Save the Date for Skills Fair

Friday, April 17, 2020

Lakewood office

7:30am-5:00pm (you only need to attend for 2 hours; you're welcome to stay for more!)

We are so excited about all of the fun, prizes, and learning that we are planning for you next month at Skills Fair 2020.

This is mandatory training and you will be paid 2 hours at your training wage. All absences must be approved by your RN supervisor.

You should expect a call from our office next month asking what 2 hour period you will attend, so start to think about what works best with your schedule that day.

Daylight Saving Time begins in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 8, 2020. Remember to spring forward your clocks when you go to bed Saturday night! We look forward to the days getting brighter and longer.

FACTS vs. FEAR

What You Need To Know About Coronavirus (COVID-19)

"Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that usually cause mild respiratory illnesses, such as the common cold. Some coronaviruses have caused more severe illness, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndromes (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). COVID-19 is a new coronavirus that was not identified in humans before December 2019." (info courtesy of the Thurston County Health Dept).

The virus is mainly spread by close contact (within 6 ft) with someone who has been infected. The best method for preventing any sickness is to use Universal Precautions whenever you are caring for your clients.

Further steps:

Symptoms of COVID-19 usually include fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

It is the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommendation that well people do not need to wear masks as a preventative measure.

If you do have contact with a person known to have the virus you may follow this link for more information and next steps. As always, if you are sick and running a fever, please call the office.

WELCOME to our NEW EMPLOYEES hired in February

Alicia A.

Adela V.

We are so happy you have chosen to be a part of our caring team!

Both of these new hires were referred by current employees, Christine L. and Winter L.! They are now on their way to receiving their $200 bonus! Congrats and thanks to both of you!

March Anniversaries to Celebrate:

Loli H.C. 14 years

Sharon D. 11 years

Leanne M. 10 years

Molly H. 6 years

Dale S. 2 years

Amanda M. 1 year

Mary N. 1 year

Rosabeth S. 1 year

Myrlaina C. 1 year

Maureen K. 1 year

Thank you for your dedication to Advanced Health Care and to the clients you faithfully serve!

What Clients Are Saying about YOU

We've heard from several families this past month about how much they appreciate their caregivers. There were also several of you that had positive mentions in the Home Care Pulse surveys, as well. We'd like to say thank to:

Andrea C., Olga Z., Sharon D., Bettina M., Sambri R.,

We are so proud of all of the work that you do with our clients. Click to  see what your clients may be saying here! 

Join us for PI Day in the office Friday, March 15

Yes, really...free pie!

We invite you to join us in either office for a "pre" pi day celebration on Friday, March 13. We'll be serving up yummy slices of the dessert for any caregiver who can stop by before or after their shift(s) that day!

Pi Day is nationally observed on March 14, 3.14 , as a day to celebrate the mathematical constant  pi (π) , and to eat lots of  pie! Since the 14th is a Saturday, we're moving our Pi Day party to Friday, the 13th. So join us in the office for your free slice of PIE!

When Should You Wear your Name Badge?

When do YOU wear your name badge to work?



_________Every day

_________Most days, if I remember

_________When I’m going to a new client

_________Name badge? I have no idea where it is!

The best answer is every day! Our clients know to look for your name badge, to be sure they’re letting the right person into their home. If you arrive at their door without your name badge they may wonder if you’re really the caregiver from Advanced Health Care! While your regular clients know you and probably don’t care if you wear your name badge or not, it is a good policy to wear it every day. You never know when your schedule might change, and you may be asked to go to a new, unexpected client. Or, your regular client may have a family member that is not familiar with our agency or employees, and is looking for verification that the person caring for their loved one is a legitimate employee. If you have lost or misplaced your name badge we can easily reissue one to you; just call the office and let us know!  Thank you for remembering to wear your name badge every time you go to work!

AHC Caregiver and Client Get Local Attention

This short story on Thurston and South Sound Talk's news sites, written with AHC and client's permission, is a great example of our wonderful caregivers, like you, who assist our clients in big and small ways everyday. Read on to find out how our caregiver, Yuriko , helped her WWII veteran client return family photographs to their rightful owners in Japan, almost 74 years after he found them during the war. This is inspiring and well worth the read - click here.

Communication Tips

If you are a younger, newer caregiver, you may not always feel comfortable communicating with people from older generations. What do we talk about? What should I say? Should I ask questions? If you would like to learn more and get insights on conversation starters, Click here to learn more tips on communicating with seniors.

Puget Sound Honor Flight Honors Daun

We wanted to tell you all about, and congratulate, our "on-call scheduler-extraordinaire", Daun Lenz. She was selected to receive accommodation and an all expenses paid trip to Washington D.C. in May, as a part of Honor Flight. Honor Flight is a non-profit organization whose mission it is to provide honor and closure for veterans by flying them back to D.C. to visit the War Memorials. Daun served our country in the Marines. We can't wait to hear all about the trip she will be going on and will share photos with you when she returns. Congratulations Daun, and thank you for your service!

If you know of a deserving veteran, feel free to share the Puget Sound Honor Flight website with families or clients you may serve so that their loved ones can look into this further, if interested.

March In-Service

Here is the link to this month's CNA training topic on Bloodborne Pathogens and Standard Precautions.