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  • PKS Council on Aging Meeting Minutes – June 2023

    PKS Council on Aging Meeting Minutes – June 2023

    The format for the June meeting was a break from the usual.

    I was looking for some good discussion around each of the initiatives we have been working on.

    The initiatives are the tactics that contribute to the big picture and each initiative has specific goals that need to be articulated. Since we weren’t able to cover everything in one meeting, the conversation will carry over into our upcoming July meeting.

    The work of the Council has operationally been defined in terms of initiatives.

    For each initiative, the group was asked a series of questions. The discussion for the three initiatives that were discussed—gathering places, the lists of vetted service people and medical personnel, and transportation—are summarized below.

    June 2023 Meeting Notes

    I’d like to deviate a bit from our typical format where we each report what we have accomplished since our last meeting.

    I am hoping for some good discussion around each of our initiatives. The initiatives are the tactics that contribute to the big picture and each initiative has specific goals that need to be articulated.

    We won’t be able to cover everything in one meeting, so the conversation will carry over into our July meeting too.

    All of work has been driven by responses to our earlier survey, i.e., it is data driven.

    I’d like to preserve that approach as well as our emphasis on neighbor-to-neighbor connections.

    Here’s the structure that I think will work for our meeting—and it can be modified as needed. We have operationally defined the work of the Council in terms of initiatives.

    Our Initiatives to Date

    • Identifying, creating gathering places
    • Lists of vetted service people and medical personnel
    • Transportation issues
    • Forums/Education
    • Food security – Meal delivery
    • Carteret Hospital
    • Lost residents

    Address for Each Initiative

    • Do we have a point person?
    • What are our goals? Our messages?
    • Do we have partners to help us achieve our goals?
    • How do we communicate our work in this space? Channels include on-site messages (as appropriate), The Shoreline, Facebook, COA website.
    • What steps have we completed?
    • What are our next steps?

    Let’s start our discussion with Gathering Places. I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday!

    Status Report by Initiatives As of June 4, 2023

    Initiative: Gathering Places

    Owned by John Macheca and Amy Novick

    Goals/Messages

    Establish relationships with nearby businesses that are comfortable, safe gathering places for PKS residents to informally meet up with the goal of building a sense of community, increase socialization.

    Partners

    • Hotel Alice – Amy Novick
    • Spoondrift Market – Amy Hahn, Marion Gotezinger
    • Leon Mann Center – ?

    Communication Channels

    • On site
    • Shoreline
    • Facebook
    • COA website
    • PKS town email list?
    • Expand HOA list?

    Completed Steps/Activities

    • Met with Hotel Alice/Amy Novick to establish common goals
    • Held COA meeting at location
    • Article in Shoreline re: Checking into the Hotel Alice
    • Hotel hosted after party to PKS residents – 50th celebration with discounted drinks
    • Met with Spoondrift Market – Marion and Amy reported to group

    Next Steps

    • Meet with new manager at Hotel Alice and have a dialogue as to how to proceed; where is there common ground.
    • Meet with Marion and Amy at Spoondrift and have similar conversation as to how to move forward.

    Initiative: List of Service People and Medical Personnel

    Owned by Cindy Schersching and John Macheca

    Goals/Messages

    Provide the community with a list of service, maintenance, home repair service providers and, separately, a list of medical professionals that members of the Council have had personal experience with.

    Referrals must meet a high standard of professionalism to be on the list.

    Partners

    • All council members
    • PD and FD partners?
    • Youth groups?
    • Boy Scouts?
    • Church groups?

    Communication Channels

    • Initially Facebook
    • COA website
    • Hard copies at PKS Town Hall

    Completed Steps/Activities

    • Six members have filled out forms

    Next Steps

    • Get feedback on list and format from users
    • Continue to collect information from members/update information
    • Add to list
    • Publicize/disseminate
    • Ownership – Member should oversee list aggregation
  • PKS Council on Aging Meeting Minutes – March 2023

    PKS Council on Aging Meeting Minutes – March 2023

    Several Council members were absent as the meeting time was rescheduled from the previous week.

    This limited a full discussion, but we did move forward on these initiatives.

    Website Creation

    John and Anne Clarke have made significant progress on the website. All are encouraged to take a look and provide comments.

    Remember a starting place and we will be adding more as we get together or if you have more ideas, fire away.

    We will get more photos as we move forward.

    The new email for our group is [email protected].

    Lots more to follow and as always, copy is what we need to build out.

    Easy to expand/collapse the headers so ideas please? Contact us to let us know your thoughts.

    We have paid for the domain name; it is ours for the coming year. John and Anne have agreed to demo the website on April 22, 2023 at our booth at the PKS Anniversary celebration.

    Our request for table, chairs, electricity and wi-fi access has been granted. Now it all has to come together.

    Meal Availability

    Council member Bill Douglas identified Catherine Elkins and her Food Network as the best/most current information source for food availability in the county.

    Their list of food pantries and hot meals has been posted in our Facebook group site and PKS Community; it will also reside on our website.

    Each council member has been sent a copy. Please feel free to distribute to anyone who has an interest/need.

    This list is regularly updated. As you distribute the list, please check their website for the most current listing:

    The easiest way to find the most up-to-date listing is to search Crystal Coast Non-Profits for “Food Help.” There’s a link to the sheet you want.

    St. Francis Meal Ministry

    Let’s not forget that meals are available for PKS residents through the St. Francis Meal Ministry.

    If you learn of a need for a meal, contact Robin Loflin-Smith by text (252-764-7257) or leave a message at the church at 252-240-2388.

    Both of these organizations are non-profit. Cash donations are especially welcomed.

    The Council as Information Hub for Service Providers

    As resources are identified and our website comes together, the discussion emphasized the need to put information in the hands of our residents.

    Importantly, to be confident in any references we make, it must be based in our personal experiences.

    To that end, all members are asked to provide contact information for service providers (e.g., plumbers, electricians) and medical professionals/specialists (primary doctors, orthopedists, dentists, etc.) that they have used and rate highly. These data will be input into a database.

    The database will be available online on our website and will be updated as additional references are available.

    Please bring completed forms to the next meeting on April 4, 2023.

    Getting The Word Out

    We are continuously challenged to systematize word-of-mouth reports of PKS citizens in need and connect/create appropriate solutions.

    Going forward, our focus will be on existing sources of this information, e.g., local churches, hospital discharges to PKS (though privacy issues may limit what we can learn), EMS activities (privacy issues also prevail here), and the local women’s club.

    Separately, we have completed one in-person interview to identify residents’ needs. It is a labor-intensive effort that also needs detailed practice/guidance to ensure we get quality data.

    We need further discussion to assess the benefit of this approach.

    At our next meeting, the priority topic will be our participation in the April 22 anniversary events.

    Everyone is encouraged to attend.

    Please put a couple of beach chairs in the trunk as I think we will be short of chairs.

    Our next meeting is at 10:30 at Town Hall on April 4, 2023.

  • PKS Council on Aging Meeting Minutes – February 2023

    PKS Council on Aging Meeting Minutes – February 2023

    There were a few new faces in February’s meeting that I hope will become regulars. Here are the business meeting updates from the February 2023 meeting.

    Spoondrift Market

    This new PKS gathering place opened its doors the week of February 6. Ongoing, their hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Marion Goetzinger and Amy Hahn of Pine Knoll Shores Realty remodeled the front end of the realty office into a warm, well stocked, comfortable place for book lovers, coffee drinkers and friends to gather.

    They had a very busy first week. Please visit to experience for yourself – bring a friend!

    Speaker’s Forum

    Mike DiLauro organized the Council’s first speakers’ forum.

    Held at Town Hall, 35+ people came to hear PKS PD Chief Ryan and Edward Jones’ financial planner Cheryl Mansfield describe the variety of scams operating in the area and how to deal with the threat.

    Scammers frequently target older populations; everyone could relate to the scenarios described.

    Scammers

    Janie Prices’ article in March’s Shoreline gives a summary of the types of threats that have captured many of us unaware. Scammers play on a citizen’s willingness to help someone in need and touch our worst fears.

    The key message to all is: Be alert. Always. Should you be contacted: Stay calm.

    If you believe you are a victim of a scam, do not hesitate to contact our local police.

    John and Anne Clarke made a video of this presentation. You can find it on our website under Resources and Partners and on our FB page under Pine Knoll Shores Council on Aging.

    These forums will be offered each quarter. A “Save the Date” reminder will appear in the Shoreline. If you have ideas for future seminars, please let Mike Dilauro know.

    Food Supply

    Ensuring our residents have a proper food supply is top of mind.

    The challenge is identifying those in need. We do not have a complete understanding of the need.

    We rely on word of mouth, but this is not systematic and many may be left out. Linda Cumberland is behind our efforts to consistently get information as needs arise.

    The team is partnered with the Meal Ministry of Robin and Terry Smith working with St. Francis Church.

    • Many organizations already do this, but we could sponsor food drives on a routine basis. Also note there are a variety of Food Pantries in the area. A listing will appear on our Facebook page.
    • Getting the word out about the Meal Ministry will help us be a part of the response to residents in need.
    • We will develop this through our meetings, word of mouth, and contact with the PKS Police Department.
    • We will expand this with speaking engagements with the Women’s Club and Garden Club, as well as through our contacts with the hospital.
    • We will promote the resolution endorsed by the County Commissioners in support of food system resiliency and supported by our PKS Commissioners.

    John and Anne Clarke have agreed to create a website for the Council. This is a very significant project for us.

    The website will include our minutes, our meeting schedules, our vision statement, a list of FAQs, etc.

    John and Anne cannot do this alone. Please send any ideas you have as to the look, feel, and content of the website. Our website will also link to the Town’s website. Stay tuned.

    File of life

    The first of the PD and FD PSAs will appear in the March Shoreline.

    Chief Ryan presented the File of Life that every household should fill out and keep on the refrigerator (it has a magnetic tab). This file is extremely useful in emergency situations; our response teams look for this on entry to a home. It is critical to have this information quickly available in an emergency.

    These File of Life summaries are free and available from the Fire and Safety building. Please stop by and get one.

    Handymen

    Linda Cumberland reminded us of the interest in identifying local handymen who can aid homeowners with small/medium tasks.

    This may take a while to build as there is no database that currently exists. Let me know any references you wish to share.

    Landscaping

    Residents also expressed interest in having individuals do landscaping tasks. The criteria are similar to that for local handymen. Mike DiLauro has offered the energy of a youth volunteer group that has served the PKA HOA.

    • Since they are a youth group, an adult supervisor should be present while the volunteers are working.
    • Some tasks may not be appropriate for the safety of the individual, e.g., the use of a chain saw.
    • A waiver of responsibility is required for each group/project.

    To schedule the group, please contact Mike DiLauro.

    The next Council meeting is March 7, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at Town Hall.

  • PKS Council on Aging Meeting Minutes – January 2023

    PKS Council on Aging Meeting Minutes – January 2023

    We had a variety of visitors to our January meeting, each representing their areas of interest/expertise. They added voice to the work the Council is undertaking.

    The focus continues to be neighbor-to-neighbor as that is one of the strongest links we can create.

    I will be reporting on the Council’s activities to the Pine Knoll Shores Strategic Planning group on January 25, 2023.

    Needs/ideas we have uncovered may help to shape how this Planning group is thinking about the future of Pine Knoll Shores as well as open new avenues for us to explore.

    Updates from our January meeting

    Hotel Alice

    John Macheca spoke to the interests in promoting the Hotel Alice as a gathering place.

    Amy Novick, Sales Director for the Hotel, iterated the interest in partnering with us to encourage other groups to hold their meetings at the Hotel as well as promote interests that would drive traffic (e.g., trivia games, music bingo, etc.).

    All ideas are welcome.

    Spoondrift Market

    Marion Goetzinger and Amy Hahn of Pine Knoll Shores Realty continue to develop the front space of their realty office as a gathering place for the community.

    It is located next to the library. An ideal location for book lovers, coffee drinkers and friends to gather.

    They expect to open the first week in February. Stay tuned.

    Fire, safety, and community services

    Chief Ryan and Council member Ike Pipkin are continuously solidifying relationships across our fire and safety groups and the community.

    As we explore the resources of Pine Knoll Shores, we uncover important services that currently exist that some residents may not realize are already a part of our community or have forgotten about.

    The Police and Fire Departments are among our most active community groups. Both Chief Thompson and Fireman Jerry Bowden were in attendance.

    Mr. Bowden mentioned a few of the programs/services that are supported by the Fire Safety department:

    • Smoke detector operation/placement
    • Identification of fire hazards
    • Planned home evacuations in an emergency
    • Beach wheel chairs, and more

    The details of each department’s community programs will be highlighted across issues of the Shoreline and emailed to residents through Town Hall. This advertising will help to keep these important services top of mind for everyone.

    Inclement weather

    The recent extended power outage made us aware that we not only have to help individuals in major destructive weather situations where we have some forewarning (i.e., hurricanes, tornadoes), but also in situations where power and internet are interrupted without warning.

    Several of our residents may find it especially difficult in these situations if they live alone, do not drive any longer, or are uncomfortable in situations where they don’t know others well.

    Chief Ryan and Ike Pipkin continue to discuss outreach measures to connect with these individuals. Local churches could also play an important role.

    Transportation services

    As a group, we continue to explore issues related to transportation.

    We will build on the October 2022 Facebook post of fee-based transportation options.

    We are also discussing the creation of a volunteer network of individuals willing to transport individuals to medical appointments if they are home bound.

    Hospital services

    John and Anne Clarke maintain a dialogue with our November hospital speakers Virginia Cuthrell and Dr. Clyde Brooks.

    Our goal is to get the community to better know the hospital, its staff, and its capabilities.

    As a group, we can use the Shoreline/FB to further promote the outstanding activities of the hospital to give emphasis to the ongoing advertising/public relations activity of the hospital.

    Speaker’s topics

    Mike DiLauro is initiating a speakers’ forum with a variety of topics of interest across our community.

    Topics will include – but not be limited to senior issues, e.g., avoiding scams; estate planning; health care considerations.

    These will begin on a quarterly basis and be open to all PKS residents. The first forum is at 10:30 AM on January 26, 2023 at Town Hall with PKS Chief Ryan and Cheryl Mansfield of Edward Jones detailing ways to outsmart scammers.

    Meals

    Linda Cumberland, a caregiver and PKS resident, introduced Terry and Robin Smith, and Bill Douglas, former CERT member.

    They represent a meals ministry in conjunction with St. Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church on Bogue Banks 252-240-2388, email [email protected].

    Meals are provided on request to PKS individuals though not on a daily basis. There are no income/age requirements for those in need. This ministry is invested in the PKS community. Let us know if you or your neighbor would benefit from this service.

    Note: There is no local “database” of PKS residents in need of a meal. We only know when an individual or a neighbor contacts us or St. Francis directly.

    The need does not have to be long term; it could be after a surgery, during a COVID quarantine, or a result of a hectic week. We have resources to help while respecting the privacy of each household.

    Home safety and utility help

    Cindy Schersching is creating a list of home safety/utility considerations that will serve as reminders to individual home builders/remodelers and their contractors.

    The idea is to plan for the future with modifications at the beginning of the building process to allow residents to age in place – if that is their choice. The listing will be available at the time plans/permits are submitted to the Town for review as well as on Facebook.

    All were reminded to submit names to the Town Clerk for the Ken Jones public service award by December 18, 2022.

    The meeting was adjourned. The next Council meeting is February 7, 2023 at 10:30 AM at Town Hall.

  • PKS Council on Aging Meeting Minutes – December 2022

    PKS Council on Aging Meeting Minutes – December 2022

    Our last meeting of the year wasn’t really a Christmas party, but we did enjoy the holiday spirit and décor of the ‘new’ Hotel Alice.

    Checking Into the Hotel Alice

    Many of our followers know that a priority for our group was to find and support an easily accessible gathering place for our community.

    While the idea has been discussed and a variety of venues considered, no dedicated ‘community center’ has ever been established. That said, interest in the concept never died.

    Many residents have continued to express a desire for a choice of 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.

    This is true for all of us and critically important in an aging market. Interaction with others in an easy to access, safe and comfortable environment is key.

    Hotel Alice As a Community Gathering Place

    Since we do not have the means to build a ‘community center,’ we needed to find a place within Pine Knoll Shores that met our needs and people willing to partner with us to develop the idea.

    Within our group, John Macheca rose to the challenge of finding and establishing a gathering place. We found an opportunity with Hotel Alice.

    What’s in a name? As many already know, the story of today’s Pine Knoll Shores begins with Alice Hoffman.

    Ms. Hoffman bought substantial acreage on the island in 1918 and made her home here, off and on, until her death in 1953.

    Alice Hoffman was Eleanor Roosevelt’s aunt. As Alice had no direct heirs, at her death the 2,000-acre waterfront that she owned transferred to the Roosevelt family. The family oversaw the early development of the town.

    The blend of today’s community and its history makes Hotel Alice a unique meeting place.

    The location is quiet, well designed, comfortable and guest-focused – and surrounded by history.

    The photos around the lobby, local history summaries and knowledgeable staff connect hotel visitors to the town’s legacy.

    Amy Novick Welcomes PKS Residents

    Amy Novick is the Sales Director for Hotel Alice.

    Her energy and enthusiasm for our community was evident from the very beginning.

    While there is no kitchen, a variety of snack items are available at the front desk and the bar is open from 2–10 p.m. every day and on Sunday from 7–10 p.m.

    For the Council meeting, Amy and her staff made us feel very welcomed. She spoke to their interests in tailoring the hotel experience to our needs as a group.

    From our experience, it is clear that this venue can meet our business needs as well as our social needs.

    We strongly encourage you to give Hotel Alice consideration the next time you meet up with friends over a cup of coffee or glass of wine, need a venue for your book club discussions, or play cards…and bring a neighbor you’d like to get to know better. See you at Hotel Alice!

    First Quarter Next Meetings: January 10, February 7, March 7, 2023 10:30 a.m. Pine Knoll Shores Town Hall.

  • PKS Council on Aging Meeting Minutes – November 2022

    This morning’s guest speakers represent our local Carteret County Hospital, Carteret Health Care:

    • Virginia Cuthrell, Executive Director of the Carteret Health Care Foundation, Inc., Physician Recruiter and Liaison
    • Dr. Clyde Brooks, Chief Medical Officer at Carteret Health Care

    Background to Hospital Issue

    PKS residents answering our survey earlier this year probing the challenges to comfortably age in this community felt their current/future health care needs may not be met by available local services.

    Specific comments reflected a need for more specialists, more trauma care options, and more professional health care workers nearby.

    PKS Council on Aging members John and Anne Clarke stepped up to the challenge to understand the physician recruitment process and, ultimately, find ways to positively affect the process.

    After talking with Dr. Brvenik, retired executive of Carteret Health Care and PKS resident, to gain an overview, current decision makers Ms. Cuthrell and Dr. Brooks accepted the invitation to our November meeting.

    Of the 113 acute care hospitals in North Carolina, very few are considered independent — a term nearly everyone defines slightly differently.

    For the North Carolina Healthcare Association (NCHA), it means not affiliated with or managed by another system. Carteret Health Care is independent, which provides our decision makers with more flexibility to maintain a local focus.

    Though Carteret Health Care, membership in the Mayo Clinic Care Network, and Carteret County have much to offer, physician recruitment is a complex mix of many factors which include, but are not limited to, these discussion points.

    Specialty Practices

    Specialty practices are justified based on an evaluation of the community’s ability to support them. This determination is represented by population statistics summarized as “X/1000 population.”

    For example, a full-time population of 70,000 in the county is expected to support 1.4 urologists.

    The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) organizes demographic data and generates the analyses to solve for “X” for each specialty for each geography. These statistics are constantly reviewed and updated.

    Private Practices

    Private practice offers physicians a variety of benefits not easily matched in a hospital environment.

    Most physicians, however, prefer to be in private practice though they can also maintain a role at the hospital.

    That said, to accept privileges, each must accept being on call at night and weekends.

    Physician Mentorship

    It is important to recognize that “new” physicians also look for work environments that provide guidance/mentorship.

    Further, physicians enjoy having a colleague in their same specialty to discuss patient care and to share taking calls.

    The link with the Mayo Clinic is a giant step to providing collegiality, but there is more that needs to be in place for physicians to feel they have opportunities to grow their career.

    Recruitment not only involves the physician, but also his/her family.

    While the nearby beaches may be an initial draw, the rural environment and lack of a 4-year university may prove barriers to satisfying all family members.

    Going Forward

    As a Council, we do not expect to have a direct impact on physician selection. However, we believe our community perspectives can influence choices.

    Ms. Cuthrell and Dr. Brooks were open to developing a channel of communication. We will continue to explore this avenue and provide regular updates.

    Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, December 13, 2022 at the Hotel at 10:30 a.m.

    John and Anne Clarke contributed to this summary.

  • 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.

  • 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.