The meeting was chaired by Bob Baker with the assistance of Patti and Barb. The installation dinner for the new officers is scheduled for June 20 @ 5 to 8 pm at the WCH—with one important change in the evening plans. In the past, the Club paid for the dinner and drinks—this year the Club is asking the members to bring their own alcoholic drinks and keep them at their tables.
There were 13 members present at the meeting and 2 hooked in by Zoom. Guests were Don Crost from the Bonita Naples Rotary Club; John Bair from the North Chicago Club; and Tim Keefe (hosted by Bill Leske).
BIRTHDAYS: May birthdays already recognized were Bob Baker, Joe Fell, Barb Tubekis, Patti Van Cleave, Sylwia Pacyk and David Grant. But the birthday that was on May 18 was Fred Schwimmer. Thus, Fred insisted that he have the birthday song sung for him and in exchange therefore he generously donated one piece of U.S. paper currency!
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Barb and Patti announced that on June 21 we are going to have a different sort of Rotary meeting in the evening around dinner time (TBA) to be held at a local restaurant (probably The Honeycomb). This idea came out of the recent Club meeting where we discussed new ideas for meetings, meeting times, and new community service projects. The June 21 meeting will be open not only to Club members but also to others who may have suggestions for future “community service projects”.
Rich announced that Don Crost’s truck trip from Naples to Evanston raised over $1200 from our Club for the Rotary Foundation. Rich also reminded regular Club members that they are expected to donate at least $100 a year to the Rotary Foundation for it to provide its many programs.
Patti, Barb, and Rich reported on their attendance at Rotary’s recent District Conference and especially the reports describing the many good things that women Rotarians are doing under the Rotary banner—they were unanimous in saying that “the future of Rotary is in good hands.”
HAPPY BUCKS: Wes gave some HB in honor of Barb’s recently announced retirement from the Volunteer Center after many years of valuable and dedicated service. Don Crost donated due to all the support he received for his “truck from Naples to Evanston” trip. And Robert donated in honor of all the great service Rich has given our Club for all these many years.
DIG AND GRIN: Tony handled this part of the meeting by passing out a memo which he had prepared many “Mother’s Days ago” in honor of his mother. It listed 25 things that his mother “taught him over the years and why he loved her”.
SPEAKER: ERIC KLEIN, CERTIFIED SENIOR ADVISOR AND OWNER OF NORTHSHORE CAREPATROL, officed in Park Ridge, discussing “The Complexities of Aging and Understanding Your Care Options”.
As one of the highly recognized Senior Care Solutions Organizations in the country, CarePatrol helps families and individuals find the right care options for their loved ones based on their needs, budget, and location. These solutions may include: Assisted Living, Independent Living, Memory Care, Respite Care, In-Home Care, Nursing Homes, and Retirement Homes. Advisors from CarePatrol review the history of each care provider, generate a recommended list of care options based on individual needs and financial resources of the patient and help with the transition process. Advisors are available to accompany those people seeking medical assistance on their personalized tours with potential care providers to make sure they ask all the right questions. CarePatrol advisors can also refer other services to the family seeking senior care such as referrals to elder law attorneys, financial planners, and house call physicians.
CarePatrol mentions in its materials that their services are at very reasonable costs and sometimes these services are provided “at no cost to the senior or their family”. There wasn’t enough time in the Rotary meeting to engage in a conversation about who pays for these services, but the internet seems to mention that CarePatrol gets most of its revenues from referral payments made to them from the care providers that provide the services to the patients - such as a nursing/retirement home, a memory care facility or nurse staffing agency.
The presentation was very informative and timely for most of our members. The take-away is that your family will most likely experience someone having an aging problem; that hospitals basically get you well enough to be discharged, but don’t provide much post-discharge care; that there is a shortage of skilled employees providing these necessary services; that the cost of these aging services are going to continue to increase; and that most people wait too long to become knowledgeable about the “complexities of aging and their care options”. The speaker left his following contact information: eklein@carepatrol.com/ phone 847-653-1212
After reciting the 4-way Rotary pledge, the meeting was adjourned around 1:30.