Carol Woods is a continuing care retirement community in Chapel Hill that has 342 employees ranging in age from 16 to 70. Of those, 90 employees are 55 or older, with an average tenure of 11 years of service.

“For over 30 years, Carol Woods has demonstrated excellence in the care and support of older adults,” states Pat Sprigg, president and CEO of Carol Woods. “Our deep commitment to advancing best practices in aging services includes not only the programs we have for our residents and our extensive track record of supporting services in the larger community, but it also extends to our staff, over a quarter of whom are 55 and older.”

Carol Woods employs older adults in all aspects of the community including nursing, security, administrative services, grounds, maintenance and dining. In many cases, Carol Woods supports the transition to a different department or to a different work schedule as needs and interests change over time.

“We believe strongly that in order for Carol Woods to be a great place to live, it must be a great place to work,” Sprigg said. “The supportive relationship that we encourage between our residents and our employees paves the way for workers to age gracefully and life lessons abound.”

Marshall is the former director of the Institute on Aging at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who developed an extensive research program on the aging of the labor force and led a research program examining large-scale survey data to investigate the changing retirement transitions and their impact on health.

The award was presented in October at the North Carolina Conference on Aging Reception held in Charlotte, NC.

Carol Woods joins a prestigious group by being one of the safest long-term care facilities in North Carolina and one of only 101 SHARP sites across all industries in the state, according to John Bogner Jr., bureau chief with the NC Department of Labor.

“Your long wait list is an indication that you take good care of people here,” Bogner said in presenting the award. “But, it’s important to take care of the people who take care of the residents. Be thankful that you work at a place that cares about taking care of their employees.”

Carol Woods President and CEO Pat Sprigg commended the staff and the staff safety committee for their dedication to achieving this designation.

“Our motto is that if this is going to be a good place to live then it needs to be a good place to work. We are trying to keep everyone who comes to Carol Woods safe- residents and employees.”

The SHARP Award recognizes companies for a commitment to safety and health of their employees. Companies that qualify for the award show that they have developed and maintained exemplary safety programs for workers. To qualify for the program, injury and illness rates for the company must be below the national average for the industry, and the NC Department of Labor safety and health consultants must complete an assessment of the workplace.

Excitement is building as the time grows closer to breaking ground on a major Campus Enhancement project at Carol Woods.

Residents, Board members, staff and architects are finalizing details for the $14 million project that is designed to enhance the quality of life for residents. Plans are to break ground in the Spring of 2012.

Following Carol Woods’ long-standing tradition of giving, residents have united to raise $1.5 million for the project. Understanding that every dollar raised is a dollar that doesn’t have to be borrowed, the goal of the fund-raising campaign is to help keep future fees low to enable Carol Woods to be affordable to as many people as possible.

“Our goal is to support the Campus Enhancement project as well as to come together to build community,” said Dottie Heninger, chair of the Resident Campus Enhancement Campaign Committee. “The heart of this campaign is the residents’ vision for this community.”

A festive kick-off celebration was recently held to mark the official beginning of the capital campaign. Residents are planning a silent auction, an arts & crafts sale, and giving levels that allow for honoring individuals. Various on-campus committees, such as the Fitness Committee and Craft Shop Committee, are planning open house events to spread the enthusiasm and information regarding the different aspects of the project.

“Carol Woods is unique and this campaign is unique,” Dottie said.

Although there is a $1.5 million fund-raising goal, these campus enhancements will be made regardless of the amount the fund-raising campaign brings in, states Ken Reeb Jr., vice president of Finance and planning at Carol Woods.

“One of the biggest intents of this campaign is to have fun,” Ken said. “There is not pressure. We are all family here. Whatever we raise is a success.”

The Campus Enhancement plan includes:

State-of-the-Art Fitness Center

The new 6,500-square-foot Fitness Center will be an expansion of our Aquatic Center and will include an exercise area, group exercise classrooms and enlarged shower/locker areas. The exercise space will be furnished with aging-friendly fitness equipment.

Expanded McClamroch Library

A 937-square-foot expansion to our beautiful McClamroch Library is planned – adding gracious reading areas with more natural light. New technology will usher us into the cyber age.

Expanded Craft Shop

Another 878 square feet will be added to the Craft Shop, providing more room for jewelry making, metal working, pottery and glass fusing in addition to the current woodworking space.

New Art Studio

A new, more spacious Art Studio will be located on the ground floor of the new wing of Apartment Building 1. It will provide space for individual painters, as well as other art projects, and will be adaptable for group instruction.

Enhanced Main Entrance

A new structural design will create a more visible and welcoming front entrance. A high, covered overhang will offer vehicle passengers protection from the weather. New landscaping, sidewalks, fencing and lighting will further highlight Carol Woods’ front door for residents, guests and visitors.

New Apartments

Eighteen new independent-living apartments will be located in a three-story wing that will be added to Apartment Building 1. The 35,000-square-foot addition will add another elevator and better access to the parking lot. Special attention will be given to preserve the wooded character and tree-top views in the area.

Expansion of Central Assisted Living, Building 5

Six, one-bedroom apartments will be added to Central Assisted Living in Building 5. Additional plans for this building include expanding the current dining area, kitchen and conference room.

Physical Therapy Expansion

The existing Physical Therapy room is located on the first floor of the Health Center.  Plans are to enclose the adjacent exterior covered patio to allow for more physical therapy space.

Health Center’s Resident Activity Room

The Resident Activity Room on the second floor of the Health Center will be expanded. Plans are to create a calm space filled with daylight and offering views. This space can be used for various activities such as gardening.

Employee Café

The existing café, located on the bottom floor of the Health Center, will be expanded and additional seating and cafeteria equipment will be added.

The tradition of giving takes many forms at Carol Woods. One of the most advantageous ways to give can be found in the basement – at the Cash & Carry.

It all starts with residents donating their unwanted household items, jewelry and furniture to the Cash & Carry, Carol Woods’ on-site thrift store. Donors benefit from having an easy way to dispose of unwanted items, in addition to being able to use the donation as a tax deduction.

From there, a crew of Cash & Carry volunteers set about researching and pricing the donated items. Some items are set aside for the Carol Woods Decorating Committee to use in decorating common areas on campus. Everything else is set out for Cash & Carry shoppers, who scoop up bargains two days a week.

Employees make up the majority of the customers. Residents also shop and sometimes bring their family members, such as a grandchild looking to furnish a college apartment. Costume jewelry, wine goblets, CDs, jigsaw puzzles, file cabinets, desk chairs, pictures, frames and linens are popular items for shoppers. Furniture also is in demand. And there is always a lot of kitchenware for sale. The larger and more expensive items are offered through a sealed bid sale.

Shoppers leave happy, either from purchasing an item at a bargain price or just from the thrill of browsing, says Dalys Vogel, committee co-chair of the Cash & Carry.

“Our customers tell us this is the best entertainment on campus,” says Dalys. “We get a lot of smiles and a lot of ‘thank yous’. That’s our reward.”

Unsold items still have a chance of finding a new home when they are donated to area thrift shops.

Although many items sell for just a quarter, the money adds up. Last year, Cash & Carry raised $22,000 for the Carol Woods Resident Life Fund. It’s a circle of giving that brings a sense accomplishment to the Cash & Carry volunteers as well as to those donating the items and those buying the items.

This circle of giving can be seen in other areas of campus as well. Members of the Maintenance Volunteer Program, the Sewing Group and the Volunteer Woodworkers offer their services to residents who need help with tasks such as fixing an appliance, hemming trousers or repairing furniture. Thankful for the work, many residents make a donation to the Carol Woods Charitable Fund, which support various aspects of life at Carol Woods. Donations to the Fund also come from the proceeds of the resident-run Gift Shop.

This spirit of volunteering and giving back creates a true sense of community for all who live at Carol Woods.

“What’s Up, Carol Woods?” was sponsored by the Carol Woods Community Relations Committee, chaired by Nancy Gustaveson. The event was designed to help residents become more familiar with the multitude of activities available for them. Each group extolled, explained and gave out information about their committee or group in an effort to stimulate interest and garner new members.

Residents were able to visit the various booths and learn more about which activities they might enjoy…everything from bocce ball and croquet, to serving on the decorating or fitness committees.

Forty pre-schoolers from our on-site Children’s Center joined residents for part of the day, and were delighted by the juggling skills of UNC physics professor Duane Deardorff. Professor Deardorff also demonstrated the art of walking on stilts! Other entertainment included performances by the Carol Woods Taptations and English Country Dancers.

“What’s Up, Carol Woods?” According to those who attended the event, just about anything and everything you can imagine to stay active, healthy and engaged in life can be found right here on the Carol Woods campus!

October 10, 2010. “I have a mission,” Margaret Heyboer said in response to music therapist Laura Delay’s “What’s on your minds?” at the beginning of her handbell class held in Carol Woods’ Health Center. Margaret continued, “I want to get people to plant nut trees.” Her inspiration came from Wangari Maathai, 2004 recipient of the Nobel Peach Prize for her efforts to organize women to plant trees in Kenya, which led to her founding the Green Belt Movement. Additionally, Margaret knew nuts to be a wonderful source of protein. For her, it was not enough to just plant trees; they should be trees that could improve nutrition for people with precarious food supplies.

After class Laura spoke to Robin Holmes, Carol Woods’ private duty gardener. Robin met with Margaret and, with the help of the Internet, learned that the Green Belt Movement was asking people the world over to plant trees on 10/10/10. Why not join in the movement with nut trees?

Robin found that in our warm climate no local nurseries could provide nut trees for planting in October because they had not yet lost their leaves. After much searching, however, she received word from a Minnesota nursery that it could supply bare root black walnut trees.

Carol Woods bought the trees, soil and containers for our own 10/10/10 planting event. Laura, Robin and volunteers from the community (including three children) joined residents from the health center and independent living for a beautiful, warm, sunny afternoon of potting trees, conversation and singing. The end result? One hundred saplings to be nurtured until November 2011 (11/11/11?) when three will be planted on our campus and the rest donated to the Durham City Forester who enthusiastically endorsed the project.

Mission accomplished? Not really. It is a beginning. More nut trees are probably in our future!

During September, the committee distributed the official list of personal care needs and set up a colorful display with their giant red bin, “Big Red”, as a receptacle for the abundance of donations they knew to expect from fellow residents. By the end of the week, “Big Red” was brimming, so space was added. Shampoo, razors, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, lotions, deodorants and other items were over the top. They were screaming to be packaged in kits and delivered to the headquarters.

In its fourth year, the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership has sponsored Project Homeless Connect as a one-day, one-stop event to provide a broad range of services to people experiencing, or who are at risk of experiencing homelessness. The Thursday, November 4th, 9:00am-3:30pm event will be held at the Hargraves Community Center in Chapel Hill. The list of providers is extensive!

Carol Woods residents have volunteered in the past as intake workers. They also escort guests as they move from registration through the maze of resources offered at the day-long event. Assistance with housing, employment, mental health, dental care, veterans’ benefits, and legal services are among the free resources. Foot care, reading glasses, haircuts, showers, lunch, and warm coats are among the abundant offerings. These all serve to nurture many a body and soul needing a little something extra.

- Residents Nancy Gustaveson and Anne Wright contributed to this story

The combo started as a duo, featuring Howard Smither on trumpet and Ray Mack on drums that got started in mid-2004. The duo became a trio when an accordion was added, and immediately expanded to a quartet form when a bassist joined the band.

The residents who started this group are passionate about their music, and it certainly shows in their heartfelt performing.

Smither and Mack are jazz enthusiasts who paved the way for this talented group of musicians to perform both locally and regionally.

The combo began its 5th year hosting Carol Woods Jam Sessions in September 2010, and plays three concerts per year in the Assembly Hall, and has performed at retirement and adult day-care centers in the area.
Their musical repertoire ranges from 1920s swing to the standards of Gershwin and Cole Porter.

The lineup includes, in various combinations, Smither, playing the cornet, flugelhorn and valve trombone; Mack on drums; Sandy Woodward, flute; Ann Woodward, bass and vocals; Glenn Snyder, piano; and Foster Owen, banjo and vocals. Donna Mayo, a Carol Woods triage nurse and vocalist, often joins them in concert.

The jam sessions frequently include one or two guests and their talents, as well as the players from the combo. Among regular participants are Gordon DeFriese on clarinet and saxophone, Allen Parrent on tenor vocals and Barbara Clyde on piano. The group hopes to add others as other musicians join the Carol Woods community.

The children wore caps and gowns and marched to the stage to receive graduation certificates. Three of the graduates were children of Carol Woods’ staff and they, along with everyone in attendance, were treated to a slideshow of photos depicting their time at the Center. Each class also performed for the audience, with singing, dancing and lots of laughter!

Carol Woods’ residents are fortunate to have the chance to hear giggles and receive hugs as often as they want with the convenience of an on-site, five-star Children’s Center right in their backyard. Adjacent to our two Garden Assisted Living homes, the Center serves as a preschool for children age two-and-a-half to five, and is the perfect opportunity for intergenerational interactions.

It is certainly a give-and-take relationship– the children benefit from having “grandma and grandpa”-type role models spending quality time with them. And residents get to enjoy the energy and inquisitiveness of the little ones.

Some of the children make the short trek to visit with residents living in our Health Center twice a week. They cook together and share various craft activities. Many residents frequently visit the Center to read stories, share hobbies, or even put on dog shows for the children.

The children can be seen taking group walks around Harkness Circle with their teachers, providing the perfect opportunity for any resident who is out and about to see the children and say “hi!”

The Center, which is run by the local YMCA, is a great benefit to our staff, providing on-site day care for employee’s children or grandchildren at a subsidized rate. With space for 64 children, it also provides quality day care for the larger community.

The Children’s Center, which was built solely through the efforts of residents who raised the funds for the building, has been in operation since 2003 and has proven to be a magical experience for both Carol Woods’ residents and the children.