March 2018 | DC Beacon

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Raising awareness of dementia

By Barbara Ruben It began with forgetting appointments and the slow erosion of remembering names, before losing the keys only to find them in the freezer.

Eventually, like many Alzheimer’s patients, Anita Dahan began to walk out of her home in Rockville, Md., wandering the neighborhood lost and afraid to ask for help.

Married 52 years to her husband Fernand, “she made my life heaven on earth,” he recalled. “Unfortunately, the last 10 years [of her life] were very painful [for me].” She died in late 2016.

Initially bewildered, Fernand Dahan would comb the streets trying to find his wife, afraid she would freeze in winter’s cold, or fall and be badly hurt. He was embarrassed to admit what was going on, but eventually connected with the Montgomery County Police — and was surprised to find a wealth of resources thanks to its recently established “dementia friendly initiative.”

The police department program is part of a concerted county-wide effort to help the escalating number of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias navigate, and be supported by, their communities as long as possible. And the county’s effort, in turn, is part of a national effort, called Dementia Friendly America, that is spreading throughout the country.

A main thrust of the effort is to educate those in businesses, religious institutions and nonprofits to understand the signs of dementia and learn the best ways to work with, and assist, those suffering from it.

In addition to Montgomery County, a similar program is well established in Prince George’s County, Md., one of the first communities to adopt the program, and one is getting underway in Herndon, Va., which hopes to be a model for the rest of Virginia.

“Many people think most of those with dementia are living in nursing homes.

That is not true,” said Meredith Hanley, director of community capacity building at the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, which is administering the Dementia Friendly America project in communities in 36 states. “People live for years, and live well, in the community.”

Ana Nelson, vice president of programs and services with the National Capital Area Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Associa-

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Puerto Vallarta’s unique charms; plus, best ways to find companionship online, new State Dept. travel advisories, and what to do if your flight is canceled or delayed page 44

Montgomery County Police Officer Laurie Reyes helped Fernand Dahan become comfortable in asking for help when his wife Anita, who had Alzheimer’s, would wander away from home. The police department’s work is part of a county-wide Dementia Friendly initiative that helps families, caregivers, businesses and community members identify people with dementia and understand how to interact with them safely and helpfully. In this area, Prince George’s County and Herndon, Va., also have Dementia Friendly programs.

tion, agrees.

“An Alzheimer’s diagnosis can make a person feel totally lost. They don’t know where to turn, where to ask for help. A number of people living with early stage Alzheimer’s have stated they just can’t [sit and] wait for others to help them. They have to go out and help themselves.

“We have seen many people living with early stage dementia living very successfully in their communities. Maybe they have to make some adjustments, take some safety precautions.

“Most important, they need to lean on others from the community to facilitate their independence. That’s where Dementia Friendly America comes in — to help older adults live with dementia, to live in the community, to be independent, to continue to contribute to the community where they live.”

Preparing for the future The Dementia Friendly initiative is designed to help address the concerns raised by the rapidly increasing number of those with Alzheimer’s and related dementias.

Currently one in 10 people age 65 and over in the U.S. has Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s is expected to nearly triple, from 5.3 million today to a projected 13.8 million, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent or cure the disease.

Virginia had 140,000 people living with Alzheimer’s disease in 2017. That number is expected to rise by almost 36 percent to 190,000 by 2025. Maryland’s 2017 population See DEMENTIA FRIENDLY, page 24

ARTS & STYLE

Art classes at retirement communities; plus, a one-woman show about Dr. Ruth, books illuminating the silver screen, and Bob Levey on the joys and pitfalls of grandparenting page 51 TECHNOLOGY k Stores that keep track of you

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FITNESS & HEALTH 8 k Why are men such kvetches? k Get the jump on spring allergies SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

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LAW & MONEY 32 k Five cheap stocks to consider k Talking to kids about inheritance ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

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This one is on us My column last month, about my experi- take the prescription back and credit my inence with an outrageously and unneces- surance company. Then I called the head of the medical practice and insarily overpriced prescripformed him about my experition, generated a great deal ence. He expressed amazement of reader comment. at the cost, and indicated he In case you missed it, in would tell his staff to think brief: I was repeatedly encourtwice before prescribing it in aged by a doctor, despite my the future. protests, to try out a “new” anti-inflammator y (which I think I’ve received more turned out to simply combine comments and letters contwo readily available over-thecerning that column than any counter drugs into a single other I’ve written in the past prescribed pill).

30 years. Readers responded FROM THE The doctor said he would PUBLISHER with kudos, with questions, By Stuart P. Rosenthal call in the prescription to a shared their own similar expharmacy that would not periences or, in a few cases, charge me a co-pay, and that I simply need- threw out challenges like this one I found ed to let them know if I wanted it. on my answering machine: I took some samples home to try it out, “What did you do after you talked with and was shocked a few days later to find a your doctor? Did you call Medicare? Send month’s supply of Vimovo sitting in my a copy to every member of the your delemailbox, mailed to me by the pharmacy gation in Congress? Did you contact AARP? As a matter of fact, if I were you, I’d without my saying a word.

I was even more shocked when I no- send a copy to ‘60 Minutes.’ ticed (in very fine print) that the prescrip“Let’s do something about it! If all you tion had been billed to my insurance com- do is call your doctor, it’s certainly not pany for $2,236! The generic OTC pills I going to stop.”

Actually, I think facing up to our doctors usually take cost less than $10 a month.

I called the pharmacy and insisted they on this kind of thing is the only way such

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Washington DC area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Greater Baltimore, Howard County, Md. and Greater Palm Springs, Calif. Readership exceeds 400,000.

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Publication of advertising contained herein does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Signed columns represent the opinions of the writers, and not necessarily the opinion of the publisher.

• Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal • Associate Publisher ..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President of Operations ....Gordon Hasenei • Vice President, Sales & Marketing ....Alan Spiegel • Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben • Art Director ........................................Kyle Gregory • Director of Operations ........................Roger King • Advertising Representatives ........Doug Hallock, .................................. Dan Kelly, Barbara Koscielski, ........................................................Hubie Stockhausen • Assistant Editor ..........................Rebekah Alcalde

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behavior is going to stop, or at least lessen.

Let me explain why.

My complaint is about a particular type of price gouging: where a pharmaceutical manufacturer combines cheap OTC drugs into a single pill, and charges a huge premium for the convenience.

In my column, I was not objecting to new breakthrough drugs that, with one shot or a brief course of treatment, completely cure a potentially fatal condition (such as is the case with several new cures for hepatitis C, an otherwise chronic condition that can, left untreated, lead to liver failure and death).

One can make the argument that if such a treatment obviates a lifetime of expensive medications and saves and improves lives, it could legitimately be priced at a significant premium.

On the other hand, when these hepatitis C treatments came out a few years ago, I wrote a column giving reasons for NOT charging such a premium, based on the fact that the underlying discoveries that led to the breakthrough were paid for by taxpayer-funded research. This is a different problem calling for a different solution.

I was also not speaking last month about “personalized medicine,” where doctors individually design treatments to correct a particular person’s genetic condition or halt a rare, fatal cancer.

We have just begun to have successes in this type of medicine, so I can understand why — at least at the moment — the huge costs that go into crafting these treatments should be passed along to the patient or their insurance company. We can hope that prices will come down as we learn more, and perhaps develop new efficiencies in these techniques.

I also wasn’t speaking in my column about the situation where a drug company acquires an old patent and, having a monopoly, jacks the price up several hundred-fold.

That is a heinous practice in my view, but at least it reflects the reality of monopoly pricing, and should give other companies an incentive to develop their own versions at a far lower cost. This is a problem that our economic system often can address, and that our regulators and legislatures have power to change if they choose.

My specific complaint was about something else: the practice of combining two or more OTC medications into one pill and

charging hundreds of times more than their ingredients warrant. Even if we customers aren’t personally paying for these drug at the counter, we all end up paying their exorbitant prices through higher insurance premiums overall, and through the drain on Medicare.

And I want to be clear: I am not saying there is no value for any patient in the new meds. There are no doubt individuals for whom Vimovo is a godsend.

Patients with severe arthritis, for example, may need high doses of anti-inflammatories all day, every day to function. And they will likely need a second medication to protect them from the internal bleeding such a dosage can cause.

Not only do many patients, especially older ones, face huge logistical problems trying to juggle multiple doses a day of multiple medications, some of which may interfere with other meds or with one’s diet. There is also the fact that having to buy large amounts of such pills for the rest of one’s life can be a burden.

If a drug manufacturer can make a onceor twice-a-day pill that patients (or their caregivers) can easily remember to take, and the company is willing to absorb patients’ co-pays for such drugs, that can have real value for some.

It just happens to have had no real value for me. I wanted a generic pain pill for a few weeks until my shoulder got better. My doctor knew that, and should have known better than to push me to try Vimovo instead.

For this particular problem, it seems to me, Congress, Medicare and “60 Minutes” are not the solution. The drug companies are exploiting legal patents and our established economic system. Bringing moral pressure to bear through bad publicity is of limited effectiveness.

And Congress and Medicare are unlikely to start capping prices of particular drugs as used by particular patients, which is the problem we have here.

So in this situation, I think it’s up to us as consumers to educate ourselves, and to say no to our doctors, when warranted.

When a doctor prescribes us a drug, we need to ask: Why do I need it? What does it actually cost? Are there less expensive alternatives? Less expensive not only to me, but to my insurance company and to the See FROM THE PUBLISHER, page 59

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day.

Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or e-mail to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

Dear Editor: I am a regular reader of The Beacon for many years. Your editorials are always my principal focus, and I am almost always delighted with your comments and observations. But your February “From the Publisher” [“A bitter pill indeed”] was in a

class by itself. It is one of the best you have ever written.

I will be tracking down my medications (some of which I have taken for years), and explore how much my insurance company See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 58

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

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Technology &

Innovations Stores’ floors may track your every move

By Ivan Moreno The next phase in data collection is right under your feet.

Ads you click on online give retailers valuable insight into consumer behavior, but what can they learn from your footsteps?

It’s a question Milwaukee-based startup Scanalytics is helping businesses explore, with floor sensors that track people’s movements. The sensors can also be used in office buildings to reduce energy costs and in nursing homes to determine when someone falls.

But retailers make up the majority of Scanalytics’ customers, highlighting one of several efforts brick-and-mortar stores are undertaking to better understand consumer habits and catch up with e-commerce giant Amazon.

Physical stores have been at a disadvantage because they “don’t have that granular level of understanding as to where users are entering, what they’re doing, what shelves are not doing well, which aisles are not being visited,” said Brian Sathianathan, co-founder of Iterate.ai, a small Denver-based company that helps businesses find and test technologies from startups worldwide.

Wi-Fi and motion sensors But it’s become easier for stores to track customers in recent years. With Wi-Fi — among the earliest available options — businesses can follow their customers as soon as they connect to a store’s Internet.

One drawback is that not everyone logs on to each store’s Wi-Fi, so the sample size is smaller. Another is that it’s not possible to tell whether someone is inches or feet away from a product.

Sunglass Hut and fragrance maker Jo Malone use laser and motion sensors to tell when a product is picked up but not bought, and make recommendations for similar items on an interactive display.

Companies such as Toronto-based Vendlytics and San Francisco-based Prism use artificial intelligence with video cameras to analyze body motions. That can allow stores to deliver customized coupons to shoppers in real time on a digital shelf or on their cellphones, said Jon Nordmark, CEO of Iterate.ai.

With Scanalytics, Nordmark said, “to have (the sensors) be super useful for someone like a retailer, they may need to power other

types of things,” like sending coupons to customers.

Scanalytics co-founder and CEO Joe Scanlin said that’s what his floor sensors are designed to do. For instance, the sensors read a customer’s unique foot compressions to track that person’s path to a digital display and how long the person stand in front of it before walking away, he said.

Individually tailored offers Based on data collected over time, the floor sensors can tell a retailer the best time to offer a coupon or change the display before the customer loses interest: “Something that in the moment will increase their propensity to purchase a product,” said Scanlin.

The 29-year-old started developing Scanalytics’ 2-square-feet paper-thin sensors as a student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2012. He now employs about 20 people.

Wisconsin-based bicycle retailer Wheel and Sprocket uses Scanalytics’ sensors — which can be tucked under utility mats — to count the number of customers entering each of its eight stores. That helps them

schedule staff. “That’s our biggest variable expense,” said co-owner Noel Kegel. “That sort of makes or breaks our profitability.”

Kegel wants to eventually have sensors in more areas throughout his stores to measure where customers spend most of their time and to determine what products are popular, but he said it’s too expensive right now.

The cost of having the sensors ranges from $20 to $1,000 per month, depending on square footage and add-on applications to analyze data or interact with digital signs, Scanlin said. He said he’s working with 150 customers in the U.S. and other countries, and estimates that about 60 percent are retailers.

No privacy concerns?

The emergence of tracking technologies is bound to raise concerns about privacy and surveillance. But Scanlin noted his sensors don’t collect personally identifying information.

Jeffrey Lenon, 47, who was recently See STORES’ FLOORS, page 6

Secure passwords with less headache

By Kaitlin Pitsker Security experts have warned for years that to protect our online accounts we need to change passwords frequently and make sure that those passwords are “complex” — meaning, filled with letters, numbers and random characters.

But that advice may have done more harm than good. Such passwords are nearly impossible to remember (try recalling something like “Tri3cer&top$”). So, many people continue to rely on weak passwords, such as “123456,” “password” and “qwerty.”

Now, new research shows that not only are complex passwords user-unfriendly, but they’re also not hacker-proof. That’s partly because once people finally commit passwords to memory, they often reuse them for multiple accounts.

That makes “passphrases” — long, easy-to-remember strings of words — a better deterrent to the bad guys.

common words, such as cloud-tomato-history-bridge, or a phrase that may be obscure but that you can remember. Length is more important than randomness, although many websites currently limit you to, say, a dozen characters.

Put capital letters, numbers or special characters within the passphrase, not just at the beginning or the end, said Lorrie Cranor, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University. For example, you could use “Cloud!Tomato2HistoryBridge.”

Avoid repetitive or sequential characters, such as “777” or “XYZ,” or even using letters that form a pattern on the keyboard.

Still, the average Internet user has more than 100 accounts to keep track of. And even the best passwords are easily compromised if you write them down — which is what 73 percent of people do, according to a 2017 survey by the Pew Research Center.

Use a password manager Pick an obscure phrase Start by picking a series of unrelated

One solution is to sign up with a password manager that will store all of them

behind one master login — the only password you’ll need to remember.

A password manager can also help you create strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts. Passwords generated by the service will still be long, unpredictable and impossible to remember. But that’s okay because you’ll never need to type them in yourself.

For example, if you want password manager LastPass (free) to generate a password for you, log onto www.LastPass.com and then visit whatever site you want LastPass to hold your password for. Ask the site to reset your password, then use the LastPass browser extension to generate a new password.

Change your password on the site, and log in to that account using the newly generated password. A pop-up will ask if you’d like to add the new password to LastPass. After that, LastPass will fill in the new password automatically whenever you go to that site.

The service’s premium option ($24 a year) adds a few features, including priori-

ty tech support, some multifactor authentication options (see more below), and 1 gigabyte of encrypted storage.

The family plan ($48 a year) allows up to six people to use the service and share login information with one another for shared accounts.

Also use authentication To add another layer to your security network, enable two-factor or multistep authentication on any account that allows you to. To do that, you’ll enter your username and password as usual, but the account will then confirm your identity by asking you to enter a code that has been sent to your smartphone or e-mail address.

This extra step deters hackers (they’d need to know your usual password and also possess your phone or access your email account). Also, you’ll be informed if an intruder attempts to log in with your password. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Virginia

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❏ Ashby Ponds (See ads on pages 21) ❏ Birchwood at Brambleton (See ad on page 11) ❏ Chesterbrook Residences (See ad on page 12) ❏ Culpepper Garden (See ad on page 20) ❏ Falcons Landing (See ad on page 23) ❏ Greenspring (See ad on page 21) ❏ Gum Springs Glen (See ad on page 6) ❏ Herndon Harbor House (See ad on page 6) ❏ Lockwood House (See ad on page 6) ❏ Morris Glen (See ad on page 6) ❏ Overture Fair Ridge (See ad on page 9) ❏ Paul Spring Retirement Community (See ad on page 26) ❏ Tall Oaks Assisted Living (See ad on page 20) ❏ Waltonwood (See ad on page 22) ❏ Wingler House (See ad on page 6)

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❏ Aspenwood Senior Living (See ad on page 17) ❏ Atrium Assisted Living (See ad on page 12) ❏ Brooke Grove (See ads on pages 19, 36) ❏ Churchill Senior Living (See ad on page 27) ❏ Covenant Village (See ad on page 6) ❏ Emerson House (See ad on page 6) ❏ Gardens of Traville (See ad on page 22) ❏ Homecrest House (See ad on page 28) ❏ Homewood (See ad on page 13) ❏ Kensington Park (See ad on page 10) ❏ Landow House (See ad on page 18) ❏ Maplewood Park Place (See ad on page 13) ❏ Olney Assisted Living (See ad on page 14) ❏ Park View Bladensburg (See ad on page 46) ❏ Park View Columbia (See ad on page 46) ❏ Park View Emerson (See ad on page 46) ❏ Park View Laurel (See ad on page 46) ❏ Riderwood (See ad on page 21) ❏ Springvale Terrace (See ad on page 25) ❏ The Village at Rockville (See ad on page 14) ❏ Victory Crossing (See ad on page 49)

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See LINKS & APPS, page 6

Housing Communities

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A slew of apps and other online services have appeared to help city dwellers and travelers across the country find [reserve and pay in advance for] parking in crowded urban areas.

Washington, D.C. is one of six cities that have the most demand for residential parking, according to Michael Rosenbaum, CEO and founder of spacer.com — a site that matches up those with parking to spare and those in need of a spot. You pay through the app.

Another service, SpotHero.com, lists parking spaces — mainly excess vacancies in hotel garages — in the United States and Canada. Listings also include offerings of space in home garages or driveways.

Park Whiz is another source for shortor long-term parking spaces. It’s designed

For free materials on housing communities and health studies, just complete and clip this coupon and mail it to the Beacon.

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Connecting with others who share similar diseases or challenges as yourself can help you feel less alone and offer coping tips.

The new website, aGroupForME, makes it easier to join a wide range of support groups, including ones that address addiction, depression, cancer, divorce and PTSD. There is currently no charge to use the service Using group video technology, aGroupForME matches and then connects people sharing the same issues and concerns for ongoing, scheduled support group sessions online. The groups are hosted by vetted moderators, scheduled on a weekly basis, limited to 12 members at any one time, and are accessible on any device.

The founder, Dr. Gina Ghods, a doctor of psychology, started aGroupForME after leading an Alzheimer’s Association support group in New York for eight years.

While there, she noticed the difficulties and challenges people encountered to attend meetings.

Transportation issues, dependent care

The search for parking made easier

MAIL OR FAX FOR FREE INFORMATION

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Online video support groups

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FREE INFORMATION ★ FREE INFORMATION ★ FREE INFORMATION ★

By Barbara Ruben

struggles, finding the right group and other obstacles inspired her to build an online community where anyone can connect to the right support group, at a time and place that works best for them. http://agroupforme.com

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Beacon Links & Apps

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Affordable Senior Communities Discover how great senior living is at one of our affordable apartment communities. Many of our communities feature 24-hour emergency maintenance, full activities programs, spacious floor plans, affordable rents, caring and dedicated staff, and much more. We are conveniently located near shopping, including grocery stores and pharmacies. Let us help you live life to the fullest.

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Links & Apps From page 5 to work with Amazon Alexa, so spaces can be reserved via voice commands.

Parkingcupid.com, yet another service linking those with parking spaces to those in need of them, also features a sample rental lease to give some legal protection to both parties.

On the other side of the steering wheel, residents could make extra income from renting out their spaces. But experts warn that before you put your city parking space up for rent, you should check building rules.

Many condo and apartment buildings don’t allow residents to rent out parking spots to people who don’t live in the building, especially when entry to the parking garage is secured and leads directly inside the building.

Detached garages tend to have fewer regulations about parking space rentals. www.spacer.com https://spothero.com www.parkwhiz.com www.parkingcupid.com

Workouts for the heart and soul Heart and Soul HASfit offers hundreds of free, full-length online workout videos for all levels. Most feature two down-to-

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Stores’ floors From page 4

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shopping at the Shops of Grand Avenue mall in Milwaukee, said he wasn’t bothered by the idea of stores tracking foot traffic and buying habits.

“If that’s helping the retailer as far as tracking what sells and what no, I think it’s a good idea,” Lenon said.

earth trainers, merely identified as Coach Kozak and Claudia.

While Kozak demonstrates the exercises, from high intensity training to weight training, Claudia shows how to do modified versions for those who are less fit or can’t keep up.

There are many ways to access Hasfit.

You can watch the videos on the website, view them through their YouTube channel (so you can watch them on your smart TV), or see them on your smartphone through apps for both iPhones and Android. http://hasfit.com http://bit.ly/hasfit-youtube Free in the iPhone app store and from Google Play

Homes on wheels RV owners can traverse the country with all the comforts of home just behind the driver’s seat.

The website Your RV Lifestyle includes dozens of articles on choosing RVs, costs, campgrounds and more. There’s even information about the best RV toilets and heaters, as well as RVs listed for sale.

But beware, the site is chock full of ads.

You will need to scroll halfway down the home page to get to links to the articles. www.your-rv-lifestyle.com These technologies have not become ubiquitous in the U.S. yet, but it’s only a matter of time, said Ghose Anindya, a business professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business.

“In a couple of years, this kind of conversation will be like part and parcel of everyday life. But I don’t think we’re there yet,” he said.

— AP

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Ongoing

D.C. Public Libraries offers free computer classes with hands-on training for adults. The majority of the scheduled computer classes are conducted at Library Express at 1990 K St. NW, Washington, D.C. Classes are generally offered on a walk-in basis (no registration required, first-come, firstserved), and seats are limited to workstations that accommodate 12 participants.

The sign-in process begins one-half hour before each class begins. There are six overflow seats for customers who want to observe the class but will not have access to a workstation during the class. Overflow customers must also sign in and are free to bring their laptops. For more information and a list of classes, visit www.dclibrary.org/services/computer.

Ongoing

www.qpmgmt.com Professionally managed by Quantum Real Estate Management LLC T/A Quantum Property Management

PICK YOUR TECH CLASSES

The Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center is asking for recommendations for technology classes to provide to its members. Senior Planet Montgomery is planning to bring more technology-based courses in the Spring of 2018, but they want your input. Options include iPad Basics, Beyond the Basics: Internet as a Daily Resource, Social Media, and Money Matters.

To submit your answers, take the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/mssc2018.

5101 River Road, Suite 101 • Bethesda, MD 20816

301-941-8040

FREE TECH CLASSES

Mar. 29

PODCAST LOVERS

Arlington County has formed a podcast followers group. Veteran listeners and newbies will download and listen to various programs, then discuss them as a group. The group functions like a book club, but based on podcasts. The group will meet on Thursday, March 29 from 1 to 2 p.m. at Langton Brown Senior Center, 2121 N. Culpepper St. For more information, call (703) 228-4403.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

Age-Friendly Montgomery “I’m inviting you to enjoy our County’s resources and programs.”

County Executive Ike Leggett

Montgomery County Homeowners & Renters with Modest Income May Be Eligible for a Tax Credit Homeowners Property Tax Credit: Homeowners may qualify for a credit that reduces their property tax bill if they own their home, the household income is $60,000 or less, and assets are less than about $200,000 (not including the value of your home or retirement savings.)

• Call 1-800-944-7403 to request an application or print one out online: www.dat.maryland.gov/SDAT%20 Forms/HTC-60.pdf Then fill out the form, include supporting documents, and mail it to the address provided.

• Send your application by September 1; you can submit as early as February.

• Taxpayers age 70 or older can file retroactive applications for the past three years.

• The property tax program is managed by Maryland and enhanced by Montgomery County. And, for Montgomery County homeowners age 65 or older who qualify, the credit will be 50% larger due to a supplement provided by Montgomery County.

• Learn more: www.dat.maryland.gov/realproperty/ Pages/Homeowners%27-Property-Tax-CreditProgram.aspx

Renters Tax Credit: If they meet the income requirements, renters with household income up to $73,000 may qualify for a tax credit (receive a check) if they are either age 60 or older; 100% disabled; or, under age 60 with children under age 18.

• Request an application: Call 1-800-944-7403 or print one out online www.dat.maryland.gov/SDAT%20 Forms/RTC-60.pdf Then fill out the form, include supporting documents, and mail it to the address provided.

• Applications are due September 1; it’s good to file early.

• Montgomery County’s Renters Tax Credit is managed by Maryland and enhanced by Montgomery County. Renters who qualify will receive one check from Maryland and another from Montgomery County. Checks from Montgomery County are mailed once a year, in January. Learn more: www. montgomerycountymd.gov/Finance/renter.html Note: Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs is ensuring the safety of rental housing by inspecting a sample of each multifamily rental property in the County by July 2019. If you have any concerns, call “311” or 240-777-0311 to learn how Montgomery County can provide renters free, confidential, anonymous help with ensuring housing safety, mediating conflicts, and advocating for tenants.

Contact Us Today

• Aging & Disability Resource Line 240-777-3000

• 3-1-1 or 240-777-0311 for County programs and services; 9-1-1 for emergency • www.montgomerycountymd.gov/senior

• “Seniors Today” airs on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. on Comcast/RCN 6, Verizon 30

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Health Fitness &

FIND YOUR POWER HOUR Your mental energy peaks at the same time each day; make the most of it YOUR DIABETES TEAM Many specialists, from endocrinologists to dietitians, keep diabetics healthy FREEDOM OF SPEECH Speech therapy can often help people who have suffered a stroke ALLERGY EARLY ACTION PLAN Start treatment, such as a corticosteroid nasal spray, before spring

Wishes don’t come true by themselves Family, doctors need to know what you want

By Mary Kane, As a nurse, Kim Von Asten of Dousman, Wis., knows it’s important to document how you want to be cared for at the end of your life, or when you can no longer speak for yourself because of a major illness or accident. She has seen too many families agonizing at a hospital bedside, trying to decide whether a loved one would want to be taken off life support.

But a few years ago, she realized she had multiple copies of her own advance directive “just laying around the house.” During routine visits, her doctor would ask if she had one. “I’d say, ‘Well, they’re at home somewhere, and I have no idea where I put them.

Just give me another copy,’” said Von Asten, 52.

“Then I’d fill out that copy and who knows where I’d end up putting it. I finally thought to myself, if something ever did happen to me, I couldn’t find them, and my family would never be able to find them, either.”

Share your wishes Like Von Asten, you may think you’ve done your duty by filling out an advance directive listing your preferences for end-of-

life care — such as whether you want aggressive treatment or just pain management — and naming a relative or family friend as a healthcare agent to express your wishes.

But that may not be enough. You still need to make sure your paperwork will translate into reality. That means ensuring that your family fully understands your wishes, updating your directive regularly, and making the document easily accessible to those who need it.

“People think that, ‘Well, because my family knows what I want, I’m covered,’” said Judith Schwarz, clinical director of End of Life Choices New York, an advocacy and counseling agency. “But that’s often not the case at all.”

If you haven’t created an advance directive or named a healthcare proxy, or your loved ones can’t find your directive in an emergency, you run a higher risk that your wishes won’t be honored.

“Once you get caught up in the treatment train, it’s hard to get off,” Schwarz said. In an emergency room, she said, “the default position is to treat first and ask questions later.”

Fill out the forms now If you don’t already have an advance directive, create one now — and share it widely.

An advance directive, which usually refers to a living will and a healthcare power of attorney, should document your preferences for medical treatment in an accident or at the end of your life, plus name a healthcare agent to make decisions on your behalf if you’re incapacitated.

You can download advance directive forms specific to your state from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization at http://bit.ly/advance-directive-forms.

When you’ve completed your advance directive, make multiple copies, said Schwarz.

Give them to family members and all the providers on your medical team. Keep your copies where they can be easily located.

Paramedics often are trained to check a refrigerator door for a do-not-resuscitate order — so if you have one, tape it there.

“Your documents are like nuggets of gold to caregivers left wondering, ‘How do I do this well?,’” said Paul Malley, president of Aging with Dignity, a nonprofit that advocates for end-of-life planning. “You want to tell as many people as possible that you’ve

made your decisions, and where your records are kept.”

If you’re a caregiver for someone who is seriously ill or frail, ask a healthcare provider about a “physician order for life sustaining treatment,” or POLST, form, in addition to an advance directive.

The POLST form is a medical order created with a healthcare provider so that medical personnel know someone’s wishes in an emergency situation. Your loved one can specify if he or she wants resuscitation or other life-sustaining treatment, hospitalization, comfort care or something in between.

In Virginia, you can download the forms at https://www.virginiapost.org. Washington, D.C.’s POLST forms are still in development at the District of Columbia Dept. of Health.

Maryland’s version of POLST is called MOLST, for “medical orders for life-sustaining treatment.” It is the same sort of directive and can be found at http://marylandmolst.org/index.html.

Discuss with family Make sure your loved ones are clear See WISHES, page 9

Do men suffer more, or just kvetch more?

By Dr. Robert Shmerling Q: Do men really suffer more with the flu than women?

A: I’d never heard of “man flu,” but according to a new study of the topic, the term is so ubiquitous that it has been included in the Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries as “a cold or similar minor ailment as experienced by a man who is regarded as exaggerating the severity of the symptoms.”

As commonly used, the term “man flu” could describe a man who develops a cold or flu and then embellishes the severity of their symptoms, quickly adopts a helpless “patient role,” and relies heavily on others to help them until they recover.

Another possibility is that men actually experience more severe symptoms from respirator y viral illnesses than women do.

Men and women do differ There are other examples of differences in how men and women experience disease. For example, with heart attacks or angina, men tend to have “classic” crushing chest pain, while women are more likely to have “atypical” symptoms such as nausea or shortness of breath.

Here are the highlights from the new study on man flu: • Influenza vaccination tends to cause more local (skin) and systemic (bodywide) reactions and better antibody response in women. A better antibody response may lessen the severity of flu, so it’s possible that vaccinated men get more severe symptoms than women because they don’t respond to vaccination as well.

• In test tube studies of nasal cells infected with influenza, exposure to the female hormone estradiol reduces the immune re-

sponse when the cells came from women, but not in cells from men. Since flu symptoms are in large part due to the body’s immune reaction, a lessened immune response in women may translate to milder symptoms.

• In at least one study, men were hospitalized with the flu more often than women. Another reported more deaths among men than women due to flu.

Together, these findings suggest that there may be more to “man flu” than just men exaggerating their symptoms or unnecessarily behaving helplessly. While the evidence is not definitive, they suggest that the flu may, in fact, be more severe in men.

The bottom line Diseases can look different in men and women. That’s true of coronary artery disease. It’s true of osteoporosis, lupus and depression. And it may be true of the flu.

So I agree with the author of this new report, who states “...the concept of man flu, as commonly defined, is potentially unjust.” We need a better understanding of how the flu affects men and women and why it may affect them differently.

Until then, we should all do what we can to prevent the flu and limit its spread. Getting the flu vaccination, good handwashing, and avoiding others while sick are good first steps. And they’re the same regardless of your gender.

Robert H. Shmerling, M.D., is associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and clinical chief of rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. For additional consumer health information, visit www.health.harvard.edu. © 2018 President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

Wishes From page 8 about your wishes and that they are willing to carry them out.

Start by holding a family conversation that includes as many people as possible, including adult grandchildren, said Marian Grant, a palliative care nurse practitioner and senior regulatory adviser with the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care, a Washington, D.C., advocacy group.

State your preferences: Do you want to be kept alive on a ventilator? Are you willing to live in a nursing home?

Once you’ve shared your preferences, ask a trusted relative or friend to be your healthcare agent. Select someone who can handle the task, and discuss it with them in depth.

“The appointment is only as good as the conversation,” Schwarz said. “What you want is someone who will assume the significant responsibility, and decide as you would want, rather than as the daughter who doesn’t want her mom to die.”

Store in a safe place Next, ensure your documents will be accessible when they’re needed. Despite technological advances, you can’t assume your paperwork will be recorded electronically with your medical records or shared with your doctors.

Methods for storing directives vary by state and by hospital system. In many cases, you’ll need to physically present your paperwork. Keep a copy in your wallet or car, or download it onto your phone.

You can store your directive electronically at the U.S. Living Will Registry (www.uslivingwillregistry.com) or DocuBank (www.docubank.com), and allow healthcare providers to access it.

Or create and store an advance care plan using MyDirectives, a free online

service. You can use it to notify your healthcare agent, and he or she can accept or decline the responsibility.

You can also share a link to your plan with caregivers and relatives. Von Asten decided to use MyDirectives because she could better organize her documents and keep them in one place.

To be sure your wishes are honored, you or your health proxy also will need to be proactive — double-checking with surgeons, nurses and paramedics to be sure they have your directive or other documents in hand through every phase of your treatment.

In one instance, a daughter discovered that her father’s advance directive failed to accompany him when he was moved to a different hospital floor, said Malley.

Sabatino, an elder law expert with the American Bar Association, on when to update. He suggests using the “five Ds”: a new decade of life, death of a family member, divorce, new diagnosis or a medical decline.

[While you’re planning ahead, also see,

9

“Talk to your kids about their inheritance,” on page 38, about the importance of discussing with children the tax-related consequences of inheriting different types of assets.] © 2018, Kiplinger. All Rights Reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Mar. 26

EYE EXAM TALK Eye exams aren’t only for people with poor vision — they are an

important way to find problems before symptoms show up. Learn how to take an active role and partner with your doctor at the free Vision Support meeting on Monday, March 26 from noon to 1 p.m. Clete Clark, operations manager at Washington Eye Physicians and Surgeons, will provide useful tips and communication strategies for working together with your eye care professional, from how to prepare for your appointment, what happens during the visit, and what to expect

Update as needed

before you leave the office. Everyone is welcome. A light lunch is included. For

Update your directive regularly, and give a copy to all those who had the prior version. And follow the advice of Charles

more information or to register, call (301) 656-2797.

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

How to find and use your best time of day

By Mirel Ketchiff Most people’s mental energy is a roller coaster, said Chris Bailey, the author of The Productivity Project. “There are certain hours when you naturally have much more drive than at other times,” he said.

The tricky thing is that the time of day when mental energy peaks is different for everyone.

Fortunately, your highs tend to occur at

about the same times every day, so you can learn to plan your schedule around them and maximize your productivity.

Here’s how to take advantage of your personal power hour: 1. Pinpoint your peak productivity hour.

Pay close attention to the times you feel inspired to dive into small and easily completed tasks, like going through your

BEACON BITS

Mar. 19

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FORUM

Arlington is holding its annual community engagement forum on aging issues on Monday, March 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Dept of Human Services, 2100 Washington Blvd., Arlington, Va. The forum will feature a panel presentation of key stakeholders, followed by breakout sessions that focus on core areas in aging. Free parking and light refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact Rachel Coates at RCoates@arlingtonva.us or (703) 228-1727.

inbox or organizing your desk, suggested David Gard, Ph.D., the director of the Motivation and Emotion Research Laboratory at San Francisco State University.

Taking on simple to-dos indicates you’re craving a sense of accomplishment, which is a sign that your motivation is starting to peak. Track your productivity for a few days in a row and you should notice a pattern.

2. Next, choose just one challenge to conquer.

Your instinct may be to get as many things done as possible when your motivation is high. But it’s actually more efficient to work on one task that requires sustained energy and focus.

More ambitious tasks may be daunting at first, but they’re ultimately more motivating.

Plus, over time your brain will start to associate your power hour with achievement, which will make you even more productive.

Kensington Park Spring Speaker Series — An Exploration of Various Aspects of Health & Wellness Across the Globe — You are invited to our annual hallmark speaker series, geared to encourage seniors and community members to live independently, with choice and dignity.

Our keynote speakers will address ways to enrich your life and relationships while staying safe and healthy.

A brief Q&A follows each presentation.

On the 2nd Thursday of April, May & June All presentations: 2:00pm Refreshments and social: 3:00-4:30pm At the Woman’s Club of Bethesda 5500 Sonoma Road, Bethesda, MD 20817 FREE ADMISSION RSVP & reservations required Call (301) 946-7700 or email Heather Flattery at hflattery@kensingtonsl.com

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Blue Zones: Live Longer, Better Dave Tsang, life coach and retired executive, shares the secrets of Blue Zones, places with high concentrations of centenarians living remarkably long, full lives. Learn how implementing simple, powerful habits and creating the right community can improve well-being and add years of robust living.

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Mindfulness & Gratitude, Do They Work?

Dr. Anthony Ahrens, Director of The Emotions and Positive Psychology Lab, leads an introspective discussion about the possible connection of mindfulness and gratitude to health and well-being. Gain a better understanding of the different ways and degrees that these practices might impact your life.

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Go Take a Hike!

Mike Grant, former National Park Service Ranger, takes a look at the historical significance of parks. Discover interesting facts about walkable communities and hiking locales in the D.C. area. Learn how technology and a few easy “steps” can enhance your outings.

(301) 946-7700 3620 Littledale Road, Kensington, MD 20895 | www.KensingtonParkSeniorLiving.com INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE

3. Prime your brain to concentrate.

A ritual — like writing a to-do list or taking a walk — right before your power hour can help strengthen your brain’s natural increase in focus.

“It’s classical conditioning. After practicing the same behavior for several weeks, that activity can cue your mind to get ready for a productive work period,” Gard said.

Exercise is an especially powerful cue.

“My studies have shown that your ability to focus your attention is improved for up to two hours after a single 50-minute workout session,” said Wendy Suzuki, Ph.D., a professor of neural science and psychology at New York University and the author of Healthy Brain, Happy Life.

4. Set yourself up for success.

“Before you begin a project, break it down into exaggeratedly small steps,” Gard advised.

If you’re working on a presentation, for instance, step one might be to open PowerPoint and get your document cued up and ready to go. If you’ll be batch-cooking, assemble all your ingredients and preheat the oven.

Getting all the necessary prep work out of the way beforehand lets you dive right in to the tough stuff. Then, eliminate any potential distractions — your phone, your inbox, noisy co-workers — and get to work.

5. Finish strong.

To kick your motivation into high gear to complete your project, take a mini-break halfway through.

“After 20 to 25 minutes, your productivity is shot. But you can cultivate and prolong your energy by taking frequent breaks. And no, checking your in-box doesn’t count,” Gard added.

“It’s better to get out of your environment,” he said. “If you’re at your desk, get up and visit a co-worker for five minutes.

Afterward, you’ll be primed to finish what you started.”

Ketchiff is health editor at shape.com.

SHAPE magazine is dedicated to helping you live a healthy and happy life. Online at www.shape.com. © 2018 Meredith Corporation. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Mar. 16+

HEALTH TALKS

Virginia Hospital Center presents a series of health talks, including “Speak at Your Own Funeral” on Friday, March 16; “Make Your Kids Pay — or not: Strategies to Afford Longevity” on Friday, April 20; and “Can You Utilize Military Benefits?” on Friday, May 18. All talks are from 11 a.m. to noon and are free, but RSVP is required. The hospital is located at 601 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington, Va. For more information or to RSVP, call (703) 558-6859.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

B I R C H W O O D AT B R A M B L E T O N W H E R E

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And the homes are just as exciting with never before built condominiums, courtyard homes, villas and bungalows by Miller & Smith, Van Metre Homes and Winchester Homes.

Located in award-winning Brambleton, in the heart of Loudoun County, Birchwood is within easy access to Loudoun County Parkway, Rt. 50, Rt. 7 and the Dulles Toll Road. The Nation’s Capital is only 25 miles away and Dulles International Airport is just 10 miles away. And if that weren’t convenient enough, the new Metro rail extension to Rt. 772 (Ryan Road) is just around the corner and is projected to be completed in 2020.

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Health Shorts Flu increases risk of heart attack As if the flu wasn’t bad enough already: Researchers have confirmed that flu sharply increases the risk of heart attack for older people.

Doctors have long known that flu can trigger heart problems. It’s one of the reasons flu shots are recommended for nearly everyone.

A new Canadian study found that risk was six times higher in the first week after flu is diagnosed, compared to the year before and after the bug hits. Unlike previous studies, the researchers used lab tests to make sure people suspected of having the flu really did.

“It’s a much more rigorous study that allows us to make a much more specific link between flu infection and heart issues,” said Richard Webby, a prominent flu researcher at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. He was not involved in the research.

Results were published in the New Eng-

M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

land Journal of Medicine. The researchers reviewed more than five years of hospital and lab records in Ontario. They found 332 mostly elderly people who had a positive flu test and had suffered a heart attack within a year. There was one strong pattern: 20 had a heart attack within a week of getting the flu. Six died.

“The increased risk was only in that first week,” said lead author Dr. Jeffrey Kwong of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto.

How does flu — a respiratory ailment with a fever, cough and aches — trigger a heart attack?

Flu can cause swelling or inflammation in the coronary arteries, which can shake loose plaque and cause blockages, cutting off blood flow.

“That’s the main culprit,” said Dr. Mohammad Madjid, a cardiologist and flu researcher at Houston’s University of Texas Health Science Center.

Adding to that is the strain that flu and other viral infections place on alreadyweakened hearts. Lung infections make it harder for people to breathe, so the heart has to pump harder to get oxygenated blood out to every part of the body.

Flu wasn’t the only viral infection that

fell into the same week pattern, the study found. The researchers found the risk of heart attack was about more than three times higher with respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and nearly three times higher for a grab bag collection of germs that include the common cold.

Breast cancer therapies and heart risk Save your life but harm your heart?

Health experts are sounding a warning as potential side effects of a growing number of breast cancer treatments come to light.

In its first statement on the topic, the American Heart Association recently said women should consider carefully the risks and benefits of any therapies that may hurt hearts. Not all treatments carry these risks, and there may be ways to minimize or avoid some.

Some treatments for other types of cancer may pose heart risks, but they are growing more common for breast cancer See HEALTH SHORTS, page 13

BEACON BITS

Mar. 6+

HEALTHY EATING HABITS March is National Nutrition Month, and to celebrate, Virginia

Cooperative Extension experts will be conducting cooking demonstrations using Immediately available: Ask about our Two Bedroom floorplans with a view!

various materials and topics throughout Arlington. They will use spring herbs and greens on Tuesday, March 6 at 11 a.m. at Langston-Brown Senior Center, 2121 N Culpeper St.; green vegetables on Monday, March 12 at 11 a.m. at Walter Reed Senior Center, 2909 S. 16th St., and have the topic “Staying Hydrated”

KEEP CALM AND

CALL CHESTERBROOK RESIDENCES

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on Monday, March 19 at 1 p.m. at Aurora Hills Senior Center, 735 S. 18th St. There will be free samples and recipes. For more information or to register, call (703) 228-4721.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

Health shorts From page 12 patients and the statement addressed only that form of the disease.

Among the problems: Herceptin and similar drugs for a specific type of breast cancer can cause heart failure. Sometimes it’s temporary and goes away if treatment is stopped, but it can be permanent.

Radiation can affect arteries and spur narrowing or blockages. Other drugs can lead to abnormal heart rhythms or artery spasms, which can cause chest pain and possibly lead to a heart attack. Still others can damage DNA. Some research suggests that powerful new drugs that harness the immune system to fight cancer may, in rare cases, cause heart damage, especially when used together.

Side effects of various treatments can include abnormal rhythms, valve problems or heart failure, where the heart slowly weakens and can’t pump effectively. Symptoms may not appear until long after treatment ends.

If heart failure develops early during breast cancer treatment, sometimes therapy can be slowed down or altered.

Certain chemotherapies such as doxorubicin, sold as Adriamycin and in generic form, might be less risky if given more slowly, rather than all at once. Some research suggests that a drug called dexra-

zoxane may minimize damage if given to women with advanced breast cancer who are getting high doses of doxorubicin.

What can patients do? Women should make sure doctors are monitoring their heart before, during and after breast cancer treatment.

The diseases share many common risk factors such as obesity, smoking and too little exercise, so reducing these can also help.

Safer option than saline IVs New research calls into question what’s in those IV bags that nearly every hospitalized patient gets. Using a different intravenous fluid instead of the usual saline greatly reduced the risk of death or kidney damage, two large studies have found.

The difference could mean 50,000 to 70,000 fewer deaths, and 100,000 fewer cases of kidney failure, each year in the U.S., researchers estimate. Some doctors are hoping the results will persuade more hospitals to switch.

“We’ve been sounding the alarm for 20 years” about possible harms from saline, said Dr. John Kellum, a critical care specialist at the University of Pittsburgh. “It’s purely inertia” that prevents a change, he said.

Kellum had no role in the studies, which

were discussed at a critical care conference in San Antonio and published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Federal grants helped pay for the work.

IVs are one of the most common things in healthcare. They are used to prevent dehydration, maintain blood pressure, or give patients medicines or nutrients if they can’t eat.

Saline — salt dissolved in water — has been the most widely used fluid in the U.S. for more than a century even as evidence has emerged that it can harm kidneys, especially when used a lot.

Other IV solutions — called balanced fluids — include saline, but also contain potassium and other things that make them more like plasma, the clear part of blood. Balanced fluids are widely used in Europe and Australia.

The studies involved 28,000 patients at

13

Vanderbilt University who were given IVs of saline or a balanced fluid. For every 100 people on balanced fluids, there was one fewer death or severe kidney problem.

Since there are about 30 million people hospitalized in the U.S. alone each year, “there are tens or hundreds of thousands of patients who would be spared death or severe kidney problems by using balanced fluids instead of saline,” said one study leader, Vanderbilt’s Dr. Matthew Semler.

After seeing the results two months ago, Vanderbilt hospital officials decided to primarily use balanced fluids. The University of Pittsburgh also has largely switched to them, Kellum said.

The fluids cost about the same — a dollar or two per IV — and many suppliers make both types, so switching should not be hard or expensive, doctors said.

— AP

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

New approach to treating brain diseases

By Lauran Neergaard Scientists have created a hair-thin implant that can drip medications deep into the brain by remote control and with pinpoint precision.

Tested only in animals so far, if the device pans out it could mark a new approach to treating brain diseases — potentially reducing side effects by targeting only the hard-to-reach circuits that need care.

“You could deliver things right to where you want, no matter the disease,” said Robert Langer, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology whose biomedical engineering team reported the research recently.

Stronger and safer treatments are need-

ed for brain disorders ranging from depression to Parkinson’s. Simply getting medications inside the brain, past what’s called the blood-brain barrier, is a hurdle.

It’s even harder to reach its deepest structures.

Pills and IV drugs that make it inside trigger side effects as they wash over entire regions of the brain. So doctors have tried inserting tubes into the brain to pump drugs closer to their targets, but that risks infection and still isn’t accurate enough.

The most targeted success to date is a cancer treatment, a wafer placed on the site of a surgically removed brain tumor that oozes out chemotherapy.

Targeted drug delivery The MIT team’s next-generation approach: a customizable deep-brain implant that can deliver varying doses of more than one drug on demand.

The researchers constructed two ultrathin medication tubes and slid them into a stainless steel needle that’s about the diameter of a human hair. That needle, built as long as needed to reach the right spot, gets inserted through a hole in the skull into the desired brain circuitry.

An electrode on the tip provides feedback, monitoring how the electrical activity of targeted neurons change as the medication is delivered.

The needle is hooked to two small, programmable pumps that hold the medications. The plan: Thread the pumps somewhere under the skin for a fully implantable system, dubbed MiNDS for miniaturized neural drug delivery system.

The pumps can be refilled with an injection, and if more than two drugs are needed, additional reservoirs could be added, like in a printer ink cartridge, Langer said.

Tested in rats and monkeys Lab rats gave MiNDS its first test. Researchers implanted the needle into a movement-related brain region that Parkinson’s disease damages.

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To mimic that disease, the implant dripped out a chemical that made the rats move abnormally, including repeatedly turning clockwise. Next, the researchers turned off that chemical and infused saline through the system’s second channel, ending the Parkinson’s-like behavior, MIT lead author Canan Dagdeviren reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Another experiment in a monkey showed delivering that same chemical into a different region altered how the targeted brain cells fire.

“There’s a lot of therapeutic potential for this,” said Tracy Cui, a bioengineering professor at the University of Pittsburgh.

She wasn’t involved with the MIT study. but also is developing this kind of technology.

Numerous groups are working on implants to deliver neurologic drugs in different ways, Cui noted. While additional testing is needed before such a system could be tried in people, she said these kinds of tools are important for research thanks to the feedback showing how neurons react to different compounds.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. MIT has applied for a patent.

— AP

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

The most meaningful words to describe Holy Cross Germantown Hospital are:

Your Very Own.

Ashley Chooses Innovative Breast Reconstructio n S urgery When Ashley Lindstrom made the difficult decision to have a double mastectomy to reduce her inherited risk of developing breast cancer, she also had to decide whether to have breast reconstruction surgery, and if so, what type was right for her. When she learned that it was possible to have her breasts reconstructed with her own tissue, Ashley chose to have an innovative surgery at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital that would reduce her breast cancer risk and reconstruct her breasts in a single procedure.

“I lost my mother to breast cancer, and I want to be here for my daughter for the long term,” said Ashley. “Knowing there was a reconstruction technique that felt and looked more natural made that decision easier.”

The Latest in Breast Reconstruction “Today we have state-of-the-art surgical techniques for breast reconstruction that no longer require tissue expanders or implants,” said Stephane Corriveau, MD, plastic surgeon, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital and Holy Cross Hospital. “Breast reconstruction can be performed for patients like Ashley, who are having surgery to prevent breast cancer. But it also can be performed successfully on patients who have had a mastectomy months, years or even decades ago, as well as on patients who had an ineffective reconstruction in the past.”

Ashley’s surgery began with a double mastectomy, removing 95 percent of her breast tissue, then her breasts were reconstructed with tissue taken from her abdomen. A multidisciplinary team led

“At Holy Cross, we value collaborative work, and work together regularly – not only the surgeons, but the radiologists, pathologists and operating room nurses and technicians,” Dr. Conrad said.

“This collaborative atmosphere allows us to excel at complex surgical procedures like this one and create great outcomes for patients like Ashley.”

“I loved my surgeons, the staff at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital was wonderful, and the hospital is a beautiful new facility located near my home,” said Ashley.

Giving Ashley Peace of Mind Ashley was discharged from the hospital only four days after her surgery. “We were able to achieve a good aesthetic result without compromising the cancer risk reduction operation, and Ashley has recovered very well,” said Dr. Corriveau.

by four surgeons worked together to perform the procedure. First, George Conrad, MD, general surgeon, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital and Holy Cross Hospital, assisted by Suryanarayana Siram, MD, general surgeon, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital and Holy Cross Hospital, completed the double mastectomy.

“I’m so thankful that I was able to get this procedure done. I am very happy with the results, and have peace of mind knowing I’ve done all I can to be there for my daughter. I encourage anyone with a family history of breast cancer to have genetic testing done, and I would recommend this procedure to anyone who is at high risk of developing breast cancer.”

Next, the plastic surgery team began the reconstruction process, led by Dr. Corriveau and assisted by Ali Al-Attar, MD, plastic surgeon, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital and Holy Cross Hospital. The team carefully isolated tissue from the abdomen, including all of the blood vessels that fed the tissue, as well as some muscle, fat and skin. Next, Dr. Corriveau reconnected the tissue’s blood vessels to blood vessels inside the ribs using microsurgical techniques. Throughout the procedure, a doppler probe measured the blood flow through the vessels.

Dr. Corriveau agrees: “Women who have been told that they are not candidates for breast reconstruction should revisit this conversation with a plastic surgeon. They might be surprised to find there are better options available now than at any time in the past.”

This microsurgical breast reconstruction approach results in a more natural look and feel than a prosthetic implant, but can also be performed in conjunction with an implant depending on the need.

Learn more about Holy Cross Health’s breast care at HolyCrossHealth.org/ BreastCenter, and join our experts for a free breast health event on April 26 (details below).

U P C O M I N G F R E E E V E N T S AT H O LY C R O S S G E R M A N T O W N H O S P I TA L Held at 19801 Observation Dr., Germantown, MD 20876. To register, call 301-754-8800 or visit HolyCrossHealth.org.

March 21

March 22

April 26

STROKE SUPPORT GROUP

IMPROVING YOUR DIGESTIVE HEALTH

BREAST HEALTH & DISEASE

For stroke survivors and caregivers to help gain resources to navigate daily living, learn from the experiences of others, access coping insights from experts, and share hope and encouragement. Held on the third Wednesday of the month from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m.

Learn about issues that may be impacting your life, such as heartburn, indigestion, bloating and constipation, as well as advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract and abdominal organs. Panelists include Halim Charbel, MD, Gastroenterology; and Rami Makhoul, MD, Colorectal Surgery. Held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Learn about maintaining breast health, screening recommendations, the latest breast cancer treatments and breast reconstruction. Panelists include Christopher Boyd, MD, General Surgery; Ali Al-Attar, MD, Plastic Surgery; Anu Gupta, MD, Radiation Oncology; James Xu, MD, Hematology; and Mary McCarthy, RN, Nurse Navigator. Held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Have diabetes? Use a team of specialists

By Matt Petersen Diabetes is a complicated condition. It doesn’t just affect your blood glucose level and insulin sensitivity; it affects every part of your body — from your mind to your stomach to your toes.

For that reason, people with type 2 diabetes don’t just “go to the doctor.” They go to a team of healthcare professionals, and for people who are newly diagnosed, this can feel a little overwhelming.

At first, you may need to see only your diabetes care provider and a certified diabetes educator. They could be all you need for a long time, or even forever.

But according to the American Diabetes Association’s new book, Managing Type 2 Diabetes For Dummies, it’s a good idea to

learn about the other experts in diabetes care now. That way, you will be prepared should you ever need to visit one of them in the future.

Diabetes care provider This is your go-to person who helps you manage your type 2 diabetes. Your diabetes care provider might be your primary care provider, a family practitioner, internist, or nurse practitioner. A diabetes care provider will give you a yearly physical exam and an A1C test every 3 to 6 months to make sure you are staying healthy.

Certified diabetes educator A certified diabetes educator (CDE) is the other key player on your healthcare team. When you are first diagnosed with

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diabetes, your provider will likely refer you to a certified diabetes educator or a diabetes class taught by one.

They are experts at answering your questions, and make managing your diabetes easier in your everyday life. A CDE can help you develop a plan to eat healthful foods, get physically active, and take your medications.

Endocrinologist An endocrinologist is a physician trained to treat people with hormone imbalances, including diabetes. You may find this training and expertise helpful in managing your diabetes.

Dietitian Dietitians are experts in food and nutrition, and are your best bet for getting the latest info on healthy eating. They can help you reach your health goals like losing weight, reducing sodium, or cutting back on sugar. You may see a dietitian when you’re first diagnosed with diabetes, and then for yearly visits afterward.

Remember, when you have type 2 diabetes, what you eat is critical to your health.

A dietitian is a great person to bounce ideas around with when you’re having trouble reaching your blood glucose targets.

You can also work with your dietitian to create a plan that you will be able to maintain, by incorporating foods that you enjoy and that are a part of your culture and traditions.

Ophthalmologist or optometrist When you have diabetes, your eyes are particularly vulnerable to vision changes and damage because the blood vessels in your eyes can rupture and swell over time.

This is why an eye specialist, such as an ophthalmologist or optometrist, should be part of your healthcare team.

An ophthalmologist is a doctor of medi-

cine who specializes in eye care and eye diseases; an optometrist is an eye doctor with a doctor of optometry degree (OD) who diagnoses vision changes and disease, and does sight testing and correction.

When you are first diagnosed with diabetes, it’s important to have a comprehensive, dilated eye exam by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. After that, you should get an exam every one to two years, depending on your sight and diabetes care.

Luckily, you can prevent or delay blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy with early detection and treatment. An eye specialist can diagnose damage in your eyes even though you may not notice any vision problems on your own. Don’t wait until you notice vision changes to get checked out.

Pharmacist If you have diabetes, you’re probably not just taking one medication, but perhaps a pill for blood glucose, a pill for high blood pressure, and maybe even another pill for cholesterol. The interaction of these medications can impact your body.

This is why your pharmacist should be a key member of your healthcare team. They are experts on medications, including dosage, uses, and how the drugs interact.

Your pharmacist can tell you how often and how much medicine to take, and its potential side effects. They can also tell you how new prescriptions will affect your current medication.

Dentist and dental hygienist People with diabetes may be more susceptible to mouth and gum infections caused by elevated blood glucose. The best way to prevent these infections is to brush twice a day and floss. Also visit a dentist every six months for a teeth cleaning.

See DIABETES, page 17

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

Diabetes From page 16 Be sure to tell your dentist that you have diabetes, and make sure you include it on your paperwork when you check in. And make sure your dentist and hygienist know about any problems you’re having — like dry mouth, bleeding or sensitive gums, or persistent bad breath or bad taste in your mouth.

Exercise physiologist Exercise physiologists are health professionals who help you develop a fitness program. They work directly with you to assess your current health, and come up with an exercise plan that fits your goals.

If you have certain diabetes-related complications, like heart or lung problems, your diabetes care provider may refer you to an exercise physiologist for a stress or fitness test to evaluate your health, pinpoint concerns, and develop a personalized plan for exercise.

Podiatrist People with diabetes often have poor circulation to their feet, and nerve damage, which makes it difficult to feel cuts and sores. This is why a podiatrist — a doctor with specialized training to care for and treat foot problems — is a key part of your healthcare team. They take care of corns, calluses and foot sores to prevent more serious infections.

A podiatrist can show you how to trim your toenails correctly, take care of your

feet daily, and can prescribe and fit you for specialized shoes to make walking and exercising more comfortable.

An important word of advice: Don’t ever ignore or try to treat foot problems on your own. Call your diabetes care provider or your podiatrist if you have changes in feeling such as pain, tingling, numbness, or burning, a puncture wound from stepping on a nail or a thorn, an ulcer, a cut or sore that won’t heal, an infection in a cut or blister, or a red, tender toe.

Mental health specialist Your mind and emotions are just as important as your physical health — in fact, the two are closely entwined. Living with a chronic condition such as diabetes can be exhausting and annoying. It can even lead to conditions such as diabetes burnout, depression and anxiety.

Mental health specialists are trained to help you cope with these sometimes overwhelming thoughts and emotions. There are a wide range of specialists available to meet your needs, including psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, marriage or family therapists, and social workers. Ask your diabetes care provider for a referral or recommendation for a mental health professional.

Nephrologist People suffering from diabetes are more likely to have problems with their kidneys, because high blood glucose can damage blood vessels in these organs.

Your diabetes care provider may recom-

mend you see a kidney doctor, called a nephrologist, to help you keep your kidneys healthy.

The best thing about building your healthcare team is that it’s a reminder that you’re not facing diabetes alone. These experts will guide you every step of the way, and give you the confidence and wisdom to make smart decisions that will keep you healthier longer.

Matt Petersen has directed the American Diabetes Association’s Medical Information and Professional Engagement Department since 2001.

Managing Type 2 Diabetes For Dummies (Wiley, February 2018, ISBN: 978-1-11936329-3, $19.99) is available at bookstores nationwide, from major online booksellers, and direct from the publisher by calling 1800-225-5945.

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Is speech therapy helpful after a stroke?

Dear Mayo Clinic: My mother had a stroke six months ago. Her mobility has returned to near normal. She can read, and understands others when they speak.

But she has a lot of difficulty talking, often struggling to find the words she wants to say. She’s frustrated, but refuses to go to speech therapy. She doesn’t think it will do any good.

What does speech therapy after a stroke involve? Could it help someone like my mother?

Answer: The overall effectiveness of

speech therapy for people who have communication difficulties after a stroke largely depends on the area of the brain the stroke affected and the severity of the brain damage. Generally, speech therapy can help those whose speech is affected by a stroke.

The most common type of stroke is an ischemic stroke, in which the blood supply to part of the brain is reduced significantly or cut off. As a result, brain tissue can’t get the oxygen and nutrients it needs. Within minutes, brain cells start to die.

The brain damage caused by a stroke can lead to a variety of disabilities, includ-

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ing problems with speech and language.

The medical term to describe some of the communication problems that happen due to a stroke is “aphasia.”

There are several kinds of aphasia. The one you describe in your mother’s situation sounds like nonfluent, or Broca’s, aphasia. It occurs when a stroke damages the language network in the left frontal area of the brain.

People with nonfluent aphasia typically can understand what others say, but they have trouble forming complete sentences and putting together the words they want to use.

Nonfluent aphasia, which can be a significant barrier to clear communication, often leads to frustration. Working with a speech-language pathologist can help.

The goal of speech and language therapy for aphasia is to improve communica-

tion by restoring as much language as possible, teaching how to compensate for lost language skills, and learning other methods of communicating.

Group therapy may help Speech-language pathologists (sometimes called speech therapists) use a variety of techniques to improve communication. After initial evaluation by a speechlanguage pathologist, rehabilitation may include working one-on-one with a speechlanguage pathologist, and participating in groups with others who have aphasia.

The group setting can be particularly helpful, because it offers a low-stress environment where people can practice communication skills — such as starting a conversation, speaking in turn and clarifying misunderstandings.

A speech-language pathologist also can direct your mother to resources she can use outside of speech-language therapy sessions, such as computer programs and mobile apps that aid in relearning words and sounds.

Additional communication tips

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Props and communication aids — such as pictures, notecards with common phrases, and a small pad of paper and pen — often are encouraged as part of speech-language rehabilitation, and can improve a person’s ability to convey his or her thoughts.

You, other family members and friends also can help your mother rebuild her communication abilities. Consistently include her in conversations. Give her plenty of time to talk. Don’t finish her sentences for her or correct errors. Keep distractions to a minimum by turning off the TV and other electronic devices while you talk.

Allow time for relaxed conversation.

Recovering language skills can be a slow process. With patience and persistence, however, most people can make significant progress, even if they don’t completely return to the level of function they had before a stroke.

It is important to seek treatment for aphasia because, if left untreated, communication barriers can lead to embarrassment, relationship problems and, in some cases, depression.

Encourage your mother to make an appointment with her healthcare provider to discuss speech-language therapy, and help her find a speech-language pathologist who has experience working with people who have had a stroke.

— Robert D. Brown Jr., M.D., Neurology, and Heather Clark, Ph.D., Speech Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A@ mayo.edu. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org. © 2018 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

march 2018

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All seminars and events will be held at Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, located at 18131 Slade School Road on the Brooke Grove Retirement Village campus, unless otherwise noted. Please register with Toni Davis at 301-388-7209 or tdavis@bgf.org.

Caregiver connection seminar: “The Latest Advances in Dementia Diagnosis and Prevention” TUESDAY, MARCH 13 • 2-3 P.M. The Alzheimer’s Association International Conference attracted researchers from around the world to share discoveries that will lead to improvements in diagnosis, prevention and treatment of those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Join Dr. Tabassum Majid, who attended that event, for an enlightening discussion on those developments.

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Elders and youth can broaden each other In a world where the only constant is change, we are continuously being introduced to new ideas, beliefs, situations and states of mind. As a result, our perspectives are often challenged. And this is true, whether one is a teenager or an older adult.

Growing up is similar to opening your eyes. When you are very little, you are often sheltered from many of the themes and events that are prevalent in the world.

Even if you are exposed to them, the chance that you will be able to understand

what you see is slim.

“When I was younger, I thought everything was just a game,” remarked Northwest High School student Christian Pawlowski, age 17. “When I got older, I learned I had to mature to succeed in the real world.”

Bullis School sophomore Jared Cohen, age 15, agreed: “You’re exposed to more politics and the global picture, and you gain a greater understanding of your place in the world.”

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“These kids are going to make this difAs teens, we are exposed to a great deal more than we used to be — from some- ference because the adults let us down,” said Emma Gonzalez, a stuthing as significant as compredent at the Parkland, Fla., hending current political and school. social events, to just being able to watch PG-13 movies.

This broader view of the Not only teens shift perspective world described by Cohen gr eatly changes the way At the same time, the perteenagers have to think about spectives of older adults on subjects such as technology, life. Along with the ability to be religion and sexual orientaexposed to more, comes the retion, which may have been sponsibility to form your own GENERATIONS formed decades ago, can also opinions regarding those things.

TOGETHER be subject to change.

No longer can you rely on

By Alexis Bentz Jeweler recalled, “At my dinthe training wheels of your famner table, my father would alily’s opinions; it is now your job to apply what you have seen and learned to ways play devil’s advocate, and we’d have determine what your perspective on the discussions in which he would always take matter is. This can change with the experi- the opposite side. This taught me that, if you have a point of view, you have to be able to ences you have, and can morph with time.

Sue Jeweler, former teacher, author (and support it, and you have to be open-minded.”

The same nonjudgmental nature is also my grandmother), elaborated, “If [teens] are given opportunities to question, research, be helpful for staying abreast of pop culture. critical thinkers, etc., as events unfold they Keeping an open mind regarding modern are able to really understand them. If they music, movies and media, and experiencweren’t given that foundation, then too often ing what is popular today, keeps your perthey aren’t thinking for themselves, and spective on the world constantly adapting. aren’t actively participating in change.”

As Jeweler put it, “When I was teaching, Regarding the Florida school shooting the kids would teach me about what was that has been prevalent in the news, she current in music — because it wasn’t anyadded that as a result of this tragedy, “Kids thing I was listening to.” have been given the chance to speak out Cohen described his own grandmother about the situation, and they are articulate with whom he has a close relationship: and strong.”

“She has two Instagram accounts, and Local Washington-area students organ- she’s embraced how we’ve moved toward ized a “die-in” in front of the White House a digital world. To stay relevant, it’s impordays after the shooting. And some of the tant to keep up with the curve of technolostudents from Marjory Stoneman Douglas gy and how society is changing.”

High School, where the shooting took The fact that both the older and younger place, are planning a student march in generations at one point or another are Washington this month to advocate for betSee GENERATIONS, page 21 ter gun control laws.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

21

Never eschew a nutrient-packed cashew

By Lori Zanteson The cashew is a favorite nut flavor-wise, and is commonly regarded as a nutrition star for its punch of protein, heart-healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.

Native to Brazil, the cashew was introduced to India and Africa by Portuguese explorers in the 16th century. The cashew tree, from its wood and bark to its fruit, was highly prized for its healing properties.

In Brazil, cashew nut oil was used to treat leprosy, while in India the cashew was used restoratively — as an appetizer, hair tonic and aphrodisiac.

But it wasn’t until the 20th century that the cashew nut became a culinary star. It’s now the third-most consumed tree nut in the U.S.

Many uses

Generations

You can also “trade pop culture” by showing each other your favorite movies, and listening to each other’s favorite music from when you each were growing up.

Perhaps you will discover a new favorite film or artist. Never be afraid to change your perspectives; you may very well be better off as a result.

Alexis Bentz is a 10th grade student at Thomas Wootton High School in Rockville, Md. She writes this monthly column on ways youth and older adults can learn from each other and bond.

From page 20 forced to rethink things is a perfect way for them to connect with each other.

Sharing your thoughts on social issues, pop culture and more with a younger friend can be an easy introduction to other perspectives and a great conversation starter.

You can discuss the importance of keeping an open mind; by doing so you may find that you and your buddy introduce each other to different points of view.

Cashews (Anacardium occidentale) are seeds of an evergreen shrub related to pistachios, mangos and poison ivy. The cashew seed is attached to the bottom of its fruit, the cashew apple, which is high in vitamin C and popular where cashews are grown, which includes tropical regions of India and Brazil.

The kidney-shaped cashew has two layers of shells, between which is a potentially toxic resin/oil that is removed and used to make many products, including varnish and insecticide.

2,000 calories per day) of protein, and 20 percent DV of bone-healthy magnesium.

Compared to most nuts, cashews are lower in fat, and its fat is mostly of the heart-healthy monounsaturated kind.

A rich source of both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are associated with reducing the risk of heart disease, cashews (when regularly substituted for high-carbohydrate snacks) may help control total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, according to a study in the

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2017.

Due to these fatty acids, emerging research is showing that maternal consumption of cashews may result in better reflexes and memory in their offspring (International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 2017).

High in total phenolic and flavonoid content, cashews are also known for their anSee CASHEWS, page 22

Magnesium and fatty acids Just a handful (one ounce) packs a satisfying 10 percent DV (Daily Value, based on

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

How to reduce spring allergy symptoms

By Howard LeWine, M.D. Q: I have spring allergies. Ever y year I think they won’t be too bad. In reality, it’s awful and I have a hard time getting ahead of the symptoms.

Suggestions?

A: People with spring allergies are usually affected by pollen from birch, elm, maple, oak or poplar trees, depending on where you live.

Don’t wait until you get the runny, stuffy nose and itchy eyes. Get started on treatment now, before the spring allergy season kicks in.

When pollen floats through the air and reaches the nose, the body sometimes overreacts. Mast cells in the lining of the nose mistake the harmless tree particles

for dangerous invaders. They summon help by releasing chemicals such as histamine and tryptase, which then recruit more immune system cells to the battle.

Instead of allowing the body to conduct an unnecessary fight against pollen, you can turn off your defense system with medications. But it’s best to do so before those allergens arrive. This is partly because some drugs take a few weeks to become fully effective.

It’s also because the reaction to even a few allergens has a snowball effect. Once the reaction starts, it’s hard to stop. More inflammatory cells are recruited to the nose and sinuses, symptoms become more severe, and it’s difficult to treat them.

Thus, it’s better to block the reaction be-

fore it begins, in order to prevent symptoms or at least lessen their severity.

What to take The best medication to start in advance is a corticosteroid nasal spray, such as mometasone furoate (Nasonex) or fluticasone propionate (Flonase).

Some of these sprays are now available over the counter. They more effectively counteract symptoms of allergies than other types of drugs.

It takes a month of a corticosteroid spray for mast cells to feel the full impact and to turn off inflammatory chemicals.

So, ideally, you want to start three to four weeks before you usually get your symptoms. And then use the spray every day while allergy season lasts.

Another medication that can be taken in advance of anticipated symptoms is an an-

Cashews From page 21 tioxidant activity, which has been shown to regulate blood glucose and help in the treatment of patients with diabetes (The Scientific World Journal, 2017).

How to buy and store

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Both raw and roasted cashews are widely available. When purchasing from bulk bins, be sure the container is well sealed and the nuts are moisture-free and smooth. A quick sniff for rancidity is wise as well. For longer freshness, choose vacuum-packed cans or jars over plastic bags.

tihistamine. Several non-sedating pills are available without prescription. Also, you could use a prescription antihistamine spray.

And if you also have eye symptoms, you may need antihistamine eye drops as well.

Don’t forget about drug-free ways to avoid allergens — such as keeping air conditioning and heating filters and vents clean, keeping windows closed, wearing a mask for outdoor yard work, and avoiding going outside when pollen levels are highest.

Howard LeWine, M.D., is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. For additional consumer health information, visit www.health.harvard.edu. Š 2018. President and fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Store short-term in a cool, dry place, or refrigerate or freeze them up to six months or a year, respectively.

Whole cashews are equally welcome as a snack or a party appetizer. Try them chopped in a stir-fry or curry, as well as a topping on salads and vegetable or whole grain side-dishes. They can even be blended into cashew butter or “cheese� for a decadent, yet healthy spread.

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 800-829-5384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com. Š 2018 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

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Dementia friendly From page 1 of 100,000 Alzheimer’s patients is expected to grow to 130,000 by 2025.

In contrast, the number of Alzheimer’s patients in the District of Columbia is expected to remain fairly stable at 9,000, largely because of the influx of young people moving to the city.

Training police, businesses Dahan credits the Montgomery County Police Department’s dementia friendly training with helping him keep his wife at home rather than moving her to an institution.

Police told Dahan to call 911 as soon as his wife went missing, so they would have the best chance of finding her unharmed.

“It’s terrible for both the person who is lost and the person who can’t find them, [but when you hear], ‘We found your wife,’ there’s a sigh of relief. Ahhhhh,” Dahan exhaled during a dementia friendly event to demonstrate his joy at being reunited with her.

“We teach officers how to recognize

someone with dementia even in a call where someone isn’t missing,” said Officer Laurie Reyes. “Maybe someone who can’t find their car [appears to have dementia, so an officer] may call a family member, while maintaining the dignity of the [confused] person, having compassion,” she said.

Reyes knows how important this skill is for police officers and others. She began Project Lifesaver, an outreach program dedicated to educating law enforcement and community members on the dynamics of interacting not only with those who have dementia, but also with people who have autism and intellectual disabilities.

“Our message is: When your loved one is missing, your first call [should be] to us, not neighbors,” Reyes added. “Do not be embarrassed. It allows us to have more effective response and resolve much faster.

We’re trying to prevent tragedies,” she said.

A four-hour Dementia Friendly training course goes into depth with specific ways to respond to those with dementia.

Montgomery County is also starting to offer one-hour training to area businesses,

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

as well as a speakers bureau whose members can educate the public on the topic at places of worship, local clubs and nonprofit organizations.

A customer service mindset The initiative trains and certifies businesses and their staffs to be alert to signs of dementia in customers, and to know how to handle such situations.

It could be as simple as offering a quiet corner of a doctor’s office to patients there with caregivers — to reduce the noise and distractions that could increase agitation in a dementia patient.

Or at a restaurant, it might mean a waiter recommends a couple of items from a menu when someone appears overwhelmed by the number of choices presented.

“The training helps people be on the lookout for someone entering their business, who is either confused or doesn’t seem right,” said Lylie Fisher, who coordinates the caregiver support program for Montgomery County government.

For example, “A confused older adult might come into a store and ask for a cup of coffee, but has no money. Normally, we would say ‘we’re not going to give you the coffee. Go away.’ But if someone has training to identify and assist dementia patients, the waitress might engage the person on why they don’t have their wallet, or if there’s a family member she could call to help out.

“We’re talking about good old-fashioned customer service. In some ways, we’re putting this in the lens of Dementia Friendly, but in reality this is what every customer would like to have,” Fisher said.

Noah Dubin is vice president of District Mobile Dental, a business that largely serves an older clientele, some of whom he said remind him of his own grandfathers, both of whom had dementia.

Dentists from the company, the first in Montgomery County to be certified De-

mentia Friendly, travel to patients’ homes.

“What we realized was that [some patients] coming into our practice were probably experiencing what my grandfathers did: A lack of daily care because they didn’t remember how to do it; a lack of motivation to care for themselves; cavities.”

As they treated more patients, they discovered that they needed to tailor their care to each person. Some didn’t know why they needed dental care. Others became agitated when a stranger touched them.

But his patients with and without dementia have one thing in common, he found. “We’re providing a service no one likes,” Dubin quipped.

Other area programs In Prince George’s and Fairfax counties, similar efforts are underway.

Last year, the Prince George’s County Dementia Friendly program conducted more than 350 memory screenings for residents, held training for law enforcement, convened more than 40 churches for an interfaith dialogue on dementia, and held many other activities.

The county also offers monthly memory cafés in five locations, where caregivers and people with dementia can gather safely for socializing and stimulating activities.

Participants can ask for help or advice from the facilitator, or for a referral to resources.

And the county will be offering memory training classes this spring at the Camp Springs Senior Activity Center.

The state of Virginia is exploring how to become a Dementia Friendly state, and a pilot program in Herndon is now getting off the ground.

“Virginia one of the last remaining states without Dementia Friendly programs,” said Toni Reinhart, owner of the Comfort Keepers home care service based See DEMENTIA FRIENDLY, page 25

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

25

‘Memory books’ can spark recollections

By Melissa Rayworth Family photo albums can help jog an elderly friend or relative’s memories, but consider taking the photo book idea one step further: Create a “memory book” that combines personal photos with brief family stories and historical information.

These can be used to help people struggling with memory loss, and give younger family members a window into older relatives’ lives.

Memory books are also useful in helping older people introduce themselves to caregivers and provide topics for conversation, said Ann Norwich, director of the adult gerontology nurse practitioner pro-

Dementia friendly From page 1 in Herndon. “I’m not sure why. We’re a little behind the pace.”

Based partly on the experience of caring for her father, who has dementia, Reinhart is advocating for communities in Virginia to become affiliated with Dementia Friendly.

Herndon has about 2,500 people with dementia, a number that could skyrocket by 40 percent in the next eight years, she said.

“My brain can’t even process the numbers. It’s time we do something. With

gram at York College of Pennsylvania.

By illustrating and explaining details from the person’s past, Norwich said, the books cue caregivers and other visitors to ask better questions. That can prolong positive conversation.

You can make a memory book by hand with scrapbooking supplies, but creating one online might be more practical: It can be reprinted if it’s misplaced or damaged, and you can make copies for other family members.

Many websites, including Shutterfly.com and Blurb.com, offer templates for photo

books. Choose one that offers page layouts with plenty of space for text.

The cost will vary depending on the length of the book and the quality of the cover and paper.

It’s helpful to narrow down your project to one subject — for instance, one decade in your relative’s life, or the various cities where they’ve lived.

Consider what was important to your relative, perhaps asking other family members what memories might bring the most joy to your relative now.

One fun option: Focus on the events that happened in your relative’s life when they were in their 20s. Gwynn Morris, associate

professor of psychology at Meredith College, said researchers have found that our clearest memories are those of early adulthood.

This “reminiscence bump,” Morris said, may mean that an elderly relative can tell you book-worthy stories about their experiences as a teen or 20-something, even if they’re having trouble remembering more recent experiences.

You might also want to focus on moments when your friend or relative achieved something important to them, or made a difference in the lives of others.

Whatever aspect of their life you choose

Alzheimer’s and other dementias, the quicker they become isolated, the quicker disease progresses,” Reinhart noted.

So she has started making presentations at local congregations about how they can better support their members and others in the community who have dementia.

Another component is reaching out to local businesses, especially doctor’s offices, which Reinhart said are especially difficult for her father. Sometimes the receptionist doesn’t acknowledge him, or the crowded rooms intimidate him. He can’t understand the directions to find the bathroom.

“It doesn’t necessarily take a huge amount of change. It’s teaching staff to help people [more]. It’s better signage to find the restroom. Some of it is not just for dementia.

We’re all looking for a good experience when we go out into the community.”

For more information about the dementia friendly movement, or to find out how you can help or be trained, contact: • Dementia Friends, which trains individuals how to support people who live with dementia: https://dementiafriendsusa.org. Contact in Maryland: claudiathorne@gmail.com; contact in Virginia:

melissa@leadingagevirginia.org • Dementia Friendly Montgomery County (contact for speakers bureau and general information: Lylie Fisher, (240) 777-3037, www.montgomer ycountymd .gov/HHS-Program/ADS/dementia-friendly. html • Dementia Friendly Herndon: (703) 435-2500, www.dfaherndon.org • Dementia Friendly Prince George’s County: Memory Cafes, (240) 467-3833; memory training classes, (301) 449-0490 • Dementia Friendly America: www.dfamerica.org, info@dfamerica.org

Make by hand or online

See MEMORY BOOKS, page 26

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Memory books From page 25 to focus on, spend some time asking them questions and, with their permission, record the conversation. If they have photo albums, page through those with them and see if

they can identify faces and places.

Then interview other family members about the same topic or era, and ask for any related photos they might have.

Beyond photographs Next, hunt for other elements to include.

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Mar. 16

CAREGIVER SUPPORT EVENT

East County Village Seniors is holding a free caregiver outreach event on Friday, March 16 from noon to 2 p.m. at East County Community Center, 3310 Gateshead Manor Way, Silver Spring, Md. Special guests include Officer Laurie Reyes from Montgomery County’s Public Safety Team’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Outreach Unit; Ana Nelson from the National Capital Area Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association; and Lylie Fisher, facilitator of Montgomery County’s Caregiver Support Program. For more information or to RSVP, call (240) 777-3037.

M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Along with photos, you might bring in scans or photos of a marriage license, diploma or ephemera — such as a photo of a matchbook from a long-ago favorite restaurant.

Another bit of memory research that can help: Morris said gerontologists separate “episodic memory,” meaning memories from your personal life, from “semantic memory,” which is knowledge of historical facts and news. Research suggests that semantic memories stay with people longer than personal, episodic memories.

Cuing those semantic memories of what was going on in the world during a particular era can help trigger more personal memories from that time.

So if you’re creating a memory book for your grandmother about her life in the 1950s, say, research historical events from that time. Search online for news stories and photographs. (The Smithsonian’s online archive is one of many sources of his-

torical photos in the public domain.)

Once you’ve gathered all your raw material, translate your interviews and research into paragraphs that will reconnect your friend or relative with their past and accomplishments. It can be helpful to use shorter sentences and keep stories brief, especially if your loved one is beginning to have trouble following a narrative.

Then cull through the photos and paperwork you’ve gathered to find the best visuals to tell your stories. Take time laying out the paragraphs and images on the templated pages, making sure you’re not packing too much information into each page. Ideally, the memory book will delight your relative but not overwhelm them.

Finally, choose a particularly good photograph to include on the cover, then proofread your project to make sure it’s perfect before ordering printed copies.

— AP

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Mar. 28

COMMISSION ON AGING FORUM

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

Coconut milk and curry elevate chicken dish

By Melissa D’Arabian Boneless skinless chicken breasts save the day for so many busy folks who want to get a lean, protein-filled, affordable dinner on the table in a hurry.

I always have a package or two in my freezer. I buy them when they are on super-sale (which they are every four to six weeks in my experience) and freeze them.

Even if I forget to pop the frozen chicken in the fridge to thaw the night before I need it, I can always do a quick-thaw in a big bowl of cold water, and still get dinner on the table quickly.

This ubiquitous cut of meat is chock-full of lean protein — a four ounce serving is only 125 calories, and has about 26 grams of protein, plus a smattering of minerals and B vitamins, and only a gram or two of fat.

The downside to the boneless skinless chicken breast is that the flavor is a little lackluster. But what some call bland, I call a blank slate! And with so little fat in the meat, you have a little wiggle room to indulge a bit with other ingredients.

In my Weeknight Thai Curry Chicken recipe, for instance, I use full-fat coconut

milk — a mere half cup for six servings of chicken is enough to create a luxurious mouth-feel without adding more than a few grams of fat per serving.

In this quick weeknight-friendly recipe, I use fragrant Thai curry paste as a rub right on thin chicken cutlets, infusing them with a ton of flavor, and I serve the sauce as an accompaniment, rather than having the chicken swim in it.

A quick sauté gives the chicken just the right amount of char (don’t overcook), and the coconut sauce is made flavorful with fresh basil, green onion and garlic. And it’s quick to make — just a few pulses in a blender and a few minutes stovetop.

Dinner in about 20 minutes will prove that weeknight cooking need never be boring.

Weeknight Thai chicken curry Servings: 6 Start to finish: 20 minutes 6 chicken breast cutlets, about 4 ounces each 2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste 1 teaspoon neutral oil Sauce: 1/2 cup coconut milk (canned)

1/2 cup chicken broth 2/3 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed (about 10 large or 20 small leaves) 3 cloves garlic, chopped or passed through a garlic press 3 green onions, chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 cups of cooked brown rice, for serving Lightly pound or press the chicken breasts so that they are no thicker than 3/4 of an inch. Coat each cutlet with a teaspoon of the curry paste. Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat, brush the oil to coat the whole pan.

Place the chicken cutlets in the pan, smooth side of the cutlet down. Turn the heat slightly down to medium, and cover the pan. Cook for 5 minutes, uncover, and flip the chicken using a spatula. (If the chicken is stuck to the pan, let it cook for another minute or two and then flip.)

Let the chicken cook on the second side, uncovered, for another 5 minutes, or

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until the internal temperature is 160 F. Remove from heat and set on cooked brown rice on plate or platter to serve.

Meanwhile, place all the sauce ingredients in a blender and pulse just enough to mix, leaving some of the basil in flecks.

Pour the sauce into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Spoon a few tablespoons of sauce over the chicken and rice.

Chef’s Note: I used full fat coconut milk for unctuous texture since the quantity is relatively low, but you may substitute the low-fat version.

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Try these beauty tips from a pharmacist No matter what your age, you always utes, the red puffiness of ‘bedroom eyes’ will want to look your absolute best. vanish for a little bit. Then you can apply Throughout my life, I’ve your eye cream and concealer, learned all kinds of beauty tips and look fresh and happy. and tricks from reading, talk2. Curl your lashes like ing to friends, and getting to the pros know a few make-up artists I don’t use eyelash curlers when I appeared as a guest on ever. They freak me out, but I TV shows. I always ‘pumped’ know a lot of you use them. these girls to get their secret A make-up artist once told beauty tips while sitting in their me her secret. She said to chair and getting made up. warm up your eye lash curler I recall one lady who made for a few seconds with a hair DEAR me look amazing even though PHARMACIST dryer. It needs to be warm, I hadn’t slept in two nights! By Suzy Cohen not hot, or you’ll burn yourShe brought me to life with a self. (I feel bad telling you few tricks, which I’ll share in something that is obviously this column. common sense. So anyway, be careful…)

1. Get rid of red The point is that a slightly warmed eyeIf you wrap an ice cube with a paper towel lash curler works better. She said its effect and apply it under your eyes for five min- is akin to a curling iron on your hair.

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OPEN HOUSE FOR COTTAGES, CLUBHOUSE Tour Brooke Grove Retirement Village’s independent living cot-

tages, clubhouse, restaurant and fitness center, and meet current residents, at a free open house on Tuesday, March 27 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Located at 18310 Slade School Rd. in Sandy Spring, Md. Refreshments served. Register by calling Toni Davis at (301) 388-7209 or email tdavis@bgf.org.

half a cucumber slice, and apply under your eyes for 10 minutes.

5. Shiny hair You can take 10 years off your age by making your hair soft and shiny again.

Whisk one banana and one egg together, and apply to wet hair after shampooing.

Leave on for about three to five minutes, then rinse.

6. Glowing skin Soak a clean face cloth in a cup of cold milk that has three drops of essential oil of lavender mixed in. Wring out and drape the cloth over your face.

Relax with it for 10 minutes, then rinse your face. Tone and moisturize like normal. This brightens and moisturizes your skin, giving you a luminous glow and relaxed sensation.

This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement.

Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To contact her, visit www.SuzyCohen.com.

3. Hide insomnia After a 20-something hour flight from South Africa, I had to land, get through customs, get over to the Dr. Oz studio and tape a segment. I looked rough.

The make-up artist made me up, and luckily I had my best tool — a white eyeliner pencil. Just be careful putting it on, because it goes in an awkward area called the waterline.

So, first apply your normal darker eyeliner where it goes, then apply the white eye-liner in the waterline: across your top rim on your lower eyelid. Google “waterline eye” for more details.

4. Fresh eyes Homemade gel under eye masks is one of my favorite treatments for puffy eyes.

You make these yourself with gelatin, which is rich in collagen.

Here is a DIY recipe for a de-puffing eye mask. The green tea imparts a touch of caffeine, which helps remove dark circles: Mix together one tablespoon chilled Manuka honey with one tablespoon prepared green tea. Add unflavored gelatin powder to desired consistency. Spoon onto

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Mar. 11+

CHERRY BLOSSOMS WALK The Seneca Valley Sugarloafers Volksmarch Club is sponsoring a

seasonal Kenwood Cherry Blossoms and Spring Flowers Seasonal Walk in Bethesda, Md. on Sundays from March 11 to May 6. There are 10 km and 5 km options, which are suitable for strollers. The 5 km is also suitable for wheelchairs. Register and pick up walk instructions/map for the walk in the “Start Box” at Starbucks Coffee, 4611-E Sangamore Rd. (The Shops at Sumner Place) in Bethesda, Md. The walk is free; IVV credit is $3. Pets are allowed but must be leashed at all times, and you must clean up after them. For more information, contact Maribeth Evans at (301) 787-5410 or evansm0612@gmail.com.

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Address daughter-in-law issues directly Dear Solutions: Leave son out of it. You may have fought My daughter-in-law came to stay at my his battles for him when he was little, but house for a few days while he shouldn’t have to fight she had a job close to where I yours now, since you’re big. live but far from where she Dear Solutions: lives.

My husband has just been Without going into details, diagnosed with the beginning she just ignored certain ways stages of Alzheimer’s. He is I do things in my home, and still able to function pretty acted as if I could be ignored. well, and we still carry on I asked her to go to dinour social life with other couner with me, and it was ples. But he is beginning to arranged —until her friend show signs of slowing down called, and then she just SOLUTIONS in memory and a little in broke our appointment like By Helen Oxenberg, speech.

MSW, ACSW it didn’t count at all.

My dilemma is that I don’t She’s going to be coming know whether to tell friends back again. Should I confront her, or or relatives about his condition. At the should I say something to my son and same time that I want people to be palet him handle it? tient with him as much as possible, I also — Mom-in-law have to admit that my social life gives me Dear Mom-in-law: great pleasure, and I want to be able to It’s your daughter-in-law; your home; continue it as long as possible. your problem. It’s between you and her, so What do you think I should do? don’t force your son to get involved.

— Mollie Invite her to lunch before she comes. Dear Mollie: Express your disappointment at the way “As long as possible” is up for interpretayou were treated. Tell her you’ll be happy tion. What will make it possible for you to to help her by welcoming her to your keep up your social activities before you’ll home when she needs to be there, but feel the need to explain that your husthere must be a better understanding be- band’s reactions are caused by his illness? tween the two of you.

I think you should follow your feelings.

When you begin to feel uncomfortable with a situation, you can then explain his condition to your friends. People are basically kind, even though it is frightening to them to realize that what is happening to your husband could one day happen to them.

Meanwhile you, as the caregiver, need to find respite and maintain a good quality of life for yourself. You and your husband should join an Alzheimer’s support group, and you should also join a caregiver’s support group where you can share your concerns and your fears with others going through the same experiences.

Contact your local Department of Aging to get referrals. Good luck.

Dear Solutions: I’m very worried. My son and his wife are expecting a baby soon. They own an annoying cat, and I’m worried that that won’t be good when the baby comes.

They want me to take care of the cat while my daughter-in-law is in the hospital and when she first comes home.

Of course, I haven’t said anything to them, but I want to “accidentally” kill the cat while it’s with me. I want to do this because I think it’s bad for the baby to have this cat around.

My son loves this cat, and I know they’ll never get rid of it unless it’s somehow just gone.

One of my friends agrees with me that anything I do to protect the baby is OK, but her friends say I’d be crazy to do this. What do you say?

—B Dear B: I say MEOW-OW-OW! It’s one thing to start a battle with an animal rights group; it’s another thing to antagonize your son and risk alienating him long-term. Now, that would be cat-a-strophic.

It is also extremely cruel to harm a helpless animal. So don’t commit a feline felony. Do educate your son to the possible dangers of cat and cradle — cats can and often do jump into a baby’s crib, and that could possibly be harmful to the baby.

But there are also many myths about cats and babies. Cats do not smother babies or suck the air out their lungs because they smell milk on them. Also, cats do not attack crying babies.

Tell your son and daughter-in-law about your concerns. After that, it’s up to them to protect the baby from the cat — and the cat from the killer. © Helen Oxenberg, 2018. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

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VOLUME XXVIIII, ISSUE 3

A newsletter for D.C. Seniors

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

By Laura Newland Executive Director, D.C. Office on Aging Happy March and Happy National Social Work Month!

The District has more than 5,000 licensed social workers who, day-to-day, tackle some of the most challenging issues facing individuals, families and communities. From homelessness, to child welfare, mental health and medical care, these social workers forge relationships, develop solutions, and work with tenacity and compassion to make a real difference in the lives of our residents.

We are especially fortunate to work with incredible social workers throughout our network who serve our older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers each and every day. On any given day, our passionate team of social workers are advocates, teachers, team builders, logisticians, creative problem solvers and confidants. They are building communities around each individual they serve, and connecting our residents to services and supports that enable them to continue living in their own homes and communities.

Our Community Transition Social Work team, part of DCOA’s Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), assists residents as they transition out of nursing homes and back into their communities. When our Community Transition Team (CTT) was formed, they were tasked with one monumental mission — “go in there and bring them home!”

Since then, the CTT has worked directly with the District’s nursing home residents providing information, guidance and support as they navigate a complex process. They’re educating individuals and their families on community-based services and supports, building a community of care providers, securing housing, and sometimes even moving in furniture and household goods — helping clients create a home.

Ramona Butler, Social Work Manag-

er for DCOA’s Aging and Disability Resource Center, says “DCOA’s social work team understands and respects that change lies within the individual and their support network. It’s imperative that we take the time to listen, and listen with compassion and purpose. We make sure that the individual has a voice, and is the primary decisionmaker when it comes to his or her longterm care planning.”

In 2017, we successfully transitioned 60 clients back into the community thanks to our dedicated Community Transition and Social Work team. But it’s not about the numbers — it’s about people! It’s about the lives impacted. It’s about instilling hope. It’s about reminding all of us that we all have a part in making our community one that we want to live in.

Whether they’re skillfully assisting residents as they navigate through various service systems, or serving as an advocate, our social workers push through with persistence to ensure our residents have access to what they need, when they need it.

I am proud to salute the many social workers throughout the District, and those who represent the Office on Aging, as we continue to push forward with the mission of ensuring our older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers are able to live well in their own homes and communities. The service navigators, home facilitators, counselors, advisors and advocates — you are the heart of our work at the Office on Aging.

My sincere appreciation and thanks to all of our social workers at DCOA, our Lead Agencies, and throughout our Senior Service Network. Thanks for making D.C. the best city in the world to age!

To learn more about our Community Transition and Social Work team, reach out to us at 202-724-5626.

March 2018

A Sweeter Valentine’s Day

Mayor Muriel Bowser greets Arthur Copper Community dining participants on Valentine’s Day

This Valentine’s Day, Mayor Muriel Bowser kicked off the Second Annual Cupid’s Kids Initiative by delivering handmade Valentine’s Day cards created by D.C. Public School students to seniors at the Arthur Capper Community dining site.

Launched in 2017 by the District of Columbia Office on Aging, the Cupid’s Kids Initiative was established to promote intergenerational connections between students and homebound seniors, and as a step to help combat social isolation.

Student volunteers create cards and send personal notes to homebound seniors, which are delivered with their home-delivered meals. Nine schools and several local Girl Scout troops participated, and over 1,200 cards were

delivered to seniors citywide.

This year, many students received a special surprise when seniors wrote notes back to the students, using cards supplied by the Office on Aging.

Thank you to all of the schools that participated, and thank you to the teachers and administrators for showing our youngest residents what it means to be a part of a community.

A special thank you to: • Barnard Elementary • Bunker Hill Elementary • Burrville Elementary • Drew Elementary • Eliot-Hine Middle School • Hearst Elementary • Ross Elementary • Takoma Education Campus • Whittier Education Campus

Honoring Centenarians The D.C. Office on Aging (DCOA) is seeking District residents who are 100 years or older to honor during our 32nd Annual Salute to Centenarians in April.

If you know of residents who will have celebrated their 100th birthday by

April 30, please call Darlene Nowlin at (202) 727-8364 or email darlene.nowlin@dc.gov. Please have the name, date of birth and contact information for each individual you are registering.

Registration ends April 15.

Spotlight on Aging

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, OFFICE ON AGING

Get Involved March 8, 15, 22, 29 April 5, 12 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Free Diabetes Self-Management Workshop (Six sessions) Delta Towers, 1400 Florida Ave. NE Contact: Tinya Lacey at 202-529-8701

March 12 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

D.C. Office on Aging Health & Resource Fair Joseph W. King Senior Center, 4638 H St. SE Contact: Anna Bobo at 202-491- 4463

March 15 • 10 a.m. to noon

March 21 • 2 to 3 p.m.

Support group for caregivers Sunrise on Connecticut Ave, 5111 Connecticut Ave. NW Contact: Christine Bitzer at 202-364-0020.

March 22 10 a.m. to noon D.C. Office on Aging Ambassador Training Program Arthur Capper Senior Apartments, 900 5th St. SE Contact: Alyce Murrell at 202-397-1725.

March 26 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Train to become a DCOA Ambassador 500 K St. NE Contact 202-727-0374 or sadia.ferguson@dc.gov to register

Open House for Ward 7 Seniors, 60 years and older Washington Seniors Wellness Center 3001 Alabama Ave. SE Contact: Dr. K. at 202-581-6019

March 15 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

March 26 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Transport DC: Metro Access Program Fort Lincoln 1, 3400 Banneker Drive, NE Contact: Tinya Lacey at 202-529-8701

DC Office on Aging Multi Agency Workshop for the prospective returning citizens of DC Jail 1901 D St. SE Contact: Alice.thompson@dc.gov if you have valuable programs for prospective returning citizens and you are interested in sharing your resources.

March 16 • 10 a.m. to 2 noon The Senior Zone – Senior Spa Day Ft. Stanton Recreation Center, 1812 Erie St. SE Contact: Shawn Perry at 301-509-9013

March 19 • 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Money Smart Training-DCOA Ambassador Workshop Series 500 K St. NE Contact 202-727-0374 or sadia.ferguson@dc.gov to register.

March 20 • 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

DC Office on Aging Health & Resource Fair Washington Senior Wellness Center 3001 Alabama Ave. SE Contact: Dr. K. Sokoya at 202-581-9355

March 27 • 1 to 3 p.m.

DC Office on Aging Resource Fair D.C. Dept. of Behavior Health Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital 1100 Alabama Ave. SE Contact: Samuel Awosika at 202-299-5157.

March 29 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Family Day for Seniors and their family members Washington Seniors Wellness Center 3001 Alabama Ave. SE Contact: Dr. K. at 202-581-6019

NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY Fiscal Year 2019 Senior Transportation Program Grant The Government of the District of Columbia, Office on Aging (DCOA) is soliciting applications from qualified applicants to operate the DC Office on Aging Senior Transportation Programs.

DCOA transportation programs provide quality transportation services for District residents 60 years and older to 1) essential medical and life-sustaining appointments, 2) adult daycare centers, wellness centers, group trips and special events, 3) administration and operation of the Debit Card program, and 4) the delivery of Home Delivered Meals (HDM).

The Request for Application (RFA) seeks an organization(s) with strong capacity and a track record of excellent customer service. An existing fleet to operate the programs is preferred.

Federal and District of Columbia appropriated funds up to $6 million are available for a single or collaborative applicant organization to operate one or up to four transportation services. There is no match requirement. However, applicants must demonstrate tangible resources to sustain at minimum three months’ operations cost. The successful applicant must put participant contributions back into the program to serve more participants.

The successful applicant(s) will design services to meet a variety of evolving needs of the city’s diverse elderly population, especially older individuals with the greatest economic and social needs, and other underserved populations.

The successful applicant(s) will manage its fleet and implement services that remove transportation barriers for seniors with disabilities, while linking them to affordable, on demand and gap-filling transportation that enhance their physical, social and emotional well-being through connectivity to sites and activities in and around the city, medical appointments, and HDM delivery.

Service Areas

Spotlight On Aging is published by the Information Office of the D.C. Office on Aging for D.C. senior residents. Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the D.C. Office on Aging or by the publisher.

500 K St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002 202-724-5626 www.dcoa.dc.gov

Executive Director Laura Newland

Editor Darlene Nowlin

Photographer Selma Dillard

The D.C. Office on Aging does not discriminate against anyone based on actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, familial status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, disability, source of income, and place of residence or business.

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination which is prohibited by the Act. In addition, harassment based on any of the above protected categories is prohibited by the Act. Discrimination in violation of the Act will not be tolerated. Violators will be subjected to disciplinary action.

The Office on Aging is in partnership with the District of Columbia Recycling Program.

Applicants responding to this RFA shall be responsible for delivering transportation services to the target population in four service areas: Service Component One: Essential Medical Transportation; Service Component Two: Transportation to DCOA Funded Sites and Activities; Service Component Three: Debit Card Transportation Services; and Service Component Four: Transportation of Home Delivered Meal Service

Priority Services Applicant’s responsibilities include but are not limited to: • ensuring safe and reliable transportation operation in all weather conditions with few black-out dates; • providing daily essential medical and life-sustaining transportation daily for a minimum of 4,898 participants through the year; • transporting, at minimum, 75 enrolled participants daily to three (3) adult day centers, and transporting enrolled seniors at 47 weekday community dining sites located in eight wards, including seniors who are hearing and visually impaired to sites and activities; • transporting approximately 60 seniors to a city-wide weekend community dining site in Ward 7; • coordinating with local transportation providers to fund debit card transport services requiring no reservations for approximately 318 seniors annually; • coordinating and implementing weekday and weekend meal delivery services for approximately 463 homebound seniors; • developing senior-friendly service enhancements and innovations that provide access and ease of using transportation; • establishing an ongoing process to keep seniors informed and aware of transportation options, as well as rider subsidy programs; and • track service data in the DCOA database and submit complete, accurate and timely reports as required.

Nonprofit organizations with places of business within the physical boundaries of the District of Columbia are eligible to apply. For-profit organizations with places of business within the physical boundaries of the District of Columbia are also eligible to apply, but must not include profit-making that accrues back to their organization in their grant application.

The RFA was released Feb 28, 2018.

The application submission deadline is April 9, 2018, at 2:30 p.m. EST. A Pre-Application Workshop is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. EST on March 5, 2018, at 500 K St. NE, Washington, DC 20002, first-floor conference room.

The RFA will also be available on the Office on Aging’s website, www.dcoa.dc.gov, and the Office of Partnerships and Grants Development’s website, www.opgd.dc.gov. no later than March 2, 2018, after publication in the DC Register.

Looking for the next Ms. Senior D.C. Are you interested in competing to become the next Ms. Senior D.C.?

Make sure you fill out the application online at www.dcoa.dc.gov. The

deadline for submission is April 30.

Contact darlene.nowlin@dc.gov or call 202-727-8364 for more information.

32

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Money Law &

BEFORE YOU HAND IT DOWN Talk to your adult children now about the tax implications of their inheritance EASIER ENTREPENEURSHIP Businesses you can start with little money include tutoring, personal training OUT IN THE COLD Freezing credit means more headaches with new financial transactions WHERE CREDIT IS DUE Great credit scores can mean better credit card bonuses and interest rates

Protect your assets in this volatile market

By Anne Kates Smith After a long stretch of calm and a relentless rally, the stock market recently took a breather. No one should be surprised — unless you’re surprised it took so long for this bull market to take some downtime.

Stock market corrections, typically defined as a loss between 10 percent and 20 percent from the peak, occur about every two years, on average. The last one began in May 2015, so we were due, especially considering that the Standard & Poor’s 500 index trades at about 18 times estimated corporate earnings for the coming 12 months — above the five-year average of 16 times and the 10-year average of 14.

Get used to a rockier market, said Jim Stack, president of InvesTech Research and Stack Financial Management “The road ahead will be more volatile with increasing risk,” he said.

When a market is ready to correct, it will

seize on a trigger — and this market has plenty to choose from. Worries include some warning signs of inflation, with wages ticking higher. Bond yields are rising, making stocks look even more expensive in comparison and raising fears that higher rates could eventually crimp economic growth.

All eyes are on a new Federal Reserve chief as the central bank navigates a tighter monetary policy in 2018. And then there’s the partisan divide in Washington, with intermittent threats of a government shutdown, not to mention escalating nuclear tensions with North Korea.

Whatever the cause, any market drop is particularly worrisome for retirees and near-retirees, who have less time to make up for losses. Here are seven tips to help you survive any turmoil.

Don’t panic One of the important lessons from the

devastating 2007-09 downturn is that, even in the worst of times, “recoveries happen within a reasonable period,” said financial planner Cicily Maton, of the Planning Center, in Chicago.

Since 1945, it has taken an average of just four months to recover from market declines of 10 to 20 percent. Bear markets (resulting in losses of 20 percent or more) have taken an average of 25 months to break even.

Fight the urge to cut and run, and avoid selling your depreciated stocks, if you can. If you are in your 70s, remember that you have until Dec. 31 to take required minimum distributions from your retirement accounts.

Keep your portfolio on track Even retirees should have an investment horizon long enough to weather this storm or whatever the market can dish out.

For a retirement that can last decades, T. Rowe Price recommends that new re-

tirees keep 40 to 60 percent of their assets in stocks. And because stocks stand up to inflation better than bonds and cash over time, even 90-year-olds should keep at least 20 percent of their assets in stocks.

If you’ve been regularly monitoring your portfolio, you’ve already been cutting back on stocks periodically over the past few years. Now is a particularly good time to revisit your investment mix to ensure that it is consistent with your tolerance for risk.

During the bull market, “people were getting comfortable with those returns, and may have let their stock allocation drift higher,” said Maria Bruno, a senior investment strategist at Vanguard. “We’ve been reminding them to rebalance.”

Make sure you’re diversified When stock prices are being pummeled, See VOLATILE MARKET, page 34

International funds are poised for growth

By Alex Veiga Inflows to long-term mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) focused on international stocks have been increasing this year, and also outpacing flows into funds invested in U.S. stocks, according to data from the Investment Company Institute.

The trend reflects optimism on the part of investors that a broad global economic resurgence that began last year will continue in 2018. And that sets the stage for international stocks to deliver stronger earnings and potentially see their share prices move higher.

International stocks haven’t had as big a run-up as U.S. equities in recent years, which makes the non-U.S. stocks a relatively cheaper buy for investors.

“Non-U.S. investing is a great way right now to play the strong synchronized growth theme,” said Jon Eggins, senior portfolio manager at Russell Investments. “We see stronger likely economic growth and earnings growth outside of the U.S. versus in the U.S., even with the recent tax reform.”

As recently as 2016, the global economy was still stuck in a slump in the aftermath of the Great Recession of 2007-2009 and a debt crisis in Europe. China’s economy was slowing steadily, raising fears of eco-

nomic fallout in the developing countries that supply raw materials to the world’s second biggest economy.

That changed last year, as the global economy picked up, with Europe, Japan, China and many developing nations growing in tandem for the first time in a decade.

All told, 120 countries, representing threequarters of world economic output, enjoyed economic growth in 2017, creating the broadest global expansion in seven years, according to the International Monetary Fund.

This year’s outlook So what’s the outlook for 2018? The international lending agency recently forecast global growth of 3.9 percent for this year and next year, up from an estimated 3.7 percent gain in 2017. In its outlook, the IMF noted surprisingly strong growth in Europe and Asia.

While stronger economies overseas have helped boost profits at U.S. multinational corporations — one of the reasons the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index delivered strong gains in 2017 — international stocks haven’t experienced as big a runup as U.S. equities.

That’s why many investors betting on the thesis of continued global growth con-

tinue to shift money into funds that focus on overseas companies.

“The U.S. is at absolute, high-market valuations, and these other markets are also, they’re just significantly cheaper than the U.S,” said Eggins.

He noted that much of the U.S. stock market’s 2017 gain relative to global markets was due to rising valuations as investors increasingly became more willing to pay more for stocks.

For those considering beefing up their portfolio with holdings in international companies, there are no shortage of options.

Eggins manages the Russell Tax-Managed International Equity Fund (RTNSX), which invests in companies in Europe, Japan, Australia and Canada, as well as those in developing markets.

The fund, which launched just under three years ago, finished 1 percent higher than its benchmark, iShares’ MSCI All Country World ex-U.S. Index.

Emerging markets looking up Another approach involves investing in funds that target stocks in emerging markets, essentially companies in developing nations like China and India.

That’s the aim of the Neuberger Berman

Emerging Markets Fund (NEMIX). Its holdings include companies in China, Taiwan, India and South Korea. The fund is up about 41 percent over the past year, while its benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, rose about 37 percent in the same period.

Economies in emerging markets have been growing. A weaker dollar, now at three-year lows, has helped, said Conrad Saldanha, portfolio manager of the Neuberger Berman Emerging Markets Fund.

“That growth you’re seeing plays out from an emerging markets context in the more global growth oriented markets,” he said. “Those that are linked to global growth, such as China, are performing strongly this year.”

Saldanha noted that energy and financials are among the best performing sectors in emerging markets.

“The other area is exposure to the global consumer,” Saldanha said. “Today, in emerging markets, global consumer spending is higher than in developed markets.”

Long-term, Saldanha is betting emerging markets stocks will continue to rise, driven by revenue and earnings growth.

“We’ve already seen a nice upshot this year in emerging markets,” he said.

— AP

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

33

Five cheap stocks to buy for $20 or less

By Dan Burrows Stocks with low share prices can be a cost-effective way for small investors to diversify their portfolios. But even after a bumpy few weeks, the market remains near all-time highs and is as expensive as ever, making quality cheap stocks more and more difficult to find.

Before a rising market tide lifted almost all boats, it wasn’t too tough to find stocks for less than $10 that offered an acceptable balance of risk and reward.

Now, with the Dow bouncing between 25,000 and 26,000, investors should probably raise that limit to $20, just to be safe.

Any stock still languishing below $10 likely often comes with an extra heap of risk (as we’ll see in one case), and can risk losing the benefit of institutional buying from entities such as mutual funds.

It’s easy to see the appeal of stocks for $20 or less, especially if you don’t have a lot of money left over to invest after you pay bills and pad your emergency fund.

However, many low-priced stocks are priced that way for a reason, so you need to be particularly discerning when you try to pick stocks that go for $20 or less.

Is it risky? Sure. Don’t plow your life’s savings into a stock simply because it seems cheap. But you should take a chance on a promising stock when you can snag it at a bargain price.

Let’s take a look at five such cheap stocks trading for $20 or less (prices as of February 21, 2018):

Callaway Golf Company Market value: $1.4 billion Dividend yield: 0.3 percent Analysts’ opinion: 8 strong buy, 0 buy, 3 hold, 0 sell, 1 strong sell The game of golf might not be growing

like it once was, but it’s still a massively popular pastime and a big business. Indeed, there are 24 million golfers in the U.S., contributing to what amounts to a $70 billion global industry.

Shares in Callaway Golf Company (ELY, $15.53) are a low-cost, pure-play bet on the game, and analysts are mostly bullish on its fortunes.

Callaway, for the uninitiated, is a golf equipment, clothing and accessories maker with a reach of more than 70 countries. It’s one of the top sponsors in the sport, boasting PGA names such as Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect Callaway’s earnings to expand by 22 percent next year, and at an average annual rate of 31 percent for the next five years. That sort of growth makes ELY shares, which currently trade for 24 times expected earnings, look like a bargain.

ny’s revenue to soar 46 percent in 2018.

Longer-term, Wall Street’s pros think GPK can deliver average earnings growth of 21 percent a year for the next half-decade.

With shares going for just 17 times expected earnings, Graphic Packaging could be a steal at current levels.

Huntington Bancshares Market value: $17.1 billion Dividend yield: 2.7 percent Analysts’ opinion: 9 strong buy, 1 buy, 9 hold, 0 sell, 0 strong sell Regional banks are among stocks that should benefit from Republicans’ tax overhaul, as their almost entirely domestic operations have long resulted in high effective tax rates around 30 percent on average. That will drop to 21 percent.

Good news for Huntington Bancshares (HBAN, $15.53), which already delivered revenue gains, lower provisions for loan losses, and continued growth in both loans

and deposits when it posted quarterly results on Jan. 23. Results matched Wall Street’s estimates and helped goose a stock that’s been hot of late.

Shares in Huntington are up 12 percent over the past month vs. a gain of 4 percent for the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index. “The company has a solid franchise in the Midwest, and is focused on capitalizing on its growth opportunities,� note analysts at Zacks Equity Research, who caution that rising costs and unstable credit metrics pose challenges, but still rate shares at “Buy.� “We remain optimistic about the company’s several strategic actions, including acquisitions and consolidation of branches.�

Nabors Industries Market value: $2.4 billion Dividend yield: 2.9 percent See CHEAP STOCKS, page 34

Graphic Packaging Holding Company Market value: $4.9 billion Dividend yield: 1.9 percent Analysts’ opinion: 7 strong buy, 0 buy, 1 hold, 0 sell, 0 strong sell Graphic Packaging Holding Company (GPK, $15.02) is one of the largest makers of folding cartons and paper-based packaging for the food and food-services industries.

And a transformative deal has it poised for outsized growth in the future. The company kicked off the year by completing its merger with International Paper’s (IP) North America Consumer Packaging business. GPK now owns 80 percent of the combined company.

As a result, analysts expect the compa-

ESTATES & TRUSTS

Resolved to plan this year?

Now is the time to make a new will or trust, make major gifts, or develop a succession plan for a business, farm or other important family asset. Ĺ˜ \HDUV RI H[SHULHQFH Ĺ˜ Planning for individuals, families, or businesses Ĺ˜ &RQVXOWDWLRQ LQ RXU RIĹľFH LQ \RXU KRPH RU E\ SKRQH

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Volatile market From page 32 bonds are often pushed higher by investors seeking a safe place to hide. That’s been a bit tricky recently, with bond prices falling as yields rise (yields and prices move in opposite directions).

Nonetheless, a diversified portfolio is your best defense against the ups and downs of any single assets class or industry sector. In general, investors should own a mix of domestic and foreign bonds and U.S. and overseas stocks.

And within the stock allocation, you should have a variety of market sectors.

No single sector should claim more than 5 to 10 percent of your holdings, said T. Rowe Price senior financial planner Judith Ward.

Stick with high-quality holdings This is no time to speculate. Look for companies with dependable earnings, impeccable balance sheets and healthy dividends —

Cheap stocks From page 33 Analysts’ opinion: 10 strong buy, 0 buy, 8 hold, 0 sell, 0 strong sell For a higher-risk, higher-reward bet on recovery in the oil patch, look no farther than Nabors Industries (NBR, $6.49), the only sub-$10 name on this list. Nabors is

or funds that invest in such companies.

T. Rowe Price Dividend Growth (PRDGX) is one of Kiplinger’s favorite noload mutual funds. It delivers steady returns with below-average volatility by focusing on sturdy companies that dominate their businesses and pay out reliable and rising dividends. PowerShares S&P 500 Low Volatility Portfolio ETF (SPLV) is a good choice for exchange-traded fund investors.

Tap your cash bucket Instead of dumping stocks, use Social Security and any annuities, plus the portion of your portfolio that comprises cash and short-term CDs, to meet your expenses.

Some financial advisers recommend creating three “buckets” of investments: One with cash and short-term CDs; the second with short- and intermediate-term bonds; and the third with stock and bond funds. Relying on the first bucket will leave the stocks-and-bonds bucket of your portfolio intact. one of the largest land drillers in the country, and is thus highly sensitive to oil prices.

Happily for investors, benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices have climbed from the low $40s in mid-2017 to around $65 per barrel currently. That includes a roughly 10 percent improvement so far this year.

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Rethink your withdrawal strategy gifts, trips and other discretionary expenDon’t rely blindly on a rule of thumb that bases its assumptions on historical returns rather than current conditions. For instance, the 4 percent rule — a withdrawal strategy based on back-testing 30-year periods starting in 1926 — said you can safely take 4 percent of your total portfolio in the first year of retirement and in subsequent years, adjusted for inflation.

Now, with stocks down and 10-year Treasury bonds yielding 2.8 percent or more, you might be wise to scale back distributions to, say, 3 percent or less of total assets (plus an inflation adjustment), or to take 4 percent and skip the inflation adjustment.

Such measures are especially important if you’re at the beginning of your retirement. An unrealistic first-year withdrawal during a bear market could cripple your portfolio’s potential for long-term growth.

If you don’t have other income to offset lower withdrawals, consider deferring

ditures until the market stabilizes.

Also keep in mind that your spending changes — and typically declines somewhat — in retirement. You may find that cutting back is more doable than you think, said Blanchett.

SLM Corporation

“We believe improving economic conditions and lower tax rates will assist Sallie Mae in maintaining its leading position in the student lending market,” Zacks analysts said. Meanwhile, at Credit Suisse, which rates shares at “Outperform,” Moshe Orenbuch and James Ulan believe the company has “superior growth for the next several years.”

With SLM shares trading at less than 10 times expected earnings, it’s possible the market still is undervaluing the company’s growth prospects. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Market value: $4.9 billion Dividend yield: N/A Analysts’ opinion: 7 strong buy, 0 buy, 0 hold, 0 sell, 0 strong sell SLM Corporation (SLM, $11.06), the student-loan company best-known as Sallie Mae, is on the cusp of a growth spurt, analysts say. That should drive market-beating returns.

Wall Street’s experts, on average, forecast revenue growth of 19 percent this year and 15 percent in 2019, according to data from Thomson Reuters. Earnings are projected to rise at an average annual rate of nearly 26 percent over the next half-decade.

Postpone retirement Sound drastic? Maybe so, but “delaying retirement does an amazing amount for improving retirement success,” said Blanchett of Morningstar Investment Management.

Not only do you have more time to save, including making catch-up contributions to your retirement accounts, but you’re also letting the money in your accounts grow, and you have fewer years during which you must rely on savings once you do retire. “Working longer really reduces the stress on your portfolio,” he said. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

To subscribe, see page 59.

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Ways to boost your retirement savings Saving enough for retirement is a chal- are to your advantage, make a conversion lenge for most people. So why do so many before year-end.

Roth accounts have many ignore the incentives and tax advantages over traditional advantages that are there for IRAs. There are no mandatory the taking? withdrawals after age 70 1/2. In Perhaps they don’t know addition, all subsequent earnabout them, or maybe they ings are tax free as long as you need reminders. With that in invest for at least five years, mind, here’s a list of steps to and all contributions can be take to boost your retirement withdrawn without penalty, reaccounts. gardless of the holding period.

Take your employer’s Continue to make Roth matching contributions. contributions after retireIf your employer matches THE SAVINGS GAME ment age. some of your contributions to

By Elliot Raphaelson Current tax regulations do your 401(k), it is foolish not to not allow you to contribute to contribute enough to receive the maximum employer match. Even if traditional IRAs after age 70 1/2, but they you have to borrow on a short-time basis do allow you to contribute to a Roth, as to make that contribution, it will still be long as you have earned income. If you worthwhile. Any employer contributions earn income after age 70 1/2, and can afford to contribute to a retirement plan, it you don’t take are lost forever.

Use Roth conversions to your advan- would be a mistake not to.

Take advantage of “age-based” optage.

Individuals who earn more than $135,000 tions, such as making larger contribuin the current year, or couples that earn tions each year.

For example, tax regulations allow nonabove $199,000, are not eligible to contribute working spouses to establish IRA accounts to a Roth that year.

However, you can contribute to a tradi- as long as their spouses have earned intional IRA and then convert to a Roth. come, a joint return is filed, and the joint [Note: This means you must pay tax at cur- income does not exceed $190,000. In that rent rates on the full amount of the contribu- case, the spousal IRA can be established tion.] If you do the conversion quickly, you with a $5,500 contribution each year.

If the spouse is 50 or older, $6,500 can avoid tax liability on earned income resultbe contributed. Also, if you are 50 or older, ing from the contribution.

It can also be a good idea to do a Roth you can increase your contributions for conversion during years when your in- traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs from $5,500 come is low. When you do a Roth conver- to $6,500 in 2018.

Use a health savings account (HSA) sion, your tax liability depends on your if it’s available. marginal tax bracket.

More corporations are now instituting If you anticipate in 2018 you will be in a relatively low tax bracket, and you deter- healthcare plans requiring large demine that in the long run Roth accounts ductibles for their employees in order to

minimize healthcare expenses. Under certain circumstances, these permit you to open and contribute to an HSA. If your employer has instituted such a plan, it is to your advantage to make the maximum contribution, and carry over the balances in the HSA indefinitely.

You are not required to withdraw your contributions in the year you contribute. If you can afford to pay your healthcare bills with other assets available to you, it is to your advantage to do so.

Tax regulations allow your contributions to be tax-deductible. Income earned from these accounts is not taxable. Subsequent withdrawals are tax free, even after you retire, as long as you use withdrawals for qualified health-related expenses.

Tax regulations provide more advantages for HSAs than any other retirement accounts. Spouses who are beneficiaries of these accounts can use the funds for qualified healthcare expenses without tax liability.

Establish retirement accounts with self-employed income. Many individuals who participate in a 401(k) with one employer also earn self-employed income. In that situation, you should look at additional self-employed retirement plan options.

Some options are SEP IRAs, simple IRAs and/or Solo 401(k)s. Discuss these options with a major mutual fund, brokerage firm or your local bank. © 2018 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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37

How corporate tax cuts may affect stocks

By Daren Fonda Stocks rose for months on hopes that tax cuts will fuel a surge in corporate profits and dividend increases. But despite some volatility lately, you haven’t missed the rally — it should last well into 2018, especially for the parts of the market that may benefit the most.

One way to cash in is with shares of small and midsize firms. Such companies tend to pay taxes at higher effective rates than large multinationals (based on actual taxes paid), so those companies stand to save more from lower tax rates.

You can invest in this area with ETFs (exchange-traded funds) such as iShares Core S&P Small-Cap (symbol IJR, $77) and iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap (IJH, $188). Among individual stocks, consider domestic retailers Target (TGT, $73) and Ulta Beauty (ULTA, $206) (Prices as of Feb. 27, 2018).

Tax cuts should lift profits for both firms by at least 18 percent in 2018, and the stocks still look like good values, said brokerage and investment firm UBS.

Dividend boost New corporate tax breaks are also good news for dividend investors. Big companies are likely to repatriate large amounts of cash held abroad, partly because they

can now pay tax on the money at reduced rates. Some of it will go for acquisitions and stock buybacks (which can increase earnings per share by reducing the amount of outstanding stock).

But many firms will probably use some overseas cash — estimated at $1 trillion — to increase dividend payouts more than they would have without the tax changes.

Big drugmakers and technology companies have stockpiled a lot of cash abroad, making them good candidates to increase dividends. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ, $132) could tap its estimated $41 billion in overseas cash to bolster its payout. The stock now yields 2.3 percent.

Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL, $1,117), Apple (AAPL, $178) and Microsoft (MSFT, $95) have also amassed huge cash hoards overseas. With their businesses thriving, money they repatriate may lead to steeper dividend hikes.

Short-term pain for some But the tax overhaul is not all good news for corporate America. The new levy on foreign cash and profits will sting initially as companies start paying tax on those gains, potentially hurting their bottom lines in the short term.

Apple, for instance, said it plans to repatriate much of its overseas cash — estimat-

ed at $252 billion — and reinvest some of it in the U.S. But the firm said it will pay $38 billion in taxes on that cash. Other firms, including banks such as Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, are taking big hits to their earnings as a result of the new repatriation tax, too.

And some parts of the market aren’t compelling regardless of tax cuts.

Utilities should get a big tax break from new rules that allow companies to deduct 100 percent of their spending for the next five years on capital equipment, such as factories and machinery. But utility stocks could face pressure in a market that favors faster-growing companies and those that thrive in an accelerating economy.

Banks and other financial stocks look ap-

pealing. Tax cuts could boost bank sector earnings by 10 percent, adding to an already healthy outlook for profits and dividends.

Consider Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF, $29) or, if you prefer individual stocks, JP Morgan Chase (JPM, $117) and M&T Bank (MTB, $194).

Like utilities, industrial companies could get a boost from the rule allowing firms to deduct capital expenditures, accelerating demand for machinery and equipment.

FedEx (FDX, $249) recently raised its earnings forecast for 2018 to account for the expected tax savings. We also like Fidelity MSCI Industrials Index (FIDU, $39). © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Mar. 26+

CIVIL DIALOGUES

Arena Stage presents a new series of civil dialogues to provide an opportunity for members of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan community to engage in discourse about social and political issues. There will be a few conversation starters (to be announced), but will mostly be dedicated to discussion among participants. The moderator will be Amitai Etzioni, professor at the George Washington University and author. These sessions will take place at the Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 Sixth St. SW, Washington, D.C. on Monday, March 26; Monday, April 23; and Tuesday, May 29, each from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

There will be a pre-dialogue reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. Free, but registration is required. For more information or to register, visit www.arenastage.org/forum.

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Talk to your kids about their inheritance

By Matt Hausman Many parents fail to get their financial affairs in order, neglecting to take care of such things as wills, living wills and powers of attorney.

But even those who think they’ve covered all of their estate-planning bases often leave one of the most important tasks undone: They fail to talk to their adult children about the money they’ll be leaving them someday.

For many, I’ve found, it’s because it’s a private topic — and an uncomfortable one.

Wealthy people often say they don’t want to take away their kids’ motivation for doing well on their own. Others worry more about becoming a burden while they’re still alive than what they’ll manage to leave be-

hind when they die. Some just aren’t sure what their legacy will be, and they don’t want to create false expectations.

When discussing this with one client, he told me his goal was to have his last $5 check bounce just as he hit his pine box.

And then he just laughed and laughed.

But when I called him on it, he said if there was money left when he died, of course he’d want to pass it on in the most efficient manner possible — especially mitigating any tax burden, if possible.

That’s a tough thing to manage, though, if you haven’t had at least a general conversation about where your money is, how to get to it and — just as critical — how to minimize the taxes on various types of investments when they’re inherited.

Therein lies the potential issues, because not all assets are inherited the same and, therefore, are not taxed the same.

Unfortunately, I’ve found many parents don’t know the answers to these questions themselves, and so aren’t able to discuss them with their kids.

It may be necessary to educate yourself before you can share this information with your family — and that likely will require a visit to your financial adviser.

Here are some things you and your kids should know about: 1. How does a step-up in basis work?

You and your kids should understand the term “step-up in basis” and how it will affect many appreciated assets they inherit, including stocks, bonds and real estate.

This is a tremendous benefit for inheritors of such assets.

The value of these asset on the day you die will be your heir’s cost basis, not what you paid for it. So, for example, if you paid $300,000 for your vacation home, but it’s worth $500,000 when you die, that becomes the cost basis for your heirs.

If your child sells the home for more than $500,000 in the future, any capital gains tax will be calculated based on the “stepped-up basis” of $500,000, not your original basis of $300,000.

2. What are the tax ramifications of inherited IRAs? Your children may not be aware that if they inherit your IRA, they’ll be paying taxes at ordinary income tax rates on all withdrawals, just as you were. [That is, unlike stocks, bonds and real estate, IRAs do not get a step-up in basis at the time of the owner’s death, nor are they eligible for capital gains rates.]

Your beneficiaries can choose to liquidate the account within five years, paying tax on the full amount when they do so.

Or, they can opt for a “stretch” IRA op-

tion — leaving the funds in the IRA for as long as possible while taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) based on their life expectancy. (Their RMDs would begin the year after your death, not at age 70½.)

The stretch option is smart, as it lets the invested assets continue to grow over the lifetime of the child. But try telling that to a kid who sees the money as a one-time windfall that could pay for a new car or even a house.

At the very least, talk with them about the potentially devastating tax consequences of taking a lump sum: Beneficiaries could lose up to 40 percent (or more) of the account’s value to federal and state income taxes.

3. What about an IRA rollover?

A non-spouse beneficiary can’t roll your IRA money directly into his or her own IRA or 401(k). Doing so could trigger a major tax bill because now the whole amount will become taxable income — and there’s no do-over.

Be sure your IRA custodian will administer inherited IRAs for your children and will automatically take care of any required minimum distributions so your loved ones don’t have to worry about it, because if they don’t take the required amount, the tax penalty is 50 percent of whatever they were supposed to take, plus whatever their ordinary income tax rate would be on that amount.

Distributions from an inherited Roth IRA have similar RMD rules but are taxfree unless the account was established less than five years before.

4. What tax strings can come with an inherited annuity?

Keep in mind that other non-retirement tax-deferred assets, such as annuities, also can come with a tax time bomb when they are inherited.

See KIDS’ INHERITANCE, page 40

BEACON BITS

Mar. 6+

TENANTS RIGHTS WORKSHOPS

D.C. Housing Counseling Services is offering a tenants rights workshop at Anacostia Public Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE, Washington, D.C., on Tuesday March 6 and Thursday, March 16 at 6:30 p.m. There will also be sessions at Southeast Public Library, 403 7th St. SE, Washington, D.C., on Monday, March 19 and Thursday, March 29 at 6:30 p.m. Staff from Housing Counseling Services will be discussing tenant rights and responsibilities, the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, how to improve building conditions, rent control and other topics. For more information, call (202) 667-7608.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Kids’ inheritance

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

ARLINGTON TAXI

From page 38

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Mar. 16+

MURDER MYSTERY COMEDY

Arts on the Green and A Taste for Murder Productions present Eat, Drink and Be Murdered, an audience-participation murder mysterycomedy. Performances take place on Friday, March 16, Saturday, March 17 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 18 at 2 p.m. in the historic Kentlands Mansion. Tickets cost $35 per person, $60 per couple, and include a dessert buffet and non-alcoholic beverages. A cash bar and whiskey tasting will be available. This event is appropriate for those 15 and older. Photo ID required for alcohol sales. Kentlands Mansion is located at 320 Kent Square Rd. in Gaithersburg, Md. Seating is limited, and early reservation is recommended. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

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The insurance company will issue a Form 1099 for any untaxed growth to your child, and that amount must be included as gross income when they file their taxes.

(That might be OK, if you’ve discussed it ahead of time and your child is in a lower tax bracket than you are. But I’ve seen more than one beneficiary who considered it an unpleasant and unwelcome surprise.)

5. Who has the financial details that can help?

Think about setting up an appointment for your beneficiaries to meet your adviser with you there. If everyone is spread out in various locations, maybe a video or phone conference would work.

If that isn’t possible, at a minimum be sure to leave contact information with everyone, so they can reach each other

after your death. Even if you shared the basics with your children, you’ll want them to have this person on their side to advise them as soon as possible.

I’ve seen parents who have done a pretty good job of talking to their kids about other money matters — budgeting, saving, building good credit, etc. — but drop the ball completely when it comes to preparing them for an inheritance.

Dealing with the loss of a parent can be a very emotional time. I believe most people don’t want it to also be a time of confusion for the children in trying to figure out what to do with Mom and Dad’s inheritance.

Matt Hausman is the founder and president of Old Security Trust Corp. and Old Security Group, a Registered Investment Advisory Firm. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

FREE LEGAL ASSISTANCE

Maryland Legal Aid’s Lawyer in the Library program is expanding to Oxon Hill Branch Library in Prince George’s County. The team offers free one-on-one civil legal advice and criminal record expungements. The library is located at 6200 Oxon Hill Rd., Oxon Hill, Md. Initiated in 2015 in response to the civil unrest in Baltimore City, the Lawyer in the Library program places Maryland Legal Aid attorneys, paralegals, pro bono attorneys, law students, and other volunteers in public libraries to provide free civil legal assistance and criminal record expungements to low-income Marylanders. For more information, contact Supervising Attorney Meaghan McDermott at (443) 451-2805 or visit www.mdlab.org/law-in-lib.

Visit us at www.GoingHomeCremation.com

Mar. 22+

VEGETABLE GARDENING CLASS

Arlington’s Virginia Cooperative Extension presents “Vegetable Gardening: Manage and Maintain Your Vegetable Garden” on both Thursday, March 22 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Burke Library, 4701 Seminary Rd., Alexandria, Va., and Saturday, March 24 from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Westover Branch Library, 1644 N. McKinley Rd., Arlington, Va. Learn about simple, earth-friendly and smart gardening practices, like crop rotation and intercropping, how to attract pollinators and other beneficial insects, and to control common garden pests. Learn to identify diseases and how to manage them. Admission is free, but advance registration is requested at mgnv.org. For more information, call (703) 228-6414 or email mgarlalex@gmail.com.

A few hours of your time can make a big difference in a neighbor’s life.

For more information, call Senior Connection at 301-962-0820 or go to seniorconnectionmc.org This ad was made possible with funding of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government’s Enhanced Mobility program.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

41

Businesses you can start with no money

By Jackie Zimmerman Starting a business is often a pricey ordeal. But low- or even no-cost ideas exist for aspiring entrepreneurs with unique and marketable talent.

Take inventory of the skills you already possess, recommends Holly Reisem Hanna, founder of a career blog called, “The Work at Home Woman.” List your past jobs, education, training, passions, skills and talents to help identify vocational patterns and interests that can guide you toward your new business venture.

“In this exercise, you want to go deep,” she said, “so include what you liked and didn’t like about past jobs, training and schooling.”

Need more small business ideas to get the wheels turning? Consider these classic business ideas you can start with no immediate costs.

ward services like grooming and boarding.

If pets are your passion, you can start a dog-walking or pet-sitting business for little to no money. Later on, you might take it a step further and become a trainer, though you’ll want to invest in a certification to give your business credibility.

While there are no state or federal laws regulating who can and cannot declare themselves a personal trainer, a potential cost (and a worthwhile one, at that) is getting certified by an industry organization like the American Council on Exercise.

You’ll also want to consider liability insurance to cover any client injuries that may happen while you’re training them.

Personal training Cashing in on the fitness craze is a great idea for the athletically blessed, and there are no required costs for starting out. You can start by working out with clients in public spaces like parks, and focusing on body-resistance exercises.

Take your business to the next level by investing in some gear, like resistance bands or weights, to keep your clients progressing — and coming back to you for more.

Entrepreneur beware Hanna recommends avoiding work in highly regulated industries, like healthcare, because the guidelines can be hard to navigate. Even outside of tricky industries, there are common pitfalls to avoid when pursuing your side job: • Don’t jeopardize your main job. You may need to maintain full-time employment to generate income while your business is getting off the ground. It’s crucial

you don’t allocate your best self to your side business and “phone it in” on your regular job. It’s also good to double-check your contract — you don’t want to start a new business only to realize you signed a non-compete clause with your full-time employer.

• Look into licensing and certificates.

Keeping overhead costs low is important, but there are some corners you don’t want to cut. Even if you’re building a business off of your existing skills, like cutting hair or baking, for example, make sure you follow regulatory guidelines for your industry.

If you plan to run your business from your home, check your home insurance policy for what incidents are covered and which ones aren’t, and buy riders accordingly for added protection.

— NerdWallet via AP

Consulting and teaching Your best assets are the knowledge and skills you already have. So whether you’re a math whiz, grammar guru or musical wunderkind, consider selling your wellhoned expertise.

While you may eventually want to spend a few dollars to get the word out about your services — beyond, say, your social media contacts — you already have the tools you need to get started, which will help keep overhead low.

Manual work Everyday home maintenance and repairs have a habit of piling up, so if you’re naturally handy around the house, consider positioning yourself as a master of manual labor.

Start by specializing in a niche area, like building your expertise in painting or landscaping to help build credibility among clients and not overextend yourself.

Freelancing More and more companies are looking to freelancers, or independent contractors, to lower their in-house costs, giving creative types — writers, photographers, designers — an opportunity to share their talents with multiple clients.

Pet services Americans shell out big bucks when it comes to their pets. According to the American Pet Products Association, pet owners spent $66.8 billion on their animals in 2016, with $5.8 billion of that going to-

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April 16, 2018 10am–3pm Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center 5701 Marinelli Road, Bethesda Keynote Speaker Leon Harris

April 30, 2018 10am–2pm Fair Oaks Marriott Hotel 11787 Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy, Fairfax Keynote Speaker Bob Levey

Over 50 & Looking for a New Job? Recruiters from dozens of employers, !"#$% !&'!(!)*+(,-./'&(01+!21!-/' healthcare, retail, technology and more!

Seminars • Continuing Education • Training • Résumé Reviewers • Job Club Networking Plus community resources and much more!

Looking For Experienced, Responsible Employees?

The National Capital Region is home to one of the most educated and experienced workforces in the country. Filling your vacancies with these mature workers can raise your productivity and reduce expenses.

Free parking at both Expos! Only the Maryland garage requires vouchers, and JCA will provide them.

For more information or accommodations, email SeniorExpo@AccessJCA.org or call 301.255.4209 or 703.652.1519.

Learn more at www.AccessJCA.org

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Watch out for pitfalls after freezing credit

By Lisa Gerstner After a data breach at credit agency Equifax exposed the personal data of nearly 146 million Americans last year, you may have hurried to freeze your credit reports to help prevent identity theft.

A credit or security freeze prohibits new lenders from viewing your credit report. In turn, a thief who attempts to use your Social Security number and other personal information to apply for a credit card or loan is unlikely to succeed.

But a freeze can also cause headaches for you. You probably know that you must temporarily lift a freeze when you shop for credit.

Several other entities, however — ranging from insurers to employers to the IRS

— may rely on data from your credit report.

If you must lift your freeze, ask the institution which credit agency’s report it checks. You may get away with removing the freeze at only one of the major agencies rather than all three (Equifax, Experian and Trans Union) — and that could save you money if you must pay a fee each time you lift the freeze.

Be prepared for these potential sticking points:

Opening a bank account When you apply for a checking or savings account, the bank or credit union may use your credit report to verify your identity.

Depending on the institution, you don’t necessarily have to remove your freeze.

Imagine • Imagine a licensed, State-certified program that deals specifically with the challenges of aging.

• Imagine a reliable program that costs less than $20 an hour with no extra cost for morning coffee with friends, a hot kosher lunch, field trips, visiting entertainment, armchair exercise sessions and personal care.

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With PNC, for example, a freeze may only prevent you from opening an account online. If you’d rather not thaw your report, you can visit a branch office to confirm your identity, said Amy Vargo, a PNC spokeswoman.

But at U.S. Bank, new customers have to lift the freeze to sign up for a checking account, even at a branch.

Bank of Internet USA, an online bank, also requires customers to remove a freeze before opening an account. “There is no other way around it,” said Elise Yung, senior vice president of consumer banking. “We are encountering this issue more and more frequently.”

Signing up for insurance Except in a few states where the practice is prohibited, auto and home insurers may check an insurance score based on your credit when determining premiums.

For example, in 2016, Washington, D.C., passed legislation that prohibits the use of credit history in decisions by insurers to underwrite, cancel or refuse to renew a policy (or increase premiums at renewal).

In some states, you may need to thaw one or more of your credit reports to help ensure that you get the lowest possible rate; in most states, however, insurers can review your credit even when a freeze is in place.

In other cases, your credit report may be tapped for identity verification. HealthCare.gov, which offers health insurance through the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, relies on Experian credit report data to generate questions that online applicants answer to prove their identities.

So, those who have frozen their credit reports can’t go through the standard security process.

Rather than unfreeze their Experian report, enrollees can upload or mail in documents, such as a copy of their driver’s license, passport or voter registration card, as proof of identity.

Checking your credit score Some services that periodically generate a credit score based on the data in your credit report will continue to operate after you set up a freeze (although you usually must remove the freeze when you enroll).

But others won’t function.

Discover’s Credit Scorecard offers a free FICO score and data from your Experian credit report, updated monthly, to all consumers. If you do not have a Discover credit card or bank account, however, the service will not refresh your scorecard after you freeze your credit report, even if you signed up for the service before placing the freeze.

(Customers who do have a Discover card or bank account should see no disruption.)

Similarly, at Credit.com, you can’t get updated Experian credit scores or report information if your report is frozen. Purchasing credit scores directly from FICO at www.myfico.com doesn’t require you to unfreeze your reports, but you may have to contact FICO to confirm your identity.

A freeze does not block you from getting your free credit reports yearly at www.annualcreditreport.com.

Registering to use IRS services online To verify your identity, the IRS needs access to your Experian credit report when you sign up for certain online tools, including those through which you can get a transcript of your tax return or other records, view tax account information (such as balances owed and payment history), and obtain an IP PIN, a six-digit code that victims of tax-related identity theft submit with their tax returns for extra security. You must remove a freeze on your Experian report to get through registration.

Applying for a job With your written consent, a prospective (or current) employer may check a version of your credit report that omits account numbers, your year of birth, and information about your spouse.

“Many employers in the defense, chemical, pharmaceutical and financial services industries check employees’ credit reports because of the sensitive positions they hold,” according to Experian. Several states limit the use of credit information in employment decisions. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

BEACON BITS

Apr. 16+

50+ EMPLOYMENT EXPO The Jewish Council for the Aging’s (JCA) annual 50+ Employment Expo will take place on Monday, April 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at

the Marriott at 5701 Marinelli Rd., N. Bethesda. Over 50 recruiters from nonprofit, government, healthcare, retail and technological industries will be onsite looking

Contact us at 301.468.1740 or Misler@AccessJCA.org to see if the Misler Center is the right program for a loved one who wants and deserves to live at home.

for employees, as well as providing community resources, training and education.

There will also be seminars on interviewing, changing careers, and resume writing; internet coaches to help online applicants; a resume reviewing room; and a keynote address by News4 at 4 anchor Leon Harris. Parking is free onsite, and admission is free for both participants and employers. For more information, contact Micki Gordon at (301) 255-4231 or mgordon@AccessJCA.org. Jobseekers can

Agency 8127

Agency 52847

pre-register at www.AccessJCA.org/2018MDExpo.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

Great credit scores lead to monetary perks

By Gregory Karp As average credit scores for Americans continue to rise, the question for many becomes how to use their excellent credit rating to optimize their lives without borrowing money or adding risk.

Capitalizing on great credit doesn’t have to mean incurring great debt; instead, it’s about using your money reputation for a financial advantage.

“In the right hands, a good credit rating can be a real asset,” said Jordan Goodman, editor of MoneyAnswers.com and author of Master Your Debt.

From higher credit card bonuses and rewards, to lower insurance premiums and interest rates, hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of goodies are available to those with great credit. And they don’t need to borrow a dime to take advantage.

Use your leverage Nearly 40 percent of Americans have excellent FICO credit scores of 750 and above, according to credit scoring company Fair Isaac Corp. Half of those have scores of 800 or higher, considered “super-prime.” They get the best lending terms and lots of special treatment.

Leveraging credit to access these benefits works best for people with responsible financial habits, like paying bills on time, every time, and paying monthly credit card balances in full.

“You want to make sure you have discipline,” said Roger Wohlner, a personal finance writer and financial planner. “This is for someone who has all the basics covered.”

If that’s you, here are ways to use a great credit rating:

Better insurance and interest rates • Shop your insurances: It’s a good idea to regularly shop for better insurance rates. You can often find identical auto and home coverage for less. When you have great credit, you’ll get even better rates.

• Snag credit card bonuses: The market for rewards credit cards is sizzling, with generous sign-up bonuses and rewards for consumers who can qualify.

With a travel credit card, for example, you might be able to use points or miles to pay for a trip if you can meet the card’s minimum spending requirement.

It’s not about “churning” cards, or opening accounts to get bonuses and then closing them. It’s about not hesitating to apply for a lucrative card that meets your needs. If the card has an annual fee, make sure you extract more value than you pay.

“If you are fiscally responsible and enjoy playing the game to earn these signup bonuses, then you do have a real opportunity to win at the expense of credit card companies,” said Byrke Sestok, president of Rightirement Wealth Partners in White Plains, New York.

• Get a HELOC for emergencies: Homeowners can supplement an emergency fund for free by opening a home equity line of credit. The point isn’t to borrow more money with the credit line on your house. You can leave it unused, but will have it available in case financial tragedy hits.

“Everyone who can control their spending should have a HELOC that they can tap in case of an emergency,” said John Eckel, a certified financial planner and financial analyst.

• Lower your interest rates: High credit scores should mean low interest rates.

Make sure you’re paying rock-bottom rates for loans, especially big-ticket items like your mortgage and auto loans. If not, you can refinance.

• Get no-interest deals: Paying in full is a solid habit. But if a car dealership is willing to lend you money at 0 percent because of your great credit, you can take the loan and make monthly payments, while banking the money you were planning to use to pay outright — preferably in an interest-earning account.

• Apply for retailer credit cards: Signing up for a credit card at the checkout counter has risks if you don’t pay in full because interest rates are usually high.

But if you’re diligent about paying bills, why not apply for a card to get 15 percent off a $2,000 furniture purchase? It’s an easy $300. Diligence is key.

“Merchants are very good at offering carrots, but you slip up for one microsecond and they bang you over the head,” Goodman said.

Exploiting your great credit rating in these ways can actually improve it over the long run, assuming you continue to pay bills on time, because credit scoring formulas reward responsible use of credit.

Just be sure to space out applications so the small dip in your scores (caused by new applications) can disappear before the next. And be wary of diluting your average age of accounts. [See “Store card could torpedo your credit score,” in the February Beacon.]

Even if you take none of these actions now, you can rest easier knowing you’ll have plenty of options should a financial crisis hit some day.

— NerdWallet via AP

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Travel Leisure &

Puerto Vallarta’s Malecon promenade is lined with seaside sculptures. See story on page 47.

Why so many keep coming back to ‘PV’ An unexpected treat for many first-time visitors is a gathering of art galleries in the Zona Romantica (Romantic Zone) neighborhood, and the proliferation of eclectic sculptures that line the Malecon — a walkway along the seashore. It teems with street entertainers, food vendors and others seeking to pry a few pesos out of a visitor’s wallet or purse. [See “A day spent amidst the Malecon mayhem,” page 47.]

PHOTO BY DIEGO GRANDI

By Victor Block The destination that my wife Fyllis and I were visiting isn’t for everyone. Some beaches consist of more pebbles than sand, and the ocean in places lacks the clarity and multi-hued colors of the Caribbean.

Despite those drawbacks, in recent years Puerto Vallarta, Mexico has grown from a sleepy village into a magnet for people who favor it for a variety of reasons.

When I asked fellow vacationers with whom we crossed paths what attractions the place holds for them, I received a variety of responses. For Mary and William North, the warm weather and friendly people persuade them to travel there each year from Nebraska. Portland, Ore., native Beth Taylor explained that she enjoys the culture scene and casual lifestyle.

The mystique of the place was best summed up by Colorado residents Jim and Arlene Warner. They praised the city’s location between the rugged Sierra Madre Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, and the fact that “it’s a walking town.” Then they added, “PV just gets under your skin.”

That seems to be the case because PV, as those in the know call it, teems with repeat visitors.

The area offers the usual variety of activities expected at oceanfront resorts. In addition, it throws in a few surprises — like a graffiti tour, hunting excursions, climbing a mountain on mule back, and rappelling down waterfalls.

Made famous by Hollywood Given the almost around-the-clock activity in the town today, it can be hard to imagine that Puerto Vallarta (pronounced pwer’-toe vuh-yar’-tuh) was a tiny fishing village with only a handful of small hotels until the early 1960s. Then came fame, in the persons of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

In 1963, the well-known director John Huston selected a site just outside of PV to film The Night of the Iguana, a movie based on the play by Tennessee Williams. He was attracted by the location’s then-tranquil setting between forest-clad mountains and the Bahia de Banderas (Bay of Flags), one of the largest ocean inlets in the world.

Richard Burton starred in the movie and Elizabeth Taylor, with whom he was having an extramarital affair, accompanied him to the area. Their tempestuous relationship attracted an influx of Hollywood paparazzi who reported on every detail of the liaison, and PV suddenly became world famous.

Based on that publicity, the town blos-

Puerto Vallarta is located on Mexico’s Pacific coast, bordering Banderas Bay. Its growth from a small fishing village to a bustling city and tourist destination followed the filming there of the 1963 movie Night of the Iguana, starring Richard Burton.

somed into a popular vacation destination that offers different vibes from other resort developments in Mexico that were created specifically to cater to tourists.

The feeling of a “real” town beneath the veneer of a resort community is welcomed by many visitors. That is true even though, in places, “real” translates to somewhat threadbare. But that only adds to the city’s charm for those who love it.

Bountiful beaches PHOTO BY VICTOR BLOCK

Puerto Vallarta, or PV for short, offers sandy beaches along curving coves framed by mountains and lush jungle foliage. Many tourists like to return there year after year.

While locations associated with the Burton-Taylor love affair are high on the mustsee list of many first-time visitors, they soon discover other attractions worth visiting. Not surprisingly, appealing beaches, which contrast with some rock-strewn stretches of shoreline, are a major draw, and there’s plenty of variety there to suit every preference.

Mismaloya Beach is inviting enough for its setting, following a gently curving cove with a verdant backdrop of dense jungle foliage. Adding to its allure is the fact that it’s where much of The Night of the Iguana was filmed.

Other beaches also have their own attractions. Playa Gemelas (Twins Beach) fronts some of the clearest water in the bay. Las Animas, Quimixto and Yelapa are isolated stretches of sand accessible only by boat. Playa Conchas Chinas offers shal-

low pools favored by families with young children or grandchildren, while the offshore reef is popular with snorkelers.

There’s more than one theory about how Playa de los Muertos (Beach of the Dead) got its name. Some stories suggest that either Indians or pirates killed the crew of a ship passing by that was transporting gold and silver. Another, more likely, version is that the beach once served as a burial place for the Huichol natives.

The Huichol people were living in the Sierra Madre mountain range when the Spanish arrived, and they continue to be a presence in the region.

Among touches of native Huichol culture to explore are ancient petroglyphs etched into even more ancient stones, lovely beadwork made and offered for sale by Huichol women, and performances of a ceremonial Pole Dance along the Malecon.

Indian lore also is one focus of a small museum in the heart of Puerto Vallarta. That archaeological showcase shares the Isla Cuale (Cuale Island) with a smattering of restaurants, souvenir shops and cultural sites.

Among its exhibits are artifacts found during archaeological digs near the government-planned tourist resort of Ixtapa.

Those excavations also uncovered the ruins of a pyramid, remains of a ceremoniSee PUERTO VALLARTA, page 45

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

Puerto Vallarta From page 44 al ball court, and a collection of pottery, jewelry and other relics.

Experiencing village life Visitors seeking to immerse themselves in the present-day life of locals and the area’s inviting natural setting, may find it at several tiny villages not far from the hustle and bustle of Puerto Vallarta.

The hamlet of Boca de Tomatlan is set amidst a tropical jungle environment teeming with birds and butterflies.

Sayulita in ways resembles a hipstersurfer setting with rideable waves, an eclectic mix of restaurants, and a variety of stores.

But my (and my wife’s) personal favorite was Las Palmas — a village of about 1,000 people perched in the Sierra Madre foothills that has hardly been touched by the 21st century, nor in ways even by the 20th. This is horse country, and we spotted a number of steeds walking slowly down the dusty, nearly deserted main (and almost only) street, ridden by Mexican cow-

boys fitted out in full regalia.

Looking for a place to have lunch, we used very broken Spanish and hand signs to ask several people if there was a restaurant in town. Finally a man uttered the word “casa” and pointed to the doorway of a humble house nearby.

As we gingerly entered the open door, a woman inside greeted us with a smile and led us into a cramped kitchen where earthenware bowls on the stove were brimming with a variety of local fare.

After we pointed to several choices, our hostess directed us to the back porch where we took seats on somewhat rickety chairs beside an equally rickety table. She served us a bountiful meal of refried beans, rice, string bean casserole, tortillas and potato tostados. The food was good, the beers we sipped were cold, and the total bill came to about $10.

The meals that we ate at restaurants in Puerto Vallarta, while reasonably priced, cost more — and were less memorable — than that simple lunch. In fact, that experience continues to stand out for us, in contrast to the lively city of Puerto Vallarta, time spent basking in the sun, and taking part in some of

Is Puerto Vallarta safe to visit?

The State Department urges U.S. travelers to “exercise increased caution” traveling to Mexico, and even to “reconsider travel” to, or avoid altogether, certain Mexican states where drug-related crime is extensive.

That said, it is worth remembering that “increased caution” is also urged for countries like France, Germany, Italy and the UK. And while the Mexican state of Jalisco (where Puerto Vallarta is located) is tagged “reconsider,” there are no State

Dept. restrictions on the cities of Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. That is, they are explicitly exempted from the Jalisco “reconsider” warning.

For more about the new State Department ratings system, see “Understanding new State Dept. advisories” on page 48.

Security experts suggest one might take some additional precautions, such as not traveling at night, and not hailing cabs off the street. Instead, pick up a regulated cab at a hotel.

the long list of things to do and see there.

It’s that something-for-everyone variety that tempts people to make their first visit to PV and, for many, convinces them to return again and again.

If you go Guests at the Costa Sur Resort and Spa, perched on a hillside overlooking a beach, enjoy a mini-theme-park choice of both land and water activities and amenities. One inviting attraction is a protected lagoon where dozens of kinds of colorful fish make their home, providing a perfect opportunity for beginning snorkelers. Room rates begin at

45

$85 a night. For more information, visit www.costasurpuertovallarta.com.

A very different experience greets those who check into the Hotel Rosita.

Built in 1948 and located along the Malecon, it’s the most traditional hotel in town.

With rates that start at $55, it appeals to both international travelers and Mexican residents on vacation. For more information, see hotelrosita.com.

Dining venues range from posh to plain, and good food at equally good bargain prices is plentiful. Case in point: At the See PUERTO VALLARTA, page 46

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Best ways to find companionship online Dear Savvy Senior: without ever having to leave home.

What can you tell me about online And, to make things even easier, many dating for baby boomers? sites today use matchmaking I’m 57 and recently dialgorithms that factor in your vorced, and would like to interests and preferences so find a new friend to spend they can steer you to matches time with. that are best suited for you.

— Lonely Linda Here are some other tips to Dear Linda: help you get started.

Whether you’re interested Choose a site or two: There in dating again or just looking are literally hundreds of differfor a friend to spend time ent matchmaking websites and with, online dating sites have SAVVY SENIOR apps available, so choosing can become a very popular and efbe a bit confusing. Costs typicalBy Jim Miller fective way for baby boomers ly range between $15 and $20 to meet new single people. per month; however, some dating sites are Making new friends can be challenging completely free to use. as we get older, which is why online dating Depending on your preferences here sites are an excellent option for baby are some popular options to look into. boomers. They provide an easy and conIf you don’t want to spend any money, venient way to meet dozens of new people, free sites like OKCupid.com and Plenty-

ofFish.com are good places to start, but these sites do have a lot of advertising.

There are also free apps like Tinder (GoTinder.com) and Bumble.com, but these tend to be geared toward younger adults looking for casual “romance.”

If you’re interested in lots of choices, consider Match.com, which has a huge membership in all demographics. Or check out eHarmony.com, which is also very large but more targeted to people who want to take things slowly.

If you are looking to find a specific type of person, there are hundreds of niche sites like: OurTime.com, SeniorPeopleMeet.com and 50more.com for those 50 and older; EliteSingles.com for professionals; DateMyPet.com for animal lovers; VeggieDate.org for vegetarians; JDate.com for Jewish singles; BlackPeopleMeet.com for African Americans; and ChristianMingle.

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Create a profile: When you join a matchmaking site, you’ll need to create a personality profile that reflects who you are.

Include recent photos, hobbies, interests, favorite activities and more. If you need some help, sites like ProfileHelper.com can write one for you for a fee.

Use caution: After you register with a site, you remain anonymous to the outside world. No one gets access to your personal contact information until you decide to give it out, so be prudent whom you give it to.

Before meeting, you should chat on the phone or do a video chat a few times. And when you do meet in person for the first time, meet in a public place or bring a friend along.

And if someone you’ve gotten to know online asks you for money, don’t send it.

Online dating/sweetheart scams are plentiful, so be aware. If you want to be extra cautious, you can even do a quick background check on your date at MyMatchChecker.com.

Don’t be naive: In an effort to get more responses, many people will exaggerate (or flat out lie) in their profiles.

Some post pictures that are 10 years old or from when they were 20 pounds lighter. So don’t believe everything you see or read.

Make an effort: A lot of times, people (especially women) sit back and let others come to them. Don’t be afraid to make the first move.

When you find someone you like, send a short note that says, “I really enjoyed your profile. I think we have some things in common.” Keep it simple.

Don’t get discouraged: If you don’t get a response from someone you write to, don’t let it bother you. Just move on. There are many others that will be interested in you, and it only takes one person to make online dating worthwhile.

Send your questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Puerto Vallarta From page 44 Agave Restaurant in the Hotel Rosita, seafood quesadillas cost $6, and filet of fish in shrimp sauce was $9.

Locals often outnumber visitors at Mariscos Cuetos (469 Brasilia), which more than makes up in dining what it lacks in décor. Among entrees value-priced at $9 are sea bass and bacon skewers, seafood burritos, and grilled red snapper with rice, veggies and salad. More information is available at www.mariscoscuetospv.com.

American Airlines offers the least expensive tickets from the Washington area in late March, from Dulles International Airport for $355 roundtrip.

For information about PV, log onto www.visitpuertovallarta.com.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

47

A day spent amidst the Malecon mayhem

By Fyllis Hockman So I heard that you could spend from dawn to dusk on the seaside promenade known as the Malecon, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and never get bored.

And I thought, “OK, I’m up for that challenge.” And yes, the Malecon is a 1.5-mile delight, bordered by shops on one side and the Bay of Banderas on the other.

I was initially struck by the preponderance of unusual brass sculptures that dominate the landscape. There are sculptures everywhere — clowns, mermaids, unicorns, lovers — celebrating relationships, history, Spanish culture, religion, animals and just plain fun.

Chilo, our guide, transfixed us with the many stories surrounding each and every creation, but after a while, they tended to flow together, not unlike the waves hitting the shore as we walked.

A sand sculpture wishing well, accompanied by the sign: “Your tips are my salary,” especially caught my attention. That combination, I thought, was an interesting double-dipping marketing ploy. Both the tip jar and the well get coins tossed into them.

I look up and see five men atop a pole, about to perform an ancient Indian religious ritual. One man plays the flute and drum, while the other four descend from above, flying in concentric circles, symbol-

izing the seasons and the cycle of life. Did I mention they are hanging by one foot upside down?

The Malecon ends at a large beach, and the hotels lining the street — umbrellas crowding the sand, music blaring from the bars, and the cries of children playing in the waves — display a very different character from the far more relaxing and less touristy stroll that got us here.

The cordoned-off beach at our hotel protects its guests from the overly aggressive, ever-optimistic vendors hawking everything from purses to pottery, sombreros to sunglasses, trinkets to toys, jewelry to — OK — junk.

Not so at the public beaches, including at the Malecon. I was at a loss as to how they could come up with so many things to sell — some easily recognizable, others more questionable — and all of it “almost for free!”

A suggestion: Do not make eye contact with vendors, and be prepared for some minor whiplash just from shaking your head no. And do not order that third margarita — no telling what you may end up buying!

Vibrant night life Another world emerges when the sun goes down: The lights go up, the crowds pour in. The good news is they are not only tourists.

Families by the droves carrying balloons and ice cream; couples young and old holding hands; people sitting at the water’s edge gazing at the city skyline off in the distance, and multitudes of all ages, sizes and ethnicities dancing to the music at the square, where the variety of dance steps is as diverse as the people executing them.

During the day, your attention is on the permanent appeal of the Malecon — shops and gardens and sculptures of infinite variety. At night, it’s all noise and moving parts.

While having dinner in a second story

restaurant looking down on the boardwalk, I watched a man in a monkey suit taking pictures with tourists, a violin player, bikers and inline skaters trying to keep from crashing into each other, grown-ups wearing outlandish hats made from balloons as though coming from a toddler’s birthday party, a sculpture of a bronze man sporting a sombrero and a rifle — until he moved and became a mime instead.

And then, an unexpected explosion in the sky — fireworks! Who knows why? It’s the Malecon. There doesn’t have to be a reason!

Send a letter to the editor. See p. 2.

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Understanding new State Dept. advisories The U.S. State Department recently re- ings apply to an entire country. Risks are vised the way it classifies risks you face most commonly defined as local crime, potential terrorist attack or natwhen visiting other countries. ural disasters.

Each country gets a risk ratBut in the detailed report ing of one to four, replacing for each nation, the Departthe old “warning” system. ment indicates that in a nomiIn practice, it looks like the nal level-two country, certain new system will provide more areas may be at levels three or useful risk assessments, but four. Or conversely, a few key the utility of recommended cities in level three and four precautions you should take in countries may be at level two. response to risks is underThe Department website whelming.

TRAVEL TIPS posts a world map that colorThe new system measures

By Ed Perkins codes countries by their overall risk levels you face when visitrisk assessment levels at travelmaps.state. ing other countries at four levels: 1. Exercise normal precautions, in- gov/TSGMap/.

Among the key takeaways: dicating, essentially, no more risk than • A surprising number of popular destitravel generally.

2. Exercise increased caution, indi- nation countries in Europe are at level two, including Belgium, Bosnia/Herzegovina, cating “something bad might happen.”

3. Reconsider travel, indicating Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain “you’re probably better off going some- and the UK. The rest of Europe is level one.

• In the Americas, Mexico is level two where else.”

4. Do not travel, indicating “keep out” overall, due to endemic crime, but several because it’s risky, and U.S. consular assis- entire states are level four, as are a few fortance may be unable to reach you if you mer tourist centers, most notably Acapulco. get into trouble.

All of Central America is level two or higher, except Costa Rica, which is level Local risks identified one. Even the Bahamas are level two.

The Department assigns a rating to In South America, Argentina, Bolivia, every country in the world, and basic rat- Chile, French Guiana, Suriname and

Uruguay are level one; other countries are level two or higher.

• If you’re interested in visiting North Africa, stick to Morocco, the area’s only level one country. In South Africa, Zambia shows the lowest risk.

• In central Asia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are all level one. In Asia, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are level one, along with Australia and New Zealand.

• The level four “do not visit” countries are the usual suspects: the war-torn areas of central Africa, certain Middle Eastern countries (such as Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan), and North Korea.

The State Department’s risk analyses seem to me to be on the mark, and I would think at least twice before heading for a level three or level four country.

The problem I have is with the Department’s recommendations for coping with levels two and three: “Be aware of your surroundings when traveling to tourist locations and crowded places,” and “Follow the instructions of local authorities.” Both suggestions seem to be woefully lacking in practical guidance.

May affect insurance coverage It’s too early to know how the new system will impact travel insurance. Some current

trip-cancellation policies link cancellation benefits to issuance of a State Department “warning” (under the old system) subsequent to the time you make your first payment.

What isn’t clear yet is whether that will translate directly to assignment of level four (or even level three) risk to a destination subsequent to initial payment.

It is clear, however, that insurance is not likely to cover cancellation and other contingencies resulting from events that occur in countries already at levels three, four or possibly even two at the time you make initial payments.

Almost all insurance coverage is limited to “unforeseen” events, and a crime problem or local violence in a country labeled as level three or four at the time you make payments would almost certainly not be “unforeseen.”

As I’ve frequently noted, the only way to keep your own control over when to cancel is to buy “cancel for any reason” coverage.

Before you head out for the country, get a fix on risks in your destinations at travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html. But don’t expect any useful suggestions about how to cope with the risks.

Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. Also, check out Ed’s new rail travel website at www.rail-guru.com. © 2018 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

49

What if your flight is canceled or delayed?

By Miriam Cross The odds of encountering turbulence in your travel plans when you’re flying are probably lower than you think: In the first 10 months of 2017, 18.4 percent of domestic airline flights were delayed on departure, and 1.6 percent were canceled, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

But when you’re the unlucky passenger stranded at the gate with no plane in sight, knowing what your rights are and what airlines typically offer to keep customers happy can help get you on your way sooner, and happier.

For problems considered within their control — including crew shortages and maintenance issues — you’ll fare better. For example, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue both provide credit for future flights in case of a long delay. (JetBlue passengers who experience a delay of six hours or more get a $250 credit.)

Some airlines might arrange ground transportation as an alternative to flying. Alaska, American, Delta, Spirit and United, among others, may comp one night at a hotel — typically when an overnight holdup lasts at least four hours. Food and beverage vouchers may also be part of the deal. In general, lowcost carriers offer fewer amenities.

Involuntary refunds?

Do your own legwork

And if a cancellation or significant delay (as defined by the airline) would upend your

How airlines (might) help The Department of Transportation requires airlines to compensate passengers only when they’re bumped from an oversold flight. Federal rules also govern how long planes can linger on the tarmac before an airline has to feed the passengers or let them off.

Rules for all other kinds of delays and cancellations are spelled out in each carrier’s contract of carriage.

For disruptions that airlines consider beyond their control — which can include bad weather, fuel shortages and labor disputes — the airlines typically offer you a seat on the next available flight or, depending on how long the delay is, a refund.

Being assertive and resourceful will help speed up the process as well. “Rather than asking the gate agent, ‘What will you do for me?’ it’s better to have a solution in mind,” said travel writer Ed Perkins.

For example, airlines generally rebook you on the next available flight, but some airlines may agree to transfer your ticket to another carrier, so pull out your smartphone and look up alternate routes.

While waiting in line to speak with an agent, call the customer service number (or a phone line reserved for loyalty program members, if you are one) and simultaneously reach out to the airline’s social media

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team to get first crack at an empty seat.

It’s always best to resolve the problem while it’s happening rather than requesting a voucher or other compensation by complaining after the fact.

Even if an airline is stingy with perks, you may still be able to negotiate, say, loyalty-program miles by asking for them, said Paul Hudson, president of consumer organization Flyers Rights.

If you’re rerouted on a new flight, be aware that many airlines count certain nearby airports as the same destination.

trip completely and you decide to forgo rebooking, you can ask for an “involuntary refund” of the unused portion of your ticket — even for nonrefundable tickets.

Don’t expect the airline to tell you about this option, said Hudson. You may have to ask to speak with a super visor to discuss an involuntary refund.

Airlines have become more flexible about waiving change fees for customers when bad weather is forecast, said Anne McDermott, editor of FareCompare.com. You may not pay a difference in fare, either. But your window to reschedule is usually short. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Style

51

Arts &

A one-woman show at Theater J explores Dr. Ruth’s long life and career. See review on page 54.

Communities offer opportunities for art

Free weekly art classes Ruotolo has learned a great deal at the free weekly art classes offered by the Residences at Thomas Circle. The community offers independent living, assisted living and memory care apartments.

Coordinator Nancy Piness is passionate about the community’s art program — dubbed the Artist Colony — and has seen firsthand how much it has impacted the lives of the residents. One of their favorite mediums is silk painting, particularly silk scarves.

“The residents are so proud to show me what they have designed and created, often wearing their decorative silk scarves around the community, or sharing with me the paintings they have created of their pets or of a favorite venue as a relative’s holiday gift,” Piness said.

Each class is small, comprised of six to eight people, and runs for 90 minutes. No registration is required, so students can drop in or out at their convenience.

Piness said their instructors teach “‘creative and expressive arts,’ which means that the focus is on the process and not necessarily the end result.” So far, they’ve had very good feedback.

“The residents live life again,” said instructor Elisabeth Larson. “When they are painting, their concentration on their creation alleviates [any] pain. The art classes make them more powerful as a human being.”

For Ruotolo, the discovery of art has

been a turning point in her life, and a big reason she’s still so sharp. “[With art], you express yourself — you put your heart and soul in it. I love it. I look forward to it very much...it’s so satisfying.”

Her son has been so supportive that he offered to pay for private lessons with her teacher, which she now takes in addition to the weekly group class.

Ruotolo finds that the extra help is welcome.

Virginia Fernbach moved to Greenspring in Springfield, Va., knowing that the comSee ARTISTS, page 52

PHOTO BY MARIE J. RABER

By Rebekah Alcalde When Sophie Ruotolo moved to the Residences at Thomas Circle in downtown Washington, D.C. at age 93, she knew it was going to be a “big adjustment” after living in her home in Florida. Fortunately, the move ended up being a blessing, since she discovered her biggest passion there: art.

Now 98, Ruotolo spends most of her time painting on canvas using acrylics and watercolors, or planning her next project.

Though she excels in painting realistic flowers — tulips are her favorite — she’s been recently drawn to portraits.

“A portrait of my great granddaughter went well,” she said proudly. “It was very difficult, but [my family] loved it.”

Most of her work is given as gifts to friends or family — though she did say her son offered to buy one of her favorite pieces for $500!

An active artist community In 2015, watercolorist Sophie Ruotolo displays some of her paintings at an exhibit at the Residences at Thomas Circle, the Washington, D.C. retirement community where she lives. The community is one of many in the area that offer free art classes to residents.

MARCH 15 - JUNE 10 ‘Great Performances in the Neighborhood’ Victorian Lyric Opera Company presents Rockville Concert Band presents

The Merry Widow

Medieval Times

Performances continue: March 2 & Sunday, March 11 at 3 p.m.

3 at 8 p.m.; and March 4 at 2 p.m. No tickets required; $5 suggested Tickets: Adults $28; $24 Seniors 65+; donation. $20 Students

Rockville Civic Ballet presents

Sleeping Beauty Saturday, March 17 at 7:30 p.m. & Sunday, March 18 at 2 p.m.

Tickets: $17; $13 Seniors 60+ and Children 12 and under

Theatre F. Scott Fitzgerald

410-730-8311

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Tickets Online: www.rockvillemd.gov/theatre Box Office: 240-314-8690

AT RO C K VI L L E C I VI C C E NTE R PA R K

Rockville Civic Center Park • 603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville, MD

52

Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Artists From page 51 munity was filled with like-minded and talented artists. The problem was, none of the artists seemed to be getting together and meeting, she said of the community, which includes independent and assisted living as well as memory care.

Identifying the void, Fernbach organized and now serves at the chair of the Visual Arts Planning Group, which meets once a month to plan art classes and workshops to be held there.

They also “identify good instructors, make arrangements, organize classes” and work closely with the community resources coordinator to advertise their programs, she said.

“People like to get together, since it can be lonely [otherwise],” Fernbach said.

“You look at each other’s work and comment — help each other.”

Greenspring offers art classes led by both in-house volunteers and paid instructors. “A number of our residents are talent-

ed watercolorists,” said Fernbach. One resident in particular, an award-winning watercolorist, teaches regular weekly sessions.

They also have a “very active pottery group,” sketching and drawing classes, and other types of programs, such as art history sessions and tours to visit museums. “We’re always trying to diversify,” she said.

Most classes are free, with the exception of the classes taught by outside instructors.

Every year, the planning group also organizes an annual art show. They recently tried a new type of show called a live artist studio, where in-house artists created their works while an audience walked around and observed.

They also have an art wall that showcases the best work of two artists at a time.

Each exhibit is accompanied by a reception to honor the artists, and an interview in their publication, “The Villager.”

Finding her community of fellow artists has been rewarding for Fernbach, who always intended to return to her childhood love of drawing and sketching. She made

M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

the decision to fully commit about a decade ago.

First mastering drawing at the Art League in Alexandria, Va., she looked toward a new challenge and found watercolor. “Of course, it was the most difficult of all the mediums,” she laughed.

While administration of the group takes up much of her time, she still makes time for her own art, employing both acrylic and ink, and a technique called gouache to create her impressionistic masterpieces.

Since then, she has sold many of her pieces and has plans to sell more, though it can be hard to let go. “You grow attached to your art, that’s a problem,” she said.

“People want to buy it!

Colorful stained glass Jacob Armoza is another artist who found his artistic passion after a career in a different field. He was 65 when he discovered the craft of stained glass, and it has become a huge part of his life in the 24 years since. The Beacon interviewed his wife Harriet for a glimpse into his story.

Always good with his hands, Armoza made his career as a fisherman in Israel, where “he lived for a number of years” and met his wife. With work scarce, though, the couple decided to move to the United States, where he took a position as an ironworker.

“Later in life, he started artistic things,” she said. Initially, he took up stained glass as a hobby, a way to give handmade presents and objects to friends and family.

He also makes menorahs (candelabras) for loved ones who are getting married, and mezuzas for those moving into a new home. A mezuza is a decorative case inside which is a hand-written parchment inscribed with a passage from the Hebrew Bible. Mezuzas are affixed to the doorposts of Jewish homes as a reminder of one’s relationship with God. “It means your home is blessed,” explained his wife.

Armoza often found inspiration for his work in interesting places. “We went on trips, and he’d collect different things to use for projects,” Harriet Armoza said.

Now 89, he is especially good at creating mosaics using stained glass, which he’s used to decorate planter boxes and flower pots.

Homecrest House, the independent and personal care community in Silver Spring, Md., where the Armozas live, offers an informal art program, with open studios for arts and crafts once a week. Artists tend to bring their own supplies and projects.

The community also has plans to begin formal art classes, since the recent arrival of a resident who paints in watercolor and oil means they now have an in-house expert.

Armoza brings his own materials to the studio and works independently, but many fellow residents gather around to watch his fascinating process and stunning finished product.

“Being in this place and being able to do what he loves,” his wife said proudly, “makes him ecstatic!”

BEACON BITS

Mar. 18

FLUTE CONCERT

The Woodbridge Flute Choir presents “A Little Latin Music,” featuring their 10th annual Concerto Scholarship winner Vivan Yuan, on Sunday, March 18 at 3 p.m. at Greenwich Presbyterian Church, 15305 Vint Hill Rd., Nokesville, Va. Admission is free. The concert will also feature original works written for flute choir inspired by Latin music. For more information, visit www.woodbridgeflutechoir.org.

CONCERT BAND

THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 7 P.M. Yorktown High School 5200 Yorktown Blvd.

Arlington, Va.

All concerts are FREE and open to the public. Tickets or reservations are not required. For more information about additional concerts in your area, please check our online performance calendar.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

53

A FATHER’S POWER. A SON’S PASSION. A ROYAL FAMILY DESTINED FOR WAR.

Photo by Kelly & Massa

Don Carlo

March 3–17 | Opera House Music by Giuseppe Verdi / Libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG | (202) 467-4600 Tickets also available at the Box Office. Groups call (202) 416-8400.

For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

Major support for WNO is provided by Jacqueline Badger Mars.

WNO’s Presenting Sponsor

David M. Rubenstein is the Presenting Underwriter of WNO. WNO acknowledges the longstanding generosity of Life Chairman Mrs. Eugene B. Casey.

Don Carlo is a production of the Clarice Smith Opera Series.

Additional support for Don Carlo is provided by The Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts

Generous support for WNO Italian Opera is provided by Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello.

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

How did Dr. Ruth come to be who she is?

Harrowing early years Moving on, we learn how Ruth Westheimer, born Karola Siegel in a GermanJewish family at the time the Nazis were rising to power, survived her early years by being sent to Switzerland at the age of 10, while her parents were rounded up and most likely killed in Auschwitz. She never saw them again.

She later took off for the country then known as Palestine, training as a sniper for the Jewish underground, the Haganah.

She then explained how she was wounded in both legs and lost the top of a foot during Israel’s war of independence.

After the establishment of the state of Israel, she lived for awhile on a kibbutz, then moved on to Paris to study at the Sorbonne.

She tells the audience about her emigration to the U.S., where she earned a doctorate in education. And from there, over the years, she took to the radio, TV and writing books, ultimately becoming a media superstar and expert on sex, giving advice on its problems and delights.

We also learn how the sadness of her early life stayed with her through all the years. But at the same time, it appeared to spur on the diminutive (4-foot, 7-inches) woman to achieve the heights of outward success, and a deep and sympathetic understanding of people, places and things.

The play is by Mark St. Germain, who delved into the mind of the most famous mind doctor of them all in Freud’s Last Session. The work never lags, despite the fact that most of the “action” is in reaction to the past. The frequent humoristic asides save the memories from becoming overly sentimental.

PHOTO BY TERESA WOOD

By Robert Friedman “I’m so glad you’re here,” Dr. Ruth tells the Theater J audience. “This is much better than talking to myself.”

So for the next 90 minutes, the famous short, sweet, giggly, no-nonsense, common-sense sex therapist — as wonderfully performed by Naomi Jacobson in the onewoman show, Becoming Dr. Ruth — tells us all about her life and loves (three husbands, two children), while offering advice on the how, when and where of intimate relations.

Among other things that the more mature in the audience might remember is Dr. Ruth’s answer to her self-asked query: What is the most important organ for sexual activity?

The answer, of course, says Dr. Ruth, is the brain, where sexual arousal begins to do its thing — even, she adds, when you are in your 90s.

Naomi Jacobson takes on the persona of Dr. Ruth Westheimer in the one-woman show Becoming Dr. Ruth, at Theater J through March 18. The play traces her long life, from escaping the Nazis as a child, to her career as a famous sex therapist.

Among other things, Dr. Ruth notes two sexual problems she will not treat: “sadomasochism, because a therapist has to visualize and I don’t want to, and bestiality — I am not a veterinarian.”

Perhaps the stage version of Dr. Ruth is too good and funny and frank and generous and non-self-promoting to be com-

pletely true. But so what? You’re being moved and entertained.

Among the play’s factual renderings that stick is Dr. Ruth’s noting that she was one of the 300 German Jewish children in 1938 that the Swiss agreed to take in after See DR. RUTH, page 56

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

MAR/APR EVENTS

The Gospel According to the Other Mary

Verdi’s Requiem

Gianandrea Noseda, conductor University of Maryland Concert Choir Edward Maclary, director J. Adams The Gospel According to the Other Mary

Gianandrea Noseda, conductor The Choral Arts Society of Washington Scott Tucker, artistic director The Washington Chorus Christopher Bell, artistic director Verdi Requiem

Thu., Mar. 8 at 7 | Sat., Mar. 10 at 8 Mar. 8: AfterWords free post-concert discussion Mar. 10: Free pre-concert panel discussion, “The Ministry of Mary Magdalene” with John Adams, Sister Helen Prejean, Yolanda Pierce, and Joan Fowler-Brown at 6:30

Thu., Mar. 22 at 7 | Fri., Mar. 23 at 8 | Sat., Mar. 24 at 8 Mar. 23 & 24: ForeWords free pre-concert discussion at 6:45

Bronfman plays Brahms

Co-presented by the Kennedy Center and Washington Performing Arts

Gianandrea Noseda, conductor Yefim Bronfman, piano Brahms Piano Concerto No.2 Brahms Selected Hungarian Dances Kodály Dances of Galánta Dvorˇák Selected Slavonic Dances R. Strauss Salome’s Dance

Noseda conducts an all-Russian program

Thu., Mar. 15 at 7 | Sat., Mar. 17 at 8 | Sun., Mar. 18 at 3 p.m.

ForeWords free pre-concert discussion at 6:45 AfterWords free post-concert discussion

Mar. 15: AfterWords free post-concert discussion Mar. 17: ForeWords free pre-concert discussion at 6:45 Mar. 18: ForeWords free pre-concert discussion at 1:45

Gianandrea Noseda, conductor Stravinsky Pulcinella Balakirev orch. Casella Islamey Rachmaninoff orch. Respighi 5 Études-Tableaux Part of SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras

Sat., Apr. 14 at 8 Sunday Matinee!

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

David M. Rubenstein is the Presenting Underwriter of the NSO.

KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG (202) 467-4600

The NSO Music Director Chair is generously endowed by Victoria and Roger Sant.

Tickets also available at the Box Office.

Groups call (202) 416-8400.

For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

The Blue Series is sponsored by United Technologies Corporation.

The March 22-24 Gianandrea Noseda Inaugural Season concert week is sponsored by Leonard and Elaine Silverstein.

Generous support of the SHIFT Festival is provided through a matching grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; by the D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts; by Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; and by Michael F. and Noémi K. Neidorff and The Centene Charitable Foundation.

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, Abramson Family Foundation, Betsy and Robert Feinberg, and Morton and Norma Lee Funger.

55

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Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Dr. Ruth From page 54 the Nazis started rounding up Jews, and that the 300-child cap was put on the kindertransports to France, Belgium and the Netherlands. (Great Britain helped rescue nearly 10,000 of the 500,000 Jewish children in Germany at the time, most of whom were subsequently murdered by the Nazis.)

Playing Dr. Ruth Naomi Jacobson, a veteran of local theater and three-time Helen Hayes Award winner, is quite a bit taller than the real-life Dr. Ruth, has more of an angular than a round face, and a German-Jewish accent which is not quite in the giddy range.

But so what? Watch how the hands express feelings, deep and real; how the pauses in the speech makes the audience

lean forward in anticipation of the words to come. How the face carries you to the scene, whether to Gay Paree, or skyscraping New York, or to the once-happy, familyfilled childhood of her Frankfurt youth.

Director Holly Twyford — who recently kicked off her career of moving actors about on the stage after many years of acting on them herself — seems to have flawlessly done whatever has to be done by a director in a one-actor play.

One bit of a gripe. The set, which included boxes piled upon boxes, worked well when the boxes were opened to reveal Dr. Ruth’s memorabilia, and her memories.

But they were less than good when serving as a convoluted screen for the many projections used to accent Dr. Ruth’s thoughts of people and places.

Nevertheless, Becoming Dr. Ruth had already become — and remains — an enjoyable, entertaining experience, theater-

M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

See Dr. Ruth in person Dr. Ruth Westheimer will appear at Theater J’s 2018 annual benefit on Sunday, March 25, at 6 p.m., at the Washington Hebrew Congregation.

Dr. Ruth will be interviewed at the event by best-selling author Deborah Tannen, who is also a professor at Georgetown University. The $300-a-

wise.

Becoming Dr. Ruth runs through March 18 at the Aaron Goldman Theater, located at 1529 16th St. Washington, D.C. in the Jewish Community Center.

Performances are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m., some Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m., and some Fri-

BEACON BITS

BEACON BITS

Mar. +

Mar. 18

GERMANTOWN ART EXHIBIT Arts on the Green presents a multi-media exhibit featuring art-

work by members of the Art League of Germantown, juried by Judith Ahlstrom.

The exhibit is on display at Kentlands Mansion through Friday, April 20. The show will be on view in the Mansion Gallery at 320 Kent Square Rd., Germantown, Md.

ticket fundraiser will include entertainment, cocktails and a meal.

The congregation is located at 3935 Macomb St. NW, Washington D.C. More information can be obtained by calling Skye Landgraf at (202) 7773230 or Laurie Levy-Page at (202) 7773230.

days and Saturdays at 8 p.m. There is a Wednesday matinee March 7 at noon, and an open-captioned performance Sunday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $39 to $69, with varying discounts for those 65 and older. For further information, see https://theaterj.org or call (202) 777-3210.

PIANO CONCERT The Washington Piano Society presents a concert of solo and piano-trio pieces — from Haydn and Beethoven to Scriabin,

Muczynski and a selection of Serbian dances — on Sunday, March 18 at 3 p.m. at Calvary Lutheran Church, 9545 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, Md. Admission is free; refreshments served. For more information, contact Ellen Tenenbaum at

For more information, contact Shellie Williams at (301) 258-6394 or

ellentenenbaum88@gmail.com or (301) 793-1863, or visit

shellie.williams@gaithersburgmd.gov, or visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

www.dcpianosociety.org.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

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Books from silver screen to printed page It’s Oscar time. Catch up on this year’s the saying goes, but this account clarifies nominees and winners. But don’t forget the many myths that sprang up in the wake of the film’s fortunes. the Hollywood classics.

Isenberg also details the Though one picture is echoes of the movie’s iconic worth a thousand words, dialogue in contemporary culthese thousands of words are ture. enjoyable to read.

He concludes with tales of We ’ l l A l w a y s H a v e today’s cult fan base. The reCasablanca: The Life, Legvivals of this Oscar triple end and Afterlife of Hollyheader — best movie, best diwood’s Most Beloved Movie rector and best screenplay —

by Noah Isenberg, 336 pages, 24 black and white ilwill endure as long as we have THE Paris. lustrations, W. W. Norton & BIBILOPHILE High Noon: The HollyCompany paperback, 2018.

By Dinah Rokach Fans of the 1942 classic will wood Blacklist and the Making of an American surely enjoy reminiscing about their favorite film through the pages Classic by Glenn Frankel, 400 pages, of We’ll Always Have Casablanca. This cin- two 8-page inserts of black and white ematic juggernaut was conceived in obscu- illustrations, Bloomsbury USA paperrity and developed without much fanfare. back, 2018.

The iconic western of 1952, High Noon, A blockbuster was not foreseen.

While the casting is magnificent, that won four Academy Awards. But the makwas not preordained. Find out who turned ing of the movie is almost as riveting as the storyline. The convergence of plotline, setdown the starring role.

Of more historical interest, Noah Isen- ting, writing, directing, acting, cinematogberg writes about the real immigrants and raphy and theme music are told brilliantly authentic World War II exiles who were by Glenn Frankel.

Revisiting the blacklist and its human cast in minor roles in the reel. Read about the irrepressible Epstein twins who wrote fallout makes for thought-provoking readthe screenplay. ing. Getting an inside look at the HollySuccess may have a hundred fathers, as wood dream factory is revealing. The myr-

iad elements, the diverging personalities, the clashing egos, and the pall of the Red Scare during the McCarthy era make it a wonder that all the pieces fell into place to create a work of cinematic art.

Frankel delves into the highs and lows of the career of veteran actor Gary Cooper, and the early professional years of Stanley Kramer. Learn about the screenwriter and uncredited co-producer Carl Foreman, a victim of the blacklist.

The book is a worthy backstory about a movie that follows its hero’s choice “‘tweenst love and duty.”

Movie Nights with the Reagans: A Memoir by Mark Weinberg, 288 pages, two 8-page inserts of color photographs, Simon & Schuster hardcover, 2018.

Mark Weinberg, an aide to Ronald Reagan, recounts with panache the movies screened by the First Couple on weekends at the presidential retreat in Camp David, Maryland.

The author reprises 19 films, mostly from the 1980s, shown at the “Aspen Movie Club.” The book brings back to life E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ghostbusters and other blockbuster movies of the time.

Weinberg discusses each movie’s storyline in relation to events during the Reagan presidency. He recalls the reactions of the

President and First Lady to the movies in the context of their unique perspectives as former movie actors.

Mr. Weinberg writes with great insight.

He served in the White House as assistant press secretary and, in Reagan’s post-presidency, as director of public affairs.

The President embraced his time as an actor, was proud of the movies he made, and cherished the fact that he met his beloved Nancy during his years in Hollywood.

Movie Nights with the Reagans touches on the impact of the movies on the president’s philosophy of life, and the importance of show business in honing the skills Reagan employed as a governor and president. As he wrote in his autobiography, “In Hollywood…if you don’t sing or dance, you end up as an after-dinner speaker” — or politician.

Off the Cliff: How the Making of Thelma & Louise Drove Hollywood to the Edge by Becky Aikman, 320 pages, 16-page insert of color illustrations, Penguin Press hardcover, 2017 (paperback, August, 2018).

The 1991 movie Thelma & Louise was a groundbreaking feminist flick that broke Hollywood stereotypes: two female — and See MOVIE BOOKS, page 58

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Movie books From page 57 no male — leads, and a female screenwriter who was awarded an Oscar for the first screenplay she ever wrote.

This quintessential American road story was captured on screen by a director, cinematographer, film editor and music composer who were all British.

Off the Cliff introduces us to the screenwriter Callie Khouri, a first generation American from Kentucky, who floundered

Letters to editor From page 2

in Hollywood on the periphery of the film industry.

Her screenplay draws on her bond with female friends working in the male-dominated milieus of Nashville — the capital of country music and her first destination for fame and fortune — and later Hollywood.

Her script, especially the iconic ending, was subjected to second guessing by almost everyone involved in the picture.

Aikman places the movie within the context of its time — the women’s movement, the paucity of realistic roles for women in

film, and the struggles of women in the movie business.

The story of the felicitous casting of Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon in the lead roles is pure Hollywood. The description of life on the set is fascinating.

Read about the skill of director Ridley Scott in creating an artistic vision with the assistance of talented costumers, set designers, location scouts and crew. The input of cast members in developing realistic characterizations lends insight into understanding the collaborative process of filmmaking.

Becky Aikman skillfully describes the elements that coalesced to make this film a sensation. The agents, stars, film studio executives and supporting actors provide Off the Cliff with a colorful narrative.

The importance of Ridley Scott’s vision in bringing the script to cinematic life makes for engrossing reading almost as interesting as the plotline itself. You’ll learn why the original version of the climactic ending was preserved. As the character Louise Sawyer explains, “I…don’t wanna end up on the...Geraldo show.”

gouged. That is why our healthcare system is a mess!

I believe if members of Congress were told they would lose their health benefits, you can be assured that by now we would have a one-payer system, and all these insurance companies would disappear.

Diane Tuckman Lanham, Md. Dear Editor: Thank you for your eye-opening account.

There’s one aspect that doesn’t fit. My insurance company always refuses to pay for anything in any way questionable/not on their official “formulary”/cheaper alternatives available, etc. Ultimately the insurance business is all about maximizing profits.

Why would they pay $2,000 for some-

thing that is worth pennies? It doesn’t fit.

Is something else going on?

Daniel Gordon Via email Dear Editor: Thank you for your editorial last month, “A bitter pill.” I found it most interesting and informative, and I applaud your courage. I shared a link to your article with many of my friends.

Harriet Gordon Silver Spring, Md. Dear Editor: According to Bob Levey, things in the old days were so much better because it was simpler for him to understand stuff [“Why tall = small, and other conundrums,” February]. To me, his article indicates a disturbing lack of interest in learning new things, and the implication that

this is normal for old folks.

He is embarrassed to have to ask a mechanic how his windshield washer works and how to defog his car windows, but doesn’t want to read directions to find out.

He doesn’t understand how his computer works even though he earns a living using it, and has trouble turning on his TV set. He also doesn’t know what Wi-Fi is.

He longs for a long-gone rotary dial phone.

I assume this is all intended to be very funny, and maybe some who read the Beacon identify with this sort of helplessness.

But I find it annoying.

We all should keep learning until the day we die. I’m going to be 78 this month, and I’ve added lots of knowledge late in life because I’m not afraid to say ‘I don’t know, See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 61

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is paying for them. When my internist tells me to take some drugs, I do so. No other suggestions are considered.

Your comments add substance to my own concerns over accepting any “wonderful savings” on supposedly great deals that I encounter.

I enjoyed your superb editorial, encourage you to continue, and will continue to be a devoted follower.

Louis P. Solomon Bethesda, Md. Dear Editor: I want to thank you for shedding very good light on the healthcare industry. Because it is an industry with very nefarious practices. At every turn, the public is

M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

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Oh, the joys of grandparenting! And yet...

Out comes his smartphone. He scrolls, but amazingly, it comes up again the next scrolls, scrolls. Finally, he gurgles with morning.

If parenthood is about propleasure. viding, grandparenthood is There she is on the screen about teaching. You’ve gotten — his first grandchild, a contiout of bed for all these years, nent away in Seattle, but front old fellow (or old gal). You’ve and center in his life. faced down monsters and I gurgle along with him. dragons. You’ve won a little Yes, she sure is beautiful. Yes, and lost a little. oh, yes, she clearly looks like Who better to take a grandthe grandfather who is holdchild by the hand, clear one’s ing the phone. throat, and begin: “When I But what I’m really noticing HOW I SEE IT was your age...”? is how jealous I am.

Of course, to get a grandMy wife and I have two adult By Bob Levey child to an eighth birthday, children, but no “grands.” Of course, that could change some day, and the family has to get that child past his or her first two weeks. For most of recorded probably will.

But for now, I listen to the newborn tales time, that meant that grandparents were of my first-time grandparent friends — “she front and center with basic help.

They spelled the exhausted parents. perked up when they played Beethoven’s Fifth for her!” “She said something that They handled shopping and cleaning for a sounds a lot like Mama!” — and I feel pangs. while. They changed dozens of diapers.

When I imagine being a grandparent, They gave advice and emotional support.

But in the 21st century, some parents however, it isn’t so much about the first weeks of the child’s life. Mostly, I want a are declining that help in the days right do-again of life at about the age of eight — after the birth. Here are grandparents, pina romp through the activities that I remem- ing to be involved. But the parents say that ber so well from the exploits of my own they want to “bond” with their new arrival kids, more than a quarter of a century ago. without anyone else around to distract.

Tension can follow very quickly.

The piano recitals and plays. The soccer The other night, my wife was on the and baseball games. The huddles over homework. The car rides when I would ex- phone with a friend who had just welplain that the sun goes down every night, comed her first grandchild. The labor had

From the publisher From page 2 healthcare system as a whole. Because, as I said before, we all end up footing the bill.

And if our doctors can’t answer those questions, we need to push them to find out. They should be held responsible for knowing the economic consequences of their prescribing habits.

And so, I think the person who challenged me about last month’s column actually hit the nail on the head without realiz-

has done very well in business. He has more money than he needs. So he and his wife decided to set up a college fund for Mr. or Ms. About-to-be-born.

The about-to-be parents didn’t like the idea. “We’d really like some new furniture,” their daughter said. “Why don’t you give us the money for that instead?”

Hmmm. Maybe this grandparent business isn’t so placid.

And yet…

How wonderful would it be to heft a little ball of humanity on one’s shoulder, to burp him/her carefully (yes, I still remember how), and to sing whatever dopey song popped into my head?

How excellent would it be to hold up a grandchild to his/her grandmother and say: “You know, we’re the ones who indirectly made this happen.”

How terrific would it be to pore over every detail of that first pediatrician’s report — and to see clearly, 90 years into the future?

Bonding mania will always be with us.

So will family strife and money disagreements.

But so will preparation. I am already practicing my scroll, scroll, scroll. “Let me show you a picture of a very beautiful new person,” I say in my dreams.

Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

ing it. In these situations, it’s consumers who have the greatest power to change things. As she so rightly said, “Let’s do something about it!”

Please share your thoughts with us about this and other issues of importance by emailing, calling or responding via our website, www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com. Thank you.

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 60 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

been long and arduous. But now everyone was safely home in the family’s New York apartment.

My wife asked how it was going. Not so well, her friend said.

The new mother (her daughter) was in tears — a combination of fatigue and the realization that there were no smiling nurses to help any more.

“So aren’t you going to go to New York to help?” my wife asked.

No, said her friend. I’ll go when they invite me.

Hmmm. Maybe this grandparent business isn’t so simple.

Then there’s my friend Bob. His grandson, age three and a half, is a total heartthrob (I’ve seen the smartphone pictures).

But Grandpa Bob has inadvertently created tension in the family by being too good a grandparent.

He showed me a video. There’s little Ezra, all sincerity the way preschoolers can sometimes be. “You’re my best Gwampa,” he says. “I like you a lot better than my other Gwampa.”

Hmmm. Maybe this grandparent business isn’t so seamless.

And what about the third rail of family politics — money?

My friend Jason and his wife are about to welcome their first grandchild. Jason

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ANSWERS TO JUMBLE Jumbles: ALTAR PLUME DELUXE CHISEL Answer: What Rover felt like after chasing the car -“EXHAUST-ED”

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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Across 1. Item on a balance sheet’s left side 6. A Like Hydrogen on a Periodic Chart 11. Worker at the Rayburn House Office Building in DC 14. They’re homophone 15. Quote-___ (inspirational handbag) 16. Blvd. buddy 17. Prize fight, with a small prize 19. Employer of Jason Bourne and Jack Ryan 20. MI towns Ann, Glen, and Spring 21. And more (in fewer letters) 22. Slippery swimmers 23. Twenty Questions response 24. Pulp Fiction dancer Thurman 26. ‘net payment option 28. Expert roofers 32. Slamdance in a pit 35. Conquistador’s quest 36. Causing goosebumps 37. Skin cream ingredient 38. Toodle-oos 41. Direction from Madrid to Barcelona 42. Purple shade, paler than 47 Down 44. Participate in the Drama Department 45. Future owners of the Earth 46. Promote metallic fashion 50. “Stop being a ___ in my side” 51. OMELETS’ inside 52. “What ___ will be again” (Ecclesiastes) 55. Shallowest Great Lake 57. PC monitor 59. African nation which joined OPEC in 2007 61. Central Park attraction 62. Muzzles 64. Left soon after eating 65. Elton John’s instrument 66. What the cost of living generally does 67. About 25% of network TV time 68. Snake with good math skills 69. Vestibule Down 1. Cornered

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2. Follow the guidance of Barney the Dinosaur 3. Ethnic group primarily east of the Adriatic Sea 4. Therefore 5. Attempt to cancel a contract 6. Overhead revolver 7. Let ___ (Last Beatles studio album) 8. Supported the home team 9. Ceiling enhancer 10. Vietnamese New Year 11. Triple Crown competitor 12. Like a Bond villain 13. Ingredients in Campbell’s Vegetable Soup 18. “It doesn’t matter; the point ___” 22. Respects greatly 25. Certain ambience 27. Good card in hi-lo poker 28. Put away a weapon 29. Cereal with slogan “Are you getting 100%?”

30. Religious ceremony 31. Hide and ___ 32. Thickened milk shake 33. Miscellany 34. “Don’t bring me problems; bring me ___” 39. Return from a fresh start at the gym 40. German POW site, a contraction of “Stammlager” 43. Top corp. money counter 47. Purple shade, brighter than 42 Across 48. Bit of progress 49. Assistant professor’s goal 52. Doctors make the ___ patients 53. Member of the birch family 54. Fresh-mouthed 55. Old Testament book written in both Hebrew and Aramaic 56. Kerouac bailiwick 58. Adjust a guitar’s strings 60. Get more time or ground 62. Relaxation location 63. Abbrev. in an international MLB box-score

Answers on page 59.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

Letters to editor From page 58 but I want to know.’ Because of that attitude, I know how to use a computer, how to turn on the TV with one click, how things on my car work (or I wouldn’t be driving), and how to use Wi-Fi. Kira Lueders Kensington, Md. Dear Editor: In reading Bob Levey’s experience [in the February Beacon] using the control panel of his car to defrost the windshield, I can identify with his assessment of circumstances. My first car was a 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. When the windshield fogged up on a rainy or snowy day/night, we were told to defrost the windshield with hot air. Some people still use that method.

When I purchased a Toyota Camry in 2002, it became a new learning experience after giving up my 1967 Oldsmobile. By then, I realized that air conditioning removes humidity in the air — therefore turning on the a/c with the dial turned to defrost will clear the moisture on the inside of the windshield within three to five seconds! You can’t beat that compared to defrosting with heat.

Also, I enjoyed your article on Diane Tuckman, silk painter. Many years ago, I purchased a hand-painted silk scarf at an arts and craft show. It has blue bell showers with a silver butterfly. It would be nice to know if she painted this beautiful scarf.

I thank you for publishing these interesting articles.

Grace Eng Washington, D.C. Dear Editor: As a solution to the coffee quandary that Bob Levey described in your February issue, here’s another approach to naming the sizes of coffee cups at Starbuck’s: Since the 20-oz. size is called Venti, we could call the 16-oz. size Sedici instead of Grande, and the 12-oz. size Dodici instead of Tall. In the spirit of globalism, maybe.

For those who know a little Spanish or French, the adjustment would not be so great (even for those who don’t, I think).

Paul T. Hopper Bethesda, Md. Dear Stuart: Imagine my surprise when I was watching the Super Bowl last night. Just before the coin toss, the referee paid tribute to a bunch of Medal of Honor winners who were right there on the field. Then he called one of them forward to toss the coin.

It was Woody Williams — the same guy I wrote about in the January Beacon.

Williams looked like he was having the time of his life.

Thought you might want to publish a note about this.

Bob Levey Via email Dear Editor: The population of seniors in the District has its greatest concentration (17,000) in the geographically isolated area west of

Say you saw it in the Beacon

61

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

Rock Creek Park.

D.C.’s Office on Aging (DCOA) has not built or developed either a Senior Wellness Center or decentralized service locations to properly address our needs.

Simultaneously, D.C. Parks and Recreation [which operates the Chevy Chase Community Center] has been reluctant to provide seniors with anything approaching the level of activities delivered in other areas of D.C. Furthermore, the Center lacks any of the publicly accessible computer equipment or cardio/exercise equipment that are mainstays in centers serving other parts of the city.

Recently, Councilmember Anita Bonds targeted DCOA funds to increase fitness programming for seniors at Chevy Chase, and Councilmember Mary Cheh added funds for a Program Manager for Seniors to DPR’s staff.

Ironically, our Advisory Neighbor Council is now campaigning to close and remodel the Center. That would deprive all area residents (not just seniors) of a major facility and all its activities for as many as three

years. No recommendations for alternative placements were proposed.

There is an alternative. I have suggested deferring renovations while a new Senior Wellness Center and Community Center be built. There is a federally-owned parcel, near public transportation, that would

be suitable for such a building. A transfer of property ownership from the federal government to D.C. is how the adjacent University of the District of Columbia campus was sited.

Jay Thal Washington, D.C.

BEACON BITS

Mar. 23

“HOMICIDE HUNTER” BOOK SIGNING

Lt. Joe Kenda, star of the hit television show “Homicide Hunter,” will be signing copies of his book I Will Find You on Friday, March 23 at Barnes and Noble, 20427 Exchange St., Ashburn, Va. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/HomicideHunter.

Apr. 7

GALA AND SILENT AUCTION

The Navy Marine Coast Guard Residence Foundation is holding their 24th annual gala and silent auction on Saturday, April 7 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Vinson Hall Retirement Community, 6251 Old Dominion Dr., McLean, Va. All proceeds benefit the Foundation and programs at Vinson Hall Retirement Community, like the resident assistance fund. The evening will feature the chamber ensemble the Northern Virginia Tuba — Euphonium Quartet and a silent auction and dinner. Tickets begin at $200, but donations of any amount are also accepted. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://bit.ly/NavyGalaSilentAuction.

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CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either. Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment.

EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS: We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

Caregivers “A” HOME HEALTH CARE — Experienced nurses, CNA, GNA are available 24/7. Cooking, companionship, personal care, housekeeping, driving. Full/Part-time or live-in. Flat rate for live-in care. 15 years’ experience. 240-533-6599.

A LOVING, CARING, COMPASSIONATE, dependable and reliable caregiver with years of experience and references for your loved ones.

Has experience with MS, Alzheimer’s, diabetics and other health problems. Please call 301-9089134.

PERSONAL COOKING — Get tasty, healthy meals prepared in your home by an experienced cook. Great for new parents, elders, busy families, etc. For more info: 240-506-2450 or hbgroves@gmail.com.

CAREGIVER/RNA SEEKS IMMEDIATE POSITION — honest, reliable, CPR/First Aid. Available day or night. Excellent references.

Call Babeth at 240-351-7295. Rates negotiable.

ELDERLY CARE — FEMALE CARE PROVIDER, English speaking with car. I cook, clean and take to appointments. Experienced in caring for people with MS, Alzheimer’s and other health problems. Excellent references.

301-275-7283.

PROFESSIONAL LICENSED CNA CERTIFIED in CPR and First Aid. Looking to care for your loved ones of all ages. Experienced in dementia, Alzheimer’s, people with disabilities. I do housekeeping, errands, cooking. I love caring for people and am compassionate. Reasonable and affordable. MD, DC. Call Florence, 240-7791984.

I WILL CARE FOR YOUR LOVED ONES night/day. Own transportation. Good references.

Lots of experience. 301-502-2258.

CHEVY CHASE HOME CARE — reliable certified caregivers at time of illness, infirmity, loneliness. Personal assistance, ALL AGES, 4- to 24-hour shifts, homes, hospitals, nursing homes.

MD, DC, No. VA. Tel.: 202-374-1240. www.ChChHomecare.com.

CERTIFIED CAREGIVER LOOKING FOR WORK providing care for the elderly or person with disabilities in their homes and all daily needs. References available. Live-in or out. To hire, call Naana, 630-200-9592.

Computer Services PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. Call: David G at 301-642-4526.

M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Events

Health

Personals

USED BOOK SALE, MARCH 22-24TH — Over 30,000 books sorted into 60 categories.

Sale sponsored by AAUW Gaithersburg as Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg. Proceeds support scholarships for women. For more information, call 301-840-1258.

SAVE UP TO 90% ON YOUR PERSCRIPTIONS. Present this ad to your pharmacist.

Member ID: Enter Patient’s Phone Number. RxGROUP: NCR7241. RxBIN: 610568. PCN: DRX. This is not insurance, it’s free! Your information is never disclosed to any third parties or used for solicitation, unlike any other card, we are HIPAA Compliant.

PIANO LESSONS ALL AGES and all levels.

Beginners are most welcome! I am a Silver Spring resident, experienced and Julliard educated, working with our greater community’s residents and their immediate and extended families. Whether for a young child or senior citizen or for someone in-between, learning to play the piano is always fun! Very reasonable fees. For further information, please call me directly, Ken Keyes, at 508-612-9647 (Please leave a message).

Financial DONATE YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR BOAT to Heritage for the Blind. Free 3-Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. CALL 1-844-855-7670.

GOT AN OLDER CAR, VAN OR SUV? Do the humane thing. Donate it to the Humane Society.

Call 1-844-230-2952.

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate

PAID RESEARCH STUDY: Participants needed for research study at the University of Maryland, College Park. Seeking healthy adults age 55-80 with either (1) extensive meditation experience or (2) no prior meditation experience to study the link between bacteria in the gut and day-to-day behavior. If you qualify and enroll, you will earn $25/hour for 2 sessions of up to 1.5 and 2.5 hours, respectively. For eligibility info, contact us at 301-202-4834 or BrainBodyStudy@gmail.com.

GARDEN TWO-BEDROOM, TWO-BATH CONDO available for lease now. Premier Community of Leisure World of Maryland for adults 55 plus. This condo features new flooring, fresh paint, side-by-side washer/dryer. Living room and patio with spectacular view. Call 301-5984850 to schedule an appointment to see this exceptional home. No smoking! Pets considered, your own parking space, utilities and basic cable included.

DENTACK OF MARYLAND PLAN has preferred dentists in D.C. and Northern Virginia.

Two cleanings, x-rays. 50% savings on most procedures. Information and application. 301-9467786, 301-367-6566.

SENIOR FEMALE HAS LARGE ROOM TO RENT. Must be stable, sober, non-smoker, looking for long-term housing. $800 monthly. Available immediately. Call 202-629-4096.

DENTAL INSURANCE. Call Physicians Mutual Insurance Company for details. Not just a discount plan, real coverage for 350 procedures. 844366-1003 or http://www.dental50plus.com/320 Ad# 6118.

AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY — A FURNISHED ROOM in private home in Takoma Park, MD 20912. Seniors preferred, male or female. No cigarettes, pets or drugs. Call Inez, 301-439-8017 and leave a message if I am not home. I will return calls.

BASEMENT ONE-BEDROOM APARTMENT. Available immediately. $995 per month, including utilities. Laundry available. Working senior, female preferred. 301-233-4722.

MAGNOLIA HOUSE — New and accepting residents! Assisted Living/Memory Care: 301512-1685. 1:4 staff to resident ratio. Single-level facility, private and semi-private accommodations. Silver Spring, MD 20904.

LOOKING TO TAKE THE LEAP? I’ll take you on a tour of the community, show you floor plans, discuss campus amenities, & offer how to best coordinate your move. I will set up an automated online search for you, preview units, and contact you to arrange a showing when there is a match. I also offer exceptional service selling your home.

I’m a Seniors Specialist, Buyer Broker, Top 1% of Agents Nationwide, and a Leisure World resident!

You can see my current listings in this issue. Contact me: 301-580-5556, SueHeyman@aol.com, www.SueHeyman.com, Weichert Realtors.

LEISURE WORLD — $134,000. 2 BR 2FB “Warfield” model. 2nd floor with enclosed balcony. Carport parking. New paint. 1043 sq. ft.

Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD — $145,000. COMING SOON. 2 BR 2FB “Warfield” model. Ground floor with outdoor patio, carport parking. 1043 sq. ft.

Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD — $199,000. 2 BR 2 FB “J” model with garage, close to elevator, table space kitchen, full-size w/d, enclosed balcony. 1317 sq. ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-9283463.

STOP OVERPAYING for your prescriptions!

SAVE! Call our licensed Canadian and International pharmacy, compare prices and get $25.00 OFF your first prescription! CALL 1-888-9817657 Promo Code CDC201725.

Home/Handyman Services

TV/Cable DIRECTV. CALL AND SWITCH NOW — Get NFL Sunday Ticket for FREE! Every Game.

Every Sunday. CHOICE- All-Included Package.

Over 185 Channels. $60/month (for 12 Months.)

CALL 1- 888-572-4953.

DISH Network. 190+ CHANNELS. FREE Install. FREE Hopper HD-DVR. $49.99/month (24 months) Add High Speed Internet - $14.95 (where avail.) CALL Today & SAVE 25%! 1-844560-5837.

Legal Services

choice. Call Greg, 717-658-7954. We buy costume and other jewelry, coins, antiques, watches, art, paper money, toys, bottles, etc. No middleman, no fees, no overhead means more money for your stuff. Give me a call, and let’s do business.717-658-7954.

WERE YOU AN INDUSTRIAL OR CONSTRUCTION TRADESMAN and recently diagnosed with lung cancer? You and your family may be entitled to a significant cash reward.

Call 1-888-351-0312 for your risk free consultation.

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY? Up to $2,671/mo. (Based on paid-in amount.) Free evaluation! Call Bill Gordon & Associates. 1866-970-0779. Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington, D.C. Office: Broward Co. FL., member TX/NM Bar. PARALEGAL/LIBRARY OF CONGRESS RESEARCHER — will run positive interference with your paperwork, intellectual property research and Federal government source documents and database research. Will make house calls. 301565-2917, email: rushresearch@comcast.net.

Miscellaneous

LEISURE WORLD — $279,000. 3 BR 2 FB “M” with rough in for half bath plus garage in “Fairways.” Updated kitchen, new windows, enclosed balcony, steps from elevator. 1480 sq. ft.

Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

For Sale

Personal Services

2 SALVADOR DALI woodblock prints from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Signed and framed.

Asking $900 for the pair. Can email pictures if desired. Call Steve, 410-913-1653.

NEED HELP RUNNING ERRANDS? Like grocery shopping, pharmacy pick-ups, chores at home and more? Maison@Werk is an errand running service for seniors based in the D.C. Metro area. LGBT senior friendly and welcoming. 713-927-3780 or maisonatwerk@gmail.com. https://maisonatwerk.wixsite.com/website.

PORTABLE OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR — May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 855-851-0949.

WANT TO LEARN PIANO WITHOUT THE STRESS of recitals and auditions? I teach beginners from 9 to 90. Studied piano at University of Maryland and Washington Conservatory of music.

Patient, understanding. Very reasonable rates. More information: blackandwhitekeys4U@gmail.com or (301) 942-2589.

ANTIQUES, COLLECTIBLES AND ESTATE LIQUIDATIONS: One call solves it all when you hire us to handle your estate liquidation and/or home cleanout. We purchase full contents of estates, partial estate contents/collections and clean out homes. Always looking for jewelry, fine art, vintage toys, sports memorabilia, militaria, Mid-Century Modern and more. We serve the greater Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia region. No home is too packed for us! Call Chris at (202) 731-9447. www.OrionsAttic.com.

ENJOY 100% GUARANTEED, DELIVERED to-the-door Omaha Steaks! Save 75% plus get 4 more Burgers & 4 more Kielbasa FREE! Order The Family Gourmet Buffet — ONLY $49.99.

Call 1-844-302-3754, mention code 51689JCT or visit www.omahasteaks.com.

Health

TURN YOUR SILVER AND OLD GOLD jewelry into cash and do something good for yourself. Gold 4 Good (8241 Georgia Ave., Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910) buys gold and silver jewelry, including broken pieces, all sterling silver, gold watches and gold and silver coins. I will come to your house and give you a free evaluation of what I can pay. If you decide to sell, I can buy your items at that time, but there is no obligation. Licensed with both Maryland and Montgomery County (lic. #2327). Call Bob, (240) 9389694.

FINEST HOUSE, APARTMENT AND CONDO cleaning/organizing. 20 years experience with solid references, primarily in Bethesda, upper NW and Chevy Chase. Free estimate. Candida, 301-3676566.

SPECTRUM TRIPLE PLAY! TV, Internet & Voice for $29.99 ea. 60 MB per second speed. No contract or commitment. More Channels. Faster Internet. Unlimited Voice. Call 1-888-366-7573.

MONEY, TIME TO SELL! Make the right

Wanted

TIRED OF POLISHING YOUR SILVER? Turn it into cash, which does not tarnish. I will come to your home and give you a free evaluation of what I can pay. I buy all gold and silver jewelry, including broken pieces, all sterling silver, gold and silver coins, gold watches, etc. I am licensed with both Maryland and Montgomery County (lic. #2327). If you decide to sell, I can buy your items at that time, but there is no obligation. Call Bob, Gold 4 Good, 8241 Georgia Ave., Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910, (240) 938-9694.

CASH FOR RECORDS, CDs AND TAPES. Best price guaranteed. Free appraisals. All types of music, 33, 45, 78 & CDs. Call Steve 301646-5403. Will make house calls.

FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious, capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree], knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate, I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from Oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to classic cars. If it is wonderful, I am interested.

No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301-279-8834. Thank you.

BUYING VINTAGE TOYS AND STEREO equipment, tin wind-ups, cast iron banks, peddle cars, Lego, Disney toys, marbles, record players, amplifiers, tube amplifiers, tubes. Betty, 301219-6201.

WANTED: 3 STOOGES, 1959, Bubble Gum Cards + any cards from 1950s. Call John at 301423-1256.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 8

Wanted COLLECTOR BUYING MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, weapons, knives, swords, bayonets, web gear, uniforms, etc. from all wars and countries. Also Lionel Toy Trains, and coin operated machines. Will pay top prices for my personal collection. Discreet consultations. Call Fred, 301-910-0783.

WE PAY CASH FOR ANTIQUE FURNITURE, quality used furniture, early American art, pottery, silver, glassware, paintings, etc. Single items to entire estates. Call Reggie or Phyllis at DC 202-726-4427, MD 301-3324697.

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, Guitars, Banjos, Mandolins, etc. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack, 301- 279-2158.

ITEMS WANTED: CAUTION! BE SMART. Get 3 estimates before you sell anything of value. Cash paid for quality antiques + midcentury items, including furniture, art, sculptures, toys, jewelry, gold, silver, fishing, military, vehicles, etc. One piece or estate. Compare my estimate before you sell. 301-2621299.

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Wanted

Wanted

BUYING OLD TOYS, WATCHES, COINS. Also purchasing fountain pens, wristwatches, pocket watches, old toys, dolls, trains, jewelry, comic books, old sports, memorabilia, equipment for baseball, golf, football, tennis, etc.

Old books, paintings, military items, knives, firearms, swords, musical instruments, violins, guitars etc. Please call Thomas, 240-4763441.

MILITARY ITEMS WANTED: Collector seeks to purchase military uniforms; flight jackets, patches, insignia, medals, etc. from the Civil War through Vietnam. Especially seeking U.S. Army Air Corps, USMC, Airborne, and German/Japanese/Italian items from WWII. ALSO BUYING old Boy Scout, Airline Items, Toys, Lighters. Call Dan, 202841-3062.

BUYING VINYL RECORDS from 1950 through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-5966201.

LADY WHO LOVES FINE CHINA and crystal would like to buy yours. Especially interested in figurines and dishes by the following makers: Herend, Johnson Brothers, Lenox, Lladro, Meissen, Rosenthal, Royal Copenhagen, Shelley, Spode, Wedgwood, Baccarat, Lalique and Waterford stemware and miscellaneous. Bone China cups and saucers and quality dog and cat figurines. 301-785-1129.

BUYING MILITARY MEMORABILIA WW2, WW1, Civil War uniforms, weapons, photos and items associated with US, German, Japanese or items of other Military History. DAVE, 240-464-0958.

STAMP COLLECTIONS, AUTOGRAPHS purchased/appraised – U.S., worldwide, covers, paper memorabilia. Stamps are my specialty – highest price paid! Appraisals. Phone Alex, 301-309-3622. Stampex1@gmail.com.

CASH FOR ESTATES, PARTIAL ESTATES, DOWNSIZING. I buy a wide range of items.

Buy-out/cleanup. Gary Roman, 301-520-0755.

CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. Ask for Tom. Call anytime, 301654-8678 (reg. 883).

BEACON BITS

Apr. 20

MS. VA SENIOR PAGEANT ORIENTATION

If you are 60 or older and have pizzazz, consider attending the annual orientation for the Ms. Virginia Senior America Pageant on Friday April 20 in Falls Church, Va. Attendees learn what is needed to be a contestant, and how to best showcase their talent and inform of their life experience. You will meet and be guided by past queens and former contestants throughout the process, including later rehearsals leading to the pageant. Virginia residents may RSVP for the orientation through Friday, April 13 by calling (804) 4353704 or emailing virginia.senior.america2018@gmail. Upon registration, you will be provided with location.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 20th of each month.

Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards.

Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $15 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word.

Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $35 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word.

Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad.

Send your classified ad with check or money order, payable to the Beacon, to:

The Beacon, D.C. Classified Dept.

P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227 For information about display advertising, or to request a media kit, call (301) 949-9766.

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Computer/ Technology Help TechMedic4u...................................5

Dental Services Friedman, Stephen, DDS ..............24 Oh, Judy, DDS ..............................26

Events JCA 50+ Employment Expo .........41

Financial Children’s National Hospital.........33 City of Fairfax...............................52 JCA Career Gateway.....................34 Mortgage Network Solutions........33

Funeral Services Going Home Cremation................40

Government Services DC Office on Aging ................30-31 MC311 ..........................................38 Montgomery County Aging and Disability Services .................7, 24 MCDOT ........................................40

Home Health Care/ Companion Services Ameristar Healthcare Services . .16 Best Senior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 MedStar House Call Program . . .20 Options for Senior America ..........12

Housing

Housing Services

Retail/Pawn/Auction

Ashby Ponds .................................21 Aspenwood Senior Living .............................17 Atrium Assisted Living .................12 Birchwood at Brambleton ............11 Brooke Grove Retirement Village. .................................19, 36 Chesterbrook Residences..............12 Churchill Senior Living ................27 Culpepper Garden .........................20 Falcons Landing............................23 Friendship Terrace.........................25 Gardens of Traville, The................22 Greenspring...................................21 Homecrest House..........................28 Homewood ....................................13 Kensington Park............................10 Landow House ..............................18 Maplewood Park Place..................13 Olney Assisted Living...................14 Overture Fair Ridge ........................9 Park View ......................................46 Paul Spring Retirement Community ................................26 Quantum Property Mgmt ...................6 Riderwood.....................................21 Springvale Terrace ........................25 Tall Oaks .......................................20 Victory Crossing ...........................49 Village at Rockville, The............................14 Waltonwood ..................................22

Jimmy Gusky Heating & Air ........64

Healthy Back Store .......................17 Jitterbug Flip Cell Phone ..............58 Quinn’s Auction Galleries .............24 Perfect Sleep Chair, The................48 WOW! Computer ..........................57

Legal Services JGL Law........................................35 Law Firm of Evan Farr..................34 Law Offices of Lee Holdmann............................35 Law Offices of Paul Riekhof ........33

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation

Medical/Health

Manor Care Health Services.........16 Village at Rockville, The ..............29

Holy Cross ....................................15 Medical Eye Center ......................21 Silver Spring Medical Center .......14

Subscriptions

Miscellaneous Beacon Celebration of the Arts ..................................50 BeaconSilverPages.com................57 Misler Adult Day Center...............42 Senior Zone...................................54 TheBeaconNewspapers.com.........39

Real Estate Long & Foster/ Eric Stewart..........................37, 43 Long & Foster/ Walter Johnson...........................35 Re/Max Choice/Bonnie Kyte ..........9 Weichert/Sue Heyman ..................28

Restaurants Original Pancake House................27

63

Beacon Newspaper........................59 Washington Jewish Week..............38

Theatre/ Entertainment F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre ............51 Kennedy Center ......................53, 55 Leisure World................................52 Toby’s Dinner Theatre ...................51 US Navy Band ..............................52

Tour & Travel Cruise Maryland .............................3 Eyre Travel ....................................45 Festive Holidays ............................47 Nexus Holidays .............................47 Seven Lands & Sea Travel ............45 Shillelaghs, The Travel Club .........49 Tripper Bus ...................................49 US Navy Memorial .......................45 Vamoose........................................47

64

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M A R C H 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N