FOR THE COMPLEMENT!

 

OK, folks, let’s have a little chat.  You read the Complement.  You may even enjoy it — some people tell us they do.   And it is a giant freebie — no subscription, no ads, nothing more arduous than clicking a link on your computer.

All of this wonderfulness is brought to you by a handful of core staffers, supported by another handful of pretty regular contributors.  Dedicated, selfless, inspired volunteers, to a person.  And like most volunteer groups they are stretched very thiiiiiin.

This is where you come in, or where you should come in if you have an ounce of community spirit and another ounce of minimal skills.

We’ll deal with your shabby excuses later, just read the pitch first:

We need reporter types, to think up and chase down stories and features.

We need editor types to (1) make sure that the reporter types are comprehensible and (2) pay attention to format and design and layout.

We need backstage boffins to get in and manipulate the software to make everything beautiful and effective.

Based on considerable experience with volunteer activities, let’s dive right in and dismiss a number of very well-worn excuses.

1.  “I travel a lot.”  Big deal, so do something useful while you are at home.  We’re looking for people to be part of a team and back each other up so the rest of us can take vacations too.
2.  “I don’t know anything about (fill in the blank)”  If you think those of us putting out the Complement arrived on the job perfectly qualified by training and experience, think again. And again, and again.  We figured it out from the ground up, are still doing so, AND WE CAN HELP YOU LEARN.  They say such activity is good for the ageing mind, AND, for a very special bonus, it’s FUN!
3.  “I’m just too busy!”  Doing what?  Slurping coffee in the Bistro?  Trying to decide on y our next library book?  Playing games?  Give yourself a break and try something that produces a real product that other people appreciate.  Challenging, but very gratifying. We are  team that really enjoys working together — come join the party!

Full-time commitment not required, just a reasonable degree of reliability.  Contact one of the staff, or email openinforvm@gmail.com. Soon.

The staff:  Bob Buddemeier, Joni Johnson, Connie Kent, Reina Lopez, Diane Friedlander, and Tom Conger

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.

2013 Resident Handbook

2017 Resident Handbook

2020 Resident Handbook

2021 Resident Handbook  (also available on MyRVM)

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

——————————————————————————————————————

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.

4. 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.”

———————————————————————————————————————

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.

by Bob Buddemeier

Not long ago, I had some replacement body parts installed. As often happens, this was followed by a modest procession of helpers to supervise the breaking-in period.  One of these, the instigator of this story, was a nurse and self-proclaimed safety advocate.

“When was the last time you fell?” she asked, which many people in the health professions seem to feel is the most appropriate gambit for starting a conversation with an older person.  Well, if we discount that very minor episode involving the cat’s leash, it has been quite a long time.  When so informed, she persisted “What would you do if you fell and [more ominously] couldn’t get up?”

“I’d crawl or roll to the bathroom and reach up for the string on the alarm switch,” I said.  As you probably can guess by now, she had a story of a client whose hip was so badly shattered that she couldn’t even crawl.  She followed up with, “You should have a fully charged cell phone with you at all times.”

That gave me an opening to regain a little ground in the game of Disability Chess.  “You mean when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom half-asleep in the dark I need to have a cell phone in the pocket of my jammies, and be able to get it out and turn it on and dial something?  I can barely do that in the daytime when I haven’t fallen.”

She fell back tactically, but continued to hammer away on the strategic point of having emergency notification capability readily at hand.  Which I admit is not a bad idea, even if it did start off as somebody else’s.  So I made conciliatory noises, and when she left, swung into action.

If you go onto MyRVM a-a-a-all the way over to the far right of the menus bar (Emergency Preparedness), open that page, and then scroll about half-way down the right side, you come to Emergency Pendants.  I called in a work order for one.  The next day Rick Ramirez showed up with two options, neither of which looked like the pictures on MyRVM.

One option was a necklace with TWO pendants – an old-fashioned push-the-button one and some sort of new-fangled accelerometer that detects when you are falling.  I reflected on how much fun it would be to wear that to bed and tangle it up with my CPAP fittings, and quickly decided on the bracelet.  Two days later Rick was back with the bracelet – a demo, a test, and bingo, I’m one button press away from safety, for fifty-ish dollars.  If my left arm is not broken too badly to push on the bracelet.  I guess there’s always some loophole.

Where does it work?  On campus, but not in the gardens or on the golf course.  If you’re at home it knows exactly where you are, but if you’re out among the cottages and hit the mayday button, you get triangulated by sensors that are about on every third building, and should be able to place you within a quarter-block or so.

PS-1:  The Revenge of the Pendant – Rick told me to just throw my original necklace pendant in the trash when I found it.  I did, on Monday, and early Tuesday morning got a call from Jens Larsen about an emergency signal from my cottage.  No explanation, until I realized that this was about the time when the garbage truck was compacting the trash in my area.  A technological death rattle.

PS-2:  Don’t believe everything you read – MyRVM says the bracelet is waterproof; Rick says water resistant, not waterproof (= shower but not pool).  Worth paying attention to, since I suspect that the only way to tell if it has drowned is to press the button without a result.

By Joni Johnson

We have been hearing a lot about contact tracing at the Manor as it relates to Covid. And it has become increasingly important during the most recent outbreak. Rumor has it that this started at a local community event showing a film on the environment. The event occurred on Sunday April 3, 2022. The first person showed symptoms on April 6, but it wasn’t until Friday, April 8, that the Manor was fully informed, and it was at that point that we were told to start wearing masks and just a few hours later, to cut down on group activities.

Unfortunately, Stan’s Friday report did not mention this because it was filmed the day before. I heard from friends early on Friday that some people were reporting symptoms. By mid-morning, I was up at the Manor and saw a friend leaving with a mask on just as I was arriving. UH OH. Yep. Masks were back in.

Since then, there has been a lot of discussion about residents’ safety and our lack of knowledge of who was infected and how we should go about our daily lives. Understanding RVM’s inability to report names, people were nevertheless frustrated that we were being given so little information. We wanted to know where it happened. How it happened. Why it happened. We wanted as much information as possible to protect ourselves!

Luckily, I did hear, again through the grapevine, that RVM had been doing an extraordinary job in contract tracing, and so people who needed to know that they might be infected were being told. However, the contact-tracing program was a mystery for most of us. Luckily, I was able to speak with Melissa Preston about how contact tracing works and how it worked specifically with the latest outbreak here at the Manor. She described the tracing somewhat like a game of Clue. They start with an event and then go from one event to the next to figure out who might have been exposed. They start searching from 48 hours before the first signs of symptoms.

Believe it or not, as of my writing this article, there have been 19 positive cases from that one event. That is the largest outbreak we have had here at the Manor since the Pandemic started in early 2020. The contact tracing has been done primarily by Melissa and Aaron Williams, our Campus Infection Prevention Nurse. Those cases led to 54 calls to let people know that they may have been infected. Of course, before any of our infected residents got sick, most of them had participated in other events. Those events were primarily dinner with friends, Joyful Voices rehearsal, and a private group that had met before symptoms appeared.

One important fact is that most of the people at the initial event were not masked.  Most were vaccinated and boosted and there was an enormous relief that the covid restrictions had been relaxed.  So people had let down their guard.  This is even more proof that wearing a mask in larger groups is extremely beneficial.  If you go to the theatre, wear a mask.  We are not out of the woods yet!

Aaron Williams- Our Heroic Community Infection Preventionist

If you were lucky, you read about him in the December issue of Hill Topics (See link below- p 11).   If you were unlucky, you got a call from him because you had been exposed to Covid.  Is he new?  No!  Aaron Williams has been a nurse in a variety of positions here at the Manor for 19 years.  He worked first at the Clinic, then the Health Center in a variety of positions, and finally as the Community Infection Preventionist. Along with Melissa Preston, he does all the contact tracing here for both residents and staff.  He keeps in touch with the State and the County and keeps everyone apprised of the latest developments.  He provides testing for those who show symptoms.  He keeps us safe!

https://files.mwapp.net/FILES/126032218.pdf

As soon as someone became symptomatic and reported this to RVM, they were contacted by either Melissa or Aaron and asked a variety of questions including where they thought they might have been infected and with whom they had been since that activity. They were asked for permission to use their names in contacting people. Then calls were made to anyone who might have been with the symptomatic person or their spouse. RVM offers antigen testing for anyone who feels they might be infected. If they are showing symptoms, and they live in the cottages, they can drive to the Manor and be tested right in the car, rather than coming in. And, if necessary, someone will go to the house to do the testing.

The CDC guidelines state that if you were in a one of the infected groups, and you were vaccinated and boosted, then wearing a mask should be sufficient. If you have not been vaccinated and boosted, you should quarantine yourself for 5 days. If you show symptoms, regardless of your vaccination status, then you should immediately quarantine, test again on the 5th day, and if you test negative, then stay masked until day 10. We were lucky that although this variant was very contagious, there were no serious cases that required hospitalization.

Obviously, the most important thing for any resident to do is to contact RVM immediately after you are symptomatic. The Flu Hotline is #7665. Either Melissa or Aaron will call you back to get more information and help you decide on your next step.

I was very impressed with RVM’s contact tracing. Everyone I know who was in a group that had been potentially infected was, in fact, called. Which meant that if no one called you, you were relatively safe. RVM’s strength lies in the their knowledge of who is infected. They can’t help us if they don’t know. So as a community, the most important thing is to let RVM know your situation if you feel you might be sick. That is how we can protect each other. The more information Aaron and Melissa have, the safer we will be.

by Bob Buddemeier

Of what, by whom, why —???  If you have been watching Channel 900, you have probably seen the creative work of RVM’s *ALL**STAR* theatrical team of Eric Poppick and Jane Harris, produced by impresario Sarah Karnatz.  And if you haven’t, here is your Big Chance: CLICK HERE.  And if you recalcitrantly refuse to avail yourself of this highly informative and entertaining opportunity – here’s the spoiler.

It’s about Emergency Preparedness, which is something you need to do to save your posterior and other valued anatomical parts from the next wildfire, storm, pandemic, or (gasp, shudder) subduction zone earthquake.  It’s also about the Residents Preparedness Group, an intrepid band of dedicated volunteers who have accepted the very considerable challenge of convincing—and helping – you to GET PREPARED.

And the reason is that, over time, people become forgetful, complacent, and disorganized.  Don’t deny it.  So the RPG, in collusion with RVM, has instituted a semiannual cycle of reminder events, Spring and Fall.  The recently Spring event (to view the tasteful and stimulating miniposters, CLICK HERE), included an outreach effort in which our RPG Neighborhood and Floor Coordinators sought out every locatable resident.  Objective:  to distribute a handout explaining the RVM emergency communication channels, and the roles of RPG.  If you have already misplaced your locally personalized copy you can still obtain the generic version (CLICK HERE).

Another limited but more intensive activity involved selected Cottage Area and Tower Floor Coordinators fanning out in a simulated power outage exercise to practice assessment and radio communication skills.

In addition to these efforts that put volunteers in yellow-green vests onto the streets and hallways, two semi-coincidental developments have greatly expanded the Preparedness information available to residents. Under the direction of Dan Curtis (RPG Communication Lead), the RPG entry on the Resident Groups and Activities page of MyRVM has had a major expansion.  You can use it to identify your RPG Coordinator, or find contact information for any of the RPG volunteers.  There is also basic information about RPG, and about the training programs.  Dan says that the site is usable now, but that development and refinement are still in progress.

Finally, Preparedness continues to get easier.  The first installment of the in-development RPG Manual has been posted (CLICK HERE), with instruction sheets for Food, Water, Medical and Sanitation, as well as supporting and background information.  Check it out – more is coming soon.

We hope you’re impressed, and not just by the classy vests.  RPG always needs volunteers, both coordinators and organizational support volunteers. Contact your Area or Building Coordinator, or Bob Berger, RPG Chair.