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Highlighting: Alice Barber, Congregational Homes of Melrose |
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Congregational Retirement Homes in Melrose consists of three buildings: The Levi
Alice Barber has been with Congregational Retirement Homes since January, 2006. Alice was a Physical Education major in college, but then along came Proposition 2 ˝, and jobs were scarce. Alice began working at Schrafft Candy Company, and got a taste of the business world, and loved it! She got her Master’s Degree in Accounting and worked at Wang, then became a CPA.
Alice’s background had been in high tech, and she was a Vice President of Finance and Administration. Shortly after September 11th, Alice decided she wanted to do something more meaningful. She resigned her position in April 2002, doing volunteer work for a period of time. She also got certified in gerontology at UMass, and began working for “HOME”, which is Home Owner Options for Massachusetts Elders. Alice was on the Board of Directors for Congregational Retirement Homes for ten years. Alice always enjoyed working with elders, and valued her relationships with older relatives, which she feels has helped her form positive relationships with her residents.
Alice says after being in her position now for 16 months, she is always learning something new. Just two weeks into her new position in 2006, on the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, one of the buildings lost its heat and had to be evacuated. One of the residents, who had been across the street at the Senior Center, had contacted her daughter to come and get her, but while waiting for her daughter, suffered a heart attack and died. The family said the tragedy had nothing to do with the evacuation, but the negative press was certainly a challenge for Alice and her staff. In the end, Alice says the tenants were wonderful and supportive, and thanked her for taking such good care of them.
Alice feels it is very important to listen to the residents, and that they feel comfortable talking to her. She is on-site often, walking around the three buildings with her Shih Tzu, Hartley. Hartley is on-site most days as well, and has become a part of the family. There is a full-time Resident Service Coordinator that handles tenant issues and concerns. The RSC plays a huge role in the Aging in Place philosophy at Congregational Retirement Homes. The RSC works closely with Mystic Valley Elder Services to ensure the appropriate services are available to the tenants. Often times, annual apartment inspections and/or maintenance staff reveal issues, at which time the RSC becomes involved. Fortunately, the Melrose Senior Center is housed directly across the street from The Levi Gould House, which is convenient for the tenants. The Melrose Housing Authority van offers transportation to residents having that need, and the local Johnny’s Foodmaster provides a school bus for the tenants wishing to do their grocery shopping with them weekly! The bus and train stops are nearby as well. Parking is at a premium at all three buildings, and there is a parking spot waiting list for new tenants. The “200 Club”, an outreach club to the community, is open to any Melrose resident over age 62. They are active volunteers at Melrose Congregational Homes.
Alice has begun another new challenge as Executive Director that she is very excited about. Congregational Retirement Homes has begun the process of refinancing their Fuller House property. This will enable them to recap some funding to make needed property improvements and enhance the quality of living for their residents.
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