GET INVOLVED

Empowering Senior citizens through Connection, Care, and Purpose

Author: Cindy Schersching, PhD

  • PKS Council on Aging Meeting Minutes – October 2022

    We held our third meeting at town hall on October 11, 2022. This is a summary of that meeting. We hope you will join us next time on November 15, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. All Pine Knoll Shores residents are welcomed.

    Health Care Options

    John and Anne Clarke summarized their conversation with Dick Brvenik, retired Carteret County Hospital president, regarding expanded health care specialties.

    Key learning: Recruitment priorities are based on X/1000 population to determine the ability to generate revenue and build a practice.

    Questions remaining include: While the value of a hard metric is understood, can community input be considered? If yes, what channels are available for citizen input?

    All agreed that having a hospital representative come to speak with us on if and how citizens can have a voice in the process would be useful.

    Gathering Places

    John Macheca reiterated the importance of a gathering place for the Pine Knoll Shores community. He reported on conversations with Hotel Alice, which is well suited for small group meetings and emphasizes Pine Knoll history.

    While the hotel is now open, not all services are available. We await the go-ahead from the owners to announce the best time to promote the opening as a gathering place.

    New Business – Broadening Our Base

    A Facebook group has been created for the Pine Knoll Shores Council on Aging.

    • As of this writing, 75 have joined.
    • All minutes of our meetings will be posted here.
    • All relevant information is welcomed.
    • Similar posts are on the PKS Second Homeowner page.

    Police Chief Ryan Thompson joined the conversation on ways to reach out to our community. The “I’m o.k.” initiative checked on residents who live alone, are confined to their home, or who have little community interaction.

    Ike Pipkin will work with Chief Thompson to explore ways to resurrect the program or establish a new one, and engage individuals who are interested.

    Coffee Shop for PKS Residents

    In keeping with the goal of establishing meeting places that will draw residents together for social interaction, Marion and Ted Goetzinger, with the help of Amy Hahn and Paula Stadiem, agreed to repurpose the Pine Knoll Realty office as a coffee/café shop open to all Pine Knoll Shores residents.

    • It is hoped that the new coffee venue will be opened before Thanksgiving.
    • It is located in the same building as the library.
    • There will be a large coffee room and smaller rooms for individual activities, e.g., cards, bridge, quiet conversations.
    • Stay tuned for a call for volunteers as this space is redesigned.
    • The group was encouraged to complete the Age My Way survey that will inform NC policymakers and help set priorities for the next 20 years.

    We continue to emphasize neighbor-to-neighbor interaction to achieve our goals.

  • Special Needs? Medically Fragile? Planning Ahead for an Emergency Evacuation

    Special Needs? Medically Fragile? Planning Ahead for an Emergency Evacuation

    Emergencies are heart pounding, often dangerous situations requiring immediate action. These unexpected, serious situations happen with some frequency.

    Living on a barrier island leaves us particularly vulnerable putting us on the edge fearing named storms, tornadoes and flooding. Considering we have only two ways of getting out of the path of these potential seasonal disasters, we have to have a plan when circumstances do not favor us. Coordinating resources to meet catastrophic situations takes a great deal of planning, thought and cooperation across many levels of skilled personnel.

    As citizens, we rely on town officials and county administrators to plan for our safety. That said, it is incumbent on each of us to know how to prepare ourselves and avoid being part of the problem.

    This is often more challenging to those with special medical needs. This article outlines steps that will help us be prepared when the mayor declares a mandatory evacuation of the island.

    Here’s What You Can Do

    1. Stay calm.
    2. Notify authorities of your special needs and if you need transportation in an evacuation. Keep a list of your special needs and share them with emergency responders or the personnel in charge of the evacuation. The Pine Knoll Shores Fire Department provides ‘File of Life’ documents that can be filled out ahead of time with contact information and medication details; it is recommended you keep this on your refrigerator for last minute needs.
    3. Prepare an emergency kit. This should be your ‘ready kit.’ At a minimum it should include essential medications, spare batteries, oxygen tanks, or mobility aids.
    4. Wear medical identification. Wear a medical alert bracelet or carry a card that clearly states your medical condition, allergies, and any other critical information.
    5. Communicate with caregivers. Keep family and caregivers informed about the situation and coordinate your actions.
    6. Follow instructions. Pay close attention to instructions provided by emergency personnel.
    7. Advocate for your needs. If you feel that your specific medical needs are not being adequately addressed, speak up.

    Notify County Personnel. Do Not Delay.

    The county coordinates with Pine Knoll Shores Police/Fire in the evacuation of individuals needing transportation assistance to and from a designated emergency shelter, and for those requiring health or medical considerations to the Medically Fragile Shelter.

    Health/medical considerations include assistance with mobility, oxygen, routine medication administration, routine health monitoring, etc.

    To take advantage of these services requires proper registration.

    The form is available on the Carteret County website at Medically Fragile Registration Form. This link also details how notification will be made, suggestions of what to bring with you and where to mail your application.

    NOTE: Proper registration requires that newest registration forms be filled out completely. Forms that are not filled out completely, are not current, or from other programs will be returned.

    Residents requiring greater levels of assistance than can be provided by this County service, such as a hospital bed, hemodialysis, life support equipment, IV chemotherapy, full ventilator, etc., are advised to make alternative plans with the assistance of a physician or health care professional.

    Final Thoughts

    Be aware that…

    • Individuals residing in nursing homes or assisted-living facilities are not eligible for this County program.
    • Registration must be renewed each year.
    • Only one caregiver per registrant is permitted.
    • Only service animals (e.g., Guide Dogs) are allowed at the shelter.

    If you need to reach County personnel in Emergency Services with specific questions, call 252-222-5841.

    Remember, the exact procedures and protocols for emergency evacuations can vary depending on the situation and location. It’s crucial to stay informed about emergency plans, evacuation routes, and local resources specific to your area.

    Consider discussing your emergency preparedness plans with your healthcare provider to develop a personalized evacuation strategy based on your medical needs.

  • PKS Council on Aging Meeting Minutes – September 2022

    PKS Council on Aging seeks to improve Pine Knoll Shores’ residents quality of life and ability to age in place.

    We reviewed discussion points from the initial August meeting.

    The focus is on creating a list of key contacts that will serve as an easy reference for PKS residents in need of help with specific activities.

    The list reflects suppliers/vendors/agencies that are in PKS and/or who service our area.

    John Clarke has constructed a review form that allows the homeowner to comment on the quality of service received across the list of vendors (think: Amazon reviews).

    These comments are anonymous and provide qualitative information to help the end user in making their choices. The comments are integrated into the list of services.

    Phone numbers and contact names for each entry must be vetted before the list will be distributed. Updates should be done at least once every 2 years.

    A copy of the list will reside on the Town’s website and will be made available in hard copy at Town Hall.

    Member Survey to Identify Needs

    Each Council member was asked to read through the open-ended responses to the 1-question survey to become familiar with the words used by residents to describe their needs. Based on these comments, each was asked to identify the 1–2 issues that most interested them and outline how they would address the need.

    We recognize that not all issues have comprehensive solutions. At a minimum we hope to make life in PKS easier/less stressful. While each member will lead their issues of interest, all council members and volunteers will aid the effort to make solutions a reality.

    Medical Care

    John and Anne Clarke identified with the need to be prepared as much as possible for the future in terms of medical care – including mental health care: The survey highlighted the lack of medical specialists in the area.

    While attracting medical personnel to the area is best left to the professionals, as citizens we can influence the decision makers. We can provide a channel of communication with the communities that the hospital serves.

    John and Anne are exploring options with the help of Dr. Brevik, former head of Carteret General and PKS resident.

    Individuals with questions/comments or with an interest in being a part of this effort can contact John Clark at [email protected] or 252-269-1802.

    Additional community resources were identified – including, but not limited to – Home Helpers, Companion and Home Care, PT Advocates, Mobile Crises Management. If there is interest in learning more about these or other local agencies, please let us know.

    PKS Gathering Places

    John Macheca was most interested in reaching out to residents who wanted more local opportunities to meet and interact with neighbors over a cup of coffee, to play cards, discuss the latest book, etc.

    We know that staying connected with friends and family positively contributes to a quality of life and can extend our life spans. Interaction with others in a safe and comfortable environment is key.

    John began thinking of ways PKS might create these types of gathering places. His initial conversations have been with local hotels. Stay tuned.

    Individuals with questions/comments or with an interest in being a part of this effort can contact John Macheca at [email protected] or 847-858-3299.

    Going Forward

    Work on the service provider list is ongoing.

    We will continue to develop the dialogue with Carteret Health Care (and other medical agencies as appropriate) to provide a community perspective on current needs.

    We look to other Council members to identify the 1–2 issues that most interest them and outline how they would address the need.

    We recognize that not all issues have comprehensive solutions; at a minimum we hope to make life in PKS easier/less stressful.

    Our next meeting is at Town Hall on October 11, 2022 at 10:30 AM. All PKS residents are welcomed.

    Thank you to all of you who are following the development and implementation of this effort within PKS.

  • PKS Council on Aging Meeting Minutes – August 2022 (Initial Meeting)

    Thank you to all of you who are following the development and implementation of this effort within PKS as described in the August issue of the Shoreline.

    Recap of Our First Meeting

    We held our first meeting at Town Hall on August 16, 2022 at 3 p.m.

    Ten people contributed to a lively discussion and confirmed our commitment to (re)building a sense of community where neighbors know each other, help each other, and everyone is respectful and civil to each other.

    We are specifically focused on the roles seniors play in this community and to making life a bit better/easier for these individuals.

    We share the need to help our neighbors cope with issues that pose barriers to living comfortably in PKS and aging in place.

    We agreed to call ourselves the PKS Council on Aging.

    While we may invite individuals with recognized expertise on specific topics to lead seminars/workshops, our goal is to make aware – or create – workable plans that have a measurable impact on the well being of our citizens.

    We will take a “hands on” approach to solutions.

    Most Critical Topics

    There is a long list of needs. These examples represent only a few of the issues highlighted in the May survey:

    • Increasing awareness of permit requirements and providing help understanding building codes before construction begins.
    • Fulfilling help needs for small home projects, e.g., changing a light bulb, lawn maintenance, repair.
    • Increasing awareness of transportation options and adding options for doctor visits, pharmacy pick-ups, social events, etc.
    • We recognize that we may need the help of specific agencies throughout the county as well as HOAs operating within PKS to fulfill our goals.

    Future Meetings

    All meetings will be held on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. in the Board Room of the PKS Town Hall. All are welcomed.

    Please mark your calendars for 2022:

    • September 13
    • October 11
    • November 15
    • December 13

    Looking Ahead to September

    For the upcoming September meeting, each member was asked to read through the open-ended responses to the 1-question survey to become familiar with the words used by residents to describe their needs.

    Each should be prepared to share the 1–2 issues that most interested them and outline how they would address the need. It’s o.k. if people pick the same topic.

    Discussions with others – members, neighbors, families – is encouraged.

    By working together – discussing each project as a group, agreeing on solution(s), implementing a plan into the community, publicizing the benefits – I’m confident we can (re)instill the sense of community that many believe has eroded over time and positively impact lifestyles. We can make a difference!

  • PKS Senior Survey Results

    PKS Senior Survey Results

    We all feel it – even if we choose to ignore it: Aging is a fact to be reckoned with. As we age, our independence is threatened.

    For some, a change in situation (e.g., a loss of a job, illness) can lead to a change of residence.

    We wanted to know what challenges/fears PKS residents have to overcome as well as those they anticipate as they get older and want to continue living here.

    In a March meeting, Brian Kramer, John Brodman, Charlie Rocci and I agreed to keep the conversations going that began in 2014 when the PKS Board of Commissioners resolved to support Pine Knoll Shores as an ‘Age Friendly Community’ and the pre-Covid traditions of the Age-Friendly Advisory Committee.

    Importantly, we want to move forward with community input. We all agreed that challenges are best met when like-minded individuals come together and work toward a shared vision.

    The Survey

    In May 2022, a single question survey was emailed to all who have requested to be on the town manager’s all hands email list.

    Nine-percent of the 1800 (139 residents) chose to share their answers. As we were interested in creating a comprehensive list of issues, we wanted to hear from everyone – all ages, full time residents and part time, caregivers and residents in need.

    Ages ranged from 11 y.o. to 65+ (average age was 68).

    The question was designed to identify barriers to staying in PKS as we age: What challenges have you faced – or anticipate – that would interfere with your ability to age successfully in this community?

    Grouping like comments suggested 6 broad categories shown here in order of the most often mentioned to the least.

    Mobility/Transportation

    Issues related to mobility/accessibility in and around town, the island and off island. Individuals expressed a strong need for regular/scheduled ‘public’ transportation to doctor appointments, pharmacy pick-ups, veterinary appointments and grocery shopping. Not only was the need related to basic requirements, but to social opportunities as well. While several currently face the challenge of getting around, many fear the loss of driving privileges as they age.

    Safety In/Around Town

    Comments related to mobility/safety in and around town.

    Responses referenced the need for sidewalks and crosswalks on Rte. 58.

    Our beach is a key feature of living here; safely going and coming to the beach is top of mind.

    The expressed challenge: ‘Being able to walk to the beach safely without the availability of a sidewalk or a wide flat surface on Salter Path Rd. to access the crosswalk.’

    There was also an interest in marked bike lanes and several mentioned a general safety concern for children. Perceptions are that increased traffic has complicated walking safely.

    Healthcare Options

    Residents commenting on this topic were critical of local medical offerings.

    They want more specialists, more trauma care options, and more professional health care workers nearby.

    One resident expressed a fear that he may need mental health care as he aged and it would be difficult to find.

    Obviously, transportation issues play a role in the need for access to sought after medical care.

    Home and Yard Maintenance

    Of all the issues, this may be the easiest to impact.

    Property owners have a variety of needs related to their home, e.g., storm preparation and recovery, reliable/affordable indoor and outdoor maintenance, getting trash containers to the road, and even needing help understanding building regulations.

    Social Isolation

    Eleven of the 139 respondents fear or are experiencing social isolation.

    Most often cited in this regard is the lack of a community center where residents can casually gather with emphasis more on interaction with neighbors than specific activities.

    Some see a community center as an alternative to the more expensive local country club.

    Left to themselves, some find it difficult to meet others while some respondents note in the number of full-time residents to look out for each other.

    Taxes and Insurance Cost Concerns

    Increasing taxes/property taxes and the cost of living in general were mentioned specifically.

    With the survey results in hand, 8 full time residents of the community – a mix of men and women, newcomers and long-term homeowners – came together to discuss the category groupings and responses to add a depth of understanding to the issues.

    Drawing on their personal experiences and knowledge of community resources, each contributed to a discussion o