President’s Thanksgiving Message

Happy Thanksgiving to All Our Members,

The Mid-Atlantic Chapter Committee held its annual board meeting on September 28th at the Baltimore Hunt Valley Inn—conveniently located for all board members. The one-day meeting was a productive one.  We remembered Buckley Fricker and her husband Scott who were tragically killed in their home almost one year ago.  A memorial walk was held November 3rd in Reston, Virginia.

A major accomplishment for 2018 was refreshing and updating our website under the guidance of Illuminage, our host, and a committed website committee headed by Kathleen Allen. Our new address is www.midatlanticalca.com. Check it out—there is a New Member Only Site and a Blog section with recent articles by our members.

How to increase member participation in each of the 5 units (includes our Virtual Unit) was a source of much discussion.  The consensus—offer CEUs and they will come!  Of course, the challenge is finding the time to arrange for the CEUs and money for a speaker.  Each of our units (excluding the Virtual Unit) has available $200 annually for whatever they determine will benefit their members.

Other noteworthy actions for 2019 include the decision to publish a new edition of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter Guide in conjunction with Steve Gurney and the Guide to Retirement Living.  The new edition will be ready by mid- February of 2019 and will include, for the first time, a section dedicated to elder law attorneys in the Mid-Atlantic region. It will be published just prior to two major ELA annual conferences and in advance of our bi-annual chapter conference, which is slated for the Fall of 2019. The next conference will be held in the DC/Metro area.  A conference planning committee has been established and met for the first time November 2nd.

The Board voted on a budget for 2019 which will include money for a one-year radio spot on the weekly program “Aging Matters,” a local radio show that is streamed live. This will be an opportunity for aging life care managers to get their message out before and after each program which airs twice weekly.

The Mid-Atlantic Chapter is looking forward to a busy 2019, and with participation from both seasoned care managers and newly active care managers, we will accomplish our goals.

As care managers, we give to others every day, in every way.  So, during the upcoming holidays, take time for yourself and enjoy time with family and friends.

Judy Grumbly

President, MAC-ALCA