Capes Outlines Moosehaven’s Future

Moosehaven Executive Director John Capes

> In his first address to an International Convention audience, Moosehaven Executive Director John Capes described an emerging vision for the campus’s future.

Capes told the Rosen Centre Hotel crowd Monday afternoon that the biggest challenge facing Moosehaven at present is an operating deficit of $1 million per month.

In addition, the number of residents at the City of Contentment has declined from 400 to a current population near 300.

Reversing both trends--creating an operating surplus and increasing the Moosehaven population--will take time and require some innovative thinking.

“Each of these challenges presents us with an opportunity to grow and improve,” Capes said.

Capes outlined a number of steps under consideration to meet those challenges. Among them:

• Pursue the licensing of 72 beds in the skilled nursing facility in order to receive Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement.
  
  
• The current “asset-surrender” admissions model may need restructuring. Capes said incentives need to be provided for prospective residents who seek to preserve assets until entry.
  
  
• New waterfront apartments may highlight an overall redesign of the campus. Larger apartments with better views will be more attractive to pay-as-you-go residents, he said.
  
  
• Residency may be considered for both Moose and non-Moose members. Nonmember prospective residents would be required to purchase a life membership in the Loyal Order of Moose or Women of the Moose.
  
  
• Differing forms of independent living at Moosehaven need to be explored. Capes outlined a vision that would include duplexes and townhomes on the campus that offer garages, a kitchen, laundry and high-speed Internet access.

Capes said continued and increased support from the Moose would enable all these things and more to take place.

“Thank you for your attention and for your continued support of Moosehaven,” Capes said.

The full text of Capes’ speech appears at: www.mooseintl.org/portal/
Convention/2007Orlando/pdf/
2007-MoosehavenReport.pdf.

Celebration Was Planned to End With a Bang--But Not to Begin With One!

Under dark, drizzly skies, buses brought Conventioners north to Moosehaven from Orlando--where it was sunny and hot, so only a few members thought to bring raingear.

> It’s been said that Moose members are adaptable, willing to “go with the flow”--and those qualities certainly came in handy July 1 at Moosehaven! Nearly 3,000 members who’d left Orlando in mostly sunny heat largely weren’t prepared with raingear when they arrived two hours north in a cool drizzle. So, instead of strolling outside in the sunshine, they ventured inside several residences, the Michigan Recreation Building and the New York Exercise Center.

Then, there was the 4:10 p.m. lightning strike to further complicate matters (see facing page)--moving dedication ceremonies from the newly renovated Ohio C-Wing into the Auditorium. But things could have been much worse.

After lightning struck and started a roof fire at the Chancellor Residence in the LifeCare Center complex, residents from that structure were quickly moved into the newly renovated “Ohio C-Wing” that was to have its ceremonial dedication and ribbon-cutting. So the 6 p.m. ceremonies were moved into the campus Auditorium, where Executive Director John Capes thanked the gathered leadership of the Ohio State Moose Association for its $5 million funding of the renovation--and total $10 million commitment including ongoing operational funding.

Lightning Strike Causes $26K Damage--But Could Have Been a Lot Worse

New Moosehaven Executive Director John Capes had to coordinate his staff’s response to the emergency while hosting 3,000 visiting members.

> The huge explosion resonating across Moosehaven’s campus at 4:10 p.m. on July 1 sounded to many of the 3,000 visiting members like an early fireworks blast. It was instead a bolt of lightning that struck the roof of the Chancellor Residence in the LifeCare Center complex. The resulting fire was contained to layers of roofing above ceiling level, but Chancellor’s 43 residents were moved out as a precaution--into the new Ohio C-Wing to be dedicated that day! Latest damage estimates are $26,500, down from an initial $250,000.

Visiting Moose members had a more interesting day than they’d bargained for!

But as darkness descended, at the end of all the day’s frenetic activities--planned and unplanned--it was time to sit back and relax at the spectacular fireworks display, launched from a barge in the middle of the two-mile-wide St. Johns River.