Alzheimer's Training--November 21st

Bulletin from Human Resources:

We will have a training opportunity at the Group Home on Thursday 11/21 from 9:30 am – 11:00 am. Details on the class are below. Please contact  Steve in Human Resources as soon as possible if you would like to attend this training so that we  can let the instructor know how many attendees to expect.

Alzheimer’s: Dealing with Difficult Behaviors by Jennifer Evans Jennifer will discuss how Alzheimer’s Disease affects the brain and how that may cause some of what we may perceive to be difficult behaviors.  She will also briefly cover some of the ways that Alzheimer’s disease may manifest differently in people with intellectual disabilities.  Finally, Jennifer will share ways that we have found to "deal with" or work around common behavior issues.

Send In Your Client Photos

If or when you have the opportunity to take photographs of Waiver clients who may be participating in community events, playing sports, recreational events, or group outings with their peers, we would love to feature these photos in our newsletter. At this time we only have one or two staff members who submit photos on a regular basis but we want to feature more than one client (or more than the same client over and over), so don't be shy with your photos. Email them to Leigha at the Center at ljones@civitanservices.com.  

Please remember NOT to share photos of Waiver clients on social media, including Facebook, without permission.  Follow up with Leigha if you have any questions.  Thanks for helping us showcase the amazing work you do to keep our clients active and engaged in the community!

Free Adaptive Sports Class in Bryant

Although the flyer mentions a fee, this class is now FREE thanks to a new sponsor.

Events At The Civitan Center

The annual Turkey Jam will be held Friday, November 15^th at The Civitan Center.  There will be a dance and open house for current and prospective clients from 5-7:00 pm.  Waiver staff are welcome to accompany clients to the dance as a recreation and socialization activity.

The annual community Thanksgiving Luncheon will be Tuesday, November 26^th.  There will be a special press conference on the building campaign at 10:30 am then we will serve lunch for everyone from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm.  Waiver staff are welcome to attend with clients who will not already be at the Center for their regularly scheduled Adult Day activities.

Dementia Training, November 21st

Certain staff members from the Group Home who are working with clients who may be experiencing the onset of dementia will be required to attend a special training meeting on this topic at the Group Home. If you are one of the staff members required to attend, you will be notified by your Supervisor.  However, this training is open to all members of the Waiver staff as well, including those that work in the community.  

The training will be held November 21st at 9:30 am at the Civitan Group Home on Hudson Street.  This training is not only beneficial for client care, it will also count toward the 12 hours of annual training you are required to fulfill each year, so attendance is highly encouraged for those who usually find themselves scrambling for training hours each Spring. Attendance is also highly encouraged for anyone working with elderly clients, whether or not those clients are currently experiencing symptoms of dementia.  We can never be too informed!

If you would like to attend this training but would normally be working with your client during the training time, please contact Darrell to schedule a replacement for you so that you may attend.  As always, thank you for working together to improve our education and care for our clients.

Pay Week Nov. 25th--Thanksgiving

It's that time of year again!  Holiday scheduling usually means a shift in pay days and due dates/times for paperwork.  It begins again this season with the Thanksgiving closure.

Note:  The Civitan Center will be closed November 27th through the 29th.  

This is a pay week.  Pay day will be Tuesday, November 26th after 2 p.m.  In order to make this happen we need all Waiver paperwork turned in as early as possible on Monday morning, meaning well before the normal 10 a.m. deadline.  If you wish to be paid on Tuesday (the 26th), please make every effort to get your paperwork turned in extra early on Monday.  This applies to both Group Home and Community staff.  Since the Center will be closed for the remainder of the week there will be no payroll services performed after Monday.  If you miss payroll on Monday (the 25th) and do not get a check issued on Tuesday, the next pay check date will be December 13th.  This is a very long time to go without a pay check so please, please, please save yourself this headache and be as prompt as possible with your paperwork on Monday (the 25th).

Please also bear in mind that in order to get all of the Waiver paperwork processed to be paid on Tuesday (the 26th), Angela, Felicia, and Stacy will need to work uninterrupted on Monday.  All non-emergency phone calls will be held or sent to voice mail.  Please get stocked up on timesheets, mileage forms, or documentation forms in advance and handle all questions regarding benefits, taxes, etc. with the Accounting Office before the crunch of Monday (the 25th) rolls around.  In order to get you paid by 2 pm on Tuesday, we need to work straight through on Monday without interruption. Please understand this necessity and hold all non-essential visits to the office or routine phone calls until after the holiday.  Waiver emergencies should always be directed to Darrell and/or your client's Case Manager.  

Thanks in advance for helping us make this adjustment for you. Everyone appreciates getting paid early but it will take a team effort to pull it off!