By David Fry – VHA’s Vice President, Integrated Client and Community Care

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Your voice matters, and we’re here to listen. Your experience with our care is VHA Home HealthCare (VHA)’s top priority and we’re committed to making it easier than ever for you to give us feedback. A quick way to share your feedback is by using our Smiley app. You, or a family member, simply tap a Smiley face on your Personal Support Worker (PSW)’s sanitized smartphone after a visit to express your feelings about the care you’ve just received. It’s fast, accessible and provides us with a snapshot of your care experience. While providing a Smiley face may seem like a simple gesture, it gives valuable feedback to our team and often prompts a deeper, important conversation about your care allowing the PSW to understand what makes you feel supported or where we can do better.

Here’s what we’re hearing from clients about Smiley so far:

• I like using the Smiley app because it makes me feel my opinions count.
• It makes me smile to give Smileys. I want my PSW to know how much they are valued.
• I’m eager to use the Smiley app, and I regularly remind my PSWs to ‘open up the app’!
• Smiley faces help me share my feelings. It’s helpful, as words aren’t easy for me.
• It helps me communicate my needs and expectations better because we end up talking about them.

We know how deeply PSWs care about your well-being and they want to meet your needs during every visit. Your feedback not only brightens their day but also makes them feel appreciated. We’re exceptionally proud of the quality and commitment of our PSWs. Keeping and valuing them is a top priority for us – we believe wholeheartedly in celebrating outstanding work. And, if their care could be better, the Smiley app creates the perfect opportunity to have a conversation. We encourage you to use the moment to discuss your needs directly with the PSW.

Here’s what we’re hearing from PSWs about Smiley:

• I feel inspired going to work. I love the positive interaction it creates between my client and me.
• The best thing is that you can see how the clients really feel about the care given so you know if things need to improve. It gives me a clear picture without any guesswork. I get to know how well I’m doing.
• When I check my Smiley dashboard, it warms my heart; my clients appreciate my efforts. Clients remind me to bring out the app! It gives us a lot of happiness.
• It’s the start of a good conversation about their care.
• I could never imagine such a simple gesture brings clients such joy and lifts their hearts. 

While we encourage all PSW clients and family members to provide Smiley feedback, we recognize there are circumstances where this app may not be suitable or possible. Where clients and family members are able and willing, PSWs will use their discretion and ask for Smiley feedback about once a week. Your individual Smiley taps are confidential. PSWs and their supervisors see only Smiley taps from their clients grouped together in an overview. This provides a helpful and confidential snapshot of how clients feel about their care overall.

Through Smileys, we’re not just asking for your input – we’re inviting you to be an active participant in shaping your experience with us. Your satisfaction is our top priority and every tap of the Smiley face brings us one step closer to exceeding your expectations. Your 100,000+ Smiley taps-to-date, (98.5% rating our care as excellent) are incredibly encouraging. We’re deeply grateful for your feedback and our teams remain committed to delivering high quality care with great heart. While Smileys offer a quick way to express your thoughts, other key feedback options are also available.

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VHA is deeply committed to staying connected with the clients and families we serve about the service we provide. Here’s how to get in touch with us:

• Talk directly to your PSW. It’s helpful to let them know right away when something is going well with your care or if there’s something your PSW can do better. You can also speak to your PSW’s supervisor (who is called the Care Team Supervisor).
• Call our office (416-489-2500 (24/7) or 1-888-314-6622) and speak to your coordinator or leave a message on our client line.
• Use myVHA client portal at www.vha.ca/myvha to access to your schedule, to cancel or reschedule visits, and to see details about the care provider who will be visiting you.

VHA also conducts periodic client satisfaction surveys to gather insights and to help focus quality improvement efforts where they are needed most.

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Most of VHA’s PSW teams are already collecting Smileys with their clients, and our goal is to get all PSWs using the Smiley app soon. If you receive care from a PSW, feel free to start a conversation with them about the Smiley app during an upcoming visit. We value your continued support and are excited to see the positive impact of Smileys.

Take care,

David Fry
Vice President, Integrated Client and Community Care
VHA Home HealthCare