Aug 23, 20219 min read

August Newsletter - Learning to Enjoy the Little things With Gratitude!!

Learning how to enjoy the little things with Gratitude!

Google definition of Grateful: feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness; thankful. Receive or experienced gratitude; welcome.

When you experience life with Gratitude and a Grateful Heart, the World you see changes.

Five Benefits of practicing GRATEFULNESS

1. Improve Sleep Quality – When you take the time before going to bed to go over everything you are grateful for, your heart becomes lighter, less weary.

Keeping a gratitude journal and filling it before going to bed can help you recall what to be grateful for.

From a minor thing such as, "I found a dollar and change in my car middle console, I can get a nice ice-cold soda on this hot day."

"It was so hot today; I am grateful that at the end of the day, I was able to take a nice shower and go to sleep into a room that has AC to cool me off for the rest of the night." Now you can sleep nice and cozy.

2. Improve Emotional Regulation – Gratitude increases the feel-good neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin and helps you deflect negative thoughts.

Our relationships, our job, our daily activities can be draining. However, let's look at the difference for a moment on how we control how it drains us by just seeing it from a different perspective;

"My son will be the death of me. Can't he get through one day without being so draining. I need to work".

"I am so grateful that my son is still here, still able to feel comfortable to come to me with what is bothering him. I will let him know that I will be done with work at five, and we can talk then".

Same problem, different perspective. Our attitude, view, and gratitude change how we see the same situation; however, our spirit deals differently. We do not let our circumstances control our emotions. This will come with practice. Trust ME! But, it can be done, I promise.

3. Increase feelings of happiness and positive mood – When we start having a grateful attitude, we tend to see things in a positive light. Comments like:

"This to shall pass." "Everything happens for a reason." "It was not meant to be." "Maybe next time." So on and so forth.

Example: You are stuck in traffic. Which one will you be;

"F$%$ stuck in traffic. Are you kidding me? This is always my luck."

A few things two this statement. Is it really always your luck, or are you always running behind schedule, not giving yourself time, or do you only get stuck in traffic here and there? But most of all, is it because you drive through the same street at the same time every day that everyone else does. It is called afternoon traffic.

I am grateful to realize that I can change my routine so that this doesn't continue to happen and change my luck.

It was due to a car accident. I am grateful that I can be stuck in traffic listening to music while this passes and not because I am in the accident causing the traffic.

Foster hope for the future!

Think positive and concentrate on the positive. Look for the good in a situation.

4. Reduce stress, burnout, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – Stress hormones like cortisol are 23% lower in grateful people. Having a daily gratitude practice could reduce the effects of aging on the brain. Being thankful has such a profound effect because of the feelings that go along with it.

In our lives, we go through horrible things. Things that are hard to express, to speak of. A lot of time, we feel alone. No one can possibly understand what we are feeling.

Whether it is because of childhood trauma, adult trauma, war (internal, physical, army), health, cancer, mourning, etc. I promise you two things there is always at least one other person that can understand because they have experienced it, and two if they can't understand because they have not experienced it, they can be there for you.

I have always said that I can't understand what it is like to go through many things because I have not lived it. For example, I can't possibly understand the loss of a child because my four children live. But I can be here to listen and support a mourning mom as best as I can.

I went through something traumatic in my childhood, and I use to say why, why, why. Then I started to see my traumatic experience could aid others who unfortunately also going through it. I am not grateful for what happened to me, I can't say that, but I am at peace and happy I can console others in need of support and understanding. Especially because now, I get to help my son through a difficult time in his life, and he knows I get it because I experienced similar pain.

I am not saying that being grateful erases stress, burnout, or PTSD. However, it reduces it. There will be weak moments where negativity will come in and try to drown you, but knowing what a change of Attitude with Gratitude can have in your life can change everything.

5.Increase Resilience - instead of having comments like: "You see, nothing ever goes my way." "What did I do to deserve this."

Our thoughts start to become more of strength and development.

"What can I learn from this." "What doesn't break me makes me stronger." "I am grateful to experience this because I will be stronger next time."

"Today, my client's home did not look great or smelled good. I am grateful for the opportunity that I had to help them today. My next visit or someone else's visit will be better because I helped their home look better, smell better, and helped the client have a better attitude. After all, I helped change the environment."

Always remember that our mood, attitude can affect others, including our client, family, friend, coworker, etc. Be that beacon of hope, of brightness with a grateful heart to all we meet.

Expressing appreciation and being thankful can reduce depression, lower blood pressure, increase energy and happiness, and even prolong your life!

Be the exception and move forward.

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Important

After providing quality care to your client/individual part of your responsibility is to Document the task/duties you completed for the day. No matter how minor they may seem.

To do this when clocking out while using the Medflyt app follow these steps:

1. Go to your visit and click on the arrow to the right of the visit

2. Scroll down and click on the duty sheet

3. Click done on them once completed for the day

4. If you have any concerns and would like to add the concern under any duty performed, click on notes and document. This is NOT a substitution for calling/chatting with the agency and making us aware of your concerns.

You are responsible to report everything to the agency no matter how small, such as a stumped toe.

Report, Report, Report!

If calling from the client home follow these steps:

Call 1-833-752-1822, Press 2 to clock out
Enter your cell phone number as your 10-digit code
It will then ask for your task code, enter the codes of the duties performed and hang up once you have entered all the codes necessary.

If you need a task sheet call/chat the office and one will be provided to you.

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Incentive

Monthly Raffle!!!

Ways to be a part of the monthly raffle:

Take an extra shift
No call-offs for the month
Client calling in with kind words regarding the quality care you have provided
Entering the “Activity Incentive” (More Information on the Monthly Newsletter)

The more you participate the greater the chances to win!!!

Congratulations to our May Winner

Kim Lambert

Congratulations to our June Winner

Emeliz Gonzalez

Congratulations to our July Winner

Marta Vertes

Referral Bonus

For recruiting and onboarding do not hesitate to reach out to Charlene Hesson.

Safety

If any DCW would like to join our safety committee feel free to call Keri Reese. We are looking for 2 candidates.

Payroll

EVV system must be used to make sure that there is no interruptions, delays, or problem with direct deposit. In the future, your pay will not be able to be processed if you are not using the system.

If your schedule changes for any reason it is your responsibility to call it in. This way we can fix any discrepancy to your schedule without any delays to your pay.

Maximum Care Inc is under state regulations to follow strict guidelines to pay DCW and to bill for all visits.

Maximum Care’s Inc's responsibilities are to make sure that everyone is using EVV properly, pay all DCW properly, and bill for the properly authorized hours allotted to the participant. We also supervise all clock in & clock out within the range and schedule time.

The system alerts Maximum Care if you clock in or out when you are not within GPS range. For example, you cannot clock in from the LV Mall when you are supposed to be in the client’s home. It will alert us and show us an address and map of your location when you clock in or out. If you are out of range this may cause a delay in payment. If for any reason you need to clock in or out of range due to a participant, you must call the agency and make us aware. For example: If participants have therapy, Dr appointments, dropping them off or picking them up from a program, etc. Call Maximum Care for special instructions to ensure contractual permission.

It is your responsibility to inform the office, it is not Maximum Care Inc responsibility to call and confirm the “Why’s”. Maximum Care can reject the visit until further investigation is done which will delay your payment.

If you have any questions regarding payroll, payment, pay rate, paystubs, etc. do not hesitate to reach out to Jackie Ginnane or Karolina Belusko.

Staffing

Broadcasting

What does Broadcasting mean to you?

Broadcasting is a way for the agency to call out to the frontline direct care workers (DCW) who may be available to work when the clients need care. Want to pick up extra hours or help the agency during these hard times where everyone lacks staff.

You can call/chat at any time and ask questions if you are interested in a case. For example, if Jane Smith in Allentown needs an 8-10 am. However, you would like to help Jane at 10:30 am because she is close to you and your client canceled.

Broadcasting is meant to show the DCW what work is available and help the agency fill cases more effectively.

Feel free to let us know if you have any ideas or suggestions. My apologies in advance. We cannot take your name out of getting the broadcast.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. Call, email, chat.

Any questions regarding staffing call/chat with Pauline Reese, Maria Cornell, or Keri Reese.

Compliance

Training

All training will now take place in Medflyt in your Medflyt app. After you log in you will go under the training tab and you will see what training bundles are up for completion.

The Bundles will activate as the dates come up and will be active for three months. The Bundles are scheduled for new training materials and hours quarterly. This will meet the 12-hour (plus) requirement from the state yearly.

For new hires, they will have different Bundles to go complete in a required time according to state regulations.

Once you complete the training you will receive a certificate at the end with the hours completed. If you do not print them however need evidence that you have done this in the future, we can print it for you at the office at any time. The completed education will be saved in your electronic file.

If you have any questions regarding training or the material call/chat with Yenica Buskirk.

If you do not use the app to clock in or out, you will still need to use the app to complete the training. If you do not or cannot download the app to your phone you can go to any ipad, laptop, computer and sign in under m.medflyt.com and sign in under your account this way. To complete your training.

Being in compliance just got easier!!!

Need to update your documents go into your Medflyt app and upload your documents.

Follow these steps:

1. Log into the app

2. Click on the 3 lines on the top left-hand corner

3. Go to my passport

4. a. Click on General for documents such as drivers’ license

b. Click on Medical for documents such as annual health assessment (physical)

c. Click on Maximum Care for documents such as car registration

Any compliance questions do not hesitate to reach to Yenica Buskirk.

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Do Not Drop Your Guard!

Be Vigilant!

Covid 19 and the Delta Variance is on a rise.

Maximum Care considers you a frontline worker and wants you to be safe while providing quality care.

Following small steps can reduce the spread in our community and work:

Use basic universal precautions such as washing your hands for 20 sec., when possible, if not use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol per CDC.
Continue to use social distance (6ft), from clients, when possible, & in public.
Masking when not being able to practice social distance (even if vaccinated).
Recommend clients to wear masks if not vaccinated when providing personal care of any kind.
Provide quality care by sanitizing common areas in the client’s home.

Stay Safe! Thank you for your continuous hard work.

Maximum Care has all supplies and PPE needed to keep you safe. Stop in and get what you need to keep yourself safe. By keeping yourself safe you keep others safe. If you need special arrangements to get your supplies please call or chat with us to make the arrangements.

If your clients are in need of supplies, please make the agency aware.

From CDC: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view