I was informed I would be unableto return to work, I needed something to do with my life andCheshire stepped up again with a way to help myself and otherslike me. I now sit on the advisory Committee as well as theBoard of Directors and with participating I hope to make thisorganization better where ever possible. I love the fact that I amgiven an opportunity to pay back to an organization that hasgiven me my life back. I have met some incredible people withinCheshire that have made a very lasting and educationalimpression on me making me a better person.

Community Events

Food and Wine ShowDates: January 14th - 16th, 2016Website: http://www.westernfairdistrict.com/wine-food-showThis will be the 11th year that the Western Fair District hasheld the Food and Wine show, which features wineries fromacross Ontario, an enticing mix of local restaurants, severaltasting seminars, food connoisseurs, celebrity chefs, andindustry experts. Each night of the three day event also hasa theme with Thursday being Premiere Night, which boatsand evening of sophistication, Friday is ladies night, and

Saturday is Savoury Saturday for the foodie.

Nature in the City 2016A free six-part series of illustrated talks about nature in andaround the City of LondonJanuary 12Will songbirds fall silent?Like canaries in a coal mine, our at-risk forest songbirdshave important information to convey. Find out exactly whothese remarkable birds are, what threats they face, and whatwe might do to help. Jody Allair, biologist and scienceeducator at Bird Studies Canada, is our speaker.January 19The secret Lives of plantsCan plants tell stories? Can they really communicate witheach other, or with us? And just how helpful are they tohumans and other animals? We know some basics aboutour green friends, but botanist Jennifer McDonald sharessome secret stories of London's truly exceptional plants.January 26Birds of a feather respond to the weatherAmazingly, wild birds can actually tell what weather isapproaching and then adapt their behaviour accordingly. Learn more about birds' incredible superpowers, as WesternUniversity's Scott MacDougall-Shackleton describes justhow birds predict and respond to weather.February 2Get starry-eyed on a winter's nightGaze upward on a clear night and you will likely be lookinginto a street lamp. Beyond that glare, however, is a treasuretrove of stars, planets, galaxies and nebulae. Ryan Fraser,astrophotographer and member of the Royal AstronomicalSociety of Canada discusses the wonders of the heavens,light pollution, and how we can save our view of the nightsky for the next generation.February 9The slandered serpent!There are countless scary snake myths, both ancient andmodern. But, instead of being maligned and feared, oursnakes should be protected and celebrated. ScottGillingwater of the Upper Thames River ConservationAuthority presents the life stories of local species of thisfascinating group of reptiles. February 16Warbler Woods: Much more than warblers Scale the hills of Warbler Woods Environmentally SignificantArea without even sweating. This area's special featureshave been enjoyed by Londoners for more than a century. Nature London's Winifred Wake leads us on a virtual hike,shedding light on the flora and fauna that keep thosewarblers company.

Six Tuesday evenings from January 12 to February 16 from7:00 to 8:30 p.m.In the Central Library's Wolf Performance Hall at 251 DundasSt. Free! Plus up to two hours free validated parking at CitiPlaza during Library hours. Families(with children 10 and up)are welcome!The goal of the Nature in the City series is to contribute tothe preservation and enjoyment of nature. Let's do thistogether by sharing information and stimulating an interest inthe natural world around us.Co-sponsored by Nature London (www.naturelondon.ca) andLondon Public Library (www.londonpubliclibrary.ca) Poetry London January ReadingDate: January 20th, 2016Website: http://www.londontourism.ca/Events/Arts/Poetry-London-January-ReadingPoetry London hosts monthly readings and poetryworkshops, which feature some of Canada's best nationalpoets doing readings and providing a wide range of poetry-related opportunities for local writers and poetry aficionados.After the event you also have the opportunity to chat withthe poets informally at the Wortley Roadhouse.

Dragon GalaDate: February 6th, 2016Website: http://www.dragongala.com/Bring on the year of the monkey! For over 30 years theLondon Chapter of the Chinese Canadian National Councilhas celebrated Chinese New Year in our community. TheDragon Gala is an annual fundraising event that supportsboth local and international charities, with this year's partnerbeing the Canadian Diabetes Association. Another aspect ofthe gala is to bring awareness to the Chinese arts, cultureand heritage.

London's Got TalentDate: February 20, 2016Website: http://www.pillarnonprofit.ca/event/londons-got-talent/swim-single-women-motherhoodSingle Women in Motherhood is hosting "London's GotTalent"! This event gives everyone in the community achance to perform their talents on stage and receiveconstructive criticism from judges. The audience gets thechance to vote, and the winner will receive a grand prize.

Book Share

Do You Have a Print Disability? Do You Live in Canada?With a Bookshare® membership, you can access over2639000 accessible eBooks.

Bookshare, the world's largest online library for individualswith print disabilities, offers a wide range of books includingbestsellers, novels, children's books, mysteries, sciencefiction, nonfiction, foreign-language books, and more,directfrom publishers.

Bookshare is FREE to Canadians with a qualifying printdisability who receive services from the Centre for EquitableLibrary Access (CELA) through their public library.

http://cniblibrary.ca/iguana/www.main.cls?surl=defaultCNIB&language=eng

Cheshire Gives BackThis Christmas, the staff in the Main Office collected giftsand necessities for the Women's Community House to helpspread the holiday spirit. Items collected included pajamas,toiletries and gifts for the children too!

Consumer Recruitment for NewsletterCommittee

We are looking for one more consumer/client to sit on ournewsletter committee. This committee meets quarterly tobrainstorm articles for upcoming editions of the seasonal

Cheshire Chat Newsletters. If you would like moreinformation or are interesting in joining, please contactLindsay P. for more information atLindsay.pierce@cheshirelondon.ca.

Cheshire Chat Submissions or Requests Do you have an idea, topic or article that you would like toread about in an upcoming edition of Cheshire Chat? We areopening the doors to our readers!

Article submission - if you have an article you wouldlike to submit for review, please provide to yourimmediate supervisor and they will submit to the ChatCommittee for review.

Idea or Topic - if you don't like to write, but would still enjoyseeing an article about an idea or topic you think wouldbenefit people in our community, submit your idea or topic toyour immediate supervisor and they will submit to the ChatCommittee for review.Sincerely,

Leslie C.,Office Coordinator

Cheshire Chat ContributorsJudi F., Executive DirectorLeslie C., Office CoordinatorAngela M., Director of Community SupportLori S., Executive AssistantSamantha W., Human Resources CoordinatorLindsay P., Administrative AssistantCaley P., Human Resources Coordinator

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