As Irene approached, Medford Leas got out its well-used disaster plans and went to work. Planning began at senior levels on Thursday, August 25. CEO Jeremy Vickers, returning from vacation in Delaware, held a strategy session with senior management – Jane Wes-ton, Marketing; Bill Murphy, Operations; Jen-nifer Zdunczyk, Dining Services; Beverly Kannengieszer, Active Living; Marie Cox, Human Resources; and from medical, Lisa Heinkel, Health Services; Julie Smith, Nurs-ing; and Dr. Jennifer Khelil, medical director. Most would remain during the weekend.

The first communication went out to residents about how to prepare. Thirty-one beds were made available for additional staff who would spend the weekend responding to needs. For the first time, the Theater was set up as a shel-ter for anyone living in the residential neigh-borhoods who would feel more comfortable being in the Community Building during the storm.

Friday, August 26, came bright and sunny. Ten residents in the Courts who might need special assistance were moved to Woolman, the skilled nursing facility. The Reception Desk was estab-lished as “command central”; receptionists gave virtuoso performances throughout preparations. Security took over for the receptionists in the evening and through the night.

There was staff commitment in every area to be available through the weekend. In medical, Cathy Oechsle, RN, and Ann Middaugh, RN, the resident care managers for Assisted Living and Estaugh, respectively, were joined by 25 RNs, LPNs and aides. As usual, at least one medical practitioner remained on call. Six em-ployees from Operations and 25 from Dining Ser-vices also reported for weekend duty.

Landscaping moved all outside furniture and equipment to secure places on both the Lumber-ton and Medford campuses. Generators were tested and filled with gas. Medical supplies were checked, as were emergency food supplies re-quired by the state. Jennifer Zdunczyk pointed out, “We have to have food on hand for one week, such as water and canned goods…. This is separate from the regular food supply and is rotated regularly.”

A second more detailed communication went to all residents. On the Lumberton campus, Mort Yeomans, former Lumberton Council President, used the existing phone tree to reach residents.

Lumberton Council President Linda Gorwood urged residents to secure their homes.

The tempo of preparations picked up on Saturday as weather began to worsen. Dining Services had never before shut down meal service for resi-dents for a whole day. But to prevent residents from having to come to the Community Building in the wind and rain, and to concentrate on serving the medical areas, boxed dinners and individual nonperishables were made available at lunchtime in the Coffee Shop. Dining employees, in assembly line fashion, packed scores of dinners. Later, meals were sent to the licensed care areas of Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing.

Operations made contact with township, county and state authorities. In the township, Medford Leas participates in a disaster planning group of 15 facilities, including hospitals and schools. If the storm or power outages were to last as long as a week, Chairville School was designated a safe shelter.

As the storm intensified Saturday evening, Nursing found a quiet settling over their floors. TVs were turned off and the height of the storm arrived after patients had fallen asleep. Nursing stations had battery-powered radios and wireless internet service. Some nurses used walkie-talkies.

When morning came, Medford Leas found itself fortunate. No flooding of buildings, no emergencies, no large trees down except on the woodland trails. Expected outages were nonexistent in Bridlington and on the Lumberton campus, while ranging from a few hours in Rushmore to 15 hours in the Medical Building, where the generators had taken over. Unfortunately, electricity for coffeemakers was not supplied by the generators! A stove that was connected to the generators was soon found and morning crankiness was assuaged.