Volume 4, Issue 6 September/October 2004
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CONGRATULATIONS CCRC Administrator of the Year: Alex Candalla of
The Terraces of Los Gatos!
“In 1988, American Baptist Homes of the West began the tradition of recognizing excellence in leadership by awarding the annual Executive Director of the Year Award. Every year, the ABHOW Management Committee and Executive Directors submit nominations. The criteria for this award include the accomplishment of annual goals, extraordinary performance, special contributions to ABHOW and leadership/mentoring and support to professional colleagues.
Alex, you have been selected as the 2004 Executive Director of the Year. It was very evident that you have been successful as an Executive Director and have exceeded these criteria in many ways. I am grateful to you Alex for the manner in which you have maintained positive resident, board and staff relationships, met your budget goals, succeeded in the CCAC Accreditation of The Terraces of Los Gatos and have mentored Administrators in Training. Congratulations Alex. I am grateful for all that you have contributed to ABHOW and wish you every success as your career with us continues.”
With warm regards,
Dave Ferguson, President and Chief Executive Officer.
ABHOW Communications
September/October 2004
Highlights in this issue . . .
- Administrator of the Year (pg. 1)
- Trust/Communication Survey (pg. 2)
- CAHSA (pg. 2)
- ABHOW Board Opportunity (pg. 2)
- Resident Satisfaction Survey (pg. 3)
- Happy Birthday! (pg. 3)
- Thomas House (pg. 4)
- Board Committee Info. (pgs. 5-6)
- CAHSA News (pgs. 7-10)
- Casa de Redwood History (pg. 11)
Trust & Communication
As we come to an end to our current 2002-2004 ABHOW Strategic Plan, we will be repeating one questionnaire that was first presented in the spring of 2002. Our goal will be to see if residents have experienced an improvement in communications over the last few years. Therefore, we will use the same tool once again. You will receive this short questionnaire in November, and it will be returned directly to our outside consultant to tabulate the information. Your responses to the various questionnaires are very valuable and most appreciated. Thank you.
Participation Opportunity
The ABHOW Bylaws were amended in 2003 to include a resident to serve on the ABHOW Board of Directors Finance and Board Development Committees. This is an annual appointment, and we have appreciated Mr. Martin Huff of Piedmont Gardens and Dr. Lloyd Howard of Plymouth Village serving on these important committees for 2004.
If you are interested in applying for the 2005 position, please contact your Executive Director for an application and submit it to Kay Kallander by November 5, 2004. Descriptions and Responsibilities for these roles are included on pages five and six.
CAHSA News You Can Use
We are once again including “News You Can Use” which is CAHSA’s resident newsletter. The information may be helpful for residents within California, and also in other states. You are welcome to contact CAHSA with any additional questions or thoughts.
For those who may be new to the organization of CAHSA, the acronym stands for California Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. Their purpose as stated on the website is as follows:
“The California Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (CAHSA) is the statewide association representing not-for-profit providers of affordable housing, assisted living, health care and community services to the elderly. CAHSA members serve over 80,000 residents daily and are affiliated with faith and fraternal community-based organizations that are service oriented and resident focused. CAHSA has been the leader representing not-for-profit providers-spanning the continuum of care for California seniors-for over 40 years.”
ABHOW has had a strong affiliation with CAHSA, which over the years has been a mutually benefiting relationship.
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2004 Resident
Satisfaction Survey
Thank you to residents and family members for completing the 2004 ABHOW Resident Satisfaction Survey for all levels of care. Holleran Consulting has received the responses directly and will be compiling the information. Once completed, each Executive Director will receive the results and will share the information with the residents, employees and board members of the community. This tool provides the opportunity for each community to identify its strengths and areas of improvement for the coming year(s).
Happy Birthday to ABHOW Communications
ABHOW Communications celebrates its third birthday this month. The first edition came out following the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Since that time, over 200,000 copies have been provided to residents, employees, board members, families and Friends of ABHOW both in print and electronically. Questions and Answers, articles of general interest, Best Practices, and community histories have been included. The goal of this internal newsletter was to provide frequent, inexpensive communications to all of the ABHOW family. We have tried to reach employees as young as sixteen to residents, many over the age of 100! As we approach our fourth year, we would appreciate any comments as to what works well for you and what you would like to see changed. What types of articles are most helpful? Questions and answers are always appreciated. Please feel free to contact me with your ideas. I love to hear from you. - Kay
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ABHOW Considers Sale of Thomas House
American Baptist Homes of the West (ABHOW) has signed a non-binding letter of intent to explore the sale of Thomas House to a respected national company. Thomas House is a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) located in Washington, D.C.
ABHOW President and CEO David Ferguson visited with residents of the retirement community on August 31st. He shared details of the letter of intent, which includes a commitment to honor current resident contracts if Thomas House is sold. The letter also stipulates that there will not be unreasonable rent increases.
ABHOW is the sole member of Baptist Senior Adult Ministries (BSAM), which owns Thomas House. In anticipation of this potential transaction, a majority of the board of BSAM resigned August 23rd. BSAM affiliated with ABHOW in 1999 following several years of financial and operational difficulties with Thomas House and three adult care centers also owned by BSAM. Over the past five years, ABHOW has expended considerable resources to strengthen Thomas House by providing over $7 million in various forms of financial support – support that has taxed ABHOW’s resources. During this period, new financial and administrative systems were implemented at Thomas House along with new services. The third floor was completely renovated for a state-of-the-art assisted living and dementia care center.
“Good stewardship requires us to consider other options, including the sale of Thomas House,” Ferguson said. “We recognize that a locally focused organization may provide better sponsorship for Thomas House.”
The letter of intent begins a due diligence period. For ABHOW, this is an opportunity to review the potential buyer’s history and its relationship with residents of other communities that it has acquired. ABHOW wants to ensure that the buyer honors its commitments, Ferguson said.
The letter is non-binding, meaning that ABHOW can withdraw from the agreement at any time if it believes that future operations will not be in the best interests of Thomas House’s residents. The letter requires that the potential buyer’s identity be confidential until a formal agreement of purchase is entered into.
This is a decision that ABHOW considers reluctantly, Ferguson said. ABHOW has never sold a community in its 55-year history. However, in the last year, Ferguson has told residents of Thomas House that it is ABHOW’s intention to find a sponsor for the community that is better suited to the needs of Thomas House. “We enter these negotiations with the same commitment we had in 1999 – to honor the mission of BSAM,” Ferguson said. “Our task in the coming months is to ensure that the promises made to residents are fulfilled and that a healthy future for Thomas House is secured.”
Nomination/Application for Resident for Finance Committee
Description and Responsibility:
Section 11: Finance Committee
“The Finance Committee shall consist of four members of the Board of Directors and not more than two additional members who are not Directors, one of the latter of whom shall be a resident of a Continuing Care Retirement Community either owned by American Baptist Homes of the West or of which American Baptist Homes of the West is the sole corporate member. The Chief Financial Officer shall serve as staff to this committee. The duties and responsibilities of the Finance Committee shall be as follows:
a)To require that management of this Corporation provide timely, clear and understandable budget and financial reports to this Corporation;
b)To review and recommend final action to the Board of Directors on the annual budget;
c)To review and recommend to the Board of Directors any proposed material acquisition or divestiture of real property or business operation;
d)To develop and recommend Board policy on financial matters and monitor compliance;
e)To perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Board of Directors of this Corporation.” ABHOW Bylaws - February 8, 2003
Narrative:
The resident representative on the ABHOW Finance Committee is elected by the Chairs of the Resident Councils consistent with guidelines provided by the California State Department of Social Services. The resident participates as a full voting member of the ABHOW Finance Committee. The resident should have an understanding and exposure to financial operations, reporting and/or budgeting. This is a very active committee that requires significant participation. Monthly financial reports for ABHOW are provided to each of the Finance Committee members for review. There are quarterly committee meetings in conjunction with the ABHOW Board Meetings and at least three additional meetings in the March – July timeframe devoted solely to development of the annual budget for all ABHOW entities. Most of these meetings are preceded by a package of materials for review and preparation. The resident should be comfortable with bringing the very important resident perspective to the deliberations of the Finance Committee while also recognizing that their role goes beyond their individual community and to the ABHOW organization as a whole.
Nomination/Application for Resident for Board
Development Committee
Description and Responsibility:
a)“The Board Development Committee shall be composed of two Directors and not less than three other persons who are not Directors, one of the latter of whom shall be a resident of a Continuing Care Retirement Community either owned by American Baptist Homes of the West or of which American Baptist Homes of the West is the sole corporate member.
The purpose is:
1)To develop criteria and establish procedures for nominating At-Large and Honorary Corporate Members, At-Large Directors and elected Board officers;
2)To annually determine the number of At-Large Corporate Members to meet the requirement of Article II, Section 1 that a majority of the Corporate Members shall be members of an American Baptist church or an American Baptist congregation;
3)To recruit and nominate persons to fill the elected positions; and
4)To annually evaluate the performance of Directors.
b)The Board Development Committee shall cause the names of its nominees and a brief resume of their background to be mailed to all Corporate Members not less than fifteen days prior to the date of the Annual Meeting of the Corporate Members at which time the election of new At-Large Members and Directors shall be held.” ABHOW Bylaws - February 8, 2003
Narrative:
The resident appointed to this committee will have a broad base knowledge/relationship of persons that may be candidates for nomination to the ABHOW Board of Director, Cornerstone Board of Directors, The Foundation Board of Directors and any committees of these boards. He/she will participate in the discussions related to potential members of the boards. The slate will then be forwarded to the Chair of each board for final review. Insights, opinions and wisdom from the resident representative will be valuable to the deliberation. Time commitment is one day a quarter in co-ordination with the ABHOW Board of Directors meetings. Minimal additional time may be required.
Casa de Redwood: Redwood City, California
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Casa de Redwood has been providing a comfortable, safe and secure home for seniors for 31 years. Well over 30 years ago, Bernice Neilson-Donovan realized the need in Redwood City for affordable housing for seniors. With her determination, involvement and support of the community, Mrs. Donovan’s dream came true; for the benefit of so many residents past, the 150 present, and those residents to come in the future.
The Casa de Redwood Board has maintained a very positive relationship with the city of Redwood City, and through a grant from the City that funded the installation of beautiful, energy efficient windows and balcony/patio sliding doors throughout the building, management and residents went to a council meeting and presented a banner to the city, expressing our thanks and gratitude. The Mayor’s comment was “Thank you – we are not used to being thanked.”
Casa de Redwood’s goal is to have opportunities available for seniors to choose activities that keep them stimulated, involved and thriving. An in-house group Better Living for Seniors, consisting of Casa de Redwood Board members, residents and staff, meets monthly to report, monitor and initiate or schedule community activities.
Casa de Redwood is a seven-story building, with the “penthouse,” a large open room on the seventh floor where activities are held and space is shared with a full-
service dining room. Many events are held throughout the year; for example, concerts for residents by community musical and performing arts groups, tea dances, ice cream socials, teas, Memorial Day picnics, Easter Brunches, monthly birthday parties, and Christmas festivities. Many residents look forward to the Thursday evening Bingo event even though the winnings are small.
Casa de Redwood occasionally hosts speakers on health, safety and social service issues affecting seniors. Resident events are liberally advertised throughout the community.
There are exercise classes and English as a second language classes. Some residents go to local schools to tutor children with ESL. There are “Inspirations” meetings, potlucks, a video library and a Senior Companion Program where resident volunteers help other residents who have various needs. A Hall Monitoring Program is in place where resident volunteers make daily check ups on participating residents.
An Emergency Response Team is currently being formed at the community with the support of the Redwood City Fire Marshall’s Office. A goal of the 24 enthusiastic resident volunteers is to be trained as a NERT (Neighborhood Emergency Response Team).
Residents’ programs include an in-house “Casa Club,” with democratically elected officers, where residents govern themselves and have a voice in the maintenance and prospering of the community where they live.
Residents recently implemented an experimental roof garden, called “Roots and Shoots” because the community has no available gardening ground around the building. Suddenly and miraculously, residents have expanded their living space with great views and new therapeutic activities.
Casa de Redwood provides residents with a healthy, wholesome, forward-looking and harmonious living environment The result is a community of seniors who have peace of mind knowing they are held in high regard, are appreciated, and that sources and activities of life enrichment are continually sought and made available to them.
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