Heritage Resource Group Founder Carl Knepler Speaks on The Meridian at Laguna Hills Welcoming Displaced Residents
Quick Take
- What You’ll Learn: How two local senior living communities executed an overnight emergency evacuation to keep 30 vulnerable seniors safe during an Orange County chemical crisis.
- The Big Shift: Moving from transactional competition to industry-wide stewardship—showing how senior care operators prioritize resident safety and community solidarity over logistics in a crisis.
- Reading Time: ~3 minutes
- Key Takeaway: True crisis response in senior care relies on immediate action and compassionate partnership—ensuring displaced residents never spend a single night without familiar care and support.
Within 24 hours of a Friday night call between two senior living executives, displaced assisted living residents found safety, comfort, and care at The Meridian at Laguna Hills — a testament to the senior housing industry’s commitment to its most vulnerable neighbors.
When a chemical emergency forced tens of thousands of Orange County residents from their homes last week, the stakes were especially high for the area’s most vulnerable population: seniors in assisted living who cannot simply pack a bag and wait out a crisis.
As mandatory evacuation orders expanded across Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, Westminster, and surrounding communities, Leslie Quintanar, Chief Operating Officer of Westminster Terrace Senior Living, faced an urgent need: safely relocate the community’s assisted living residents to somewhere nearby, equipped, and ready to receive them — immediately.
She made a call to Carl Knepler, Founder & Principal of Heritage Resource Group, supporting operations at The Meridian at Laguna Hills.
“His answer was immediate and unconditional,” said Quintanar. “He said yes without hesitation. That kind of response — no committee, no deliberation, just yes — is what our industry is about at its best.”
Within 24 hours of that Friday night call, 30 of Westminster Terrace’s displaced assisted living residents had been safely transferred to The Meridian at Laguna Hills, located well outside the evacuation zone in south Orange County. The Meridian’s team mobilized overnight to prepare accommodations, coordinate care plans, and ensure each incoming resident was received with the attention and dignity they deserved.
The transfer happened in the middle of the night. Staff from both communities showed up at 2 and 3 AM — Westminster Terrace caregivers staying with their residents through the move, ensuring no one woke up in an unfamiliar place without a known face nearby. The Meridian at Laguna Hills’s department heads were at the door when residents arrived. Families reached out through the night, and staff on both teams answered. By morning, 30 residents were settled, fed, and in familiar hands. No one was left to navigate it alone.
“This is what our industry is built on. When a neighboring community needs help, you don’t ask how long or how many — you just say yes. These are seniors who need care. That’s what we’re here for.”
— Carl Knepler, Founder & Principal, Heritage Resource Group
Westminster Terrace staff accompanied their residents to The Meridian at Laguna Hills, maintaining familiar faces and routines, while The Meridian’s team ensured everyone was fed, settled, and cared for. Knepler emphasized that the swift response was not extraordinary — it was expected. “When Leslie called, there was no question. I think any operator in our position would have done the same thing. That’s just how this industry works when it matters most.”
Westminster Terrace simultaneously coordinated transfers of additional residents to its other affiliated properties throughout the region, ensuring all community members were safely placed as the chemical situation in Garden Grove remained unresolved.
The partnership between the two communities reflects a broader ethic within the senior living sector: that operators are stewards not just of their own residents, but of the larger population of older adults they serve. In moments of crisis, that stewardship extends beyond property lines.
About The Meridian at Laguna Hills
The Meridian at Laguna Hills is a premier senior living community in Laguna Hills, California, offering independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. Committed to resident-centered care and community partnership, The Meridian at Laguna Hills provides a warm, safe, and engaging environment for older adults throughout south Orange County.
About Westminster Terrace Senior Living
Westminster Terrace Senior Living is a respected senior living community serving older adults in Westminster and the greater Orange County area. Westminster Terrace is dedicated to the health, safety, and quality of life of its residents. The community upholds a tradition of compassionate, proactive care — including in the most challenging of circumstances.
Individuals in photo (left to right)
- Eric Jensen, Executive Director
- Regina DiBenedetto, Community Relations Director
- Albert Domingo, Food Services Director
- Pablo Padilla, Chef
