Nominations now open for HomeEquity Bank’s annual Home Care Heroes Awards

Honouring Personal Support Workers’ Vital Impact on Canadians

TORONTO, April 3, 2023 – HomeEquity Bank, provider of the CHIP Reverse Mortgage, today announced that nominations for the second annual Home Care Heroes Awards are officially open. The awards acknowledge the vital work that hundreds of thousands of Personal Support Workers (PSWs) and in-home healthcare professionals provide for Canadians who want to age in-place, something that HomeEquity Bank believes all Canadians should have the right to do.

Building on the success of the program’s inaugural year, and how well it was received by Canadians, this year’s awards will honour four Home Care Heroes, up from three. “The four winners, who will each receive $2,500, will be announced on May 15, in time for PSW Day 2023 which is celebrated in Ontario on May 19.”

“We established this award to shine a light on the importance of PSWs and give Canadians the opportunity to nominate a PSW or home healthcare professional who has made a positive impact in their life or the life of someone they love,” said Vivianne Gauci, Senior Vice President, Customer Experience and Chief Marketing Officer at HomeEquity Bank. “Nearly one in five Canadians’ report having a PSW or know someone who does. As Canada’s population continues to age, PSWs and home healthcare professionals will continue to serve as the unsung heroes and are central to the ability of Canadians to age in the home they love.”

From now through to Monday, April 17, Canadians 55+, their families, or businesses that engage with home healthcare professionals, can nominate a HomeEquity Bank Home Care Hero by visiting www.chip.ca/heroes.

“We all know Canadians 55+ want to age in place and that they need support to do it. Adequate home care from highly trained, healthcare professionals is essential for one of the fastest-growing demographics in Canada,” added Gauci. “With over 100,000 PSWs working in Ontario alone, this award is one small way we can show our appreciation for the important work they do for Canadians.”

HomeEquity Bank also recognizes the important role caregivers play in home care and, while they also deserve to be honoured, nominations for the Home Care Heroes Awards are limited to home healthcare providers working in a professional capacity.

Recipients of HomeEquity Bank’s inaugural Home Care Heroes award included:

• Cherry Gliceria Alaraz, (Toronto, Ontario). She was recognized for “receiving glowing feedback from every client that she has worked with,” consistently providing “the dedication, skill and compassion that every Canadian needs in order to remain living at home” in comfort and with dignity.
• Mavis Wodong, (Kitchener, Ontario). Her client’s children said she “supported and treated [our mother] like she would her own mother. Mavis is very in tune with her needs; their bond is immeasurable. Mavis is deeply and sincerely appreciated. She makes the world a better place.”
• Robin Platz, (Lethbridge, Alberta). Her nominator said, “she was so observant and insightful, I felt confident and secure. Anyone in her care surely feels the same.”

About HomeEquity Bank

HomeEquity Bank is a Schedule 1 Canadian Bank offering a range of reverse mortgage solutions including the flagship CHIP Reverse Mortgage™ product. The company was founded more than 35 years ago to address the financial needs of Canadians who wanted to access the equity of their top asset – their home. The Bank is committed to empowering Canadians aged 55 plus to live the retirement they deserve, in the home they love. HomeEquity Bank is a portfolio company of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, a global investor that delivers retirement income for 336,000 current and retired teachers in Ontario. For more information, visit  www.chip.ca.

To book an interview with HomeEquity Bank, please contact:

Weber Shandwick Canada for HomeEquity Bank

Adam Bornstein

Phone: (905) 505-2540

Email: abornstein@webershandwick.com

HomeEquity Bank

Vivianne Gauci, SVP Customer Experience and Chief Marketing Officer

Phone: (416) 413-4661

Email: vgauci@heb.ca