What is your vision for Kendal in 2050?

In this blog post, I’m inviting you to dream with me about what Kendal (and KCC) might be able to become by 2050. I’ll pose a series of questions, and I invite you to think about how each of them might be answered. Please post AT LEAST ONE of your answers in the Comments box at the end of this post (and don’t forget to press the “Comment” button when you’re done, or your comment will be lost).

As most readers know, Kendal-Crosslands (KCC) is embarked on the project of developing a Strategic Plan covering at least the next 5 years. Work groups are being established to create some parts of the plan, and these groups include residents. (I’m a member of one of the groups—the one charged with developing the “infrastructure” part of the plan.)

It will be hard for these groups to do their work without a good sense of where KCC is headed, and that sense of direction needs to come from residents at least as much as (or maybe even more than) it comes from the administration.

But where should KCC be headed?

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I imagine each of us has ideas about how KCC should evolve—what things should be changed, what new challenges should be taken on, and which aspects need to stay exactly as they are.

Some things can be planned for the next few years, but others require a much longer time span. Things that aren’t going to be achieved for another 20 years need to be part of the Strategic Plan starting now if they are ever to be achieved at all.

In thinking about these questions, I encourage you to think about an ideal situation in 2050 (not the situation you think is most likely). Some questions are specific to Kendal, but readers from our other three campuses should consider the comparable situations there.

Resident population

  • Ideally, what size will Kendal’s population of residents be (It’s around 420 right now)?
  • Will the independent-living (IL) residents stay longer in their cottages/apartments than they do now? If so, how will that be achieved?
  • Will our waiting list still be as long as it is now? If not, what will change?
  • Will residents have a closer relationship with those on the waiting/ready list? If so, what will change?
  • Will we still have the same four campuses (Kendal, Crosslands, Cartmel, Coniston)? Will KCC expand to serve retirees who are not residents on any of our four campuses? How will that work?
  • Will our resident population still be the same mix of primarily upper-middle-class, well-educated people? If not, what will change?

Housing and other buildings

  • Will we still have the same mix of housing as we have now? If not, what will change?
  • Will we be replacing some of our oldest housing by 2050? If so, what will the replacement housing be like (size, efficiency, natural light….)?
  • Will our Centers, our guest housing, and our other buildings need to change? If so, how?
  • Will we have more covered walkways than now? Fewer? Where? Will anything about the walkways change?

Technology

  • Assuming we’re still using phones, will we still have the option of landlines? Will we still depend on cell service from the local carriers? Will we each have our own WiFi routers, with the local cable company providing service?
  • Will we still have a resident-run website and an administration website? If not, what will change? What kinds of tech support will residents receive from KCC? Will we still have a closed-circuit TV channel for each campus?
  • Will most resident vehicles and the KCC fleet be electric? Will most lawnmowers, trimmers, blowers, etc. be electric?
  • Will there be autonomous (driverless) vehicles in the fleet? If so, what will they be used for?
  • Will we have a lot of robots? If so, what will they be doing (for residents, for healthcare, for dining, for our grounds….)?
  • Will technology be used to help residents with disabilities/limitations? In what ways?

Utilities and fuels

  • Will we still be using any fossil fuels (natural gas, gasoline, propane)? If so, how will they be used?
  • Will there be changes in our water supply and how we use water? If so, what will change?
  • Will there be changes in our waste-water treatment? If so, what will change?
  • Will we still get most of our electricity from the grid? If not, what will change?

Environment

  • Will our natural environment (woods, watersheds, trails, meadows, etc.) change? If so, how?
  • Will our landscaped environment (mowed areas, flower beds, planted trees, etc.) change? If so how?
  • Will there be changes to our gardens (both vegetable and decorative)? If so, what will change?

Food

  • Will our food offerings and our dining venues change? If so, what will change?
  • Will the balance between meals eaten at home and meals eaten in the Center change? If so, what will change?
  • Will the Cumberland (personal care) dining room continue to be almost exclusively for Cumberland residents, while the main dining room and café mainly serve IL residents? If not, what will change?

Medical care

  • Will our current medical arrangements (separate staff for IL Resident Care, Personal Care, and Nursing; visiting MDs and specialists) continue? If not, what will change?
  • What technology changes will affect the way our medical staff deal with residents (including IL, Personal Care, and Nursing)?
  • How will residents’ own role in managing their health care change?

Resident community, communication and decision-making

  • Is the current level of “community feeling” among residents of Kendal satisfactory? If not, what will change? What about our relationship with Crosslands, Coniston, and Cartmel?
  • Are the current channels of communication among residents, as well as between residents, staff, administration, and the KCC board sufficient? If not, what will change?
  • Is the current role of residents, including the resident association, in decision-making for Kendal and for KCC adequate? If not, what will change? 
  • Will the division of responsibility between what residents do and what staffers do change? If so, what will change?

Fee structure

  • Will we still offer only a “Type A” (monthly fee doesn’t change as you move to higher levels of care) contract? If not, what other contracts will be offered?
  • Will we still stick to a “monthly fee covers everything” philosophy? If not, what “optional” services with additional fees might there be?

Our neighbors

  • Is Kendal’s relationship with local residents in our vicinity adequate? If not, what will change?
  • Is Kendal’s involvement in the local governments of Kennett Township and of Kennett Borough satisfactory? If not, what will change?
  • Is Kendal’s involvement with local institutions (Longwood Gardens, Kennett Area Community Service, La Casa Hispana, programs for kids, the library, the schools, etc.) adequate? If not, what will change?