Celebrating 40 years Supporting Strong Communities and Care for Older Adults and Caregivers 2020/2021 ANNUAL REPORT Letter from the CEO & Board Chair Throughout 2020 and into 2021, all parts of for and deliver high quality, person-centered home Ontario’s healthcare system faced its most and community services, providing dignity and choice Our Vision Our Values monumental challenge in decades. Healthcare for aging at home. Older adults live best at home and in their Respect providers and frontline workers tirelessly communities. We are trusted providers and show respect, This year CHATS celebrates its 40th anniversary. fought each successive wave of the COVID-19 responsiveness, and responsibility in all we do. pandemic. Closer to home, PSWs, HSWs, social Thousands of clients and caregivers have passed through our doors over the last four decades. workers, recreation therapists, drivers and other Our Mission Throughout this time, CHATS staff and volunteers have CHATS’ staff went above and beyond the call of CHATS advocates for and delivers high Empathy made extraordinary and impactful differences in the duty to ensure seniors in York Region and South quality, person-centred home and We care for and about the people we serve, lives of countless individuals. community services, providing dignity listening to and understanding their needs. Simcoe were well supported while sheltering in and choice for aging at home. their homes. We sincerely thank our volunteers, Board and Committee members and staff for their tremendous Quality Rising to the challenge, CHATS took proactive steps commitment and hard work on behalf of CHATS, not We act ethically to deliver service excellence. to keep our clients and caregivers safe, and socially only in the face of COVID-19, but throughout the past engaged. We implemented a variety of infection, 40 years. Carrying on the legacy of that small group prevention and control measures to enable us to of people who first met around a kitchen table in Collaboration serve our most vulnerable community members in 1980 and identified a need to provide support to the We partner across the health and social care their homes. We changed the way in which programs elders in their communities in order to enable them to system to promote the health, safety and were delivered to ensure that our clientele stayed live in their own homes, CHATS continues to be at the independence of the people we serve. connected to their families, friends and CHATS. We forefront, advocating for older adults and making it provided virtual programing options where relevant, possible for them to age at home—where they want to and added new, enhanced services to our regular Equity be. It is inspiring to think about what’s to come from We reflect diversity, inclusion, and equity in basket of offerings. From virtual social and wellness CHATS-Community & Home Assistance to Seniors over everything we do. programs, modified Adult Day Programs, and food the next 40 years. security supports, to providing culturally specific meals, food hampers and essential household items Innovation to low-income seniors to name a few, CHATS quickly We anticipate and respond to our responded to the crisis around us to maintain the environment, innovating to improve outcomes continuity of care our clients have come to expect. for the people we serve. Despite the uncertainty of the post-COVID future, and in the midst of the tumultuous time around us, CHATS’ Board of Directors and Committee members valiantly undertook the development of a new and bold strategic plan, firmly defining our vision that older adults live best at home and in their communities. The accomplishments of this past year are firmly rooted in Christina Bisanz Mary Bayliss the new mission developed by the Board—to advocate Chief Executive Officer Board Chair 2 3 CHATS–Community & Home Assistance to Seniors 2020/2021 Annual Report Board of Directors I don’t think of anytime when I [will] leave my association with CHATS because I am so addicted. Joining CHATS was the best thing that has Board of Directors Governance Fund Development happened to me after coming to Canada. I wish • Mary Bayliss Chair Committee & Communications CHATS many happy returns of the day. I would like • Colleen Jones Vice-Chair • Colleen Jones Chair Advisory Committee to salute the dedicated management team, staff • Perry Chen-See Treasurer • Claudio DiGirolamo • Cathy Wilkinson-Fox and volunteers of CHATS who have given their best • John Buie • Rudi Genovese • David Robinson to CHATS over the last 40 years. • Claudio DiGirolamo • Steve Jackson • Debora Kelly • Terri Drover • Avi Parmar • Geoffrey Dawe Yash Kapur • Lori Freitas • David Robinson • Ian Bryan Past Chair of the Board, Volunteer • Javed Khan • Leah Taylor Roy • Javed Khan • Avi Parmar • Angela Vegh • Mark Kolb • David Robinson • Michael Wosnick • Michael Wosnick • Sharon King-Todd • Ian Hilley Past Chair Quality Committee • Wayne Brakeboer • Terri Drover Chair • Yash Kapur Finance & Audit • Lori Freitas • Marie Hewitt Committee • Javed Khan • Perry Chen-See Chair • Katie Williams Yash Kapur • John Buie • Michael Wosnick • Judy Cameron • Adrian Costea • Tim Flemming Bruce & Eileen Millar Leadership Team I was a volunteer driver for CHATS from February 1999 to December 2015 when my wife Eileen’s dementia • Christina Bisanz Chief Executive Officer • Hillary Richardson Community Programs Manager required my driving her to many doctors and hospital • Nancy Kula VP Strategic Initiatives • Jannette Lopez-Brady Human Resources Manager appointments. She entered CHATS Day Program in • Janet Williams Director of Human Resources • Kalsang Phuntsok Client Services & Operations Manager April of 2016 for two days per week, increasing to • Jeff Hogan Director of Finance and Administration • Kelley McCluskey Fund Development, four days per week in 2017. This [program] allowed • Melanie Rowe Director of Client Care and Services Marketing & Communications Lead me to have a much-needed break. The PSWs were • Rhonda Flanagan Director of Development, • Ramanan Thanabalan Business Systems Analyst exceptional and very kind to her. I [also] attended the Marketing & Communications • Saskia Sanchez-Ferrer Executive Assistant • Carol Page Assisted Living Manager • Sony Manpreet-Singh Day Program Manager monthly CHATS Caregiver Support Group. • Cindy Dryfhout Finance Manager • Suzanne Whitehurst Transportation Manager • Gaynor McCredie HAMP Manager Bruce Millar Volunteer, Client, Caregiver & Donor 4 5 CHATS–Community & Home Assistance to Seniors 2020/2021 Annual Report Operational Plan Achievements Partnership with the City Technology Adaptation to Provide Increased food security supports Arirang @ Home of Vaughan Virtual Adult Day Services and amid the COVID-19 Pandemic This novel and responsive program supported frail After a successful pilot in 2020, the City of Vaughan Wellness Programs From the onset of the pandemic, CHATS partnered and cognitively impaired older adults from the Korean community who reside at home with their has contracted with CHATS for a second snow This initiative was a collaboration between CHATS with a number of community agencies to provide informal caregivers by adapting the in-person Adult clearing season. This project has allowed us to further and Human Endeavour. Through an investment urgent food security supports. Culturally specific Day Program to an “@home” model. Because the explore the proof of concept for both snow clearing in technology and technical support, CHATS was meals, Meals on Wheels, food hampers and essential majority of the participants speak Korean and have services and the need for the Home Adaption and able to redesign in-person adult day programs and household items were distributed to low-income a limited ability to communicate in English, this Maintenance (HAMP) program to expand into the community wellness programs through meaningful seniors, and persons with serious mental health and special adaption was designed to address the unique Vaughan area. and effective virtual connectivity to interactive addictions challenges. barriers to service experienced by these clients during programs. Funding supported the provision of During this time CHATS delivered over 5600 meals, the pandemic. Expanding Social Engagement devices, simplified interface on the devices, data packages, technology support, remote monitoring, 1350 food hampers and made over 65 referrals for The need for physical isolation throughout the coaching and training. participants to receive additional programs and CHATS Infection Prevention and pandemic profoundly affected many seniors who services. Control Dynamic Duo were already experiencing social isolation. In order A total of 33 tablets were set up with a simplified to ensure older adults had an opportunity to stay client interface. Human Endeavour provided remote Persons served through this program expressed Client Care Supervisors Ryan Ebuna and Karen socially engaged through the provincial shutdowns coaching and technology support to CHATS’ clients. gratitude not only for the food, but also for being Webster, who also serve as CHATS’ Infection and restrictions, CHATS led a collaborative project Throughout the project, 47 clients accessed the recognized during this difficult time. By supporting Prevention and Control (IPAC) nurses, worked with seven partner organizations, engaging a total opportunity to participate in virtual programming their food security needs, CHATS was also able to tirelessly on the frontlines