Mature Arkansas

Mature Arkansas MARCH 1, 2012

SPECIAL HOUSING

e d i t i on

You Have Housing Options Page 3-12

Mortgage ALSO in Reverse Is an Option this issue Page 8

Helping You Decide: Move or Stay?

Page 10 MATURE ARKANSAS

Modify Your Home page 11 MARCH 1, 2012

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S PECIAL HO U S I NG e d it ion

Housing: You Have Options Home, Sweet Home

By Anne Howard Wasson

T

he word “home” brings so many images and feelings—comfort, safety, family, independence, a comfy chair by the window, a favorite cat. But when the home you’ve lived in and loved for years no longer meets your needs, it’s time to find a home that does.

Arkansas has a wide range of options to the traditional single-family home. A big part of planning your retirement is understanding all your housing options, both current ones and future needs. Even if you are not planning on moving, at least be familiar with possible options. Housing decisions are often forced upon you suddenly when your health changes or a spouse dies and you need housing where you can get more care.

According to a recent AARP housing survey, 83% of retirees “want to stay in their own homes for the rest of their lives so they can continue living independently in a familiar environment.” About 80% of people over age 50 own their own home and most of these homes are over 20 years old. As homes age, along with their residents, they may be harder to maintain. Your perfect home at age 55 may become unlivable at age 75 because of the stairs or a huge yard.

Gladys James, 73, moved into Parkview Towers 11 years ago, after her 99-year-old mother had a good experience there. A high-rise, senior retirement community in east Little Rock, Parkview Towers is a nonprofit operated by the Arkansas Retired Teachers Housing, Inc. James likes it because of the low rent and “maintenance is wonderful.” “I’m no longer young and can’t take care of a yard anymore,” she says. “I feel safe and secure here. No one can get in unless they live here.”

James says she also enjoys the monthly potlucks, birthday parties and the volunteer opportunities.

Staying in your own home after retirement is called “aging in place.”

There are many advantages to this approach, even if you have to do some remodeling to make your living space better suited to your needs.

For example, retrofitting a den on the ground level and hooking in a wheelchair-accessible bathroom might be an option for a two-story house with all the bedrooms upstairs.

If you are helping a loved one make a change in housing, always try to include them in as much of the evaluation and choosing process as possible. By letting them have input and make decisions, it preserves their dignity, self-esteem and enhances their eventual satisfaction with the move.

COVER PHOTO: PHOTOS.COM, Thinkstock Images

Mature Arkansas Publisher Alan Leveritt Editor Anne Wasson Art Director Mike Spain Assistant to the Editor Paige Parham Photographer Brian Chilson Director of sales Katherine Daniels Account Executive Erin Holland Production Manager Weldon Wilson Production Assistant Tracy Whitaker

ad Coordinators Roland Gladden Kelly Schlachter Graphic Artists Bryan Moats Katie Cook Controller Weldon Wilson Office Manager Angie Fambrough IT Director Robert Curfman Billing and Collections Linda Phillips Circulation Director Anitra Hickman

Mature Arkansas is published each week by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 East Markham Street, 200 Heritage Center West, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, Arkansas 72203, phone (501) 375-2985. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents without the written consent of the publishers is prohibited. Manuscripts and artwork will not be returned or acknowledged unless sufficient return postage and a self-addressed stamped envelope are included. All materials are handled with due care, however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for care and safe return of unsolicited materials. All letters sent to Mature Arkansas will be treated as intended for publication and are subject to Mature Arkansas’ unrestricted right to edit or to comment editorially. All content © 2012 Mature Arkansas

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Proceeds will go towards development of the Dr. and Mrs. Warren Boop Memory Care Program at Presbyterian Village Heavy Hors d’oeuvres Live and Silent Auctions—Craig O’Neil, Auctioneer Timothy Allen and Christine Westoff will entertain with well known operatic arias Tickets $100.00 per person or $1,000 for a Table of 10 people Sponsorship opportunities are available For more information call (501) 225-1615

MATURE ARKANSAS

MARCH 1, 2012

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Living T

here are numerous options in the market,

from completely independent living to completely dependent skilled care in a

nursing home. Many, many variations exist between these two ends of the continuum. Look at all the options below before you even begin to choose. Perhaps some friends have already changed their housing. Visit their new homes and imagine yourself in that environment.

Parkview Towers is an indepenent living apartment complex for people over 62.

4 MARCH 1, 2012 MATURE ARKANSAS

Choices B y A. H . W a s s on

Assisted living facilities (or communities) (ALF) are designed for retirees who are no longer able to safely live on their own, but do not require the high level of care provided in a nursing home. ALFs combine private apartment living with supportive personal care and healthcare services. This option allows a person to maintain their privacy, independence and autonomy while receiving a moderate level of care and support.

Assistance with medications, activities of daily living, meals and housekeeping are routinely provided. Three meals per day are provided in a central dining room.

Residents live in their own private apartments that frequently have a limited kitchen area.

Staff is available 24/7 for additional safety.

Social activities and scheduled transportation are also available in most communities. A special unit for Alzheimer’s residents is available in some, but not all communities.

Most continuing care communities also include ALF-type services. Alice Spann, 85, a seven year resident of Presbyterian Village in central Little Rock, says she’s “perfectly content here.” After Spann’s husband died, she says, “I was very lonely and depressed and got sick because I got my pills all mixed up.” After a brief hospitalization, she moved to the retirement community where she got the care she needed. “They handle my meds for me, help with showers so I don’t worry about falling and I have lots of friends here,” Spann says.

Marketing Coordinator Director Debby Spradlin says, “Socialization is a big reason why they move here. They can get so isolated living alone.”

Costs: Prices range from $1,800 to $3,500 per month, depending on the size of apartment and level of assistance required. Alzheimer’s care is more expensive. Some ALFs accept Medicaid payments but most are private pay.

Regulated: ALFs are licensed and regulated by the state. There are two levels of ALFs in Arkansas,

Common areas provide places to get together with other residents or visit with family. with level 2 providing more staffing for healthcare needs and more living space.

Residential Care Facilities (RCF) are boarding homes licensed by the state. They offer fewer services than an ALF but the cost is much less than an ALF. Personal care or group homes, also called board and care homes, are typically a private home with a small number of residents who live together and receive care from live-in caregivers. They offer room and board for seniors who want a more private, home-like community. Assistance with activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing is provided.

Amenities and nursing services vary greatly between homes.

Cost: Prices range from $1,000 to $3,000 per month depending on the services and level of care provided. Most are private pay but Medicaid does pay for some homes.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) are also called Life Care Communities and comprise a entire campus of living choices, from private homes and independent living to assisted living and even skilled nursing home. The residents can age in a place without having to relocate, even

if their health deteriorates. This is called a “continuum of care.”

A continuum of housing care is important to meet individual needs. “People go through different phases in life—sometimes they have to live alone, other times they need supportive services to allow them to maintain independence,” according to Krista Hughes, director of the Arkansas Div. of Aging and Adult Services, DHS. “Different types of housing allow amenities and social supports to be delivered in an environm e n t o f yo u r choosing. Ideally, housing choices should encourage consumer choices and autonomy so seniors can live where they want and the way they want,” Hughes says.

The types of residences you may find at a CCRC include patio homes, apartments, studios or efficiency apartments, suites or a nursing home. Many times the CCRC will have requirements to live there based on age, income, health status or financial assets. Many require an insurance-type contract.

Costs: Usually, the monthly fee stays the same, regardless of the level of medical or

supervisory care required by the patient (except for inflation or cost of living).

You may or may not have to pay an entrance fee or “buy in” to live at a CCRC. This fee can range around $40,000, depending on the size of the unit you choose. These fees are refunded on a prorated basis if you move out or to your estate should you die while a resident. The refund varies from 50 to 90% depending on your unit and the length of time you live there.

Ask if the fee is refundable or if it can be put

People go through different phases in life—sometimes they have to live alone, other times they need supportive services. in escrow for future health care. Additionally, there will be monthly payments that cover rent, meals, services, amenities or medical care.

Regulated: CCRCs are not regulated but the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission, a private, non-profit organization accredits these communities.

Independent Living Communities This type of housing is also referred to as Active Adult Communities, Senior Communities, senior apartments, retirement communities MATURE ARKANSAS

MARCH 1, 2012

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or congregate living. These are all terms that refer to rental communities where you must be 55, and sometimes 62 years or older, to live there.

These options are for older adults who want a maintenance-free lifestyle with social and recreational activities. It is ideal for individuals who do not require personal or medical care, but choose not to live alone and want to share similar interests.

Frances Walter, 87, chose to move to Parkview Towers five years ago from a large A small kitchen is included in many ALF apartments. house with a large garden and yard, in a nearby neighborhood. After a ties. Most communities will allow you to pay stroke left her unable to care for a big house for a home-health aide or nurse to come into and garden, Walter says, “This is so much your apartment to assist you with medicines easier to clean and take care of. I feel safe here,” and personal care. she says, adding that, “they keep everything Costs: Prices depend on the local real estate working and it’s very clean.” She says she has market but in general they range from $1,000less privacy and sometimes misses her big $2,500 per month. Most are private pay but garden, “but they have spots where you can some are rent-subsidized by government HUD garden if you’re still able.”

Section 202 funds.

Retirement community residents live in fully equipped private apartments.

Regulated: Because these communities are not licensed by local, state or federal agencies, there is no formal regulation. In those communities that provide services and activities, the rules are set and governed by the management company providing the services. In other communities, an on-site or off-site manager will address problems.

Retirement community residents live in fully equipped private apartments. Sizes vary from studios to large two-bedrooms. Most facilities are equipped with standard safety features. Recreational activities may include day field trips, shopping excursions and on-premise projects.

Most facilities offer optional meal plans for residents and most apartments are equipped with a kitchen.

While there may be wellness programs, there are no care options available at these communi-

In-Home or Personal Care Also called home health care or home and community-based care, these services are

provided to an individual who wants to stay at home, yet needs help with daily activities. Services include help with bathing, grooming, getting dressed, meal preparations, etc. In-home care is very popular because you can continue to live at home and keep intact your social networks of family, friends, church and neighborhood.

A plan of care is developed in cooperation with the patient’s doctor. Services are provided by trained home health aides (or certified nursing assistants CNAs) who are supervised by licensed nurses.

In Arkansas, these services are available on a private pay basis, often on a sliding-fee schedule. Arkansas also has an in-home care program called ElderChoices that is available to those who are Medicaid-eligible. ElderChoices is designed to divert people from expensive nursing home care to less-expensive home care. In addition to the personal care described above, other services are available through Elder Choices and include respite care, homedelivered meals, homemaker or chore services, adult day care, personal emergency response systems (PERS).

Costs: Prices range from $20 to $50 an hour, depending on the level of skilled or un-skilled care needed. To be eligible for ElderChoices, an individual must be medically and financially eligible for intermediate care in a nursing home.

Medicaid pays for the care for those who qualify.

Regulated: Home and community-based care is licensed and regulated by the Arkansas Office of Long-Term Care.

Adult Family Homes Adult family homes (AFH) is available through

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the ElderChoices program in Arkansas. It is similar to child foster care.

It offers a family living environment for those over 65 who cannot live alone. They must have physical or mental impairments that would require them to go to a nursing home if AFH was not available.

AFHs provide supervision and care to assist residents with activities of daily living such as dressing, toileting, grooming, meal preparation, walking and other tasks.

Krista Hughes says her division has recently developed a business tool kit to assist small Adult Family Home (AFH) providers. Five AFHs have been certified and are operating in Arkansas. “Some people do much better in a small environment and with a surrogate family,” Hughes explained.

An AFH is limited to no more than three additional residents. “This is as close as you can get to a home because it IS a home and the family serves as the residents’ extended family,” she says.

Nursing Homes Nursing homes, also called skilled nursing facilities or long-term care facilities, provide 24-hour, skilled nursing care for frail people who require a high level of medical care and assistance. Skilled nursing services are available from licensed nurses. Trained staff assist residents with personal and daily activities. Nursing home facilities offer daily meals, laundry, housekeeping, medical services and an array of planned recreational activities.

Many nursing homes now provide short-term rehabilitative stays for those recovering from an injury or illness.

Some facilities have a separate unit for special-needs residents where specialized care is available to residents who suffer from memory impairing diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.

Cost: Prices range from $2,500- $7,000 per month. Payment sources are private pay, Medicare (limited period of coverage), Medicaid and private long-term care insurance.

Regulated: Nursing homes are licensed and regulated by the Arkansas Office of Long-Term Care and must also meet federal standards.

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Be a part of the next

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Mature Arkansas

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You Have ng si u o H options

PAgE 3-12

ALSO iN UE ThiS iSS

gage Reverse Mort Is an Option PAgE 8

Decide: Helping You ?

Move or Stay PAgE 10 MATUR E

Modify e Your Hom PAgE 11

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If you are interested in learning more about Mature Arkansas and how you could promote your business or services, please contact us at matureadvertising@ arktimes.com or call Katherine Daniels at 501-375-2985.

Shared housing Sharing a house with a roommate is another option popular with single Continued on page 12

Check Out Your Choices A

quick, one-stop phone call to the Choices in Living Resource Center (toll free 866-801-3435) puts you in touch with trained advisors who can explain: • The choices you have for long-term care in Arkansas • details about personal care, homemaker services and homedelivered meals • home modifications to improve accessibility and independence • family caregiver assistance • prescription drug assistance • assistive technology • current information about Medicaid, disability resources, support groups and more.

If you’re looking for good alternatives to nursing home placement; help to care for aging parents; resources for those with disabilities, or just need help with your daily activities such as dressing, taking meds or moving around, call this number (8:00 AM - 4:30 PM). You may also email ChoicesInLiving@arkansas.gov This is a free service of the Arkansas Division of Aging and Adult Services, Department of Human Services.

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MATURE ARKANSAS

MARCH 1, 2012

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B y Jack Whitsett

A Reverse Mortgage in Your Future?

W

hat do Fred Thompson, Robert Wagner and Henry Winkler have in common?

Yes, they’ve all been actors at one time, Winkler being best known as Fonzie, the lovable hood from the long-running sitcom, “Happy Days.” And they’re all gray up top.

But these days, they are all working as television pitchmen for various companies offering a hot financial product, the reverse mortgage.

That has some lawmakers and consumer advocates concerned, including Arkansas’ senior U.S. Senator Mark Pryor.

“Advertisements with friendly and trustworthy faces such as the “Fonz” … may lead seniors to sign up for programs without fully understanding this complicated financial decision,” Pryor said in a statement to Mature Arkansas. “I strongly encourage all seniors who may be interested in this program to thoroughly research their options and discuss it with their family members.”

be mortgaged as long as the customer can pay off the debt, either with part of the loan proceeds, with other cash they hold or with a combination of the two.

Loan options The proceeds from the reverse mortgage may be taken in several ways. The borrower may receive: • A lump sum at closing • equal monthly payments for as long as

at a standard fixed rate. The same owner of a $200,000 home in a similar location could take $98,110.

Who can benefit Too good to be true? For some, yes. But seniors who have substantial equity built up in their home but have need of cash, can be good candidates, especially if they plan to stay in their home.

“Under the right conditions, these loans

How it works A reverse mortgage is a loan on the borrower’s home. But unlike traditional forward mortgages, the money does not have to be repaid as long as the borrower lives in the home. In addition, if the amount owed when the borrower ceases to live in the home is more than the home is worth the lender is responsible for the difference. The consumer, or their estate, is off the hook. Although most consumers don’t worry about this part, the lender’s liability is usually covered by the federal government.

To qualify for a reverse mortgage, the borrower must be at least 62 years old and own their own home. The home can already 8 MARCH 1, 2012 MATURE ARKANSAS

PHOTOS.COM, Lisa F. Young

Seniors who have substantial equity built up in their home can be good candidates.

they live in the house • equal payments for a fixed term • a line of credit, available at any time, until the proceeds are exhausted • any combination of these payment options is also allowed.

The amount a homeowner may obtain through a reverse mortgage can vary with age, home value, equity and other factors. Using a loan calculator available online from MetLife Bank, a 65 year-old owner of a $100,000 home in Pulaski County, with an existing $20,000 mortgage could receive a lump sum of $38,585

can be a sensible solution to a tough financial situation,” wrote Cybele Weisser of Time magazine.

A reverse mortgage can be a big help for homeowners who have equity in their home but not many other assets, according to Chris Burk of Housing and Credit Counseling Inc. (HCCI), of Topeka, Kansas. HCCI is a nonprofit organization that counsels seniors who are considering a reverse mortgage. Burk is a certified counselor for reverse mortgages.

“They’re using the reverse mortgage to help them live a little more comfortably,” Burk

says, adding that catching up bills and paying for prescriptions are among the main targets for the loan proceeds.

Conversely, those who plan to sell their home in the short term, or who don’t have much equity, should consider other options, For instance, upfront costs can be prohibitive, Burk cautions. “You could be looking at about $10,000 to $15,000 in fees that is taken off your loan balance,” he says. “If someone was seriously thinking about selling their house in the next year or two, then a reverse mortgage is not feasible.”

“You want to stretch out those upfront fees,” Burk says.

Homeowners should first consider alternatives to the reverse mortgage option such as selling their home or taking a traditional loan, experts add.

Abuses halted Financial advisors warn homeowners to beware of brokers over promoting reverse mortgages. But the law provides safeguards, many as a result of legislation sponsored in 2008 by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.).

“When in a financial bind, many seniors have turned to reverse mortgages to bring in additional cash without fully understanding the consequences,” Pryor says. “In 2008, I supported legislation … to increase transparency and crack down on predatory lending and aggressive marketing practices. This legislation became law, and had helped eliminate some bad actors.”

Reforms enacted in 2008 include prohibiting sales agents for financial products from serving as loan counselors. An existing provision that offered incentives to purchase longterm care insurance with the reverse mortgage was repealed, along with any requirement to purchase the investment products as a condition of the reverse mortgage.

In addition, the law requires loan counselors to be specially certified by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

Reverse mortgages should be a big

success story these days. But the

opposite is true.

Future of reverse mortgages The verdict these days is mixed. The recent poor economy has forced down the number of new reverse mortgages, according to Philip Moeller, writing in U.S. News and World Report.

“Reverse mortgages should be a big success story these days,” Moeller wrote, “but the opposite is true. Lenders have left the industry, numbers of new reverse mortgages have declined, many borrowers are in technical default … and efforts to develop better lending standards to expand the industry have, so far, fallen flat.”

Burk sees an opposite picture. “Our agency is doing more reverse mortgages than ever,” he says. “It’s actually increased.”

An Arkansas broker who handles reverse mortgages and did not wish to be identified says the local situation is closer to that described

by Moeller. The number of reverse mortgages completed in 2010 and 2011 fell about 33% from the 2009 peak. The broker was mystified as to the reason, preferring to point to a combination of factors including the economy.

Many banks in Arkansas provide reverse mortgage services, along with national companies such as Metlife. Lenders that have done reverse mortgages in the past year include the Bank of England, Iberiabank Mortgage Co., Delta Trust Mortgage Inc. and Malvern National Bank.

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MATURE ARKANSAS

MARCH 1, 2012

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Move or Stay T he R etirement Hous i n g Dec i s i on n B y Betty Jo White

T

his checklist presents factors related to staying in or leaving your existing home and community. It includes both push factors (things you want to get away from) and pull factors (thing you’d like to have).

Reasons to stay

n My paid-up mortgage gives me a “safe haven” with only insurance to pay. n My property taxes are low or stable and not expected to increase drastically. There are special tax breaks for older homeowners. n Hazard and liability insurance on my house is affordable and adequate. n The cost of living is lower here. n My home is in good condition and doesn’t require extensive maintenance. Heating and cooling systems are fairly new. n My home is adaptable to decreasing physical abilities: compact and easy to care for, with minimal yard care. n My home is all on one level (or I can live on one floor) with no barriers if I should have to be in a wheelchair. Or it’s easily adaptable at an affordable cost. n My home has built-in safety features to guard against falls, burns and other accidents (e.g. handrails, nonslip floors, no or few steps, easy to reach shelves and range/burner controls, and brightly-lit rooms). n The home’s location is good for daily needs, including shopping, medical facilities and nearby family and friends. n I want to stay in familiar surroundings with family, friends, church, doctor, etc. n My neighborhood is pleasant, quiet, safe, secure and not likely to deteriorate. n I want to live near people of different ages. n I could live here without a car because transportation is available from friends or I can walk nearly everywhere. n I am willing and physically and financially able to live here alone. n It’s a whole lot easier not to pack and move. n I want to keep the equity in my home for a rainy day; to provide an income stream if I outlive my other assets or to leave to my heirs. n In this community, the advantages outweigh the problems.

we're staying!

10 MARCH 1, 2012 MATURE ARKANSAS

Reasons to move

n Home maintenance and operating costs are (or will be) too high for my retirement income. n My home is the most valuable it’s ever been and the property taxes are too high. I want to move where taxes are lower. n Homeowners’ insurance is limited or too expensive. n I can’t afford the utility bills. n Services such as yard care are not cheap and not reliably available. n I want to move where the cost of living is lower. n The age or condition of my home results in high-cost, uncomfortable living (old furnace, inadequate or no insulation, too many single pane windows). n I am overhoused: the house and yard are too large for one or two people to clean and maintain and I can’t find reliable help. n My home could limit my ability or freedom to travel on short notice and stay away for indefinite periods. n The design and layout of my home could limit my mobility or present safety hazards without extensive remodeling. n The climate here is not good for my health. n My neighborhood is becoming rundown and unsafe. n My children, other relatives and friends have moved away and I want to be closer to them. n The location of my home would make it impossible to live here without a car. No other transportation alternatives are available. n I want a change and new friends. I like the looks of retirement communities or I want to live only with people my own age. n I can become a renter, invest the house profit and live on the interest. n Problems faced by homeowners in this area are great enough for me to consider moving elsewhere.

Dr. White is a professor of housing, College of Human Ecology at Kansas State University. This checklist was produced by KSU’s National Resource and Policy Center.

We"re moving!

PHOTOS.COM, Ann Baldwin

Modifying Your Home M

PHOTOS.COM, Barbara Reddoch

odifying your home can help you continue to live there in safety and independence. The main benefit of home modification/ remodel is to promote independence and prevent accidents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say 30% to 50% of all seniors’ accidents in the home—primarily falling—could be eliminated by home modification and repairs.

Home modification means changing existing space to better meet the needs of a resident with physical limitations. Modifications can range from a simple change of cabinet doorknobs to pull handles, to a full-scale remodeling of bathrooms.

1-800-951-9792 Evaluate first For current information on home modifications, check with the Arkansas Division of Aging and Adult Services’ (DAAS) Choices in Living Resource Center, toll free 866-801-3435.

First, evaluate your current and future needs by going through your home, room by room, to determine where changes are needed. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has an extensive checklist, including specific recommendations, to help you spot possible home safety problems—visit www.homemods.org/resources/pages/ safety.shtml Rebuilding Together, Inc., a nonprofit that works to preserve affordable homeownership, has a shorter checklist at www.rebuildingtogether.org/ content/resource/detail/1192/ Make it safer As we age, we often experience reduced strength, sensory losses, have shower reaction time and an impaired sense of balance. To increase accessibility and safety consider these modifications.

• Remove potential barriers such as steps, high thresholds or narrow bathroom doors, to accommodate a wheelchair.

• Establish all living areas on one floor or add a bedroom and bath on the ground floor.

• Make the house fall-safe and burn-safe and consider a home security alarm system.

Make it easier Minimize the work required to maintain your home, yard and garden.

• Kitchen and bathroom modification is key to independence at home.

Continued on page 12

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• Affordable housing with no sacrifice to service • Four living facilities - the Moore, the Rhinehart and Shepherd’s Cove, which caters to independent living, and the Roberts Building, a Residential Care Facility • 24-hour Security and/or Staff on duty • On-site exercise facilities • On-site beauty salons • Personal emergency alert pendant systems • Three full-service dining rooms offering home-cooked meals • Transportation with fully equipped wheelchair lift vans • An award-winning wellness program • A family atmosphere in a faith-based community

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MARCH 1, 2012

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Continued from page 11

Do a home

Lower the kitchen wall cabinets, add a self-cleaning oven and microwave; add a sit-to-work area and a rolling cart to carry things.

• In the bathroom, consider a higher toilet, roll-in shower, hand-held shower head, grab bars and no-slip surfaces.

• Add easy-grip features such as singlelever faucets, lever door handles, D-shaped drawer pulls, touch-on or clap-on lamps.

• Remodel landscaping for a “light mow” and “light water” lawn. Establish perennial flowers and no-prune shrubbery. Use plants native to your area that require only natural rainfall. Buy an easy-start or electric lawn mower.

maintenance,

weatherization and repair tune-up before you retire.

• Paint and repair the whole house and add safety features such as smoke and fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

• Buy major new appliances, laborsaving small appliances and sturdy, no-tip furniture.

• Have an energy audit done and add weather stripping, caulking, storm windows and doors, and more insulation. The utility bill savings will soon pay for these improvements.

Care alternatives Check on the availability and cost of in-home services that could substitute for tasks you may become unable to do. Think of in-home care as a continuum. At first, you may only need a cleaning service to help with major chores such as deep cleaning, window washing Work it forward or lawn service. A personal emergency response The New York Times Syndication Sales(PERS) Corporation Do a home maintenance, weatherization and repair system can provide peace of mind. If your 500 Seventh Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 tune-up before you retire, while you For canInformation do it yourself health deteriorates, look into personal care services Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Thursday, March 01, and can afford it. to help24, with activities of daily living.

Friday, February 2012

Edited by Will Shortz

No. 0126 0120

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12 MARCH 1, 2012 MATURE ARKANSAS

Living Choices

Continued from page 7

retirees. Of the 3 million people sharing homes, almost 40% are older; over 70% are female.

In many cases, the homeowner doesn’t want to live alone or needs assistance in the form of rental income or help with upkeep and repairs. The boarder either pays rent or “trades out” their rent by performing tasks such as cooking, maintenance or running errands.

An AARP housing specialist recommends a one-month trial period before making a commitment and a written lease that includes when and how the living arrangement would be terminated.

Another consideration is insurance. The renter should get coverage for his/her personal property. The homeowner should check with the insurance agent to be sure all liability to the tenant is covered.

Contact the National Shared Housing Resource Center, a clearinghouse for information, for more details at www.nationalsharedhousing.org For More Information If you need specific listings for each type of housing listed above, contact your local Area Agency on Aging: In the Little Rock area, contact CareLink at 372-5300 or 800-482-6359; in the Hot Springs area, contact the Area Agency on Aging of West Central Arkansas at 321-2811 or 800-467-2170.

The Arkansas Development Finance Authority (ADFA) maintains information for all ADFAfinanced affordable housing in Arkansas, including type, contact information and number of bedrooms at www.arkansas.gov/ adfa On the bottom left is an icon titled “Apartment Finder.” It takes you to a county map where you may click on a county to find available housing.

Next week, we’ll look at housing options that include more care, including nursing facilities, respite care, rehabilitation facilities and adult day care options.

Restaurant g u ide n By bob woo d

Yet Another ''Bistro''

YaYa’s features both good food and service.

learned a few things about wine and beer sales. I found it interesting. According to him, restaurants--“at a minimum”--double the prices of wines, and some local places get close to triple the cost. Mitigating that greed just a little is the fact that federal and state taxes on alcohol sold in restaurants are about 33%.

So, I pay $33 for a bottle of Four Bears Cabernet at YaYa’s. They pay $11 of that in taxes. They buy the wine for about $15 a bottle and make $7 on the sale--a nice 50% profit.

Beer, though, is the real money-maker. A bar or restaurant buys a keg of beer for $100. They sell the contents, a glass at a time, for roughly $500. Again, there are high taxes, but the profit margin is still worthy of Goldman Sachs.

Back to YaYa’s Euro YaYa’s Euro Bistro, at the Promenade Bistro and our “casual dining experience.”

Everything that we do in life is an “experi($16), the Cobb Salad ($11) and, if memory ence,” of course. I take out my garbage and serves, the Roasted Vegetable Orecchiette could consider that a “casual sanitation ($12). The food prices are quite reasonable, experience.” But, I don’t. Unfortunately, however, everything is a la carte, so it all that pretentious vibe is one of the things I inexorably adds up. Soup or small salad is do get from my visits to YaYa’s. $5. A Manhattan cocktail is $7. And, I’ve I’ve had the Penne Pasta for lunch already talked about wine. So, you have been ($13, and an oddly indefinite title for an warned. otherwise good dish that included roasted Bottom line: YaYa’s Euro Bistro is a nice chicken, peas and roasted tomatoes) and enough place to eat. Long on décor and the Flat Iron Steak ($20) for supper. The self-impressed, but generally, good food Yukon Gold potato hash that accompanied quality and service. Not the first, second or the steak was undercooked and largely third place I’d think of going to, but OK if I tasteless. Too bad, because the steak was happened to be in the neighborhood. Does tasty. that qualify as an “experience”?

We started with the Beef Carpaccio YaYa’s Euro Bistro, 17711 Chenal Parkway, appetizer ($12), and it was delicious.

Little Rock, phone 501-821-1144.

Lots of thinly-sliced rare beef paired with arugula greens and flat bread. Very nice.

Mr. Wood, a Little Rock designer and writer, Others at my table had the Baked Lasagna is often hungry.

MATURE ARKANSAS

MARCH 1, 2012

13

☛ It takes two to speak the truth—one to speak and another to hear. — Henry David Thoreau ☛

S

ome friends called up Saturday afternoon and invited us (that’s me and my friend--since I’m not a sports celebrity, I can’t refer to myself in the third person quite yet) to supper at YaYa’s Euro Bistro. The restaurant is located in The Promenade shopping center off Chenal Parkway in west Little Rock. And, this was the second time I had been there, once for lunch and once for supper.

According to their web site (www.yayasar. com) YaYa’s “...is a unique restaurant concept ...” Hyperbole? Sure. From my dining experiences there, very little about YaYa’s qualifies as unique. Like many, many other restaurants, it’s a fairly comfortable place to eat, albeit a little loud, with reasonably good food, a conventional menu, with pricey drinks and wine.

A quick digression on this point. I recently spoke with a friend in “the business,” and

CALEN DAR P I C KS

LR Marathon Includes Health, Fitness Expo ☛ He who gives a child a home builds palaces in Kingdom come. — John Masefield ☛

Non-runners can enjoy BBQ, crafts, art and basketball this week

By Paige Parham

Typical room used for a sleep study.

Mar. 2 – You’re invited to the grand opening of the “Play Ball” exhibit at the Clinton Presidential Center, 1200 President Clinton Avenue, Little Rock. Arkansas native and St. Louis Cardinals legend Lou Brock will be there to talk about his career and celebrate the history of baseball. The program, beginning at 6:00 PM, will be followed by a reception and a self-guided tour of “Play Ball!” which opens on Saturday, March 3. This event is free, but reservations are required--call 748-0425 or email operationslr@clintonfoundation.org Mar. 1 – Fiddlesticks Knitting Group at the Amy Sanders Branch Library, 31 Shelby Drive, Sherwood. This weekly knitting group meets every Thursday from 1:00 - 3:00 PM. All skill levels are welcome.

Call 835-7756 for more information.

Mar. 1 – 30 – Women’s Clothing Swap Drop-off at the Oley E. Rooker Branch Library, 11 Otter Creek Court, Little Rock. During the month of March, bring up to 5 items of clothing you no longer wear and receive a ticket for each item. Visit the library on March 31 and swap your tickets for items that are new to you. Call 907-5991 for more information.

Mar. 2 – Patsy Cline Tribute by Kayce Glasse, at The Vienna Theatre, 424 Central Ave., Hot Springs. Enjoy Kayce Glasse’s fabulous voice singing her unmatchable tribute to America’s favorite, Patsy Cline. Show starts at 7:30 PM, tickets are $16.50 for adults and $5 for youths under 18. Call 463-2799 for reservations. For more information, visit www.viennahotsprings.com Mar. 2 – Gallery Walk, Downtown Hot Springs. Stroll beautiful downtown Hot Springs and enjoy some of the finest contemporary art in America. Galleries stay open until 9:00 PM. For more information, call 624-0550.

14 MARCH 1, 2012 MATURE ARKANSAS

Mar. 2-3 – Little Rock Marathon Health and Fitness Expo, Statehouse Convention Center, 1 Statehouse Plaza, Little Rock.

Held in conjunction with the Little Rock Marathon, this exposition will focus on the latest in running, fitness and lifestyle improvements. The ultimate showcase for products and services for athletes and sports enthusiasts.

For more information, contact Gina Pharis at LRmarathonexpo@gmail.com Mar. 3 – Downloadable Library Workshop at the Maumelle Branch Library, 10 Lake Pointe Drive, Maumelle, 11:00 AM. Learn how to download eBooks and audio books to your Kindle, iPod or other mobile device. Workshop is free and no registration is required.

Call 851-2551 for more information.

Mar. 3-6 – Sun Belt Basketball Championship, Summit Arena, 134 Convention Blvd., Hot Springs. Bracket information is available at www.sunbeltsports.org and tickets can be purchased at the Summit Arena Box Office in person, at any Ticketmaster outlet, or by going to www.ticketmaster.com. Individual session tickets are $15; season tickets are $128. Call 504- 299-9066 for more information.

Mar. 4 – Little Rock Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K in the River Market District, 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Starting in the River Market at President Clinton Avenue and Sherman Street, the Little

☛ Houses are built to live in and not to look on. — Sir Francis Bacon ☛

Nature gives Hot Springs an early spring bouquet. Hot Springs Historic District Cherry Blossoms Feb. 21, 2012.

Lee Hiller HikeOurPlanet.com

Rock Marathon, Half Marathon and the new 10K are a walking and running tour through the scenic streets of Arkansas’capital city. For more information, contact Gina Pharis or Geneva Hampton at 371-4770.

M ar. 6-8 – Yo u n g F ra n k e n s t e i n at Robinson Center Exhibit Hall, 7 Statehouse Plaza, Little Rock. Mel Brooks’ wickedly funny twist on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein comes to life on the Broadway stage. Showtimes are 7:30 PM each night.

Tickets are available from the Celebrity Attractions Ticket Office at 300 Spring Street, Suite 100, Little Rock; by phone at 244-8800; at any Ticketmaster location;

or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com Mar. 7 – Making Nutritious Delicious: Salads at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, 1 Rockefeller Drive, Morrilton, 10:00 AM – noon. Cost is $35 per person. In this culinary class, learn tips, tricks, and techniques to make healthy food fun, flavorful and exciting. The class also highlights locally produced ingredients. To register for a class, visit www.livethelegacy.org or for more information contact Robert Hall, CEC, Executive Chef/Culinary Director at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute at 727-5435.

Mar. 3 – Culinary District Art of BBQ Invitational, 510 Ouachita Ave., Hot Springs. This event will consist of award-winning professional barbecue teams that travel the Kansas City BBQ Society circuit, competing for the winning title. The Culinary District will be offering a BBQ plate lunch special prepared by these Pit Masters. Admission is free and live music will be provided by Amanda Avery.

Event starts at noon. Call 624-2665 or visit www.culinarydistrict.com for more information.

Mar. 5 – Beginner’s Wire Crochet at Argenta Bead Company, 703 N. Main Street, North Little Rock, 5:30 PM. Learn the basics of wire crocheting with wire and beads while making a multi-strand necklace. Crochet experience IS necessary. Cost is $30 + materials that are available at the store. Tools to bring: crochet needle (size comparable to the size of beads – generally an “I”or“J”). Skill level: Beginner. For more information, call 537-0928 or visit www.argentabead.com

MATURE ARKANSAS

MARCH 1, 2012

15

Living! it’s time tO start

• NO YARD CARE • NO WINDOW CLEANING • NO MAINTENANCE • SECuRED ENTRY ACCESS • VIDEO SuRVEILLANCE • LIfE SAfETY SYSTEM • SECuRED PARkING DECk • ThE COMfORT Of kNOWING YOuR hOME IS SAfE WhEN YOu'RE GONE

3700 Old Cantrell rOad • little rOCk, ar 501.747.1234 • rivieralittlerock.com

16 MARCH 1, 2012 MATURE ARKANSAS