Rotary Club of Fair Oaks GUEST SPEAKER: Todd Murch, President & CEO Eskaton - Senior Residences and Services Video Clips take a moment to warm up...be patient after you click CLICK TO PLAY. At the Fair Oaks Community Center in the Fair Oaks Village

Monday April 17th at the Rotary Club of Fair Oaks Sacramento, California District 5180

REPORTER: Wes Lujan     April 17, 2006

ACORN

Our weekly gathering started with the usual socializing with cheese bites and cocktails before geof lambert called the meeting to order promptly at 7:00. geof was where we could find him…at the podium. We pledged (Wes Lujan), we prayed (Howard Papworth), and we sang “America the Beautiful” (Jim Purcell with Ernie) before sitting down for a vegetable salad, pasta, and broccoli with chicken.

We had two visiting Rotarians. One from the Downtown Club, Todd Murch in Healthcare; and one from the Rancho Cordova Club, Jerry Foote.

Our guests included Fred Rowe, guest of Warren, and Joyce Horyza and Jean Sewell guests of Joe Horyza.

During announcements Howard provided the group with a sunshine report on Russ Monroe who is still in the hospital rehabilitating, and Shirley Fields is doing ok. Jim Purcell announced that Dr. Rick Chang is recovering from a hernia surgery. Ralph Carhart announced the GSE Visitors who are attending May 14th through 17th have the appropriate number of hosts. Duane Day announced there is a sign up sheet circulating for volunteers for the Fair Oaks Fiesta on May 6th.

Bill Wagner announced the Speech Contest for Areas Seven and Eight involved 10 plus schools; unfortunately our candidate did not advance to the next step of the contest and that a Rancho Cordovan will advance to the next phase. Ted Darrow announced the Bella Vista High School Moot Court team won the National Contest in Washington, DC. The program was very grateful of our clubs support to help get them there. Other announcements included the District Golf Tournament on May 12th at Sun City and the 5180 Annual Conference on May 19th in Sparks, Nevada. Vice President Roberta Pickett announced there will be a relay for life on May 20th at Bella Vista High School and she is looking for volunteers for one hour shifts.

During the happy fines Joe Horyza announced 53 years of marriage with his wife Joyce, and Jim Purcell also had an anniversary announcement but did not disclose the number of years.

Roberta Pickett introduced the guest speaker of the evening: Todd Murch, President and CEO of Eskaton. Todd discussed many of the programs and projects being undertaken at his 25 sites throughout Northern California. Eskaton is non-profit, community based corporation. Originally, Eskaton was called American River Hospital, and has eventually evolved into a long term care operation.

Todd stressed that the first Baby Boomer just turned 60 (born in 1946), and over the next few years they will be joined by 77 million more individuals. There is no way the system will be able to absorb the demands for serving all of these patients. That is why Eskaton is transitioning to community services (e.g. adult day care services) and programs like their “Senior Connection”. Care centers are typically associated with long term care facilities, the new direction as a result of the Boomers will be to utilize home and community based services. Eskaton is also undertaking collaborative partnerships with companies like Intel (to improve senior technology) and assorted developers (who design and build homes for senior living). In the long term, Eskaton sees a better quality of life though home design which will allow seniors to live in their homes for longer.

We thanked Todd for a thorough and comprehensive presentation and adjourned the meeting at 8:30pm!