The Resident Handbook Through the Ages
By Bob Buddemeier
From the Welcome section of the 2021 Resident Handbook:
“Your Residence and Care Agreement sets forth the obligations of Rogue Valley Manor to you. That agreement also requires you to abide by all of the policies, rules, and regulations of Rogue Valley Manor, including those set forth in this handbook, all of which are subject to change.” (emphasis added)
Some residents are probably not aware that distributions of updated handbooks are the only notice they will receive of changes to the policies and contractual agreements under which they are living. Handbooks have been issued in Fall 2013, June 2017, March 2020, and September 2021. Over that period there have been many changes at RVM and in the world around us.
While most people justifiably regard a history of rules and regulations as little more than a good cure for insomnia, there are important lessons to be learned by comparing where we are now with where the various cohorts of residents started out.
We will take a look at how four topics evolved over the course of the Handbook editions – two fairly trivial but directed toward resident behavior, one significant past transition, and a more recent, potentially controversial change.
A note of caution: The material that follows is the product of the author’s judgment and interpretation. Each reference is identified by date of handbook, page, and paragraph. All of the handbooks are posted in pdf format and available for reading online or downloading. This allows the readers to verify quotes and descriptions, to form their own opinions of the handbooks, and to explore for topics of interest.
To access the handbooks, click the appropriate link below. The file will open in a new tab on your browser; in order to return to this document, simply close the tab.
2021 Resident Handbook (also available on MyRVM)
- Smoking
Those of us who arrived before 2017 found that both our Agreements and the Handbook explicitly authorized smoking in many of the residences – a provision that changed progressively over time.
SMOKING – 2013 (p.76, para. 6): “Smoking is permitted only in Cottages and Skyline Plaza apartments. No smoking is permitted in any area of the Manor, Manor Terrace, or licensed areas. Residents who smoke in Plaza apartments may be required to purchase and use an approved air filtrations system for the apartment if the smoke affects other residents on that floor. Also, never smoke in bed. Smoking in bed puts everyone at risk.”
SMOKING – 2017: “Smoking is permitted only in designated areas. If you have questions related to the designated smoking areas on the RVM Campus please contact Resident Services at EXT. 7392.”
SMOKING– 2020 (p.60, para. 8), and 2021 (p.67, para. 4): “RVM is essentially a smoke-free campus. Smoking is permitted in designated outdoor areas only. No smoking is permitted within any buildings.”
This provision continues in the 2021 edition. No mention is made of vaping.
- The Dress Code — A long-running tempest in a teapot –
A reliable source of heated discussion whenever there is a complaint, the dress code tends to lie dormant with gradual evolution in between debates. There have been two components.
In 2013 and 2017, there was a dress code for public areas:
“DRESS CODE FOR PUBLIC AREAS — 2013 (p.68, para.1): Residents are required to dress appropriately when leaving their apartments or cottages. Inappropriate attire includes robes, wrappers, and swimwear. This applies to all public and/or common areas of the Manor, Manor Terrace, and Plaza, including hallways and elevators.”
This provision disappeared from the 2020 edition, and has not reappeared.
A more consistent feature has been the Dining dress code:
DRESS CODE FOR DINING — 2013 (p. 19, para.5) : 6 paragraphs, 21 lines devoted in large part to acceptable and unacceptable items of clothing.
The Dress Code for Dining was essentially the same in 2017, and basically the same in 2020 (p. 40, para. 7).
In 2021 (p.45, para. 1): The most recent dress code statement has been reduced to 13 lines and three paragraphs, with almost all of the list of forbidden dress items removed. It relies much more on qualitative appeals to good taste.
The 2021 Code is extremely non-specific making one wonder if it is enforceable, and if so, how and by whom. The handbook says “Failure to abide by the dress code may result in being asked by dining staff to leave the dining room and return in appropriate attire.” (2021, p. 45, para. 3).
This seems reasonable in terms of authority and responsibility for the facilities, but it’s at odds with the assertion that the Dress Code is the will of the residents, expressed via the residents Council. Since it’s not clear who is in charge of the Code, it’s probably fortunate that the issue of enforcement seldom arises.
- Contract and Residency Agreement
From the 2013 Resident Handbook, Fall 2013, p.1, para. 3: “Your Residence and Care Agreement (Residency Agreement) sets forth the obligations of Rogue Valley Manor to you. That agreement requires you to abide by all of the policies, rules, and regulations of the Manor, including those set forth in this handbook, all of which are subject to change. If anything in this handbook should appear in any way to conflict with your contract, your contract prevails. “ (emphasis added)
The 2017 Handbook, June 2017, p.1, para. 2 contains the same paragraph, without the underlined sentence.
Resident Handbook, March 2020, p.10, para. 4.
Contract, Handbook, and RVM Management
“Rogue Valley Manor and PRS are also related organizations, with PRS serving as the ‘parent’ and sole member of Rogue Valley Manor. As the sole member of Rogue Valley Manor, PRS has the exclusive authority, as set forth in Rogue Valley Manor’s Bylaws, to appoint the Board of Directors for Rogue Valley Manor, and to make certain decisions on behalf of Rogue Valley Manor. Some of these decisions (e.g., approval of budgets and fee adjustments) may affect the Community and your Residence and Care Agreement. Rogue Valley Manor’s Bylaws, including the reserved powers of PRS are subject to change by PRS from time to time. “
(Note: underlined sentence specifically mentions, but does not limit, changes to the Agreement)
The 2021 Handbook (p. 10, para. 3) contains essentially the same paragraph as 2020 with added reference to the Residents Council appointment of Directors.
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The roughly 70% of the residents who entered prior to mid-2017 should be aware that their Residence and Care Agreement may not now mean what it did when they signed it. From 2020 on, if not before, PRS has the power modify the agreements, with distribution of a new edition of the Handbook serving as the only notice in some cases.
- Firearms
In the 2013 and 2017 documents, there is no mention of firearms
FIREARMS — In 2020 (P. 59, para.5) and 2021 (p.66, para. 1), the following statement appears
“For the safety of everyone, firearms are NOT permitted on the premises. This policy applies regardless of whether the person has a permit to possess the firearm or whether it is otherwise legal to possess the firearm. Any resident possessing a firearm must store it offsite. Any non-compliance with this policy may result in termination of residency.”
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Without entering into the politically charged issue of firearm ownership, it seems worth pointing out that many US citizens own guns. This is likely also to be true of RVM residents, so some number of us are in violation of a significant policy. A conversation with one new resident indicated that the prohibition was never mentioned by Marketing or in any of the intake processes.
The Bottom Line:
Changes in the Resident Handbook are not accompanied by notices to the residents (other than distribution of the new edition) or public discussion. The Handbook is long (70+ pages) and covers many topics, some of which will be of little interest to many residents. Its organization varies from edition to edition. However, the significance of some of the changes (e.g., “…non-compliance may result in termination of residency”) suggests that a careful reading of the handbook is worthwhile.
Moral of the story: Read your current Resident Handbook. You may find something interesting, or even important.
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