August, 2016

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8 Traits ………………………….………….….………..…………….….. 1 Traits of a Successful Employee ……….………………….......…. 2 PHHC “Customer Service 2016” ….………………………….…….. 2 Circle of Excellence ……………………………….….. 3 Working with Difficult Clients …..…………………….………... 4 Introducing Danielle Klohr ……………………………...…… 4 Awards: Boulder, Colorado Springs …...…..……...... 5 Awards: Denver, Longmont, Corporate …………...…..... 6 Awards: Pueblo ………………………………………….……………….…….. 7 Anniversaries ……………………………...……….………………....……….. 7 Birthdays ……………………………….………..…………………..……. 8

What ’s Inside

PHHC’s vision is to be a leader in healthcare delighting customers by exceeding their definition of quality.

What’s on the Horizon for Professional Home Health Care

Patience. Those of us who provide home care to others need to be patient. Being patient means you understand that there may be changes in plans, things may not go as quickly as planned, and there may be a little hesitation at times on the part of the person receiving care.

Composure. Meeting personal care needs like dressing or using the bathroom can be highly uncomfortable. Learning to keep your composure when performing unpleasant tasks is a gift of dignity to anyone receiving this care .

Trustworthiness. Caregivers are often in a position that will allow them to have access to the belongings of the person they are caring for. It is critical that the caregiver be trustworthy and not breach that trust by taking advantage of the person her or she is caring for.

Empathy. Clients may feel embarrassed, frustrated or angry as they grow less able to manage their personal needs. Take a deep breath, step back and consider their perspective.

Dependability. Those who need home care don’t usually just need it sporadically. Rather it is on a regular basis, so it is imperative that a caregiver be dependable and show up to provide the care that the person needs and is counting on.

Important: Information in What’s on the Horizon is for general information purposes only and is not intended to replace the counsel or advice of a qualified health professional.

Diplomacy. Your tone of voice and body language say as much as your actual words. Prepare yourself mentally for challenging discussions or negotiations - sometimes for simple matters like meal or activity preferences - to help you communicate with dignity and

respect. Compassion. When someone has compassion for a client they have an understanding of what the person is going through. They usually also have empathy, making them want to help the person.

Attentiveness. It is important that the home caregiver is attentive to the needs and changes that are taking place. By being attentive the caregiver will be a good listener, and will notice when there are emotional or physical changes in the person he or she is caring for.

8 Traits Every Caregiver Should Have

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August 2016 Professional Home Health Care

ACHC Accreditation

What sets apart topnotch employees from the rest of the pack? Successful employees exhibit all or most of the following nine traits. How do you rate yourself in each of these areas? Set goals for yourself to improve in any areas that are lacking. 1. Be on time. Punctuality shows that you are

dedicated to your job and respectful of other people’s time. This includes not only arriving to work on time, but also meeting deadlines.

2. Respect your employer. Listen carefully to directions, be courteous and don’t interrupt. When concerns arise, discuss them calmly.

3. Communicate well. Be clear and concise with verbal and written conversations.

4. Show initiative. Volunteer to take on tasks or projects. Present ideas to improve customer service, solve problems or make tasks easier.

5. Don’t gossip. It’s not productive and can create a negative atmosphere and lack of trust.

6. Help others and be a team player. Give credit where it is due.

7. Act with integrity. Protect your reputation and that of your employer by acting honestly and ethically.

8. Be flexible. Change is inevitable. The ability to accept and adapt to changes makes everyone’s life easier.

9. Enjoy your work. Every job has its ups and downs. Focus on the positive and let your passion shine through.

PHHC “CUSTOMER SERVICE 2016” QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN

Update # 4

The “PHHC Customer Service” Quality Improvement Plan for 2016 has been in place since March. Let’s see how we are doing. Below are the statistical results of the first 4 months of this new Supervisory process. Clients continue to give PHHC staff high ratings of 98-99% when questioned during the supervisory process. Here are the areas where we are excelling:

Clients felt respected by staff The plan of care was followed by staff

The aide communicated effectively with the client Client needs were met by the aide(s)

And here is an area of opportunity where we can still do better: Communication A few clients stated they were not notified of changes to their schedule in advance.

Field Staff be sure to call the office: • if you are running late. We will call the client so

they will be notified in advance. Office Staff be sure to: • call clients in advance to notify them of all schedule

changes. Those employees recognized by clients are listed in our Circle of Excellence membership on the next page. Is your name on this list?

Traits of a

Successful Employee

Professional Home Health Care

Circle of Excellence

Professional Home Health Care recognizes the following employees for their excellent customer service and creating a pleasant homecare experience For our clients.

Congratulations on a job well done! You make us proud!

August 2016 Professional Home Health Care

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Boulder Shirley Angel Vickie Barron Carolyn Dyker Kathy Esquibel Rita Gonzales

Craig Haugland Beth Huff

Stacey James Machele Johnson GuruDhan Khalsa

Amy Lopez Val Melillo

Nina Meyers Theresa Molina Kathy Palmstein Mariah Travis Benita Werner

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Colorado Springs Lanita Adamic

Jessica Ahumada Christine Baca Annette Coats

Sam Crain Taura Davis

Colandra Domino Crystal Dzien Laura Flores

Ann Kent Rosalia Martinez

Angela Roe Jay Shanen

Sam Sindelir Shannon Stevens

Patrice Temby Heike Thomas

Diane Westmoreland

*** Longmont Leslie Angus Tami Bean

Courtney Brown Dominic Gutierrez

Eric Hatlen Jen Hester Cathy Hurt

Stacey James Karen Leh

Brandy Lehde Angel Rangel

Jennifer Sanchez Josephine Sena Charlene Sosa

Stephanie Walker

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Pueblo Maria Aquino

Clorinda Arguello Patricia Armijo

Jamie Ayala Angelique Balizan

Wren Bosche Cheryl Brassfield

Frances Finn Raquel Gallegos Lenette Garcia

Sharon Gutierrez Dee Heblinger

Tonya Hernandez Marisa Herrera Dana Knight

Lori Kuhlman Oscar Loveless

Vanessa Maldonado Alicia Martinez

Lindsay McIntyre Kathy McMillin Daniel Muniz

Valerie Munoz-Infante DeeAnna Ostrander Rachel Pourciaux Christina Sisneros

Jeanne Storm Pat Tapia

Kathy Trujillo Nellie Valles

Luisa Van Buskirk Angelina Velasquez

Tim Watkins Matthew Young

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Denver Melissa Aguilar Olga Borukhova Brenda Campbell Kathryn Gentry Jane Gregory Cathy Hoard

Santiago Huerta-Sabedra Jennifer Koch

Samantha Lane Cynthia Lozano Rojas

Zachary McMahan Karen Osier Mark Pauly

Mercedes Pena-Flor Nan Rice

Gabriela Ruiz Somsakun Sutthipong

Kathy Trujillo Sharee Wahdan

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South Denver Olga Borukhova Brenda Campbell

Karen Osier Debbie Pugliano Luis Quintana

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August 2016 Professional Home Health

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Introducing: Introducing: Introducing: Danielle Klohr

Danielle is the Personal Care Coordinator of the Denver Branch and she has been with PHHC since September, 2015. She enjoys the people she works with as well as the awesome team at the Denver Office. She has a very large family and is the youngest of four, growing up in Arvada. Danielle loves being outdoors, hiking and biking and she loves the Denver Broncos. Her favorite food is cheese and she states that she could eat it all day long, every day of the week! Thank you, Danielle, for your commitment and dedication to PHHC.

Working with Difficult Clients At Professional Home Health Care, we have a broad range of clients, some of whom may be more challenging to care for than others. Difficult clients are not necessarily defined as those with difficult medical illnesses but rather those who are demanding, aggressive, and rude. Clients are difficult because they challenge our defenses, stretch our tolerance and patience, or demand much more of our time than we can give. It is possible to provide care to these difficult clients if you know what techniques to use. Following are some tips to use when caring for a difficult client. Maintain self-control – Never, never lose your temper! Losing your cool and giving in to emotion will only escalate the situation. Ask non-threatening questions – begin with “what” to find the root cause of the difficulty. Listen to your client’s reason for being difficult – Sometimes they just want someone to listen to them, even if the reason doesn’t seem important to you. Acknowledge the problem – repeat it back to the client to ensure understanding. Don’t argue – Justifying your actions will only escalate the situation and fuel the difficulty. Apologize – even if you think the client is wrong. Offer a solution to rectify the situation – If you can’t make things right, offer an alternative situation. Continue to act professionally –Always demonstrate a high level of professional competency. Analyze what caused the client’s behavior – Avoid repetition of the incident. Set limits on what you will tolerate – Saying “no” to a client is okay. Let them know when their behavior is inappropriate. While caring for a difficult client may not be the easiest, following some of these tips and approaching your clients with empathy and compassion will build a mutual trust between you and your clients making your home visits more enjoyable.

PLEASE SHOW YOUR

SUPPORT!

Go to the PHHC

Facebook page and

“like” us!

Don’t Fool Around with Fatigue

Fatigue plays a role in

many accidents and injuries, so recognizing its symptoms is important to protect yourself if your job includes risk of injury. Fatigue is feeling weary and tired, and lacking in energy. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disorder of relentless fatigue, but more often fatigue results from lifestyle issues like excess physical activity, jet lag, lack of physical activity, lack of sleep, medications, alcohol abuse, and unhealthy eating habits. Emotional stress, trauma, depression, and grief can also trigger bouts of fatigue. A list of fatigue symptoms can be found at http://www.cdc.gov [search: fatigue symptoms].

Answer: The letter M

I’m there once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years. Who am I?

GuruDhan has been with Professional Home Health Care since 2013 and previously before that for a few years. She has always gone above and beyond for both the company and our clients! GuruDhan is willing to pick up additional shifts when needed and is attentive to the specific needs of our clients that she sees. When GuruDhan is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and likes to travel.

Thank you GuruDhan for everything that you do for PHHC!!

Alma Garcia-Lopez Mary “Connie” Cimato

received the Thank You Award for superb work

Joanna Fiebig received the Ray of Sunshine Award

for outstanding customer service

Machele Johnson received the Heart Warmer Award

for exceptional caregiving

Justina Sunderman received the Bright Light Award

for teamwork

Craig Haughland Elsa Guzman

received the Wow Award for impressing us by doing something

extraordinary

Boulder

PHHC Awards

PHHC Awards

Colorado Springs Employee of the Month

JESSICA AHUMADA

Angela Roe received the Bright Light Award

for teamwork

Samantha Sindelir received the Heart Warmer Award

for exceptional caregiving

August 2016 Professional Home Health Care

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Jessica Ahumada became a part of the PHHC family in May of 2016. She has quickly become a valuable asset to our office, and a cherished caregiver amongst our clients. Jessica exemplifies the greatest qualities of a Personal Care Provider, and we are very lucky to have her as a team member!

Congratulations and thank you, Jessica!

Employee of the Month GURUDAHN KHALSA

I.T. H

UMOR

Courtesy

of S

herry

Douglas,

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Toye Whit

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PHHC Awards

Denver Employee of the Month

BETZABE CHAVEZ

Jennifer Koch, Lisa Coffin Eloisa Morales

received the WOW Award for impressing us by doing something Extraordinary

Lindsay Deibert, Brittany Bogner

Vivian Giacullo, Jane Gregory received the Peer to Peer Award

for recognition by co-workers

Teresa Corson, Tara Epperson Tammy Griffith, Jennifer Dautricourt

Amber Prim received the Heart Warmer Award

for exceptional caregiving

Meghan Lais received the Ray of Sunshine Award

for outstanding customer service

Jonny Flood received the Bright Light Award

for teamwork

Brenda Campbell, Cinthia Diaz Gina Fernandez, Cynthia Lozano

Stacie Morales, Cathy Hoard received the Thank You Award

for superb work

Longmont Employee of the Month

DOMINIC GUTIERREZ

August 2016 Professional Home Health Care

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Hired in 2006, Nick started his career as CNA at a CNA school that our company had back in the day. He is now part of our full-time CNA team. Nick will always serve as our example of what makes a great CNA – he is calm, capable, dependable, and compassionate. He has a new ride, the best we have seen, and dogs and grand-kids are a major part of his life. Nick is also a civilian minister to prisons and finds great calm in his life from his beliefs.

Thank you Nick – we appreciate you!

This month the Denver branch would like to nominate Betzabe Chavez for employee of the month. Betzabe has been with PHHC as a CNA since March, and has done an amazing job in her short time here. One reason Betzabe decided to become a CNA was after her daughter was in a terrible car accident and Batzabe took care of her the whole time. The Denver office continues to receive compliments on Betzabe’s caregiving, saying she is one of the sweetest and most caring people working for us. Betzabe has been an all-star to work with, always willing to pick up, and cover shifts of her peers. Betzabe’s favorite food is chile rellenos and her favorite candy is M&M’s.

Thank you for everything you do Betzabe, keep up the amazing work!!!

Eric Wicks received the WOW Award for

impressing us by doing something Extraordinary

Sherry Douglas received the WOW Award for

impressing us by doing something Extraordinary

CORPORATE PHHC

Awards

Jason Winslow received the WOW Award for

impressing us by doing something Extraordinary

PHHC Awards

PHHC Awards

Pueblo Employee of the Month

DANIEL MUNIZ

Alicia Martinez received the Heart Warmer Award for

exceptional caregiving

Raquel Gallegos received the Bright Light Award for teamwork

Cathy Martino received the Ray of Sunshine Award

for outstanding customer service

Oscar Loveless Lori Kuhlman Kathy McMillin

received the Peer-to-Peer Award for recognition by co-workers

August 2016 Professional Home Health Care

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Daniel is a long time Puebloan, worked as a CNA, left to pursue Real Estate licensure, and now is back part-time. Daniel exhibits a professional and courteous demeanor and clients appreciate his efficient and caring attention. He is always willing to help fill in the schedule when needed. He even serves as secretary/receptionist in the office in an emergency! His wife is an elementary school teacher, teaching third grade. They have two children, Daniel, Jr. and Olivia. If you need property or a house in Colorado, or want to sell the one you own, call on Daniel at Keller Williams, and he’ll give you the same care and attention he gives his customers at PHHC!

Thank you, Daniel, for all you do!

Thank you for your years of service!

Glad you are part of our team.

Happy Anniversary! Service Years

Nick DeHerrera

Boulder, 15 years! Tim Watkins Pueblo, 14 years! Jamie Ayala Pueblo, 13 years! Anne Cohan Denver, 8 years! Elizabeth Huff Boulder, 8 years! Anthony Strzelec Longmont, 8 years! Christina Trujillo Pueblo, 7 years! Loretta McCloskey Denver, 5 years! Jeanny Sopacua Colorado Springs, 5 years! Daniela Garcia-Nunez Boulder, 5 years! Michelle Ambute Denver, 5 years! Jason Winslow Longmont, 5 years! Dayna Hendrix Pueblo, 5 years!

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August 2016 Professional Home Health Care

Best Wishes for a Wonderful Day!

Longmont Tiah Keefe

Josephine Sena Ruth Hernandez

Pueblo

Julie Rodriguez Patricia Armijo

Andrea Baca Rachel Pourciaux

DeeAnn Heblinger

Boulder Theresa Molina

Rebecca Delaney Machele Johnson Mabel Audette

Rosa DeSantiago Nina Meyers

South Denver

Olga Borukhova

Colorado Springs Lanita Adamic Laura Flores Vicky Steere

Denver

Rola DeGeorge Darlene Snow

Amanda Garcia Robin Lee

Saba Hagos Roxanne Garcia

Richard Holt Alicia Orozco-Flores

Ana Rodriguez Vonna Radice

Lisa Coffin Teresa Corson

Marlyn Melendez

Corporate Tyanna Tomlinson

Joan Pilch Shanae Zion