Part I of the Be Prepared blog posts talked about readiness for emergencies, particularly in light of the heightened flood awareness for the Green River Valley this winter. In fact, I attended a Senior Adult Resource and Preparedness Fair in the Meadowbrook region of north Seattle, at which a variety of good information was presented.
This blog, however, addresses both prospective residents and adult children of prospective residents when it comes to planning for your future place to live.
Personal experience over the past six or eight weeks has shown me how situations can change suddenly. When one of my parents went in for heart surgery, we expected that a full and speedy recovery would be made since the health going into surgery was very good for an 85-year old. The operation was textbook; the recovery has not been. In fact, instead of being able to be discharged to home, a long-term stay in a nursing home was the next step, going on five weeks. It has become apparent that they will not be able to live in the family home after discharge since care will be needed post-discharge.
As much as my siblings and I thought we had planned for many of our parents' eventualities, this was one that caught us by surprise. In hindsight we should have opened the discussion five years ago about where our parents would land when they could no longer manage their house. After several visits, a lot of conversations, soul-searching and heart-searching, and shopping for assisted living, we have been able to locate a place where they can will be able to get the care that they will need, at least for the near future. And we have been able to buy a little time to.......Be Prepared for whatever may be their next move.
This is background information to the following remarks.
It is never too early to shop for a place to live, whether for yourself or for a loved one. While you have the physical, mental, and emotional health (and time) to do the legwork, that is the best time for you to.....Be Prepared. Because certainly, if you are not prepared while you are still able to choose, at some point the choice of a place to move may have to be made by someone other than yourself.
SHAG has a ton of housing options for seniors who are able to live independently. Our Discovery Center in the Rainier Valley, just north of Columbia City, is set up and prepared for you to come for a visit to learn about our communities. We have vacancies in several communities in the area, and now is the time to take a look at all that we have to offer. Peruse our website for all the details of each and every one of our communities. Call ahead and come for a visit to the Discovery Center. We can even arrange for transportation to a number of our nearby communities for a personal tour. We will love to show you around, and we will be honored to be part of your plans for your future!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Be Prepared - Part I
The longtime motto of the Boy Scouts is certainly part of the SHAG vocabulary these days, and for very good reason, which will be the topic of this blog entry.
The news has certainly been full of information about the potential for flooding in the Green River valley this winter. As you may have heard, the Army Corps of Engineers identified weak points in the Howard Hanson dam's interface with the adjacent hillside, causing the potential of greater-than-normal releases of water from the reservoir to relieve pressure on the weak spots. And the Corps has been working on shoring up the weak spots for several months, so remedial action is certainly being taken. The message that we have heard is that there is little likelihood of the dam actually bursting (as you may have seen in disaster movies) but in fact, any flooding may be slowly rising waters as the excess water is released.
However, with some 900 apartment units in Kent and Auburn, this news has caused a certain degree of concern in our resident population. We are very aware of the news and the possibilities, and we are working with our residents and our resident managers in getting information to our communities. Our communities have flood insurance that will cover any reconstruction that may be necessary should the water levels rise this winter. Our insurance company has gone to several communities to inform residents as to where and how to purchase flood insurance for their personal belongings. We continue to study the flood plain maps and monitor information that is released by the Corps so that we can keep up-to-date in our information. And we have a line on a supply of sandbags and sand so that we can.....Be Prepared.
Here is another facet of the motto: we are encouraging our residents to...Be Prepared....themselves by making emergency kits, making a plan as to where they may go should an evacuation become necessary, and staying informed. This is good advice at all times, not just in the eventuality of a predicted flood situation.
More on being prepared in a different facet in Part II, coming soon.
Bill Fenner
Executive Director
The news has certainly been full of information about the potential for flooding in the Green River valley this winter. As you may have heard, the Army Corps of Engineers identified weak points in the Howard Hanson dam's interface with the adjacent hillside, causing the potential of greater-than-normal releases of water from the reservoir to relieve pressure on the weak spots. And the Corps has been working on shoring up the weak spots for several months, so remedial action is certainly being taken. The message that we have heard is that there is little likelihood of the dam actually bursting (as you may have seen in disaster movies) but in fact, any flooding may be slowly rising waters as the excess water is released.
However, with some 900 apartment units in Kent and Auburn, this news has caused a certain degree of concern in our resident population. We are very aware of the news and the possibilities, and we are working with our residents and our resident managers in getting information to our communities. Our communities have flood insurance that will cover any reconstruction that may be necessary should the water levels rise this winter. Our insurance company has gone to several communities to inform residents as to where and how to purchase flood insurance for their personal belongings. We continue to study the flood plain maps and monitor information that is released by the Corps so that we can keep up-to-date in our information. And we have a line on a supply of sandbags and sand so that we can.....Be Prepared.
Here is another facet of the motto: we are encouraging our residents to...Be Prepared....themselves by making emergency kits, making a plan as to where they may go should an evacuation become necessary, and staying informed. This is good advice at all times, not just in the eventuality of a predicted flood situation.
More on being prepared in a different facet in Part II, coming soon.
Bill Fenner
Executive Director
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