9 minute read
President’s Message
Associations Get Better with Age
History tells us that great missions take time and dedication to gain the momentum and success they command and deserve.
The American Red Cross, for example, is more than 130 years old, started with a handful of local volunteers and now has 13 million volunteers in 187 countries. Similarly, United Way celebrated its 125th anniversary last year, and has been able to help countless individuals and families achieve their human potential through its growth into nearly 1,800 community-based chapters in 40 countries and territories. CACM is now entering its 23rd year and, while that may not seem like a long stint compared to the aforementioned organizations, the accomplishments we have made in that time have been significant – the passage of AB 555, which defined certification; career training with more than 200 professional courses and programs offered each year; the establishment of a Code of Professional Ethics; and the development of a masters level certification program – to name a few. And, there are many more accomplishments on our horizon that support the growth and professionalism of this industry. As we travel along the path toward our third decade, CACM is poised to solidify our relevance in California’s growing CID market and reinvent where necessary. We are hard at work identifying key aspects of the CACM brand that will strengthen our foundation, enable us to spread the word about this profession and, most importantly, showcase professional managers like you who fulfill a vital need in our great state.
As your advocate, CACM continues to build respect and recognition for the community management profession, and we remain committed to the ideals that drive our organization, including: • CACM’s difference is our California expertise. • Our ability to provide community managers with career growth and professional development solidifies our relevance in this industry. • There is pride in the fact that we were formed by community managers, for community managers. • We are all united in our efforts to create opportunities for a community of professionals to connect and learn from one another.
When I look ahead to your future and our evolution within the industry, one thing’s for sure: CACM is the first choice for California community managers seeking professional growth and development. And yes – we do get better with age.
Karen D. Conlon, CCAM President & CEO
hese are the comments I typically get from members who attend the board meetings for the associations I manage. You see, I work for associations that embrace the aging in place philosophy and cater to the needs of people who need services beyond the active adult community experience. This may not be your experience yet, but preparing for such a shift puts you at the leading edge of this trend. Even if you don’t plan to move into this growing market, the lessons found within this area of the industry can help you interact with a growing segment of the overall population.
Keeping Pace
By Lori R. St orm, CCAM
with
hese are the comments I typically get from members who attend the board meetings for the associations I manage. You see, I work for associations that embrace the aging in place philosophy and cater to the needs of people who need services beyond the active adult community experience. This may not be your experience yet, but preparing for such a shift puts you at the leading edge of this trend. Even if you don’t plan to move into this growing market, the lessons found within this area of the industry can help you interact with a growing segment of the overall population.
Continued on page 10
with Aging in Place
Considerations and modific ations for acc ommodating older homeowners
Keeping Pace with Aging in Place you strategies to approach difficult personalities on the job. Search Continued from page 9 the online calendar at www.cacm.org for upcoming offerings.)
Every year the media talks about the aging population, and to creep into the equation. Older homeowners may not remember the first of the Baby Boomers are retiring. Like so many other what they asked you to do or what they said they would do. markets that are catering more and more to seniors, homeowners Memory can skip over recent events and capture things that are in associations are noting the trend. Community managers should be the past. thinking along these lines as well and begin to embrace the older population as part of community membership and board member participation. These people want (and need) to be heard, meaning patience and persuasion are your best tools.
Senior Brains
This will be the most insightful and frustrating group you will ever work with. These are the people who often have decades of business and life experience and the wisdom that comes with it. They have dealt with all types of people and wrestled with every kind of challenge. When it comes to working through a problem, collaboration with the older generation will give you lots of help.
These are the very same folks who can make you want to grit your teeth in frustration. This life experience often comes with a decided perspective that equates to a “this is the only way to do this” way of thinking. Now, you get three or four of these assertive types on a committee and things can heat up pretty quick. (Speaking of assertive types, CACM’s new How to Deal with Conflict and Other Communication Challenges course can give Then there are the issues of memory and attention that start
These people want (and need) to be heard, meaning patience and persuasion are your best tools. By listening to these homeowners, you will gain insight into community issues. They need to be guided from where they are to where the law and the industry leans in terms of best practices. They need to be given the opportunity to succeed.
Senior Bodies
This is where understanding and accommodation are your best allies. Try to look at the physical world from their point of view. Are meetings being held where people with physical limitations have access? I am not just talking about wheelchair accommodation. Is there parking close by for those who cannot walk far? How many stairs separate members from the meeting place? Look at the place itself. You want to know that chairs are comfortable, the acoustics are good, the audience can clearly see the board and the lighting is adequate.
Investing in a good sound system keeps the membership engaged and involved. If they cannot hear what is going on, they won’t attend the meetings. Lose attendance and your volunteerism shrinks. Lose your committees and that leaves you and the board to get everything done – or worse yet, nothing gets done in the community.
Make sure the agendas for the community are printed in at least 14-point type. Cataracts and failing eyesight appreciate the gesture.
Senior Community Living: Making Accommodations
Now take a look around the community itself to see if the rules and realities of the community mesh. For example, rules may state that residents keep their cars in the garage or that commercial vehicles are restricted. But the reality for seniors living in their
homes means they may have caretakers coming each day or even living in the home. Rules need to be adjusted for these drivers.
Vendors also may be on site to deliver oxygen or other necessary items. Everyday services such as cleaning and cooking may be provided by commercial services on a regular basis. These examples show that it takes more people to allow owners to age in place, which means it is important to look at and modify rules to honor these needs.
In addition, it becomes more critical to keep the traffic slow on streets. Just as children darting out into the street creates a need to keep drivers cautious in other communities, it can be forgotten that even a community that lacks children is filled with people whose reaction times and mobility are impaired.
Architectural guidelines may need adjusting as well. Seniors may need accommodations to stay in their homes, such as wheelchair ramps and handicapped parking. Don’t be caught unprepared when you are asked about special accommodations. Prepare your boards for what is coming. Now is the time to consider architectural guidelines for accommodations. No one wants to be writing these things after someone installs a rickety wheelchair ramp in his front yard.
Senior Engagement
In addition to the items listed above, onsite transportation may be a key to continued community involvement. Residents can use golf carts to easily get from their home to a community clubhouse for board and committee meetings.
On site staff can also provide this service with a six-seater electric cart maintained by the association. Landscape and Architectural Review Committee walk-arounds can easily become drive-arounds, allowing members with decreased mobility to stay active on committees.
Seniors need to avoid becoming isolated. You may want to make a special effort to reach out to these folks and invite them to events. You might find a neighbor who is willing to shuttle them to board meetings and other community activities.
Aging is Inevitable
Don’t think that if you do not seek senior communities to manage, then you won’t have to deal with these things. The media abounds with dire statistics of retirees not having enough money saved to live well. This means they may be staying in the family home (in your HOA), even as they lose their ability to do so comfortably.
To start you thinking about ways to accommodate older homeowners, there are a number of things an association may want to consider implementing in order to assist them in managing their needs: • Contact a community outreach program that provides resources for seniors. This could include a list of phone numbers for companies that provide special services, such as where to get an emergency pendant, how to get meals delivered, or how to contact a transport service. This information could be put in your newsletter or delivered with other community news. • Consider the worth of gathering emergency contact information for your residents so you can contact them in case you become concerned or there is an incident involving your residents. • Form a volunteer committee who provides wellness checks for the elderly in your community. While the association may not be specifically responsible for the people living in the homes within your community, such a service could alleviate problems down the road. Whatever your boards may choose to do in the coming years, ignoring this population will not work. If you take a positive, proactive approach to this population change, you will be rewarded with more vibrant and more experienced board and committee members – which are a truly valuable resource to you as a community manager.
Lori R. Storm, CCAM, is a community manager with FirstService Residential California, LLC, in Gold River.
