“Grandma, I’ve Been Arrested.”

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A Look Into Elder Abuse Perhaps you’ve heard of phone scammers posing as grandchildren to get money from seniors. But you may be surprised by the variety and pervasiveness of Elder Abuse that can affect our relatives and neighbors.Types of Elder Abuse include physical, emotional, neglect, financial, sexual and abandonment. Many affected seniors experience more than one type of abuse. Financial exploitation is the highest type of reported abuse.Did you know that 5 million elder adults are abused, exploited, or neglected each year yet only 1 in 23 cases of Elder Abuse are reported? Why are so few cases reported? Because too often the victim relies on the perpetrator who is a family member and/or is the victim’s caregiver.This summer, Birchez Associates worked with members of the Ulster County Elders Abuse Prevention Task Force to bring educational presentations on Elder Abuse to each of our senior communities. The Task Force, created by County Executive Michael Hein, is designed to raise awareness, increase education and improve prevention of elder abuse. New York State is the only state that does not mandate the reporting of suspected Elder Abuse as is required for child abuse or abuse of persons with disabilities. While we are not mandated reporters, Birchez encouraged all community staff employees to attend the sessions held for our senior Residents.“We have seen cases of Elder Abuse and either report these situations directly or help our Residents and family members to report to the proper authority,” said Judyann Fitzpatrick, who serves as Manager of Compliance. “The cases have typically been financial abuse, where a family member gains access to the Resident’s bank

account and misappropriates funds, or neglect in which a health aide leaves the Resident unattended. The Task Force sessions help our staff to be on the alert for any form of Elder Abuse that could affect our Residents.” Thank you to the skilled members of the Task Force, Dena Crane, Toby Krawitz and Colleen Mountford, for sharing their expertise in bringing the educational sessions to our Communities. This outreach was supported by the Office for the Aging and Jewish Family Services.

Fall 2016 Newsletter Volume 4 - Issue 2

Don’t Hesitate. Call.

Among Ulster County (UC) resources to contact if you suspect Elder Abuse:

UC DSS Adult Protective Services845-334-5153

UC Crime Victim’s Office845-340-3443

UC Sheriff’s Office 845-338-3640or local police agency

UC District Attorney’s Office845-340-3315

The person’s physician or bank

Or contact the Community Manager at the Birchez Community in which you, or your

loved one, lives and he or she can direct you to appropriate resources.

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Giving Back One of the core values at Birchez Associates is to give back. Steve Aaron, Founder and Managing Member of Birchez Associates, along with his wife Judy and son Josh established the Birchez Foundation to assist the company’s philanthropic efforts. Under Steve Aaron’s guidance, we look to support not-for-profit groups and agencies that focus on seniors, veterans, workforce families and sustainability. Whether through the Foundation or direct donations from Birchez Associates, in the last few months alone we have given over $20,000 to local causes. Here we highlight two of the many causes that we have supported.

The Kingston Library applied to The Birchez Foundation to help them bring the Library to Seniors. Their grant winning proposal: a Mobile Technology Training Center. Initially the focus of the Mobile Center is seniors, especially those who find getting to a library difficult.

“We have noticed that many of our seniors, es-pecially those in their late 70s and above have not acquired basic computer skills,” observed Steve Aaron. “Our onsite computer centers can be intimidating for those not familiar with these basic skills. I applaud Library Director Margie Menard’s perception in bridging this gap. Even if

a senior’s use is just for email and Facebook with friends and family, this can bring joy and a sense of community to one’s life.”

People’s Place of Ulster County, with a thrift store and food pantry in Kingston feeds, clothes and responds to the essential needs of people, including seniors and workforce families. Recently they opened a Food Hub in their basement which is used by a number of agencies to store frozen food and produce.

“Birchez has been the sole sponsor of the Help Fight Hunger dinner raffle for a couple of years, and they have contributed as sponsors for our Toy Trot and Sip-N-Sail,” said Christine Hein, Executive Director of People’s Place. “Birchez’ contributions helped springboard these major fund raising activities for People’s Place.”

Other recent recipients include Resource Center for Accessible Living (RCAL), Kingston Community Radio (myKCR.org), the Ulster County Shrine Club, Warrior Weekend (through the local American Legion and VFW posts), Ulster County Chabad Lubavitch and Jewish Family Services.

If you represent an organization that would like to apply for the next round of The Birchez Foundation grants, you can download an application from our website at www.Birchez.com/wp/the-birchez-foundation/ or call for more information 888-980-0090.

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We are pleased to welcome new members to our Birchez Associates Marketing group and Rondout Property Man-agement teams.

Megan Donahue, a recent SUNY New Paltz grad, brings more than book knowledge to her job as Marketing Assistant for Birchez Associates. Megan served semes-ter internships at both the County Executive’s office and Benedictine Health Foundation. Plus this Saugerties resi-dent worked weekends and summers throughout college. Despite her extracurricular activities, Megan managed to attain the Dean’s List.

Theresa Walsh Miranda began her housing career in 2002 and joins us as an experienced property manager. Theresa is now the Community Manager at both Chambers Court and The Birches at Saugerties. Her professional accredi-tation includes Low Income Housing Tax Credit Certifi-cation, Accredited Residential Management, IREM Certi-fication and Assisted Housing Management. Theresa is a graduate of the Ulster County Leadership Institute, and is a certified Health & Wellness Coach.

Mary Rauchet is the new Community Manager at Birch-wood Village, our workforce family community sited in

Welcome to the Team

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Kingston. Mary has extensive property management ex-perience, having served as manager of 150- and 256-unit properties. She also worked for seven years as the finan-cial manager for the Newburgh Housing Authority. Mary is a Certified Occupancy Specialist as well as a certified New York State Notary Public.

Rondout Property Management has a new logo – and more. You may have noticed a new look for maintenance trucks, applications, and forms at our Communities. We’ll soon unveil a new website with features for both our residents, associates, and the public. All part of the rebranding of this multifaceted property management company to better serve our Communities.

“ You have to be in it. . .”So starts the Lotto ad. And the same is true of our wait lists. If you don’t have an application in, you’re not on the list. Wait lists can discourage some, but we want to encourage you. When an apartment becomes available, it is available to the next qualified and ready applicant. But apartments are as-signed to particular incomebands, and we have disabled and frail elderly preferences to consider as well.

What’s this all mean to you? You are on a subsection of the wait list based on your income and whether those ahead of you are ready to move in when the apartment becomes avail-able. We’ve seen instances where we contact 20 applicants before we find a Resident. Plus should you not be ready when you are called it doesn’t affect your standing. You stay on the list.

Fill out an application soon! You can download an application http://birchez.com/wp/contact/, stop by at our communities (either by appointment or from the brochure display in the lobby) or just call toll free 888-980-0090 and we will mail you an application.

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Steve Aaron, Founder and Managing Member of Birchez Associates, gave Phyllis Sonner a nickname:

“Number 1”. When Chambers Court opened in 2004, Phyllis was the first Resident to move in. And Steve Aaron remembers it well. He was visiting the property the day Phyllis and her possessions arrived.

Only one problem, there was no one from the then property management company to meet or assist her. So Steve jumped in and helped Phyllis move. Steve also vowed that day that he would fashion a property management company that would treat all Residents as members of the family. That was the inspiration for Rondout Property Management taking over the day-to-day operation of Chambers Court and all our subsequent communities.

Phyllis, a Kingston native, remembers Steve Aaron, from before her first day at Chambers Court. When Steve was a youngster, he used to stop in with his father Marty Aaron at the Furniture Factory where Phyllis worked for many years. And later, Phyllis of-ten saw Steve working at Fowler &Keith, the family’s industrial hardware company.

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Save a Tree; Join Our Green InitiativeOur quarterly newsletters and interim updates are now available by email. You can sign up for the e-version viaFacebook.com/Birchez Associates LLC: click the “Join Our List” button in the right column. Or call toll free at888-980-0090 or email mdonahue@birchez.com.Our commitment to Green Practices is demonstrated in many ways. We have been awarded LEED Platinum, twoLEED Golds, and two NYSERDA Energy $mart Building awards. We use ENERGY SMART appliances and solarpanel arrays since 2009. This newsletter is printed locally on recycled paper using soy ink.

Today, Phyllis is proud to be the grandmother of six and the great grandmother of three. Despite having two of her children living in North Car-olina, she has had recent visits with both. One of her grandsons and his wife both served in Iraq, which could account for some of the red, white and blue décor in Phyllis’ cottage.

A Resident for twelve years, Phyllis remains a vibrant member of the Chambers Court Community. “I can’t say enough about living at Chambers Court. It’s safe, so nice and pretty, so convenient. And for the amount we pay, I am so appreciative!”

P.S. We borrowed Phyllis’ Welcome chair, complete with Fall Flowers, for this issue’s masthead. Phyllis is known for the seasonal decorations of her door and entry area.

With 72 cottages, Chambers Court is in the town of Ulster, adjacent to both Chambers Elementary School and The Birches at Chambers which opened in 2010.

Meet Number 1