April 2024| Baltimore Beacon

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BALTIMORE BEACON — APRIL 2024

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Finding the right retirement community

By Daniel Bortz Many older adults decide that a retirement community will be their next move.

However, retirement communities can vary significantly in terms of their housing options, amenities, healthcare services and the lifestyle that they offer.

Here are seven steps to help find the right retirement community for you.

1. Choose a location for the retirement community search Step one is to figure out where you want to live.

Consider your motivation for moving.

Are you looking to be closer to family?

That’s the main reason baby boomers purchased a new home in 2022, according to the National Association of Realtors’ annual Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report.

Are you looking for an area with more affordable housing? Do you want to live in a bustling city or a quiet suburb? Does your ideal retirement entail living near the beach?

2. Set a budget Establishing how much you’d like to spend on housing is crucial. Your budget should include not only your monthly housing costs but also entrance fees — many retirement communities charge them, according to the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC), with entr y fees ranging widely, from $40,000 to more than $2 million.

Once you’ve determined what you can afford, you can zero in on the retirement communities that fit your budget.

3. Decide whether you want to buy or rent Some retirement communities offer only rental properties, some offer only homes for sale, and some offer both. Consider whether you want to put down roots

INSIDE How in-home aides can help you age in place

PHOTO BY ERICKSON SENIOR LIVING

Contestants learn about the show through online national casting calls, such as the one taking place now for those who hope to follow in Hulkower and Vassos’ footsteps. Hulkower first heard about the casting call from her niece, who encouraged her to apply.

The sense of community that grew from their appearance on the show has been transformative. Before participating as a contestant, Vassos, 61, said she was used to living as a widow in a couples’ world since nearly all of her friends were married or in relationships. But then she “walked into this room with 21 other

PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC

‘Like summer camp’

APRIL 2024

More than 125,000 readers throughout Greater Baltimore

Inside ABC’s ‘Golden Bachelor’

By Laura Sturza The hope that lasting love can happen later in life recently got a huge boost, thanks to two women from the mid-Atlantic who appeared on the first season of the popular ABC program The Golden Bachelor, which premiered last fall.

The show is a spinoff of the reality TV shows The Bachelor, which premiered in 2002, and the 2003 series The Bachelorette.

The franchise produces romance and relationship programs that offer unmarried contestants a chance to find love — on national television.

Not only did Joan Vassos of Rockville, Maryland and Nancy Hulkower of Alexandria, Virginia become ambassadors of the idea that romance is possible for people over 60, but they also got an unexpected bonus: new friends among the 22 contestants.

When they flew to Los Angeles last August in the hopes of finding love and marriage, they didn’t know that a different type of deep relationship awaited them.

“The camaraderie and the friendships with the [other] women...truly, I did not expect it,” Hulkower said.

“I went on looking for love, like everybody else did. What came together was so much more than that. We all really stuck with each other and (have) supported one another since then.”

While neither woman was among the final three who were selected to go on hometown dates with 72-year-old Gerry Turner, the pair invited four of their fellow contestants, who have become close friends, to come for a visit in February.

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There’s plenty of people to meet and fun to be had at retirement communities like this Erickson community in Maryland.

or have the flexibility of renting.

It’s easy to be dazzled by the amenities, like swimming pools and golf courses. If you intend to purchase rather than rent, then consider what the retirement community property market is like.

4. Consider what level of care you’re looking for Retirement communities offer different levels of healthcare, from independent living communities to assisted living, to communities that specialize in memory care.

Some offer several options for care, with different association dues depending on the level of assistance you select.

If you are uncertain how much care you may need, then a Life Plan Community (formerly called Continuing Care Retirement Communities, or CCRCs) may be for

you. These settings aim to enable retirees to shift from independent living to higher levels of care as they age.

5. Look at a community’s amenities and services Retirement communities offer a variety of on-site amenities and services — such as beauty salons and barbershops, libraries, gyms and exercise classes, yoga studios, swimming pools, clubhouses, housekeeping, dog parks, spas, art studios, lakes, pickleball and tennis courts, restaurants, continuing education, laundry, game rooms, movie theaters, live entertainment, and transportation to nearby shopping centers and grocery stores.

The trend of niche retirement communities is growing, so if one community just doesn’t feel right, consider one with a dif-

Best ways to declutter for downsizing or moving

ferent culture or focus. There are communities linked to universities, for example, for retirees who want to stay intellectually active.

Others focus on wellness or spirituality, and there’s even a Jimmy Buffett-themed retirement community. Some offer horse riding, chicken coops and media lounges where residents can record and produce podcasts.

What lifestyle and culture do you want in a retirement community?

Pro tip: Don’t overlook the value of access to gardens and parks. Studies show older adults living in neighborhoods with more green spaces live longer and have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, slower See COMMUNITIES, page B-3

Save money by watering your plants the right way

Plus a reader reply coupon

SEE SPECIAL INSERT Housing & Homecare Options following page 8

Maryland resident Joan Vassos, 61, is shown enjoying a televised date with Gerry Turner, 72, star of “The Golden Bachelor,” an ABC reality TV show whose first season attracted more than six million viewers last fall. Although Vassos — one of the show’s 22 contestants — didn’t get a marriage proposal, she made good friends among her fellow bachelorettes.

women who were in the same boat as me.”

Hulkower agreed. “It’s like being at summer camp, where you make friends for life.”

Before leaving for Los Angeles, both women said they panicked a bit when they saw ABC’s suggested packing list, which they had to put together quickly (contestants had to bring their own clothes).

While both women already owned some beautiful dresses, they quickly shopped to fill out their wardrobe for the show.

Once they arrived, they still didn’t have everything they needed for all occasions.

So, the contestants generously shared with one another — everything from shoes to dresses to styling help.

Both women found that the show was less of a competition than they expected.

While they hoped to find a soulmate, they also wanted to be sure it was the right match for Turner and for the woman he would ask to marry him. So, they wanted to

help one another look and feel their best.

But it wasn’t all about glammed-up looks, Hulkower said. “I also like that some of us...were more natural in some of the settings. If I was watching it, I would want to see some people who weren’t all dolled up.”

Indeed, the women left the program thrilled that they represented so many viewers who don’t necessarily wear ball gowns on dates.

“We wanted it to be a platform for good,” Hulkower said. “I hope that people see that at our age, when you have been divorced or widowed, you will still have hope.”

While most contestants stayed for about a month, both women left the show after the first few episodes. Vassos had a tearful goodbye with Turner, departing because See BACHELORETTES, page 12

ARTS & STYLE

An Army veteran and lifelong artist paints wildlife on wood from his Maryland studio page 11

FITNESS & HEALTH k Know the signs of stroke k Grow healthy greens indoors

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LAW & MONEY k Medicare wants your opinion k How states tax your estate

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APRIL 2024 — BALTIMORE BEACON

I can see clearly now I’ve needed eyeglasses since first grade. to wondering what life was like for people Throughout school, my relatively poor vi- before modern glasses and contacts were invented. sion led me to sit in the front I imagine tribal elders with row whenever I could. I think aging eyes were no longer that possibly contributed to my able to go out to the hunt or more active participation in work the fields. They probably class and frequent “teacher’s weren’t much help in providpet” stigma. ing security, either.

It also fed into my already In short, back in the “old nerdy nature, as eyeglasses days,” as one’s vision declined, helped me look the part. a person had a lot of free time To my surprise, over the to sit back in the village and years the rest of the world think about things. seems to have come up with FROM THE PUBLISHER Perhaps those with a good the idea that glasses can actually be cool. Even people who By Stuart P. Rosenthal memory and a repository of educational experiences began didn’t need vision correction started buying them as fashion acces- to share some good stories they recalled and sories. (Another marketing coup by Madi- to offer advice to the younger folk.

Such a person might also help judge disson Avenue?)

I started musing about all this recently putes between people, or come up with when my distance vision took another turn pearls of wisdom. Maybe one’s close vision for the worse, and I found myself again would permit whittling to carve useful struggling to read the eye chart and trying tools or works of art.

But by and large, I imagine, life slowed to figure out what frames looked best on me. (Not so easy to do when you can’t see down considerably when your eyesight demuch of anything from more than a few clined, which freed your mind to shift into another gear. inches away.)

Today, glasses and other modern techNow that I’m seeing clearly again, I got

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Baltimore area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Howard County, Md. and Greater Washington, D.C. Subscriptions are available via third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. Maryland residents add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below.

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 President/Associate Publisher – Judith K. Rosenthal Executive Vice President – Gordon Hasenei Managing Editor – Margaret Foster Art Director – Kyle Gregory Vice President of Operations – Roger King Advertising Representatives – Steve Levin, M.K. Phillips, Alan Spiegel Marketing & Operations Manager – Ashley Griffin Assistant Editor – Ana Preger Hart

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (410) 248-9101 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Submissions: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 15 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

© Copyright 2024 The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

nologies give us — regardless of age and vision deficit — the ability to see, read, hear and multitask anything and everything 24/7.

Lucky us! We never have to sit back and think anymore!

Instead, we are saturated with countless videos and websites, endlessly “streaming” entertainment, listening to podcasts while we exercise, drive or ostensibly talk with our spouse, and posting on social media intimate details of our days as they happen.

The pressure (compulsion?) to continually consume — and contribute to — today’s multiple media has become so overwhelming, in fact, that we may find ourselves tuning out any ideas or thoughts that contradict or question our instincts.

We don’t feel we have the time to consider or evaluate difficult or unpleasant choices, or to listen to opposing views.

No, we are almost never able to sit alone for any length of time with our own thoughts anymore. As a result, we almost never get to be truly thoughtful.

Of course, a person can go “offline,” whenever they like. Have a “tech fast” or “social media sabbath.”

I do so at least weekly myself, and I find the quiet time rewarding and enriching.

We all need some time to recharge before giving it another go.

But that’s not the kind of thing I’m suggesting here.

I’m talking about taking off one’s glasses or contacts, literally and figuratively.

Letting oneself go “legally blind” for a while. (You folks with 20/20 uncorrected vision will have to come up with a different approach. Maybe smear some reading glasses with Vaseline.)

Give yourself time for your thoughts (and blood pressure) to settle, for the cacophony of daily life to dissipate. Let your vision go blurry — on purpose.

See where your thoughts take you and where you take them. Maybe ask yourself some of the bigger questions about life that you may not have pondered for a while.

What I’m hoping we find, given enough time to rethink some of the things we think we know, is that the world is less crystal clear and much more blurry than we thought.

It’s at that point that we’ll know we are finally seeing clearly again.

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinions 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 email info@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

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

Dear Editor: The Howard County Arts Center’s proposed move to the Historic Courthouse in Ellicott City was announced last year by Howard County Executive Calvin Ball at his State of the County Address. The county did not seek or get any input from artists at the center.

The current Howard County Center for the Arts has two beautiful galleries with over 10-foot-high walls to accommodate large art. Most studios range from over 300 square feet to 750 square feet. Two artists teach full-size classes there.

In January, we resident artists got our first tour of the new proposed art center at the Old Ellicott City Courthouse. Unfortunately, the proposed art center is disjointed, cramped and on different floors. The art

classrooms have no windows, no natural light and very low ceilings, which is a bad atmosphere for making art. The lower ceilings will make it impossible to make tall art on an easel. It was depressing and dismal, especially walking by the old prison cells.

Our current studios, galleries and classrooms are greatly superior to the Courthouse, and it is shocking that we are being moved out of our space. We have resident artists who have been at the art center since the beginning, for 40 years! It took 40 years to develop what we have at the art center for the visual arts. To see it taken away and crammed into a disjointed, haphazard way into the courthouse is unacceptable.

Andrei Trach Ellicott City, MD

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Apr. 7

NATURAL HISTORY OPEN HOUSE Take advantage of free admission to the Natural History Society of

Maryland on Sun., April 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to see the “Ice Age in Maryland” exhibit, featuring a woolly mammoth. You can also browse the treasures in the society’s permanent collection, such as fossils, seashells, gemstones, archaeological artifacts and more. The address is 6908 Belair Rd., Baltimore. For more information, contact nhsm@marylandnature.org or (410) 882-5376.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — APRIL 2024

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SPEED IS KEY Know a stroke’s symptoms — face and arm weakness, slurring — and act fast THE NOSE KNOWS Your congested nose could be caused by allergies, sinus problems or polyps GROW YOUR OWN GREENS Microgreens are popular, healthy and easy to grow from seeds at home FALL PREVENTION At the VA in Loch Raven, researchers are training veterans to avoid falling

Why autoimmune diseases strike women

By Lauran Neergaard Women are far more likely than men to get autoimmune diseases, when an out-ofwhack immune system attacks their own bodies — and new research may finally explain why.

It’s all about how the body handles females’ extra X chromosome, Stanford University researchers reported last month.

This finding could lead to better ways to detect a long list of diseases that are hard to diagnose and treat.

“This transforms the way we think about this whole process of autoimmunity, especially the male-female bias,” said University of Pennsylvania immunologist E. John Wherry, who wasn’t involved in the study.

More than 24 million Americans, by some estimates up to 50 million, have an autoimmune disorder — diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and dozens more. About 4 of every 5 patients are women, a mystery that has baffled scientists for decades.

One theory is that the X chromosome might be a culprit. After all, females have two X chromosomes while males have one X and one Y. The new research, published in the journal Cell, shows that the extra X is involved

— but in an unexpected way.

Special RNA found only in women Our DNA is carried inside each cell in 23 pairs of chromosomes, including that final pair that determines biological sex.

The X chromosome is packed with hundreds of genes, far more than males’ much smaller Y chromosome. Every female cell must switch off one of its X chromosome copies, to avoid getting a toxic double dose of all those genes.

Performing that so-called X-chromosome inactivation is a special type of RNA called Xist, pronounced like “exist.” This long stretch of RNA parks itself in spots along a cell’s extra X chromosome, attracts proteins that bind to it in weird clumps, and silences the chromosome.

Stanford dermatologist Dr. Howard Chang was exploring how Xist does its job when his lab identified nearly 100 of those stuck-on proteins. Chang recognized many as related to skin autoimmune disorders — patients can have “autoantibodies” that mistakenly attack those normal proteins.

“That got us thinking: These are the known ones. What about the other proteins in Xist?” Chang said. Maybe this molecule, found only in women, “could some-

how organize proteins in such a way as to activate the immune system.”

If true, Xist by itself couldn’t cause autoimmune disease or all women would be affected.

Scientists have long thought it takes a combination of genetic susceptibility and an environmental trigger, such as an infection or injury, for the immune system to run amok. For example, the Epstein-Barr virus is linked to multiple sclerosis.

Lab mice help with discovery Chang’s team decided to engineer male lab mice to artificially make Xist — without silencing their only X chromosome — and see what happened.

Researchers also specially bred mice susceptible to a lupus-like condition that can be triggered by a chemical irritant.

The mice that produced Xist formed its hallmark protein clumps and, when triggered, developed lupus-like autoimmunity at levels similar to females, the team concluded.

“We think that’s really important, for Xist RNA to leak out of the cell to where the immune system gets to see it. You still needed this environmental trigger to cause the whole thing to kick off,” ex-

plained Chang, who is paid by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which also supports The Associated Press’ Health and Science Department.

Beyond mice, researchers also examined blood samples from 100 patients — and uncovered autoantibodies targeting Xist-associated proteins that scientists hadn’t previously linked to autoimmune disorders. A potential reason, Chang suggests: standard tests for autoimmunity were made using male cells.

Lots more research is necessary, but the findings “might give us a shorter path to diagnosing patients that look clinically and immunologically quite different,” said Penn’s Wherry.

“You may have autoantibodies to Protein A and another patient may have autoantibodies to Proteins C and D,” but knowing they’re all part of the larger Xist complex allows doctors to better hunt disease patterns, he added.

“Now we have at least one big part of the puzzle of biological context.”

Stanford’s Chang wonders if it may even be possible to one day interrupt the process. “How does that go from RNA to abnormal cells? This will be a next step of the investigation.”

—AP

Making sense of prostate cancer screening

By Howard LeWine, M.D. Q: How long should men who have always had a normal PSA continue to get the test? Even if I have an abnormal level, I am not sure I would want a prostate biopsy or treatment with surgery or radiation.

A: While some guidelines suggest stopping prostate cancer screening with a blood test for prostate specific antigen (PSA) after age 70, the decision to continue depends on your general health and life expectancy.

The reason: Most prostate cancers are low-grade and will not shorten a man’s life or diminish his quality of life.

On the other hand, diagnosing highergrade cancer at an earlier stage could lead to treatment to keep the cancer from spreading.

In the past, a man with a high or rising PSA level would have to choose between

having an immediate prostate biopsy (to locate any cancer and assess its severity) or living with some uncertainty.

Today, other tests can help predict the presence of cancer, especially cancer that is more likely to spread. Examples include MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), specific subtypes of PSA blood tests, and urine testing for specific genetic markers.

For men who do opt for prostate cancer screening but may not want immediate treatment even if cancer is likely, the two main strategies are watchful waiting and active surveillance.

Watchful waiting Watchful waiting either before or after a biopsy means you don’t get regular PSA tests or other monitoring. Only if symptoms occur would you have further diagnostic testing to determine whether and how to treat the symptoms.

Active surveillance An active surveillance strategy requires a prostate biopsy first to identify the cancer’s size and probability of spreading.

High-grade and many intermediategrade prostate cancers don’t qualify for active surveillance because treatment usually begins right away. However, this strategy is an option for men who would be comfortable with close monitoring for lowgrade cancer.

Active surveillance involves more frequent PSA testing (to look for any rise in the level over time) and likely periodic prostate biopsies.

Your doctor might order an MRI or a urine test for genetic markers to determine when a repeat biopsy is needed. If and when evidence arises that the cancer has become

more active, then treatment would begin.

Studies comparing men with low-grade prostate cancer who choose active surveillance rather than immediate surgery or radiation show similar outcomes and life expectancy.

By choosing active surveillance, a man can delay or even avoid treatment side effects, such as erectile dysfunction and incontinence. The downside is the small risk of delaying treatment of a cancer that grows faster than expected.

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 health.harvard.edu. © 2023 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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APRIL 2024 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Understanding and reducing stroke risks

By Family Features Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. It will affect 1 in 4 adults over the age of 25 globally. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is disrupted, and it can result in oxygen starvation, brain damage and loss of function.

There are two main types of strokes. Ischemic strokes occur when a blood vessel carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain is blocked by a clot. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 87% of strokes are ischemic.

Hemorrhagic strokes are less common but can be more serious. They occur when a weakened blood vessel ruptures and be-

gins leaking blood.

Because a stroke can cause lasting disability and pain for those impacted and their loved ones, it’s important to learn how to identify the signs and symptoms of stroke, how to reduce risk factors, and where to go for timely treatment.

Consider this information from the experts at Cerenovus, who are committed to changing the trajectory of stroke and offering a broad portfolio of devices used in the endovascular treatment of stroke.

sary to survive. If you recognize the signs and symptoms of a stroke — Face weakness, Arm weakness and Speech slurring — it’s Time to call for help.

Reducing the amount of time between the onset of stroke and treatment can make a difference in how well the brain, arms, legs, speech and thinking are able to recover. The longer a stroke goes untreated, the greater the chances are of experiencing long-term disability, brain damage or death.

Reduce stroke risks Know the symptoms; act fast If you suspect you or a loved one is experiencing a stroke, acting F.A.S.T. is critical in getting the timely treatment neces-

Here, assisted living is living, with the right amount of personal assistance…

While strokes can be devastating and deadly, up to 90% are preventable, according to the World Stroke Organization, and many risk factors can be controlled before they cause a stroke.

You can decrease your risk by managing conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and atrial fibrillation (AFib); ceasing smoking; eating a healthy diet; getting regular exercise; and taking medications prescribed for you.

It’s also important to know that communities of color are disproportionately affected by stroke risk factors and have poorer experiences when it comes to timeliness and access to stroke care, referral patterns, treatment utilization and outcomes, according to research published in the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases.

In fact, the risk of having a first stroke is nearly twice as high for Black people, according to the CDC, and members of the Black community have the highest rate of death due to stroke.

Additionally, according to the American

Stroke Association, non-white stroke patients are less likely to arrive by EMS, and experience longer emergency department waiting times compared to white patients.

Know where to go For every minute a stroke occurs, 1.9 million brain cells are lost. So, the longer a stroke goes untreated, the greater the chances of experiencing long-term disability and brain damage.

That’s why it’s critical to seek immediate treatment at the nearest comprehensive (or Level 1) stroke center. These facilities offer a full spectrum of neuroendovascular care, which can help patients taken directly there survive without long-term disabilities.

Understand treatment options Seeking immediate treatment for stroke means you have more treatment options available, such as being eligible to receive tissue plasminogen activator or mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for ischemic stroke.

MT, a minimally invasive blood clot retrieval procedure, helps improve the chances you’ll survive an ischemic stroke and make a full recovery.

Treatment options for hemorrhagic stroke include surgery to remove, repair or clip a ruptured aneurysm.

If you or a loved one experience signs of stroke, seek immediate emergency medical services. To learn more about stroke risks and treatment options, visit jnjmedtech.com.

Content courtesy of Cerenovus. © 2023 Cerenovus

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Visit Northwood Library to learn the newest line dance moves.

This free event takes place weekly on Wednesdays from 1 to 2 p.m. at 4420 Loch Raven Blvd., Baltimore. No registration necessary. For more information, call (410) 396-6076.

A place of independence Pickersgilll assisted living residents are rarely in their rooms! Instead,, theyy’re out and about— participating in a community activity or event or dining with friends.

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A place of beauty

Ongoing The 9th District Medical Supply Loan Closet has a new telephone

Living Livi ng in th this is com ommu muni nity ty—ttuc ucke kedd in into to a beautiful West Towson neighborhood —you or yourr loved one beau will enj njoy a warm welcome and daily activities, and they’ll appreciate the h walking path paths, beautifully landscaped grounds, lovely gardens and more.

number: (410) 887-0023. It is still located at 1801 Glen Keith Blvd., Towson. The Loan Closet is open every Tuesday morning from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and has a wide variety of supplies for free loan, including wheelchairs, continence wear, bathroom equipment, walkers, canes and more.

A place of caring Each assisted livingg resident re enjoys three chef-prepared meals per day, ho housekeeping and laundryy services, se medication administration, help with daily tasks an and more—always by reques quest, and all included in a reasonable monthly fee. Eachh re resi s dent also has access too all of the Pickersgilll amenities.

Our assisted liv ivin ingg residences include a private, priv full bath, and residents are encouraged to decoraate their homes as they wish. This is a lifestyle dedicated to independence and assured ed by a caring, professional fessional al sta staff. sttaff.

WHEN TO CALL 988

Ongoing Trained counselors are available 24/7 to offer support to people experiencing a range of mental health symptoms at the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Simply dial 998 for immediate crisis counseling. The helpline is confidential. For more information, visit disasterdistress.samhsa.gov.

VIRTUAL TAI CHI

Ongoing Join a gentle exercise class to help you maintain strength, flexibil-

Call 888-877-9883 today for more information or to schedule your personal tour.

ity and balance. Virtual Tai Chi takes place every Friday from noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom at bit.ly/TaiChiVirtual. No registration required, and people of all levels of experience are welcome at this free class.

6 5 Chestnut Avenue • To 61 Tows wson, MD 21204 • www.Pi Pick ckersgillRetirement.org BEAC

• Nasal polyps. These noncancerous (benign) tumors grow along mucosa or sinuses and can block airflow.

The cause of nasal obstruction won’t be as plain as the nose on your face, pardon the pun. You’ll probably need to see an ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT), also called an otolaryngologist, to figure out what the problem is.

The ENT will ask about your medical history and the symptoms you’re experiencing, and then look inside your nose to see what’s blocking airflow. The specialist might also order allergy testing.

Different treatments available Strategies to reclaim real estate in your nasal passages depend on the cause of obstruction.

If you have allergies, sinus problems or enlarged turbinates, your doctor can prescribe a steroid nasal spray or other medications to tame inflammation. If the turbinates don’t shrink with nasal sprays, you may need an office procedure or surgery to reduce them.

For passageways narrowed from nasal valve compromise, the doctor may first recommend some non-invasive therapies, starting with a trial of a steroid nasal spray. You can also try to open the nasal passages by using nasal dilators — either an adhesive strip you wear on the nose to gently pull the passages apart or small cone-shaped devices that you insert into the nostrils.

The only way to straighten a deviated septum is with a surgery called a septoplasty. © 2024 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Treatments for a persistent stuffed nose

By Howard LeWine, M.D. Q: My nose constantly feels congested, especially on the right side. I don’t have any other symptoms.

What might be causing it?

A: The nasal block you feel is likely due to a chronic condition or obstruction that is reducing the amount of air passing through your nose. Allergies or a chronic sinus problem might be the cause.

The insides of your nose and sinuses are lined with a layer of sensitive tissue called the mucosa. They can become chronically inflamed, usually by allergies, reducing the space left for airflow.

Potential structural issues leading to nasal obstruction include: • Enlarged turbinates. The turbinates are structures inside the nose that warm and filter air as it passes. Environmental irritants (such as smoke), hormone changes, and allergies and chronic sinus problems can inflame the mucosa lining the turbinates. As they swell up, the nasal passages narrow.

• Nasal valve compromise. That’s a fancy name describing a structural narrowing in certain areas of the nasal passages. It can occur as a result of injury, the nasal structure you were born with, nose surgery or simply aging.

• A deviated septum. The septum is the wall dividing the left and right sides of the nose. You might have been born with a crooked septum, or it might have become misshapen in an accident. A deviated septum that was never a problem before can cause symptoms if there’s also nasal valve compromise and a loss of support tissues.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — APRIL 2024

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APRIL 2024 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Try growing healthy microgreens indoors

By Jessica Damiano Microgreens have been popping up as garnishes at high-end restaurants, but they’re more than just a gourmet trick of the trade.

The 2-to-3-inch seedlings of edible plants, which add a burst of color and flavor to food, are packed with nutrients and can make for a fun indoor gardening project.

At an average retail price of about $30 per tray, the little nutritional powerhouses can be prohibitively expensive to buy fully grown.

But growing your own at home is cheap, quick and easy.

You’ll need a dome-covered seed-starting tray or a roughly 2-inch-deep plastic

lidded takeout container with holes poked in its bottom for drainage; a drip tray or rimmed baking sheet to collect drained water; seed-starting potting mix; a spray bottle; a sunny window and, of course, seeds. A grow light and a small fan are recommended but optional.

Many seeds to choose from Many catalogs and garden centers sell mixed microgreen seed packs that contain a variety of seeds selected and combined for their synchronized germination times.

You can buy those or mix your own batch from new or leftover seeds. Or grow just a single variety. It’s up to you.

If mixing seeds yourself, select ones that will sprout at the same time. Arugula,

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broccoli, cabbage, kale, mustards, mizuna, nasturtium and radish are among the fastest growers, typically germinating in a week or less.

Beets and chards should sprout in 10-14 days, while parsley and dill can take up to three weeks.

Do not grow microgreens of nightshade vegetables, such as eggplant, ground cherry, pepper, potato, tomatillo or tomato.

Their leaves contain toxic alkaloids and should not be consumed.

Simple steps to an edible garden Fill your seed tray with the seed-starting potting mix and moisten it with water, then sprinkle a moderately dense layer of seeds over the mix. Press them into the soil with your fingers, but don’t bury them.

Spray the seeds and the soil’s surface with water, then place the domed lid or plastic cover over the container, slightly askew. If you don’t have a lid or cover, lightly lay plastic wrap over the tray. Do not seal it tightly.

Place the planted tray on a drip tray or rimmed baking sheet in a warm, 65-to-70degree room. Mist daily to keep the soil lightly but evenly moist.

Alternatively, you can add one-half inch of water to the drip tray and allow the soil to soak it up through the container’s

drainage holes; if water remains in the tray at the end of the day, dump it and use less next time.

When seedlings sprout, remove the cover and place the tray directly in front of your brightest window or under grow lights set to run for 16 hours daily. Continue misting the soil surface once a day or bottom watering as needed to keep the soil moist but not soggy.

Running a small fan nearby is optional but would help prevent mold and mildew, which could destroy your crop.

Within a few days of sprouting, you will notice the appearance of cotyledons, or “seed leaves,” which are usually generically oval. The plant’s first distinctive true leaves will appear shortly after, signaling it’s time to harvest your microgreens.

Using sharp scissors, clip stems just above the soil surface, and enjoy your homegrown microgreens over soups and salads or in sandwiches, smoothies and stir-fries.

Then, sprinkle more seeds over the soil to grow your next crop.

Jessica Damiano writes a weekly gardening column for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. Sign up for weekly gardening tips and advice at jessicadamiano.substack.com.

—AP

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Easy-to-use toothbrushes and flossers Dear Savvy Senior, ent quadrant of your mouth.

I have arthritis and hand tremors Extra features: Most that affect my grip strength higher-priced electric brushand make brushing my es come with extra features teeth difficult. I’ve read like cleaning modes, pressure that electric toothbrushes sensors, a charge-level display can help make the job easand more. There are even ier. Can you make any rec“smart” toothbrushes that ommendations? connect to a smartphone or —Arthritic Alice tablet via Bluetooth to track Dear Alice, brushing habits. What extra For those who suffer from features do you want? arthritis or have other hand SAVVY SENIOR weaknesses or tremors, an Best products

By Jim Miller electric toothbrush is an often According to Consumer Returned to solution for keeping your teeth ports — an independent, nonprofit product clean. At the push of a button, an electric testing and research organization — the top toothbrush will do everything but shake, electric toothbrushes for 2024 are the Oral-B rattle and roll to do the cleaning for you. iO 7 Series ($150); Oral B Genius X 10000 Most come with a wide, slightly weighted ($200); Bruush Electric Toothbrushes ($95); handle and rubberized grip that make them and the Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean easier and more comfortable to hold on to.

How to choose Dozens of different electric toothbrushes are on the market today. Here are several points to consider to help you choose: Cost: The cost of electric toothbrushes will range from $10 for a model with replaceable AA batteries to more than $200 for some models with rechargeable lithiumion batteries, multiple brushing modes, smartphone integrations and other features. How much are you willing to spend?

Brushing action: Brush heads tend to be either “spinning” (they rotate very fast in one direction, then the other, and bristles may pulsate in and out) or “sonic” (they vibrate side to side). Both methods are effective and a matter of personal preference.

Electric versus batter y: Choose a brush with a built-in rechargeable battery and an electric charging station. They’re much more convenient and cost effective than toothbrushes that use replaceable batteries.

Brushing timer: Since most dentists recommend brushing for two minutes (most adults average about 45 seconds), get an electric toothbrush with a built-in brushing timer — most have them. Some brushes will even split the two minutes onto four 30-second intervals and will notify you when it’s time to switch to a differ-

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Enoch Pratt Free Library (EFPL) hosts Nicole Jung, the author of the memoir A Living Remedy, which explores the enduring strength of family bonds, and sheds light on some of the most grievous inequalities in American society. Jung is in conversation with award-winning author Danielle Evans on Tue., April 30 from 7 to 8 p.m. online via EPFL’s Facebook and YouTube pages. This is a free event. For more information, call (410) 396-5430.

6100 ($120). The top rated low-cost electric toothbrush is the Brightline 86700 ($30).

The New York Times’ Wirecutter, another popular product reviewing service, rates the Oral-B Pro 1000 ($40) as the best electric toothbrush, followed by the Philips Sonicare 4100 ($40).

Easier flossing tools If flossing has become challenging too, a good alternative to traditional string floss are floss picks. These are disposable plastic-handle tools that have floss threaded onto them, which makes them easier to hold and use.

DenTek, Oral-B and others sell packages for a few dollars, or check out the Listerine UltraClean Access Flosser, which comes with a toothbrush-like handle for a better reach.

Some other flossing products to consider that are easy on the hands are the

WaterPik Power Flosser ($15), which gently vibrates to dislodge embedded food particles between your teeth.

Or consider a water flosser, which uses high-pressured pulsating water to remove food particles and plaque and will stimulate your gums in the process.

WaterPik offers a variety of water flossing products at prices ranging from $40 to $140, as does Oral Breeze, which offers the Shower Breeze and Quick Breeze water flossers (around $40) that connect directly to your faucet or shower head.

Dental care products like these can be found at your local pharmacy or retailer that sells personal care items, or online.

Send your senior 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.

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Health Studies

APRIL 2024 — BALTIMORE BEACON

INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

VA studies ways to help veterans avoid falls

By Margaret Foster Baltimore retiree and 30-year U.S. Army veteran David Webber has had so many falls, he said, “I stopped keeping track.”

He’s fallen down stairs, while vacuuming, on a ladder and off a deck.

One day he received a letter from Veterans Affairs asking for volunteers in a fallprevention study. “I answered right away,” he said.

After 12 weeks of exercise classes at the VA in Loch Raven, Webber became stronger and more confident.

“I’m pleased to say that since I’ve done the physical training, I haven’t had one fall.

I’ve had near falls, but I’ve been able to recover.

“That’s all due to the physical therapists that are there and really good coaches.

They’ve got these amazing obstacle courses and really good exercises,” Webber said.

Webber was one of dozens of participants in a study under way at VA Maryland Health Care System’s Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center. The study is designed to strengthen the hip muscles, which weaken as we age.

Dr. Odessa Addison, a physical therapist and research health scientist at the center who is overseeing the study, has devoted much of her research career to helping older adults.

“When people fall as they get older, they actually fall in a backwards direction,” she explained, because of weakening hip muscles.

That’s why her team designed a study to see if strengthening those hip muscles, with and without electrical stimulation, can prevent falls.

Classes, camaraderie Three times a week, participants come in for a one-hour class. For 20 minutes, they practice balancing, and for 10 minutes, they do an obstacle course.

“We find that people really enjoy it,” Addison said. “We like to use a class format because we think that the group camaraderie experience is helpful, both in pushing them and also getting them to keep coming back. There’s a little bit of a natural competitive spark that happens when they see somebody [else].”

Some participants will get an extra

Individuals who have trouble sleeping (trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, or not getting enough sleep) are invited to participate in a compensated research study examining the connection between sleep and daytime functioning.

‘Haven’t fallen since’ Air Force veteran Raymond Payne, who served in Vietnam, also benefitted from

the study.

“I had problems falling. When it happens, you feel kind of embarrassed. Sometimes you would turn around to look, and your feet wouldn’t go with you and next thing you know, you’re on the ground.”

So, he attended the exercise classes. It was a great group of people, he said, and he learned a lot of tactics to use in daily life. Furthermore, “I haven’t fallen since I was in the study,” he added.

If you’re a U.S. veteran at least 55, and feel you’re at risk of falling, you can volunteer for Addison’s clinical trial.

“Even if [people] are just afraid of falling, that really impacts how they move.

The less people move, the more they’re at risk,” Addison said.

Webber, who wasn’t part of the group that used the electrical devices, has continued to improve his strength and balance at home.

“I’m now doing things I could not do before,” he said.

If you are a U.S. veteran and want more information about this study, called Reducing Fall Risk with NMES, call (410) 6057179.

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boost during the exercises. Addison’s team will fit them with a small device that provides a subtle electrical buzz — a neural muscular electrical stimulation (NMES) — that causes their muscles to contract a bit more.

“Our theory is if we add that little extra contraction, it’s just making those muscles that much stronger, and that will help to prevent a fall,” Addison explained.

She also noted that the device is painless — and a potential game-changer.

“What we’re hoping to learn is if this added electrical stimulation while training the hips helps to decrease the risk of falls.

And if that’s true, then in the future, this is a really easy way that we could train a lot of people to prevent falls.”

The classes last 12 weeks, and then participants are given exercises to continue at home. Addison’s team of researchers will keep in touch with participants for a full 15 months, checking in periodically to see how they’re doing.

Qualified participants: • Are between

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Makes a great gift!

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

B-1

Finding the right retirement community

INSIDE How in-home aides can help you age in place

PHOTO BY ERICKSON SENIOR LIVING

By Daniel Bortz Many older adults decide that a retirement community will be their next move.

However, retirement communities can vary significantly in terms of their housing options, amenities, healthcare services and the lifestyle that they offer.

Here are seven steps to help find the right retirement community for you.

1. Choose a location for the retirement community search Step one is to figure out where you want to live.

Consider your motivation for moving.

Are you looking to be closer to family?

That’s the main reason baby boomers purchased a new home in 2022, according to the National Association of Realtors’ annual Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report.

Are you looking for an area with more affordable housing? Do you want to live in a bustling city or a quiet suburb? Does your ideal retirement entail living near the beach?

2. Set a budget Establishing how much you’d like to spend on housing is crucial. Your budget should include not only your monthly housing costs but also entrance fees — many retirement communities charge them, according to the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC), with entr y fees ranging widely, from $40,000 to more than $2 million.

Once you’ve determined what you can afford, you can zero in on the retirement communities that fit your budget.

3. Decide whether you want to buy or rent Some retirement communities offer only rental properties, some offer only homes for sale, and some offer both. Consider whether you want to put down roots

There’s plenty of people to meet and fun to be had at retirement communities like this Erickson community in Maryland.

or have the flexibility of renting.

It’s easy to be dazzled by the amenities, like swimming pools and golf courses. If you intend to purchase rather than rent, then consider what the retirement community property market is like.

4. Consider what level of care you’re looking for Retirement communities offer different levels of healthcare, from independent living communities to assisted living, to communities that specialize in memory care.

Some offer several options for care, with different association dues depending on the level of assistance you select.

If you are uncertain how much care you may need, then a Life Plan Community (formerly called Continuing Care Retirement Communities, or CCRCs) may be for

you. These settings aim to enable retirees to shift from independent living to higher levels of care as they age.

5. Look at a community’s amenities and services Retirement communities offer a variety of on-site amenities and services — such as beauty salons and barbershops, libraries, gyms and exercise classes, yoga studios, swimming pools, clubhouses, housekeeping, dog parks, spas, art studios, lakes, pickleball and tennis courts, restaurants, continuing education, laundry, game rooms, movie theaters, live entertainment, and transportation to nearby shopping centers and grocery stores.

The trend of niche retirement communities is growing, so if one community just doesn’t feel right, consider one with a dif-

Best ways to declutter for downsizing or moving

ferent culture or focus. There are communities linked to universities, for example, for retirees who want to stay intellectually active.

Others focus on wellness or spirituality, and there’s even a Jimmy Buffett-themed retirement community. Some offer horse riding, chicken coops and media lounges where residents can record and produce podcasts.

What lifestyle and culture do you want in a retirement community?

Pro tip: Don’t overlook the value of access to gardens and parks. Studies show older adults living in neighborhoods with more green spaces live longer and have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, slower

Save money by watering your plants the right way

See COMMUNITIES, page B-3

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B-2

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APRIL 2024 — BALTIMORE BEACON

In-home care can help you age in place

By Heidi Godman Most people want to age in place and live at home for as long as possible: According to an AARP survey, three-quarters of people 50 and older are hoping to do so.

But managing this successfully may mean hiring outside help, such as health aides who can assist you with daily activities that have become challenging.

You might wonder when exactly it will make sense to seek that service. How will you know when it’s time? What can aides do for you? What are the costs and how can you make the most of their help? Keep reading for some answers.

What difficulties do you face?

An easy way to know if it’s time for outside help is if your health takes a sudden turn for the worse — perhaps as the result of a fall that affects your mobility.

But more often, the need for profession-

al assistance at home isn’t so obvious. It develops gradually, as certain abilities — such as cooking, cleaning or driving — become more difficult.

Even if you’re busy, happy and able to do your own tasks and errands now, there may come a time when the balance shifts and daily activities become challenging.

“A lot of times these observations are made by family members or friends, and they start the discussion about getting help,” said Dr. Suzanne Salamon, associate chief of gerontology at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

You don’t have to wait until family and friends urge you to get outside help. Salamon recommends that you periodically assess your abilities and how well you’re managing on your own.

For example: • Is it harder to get in and out of the bathtub because of muscle weakness or

balance problems?

• Has driving become difficult because of vision changes, arthritis or other reasons?

• Are you keeping up with your medication regimen or are you sometimes not sure if you’ve taken pills?

• Are cooking and cleaning becoming much more of a chore than they used to be?

• Do you find grocery shopping or errands overwhelming?

• Do you need help bathing or getting dressed?

Be honest about the answers, and let your needs be your guide.

“You might not need a home health aide yet. Maybe you only need a cleaning service to come in every other week,” Salamon said. “But if you need more assistance, it’s probably time to hire health aides.”

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What can aides do?

Health aides are professional caregivers. There are two main types of aides.

• A certified nursing assistant (CNA): This is a trained, licensed professional who can provide hands-on physical care, such as helping you get up and down from a chair or bed, bathing, dressing, feeding, brushing teeth and using the bathroom.

A CNA can also perform homemaker services, such as cooking, light housework, transportation, shopping, overseeing medication routines, and sharing meaningful activities or conversation.

• A companion: This is a registered professional who can provide homemaker services but is not trained in body mechanics and cannot provide hands-on care.

What can an aide accomplish if you start out with just a few hours per week? Plenty.

You might want to set up a regular routine that includes doing laundry, changing bed linens, going on a walk with you, and making a large meal that can be frozen into smaller portions.

Or you might want to focus on a theme for each once-a-week visit. For example, the aide can help you do errands one week, do some light house cleaning the next week, and help you cook the week after that.

“This is your opportunity to get the help you need, whether it’s with jobs around the house or basic activities of daily living,” Salamon said. “In the long run, it’s the kind of service that will keep you living on your own longer.”

Where to find help; what it costs

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The best place to find aides is through a private duty care agency, which vets and employs the aides, and takes care of their taxes and Social Security withholdings.

How can you find a reliable private duty care company? Salamon suggests asking for recommendations from friends, your doctor, local senior services, or your local Area Agency on Aging.

Private duty care is expensive. In this area, costs average $30 to $35 per hour, typically with a three- to four-hour minimum per week.

Those fees add up quickly. For example, if you need help two days per week for three hours per day, you’ll pay about $720 to $840 per month.

Costs are not typically covered by Medicare, but they may be covered by Veterans benefits. And they are sometimes covered fully or partially by long-term care insurance, state or local agencies on aging, or nonprofit groups.

What holds people back from hiring inhome care aides? Cost is a factor, of course.

Even if it isn’t, you might not jump at the chance to hire home health aides. It could be that you feel you don’t need them yet, or that you’d be uncomfortable with strangers in your home.

See IN-HOME CARE, page B-3

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BALTIMORE BEACON — APRIL 2024

Communities From page B-1 cognitive decline, lower cancer rates, and better overall health.

6. Research the facility’s reputation Do your homework by seeing whether a retirement community has received complaints through the Better Business Bureau, and by reading online reviews.

U.S. News & World Report offers a database of the best retirement communities

In-home care From page B-2 But the sooner you can become accustomed to having professionals assist you with parts of your care as they become challenging, the better prepared you’ll be later, when you might require much more assistance.

Trying services now can set you up with contacts — and caring people — you might need to lean on more often as time goes by.

based on survey data from more than 250,000 residents and their family members at about 3,500 senior living communities nationwide.

Caring.com also compiles ratings and reviews of 55-plus communities, providing a search tool that lets you filter by city, state or Zip code.

To get a sense of the community’s financial health, review the occupancy rate, financial statements and audit report. For non-profit communities, ask to see their

How can you get over your reluctance?

“Remember that you don’t have to commit to private duty care forever. Just try it for a few hours once a week.

If it doesn’t go well, consider alternatives, such as eventually moving into assisted living,” Salamon said.

Heidi Godman is executive editor of Harvard Health Letter. © 2024 Harvard University. Distributed

by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS HISTORY AT THE FIRE MUSEUM Ongoing LIVING Enjoy learning about the past through interactive activities and discussions at The Fire Museum of Maryland. Museum staff dress in different period attire every last Saturday of the month. Living history is included with regular admission, which is $15 ($13 for seniors and firefighters). The museum is located at 1301-R York Road, Lutherville, and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information, call (410) 321-7500.

IRS Form 990.

7. Tour retirement communities in person Once you’ve narrowed your options to a few communities, touring them in person can give you a better feel for what it’s like to live there.

Talk to residents about their experiences, pay attention to how staff and residents interact, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and stay for dinner so you can sample the food.

STORE Ongoing CONSIGNMENT Find clothing, household items, tools and more at a 15-year-old consignment store named one of the best in Maryland. This & That Consignments & Gifts has changed locations from Joppa to Edgewood. They are now located at 2714 Pulaski Hwy., Edgewood. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information or directions, call (410) 679-0044.

HOMEOWNERS’ AND RENTERS’ TAX CREDIT

Ongoing 2024 Homeowners’ and Renters’ Tax Credit applications are now available online, with a filing deadline of Oct. 1. The program provides tax relief for eligible homeowners and renters based on income relative to the amount of property taxes or rent paid. To determine eligibility for these credits and submit an application, visit bit.ly/2024TaxCreditApplication.

HELP WITH TAXES

Ongoing Anyone 50 and older can get free tax preparation assistance through the AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide service through April 15. Call 1-888227-7669 or visit AARP.org/findtaxhelp for more information and to schedule an appointment. You don’t have to be an AARP member to use this service.

Charlestown and Oak Crest

Call 1-800-590-4091 for your free brochure, or visit SeniorLivingMaryland.com.

344411

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The bottom line: Selecting the best retirement community for you depends on a variety of factors, most notably your budget, lifestyle preferences, and what kind of healthcare you’re looking for.

Also keep in mind: Where you want to live in retirement could change as you get older and experience changes in your health, finances or desired lifestyle. © 2023 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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APRIL 2024 — BALTIMORE BEACON

How to declutter if moving or downsizing

By Dawn Wotapka Spring — and spring cleaning — are now upon us. With the changing seasons, you may be changing seasons of your life, too, including looking for ways to declutter your home, especially if you’re moving or downsizing.

Once he retired, Jakob Miller finally had the time and energy to organize his threebedroom home. “As I entered my golden years, I realized that I needed to streamline my life and get rid of all the unnecessary clutter that had accumulated over the years,” said Miller, 54, a retired laboratory scientist from Staten Island, N.Y. Miller headed to the basement, where he emptied boxes and bins of old clothes, toys and knick-knacks. But as he looked around the mountain of clutter, he quickly discovered that thinking he could do everything at once was a mistake.

“I was so excited to get started that I

didn’t realize how overwhelming the task would be,” he recalled. “I was overwhelmed and exhausted, and I barely made a dent in the clutter.”

Not so simple Experts have made downsizing and decluttering seem simple: Keep, trash or donate. If only it were that easy.

“Decluttering can seem daunting, especially for retirees and those nearing retirement who may have accumulated decades’ worth of clutter,” said Aaron Traub, owner of My Professional Organizer in Dallas.

For anyone who’s planning a move or just downsizing to a smaller place, the process often requires sifting through a literal lifetime of memories and mementos — children’s art doodles, yellowed newspaper clippings, a grandmother’s shawl — making the process far more complex and emotionally draining.

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But it doesn’t have to be that way, especially if you consider the opportunity to offload a lot of your stuff a fresh start.

“I always recommend that my clients focus on the idea of what they want to keep — what will support their lifestyle today, and their hopes and dreams for tomorrow, rather than the more traditional idea that we have to declutter to get rid of stuff,” said Danie Smallwood, a self-described decluttering mindset coach based in Bethesda, Maryland.

“One is about the present and the future, the other is based in fear of letting go of the past — whether past memories or dreams or hobbies that just didn’t work out or that we’ve outgrown.”

The goal is to “pare down the contents of your home to the things you honestly use and love,” said Diane Quintana, an organizer with Release Repurpose Reorganize in Atlanta.

“If you don’t love or use the other things, then they are just clutter taking up valuable space in your home.”

Retirement, or planning for it, is the perfect time to invoke your inner Marie Kondo — the popular Japanese organization expert — who, famously, emphasizes keeping only those items that “spark joy” in you.

Although older people can get wrapped up in their memories and the trinkets of their past, Kondo counsels: “Truly precious memories will never vanish even if you discard the objects associated with them.

“No matter how wonderful things used to be, we cannot live in the past. The joy and excitement we feel here and now are more important.”

Tips from the experts Whether you’re preparing for a big move or just starting your fall cleaning, here are some tips on how to start effective downsizing and decluttering: 1. Don’t try to do it all in one day.

Downsizing and decluttering need to be done consistently. “Even if all you can manage is dealing with one paper from the mountain that has built up on your desk, commit to doing that one tiny thing every single day,” Smallwood said.

“Will you unclutter your whole desk that way? No. But you will create the confidence in yourself that you are someone who declutters, who sticks with it, who can keep it up — and that’s the most important step you can possibly take in the beginning.”

Whether it’s 10 minutes, 30 minutes a day, or a full day on the weekend, “setting aside dedicated time to declutter will help ensure you progress,” Traub said.

2. Start with easy wins. Gather all trash, clean the fridge and pantry, and then collect and organize receipts and paperwork, which likely have minimal sentimental value.

Next, “look for things that are out of place, like piles of books, clothes, shoes,

small appliances,” Quintana said. “Can you put these things away? If you can’t put them away, can you make room for them by decluttering where they would go?”

Then move on to other smaller areas.

Consider tackling individual drawers before moving up to something slightly larger, such as a closet or a spare room, suggests Darcy Speed, who trains other organizers and home stagers at Ultimate Academy. “There are usually fewer decisions to be made regarding what to keep and what to donate,” she said.

3. Stop collecting more stuff, even if it means telling friends and family members to skip this year’s birthday present.

“If you continue to accumulate things through the decluttering process, you’re just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, and you’ll be a lot slower in reaching your goals,” said Lisa Dooley, author of More Space. More Time. More Joy! Organizing Your Best Life.

4. Consider getting outside help.

Professional organizers can map out a process and timeline while keeping things moving.

“It can be helpful to have an objective outsider around when things start to get stuck,” said Melissa Gungi, a San Francisco-based professional organizer who works with retirees and seniors.

“I also encourage getting help for the smaller bumps, like hiring haulers for a couple of hours to move heavy things around or take trash out, or finding resources for where to donate and recycle things.”

5. Give yourself grace with a ‘maybe’ box. If you’re on the fence about a particular item, set it aside, suggested Smallwood.

The hardest decisions will involve holiday ornaments, scrapbooks, pictures and other items that tear at your heart.

“Sentimental items will slow you down, and the goal is to get through as much as you can, as quickly as you can,” she said.

When the box is full, “put a note on it and a date when you will revisit those contents,” she said. “By then, your decluttering muscles will be stronger” and you’ll be able to make a decision.

6. Ask yourself when was the last time you used something. If you haven’t used it in the past year or so and don’t expect you’ll need it in the near future, it’s probably safe to get rid of it, said Aaron Traub, the Dallas organizer.

7. Involve your family. Ask them to go through any possessions they may have left behind. Then invite family members over for a “give and take” visit, suggests Darcy Speed.

“Explain that you are looking to declutter, and encourage them to choose their favorite items. The ‘giver’ can share the story behind the keepsake, making it even more meaningful, and then it can be taken out of the home.”

You may think about keeping this stuff See DECLUTTER, page B-6

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Watering right saves money (and plants)

By Jessica Damiano Until I installed soaker hoses throughout my vegetable beds last year, I’d always watered my plants by hand, which over the years had become tiresome.

Standing outside holding a garden hose wasn’t exactly my idea of a good time, but it directs water precisely to the soil above roots, making sure it lands where it’s needed.

That eliminates waste, and goes a long way toward preventing diseases like powdery mildew. That’s good for plants, the

environment and the water bill.

Placing flexible, porous rubber or fabric soaker hoses on the soil around plants is another good way to irrigate, as it allows water to seep slowly over roots. Drip irrigation hoses (rigid tubes with emitter holes that drip or stream water) work similarly.

There are plenty of other easy ways to save water around the garden.

When to water, and how deeply Applying water in the morning, for in-

stance, allows time for it to permeate deeply into the soil before the sun gets too hot.

If you wait until later in the day, a good portion of that water will evaporate from the soil surface before doing its job. Later still, and moisture could stick around overnight, risking mold, mildew and fungal diseases.

How you water is just as important as when. Giving plants a quick, daily sprinkle offers little if any benefit to roots which, depending on the plant, could extend a foot or more into the soil. Instead, water less frequently but deeply.

And when the soil is really dry, it’s even more important to slow down, or the water will run off without penetrating the surface, just as a bone-dry kitchen sponge has difficulty absorbing a spill.

Capture and reuse water You can recycle water from boiling pasta, vegetables and eggs instead of pouring it down the drain, as long as it hasn’t been salted. Water from dehumidifiers can be used, too. Waste not, want not.

Another idea: Redirect a downspout to fill a rain barrel, then use the captured water to fill watering cans. Or use an adapter to at-

Declutter From page B-4

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for your heirs, but keep in mind that “very rarely do your children have the same attachments to items that you have,” said Jil McDonald, an interior designer with Jil Sonia Interior Designs, in Vancouver, Canada, who recently downsized significantly. “They want to create their own new memories.”

Instead, discard the items, but “take pictures and videos to keep the memories alive,” suggested John Linden, a Los Angeles-based interior designer.

8. Declutter periodically. Finally, be

tach a garden or soaker hose to the spigot hole at the bottom of the barrel.

Some plants are thirstier When planting a garden, we typically give thought to what looks good with what, and (hopefully) each plant’s sunlight requirements.

Consider water needs, too, so as not to overwater drought-resistant plants when trying to appease thirsty water hogs nearby.

For the same reason, it’s a good idea to keep lawns separate from trees, shrubs, groundcovers, perennials and annuals if you use an automatic sprinkler system, which, by the way, wets the foliage of plants in the path of the spray, making them susceptible to disease.

Better yet, use native plants, most of which are drought-tolerant. They’ll need regular watering during their first year or two, but once they’re established, they can typically get by on rainwater alone, except maybe during prolonged heat waves.

To find plants native to your area, plug your Zip code into the online databases at The National Wildlife Federation (nwf.org/NativeSee WATERING, page B-7

sure that your old habits don’t return.

“Make sure to declutter on a regular basis,” Linden said, “and be conscious of what new items you are bringing into your home.”

For Jakob Miller in New York, “Decluttering was a challenging but rewarding task. Not only did it make my home more organized and functional, but it also gave me a sense of peace and clarity,” he said.

“Just start small; take it one step at a time. And you’ll be amazed at the results.”

Note: This article first appeared in Kiplinger’s Retirement Report.

2024 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Watering From page B-6 PlantFinder/Plants) and Audubon Society (audubon.org/native-plants) websites.

unfolded diaper at the bottom of a container (plastic side down, with holes poked in for drainage) to absorb and hold moisture.

Just don’t use any of these if your container includes succulents or other plants that require dry, well-draining soil.

Ways to hold in moisture When planting in the garden, incorporate a generous amount of compost into holes to increase the water-holding capacity of sandy soil and improve drainage in clay.

Apply two to three inches of mulch around trees, shrubs and plants to retain soil moisture, reduce surface evaporation and inhibit weeds. Wait until the soil warms up before mulching, and keep the material a few inches away from stems and trunks.

When planting containers, look for a potting mix that includes vermiculite, a moisture-retaining mineral. Soil moisture polymer granules such as SoilMoist can also be added to reduce watering needs by as much as 50%.

You can even tear open a (clean!) baby diaper and mix the absorbent hydrogels with your potting mix, or simply place an

Factor in the rain If you’re using an automatic sprinkler, set the timer for early in the morning, preferably just before dawn. Look for a timer with a rain sensor, or manually override its programming to avoid waste on rainy days.

Most lawns need about 1 to 1½ inches of water per week, including from rain. But you won’t know how much your system puts out unless you test it. Set a tuna fish can on the lawn during a cycle, then measure the water accumulation in the can.

A rain gauge, which sort of looks like a test tube marked with measurements, will also inform on rainfall amounts.

Jessica Damiano writes regular gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. © Associated Press

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Ask the Ho H me Care Exper xpert Tom Smith, To h, Reegional gional Manager, Bu Business D Dev evelopm elopment, Family & Nursing ng Carre e

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ince 1968, Family & Nursing Care has helped tens of thousands of families by providing access to caregivers w wh ho help older adults with activities of daily living — including bathing, dressing, mobility assistance, errands, meal prep, light ht housekeeping,

medication reminders, ders, companionship and more.

Now servving the Baltimore region region, Fam Family mily & Nursing Care is a leading resource for private duty home care services, providing clients and their families with access to

compassionate and and expert-level caregiv to help older adults caregivers maintain their independence and quality of liffee as they ag agee. Ninety Ninetyeight percent of surveyeed clients hav ave said they would recommend these services to a ffrriend d or family member.

This mon nth, we talked to Tom Smith,, Regional Manager, Business Deevelopment at Family & Nursing Care about N the process of coordinating caregivers’ schedules in making the right match between clients and caregivers.

Q: How does Family & Nursing Care work to coordinate caregiver’s schedules to match the right caregiver for each client’s needs?

companionship that older adults need to flourish.

Our company’s dynamic team of Care Coordinating Managers is an essential part of matching clients with the right caregivers.

We take the time to learn about each client’s unique needs and — based on availability, y, skill set, location and other factors — hand-select the caregiver best equipped to meet those needs.

caregivers have all pertinent details related to the cliient’s care, including arrival time, location b asked and the tasks they will be to perfo form. For as longg as the caregiver works with th he client, the Care Coordinator iss their primary point of contacct to support a successffu ul carregiver/ client relationship.

Interacting with careegivers daily, y, Care Coordinatorrs also have the most insight in nto the needs and perspectives of caregivers, enabling theem to be

the caregiver’s voice when we are considering new programs and business decisions that impact caregivers.

Care Coordinators also share positive client fe feedback with caregivers and duly recognize them fo for a job well done.

To best serve their clients, caregivers need to be consistent, capable, prepared and appreciated. The Care Coordinating team at Family & Nursing Care helps caregivers be at their best.

A: Family & Nursing Care’s longevity as the premier resource ffo or in-home care services i rests on providing idi access to competent and reliable caregivers who not only assist with daily liffee activities including bathing, dressing and mobility, y, but offe ffer vital social support and

Q: How do the Care Coordinators relay information vers to carregiv regarrding their work with clients?

A: Care Coordinators ensure

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410-697-820 00 famiilynursingcare.c com Members of Family & Nursing Care’s Care Coor C dinating T Te eam

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Money Law &

9

Maryland is the only state that taxes both estates and inheritances. See story on page 10.

What do you think of Medicare Advantage?

By Kiplinger Consumer News Service The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is asking for your help as it seeks to increase the transparency of the privately managed Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and to strengthen the program’s data capabilities.

While traditional Medicare — Parts A and B — covers a large portion of medical expenses after you turn 65, there are things Medicare doesn’t cover [Ed. note: such as vision, hearing and dental expenses]. This is where Medicare Advantage, a supplemental plan, can help.

But consumers do not always have access to all the information they might need before they make a choice among MA plans.

“Americans with Medicare who have managed care plans called Medicare Advantage should not feel like their healthcare is a black box,” Xavier Becerra, secre-

tary of the Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement.

“The lack of transparency in Medicare Advantage managed care plans deprives patients of important information that helps them make informed decisions. It deprives researchers and doctors of critical data to evaluate problems and trends in patient care.”

To that end, the CMS has issued a request for information (RFI) for the public at large to give data-related input on all aspects of the Medicare Advantage program.

The CMS said the information it gathers from the RFI will help it measure what is and is not working and be used to guide policymaking.

Comments are due by May 29.

Need for data is paramount “In healthcare, you can’t improve what

you don’t know, and the way to know is with data,” said Dr. Meena Seshamani, CMS deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicare.

The types of information requested includes data on access to care, prior authorization, provider directories and networks; supplemental benefits; marketing; care quality and outcomes; value-based care arrangements and equity; and healthy competition in the market, including the effects of vertical integration and how that affects payment.

Transparency is especially important, the CMS said, because Medicare Advantage enrollment has grown to more than 50% of Medicare enrollment. This puts the government on the hook for about $7 trillion in payments to Medicare Advantage health insurance companies during the next decade, it said.

The CMS said that the information so-

licited by the RFI will support its efforts to: • Ensure MA plans best meet the needs of people with Medicare.

• Ensure that people with Medicare have timely access to care.

• Ensure that MA plans appropriately use taxpayer funding.

• Ensure that the MA market has healthy competition.

To access the RFI, visit the Federal Register’s webpage at bit.ly/MAcomments and click on “Submit a formal comment.”

You may submit comments via the website, or mail them to: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-4207-NC, P.O. Box 8013, Baltimore, MD 21244-8013. © 2024 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Retiring isn’t easy — even for specialists

By Liz Weston A couple of years ago, I wrote a column about how to have a retirement worth saving for. It ended with a quote from personal finance educator Barbara O’Neill, who reflected on how the pandemic disrupted many retirees’ plans.

“It wasn’t just two years lost; it was two good years,” O’Neill said then. “You don’t know how many of those you have left.”

One of my younger colleagues objected to that sentiment, saying it was a jarring ending to an otherwise upbeat column.

But my older co-workers got it.

Those of us who currently have good health and energy don’t know how long those blessings will last. There’s no guarantee we’ll get to enjoy the retirements we have planned.

That lesson was driven home in July 2023, when a longtime colleague died at age 61.

We’d had many talks over the years about the retirement he had envisioned. It’s heartbreaking that his dreams will never happen.

But his death was the push I needed to make my own decision. By the time you read this, I will have retired from my job at personal finance site NerdWallet.

could afford to retire, my initial reaction wasn’t joy but bemusement.

I’ve been writing about retirement planning for three decades and saving for even longer, but it was always a goal in the distant, misty future. Making the decision felt like jumping off a cliff.

Would I be OK without the intellectual challenges, social interactions and sense of satisfaction I get from my job? Had I accomplished everything I wanted to in my career?

And just how much would I miss that nice, steady paycheck and all the wonderful benefits NerdWallet provides, including massively subsidized healthcare?

At this point, I have to acknowledge the huge privilege of even having a choice about when to retire. Almost half of retirees leave the workforce earlier than they planned, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Some are laid off or forced out. Others have health issues or must care for loved ones who are sick or disabled.

Many people keep working out of necessity: They have bills to pay and too little savings.

Do the research A surprisingly hard decision When our financial planner told us we

Knowing all that didn’t make the choice easy, however. So, I did what I do best: co-

pious research.

I found it hugely helpful to read O’Neill’s book, Flipping a Switch: Your Guide to Happiness and Financial Security in Later Life.

Another good read is Independence Day: What I Learned About Retirement from Some Who’ve Done It and Some Who Never Will, by Steve Lopez, my former Los Angeles Times colleague.

My husband and I had many, many discussions with our financial planner. We asked her to rerun our plan with different assumptions about what we’d spend, how we’d tap our funds, what the markets might do and what we’d earn with part-time work. This stress testing gave us confidence in our plan.

Our planner also connected us with an insurance agent who helped us figure out health coverage. My husband is old enough for Medicare, but I’m a few years shy of 65, and we have a daughter going to college in another state.

I’m glad we have the option to buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchanges. But continuing my employer’s group coverage for my daughter and myself through the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) turned out to be the most costeffective option for now.

Our financial plan worked, and healthcare was solved, but emotionally, I was still resisting. Ultimately, I realized why. I was looking at retirement solely as an ending.

Look ahead, rather than back With previous big life changes — buying a home, getting married, having a child, starting new jobs — excitement about the adventure to come quickly overcame concerns about what I was giving up.

I needed to stop focusing on what I was retiring from and start contemplating what I was retiring to.

Today, I’m seeing retirement for what it is: the beginning of an interesting new chapter in our lives. The time I once spent building a career will be invested in travel, volunteering and deepening relationships with friends and family.

I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. I’ve won awards, written five books, contributed to the growth of a company (NerdWallet) and its award-winning podcast (“Smart Money”).

Most importantly, I’ve helped people solve their money problems. I’ll continue with that last part, but I’m also looking forward to the rest of what comes next.

—AP/NerdWallet. This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet.

10

Law & Money | Subscribe online! See how on p. 14

APRIL 2024 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Estate and inheritance taxes vary by state Federal estate taxes apply equally to all, Inheritance taxes are based on the relano matter where in the United States they tionship between the deceased individual live. But state estate taxes and the individual who inheritand inheritance taxes vary ed funds. Each state establishsignificantly among states. es its own regulations in this Estate taxes are paid by the regard. Unmarried parties estate based on its size at the generally pay the highest intime of the estate owner’s heritance taxes. death. Both federal and state Federal estate taxes range estate taxes have exemptions. from 18% to 40% for estates Taxes, if any, are based on the above $12.92 million. Sevensize of the estate above the teen states and the District of exemption amounts. There is THE SAVINGS Columbia have either estate or no state estate tax or inheri- GAME inheritance taxes. Maryland is tance tax if assets are inherit- By Elliot Raphaelson the only state that has both esed by a surviving spouse who tate and inheritance taxes. is a U.S. citizen.

Eleven states have only state estate Inheritance taxes are paid by individuals taxes. These are: Connecticut, Hawaii, Illirather than the estate. Inheritance taxes, nois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, too, have exemptions, and taxes are owed New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont only on amounts that exceed the exemption. and Washington.

State estate taxes can be as high as 20% when the size of the estate exceeds the exemption amount. The exemption amount ranges from $1 million up to almost $13 million. As an example, in Maine, there would be no taxes on the first $6.41 million; the estate tax would be between 8% and 12% for amounts above that.

The following states have only inheritance taxes: Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. As an example, in Kentucky the tax is up to 16%. The exemption amounts for inheritance are much lower than the exemptions for state estate taxes.

States with high inheritance taxes are Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Maryland and Iowa.

If your state is not included in the preceding lists, then you would not incur state estate or inheritance taxes. However, if you own property in a state that assesses state

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estate taxes, then it is likely you would incur income taxes in that state.

If you live in a state that assesses state estate taxes, or you expect an inheritance in a state that assesses inheritance taxes, you should go to the state’s website for the Department of Revenue for this information.

Another good source is the following article from July 2023: fool.com/research/ estate-inheritance-taxes. (Beware that states may have made changes for 2024, and you should depend on your state’s website for updated information.)

Things to look out for Here are some recommendations made by estate attorneys regarding planning for state estate and inheritance taxes.

— Examine the “estate tax cliff.”

The cliff refers to the marginal tax rate after the threshold is reached.

For example, in New York, the threshold amount was $6.58 million in 2023. However, as the financial services firm J.P. Morgan explains on its website, “the exemption begins to phase out at values over the threshold, and if an estate is more than 5% over the threshold (which comes to $6,909,000 in 2023), the estate completely loses the exemption and the full value of the estate’s assets will be subject to New York estate tax.” If the estate exceeds $6.94 million, the marginal tax rate on the amount above the threshold is 190%!

In order to avoid the high marginal tax rate, an individual may wish to consider giving away assets above the threshold, or including a provision in the will that directs any amount above the threshold be given to charity. This recommendation was made by Toni Ann Kruse, a privateclient attorney with McDermott Will and Emery in New York City.

— Check for inflation adjustments: Some states have inflation adjustments to their threshold, while others do not. For example, in Illinois, the $4 million threshold is not adjusted for inflation.

— Nonresidents who own property in another state: If you own property in another state, your estate could be subject to state estate taxes. Depending on state law, you may avoid these taxes if you hold the assets in a limited liability company.

Discuss this with your attorney.

— Revisit your estate plan: If you are not familiar with the regulations regarding state estate taxes, you should discuss this issue with your attorney. To maximize the exemption for both spouses, consider the possible advantage of credit shelter trusts with your attorney.

Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com. © 2024 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

To subscribe, see page 14.

Makes a great gift!

BALTIMORE BEACON — APRIL 2024

11

PHOTO BY ABC

Style Arts &

Nancy Hulkower greets Gerry Turner on “The Golden Bachelor” last fall. Our cover story continues on page 12.

Turning scrap wood to wildlife paintings ing mill, so visitors can buy flour, cornmeal and grits, all ground fresh.

Soldier to artist Pablo Picasso once said, “All children are born artists; the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.”

Art has been a central theme in Miller’s life since he was a child in Washington, D.C. His interest in art began as doodling and sketching during class. “I used to scribble things all the time,” he said.

When he reached Gonzaga College High School, the war was under way. “I’d draw what was going on in World War II,” he said.

“They weren’t exactly nice things,” he admitted.

“I’d do scenes with battles between the Japanese and the Americans, and the Germans and the American soldiers. It was just scribbling. I had no art experience whatsoever.”

It wasn’t until college that he took his first art classes: drawing, painting, art history. He studied art and design at the University of Maryland but had to leave school abruptly because of the Korean War. “After a year in school, I was going to be

PHOTO BY BRYAN MILLER

By Margaret Foster If you’ve ever seen the Mona Lisa in person, you may have noticed that the painting was made on wood, not canvas.

Leonardo da Vinci painted La Joconde’s mysterious smile on a panel of wood from a white poplar tree. In fact, most artists, from Raphael to Peter Bruegel, painted on wood until canvas became popular in the 18th century.

Wood is also the canvas of Ellicott City artist Franc Miller, who has been painting portraits of wildlife on it since he retired as a graphic designer decades ago.

“I felt that painting wildlife on wood was a perfect thing to do, and I would enjoy it.

And I’m still doing it,” said Miller, 94, in an interview with the Beacon.

From April 20 to May 5, Miller’s wildlife on wood artworks will be displayed at an art show in Millville, Virginia, about 100 miles west of Columbia. Miller submits his work twice a year to Art at the Mill, a biannual art show located in the Burwell-Morgan Mill there.

The National Register-listed grist mill, dating from 1785, is open to the public as a museum and art gallery. It’s also a work-

Ellicott City resident Franc Miller started painting wildlife on wood decades ago, after he retired as a graphic artist. His works will be part of the upcoming Spring 2024 Art at the Mill exhibition in Virginia.

drafted. So I enlisted instead, and I wound up stationed in Germany for two years,” he said.

When his Army service was over, he returned to Washington and got a job in the Hecht Company’s art department.

Then he went on to land a job in the art department of the once-famous (but now defunct) newspaper, the Washington Evening See PAINTER, page 13

NOW W ON S TAGE!

To obysDinnerTh heatre.com CELEBRATING 45YEARS

12

Arts & Style | Subscribe online! See how on p. 14

Bachelorettes From page 1 her daughter had just given birth and needed support.

Hulkower left in part due to an injury that made it hard to walk up and down the mansion’s stairs. But she also realized that she and Turner weren’t clicking the same way he was with some of the other women.

Since their television debuts, the two women have received wonderful feedback from locals who watched the show.

“People approach me all the time,” Vassos said, including young women who want to fix her up with their fathers, and women her age who say, “You’re such an inspiration.”

Hulkower hears the same types of comments. “Most people have said, ‘Oh my gosh, you girls are so great. You have so much fun together, it made me want to get back out there again.’”

But like anyone in the dating world, Hulkower and Vassos said they know they have to keep at it until they find the partner who is right for them. Hulkower took up pickleball and plans to start golfing, in part as a way to meet people.

Experience boosted confidence Fortunately, they gained some new skills as golden bachelorettes. The talent competition, a staple of the Bachelor series, was a place to push themselves past

BEACON BITS

Ongoing QUILT EXHIBIT Visit the Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC) to view the “Material & Memories” exhibit. Check out the crazy quilt form works crafted from the scraps of family members’ clothing and decorative household fabrics by Elizabeth Talford Scott, as well as pieces by the African American Quilters of Baltimore, and the antique quilts in MCHC’s collection. You can view the show Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 610 Park Ave., Baltimore.

Tickets are $12 ($10 for seniors) and can be reserved by visiting

APRIL 2024 — BALTIMORE BEACON

their comfort zones, performing for an audience of 300 in the studio and millions more on TV. “I felt like I grew a lot because I just got up there and I [found that] making a fool of yourself onstage can be charming,” Vassos said.

Indeed, her performance, reading a comedic poem she wrote, endeared her to Turner, who picked her for a romantic one-on-one date.

Those daring talent show performances, like everything else on the show, were a bit easier for contestants due to the bighearted sisterhood the women forged.

“I was sitting by Joan at the talent show and we were holding hands,” Hulkower said.

“I felt like I was cheering on my six-yearold in her first kindergarten play. We were more supportive and there for each other than it was competitive.”

The women’s family members cheered for them from home as well, watching their mothers or grandmothers on TV. “They saw me not just as their mom,” Hulkower said. “I think they saw me as a grown woman, a single woman who’s ready for love and wants to find someone.”

Her kids also discovered that their mom wasn’t the only older woman in search of lasting love, which she said “was revelatory for them.”

mdhistory.org/reserve-a-ticket. For more information, call (410) 685-3750.

Still searching While Hulkower and Vassos gained powerful friendships from the show, neither woman found a new husband.

Theresa Nist was the woman who won Turner’s heart. She married him in a televised wedding on January 4. Both local women are thrilled for the couple, and they

left the show with their hearts open to the possibility that lasting love awaited them.

Like the other bachelorettes who were smitten by Turner, Vassos was initially quite attached to him.

“I started to feel for the first time like I was ready for love,” she said. “It’s been two years since my husband passed away. In my head, I knew logically that’s what I wanted, but my heart wasn’t there yet. My heart got there on the show.”

Both women have stayed busy with additional appearances on Bachelor shows since then. They attended Turner and Nist’s wedding. Hulkower also flew back to L.A. to talk to some of the girls who are contestants on the current edition of The Bachelor.

While both have had several offers to date and connected briefly with a few prospective men, neither has found a match.

“I’m still looking. You can put that out there,” Hulkower said with a smile.

If ABC asked them to appear in the first Golden Bachelorette, a spin-off planned for this fall, they said they would certainly be interested.

“I would love it if they would find me 22 eligible bachelors to choose from. I think I could find love in one of them,” Vassos said.

The women stay connected through group texts, calls and the recent visit of their friends. They cheer one another on while each continues their search for the men who will retire as golden bachelors — and become golden husbands.

If you’re interested in applying for an upcoming season of Golden Bachelor or Golden Bachelorette, visit BachelorNation.com, click on “casting,” select Golden Bachelor and complete the appropriate online application.

BEACON BITS

Apr. 21

UNCOVER YOUR HOUSE’S HISTORY Visit the library at the Historical Society of Baltimore County

(HSBC) to discover the history of your house. Local historian Teri Rising will teach you the basic steps of house research and how to use local history resources in the library. This event takes place on Sun., April 21 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at HSBC Almshouse, 9811 Van Buren Ln., Cockeysville. Admission is free for HSBC members and $11.99 for non-members. For more information and to register, email info@hsobc.org or call (410) 666-1878.

FROM PAGE 14 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD T A K E S L U G P R O M U L N A L O T I C R O W D L I E S U B E R R I D E S S A L T Y R E P L I E S A S L E E P S A M P L E R A E P S A T E I N T O T H E B I T T E R E N D L E A E V E S A R L O J U S T S O U R G R A P E S A C E I G E S E D U R E N E G E L I L A C S T H E S W E E T S P O T C A C H E M I C A I N D O U F O S V E E R B L O O D G E N E E A S Y S E W S

Makes a great gift! | Arts & Style

BALTIMORE BEACON — APRIL 2024

Painter From page 11 Star. The paper won numerous Pulitzer Prizes during his tenure.

Miller moved to Baltimore next to take a position as art director of an advertising agency. When the ad agency went out of business, he opened his own company, Graphics Plus, based in Towson.

For decades, he did the advertising, design and even copywriting for small- and mid-sized business clients — a “one-man job,” as he puts it.

Fast-forward 25 years, and the design industry began to shift from pen and paper to computers.

“Everything began to change. Everything was going digital, and I decided I wasn’t going to get into that,” Miller said.

“So then I retired, and I became fascinated by wood and painting on wood.”

Giving wood scraps new life Miller started out by finding discarded pieces of wood — anything from extra floorboards to wine barrels to forest-floor scraps.

He looks for an interesting color and grain and maybe a rough, natural-looking edge. He cleans and stains the wood, and presto, he has a canvas.

“Wood is a beautiful material that quite often is buried or burned as scrap,” Miller describes in his artist’s bio, which appears

beside his paintings in exhibitions.

“In recognition of its beauty, I paint wildlife on selected pieces of hard wood…

It has the color, grain and texture to complement the eagles, hawks, falcons, wolves, owls, horses and other wildlife that illustrate how certain species of wood and these wild creatures go together.”

Miller turns the scrap wood into paintings in his home studio. Most of his finished works are portraits of owls, because his owl paintings sell out fast. “The ones that seem to get the most attention are the owls,” he said.

Why owls? “It’s their eyes, primarily, and the fact that they’re not active necessarily, [so can be] easy to photograph.

They’re very easy to paint, in a sense.”

Miller appreciates owls, and the neighborhood owls seem to appreciate him, too. A pair returns to his back yard year after year.

“They just show up. I wish I could get a decent shot of them, but I haven’t able to do that yet,” he said with a chuckle.

Perhaps this spring Miller will be able to capture those owls on one of his wood canvases.

The Spring 2024 Art at the Mill show will take place at the Burwell-Morgan Mill, 15 Tannery Lane, Millwood, Virginia. Art at the Mill will be open seven days a week from noon to 6 p.m. starting Saturday, April 20 through Sunday, May 5.

For more information, email artatthemill@ gmail.com, visit clarkehistory.org/mill or call (540) 837-1799.

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13

BEACON BITS

Apr. 14

FREE PROM EVENT You are invited to “A Walk Down Memory Lane” on Sunday, April

14 from 1 to 3 p.m. This prom is for all senior citizens and their plus one family member, friend or caregiver. Come to enjoy music, food and dancing, get prom portraits and win prizes. The free event takes place at Loyola Blakefield School, 500 Chestnut Ave., Towson. RSVP at avilahomecare.com/seniorcitizensprom. For more information, contact gretchen@avilahomecare.com or call (410) 826-6100.

Cars, boats, furniture, antiques, tools, appliances Everything and anything is sold on

Radio Flea Market Heard every Sunday, 7-8:00 a.m. on 680 WCBM

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APRIL 2024 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Crossword Puzzle Find a new crossword every day on our website at www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com/puzzles.

A Tasteful Puzzle 1

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1. Scene 1, ___ 1 (start of filming) 5. Lethargic one 9. Party for teens 13. Arm bone 14. Novelist Pierre (and an anagram for “toil”) 15. The Swifties, at a Taylor Swift concert 16. They may lead to inflamed legwear 17. Ride-hailer, profitable for the first time in 2023 18. Descends Splash Mountain 19. Clapbacks 22. Catching some z’s 23. Bit of ice cream on a tiny spoon 27. Norma ___ (Sally Field role) 28. College Board exam since 1971 30. “Ich bin ___ Berliner” (JFK) 31. All the way, no matter what 35. Folk singer Guthrie 36. Grassland 37. ___ Bible: A Woman’s Guide to the Old Testament 38. The losing team’s whining (to the winners) 43. Good blackjack card, usually 44. Ends to vest- and prest45. End of a college student’s e-mail address 46. Back out of a promise 48. Part of a 1-800-FLOWERS bouquet 52. Best place to hit a tennis ball 56. Hidden treasure 59. Soft mineral 60. Prefix for the world’s most populous nation 61. Red Cross request 62. Crafts seen in Aliens: Zone-X 63. Swerve 64. Makes a baby blanket 65. Movie reviewer Siskel or Shalit 6. Lightly cooked, as an egg

1. Home to Oral Roberts University 2. Pseudonym 3. Solemn bell sound 4. Egg hunter 5. Popular convenience store offering 6. Spot for clip-on earrings 7. School that plays at the Sun Bowl, briefly 8. One supported by the Malala Fund 9. Rainbow maker 10. Spare the ___, spoil the child 11. Be in arrears 12. GP’s and ENT’s 15. “The best way to predict the future is to ___ it” (Lincoln) 20. Okeydokey 21. Words between help and hand 24. Exasperate 25. Two may intersect at a point 26. Football pass-catchers 28. Fishing spots 29. Without women 31. Temporary peace 32. Co-worker of Kent and Lane 33. Color in 46 state flags 34. Disgusting 35. Not quite closed 39. Exhaled, emotionally 40. S-shaped curve 41. Trade away the hostages 42. Mine entrance 47. Cultural values 49. Sleeping disorder 50. Writes computer instructions 51. “Nobody is a villain in their own ___” (George R. R. Martin) 53. Excessively self-pleased 54. One on the family insurance plan 55. MBA class 56. Trapper John, M.D. network 57. Bitter beer 58. Sea lioness

Answers on page 12

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BALTIMORE BEACON — APRIL 2024

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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.

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Cost will be based on the number of characters and spaces in your ad: • $25 for 1-250 • $35 for 251-500. • $50 for 501-750 (maximum length).

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Reasonable rates offered by someone who has experience working with seniors, knows the Parkville area, and will get the job done with a smile. Contact Mary at (designsbymarykatherine@gmail.com) or leave a voicemail at (443) 495-9901.

DIRECTV SPORTS PACK - 3 MONTHS ON US! Watch pro and college sports LIVE. Plus over 40 regional and specialty networks included. NFL, College Football, MLB, NBA, NHL, Golf and more. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-572-4953.

Wanted PAYING TOP CASH FOR ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES. Housecalls made with prompt, courteous service seven days a week and 25 years of experience! Buying jewelry, toys, trains, militaria, glassware, advertising merchandise, paper items and much more! Contact Mason or Megan at: 443-3068816.

BUYING VINYL RECORDS from 1950 to 1990 JAZZ, ROCK, BLUES, R&B, DISCO, SOUL, REGGAE, & GOSPEL, ANY VINYL FORMAT 33 1/3 RPM Albums, small 45 RPM’s & some 78 RPM, Also CD’s, Prefer LARGER COLLECTIONS AT LEAST 100 items, PLEASE CALL JOHN 301-596-6201.

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Adult Day Programs

Housing

St. Ann Adult Day Services . .B6

Affordable Rentals (CSI) . . . . .7 Brightview Senior Living . .B4, B7 Caritas House Assisted Living . .B6 Catholic Charities . . . . . . . . . .B6 Charlestown/Erickson . . .B3, B6 Christ Church Harbor Apts . . .B6 Enterprise Residential . . . . . . .10 Harmony at Enterprise . . .B2, B7 Harmony at Waldorf . . . . . . . .B2 Oak Crest/Erickson . . . . .B3, B4 Park View Apartments . . . . . .10 Pickersgill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Clinical Health Studies Insomnia Sleep Study . . . . . . . .8

Funeral Services Cremation Society of Maryland . .6 MacNabb Funeral Home . . . . . .6

Home Health Care/ Companion Services Family & Nursing Care . . . . .B8

St. Mary’s Roland View Towers . .8 Virginia Towers . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Warren Place Apts. . . . . . . . . . .6 Westminster House Apts . . . .B7

Computer Doctor . . . . . . . . . . .5

Podiatry

Everyman Theatre . . . . . .B-5, 13 Toby’s Dinner Theatre . . . . . . .11

Dr. Richard Rosenblatt . . . . . . .4

Retail Radio Flea Market . . . . . . . . . .13

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation St. Elizabeth Rehab/Nursing . .B6

Technology Theater/Arts Travel Beltway Motel & Suites . . . . . .6 Superior Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 YMT Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

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APRIL 2024 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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250 OFF ALL TOURS

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