HISTORY OF VACCRA
VaCCRA (Virginia Continuing Care Residents Association) was first envisioned by Claude Hale, President of the Westminster at Lake Ridge Resident Association, after he was invited by Executive Director Glenn West to attend a meeting of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) in Miami, Florida in the Fall of 2000. AAHSA (whose name was changed to LeadingAge in 2011) is the trade organization for the management of retirement communities and vendors serving seniors. At that meeting, Claude Hale met residents of retirement communities from Florida, North Carolina, and Massachusetts who were active in their state residents’ associations. He became convinced a state association would benefit Virginia’s CCRCs. Claude’s primary goals were to improve communication and establish mutually beneficial goals between residents and management.
About a year later (2001) at a meeting of the National Continuing Care Residents Association (NaCCRA), Richard Graham (Chair of the Resident Council at Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads) met Claude and agreed to work with him to form a state-wide resident organization in Virginia. Working with Frank Merkel of Greenspring, they reviewed the state’s regulations concerning CCRCs and the by-laws of the existing associations, discussed alternative structures with locally interested residents, and finally drafted proposed by-laws for VaCCRA.
In addition, they reached out to resident leaders of 30 active, well-established communities by mail and telephone, described the purposes and benefits of forming a statewide residents’ organization and invited them to attend a planning meeting at Westminster at Lake Ridge in July 2002. Participating in this meeting were twenty-seven delegates representing nine CCRCs.
In the proposed by-laws, the stated purpose of VaCCRA was as follows.
To be educational and civic and to promote the interests of the residents of continuing care retirement communities in Virginia by:
- Collaborating with organizations, both private and governmental, engaged in the provision, regulation, or governance of CCRCs;
- Disseminating information of general interest to residents and their associations, especially those issues affecting their financial security and quality of life;
- Fostering an understanding of the CCRC concept as beneficial and socially desirable;
- Becoming an active member of NaCCRA (National Continuing Care Residents Association).
The Bylaws were ratified at the first Annual Meeting on November 9, 2002. Unfortunately, Claude had become ill and was no longer able to participate, except in an advisory capacity. Dick Graham took over and at that meeting was elected VaCCRA President.
One of the major goals in the formation of VaCCRA was to establish a positive relationship with Virginia Association of Non-profit Homes for the Aging (later LeadingAgeVirginia), because in the state organization of administrators and executives a number of them did not approve of the formation of VaCCRA and perceived it a threat to their management. In February 2003, a real break-through was made when the Board of Directors of VANHA, under new leadership, approved the following statement:
VANHA acknowledges the value of its membership of working cooperatively and collaboratively with the residents of its member organizations.
Moreover, VANHA is available to assist the residents in their educational pursuits and legislative efforts related to senior services.
VANHA recognizes CCRC residents as stakeholders within their communities and will assist with educational and, when appropriate, legislative endeavors.
In the 2002 VaCCRA organizational meeting, dues were set at $250 per year for a Community Membership and $15 for an Associate (Individual) Member. In 2003, a new category of $25 for a couple was added. Membership assures regular copies of VaCCRA News and other publications as well as invitations to the Spring and Annual (Fall) Members Meetings. All interested parties were welcome to become Associate Members of VaCCRA.
At the Spring 2004 meeting at the Hermitage at Cedarfield, the formation of chapters of at least 50 members in a community was approved and at a subsequent meeting in November, a rebate to each chapter of $2 per associate membership was approved to provide Chapters with some working capital.
Since the term of office for the original officers was to expire in the fall of 2004, the president appointed a nominating committee at the Spring Meeting. President Dick Graham underwent emergency open-heart surgery in July 2004 and was not able to be a candidate for another term. By the Annual Meeting in the fall of 2004, there were no candidates for office. After a discussion of how to proceed, a consortium of three members was appointed to guide VaCCRA during the coming year including a process to “reassess, reinvent, and reorganize VaCCRA” to better serve its members.
Bishop Kern Eustler of Covenant Woods led the consortium briefly but withdrew due to illness. For similar reasons, William (Bill) Armstrong of Westminster at Lake Ridge resigned without serving, leaving Dr. Ronald Levin of Greenspring to finish the year. As editor, Barbara Trezona initiated the publication of VaCCRA News, as a tool for reaching a widespread constituency and membership growth. Dr. Levin completed two two-year terms during which it was realized that further growth was thwarted by long distances between member communities. His attempts to organize on a regional basis met with little success and membership dropped to six community members.
At the Annual Meeting in 2008, Mrs. Barbara Trezona was elected President. During her term, VaCCRA Bylaws were revised, Policies and Procedures were established, and Job Descriptions were written. A website was created and new tri-fold brochures printed. Chapters were formed at Westminster at Lake Ridge and Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads. The possibility of regional organization was reintroduced but abandoned in favor of centralization, because suitable meeting places in the Richmond area were unavailable.
Lucian Evans of Westminster Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay (WCCB), who was elected President in 2010, similarly attempted centralization, but left office mid-year due to illness. Vice President George High of Westminster at Lake Ridge ably led VaCCRA until the 2011 Annual Meeting when Jean Hurley, also from WCCB, was elected VaCCRA’s fifth president.
In 2004, a non-member was engaged to maintain membership records in an effort to free the Membership Chairperson to focus on recruitment. In 2011, this position was elevated to a paid Administrative Assistant to the President and other officers. A new, more sophisticated brochure was produced and VaCCRA News expanded. According to a plan of her devising, Mrs. Hurley succeeded in centralizing meetings but facing the problem of adequate spaces, found it necessary to treat all meetings as though they were open meetings of the Board of Directors. The Spring Members meeting was bypassed because suitable, affordable accommodations were lacking.
For a number of reasons, interest in VaCCRA has waned; both Associate and Community members have been lost. During this six-year time frame, leadership changed frequently due to illnesses and deaths, and there were no compelling legislative or management issues to engage members in more active participation. During 2010, however, residents of Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay brought concerns for resident representation on community boards of directors to VCCRA’s attention.
Likewise, in 2012, the bankruptcy of The Glebe attracted VaCCRA’s attention. Glebe residents sought help in resolving their situation and seeing legislation passed to protect residents of CCRCs from financial loss. Previously, in 2011 a joint bill was introduced in the Commonwealth Legislature to require at least one resident with vote be seated on a Community’s Board of Directors; this bill died in committee. Following this defeat, state Senator George Barker created a CCRC work group under the auspices of the Virginia Housing Commission, which held hearings about the management of CCRCs.
Then in 2012, Senator Barker and Delegate Vivian Watts introduced a joint resolution to enable The Commonwealth of Virginia Insurance Commission, which regulates CCRCs, to hold a series of hearings about giving CCRC residents fair representation on Corporate Boards of Directors with the goal of residents having knowledge of and input regarding fiscal issues in an effort to avoid bankruptcies and to safeguard refundable entry fees. As a result of VaCCRA’s participation in these hearings and because of Mrs. Hurley’s open meeting policy, renewed interest in VaCCRA began. Although one Community was lost in 2011, another joined in 2012 keeping Community membership at a six.
At the 2012 Annual Members Meeting, VaCCRA members elected Peter Straub of Greenspring as President for the next two years, continued the position of Administrative Assistant, and asked the VaCCRA Board of Directors to evaluate the format and distribution of VaCCRA News. For the first time, a comprehensive report of the NaCCRA (National Continuing Care Residents Association) meeting was heard. As a result, more members have shown a desire to keep abreast of nationwide CCRC concerns by means of NaCCRA LifeLine newsletter, and to strengthen ties with VaCCRA’s parent organization.
Twice during VaCCRA’s history one of the most serious threats has been the so-called “bed tax.” Officially a provider tax, this is a daily tax on nursing beds that was sponsored by commercial nursing homes and approved by the Federal Government stating that at their discretion states could impose a tax intended to raise funds for additional Medicaid coverage. Fortunately, due to influence from LeadingAgeVirginia and VaCCRA, this tax was not approved by the Virginia Legislature. The “ Bed Tax” was, however, imposed by more than 20 states, including Maryland and the District of Columbia. Such a tax would have been a burden to Virginia CCRC residents because the additional cost to CCRCs would have resulted in a steep rise in resident monthly fees. As a result of this and other issues, VaCCRA members are pledged to remain on alert and maintain an organization that can step in and fight any threat to CCRC residents’ welfare.
In 2016, Joan Lewis of Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads stepped as President after Peter Straub became too ill to continue in his role. That same year, Susan Hinderleider of Windsor Meade in Williamsburg was elected President and served two successive terms-2016-2018 and 2018-2020. During her second term, Covenant Woods of Mechanicsville renewed its membership in VaCCRA as a community and Covenant Woods resident Evelyn “Penny” Jez became Sr. Vice-President. VaCCRA joined the rest of the nation in lockdown throughout all of 2020 and did not meet in closed settings.
In 2020, under the leadership of President Susan Hinderleider of Windsor Meade and Sr, Vice President Evelyn “ Penny” Jez , VaCCRA and NaCCRA engaged in a more formal partnership. In doing so, VaCCRA improved its communication with members by using NaCCRA’s association software management system (Club Express), updated the VaCCRA website, and enhanced VaCCRA’s quarterly newsletter to include content highlighting federal, state and local issues that most affect CCRCs. This partnership represents a much-needed retooling of VaCCRA’s organizational model. The reorganization was further strengthened in December 2020 with the election of Evelyn “Penny” Jez, PhD. as President, taking office in January 2021. In March 2021, Jez was elected to NaCCRA’s Board of Directors for a three-year term.
During 2021, VaCCRA remains committed to maintaining a collaborative, supportive relationship with LeadingAge National and LeadingAge Virginia on issues of mutual concern. During this transition year, VaCCRA has resumed issuing a quarterly newsletter, established a routine meeting schedule and administrative calendar with set dates for Board of Directors meetings, spring and fall membership meetings and Executive and Legislative Committee meetings. With its operations stabilized and strengthened, VaCCRA set out to advance its advocacy work with two major initiatives: greater regulation of non-profit retirement communities (ILCCRCs) with the addition of a Complaint Line and establishment of an Independent living Ombudsman in the state and advocating for increased resident representation on CCRC corporate boards of directors.
These 2021-2022 goals are embraced by the membership and are being pursued diligently by the VaCCRA leadership.
Written April 2008 by Henrietta Hibbs
Updated May and November 2012 by
Henrietta Hibbs and Barbara Trezona
Updated April 2021 by
Dick Graham and Joan Lewis
Updated July 2021 by
Sara Coleman and Barbara Trezona
Updated October 2021 by
Susan Hinderleider and Penny Jez