ESS Support Services

ESS is proud to be a recipient of the United Way Greater Toronto’s Allan Slaight Seniors Fund. This fund helps connect vulnerable seniors to community. Our new Special Senior Caregiver program is supported by this fund. Our goal with this program is to provide support and resources to aging parents caring for adult children with developmental disabilities. Included in this program is dedicated case management, a monthly virtual caregiver support group, special wellness and e...ducational activities all at no cost. Read more about this program on our website: https://www.esssupportservices.ca//special-senior-caregiv/ Read United Way’s press release below.

Seniors Aged 70+ Can Now Book Appointments for COVID-19 Vaccinations at the Toronto Congress Centre - 650 Dixon Rd (one of our community’s mass vaccination sites). TO BOOK A VACCINE AND TO CONFIRM YOUR ELIGIBILITY VISIT: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/ or REGISTER BY PHONE:1-888-999-6488

We are hiring! We are looking for qualified and dedicated individuals to help us continue to innovate and support the quality of life amfor seniors, adults with disabilities and their families in the community. Current job openings:... - *urgently hiring* https://ca.indeed.com/job/driver-casual-9362848d24e6a50f - https://ca.indeed.com//personal-support-worker-c7bb1399073 - https://ca.indeed.com//senior-manager-residential-care-rpn Please help us share these opportunities. Thank you!

Free upcoming events : We have plenty of free events coming up that we welcome you to join us for. All event details are on our website and under our Facebook events. All events take place virtually.... We hope you can join us!

Happening today! From our friends at Arts Etobicoke.

And were back! We hope everyone had a lovely long weekend. Starting off the week with some playfulness. Its important to still make time and space for fun and connection, even at work and if its from a distance. Our PSWs and Assisted Living staff team always know how to bring more joy to their work days and the seniors they meet with on a daily basis. Their positivity is infectious even during uncertain times. Thanks for always being there for our clients! Have a great week!

The following services and programs will be closed for the holiday long weekend and will reopen Tuesday, September 8: - Administration & reception - All telephone & virtual group programs - Transportation... Thank you and we hope you enjoy the final long weekend of the summer.

Some good tips and reminders on staying connected during our current environment from Toronto Public Health. Other tips and best practices on creating social circles during COVID-19 can be found on the Ontario Government website. https://www.ontario.ca//create-social-circle-during-covid-

Seeing these smiling faces makes us smile! These snapshots were taken during our weekly Daystrom community social recreation program which has moved online during the pandemic. This program is conducted in Punjabi and involves a lot of music, singing and lively discussions. The energy of the woman in this program still comes through over video even if they cant meet in person. Staying socially connected during this time is so important!

ESS was featured in the Etobicoke Guardian torontodotcom yesterday. Learn about how we are navigating supporting our clients and their families during the pandemic. Thank you to Tamara Shephard for the feature.

Our fleet of vehicles are in the process of having protective barriers installed between the front seats and rear passenger seats in each vehicle. These will act as an added protective measure for our clients and drivers. Kimberly, ESS Health and Safety Team Lead, recently met with our Transportation Team to review infection control protocols and provide training on proper disinfection procedures.

Join us for a free talk about how seniors can best protect themselves as the province reopens. Bring your questions as there will be a question and answer period after the talk. Registration required. See the event below for full information.

NEW Virtual Exercise Program at ESS All are welcome to join our new Advanced Exercise Class for adults 55+. Classes take place weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10am over Zoom. Best suited for individuals with exercise experience and who are not at risk for falls. Call ESS at 416-243-0127 ext. 241 for more information.

Our team at ESS is growing! We would like to introduce you to Kimberly Thompson, our Health and Safety Team Lead. Kimberly first joined us in March to review, update, communicate and implement our agency safety and Emergency Preparedness plans during COVID-19 to ensure they met directives from Public Health. She has also been our agency lead in safety and quality assurance training. We are delighted for her to now join us in a full-time capacity.... Kimberly is a nurse by training and very experienced in the community care sector. She has been instrumental to all our teams in ensuring proper and enhanced protocols and guidelines are being met for staff and client safety during the pandemic. Read more about Kimberlys role on our website: https://www.esssupportservices.ca/our-team-at-ess-is-growi/

FREE Information session with ESS and the Toronto Public Library If youre an ESS client who has participated in our previous telephone information sessions, please dial in using the same number and code as used before. If you are new, please register ahead of time by leaving a message at 416-243-0127 ext. 271.

We want your opinion! Have your say in naming our new Centre on Rosemount Ave., the soon-to-be home of our new Caring Centre and Adult Day Services program. The survey takes 1 minute to complete and closes on Monday, August 10th.... Visit the link below to cast your vote: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RosemountSign Thank you and we wish you a safe and relaxing long weekend!

New Workshop: Alzheimer Society Meaningful Activities and Music Project This workshop will help care partners of a person with dementia in mid-to-late stages t...o develop and participate in meaningful activities. The goal is to provide practical ideas on how participants can spend quality time together by identifying and drawing upon the persons remaining strengths. Participants will also learn about the benefits of music therapy and the Alzheimer Societies Music Project. #Dementia #Memoryloss #aging #Alzheimers ESS Support Services - Etobicoke Services for Seniors (ESS) See more

Thank you to the wonderful staff at Dollarama at 2561 St. Clair Avenue West for helping us keep our Lysol stock in good supply. Were grateful for their assistance in ensuring we have a bulk supply available to us to ensure were able to safely and consistently disinfect surfaces while we continue to provide one-on-one service during the pandemic. Our admin team has also been working hard to make sure we have plenty of necessary items on hand such as gloves, hand sanitizer, masks, gowns and googles.

Alzheimer Society of Toronto is holding a live cooking demonstration today at 5:30pm on Facebook. Its free to watch! "Chef Liz is passionate about cooking brain healthy food and cant wait to share her recipes with you! During this Facebook Live event, Chef Liz will be teaching you how to make a Mediterranean Chickpea Stew and Chocolate Coconut Almond Cookies for dessert!" Learn more and register at the link below .... https://alz.to/event/cooking-with-chef-liz/

We are thrilled to announce that with the help of 72 very generous donors and everyone who shared our #GIVE65 campaign, together we raised a gross total of $9,650. And on top of this, with your help, we are receiving all $5,000 of matching grants we were eligible for and a $2,500 bonus grant as an award for the number of donors who supported our campaign. Putting this all together, we a thrilled that we achieved a gross total of $17,150 towards our new Centre. ... These are much-needed funds that will be used for the start-up operational costs, which will include the purchase of items such as appliances, equipment and furniture. Many, many thanks to all. The contributions of many made this happen without them, we would never have received the maximum amount of matching funds available to us nor won the bonus grant. We would also like to extend a huge thank you to the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation of Canada for holding this event, and for their generosity in providing matching funds and bonus grant opportunities. Thank you to Journalist Tamara Shephard for her continued support and coverage of our campaign. torontodotcom Our CEO, Alison Coke, and Dolores Ellerker, retired ESS CEO of over 30 years, dropped by our new Centre last week to do a walk-through of the construction progress. We look forward to officially opening our doors in the future. Stay tuned! Cc Home Instead Senior Care

Toronto is under a heat warning. Protect yourself and know your risks. Visit canada.ca for tips and a downloadable brochure on how seniors can protect themselves during extreme heat. https://www.canada.ca//too-hot-protect-yourself-extreme-he

Tune in Monday next week as we announce the results of our #GIVE65 fundraising campaign. We cant wait to share the results with you! Well also give you a sneak peek of the construction progress of our new Centre.

Our friends at Lets Get Together are holding a Technology Drive this week. They are collecting used electronics to re-purpose and distribute to families in need. Drop offs are taking place this week at Paramount Foods in Mississauga. Visit their website for more information: letsgettogether.ca/tech-collect-drive #LGTTechCollect #LGTTech4All

Please share: An opportunity for residents to provide input to the City of Torontos ongoing response to COVID-19. Social Planning Toronto (SPT) is coordinating opportunities for residents, community members and grassroots groups to provide input to the Toronto Office of Recovery and Rebuild Consultations.... Please see different options to provide input below: One on One Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/torecovery Group Discussion link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TOrecovery-group Share your story: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TOrecovery-group Written submission/letter to the Toronto Office of Recovery and Rebuild (TORR): Address letters to Toronto Office of Recovery and Rebuild, Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, 10th Floor East Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5H 2N2, and e-mail them to [email protected] (Please cc: [email protected] in your email to TORR so that your feedback will also be included in SPTs data summary to the City.) Webpage link: https://www.socialplanningtoronto.org/torr_consults_formats Deadline is 5:00 PM, Friday July 24th.

Today is the LAST day of #GIVE65 and we are close to winning that $2,500 bonus grant to use towards our new overnight care and day program Centre. Were thrilled and so grateful to have raised over $8,000 already through GIVE65 (not including any matching funds were eligible for) and we are SO close to being awarded an extra $2,500. Were currently in second place for the highest number of donors and in the race to get the bonus. If youre in a position that youre able ...to make a gift of $10 or more, please visit our fundraising page: www.give65.ca/nonprofits/esssupportservices. Were looking forward to when we can finally open the doors to our new site. Funds raised through GIVE65 will support the operational start-up costs to help us make our new space be a home-away-from-home and feel warm, inviting, comfortable and be suitable for the special needs of seniors with cognitive impairments. GIVE65 closes at 11pm tonight! Home Instead Senior Care Foundation of Canada

Day 2 of #GIVE65! Thank you to everyone who has been supporting our campaign to raise funds for our soon-to-be new Centre that is currently under construction. We are so very grateful for the response weve been receiving and the support coming through. Were still chasing that $2,500 bonus grant that will be awarded from Home Instead Senior Care Foundation of Canada to the agency with the highest number of donors. Were currently in second place! ... www.give65.ca/nonprofits/esssupportservices We are looking forward to opening our new purpose-built program space that will provide safe, comfortable and home-like rooms for short-term overnight respite for seniors and their caregivers. In addition, it will also be the home of a new recreational day program for seniors living with a cognitive impairment such as Alzheimers disease and dementia. Funds raised through GIVE65 will support the start-up operations, including the purchase of appliances, furniture and equipment, for our new Centre and to help make the space feel warm, inviting, comfortable and be suitable for the special needs of seniors with cognitive impairments. Thanks to Tamara Shephard and torontodotcom for featuring us on Toronto.com.

#GIVE65 is LIVE! July 15 -17 We are competing to win a $2,500 bonus grant. If we can get the most number of unique donors (1 person = 1 unique donor), then well win this bonus! So far we are in the lead, but we need help to stay there.... You can help us win a $2,500 bonus grant from the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation of Canada by making a gift to help support the building of our new Centre for seniors and caregivers. All is takes is as little as $10 to help us get there. Our soon-to-be completed Centre will be a bright, open and secure space made to support seniors and older adults with cognitive impairments. It will provide overnight care and recreational day programming during the day. Funds raised will go towards operational costs such as the purchase of appliances, equipment and furniture. If youre in a position to be able to help us build our home-away-from-home a safe and engaging place where seniors living with a cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimers and dementia, can flourish together with dignity visit our GIVE65 giving page. www.give65.ca/nonprofits/esssupportservices Many thanks to everyone who has already contributed to help us make this new Centre a soon-to-be reality. We had 25 donors make a scheduled gift during the early-bird giving window from July 13-14 and have a GREAT chance at getting those funds matched. We encourage you to help us share this fundraiser - thank you!

Today is the day! Schedule your #GIVE65 gifts and help us open up our new Centre that will provide overnight care and day programming for seniors and caregivers. Scheduled donations have the best chance at being DOUBLED! ESS is eligible to receive up to $5,000 in matching funds. Were also competing for a $2,500 bonus grant and will win if we get the highest number of individual donors.... Gifts can be made on our fundraising page: https://www.give65.ca/nonprofits/esssupportservices Pre-scheduled donations can be made July 13-14 before GIVE65 goes live July 15-17. Note: youll have to create an account to pre-schedule your gift. Minimum of a $10 donation required. Home Instead Senior Care Foundation

REGISTER: Falls Prevention Tips with Julie All are welcome to join a FREE Falls Prevention Tips Talk with Julie Williams, Registered Kinesiologist and ESS Seniors Fitness instructor. As the City slowly begins to re-open and we start to become more active again and venture outside our homes, well need to take good care of our physical health. This includes being mindful of preventing falls. ... Listen in on Friday, July 17th at 11am. This talk will take place over the telephone. Register by leaving a message at 416-243-0127 ext 271.

#GIVE65 online giving event goes live next week! Money raised will go towards the start-up operational costs of our new adult day program and overnight respite Centre. You can us provide a home-away-from-home to continue supporting seniors and caregivers like Anu (see picture for our most recent caregiver testimonial).... Early-bird giving takes place July 13-14 before the event goes live July 15-17. Early donations have the highest chance of being matched by Home Instead Senior Care Foundation and each donation helps get us closer to reaching our fundraising goal and could help us win a $2,500 bonus by having the most number of donors. Gift can be made directly on our GIVE65 fundraising page July 13-17: https://www.give65.ca/nonprofits/esssupportservices For more event information visit: https://www.esssupportservices.ca//GIVE65-Event-Informatio Our new Centre will be a purpose-built program space that will provide safe, comfortable and home-like rooms for short-term overnight respite for seniors and their caregivers. It will also be the home of a recreational day program for seniors living with a cognitive impairment such as Alzheimers disease and dementia. Have a question about GIVE65? Contact [email protected] for more information.

NEW: Remote Exercise Program for Mandarin Speaking Seniors We are starting a new exercise program for Mandarin speaking seniors. Staying active and healthy is still possible even though gyms and community exercise programs are closed. ... ESS Seniors Fitness Instructor Hong Liu (pictured below) will lead participants through a simple at-home exercise over the phone in Mandarin. Please share! Click below for a copy of our program flyer translated in Mandarin. https://mcusercontent.com//Exercise_Class_Flyer_for_Mandar The class will be led over the phone on Tuesdays at 10am. Call 416-243-0127 ext. 271 for more information.

EFFECTIVE TODAY: Wearing a mask or face covering is required under the Mandatory Mask or Face Covering Bylaw in indoor public spaces in the City of Toronto. People may unknowingly pass the infection to others because they do not have symptoms (asymptomatic) or have not yet developed symptoms (pre-symptomatic). The highest risk for infection is with prolonged close contact. More information is available on the City of Toronto - Your Local Government website, along with videos ...on proper use of masks and how to choose the right mask or face covering. http://toronto.ca/facemasks

Dear friends, We hope you were all able to get outdoors to enjoy a nice summery weekend. A quick reminder that #GIVE65 is happening NEXT WEEK July 15-17! And the early-bird giving window opens one week from today! ... Were competing to win a $2,500 bonus grant which is awarded to the agency who has the most number of individual donors AND we are eligible to receive up to $5,000 in matching funds. All funds raised will go towards the start-up operational costs of our new overnight respite and Adult Day Program Centre. To have a good chance at having a donation matched, it must be made as early as possible when the event goes live on July 15 (6:00am) or, to have the BEST chance, is to schedule a gift during the early-bird giving window from July 13-14 which opens at 1:01AM July 13. Gifts can be made on our GIVE65 fundraising page (see below) as of July 13 @ 1:01AM. We encourage all to help share. We recently received this testimonial which offered a wonderful reminder about how important our overnight Caring Centre and Adult Day Program services are. Our GIVE65 fundraising page: www.give65.ca/nonprofits/esssupportservices (you can learn more about our new Centre here as well) cc Home Instead Senior Care Foundation

The City of Toronto - Your Local Government has made masks or face coverings mandatory in enclosed public spaces This new bylaw will apply to all indoor spaces that are openly accessible to the public, including: retail stores... convenience stores malls, shopping plazas grocery stores, bakeries, farmers markets (enclosed areas) restaurants, bars (when permitted to open for indoor service) indoor recreational facilities, gyms, swimming pools (when permitted to open) libraries community centres community service agencies personal service settings churches, mosque, synagogue, temples and faith settings art galleries, museums, aquariums, zoos banquet halls, convention centres, arenas, stadiums, and other event spaces real estate facilities such as open house, presentation centres common areas in hotels, motels and short-term rentals (e.g. lobbies, elevators, meeting rooms) entertainment facilities including concert venues, theatres, cinemas, casinos business offices open to the public Read the full news release here: https://www.toronto.ca//city-of-toronto-makes-masks-or-fa/ Mask and face coverings dos and donts: https://www.who.int//clothing-masks-infographic---(web)-lo

Today we are officially launching our #GIVE65 fundraising campaign! Woot! MARK YOUR CALENDARS: July 13-17 GIVE65 is an online crowd-funding event that helps raise funds for agencies and charities supporting seniors.... ESS is raising money for a soon-to-be completed, purpose-built Centre will provide safe, comfortable and home-like rooms for short-term overnight respite for seniors and their caregivers. It will also be the home of a new recreational day program for seniors living with a cognitive impairment such as Alzheimers disease and dementia. Our goal is to raise $25,000 through GIVE65 to support the start-up operational costs for this new Centre, such as the purchase of appliances, furniture and equipment. Learn more on our fundraising page: https://www.give65.ca/nonprofits/esssupportservices Every donation made can help us win a $2,500 bonus grant and up to $5,000 of matching funds through the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation. Visit our website for more information: https://www.esssupportservices.ca/help-ess-open-its-new-ce/ cc Home Instead Senior Care

REGISTER: For an Informative Talk by Service Canada Listen in on a FREE Talk by Service Canada about supports available for seniors. Citizen Service Specialist Paola Vega from Service Canada will be talking about the many different programs and services available to seniors. These include pensions, EI Compassionate Care Benefits and housing information, to name a few, as well as COVID-19 related benefits and supports.... When: Friday, July 3rd at 11am Where: This information session will take place over the phone from the comfort of your home. All community members are welcome to attend this live group teleconference. Register and learn how to call-in to the talk at 416-243-0127 ext 271.

SAVE THE DATE: July 15 - 17 ESS will be participating in GIVE65, a 65-hour, online crowd-fundraising event to raise money for a new ESS overnight respite and day program Centre thats currently under construction. As a sneak peek, ESS will be competing to win a $2,500 bonus grant. There will also be an option to pre-schedule donations between July 13-14 which will give us the chance to have these donations matched up to $5,000!... MORE INFORMATION TO COME WITH OUR OFFICIAL KICK-OFF! #GIVE65 is an initiative of Home Instead Senior Care Foundation of Canada and is dedicated to raising funds for organizations supporting seniors. Stay tuned! www.give65.ca cc Home Instead Senior Care

Happening this Saturday! The live event will start 30 minutes before sunrise. It will be recorded and can be watched at a later time.

As the City begins to slowly re-open, it is still important to keep daily practices in place to help prevent the spread and transmission of COVID-19. Toronto Public Health