Dan:
So, Toby, how are you doing?
Toby:
Good. How are you?
Dan:
Good, good. So where are we right now?
Toby:
We're at a trade show.
Dan:
So what is this, together we care trade show. And it's for senior care homes. And you're an administrator of one of the senior care homes. Where's your home?
Toby:
So we're located in Scarborough, is actually one of the oldest Extendicare owned homes. Or the second home that is owned by extendicare.
Dan:
Okay, so how big is it?
Toby:
So we have 151 beds right now, and we have around 250 staff.
Dan:
Oh, wow. Okay. And so like when you say old, how old is the home?
Toby:
It was built in 1970, so it's a really old home.
Dan:
So then you've got a lot of maintenance issues that are going on. And so you use maintenance care at your home.
Toby:
Yeah.
Dan:
And so how big is your maintenance team.
Toby:
So currently we have an ESM. Then and also my maintenance guy. So two of them.
Dan:
Two of them. Okay. And and so what's your exposure to maintenance care. Like how do you deal with it on a daily basis. Do you log in, do you get reports like what do you do?
Toby:
Yeah. So basically from my role I don't log into it every day. However, I do get reports from both the system and my ESM. So basically our staff have to put in any, maintenance requests and maintenance care. And actually, we made a policy. If you don't put it in there, we don't deal with it.
Dan:
Oh, wow.
Toby:
So. Okay. The staff are encouraged to put everything in there and we follow the list. And then we're pretty good with that.
Dan:
And so are people following that?
Toby:
Yes they are. Yes, we made it happen.
Dan:
Well, I think it helps. Like if you use let's say point click or another software for the nursing and. So it's like, oh well they understand maintenance needs its own software too. And we got to use that. So that's good to hear. So now have you had any issues because it's an old building? Have you had any kind of big issues lately for the building?
Toby:
Yeah for sure, for sure. So for, for major issues, we don't necessarily put it in there because we have to deal with right away. So things like a major leak or, you know, a sprinkler system or even, let's say, you know, I had one time where my ceiling kind of fell down, so I can't put it in there.
Toby:
I have to call maintenance right away.
Dan:
Yeah, yeah. So what do you mean, your ceiling fell down? What happened?
Toby:
So basically just about my office. Shower room? Right. So once they have a crack in the floor, kind of water just fall down in my office, and then I had a major flood.
Dan:
Oh man. Yeah I had that in my house.
Toby:
Oh yeah.
Dan:
Yeah. And it was a newer house. And it still the shower leaked on the second level. Yeah. So how long you been at that location?
Toby:
So I've been there for almost two years now.
Dan:
Okay. And, where were you before that?
Toby:
I was with Rivera before I was the dietary and environmental service manager.
Dan:
Okay, so what does it take to become an administrator? What did you have to do? Did you have to take some accreditation?
Toby:
Yeah, of course. So basically you have to have a bachelor's degree and you have to pass the administrator certificate program.
Dan:
Wow. Okay, so this is a good opportunity for you and to run your own home. And it's, it's a lot of good experience. You seem young, you're not very old.
Are you one of the youngest administrators?
Toby:
I think so, I think so not be one of but the most, the youngest.
Dan:
That's great that they put faith in young people. And so, you how do you feel you've been doing in the job?
Toby:
I think, I'm doing great, you know, gradually getting along with my team and of course, my team and frontline staff are all older than me. So, yeah. So I'm still training and a lot of challenges, of course, but I'm managing.
Dan:
Yeah. I'm good. Good. Well, yeah. What's been one of the biggest challenges as a young person running a team?
Toby:
I would say experience, because you've got everybody that having more experience than you have and making changes. It's the most difficult thing that, you know, you would experience.
Dan:
So like you have to listen to your team. You have to trust your team.
Toby:
Exactly. Building the trust and having them to trust your decision, is the biggest challenge.
Dan:
Yeah. Them trusting you because you have to come from a place of logic. If you're just telling them what to do and they don't understand why. Oh he's young, he doesn't get.
Toby:
You can't say I'm saying this based on experience because you don't have any.
Dan:
Right? Right. Exactly. Well, you do have experience. It's just maybe not the same as them.
Toby:
Not at the same level.
Dan:
Awesome. Thank you for stopping by. Some great talking to you. And good luck in, you know, in your career and moving forward. And we can talk again maybe in the future okay.
Toby:
For sure. Thank you.
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