People of Perley - Debbie Heika

For Debbie Heika, Support Services Administrator for Perley Health, joining the Perley staff in 2009 was eye-opening.

She had never considered a career in healthcare, when Debbie applied to Perley. She simply wanted to return to the workforce after raising her children. A friend who worked at Perley suggested she apply. Starting as a clerk, Debbie moved to Human Resources, then to Support Services.

“It has really opened my eyes to the whole health care system,” Debbie says. She saw that it takes a community of staff and volunteers to ensure excellent care for Seniors and Veterans at Perley.

Perley Health's family-like atmosphere extends to staffing. In the same way that she applied on a friend's advice, Debbie is among staff whose family and friends have successfully applied to work at the largest long-term care home in eastern Ontario. For instance, her son, Greg, accepted a summer job with Perley and has worked there ever since, while earning a degree. Greg works in Materials Management now; his partner works in Infection Prevention and Control.

Like many staff at Perley, Debbie has embraced opportunities to gain new skills and experience in various roles. “I'm like a 'utility player' in hockey", she says. Debbie helps to facilitate special functions and serves on committees, including the Cultural Awareness & Inclusion, Emergency Measures, and the Food and Dining Committees. Through each, Debbie helps ensure there is emphasis on ensuring that the diverse views and experiences of our community help inform organizational decisions.

Feedback from committees helps staff develop more ways to improve residents' experience. For instance, Debbie says about 70 percent of residents' time is spent in the dining room. When staff learned about how environmental factors affect residents' well-being, they examined ways to improve the dining experience, by adjusting factors such as paint, flooring, ambience, and even smells.

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"Long-term care is a community of like-minded people that are living together with different needs. And they still have a community that they can live in successfully.” - Debbie Heika, Support Services Administrator