First, I want to thank the ACC community for your continued support this year and over the last 50 years. On a sad note, I share with the community, on September 18, Darrick Lam’s daughter, Carrissa Lam, passed away suddenly from an aneurysm. I received this news from Darrick on Sunday after the ACC Ohana Walk. Carrissa was just 24 years old and had everything to look forward to in life. All of us at ACC are grieving with the Lam family, and we offer our deepest condolences. If you would like to send a letter or card to Darrick, his wife Jackie, and their daughter Cheryn, you can send it to ACC at 7334 Park City Drive, Sacramento, CA 95831. We will forward it to the Lam family.
Darrick has taken a leave of absence, and I have assumed the role of Acting President and CEO per ACC’s Emergency Succession Plan. Both Darrick and I, are grateful to have a supportive board, staff, volunteers, and community to help us get through whatever challenges come our way. ACC is a very resilient organization as we have learned over the past 50 years, especially from the ACC History Project that Ted Fong has led.
This is a good opportunity to explain the effects of the pandemic, one is the slow filling of residents at ACC Maple Tree Village and the second is staffing challenges. Maple Tree Village hovers at around 58% occupancy and the Care Center at around 68% occupancy due to the renovation of one wing. The good news is that Greenhaven Terrace Independent Living and Assisted Living are exceeding their census projections. Along with the low census it has been very challenging to hire and retain staff in a market that has become hyper-competitive. We have addressed wage challenges throughout the year and will continue to do so. Inflation has made the problem worse for our workers who have worked so hard on the front lines of the pandemic.
Due to wear and tear on our buildings, ACC replaced the exterior siding of the ACC Care Center at a cost of $1 million and ACC Greenhaven Terrace will undergo major roof and HVAC replacement at a cost of $700,000 in 2023. These are significant repair and maintenance expenses for ACC. In addition, one wing of the Care Center has been closed due to delays in completing the renovation. This renovation will allow the Care Center to offer private and semi-private rooms for short-stay residents. I am happy to share that work on the renovation of the wing at the Care Center began on September 28th and we expect the work to be completed in four to five weeks.
Our Human Resources Department continues to work on the staffing crisis that has affected ACC and many others during the pandemic. In the meantime, the community can help ACC by referring people looking for Senior Living options to ACC. The decision to move into a senior living community is important and can take an extended period of time. Therefore, it is never too early to explore your options and we hope that you consider the continuum of services provided at ACC. We have openings in each of our communities and we encourage you and your families to reach out for more information. The most valuable resource to ACC is you, the community. We ask that you think about ACC when talking to your family, coworkers, neighbors, and friends. Our residents, patients, and participants are part of a larger ACC community that extends beyond the location where they live. We are truly a “community of caring.”
Charitable giving to ACC is at an all-time high and these donations are vital to running ACC, just like when bingo was a big revenue source for the Nursing Home now the Care Center. The Big Day of Giving and the ACC Ohana Walk are the most obvious examples, along with other donations coming in throughout the year, especially from people new to ACC. Many of them have little or no connection to the ACC Care Center, which many of our long-time donors have. They value ACC as an organization that serves older adults during their active years in addition to those that take advantage of our independent living, assisted living or skilled nursing communities. They support the services we provide to family caregivers who make the choice to care for their loved ones at home. They also value ACC as a place where the whole community connects through events, co-produced programs, and common causes.
People including myself felt immense joy and excitement at the recent Ohana Walk. We were there as one community, one family, one ohana. We gladly “competed” to give our time and money to the organization that has fostered so many friendships over the years. The great weather and the venue provided the perfect setting. In fact, we are considering developing the soccer field where the Ohana Walk picnic took place into a multi-use outdoor venue for ACC and other community activities. Some ideas floated so far include a shaded pavilion, a walking track, exercise stations, picnic tables, a playground, more pickleball courts, and a community garden. We welcome your input.
Despite the recent ups and downs with COVID and the economy, there is so much to celebrate on the 50th Anniversary of ACC Senior Services and much more to look forward to in the next 50 years.
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