Resident Services

Gilcrease Estates

Resident Services Plan

The following service plan is based on the experience gained by the staff of Gandolf Group in developing and implementing affordable senior rental housing projects throughout the country. Staff also drew upon its experience in conducting social service needs assessments with a variety of agencies in the State of Minnesota and interviews with senior service providers in the Tulsa area.

Mission:

The mission of Gandolf Group is to create affordable housing providing the highest quality lifestyle in cottage style environment for low and moderate-income elderly. Gandolf Group’s goal is for each tenant to feel a pride of residency and sense of independence in his or her own home. Our management team will consistently strive to create an attractive and comfortable environment maintaining a balance between the independent lifestyle our residents have been use to and the sense of community we offer.

Philosophy:

The goal of Gandolf Group is to create a sense of community for the residents of Gilcrease Estates where they feel safe, comfortable and can continue to exercise independent action in governing their lives and fully participating in the larger community.

The basic philosophy of Gandolf Group, LLC is to provide a complete array of services to senior residents through the cooperative efforts of residents, management and community agencies. We understand that once the resident population is in place there will be a need to review the needs and interests of the residents and make modifications to this plan. Surveys of the residents will be conducted and the resident council will be asked to participate in the analysis of the results and develop alternative plans and activities.

Gilcrease Estates accepts the challenge and responsibility of acting in the role of facilitator for needed tenant services. Our management team is trained in identifying when tenants may be in need of services and in assisting residents in seeking these services. The full time on-site manager will ensure that residents will live as independently as possible.

Service Plan:

As our only source of operating funds comes from tenant rents, and as it is our goal to keep rents as affordable as possible, our tenant service plan is developed with economy in mind and is based on utilizing services already offered in the community. We believe the only effective way to provide tenant services is by utilizing available community resources. Brandon Heights Village management will work closely with the primary senior service providers in Burleigh County and Bismarck including the Burleigh County Senior Adults Program, the Eldercare Program at St. Alexius Medical Center, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, the Senior Info-Line and other local agencies serving seniors. The management team will also participate in the Tulsa Coordinating Council to keep current on services that may be needed or of interest to our residents. See the attached list of services that the residents of Brandon Heights Village will have access to. With the able assistance of these local service agencies as well as other community groups we will endeavor to:

Arrange on-site health screening
Arrange for on-site education programs in the areas of health, safety, energy efficiency and financial planning
Provide personal Information & Referral (I&R) service
Distribute information of supportive services
When required, act as advocates, along with the local service agencies on behalf of senior citizens
Encourage and promote independent action on the part of senior citizens in solving their own problems and developing their own programs
Assist in the formation of a Brandon Heights Village Resident Council, with elected officers, for the development and identification of needed services

Resident Council:

The intent of the tenant service plan is to allow for innovative, creative involvement of the residents in activities and services affecting their lives. A critical piece of this is the establishment of a Resident Council to assist management in planning and organizing many of these activities. Management will be responsible for reviewing and modifying this Resident Council on an annual basis. A monthly newsletter will be published with property information, activities schedule and community news. Two major seasonal parties will be held. The Brandon Heights Village Resident Council that will be responsible, with the help of volunteers, for providing the following services:

Welcome Wagon activities.
Shut in and sick friend activities.
Parties and picnics, etc.
Education and entertainment activities.
Property enhancement such as picnic areas, flower gardens, etc.
Physical activities including exercise classes, hiking trips.
Special assistance to needy residents.
Community Room improvement, library, kitchen equipment, etc.
Health and safety activities, programs, equipment.
Transportation services.
Nutritional services.
Recruit volunteers for community activities.
Identify and negotiate below market prices from service vendors for food and services.
Work closely with management to raise funds and gather donations to assist tenants.
Fundraising to address special needs of the residents.

Special Programming:

Resident Assurance Check-In System:

Gilcrease Estates is committed to establishing the “I’M OK, YOUR OK” check-in system for this project. This system, using colored tags on the exterior doors of all the units, will be monitored twice a day by either management staff or resident volunteers. This system will be operated 365 days a year.

If the tenant has not flipped the tag, the monitor will try to make contact with that tenant. If that is not possible, management will enter the unit to determine what type, if any, assistance needs to be rendered. The appropriate action will be taken depending on the situation.

The only way tenants may opt out of the program is by written certification that they refuse to participate in the program.

Wellness Program:

Currently a number of local agencies provide wellness services to seniors in Bismarck, including the Eldercare Program at St. Alexius. These services include blood pressure, other health screening, immunizations and a health fairs.

Exercise Program

A key to good health and longevity is an active life style. Brandon Heights Village will promote a healthy life style by providing residents with different opportunities to exercise. Management will seek out local volunteers or service providers to lead residents in aerobics classes.

Courtesy Service

Gilcrease Estates will be proactive in arranging for its residents to have access to a variety of services which all member of the general community take for granted but become difficult for seniors due to their limited mobility and change in life style. For do-it-yourself maintenance such items as loaner jumper cables, resident toolbox, courtesy vacuum cleaner, courtesy moving dolly will be provided. Other services to be arranged for will include: notary, voter registration, laundry/dry cleaning pickup and delivery, outgoing mail drop, and pickup and delivery of packages by UPS and Federal Express. Other services will include fax service, copies, Goodwill pick-up, hold mail forms, change of address forms, community bulletin board, community activities calendar and pick-up and disposal of Christmas trees. Effort will be made to provide discount cards with local retailers. Management will also work with the Minot Public library for mobile services.

Transportation:

The Bis-Man Transit provides 24 hour transportation services for seniors 60+ throughout the City. This includes pickups for all senior center activities, doctor appointments site meals, and shopping. The service requires 24 hour advanced reservations. Gilcrease Estates will establish a relationship with this service to ensure that all residents requiring this assistance with transportation have access to this vital service.

Space:

Gilcrease Estates will also include a one community room and one office which will be made available to the resident council and community groups for a variety of social and service activities conducted by the above mentioned service providers. Management and the tenant council will coordinate the use of this space. Once the community room is built we will try to schedule a meeting of the Bismarck/Mandan Coordinating Council at Brandon Heights Village to familiarize service providers with the facility and help market the units.

Coordination of Resident Services:

The resident service plan will be incorporated into the agreement with the management firm. Gandolf Group, LLC will include the implementation of this resident service plan in its oversight of the management firm. This review will be conducted, at a minimum on an annual basis. As a method for ongoing monitoring Gandolf Group will be on the mailing list for all newsletters and information management will distribute to the residents. This will be reviewed and the activities noted on a monthly basis. Management staff will be required to work with local area service providers and participate in the Bismarck/Mandan Coordinating Council to become knowledgeable about available services and to coordinate activities. This will also ensure that the residents of Brandon Heights Village will have access to all community services they are eligible to receive. Once lease up has taken place management staff will spend time implementing this plan. Management staff will regularly communicate with area service providers to update their understanding of programs and changes that occur.