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Be Prepared for Cold Winter Weather
BC is experiencing a period of extremely cold weather, with Extreme Cold and Arctic Outflow warnings from Environment and Climate Change Canada being issued across the province. Click here for public weather alerts that may be in your area.
BC Housing has resources available to help prepare yourself and your community:
- Cold safety and preparedness resources from VCH
- Map of Warming Centres
- Cold Weather Shelters
- Prepare for power outages
- Health risks of extreme cold
Groups who are at higher risk from cold winter weather include people who are unhoused or insecurely housed, those who use substances, people spending long periods of time outdoors, people living in housing without enough insulation, electricity, or heat, and people with pre-existing health conditions.
People with mobility issues or who may be unsteady on their feet are more vulnerable when it’s cold and icy. Please remember to remove ice and snow from your walkways!
Click Here for Spectrum’s Emergency Preparedness Procedure and Policy
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Caring for the Caregiver at CNH
Collingwood Neighbourhood House is offering a FREE workshop by seniors for seniors (+55) on the topic of caregiver burnout, how to prevent it and what resources are available.
WHEN: Monday January 22nd, 1:30 – 2:30pm
WHERE: Collingwood Neighbourhood House, 5288 Joyce Street
To register please visit CNH’s front desk in person or call 604-435-0323.
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Vancouver Community Inclusion Festival
The Vancouver CLBC Community Council is hosting a celebration of community inclusion, with a focus on the accomplishments and abilities of persons with intellectual disabilities. This event is FREE and open to anyone in the community. There will be presentations from self-advocates, information booths, games, snacks and prizes!
If you plan on attending please email Spencer van Vloten at spencer@bcdisability.com to RSVP!
WHEN: Saturday January 27th, 11am – 2pm
WHERE: Britannia Community Centre, 1661 Napier St.
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CNH Community Lunch Menu for January
| Day of the Week | Date | Meal |
| Thursday | Jan. 4, 2024 | Chicken chow mein/veggie option, salad, sesame seed cookies |
| Tuesday | Jan. 9, 2024 | Yam apple soup, roasted beef /veggie option salad, orange cranberry loaf |
| Thursday | Jan. 11, 2024 | Fish and chips/veggie option, salad, vanilla cake |
| Tuesday | Jan. 16, 2024 | Lentil soup, chicken/veggie burger, salad, pecan tart |
| Thursday | Jan. 18, 2024 | Perogies and sausages, salad, tiramisu |
| Tuesday | Jan. 23, 2024 | Minestrone soup, tuna melt, salad, brownie |
| Thursday | Jan. 25, 2024 | Meat /veggie loaf, salad, almond cookies |
| Tuesday | Jan. 30, 2024 | Black bean soup, macaroni and cheese with chicken, salad, chocolate cupcake |
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COMING SOON: Diabetes Coaching with Lumino Health Pharmacy
Lumino Health Pharmacy offers pharmacy services, provided by Pillway. In January 2024, they will begin offering diabetes coaching from a pharmacist to all plan members, free of charge!
Diabetes is a fast-growing chronic disease, and the cost of drugs to treat it is on the rise. Plan members with diabetes often experience other chronic diseases at the same time. Coaching with Lumino Health Pharmacy aims to help plan members follow their treatment and improve health outcomes.
About Lumino Health Pharmacy
Launched in July, Lumino Health Pharmacy is an optional service. There’s free delivery within Canada to help manage medication routines with confidence.
About the diabetes coaching program
To start a coaching session, plan members sign in to the Lumino Health Pharmacy mobile app or website.
- Coaching will focus on lifestyle, diet, nutrition, mental health, health literacy and medication management.
- On-going coaching is also available if needed.
- The pharmacist can also coordinate with other health-care providers (if requested by the plan member). This includes general practitioners, specialists, and dietitians to best support plan members.
SunLife will launch diabetes coaching to plan members in January 2024. They send emails directly to targeted plan members who are actively claiming for diabetes-related medication(s). These emails will aim to raise awareness about the service and encourage them to use it. Standard exclusions will apply for plan member communications.
When plan members sign in to the my Sun Life mobile app or mysunlife.ca, they’ll receive messages about the program.
More details will follow about the coaching program in January, along with a preview of the plan member emails.
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CLBC Reminder to get your flu and COVID-19 shots
Community Living BC encourages everyone who has yet to receive their COVID and flu shots this season, to kindly do so as soon as possible, ideally before the holiday season. COVID-19 remains a risk to the population (especially for those who are unvaccinated) and influenza cases are rising.
Priority to receive the COVID-19 vaccination is given to all individuals supported by CLBC. Invitations for this season’s vaccinations have been sent through email or text to everyone who has registered for a COVID vaccination in the past. It is possible to book both vaccinations in the same appointment! These vaccinations are free and available at pharmacies, health care authority clinics, and some primary care provider’s offices.
You can book your appointment through the Get Vaccinated System.
If you need help booking your appointment, you can call 1-833-838-2323. This number is open 7 days a week from 7am – 7pm and 9am – 5pm on statutory holidays.
Click here for BC’s fall respiratory illness immunization campaign
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Plan Institute Webinars
The Plan Institute has FREE upcoming regular webinars on the topics of the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) and Wills, Trusts and Estates Planning.
RDSP
The Registered Disability Savings Plan is a Canada-wide registered matched savings plan for those with disabilities to better financially plan for their futures. The Level 1 webinar is meant for those who want to learn about what the RDSP is, who qualifies, and how to apply. The Level 2 webinar is for those who already have a RDSP, or have already taken Level 1.
Next Level 1 Webinar: Tuesday February 13th, 10 – 11:15am
Next Level 2 Webinar: Thursday February 22nd, 10 -11:45am
Click here to register and for more information
Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning (BC Only)
This webinar is meant for those who want to become better informed on the process of wills, trusts and estate planning to better secure the future of your relative or loved one with a disability. There is a limit of 60 participants so early registration is encouraged!
Next Webinar: Thursday February 15th, 10 – 11:15am
Click here to register and for more information
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Real Talk Classic Pizza Party
Real Talk is inviting any adult (19+) with cognitive disabilities to join in their Classic Pizza Party to enjoy a casual meal and chat about the topics of relationships, dating, love, and sex with a Certified Sexual Health Educator. This FREE in-person event is being held in New Westminster, just outside the Columbia Skytrain Station. Folks are welcome to pre-register or just show-up on the day of! You can contact john@real-talk.org with any questions or concerns.
WHEN: Thursday, January 25th 11am – 1pm
WHERE: Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion (BACI) New Wesminster office, 336 Columbia Street
Click here for more information
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For those receiving benefits with Spectrum, we offer our EAP (Employee Assistance Program) to provide 24/7 confidential support to our employees. If you are not currently receiving group benefits but are in need of support, please reach out to your supervisor or Human Resources at hr@spectrumsociety.org so we can provide you with accessible options of support. For immediate access to set up assistance, you can click here: Lumino VC (dialogue.co) OR download the app directly onto your smart device by going to the App Store and searching Lumino Health Virtual Care. The graphic is as follows and you will need your benefit group number and Access ID to set it up:
When accessing EAP via the app is not possible:
· Plan members can get access to immediate help through their EAP by calling 1-844-342-3327. A Member Service Specialist will assess your needs and coordinate care with the appropriate resources.
Plan members are also able to access the EAP through the app or online.
If you or your dependents are having trouble using the app or website and need help accessing your account, they can:
- contact Dialogue by emailing sunlife-support@dialogue.co Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
- visit help.dialogue.co and use the chat feature for assistance, for after hours and weekend support.
For questions regarding benefits plan information, you can
- contact hr@spectrumsociety.org
*Applies to all Lumino Health Virtual Care products – Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Primary Care, Stress Management & Well-Being
Spectrum recognizes that our teams do an incredible job of supporting people in our services. The work that each of you do is valuable and at times, difficult. Please do honor what your body/mind may be communicating. If you feel increased stress or grief, please pay attention to those signals and reach out to the EAP or us for resources of support.
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What is happening in Vancouver in January?
Click on the link below to see what’s happening:
https://www.destinationvancouver.com/events/calendar-of-events/vancouver-events-in-january/
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Is there anyone you know that is looking for meaningful work?
If you have a friend, family member or meet someone in the community that is interested in joining the team and you refer them to Spectrum, you could be eligible for a referral bonus!
If the person referred is hired and maintains at least 6 months of consistent employment with Spectrum, we will award a $250 Referral Bonus.
*for more information on the program, please email hr@spectrumsociety.org
We thank you for bringing us quality applicants/employees!