May 25, 2006
Getting Older
This seems to be a week for dealing with age issues. My 83 year-old mother-in-law passed away, my 79 year-old mother came to visit, the results of my annual physical came in (we won't talk about that, but I'm showing and feeling my age), and AARP put out a report that says that seniors are at a greater risk in a disaster. I'm sure you remember the tour boat full of seniors that tipped over in NY a short while back and the problems they had trying to survive. Getting older isn't for the faint-of-heart.
My mother-in-law would tell me that every day she had to deal with a new, unknown version of herself, because she didn't know what part of her body or mind would be working on all cylinders or stalled. I'm learning that this is the norm, not the exception for our elderly. And now, the largest segment of our population is entering into their "golden years". What does that mean for you?
It means that those of you who manage outside of Florida and Sun City (who are already dealing with this) are going to have to figure out how to deal with it on an ongoing basis. My wife has lectured at a few condo conferences about what it means and what can be done, and I'd like to add a few thoughts to what she has talked about.
A long time ago when I was a manager, I was called on to deal with a woman who was showing advancing dementia. In three separate visits I tried to find something with a next-of-kin name or phone number, with no luck. Social Services wasn't nearly as active back then as they are now, and offered no real help. I finally found a prescription bottle with a doctor's name on it and contacted him. Things got better from there. The point is that most managers usually only have name to notify in case of emergency or to unlock a door if the owner is away. Should you be collecting additional information, such as family names & numbers, medical contacts and such. Do you need to know if they have an advanced medical directive? Do you have any responsibility, legal or moral, to provide any additional assistance they may require, simply because they live in an asociation you manage? Can you, or should you treat them as you would any other younger owner? Are your associations physically "senior-friendly", with railings on steps, large easy-to-read signs, paths and sidewalks free of obstructions or cracks, etc. Do your associations have any sort of social group that regularly check on seniors? As a manager, do you have available a list of critical contacts for each of your associations, social services, medical, financial counseling, etc. Should you be doing any of these things?
I guess what I'm saying is that its probably worth a staff meeting, or discussion with the board, about coming up with some ideas on how your company and your clients, want to deal with these issues. They're only going to become more commonplace in the future. Besides, I may be moving into one of your condo's soon, and I know I'm going to need help.
Posted by joewest at 2:59 PM
November 30, 2005
Disaster Contractors Network
The Disaster Contractors Network (DCN) Web site is available to connect contractors and vendors offering services in the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma with homeowners and business owners seeking repairs, the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Florida State Emergency Response Team (SERT) announced today. This is in addtion to those states already on for Katrina - Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
The DCN Web site is www.dcnonline.org. It provides a point of entry to the DCN, a virtual organization of construction-related associations, state and federal emergency management organizations and regulatory agencies. The purpose of DCN is to foster communication and resource matching among government; the construction community; and home and business owners before, during and after natural disasters. The site also offers online courses for contractors. The DCN's Web site is funded by the states involved and staffed by FEMA.
The core of the DCN site is the Virtual Emergency Operations Center. To reach the VEOC, click on the map of the state you need information about. Then click the green VEOC icon near the top of the screen. The following options will be available:
Critical Needs allows homeowners, business owners and contractors to list items and resources that they need to recover from the storm. This section may contain requests for materials, requests for labor, or requests for services. For example, a construction company might be in need of roofers, a homeowner might need drywall work done on his or her home, or a general contractor might need lumber.
Resources let homeowners, business owners and contractors look for contractors specializing in certain services, including architects, engineers, and general contractors. Contractors can be searched based on category, keyword, or geographic location.
Situation Reports contains links to reports filled with vital Wilma-related information, such as weather summaries, current power outages, health advisories, damage reports, and locations of Disaster Recovery Centers.
Homeowner Information contains documents that might be of particular importance to homeowners, including tips for protecting one's home and the steps to take after a disaster has occurred.
Hot Topics links to press releases, fact sheets, and newspaper articles of interest to homeowners and contractors alike.
License Check allows homeowners and contractors to check if a contractor's license is valid and current. This tool is accessed via the state's web sites.
Links allows users to visit other helpful Web sites.
By accessing the DCN Web site, homeowners and contractors will have access to all of the above - and more. Contractors will be able to post their firms as available resources, manage their information, update their records, archive their resource availability during busy times when they are no longer available, and add their firms to future disasters without repeating the registration process. Homeowners and business owners will be able to post their critical needs in rebuilding after each disaster, update their records, and archive their critical needs when they have been filled.
Posted by joewest at 9:43 AM
September 4, 2005
Disaster - But Who Do I Contact and How?
Short of a major earthquake in California, the U.S. isn't likely to see another disaster as great as the one Hurricane Katrina just caused in Louisiana, Mississipi and Alabama. I don't have to repeat what everyone has seen on the news, but I would like to point out how its going to affect our industry. Management companies no longer have offices or communications systems. They don't know where or how to contact board members and owners and vice versa. The vendor list is useless, contractors have evacuated and have no means of communicating even if they knew where the managers are. Banks are closed. Records may be destroyed, including insurance policies. Backups may also be missing or destroyed. Condo buildings may be leveled or still under water. And, no one is in a position to give them any answers. It was a "perfect storm".
CAN is going to try and help out by creating the ability for management companies and associations to post basic information to the internet. It is likely that they internet will be the main source of communication for the impacted areas in the near future. Check the main page of our site as to when that will be ready.
I imagine management and boards will be thinking about their own disaster planning. Katrina adds a new dimension to those by displacing both companies and owners at the same time. You will probably never have to deal with something this big, but it doesn't hurt to have a plan in place (and a backup someplace else) that at least addresses most of the issues they are going to be facing in the months to come. What would you do?
Posted by joewest at 2:14 PM