Highlights from the March 27 and April 7 Meetings
An ad hoc committee to address the healthcare for Independent Living Residents (IL) was convened by Jean Eccleston to address the evolving healthcare environment and how to best support access to care for IL residents at KOH. Jean has assembled a team of residents with a range of backgrounds, along with relevant staff members and Board representation. The members are listed at the end of this report, and all are willing to hear from you about your concerns and suggestions.
One thing that quickly became apparent to us was that there is a wide range of understandings and expectations about healthcare provision for IL residents. The committee identified transparency, communication and education as important guidelines for our operation. To that end, regular updates at the Resident Council Meetings and posts of meeting highlights on the Resident Website will be provided.
Our initial work has been focused on educating ourselves about the current state of healthcare. We have reviewed the chronology of IL Healthcare at KOH, reached out to other CCRC communities about their experiences, and reviewed our Lifecare Contract so we all have a clear understanding of the services Kendal provides to its residents along the continuum of care. We are not alone in our struggles. Another local lifeplan community is not able to provide guaranteed staffing for PET activation by IL residents, and at times asks them to call 911. We are living in a brave, new world.
Seeking input from IL residents will be an essential part of our process, and we will be exploring how to best do that at our next meeting. We hope you will be a part of the process and look forward to your input.
Jean Eccleston Jessica Baron Jo Cameron Hildegarde Gray Erin Hennessey Mike Kornfield Jeff O’Donnell Ellen Ottstadt Hank Schacht Claire Tenny Art Vecchiotti Lisa Wacht Sharon Wexler