President, Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker, called the regular meeting of the Residents’ Council [the Council] to order at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. 88 association members attended including Council members, Pat Kasuda and Naomi McAfee, Resident Director on the Board of Directors and ex-officio Director, respectively. Also, Executive Director Don Grove, Associate Executive Director Leslie Johnson, Dining Services Director Ken Zahn, Assistant General Services Director Jason Dennis, Philanthropy Director Patti Santoni, Medical Center Administrator Dean Crawford, Communications Manager Greg Johnson, Channel 972 staff Tom Moore and Amber Fisher.

The Council observed a moment of silence for those who have passed away.

Previously distributed minutes of the March meeting of the Residents’ Council were approved as presented.

Old Business

None

EXECUTIVE TEAM REPORTS

Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker, President

First, I would like to congratulate Leslie Johnson, our new Associate Executive Director. Leslie, would you like to stand up please?

Kudos to Tom Moore, Amber Fisher, and Kevin Hartka for facilitating the HD upgrade to 971 & 972 while stopping numerous events throughout Charleston and TV daily productions. They really work hard.

The President and the Vice President met with the Board of Directors Resident Life Committee and we review the plans for the continuing care Holleran Survey. If you missed the town hall, or Don’s, Leslie’s, and Pauline Frazier’s talk about this on Monday’s administration update, both were recorded, and they are posted on my Erickson videos if you’d like to hear what went on.

The Residents’ Council hosted a retreat for regional resident advisory councils from five Erickson Living communities with 54 attendees on April the 19th. It was very successful. It has been recorded and will be posted on ccicharlestown.org and on MyErickson probably in June because the TV staff is really busy with the 40th anniversary. So be patient, they will be there. It was really, really good. A lot of information for us to consider.

The communication survey results compiled as of the moment I wrote this; we had received 539 replies. I understand from Hope and Walt that we have up to 550 now and still some are coming in. You do have an extension until May the fifth, Friday, to complete it so please do so; because the more we know how you’d like to be communicated to the better it is for us. We are very surprised that some people ask what the Residents’ Council is; things like that. So really, we need to know how to communicate better with you.

And last but not least, I am looking for volunteers for the Low Vision Reading Brigade that I lead to help those people that have problems reading or seeing. I would like to have you contact me. One-on-one meetings are scheduled with this person and on your own time, however, is decided between them and yourselves how best to help each other. So, if you are interested in that please see me after the meeting.

John Remias, Vice President

I bring to you a report from the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Joint Council.

First, let me tell you a little bit about this Joint Council. We are a group of six staff and six residents who cover a whole range of diversities. We range in age from the mid-20s to the 80s. We represent mixed genders. We represent multiple cultures. We are mixed race. We represent several religions. We have among us people with disabilities.

What’s our MISSION? It is to CREATE AND PRESERVE A DIVERSE AND HARMONIOUS COMMUNITY OF RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYEES WHERE ALL FEEL SAFE, VALUED AND WELCOME!!

So, our plan is to offer programs and events in the future to carry out this mission. To highlight our diversities. To encourage inclusion. To strengthen the sense of belonging.

Next week, at the Passion Walk, (hold up the Passion Walk flyer) we plan to introduce ourselves to our community.

Next to support those of us – residents and staff – of different sexual orientations we have now begun planning a Pride Walk on Friday, June 23.

With enthusiasm, we are off and running.

Diana Dunaway, Secretary

No report

Mimi O’Donnell, Treasurer

Treasurer’s Report –May 2, 2023

March 31, 2023, Balance	$8,998.10
Revenue – from Dues Campaign	$ 681.00
Expenses April 30, 2023, Balance	$ (316.47) $9,249.96
April Expenses: Regional RAC Retreat                                                            ($261.48)) Safety Committee                                                                  ($ 54.99)

Narrative Report: The Council’s account balance at the end of March was $8,998.10 During the month of April, the revenue was $ 681.00. Expenses in April totaled $316.47 The account balance as of April 30, 2023, was $9,249.96

The Residents’ Council collects dues in the usual amount of $2.00 (or more) from residents to fund Council activities. As of May, residents have given the Council dues ranging from $1.00 to

$100.00. The Council appreciates the generosity of the Charlestown residents.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Benevolent Care, Carol Kefford, Chair

Most of the discussion centered on the report of the Planned Giving consultant Rebecca Rothey which will be presented to the Foundation Board at their meeting at 5PM this evening. The consultant was contracted by the Foundation Board to review current planned giving strategies and offer ways to support the efforts.

As a part of the consultant’s review, Focus Groups were convened (along with a Planned Giving Subcommittee which included residents Carol Kefford, Stephanie DeAbreu and Rosemary Eck who facilitated the 3 Focus Group meetings. The goal was to get resident feedback as to why they support Benevolent Care and impressions on certain tag lines, key phrases. Results to be shared with the committee once the Foundation Board has reviewed and made their recommendations.

Additional conversation focused on communication on campus and how to reach out to residents who have not given to Benevolent Care (for example – residents who do not watch the scroll on channel 972, etc.). Carol is looking for volunteers to help coordinate outreach to encourage residents to learn more about planned giving to Benevolent Care.

Upcoming events:

• Treasure Sale —May 4-6 – Come Shop and invite family and friends to join!!!
• Passion Walk — May 10^th at 12:00 starting near Chapel to encourage people to identify causes they are passionate There will be tables for various organizations such as Alzheimer’s, American Cancer Society, etc. set up along the walk route. (This event is coordinated by Community Resources and Corporate – not Philanthropy).
• The Gala is set for Friday, September 22^nd. A Band has been booked and is a resident’s daughter’s 17-piece Big Band. Plans are well underway for invitations, etc.

There will not be a meeting in May. June meeting is June 28^th at 2pm in CTS 116

Communications, Larry Taylor, Co-Chair

• The Communications Committee held its first ever Hybrid/ZOOM
• Use of the Online Work Order System presented by Gregory Johnson
• Discussion of Sunburst Distribution Issues
• Voice over Wi-FiWi-Fi is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for wireless networking and allow nearby devices to exchange data by radio waves. Wireless local area networks (WLAN) are widely used in the world to link laptop computers, tablet co... READ MORE discussed in light of Sunsetting of Verizon
• Evergreen topics
• ComcastThe Charlestown Comcast bulk service contract provides basic HD television in the apartments. Address your concerns to General Services. See more information about apartment television and television connections. READ MORE TV Service High-Definition upgrade for 971 972
• Tom Moore suggested re-booting set top boxes to restore
• Communications Committee Survey reminder, Results to be
• Staff directory updates were
• CCI-Communications Google Group for current news
• Website updates were

The next Communications Committee meeting will be May 26 2023, at 2:00 in CST 116 and Hybrid by ZOOM at 2 PM.

Conservation, Mark Buehlman Chair

April was a busy month for our committee. We had four informational displays at the recent Nature Fest, which gained a lot of interest.

We also had significant involvement in the April Regional Advisory Council Annual Retreat, which had a sustainability theme. We moderated the morning panel discussion, and many Committee Members hosted roundtable discussions in the afternoon. We will use some of the sustainability ideas we heard from other Erickson Communities as springboards for future projects.

Our April speaker was Rick Galliher, who discussed OZZIE reusables as a practical and cheaper alternative to single use food ware. As an example, he discussed a CCRC in Gaithersburg that introduced this product, and despite the first cost, saved approximately $1,000,000 annually. We will be getting our notes and samples of the product to Ken Zahn, our Director of Dining Services.

Our May speaker will be Mike Rose, Chair of the Grounds Committee. Our next meeting is Tuesday, May 16th, 2023, at 2:00 pm in BR1.

Dining Services, Mary Lee Seaman, Chair

The Dining Services Committee met on Monday, April 17^th with Ken Zahn, Director of Dining Services.

Overall dining experience has improved, there are still issues with inaccuracy in carry-out and delivery meals. Information on MyNutrition is more accurate but would like to be able to have the information on weekly specials included. The Dietary Focus group continues to meet on the first Thursday of the month, since Mary Evans began including information about this group, attendance has increased.

• Small Plates opened on April 13^th and was a rousing The current small plate menu will be in place through June and then will change every other month
• Nutrition Guides – Starting in May Nutritional Guides will be located at the Delivery & Carry Out area at each restaurant. The guides will include the Heart Healthy and the Carb Counter menu information along with the complete information that is on
• Focus Group – Dining Services is going to hold a focus group on menu.
• Dining Town Hall – Wednesday, May 3, 2023, 2:00 m., Auditorium
• Open House – Wednesday, June 7, 2023, 2:00 m., All Restaurants

Next Dining Services Committee Meeting – Monday, May 15, 2023, 1:30 p.m., CTS 116

Finance Committee, Pat Rudolph, Acting Co-Chair

The Finance Committee met on Tuesday, April 25^th at 9:00 a.m. in Brookside Classroom 1. John Yoder presided.

The occupancy rates for March were high. Independent living at 94% is very good. Assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing are essentially full. Sales continues to work hard to fill up Independent Living. Year-to-date, Independent Living had 45 settlements and 41 releases so we’re gradually catching up.

In March and year-to-date, we had higher income and lower expenses than budgeted. Operating income in March was $1.5. million dollars and year-to-date operating income was $4 million. That income over and above operating expenses is needed to for such capital expenditures as the Caton Ridge foundation, the refreshing of Herbert’s Run and the repositioning in the historic district.

In March, there were 14 people on benevolent care compared to 24 a year ago. The current number, 14, is probably low. We’re anticipating that the more reasonable expected number would be somewhere between 18 and 20.

On May 16, the Finance Department will offer a class on the Charlestown Residence and Care Agreement including the differences between the 90% and 100% contracts. Gladstone James, Director of Finance, will be leading that discussion. Based on the questions that he gets;

Gladstone expressed the belief that many people don’t have a clear understanding of the agreement that they signed. This would be a great time to have your questions answered.

The next meeting of the Finance Committee is Tuesday May 30. At 9am in Brookside 1

Grounds Committee, Mike Rose, Chair

The Grounds Committee met on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, with Mike Rose presiding. The staff members present were Kevin Crawford, Jason Spivey, and Cortney Baker.

Topics covered were:

• Again, it was mentioned that diseased boxwood bushes at WO need to be removed and replaced with an evergreen not subject to disease. Now that the warranty has expired, we are free to make changes in plant material according to Kevin.
• Moving the unsightly dumpster on Erickson Way is a concern and Mike Rose will ask about it.
• Raising the patio at BR T03 is the solution for the water
• Building 8’s problems will be remedied by putting in a shallow trench and adding grass
• New sod is being installed next to the sidewalk around the chapel
• Two fountains are up and running on Lake Charles and a third is to be added to keep away algae.
• Benches are to be leveled on Erickson
• Currently the grounds crew has 1-1/2 to 2 full-time employees out of 4
• In celebration of Arbor Day, some shrubs and trees will be added/replaced. Fringe trees will be put in at Herbert’s Run. Shrubs at the bocce court will be replaced.
• THE OLD PROBLEM OF DEER WAS ONCE AGAIN ON THE THE CONSENSUS WAS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUALLY CULL THE HERD.
• THERE WERE COMPLAINTS OF OVER-PRUNING, STANDING WATER, TOO MUCH
• THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE TRIPPING HAZARD PLACES IN THE SIDEWALK ARE BEING TAKEN CARE OF.

Next Meeting: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at 11:00 am in Brookside Classroom 1

Health Services, James Fitzsimmons, Co-Chair

The Medication Disposal event was held on April 10 and a large number of drugs were turned in for disposal. Unfortunately, some people are still putting needles, syringes, and other sharps in the bags with the pills. Please call Housekeeping for a disposal container that will be delivered to your door and when notified they will pick up the container.

Dean Crawford, Medical Practice Administrator, spoke to some of the Committee’s concerns.

Charlestown has no control over the time of day a resident is discharged from one of the hospitals. It is strictly under their control.

Discharge instructions and prescriptions are sent to Charlestown with the resident and can also be accessed through the computer system. Charlestown’s policy is that a returning resident will be contacted within 48 hours. The rationale for the 48 hours is that if someone is discharged over a weekend. The usual response during the week is 24 hours. If the resident is determined to be at risk the Security Department is notified, and a report is sent to Risk ConnectConnect or Charlestown or Erickson Connect Network is the name for the local telephone and Wi-Fi system at Charlestown. READ MORE.

The medical Department requests If you are admitted to a hospital from off the Charlestown campus or for a procedure or for elective surgery, please notify Charlestown and let the hospital know that you are a Charlestown resident

Some other topics covered by Mr. Crawford were that contracts have been signed with Ascension St. Agnes for the following doctors:

• Cardiology- Steven Plantholt and Fred Kuhn
• Orthopedics- John Antoniades and William Kang
• Pain Specialist- Sundrum Chettiar

 

Mr. Crawford also announced that no masks are required in the Medical Center unless you are symptomatic and also that COVID signs will no longer be posted on doors. He also asked that we remind residents to please schedule and keep your annual wellness visits.

The next Health Services meeting will be held Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at 11:00 am in BR 1.

Housekeeping, Sebastian Petix, Chair

The Housekeeping Committee met for the quarterly meeting on April 17 at 10 AM. There were 12 in attendance including management represented by Michelle Feen, Melvin Bonaparte, new supervisor and Jason Spivey, director of General Services. Committee members expressed specific concerns which were addressed directly by management. All residents are encouraged to report issues regarding cleanliness and aesthetic issues via CCIWORKORDERS@ERICKSON.COM. This can now be done through the My EricksonMy Erickson is a resident portal. It is provided by Erickson Corporate and is managed by Charlestown staff, mainly Community Resources. See Portal. READ MORE.

The committee expressed pleasure with the response form management to work orders. Next in person meeting will be June 19 at 10 AM in Brookside 1.

Legislative/Political, Pat Payne, Chair

Hi, I’m Paulette Hammond. I’m co-chair of the political legislative committee with Pat Payne. We had a meeting on April 12. Fourteen members and one new person showed up. The Maryland General Assembly ended at Sine Dei on Monday, April 10. A lot of people there went

right on vacation to wind down; I’m so glad that they had a chance to rest. It was a very hectic session, but extremely productive. There are a lot of bills that were sent to the governor and are going to be signed into law. Pat Payne will put that on our website. You can also check for yourself on the mgaleg.maryland.gov website if you’re interested in a particular bill.

We are going to have a Zoom call with our Charlestown legislative delegation on Wednesday, June 7 at 7pm. Attending will be Pat Young, our District 1 council member, as well as our Senator, Charles Sydnor and three Delegates, the one from our District 44A, Eric Ebersole, as well as the two from 44B, Alethia McCaskill and Sheila Ruth. All three of them are really working for us, so it’s good to include them as well. And finally, I’m going to set up an in-person Meet and Greet with all of these representatives sometime in September. It will most likely be held in the conference center in the afternoon.

Our next meeting is Wednesday, May 10 at 10 o’clock in Brookside Classroom 1.

Maintenance/Engineering, Gordon Piche’

Our committee met on Tuesday, April 25th at 2 pm, in the General Services Conference Room with General Services’ Kevin Crawford, Chris Caldwell, Don Hoffman and Jason Dennis. Also in attendance was the Council Vice President.

PROJECTS SCHEDULED FOR 2023: Renovations planned for Herbert’s Run are underway. Action does not appear to be moving forward for some key locations on the interior signage updating project. Nearly all the black top A/C bridge units are still not working. All the silver top bridge A/C units are set, running and some are locked. Caton Ridge building renovations will be completed this fall. A replacement elevator for Chapel Court will be done later this year. The repair project for the ST Charles to Herbert’s Run Bridge support washout awaits County approval.

ITEMS OF CONCERN THAT NEED ATTENTION AND NEW ISSUES: Many of the roadway wood

guard rails will be replaced this year. New lighting at the crosswalk at the East end of Brookside will be installed on the current light pole. The roof level gutter downspout problem at The ST. Charles has been repaired. The water leak in Harbor View flooded apartments on the 3^rd, 2^nd, and 1^st floors due to a brake in the loop line of a heat pump.

PROJECTS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT YEAR 2024:The replacement elevator for Charlestown Square is delayed. The extent of renovations for the Auditorium Stage have not been developed. Roof replacements for Buildings 8 (Arborside) and 9 (Green Tree Court) have been deferred.
Next scheduled mtg May 23, 2023, at 2pm in the General Services Conference Room

Resident Life, Nancy Meier, Co-Chair

Mary Evans talked to the 40^th Anniversary celebration activities which all residents are encouraged to attend. The calendar is now in the May Sunburst

Denise Puckett followed-up on volunteering at Caton Woods. So far, only the photography and quilting groups have responded with proposed projects. She reiterated her request for more Independent Living volunteers to share their talents with the Continuing Care residents who are our neighbors and friends. Contact Denise if you have any ideas for volunteering. The issue of the locked entrance to the building making entry difficult arose again. Denise took the action to talk with management on this issue.

Ellie DiPietro is the volunteer manager of the projects Friendly Visitors for Independent Living and 60 Minutes for continuing care. She has been doing this for 9 years. Ellie receives a weekly list of new residents and has a team of volunteers throughout the campus. They initially send welcoming letters to new residents and follow up at 1 week and 4-8 weeks. Ellie elevates issues identified by the team for resolution. Ellie mentioned a concern related to residents whose primary language is not English. They wished to be in contact with others of the same background. Another challenge regards deaf or speech impaired residents.

Moffett Churn from the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging subcommittee talked about the latest two Tapestry events. In the future they are looking for tapestry events for smaller or neighborhood groups and at Caton Woods. The next Tapestry event is planned for September. The DIB subcommittee also will begin a new initiative on ageism and ableism in July.

Safety and Security, Justine Parezo, Chair

Last month was Fraud Prevention Month, so at our last meeting our scam experts, Ed Appel and Craig from Security updated us on what they knew about scams. Scams continue to proliferate, including the “Your grandchild is in danger” scam. Romance scams are also big right now.

Individuals are asked to send online boyfriends or girlfriends’ money so that they can travel to meet their love-interest in person.

Our Security Department continues to keep their ears and eyes open to the occurrence of such scams. They also have enlisted the help of our in-house bank to alert them of any suspicious withdrawals in an attempt to head off unwarranted losses by residents.

I would like to remind you of the red flags that indicate you are being targeted by a scammer and share some tips on keeping yourself safe.

• You are contacted unexpectedly and told to act Do not let anyone push you beyond your comfort level.
• You are asked to pay in an unusual Don’t help a ne’er-do-well cover their tracks with gift cards.
• You are asked to provide personal Your date of birth or social security number is not owed to anyone you do not know.
• You are offered a free product or anything else that seems too good to be true—it probably is.

Be aware that you are part of a very vulnerable population. Our sleep cycles might be disjointed; we have suffered many relationship losses; and our love of family and friends is unbounded. Avoid late night purchases and do not send money to anyone you have not met in person. By the way, if you have not already recycled last month’s AARP, give it a look. It contains their 2023 fraud survival guide.

Next Meeting: Tuesday, May 9, 2023, 1:00 PM Brookside Classroom 1.

COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS FROM RESIDENTS AND GUESTS:

At the conclusion of the committee reports, Merci asked if anyone had questions for council chairs. The following comments were made:

• Someone asked who should be notified if you go to the The answer is the medical center
• Rosemary Erdman, ST-503, commented that Gordon Piche said the gutter repair work was completed, but outside her apartment the gutter still needed to be The matter was referred to Jason Spivey for further action.
• PNC did a cybersecurity presentation last week that will be re-run on 972 at two and seven for the rest of the week. Residents were encouraged to watch it.

Merci introduced Don Grove, Charlestown Executive Director, who gave an administration update. Don started his presentation by introducing the new Associate Executive Director, Leslie Johnson. Leslie is still Director of Nursing until a replacement is found but has also started in her new role.

Next, he commented that he was pleased that we have 14 candidates for the Council next year and praised the council’s work such as the focus groups on the plans for the historic area, feedback on the survey action plan, the joint DIB committee, Benevolent Care Strategic Plan, and the communications survey.

Don mentioned that dining would be a big focus area this year and said the administration’s big focus is making sure that we’re making progress in the areas we told you we make progress. He commented that It’s wonderful to hear the feedback specifically on the tapas bar at Chesapeake,

There’ll be a letter coming this week with regard to the new comment card program concerning dining to start May 15th. There are paper copies available, but the real change is based on a QR bar code system. Each table will have a QR code that provides access to an online comment system using a smart phone that will allow instant feedback.

The next discussion was about the water issues that have been happening and water

mitigation. Don is working with the maintenance team on options to look at two things: ”How do we stop these issues from happening? And then, if it does happen, how do we minimize and make sure we can react as quickly as possible to turn water off and make that happen”

CDC has recommended a second COVID booster for those that are ages 65 and older. Flu shots and COVID booster can be given concurrently so the plan is to have a clinic this fall to handle both.

Occupancy numbers are high in all areas. There were 17 settlements in the month of April, 13 reservations and 24 people joining the priority list.

There are several celebrations planned for this month. John Erickson will be in town and there will be a couple of opportunities to hear him speak. Nurses’ week is from May 6 through 12. Several activities are planned including a tea for all nurses. Don asked that if you see one of our caregivers, please thank them for their service and remember our scholars.

At the conclusion of Don’s update, Merci asked for questions.

In discussing the Hollern Survey Action Plan, Don stated that one goal was to make the plan measurable. A resident commented that he really appreciated the fact that the word measurable was included and asked that residents be advised on how those efforts progress during the year. Don stated that this would be done

Regarding the water issue, another resident thanked Don for making the water issue a priority. Sebastian Petix asked about Charlestown’s responsibility for water damage. Don explained that Charlestown is responsible for repairing the damage to the apartment but damage to personal property should be covered under the resident’s apartment insurance policy.

Veronica Coleman asked for clarification about the request for residents to notify the medical center about hospital discharges in the middle of the night. Don explained that the hospital is supposed to notify the medical center of discharges so Charlestown can follow up with the residents. However, discharges in the middle of the night are not reported until the next day. Therefore, the request for notification.

Pat Rudolph asked if there have been any results with the ongoing issue of the trash at Parkview. Instead of putting trash out on trash pickup dates, some residents have been putting their trash in the outside garbage cans. This causes an unsightly, smelly mess and attracts critters. Don referred the question to Jason Dennis, General Services

As there were no further questions, President Merci Izquierdo-Whitaker adjourned the meeting at 4:06 pm

Respectfully submitted, Diana Dunaway
Residents’ Council Secretar