April 2015 | DC Beacon

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VOL.27, NO.4

Linguist uncovers her inner artist

APRIL 2015

I N S I D E …

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PHOTO BY BARBARA RUBEN

By Barbara Ruben Day-Glo pink swirls into ribbons of azure and canary yellow on Gladys Lipton’s canvases. Slivers of amethyst, jade, eggplant and magenta punctuate the vibrant abstract works.

Earlier this year, Lipton exhibited her artwork in her first show, a high point in any artist’s career — especially remarkable since Lipton is 91 and took up painting just two years ago.

She sold four paintings at that show, held at the gallery in the Friendship Heights Village Center in Chevy Chase, Md. in January, and will exhibit in two more shows this spring.

And no one is more surprised by her success in the art world than Lipton herself, who spent her career as a foreign language teacher and administrator.

“I really don’t know where I come up with the designs. I don’t understand the process. But I’m glad it’s working and continues to work,” said Lipton.

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Housing & Homecare Options Magazine inserted after page 26

Bringing light to darkness What Lipton does know is that her bright, joyful work stems from a dark period in her life.

Two years ago, she and her husband moved from Rockville, Md., to the Fox Hill retirement community in Bethesda — she to an independent living condominium, he to assisted living because of dementia.

“It was very painful to watch a brilliant scientist lose his memory,” she said.

Robert Lipton, a physicist, had been the director of science programs for New York City Public Schools in the 1960s and ‘70s.

He died last July. The couple had been married for 70 years.

Once settled in, Lipton decided to take an art class offered at Fox Hill.

“It’s just that I had all this energy that had been pent up with sadness. But [my] paintings had all this cheerfulness, and I’ll never understand that. Maybe I was just trying to find a corner that was happy,” said Lipton, who is a fan of Henri Matisse, Georgia O’Keefe and Gustave Moreau.

She says many people tell her that her paintings have a retro, 1960s psychedelic style. She mixes acrylic paint and felt-tip markers.

LEISURE & TRAVEL

After a lengthy career teaching foreign languages, Gladys Lipton took a painting class a couple of years ago that set her off on a new path as a painter. She recently had her first gallery show, at age 91, and now markets her works online.

Crossing the Atlantic in style on the Queen Mary 2; plus, cruises work to wow with robots, snow and more; and when to buy third-party rental car insurance page 36

Doing it her way During art class, Lipton balked when the teacher asked the class to copy the style of one of the famous painters they had discussed.

“The teacher was very kind and did an excellent presentation, and then showed us examples of work we could copy. But I didn’t like any of them and said, ‘Do I have to do this?’

“And she said, ‘No, you can do anything you wish.’ And that’s exactly what I did,” Lipton said.

Her art teacher, Aniko Makranczy, remembers the exchange well, and remarked, “Rebellious? I’ll say. She wanted to go in her own direction from the beginning.

“One of the things she’s really good at is

incorporating concepts and ideas and motifs into her own work. It wasn’t so much she was imitating it as she was folding it into the ideas that she had,” said Makranczy, who also teaches art at Montgomery College.

“She was always pushing the boundary in trying to move forward with what she had just learned.”

A facility for languages Lipton’s trademark independent streak started early. In high school, she picked up French and Spanish easily and, as a student at Brooklyn College, planned a career in education.

When she discovered a pilot French See ARTIST, page 47

TECHNOLOGY k ER visits by appointment?

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FITNESS & HEALTH k Stents for stroke patients

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SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

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LAW & MONEY 29 k Debating death with dignity bills ARTS & STYLE k Civil War musical at Ford’s

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ADVERTISER INDEX

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A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

A future for print?

Sometimes it seems to me like the march an intriguing author, there’s nothing like a of “progress” is so enamored of the bright, newspaper, magazine or book. shiny future that it too readily I think I’m probably jettisons the best of the past. preaching to the choir, here.

This particularly feels like the We’ve conducted a number of case regarding the way many reader surveys and found have dismissed the world of Beacon readers strongly print in the face of today’s agree with me. After all, the ever-changing digital devices. vast majority of you are readNow, I’m no troglodyte. I use ing this paper in its physical, a computer and an Android printed version right now, smartphone all day long, and though we are readily availappreciate the many things I able online and through our can do with them. I also have FROM THE mobile app. an iPad (which I consider a PUBLISHER We’ve learned that 49 perwork of art, and use mostly for By Stuart P. Rosenthal cent of you regularly turn to the Skyping).

Internet “for information.” But But when it comes to reading? Well, when we asked what would be your prethat’s another matter. To really get a sense ferred medium for reading an article longer of the day’s news, or to enjoy a well-written than a few paragraphs, 75 percent preferred feature article, or to absorb the insights of printed publications to any type of screen.

BEACON BITS

Apr. 26

JCA AGING AWARD DINNER

The Jewish Council for the Aging is hosting the Productive Aging Award Dinner on Sunday, April 26. At this event, JCA will present its 2015 Productive Aging Award to Alan and Arlene Alda and its 2015 Humanitarian Award to Sylvia Greenberg. There will be cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction, beginning at 5:30 p.m., which is followed by dinner at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Rd., Rockville, Md. For more information or to register, visit www.accessjca.org/jca-to-honor-alan-and-arlene-aldaat-april-26-productive-aging-award-dinner or call (301) 255-4231.

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

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

• Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal • Associate Publisher..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President of Operations ....Gordon Hasenei • Director of Sales ................................Alan Spiegel • Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben • Art Director......................................Kyle Gregory • Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King • Advertising Representatives ........Doug Hallock, ................................................Dan Kelly, Cheryl Watts • Editorial Assistant ........................Rebekah Sewell

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What’s more interesting is that recent studies have found that it’s not only us 50+ types who feel this way. Surprisingly, most of today’s college students and other “digital natives” say they strongly prefer reading in print to reading on screens, for both pleasure and learning purposes.

Yes, you read that correctly. In fact, according to a Pew study of reading in America, the age group that was most likely to have a read a book in print (not an ebook) in the past year was 18- to 29-year-olds (73 percent), with 50to 64-year-olds close behind (71 percent).

With the far higher use of digital devices by young people compared with older adults, how can we explain this?

Naomi Baron, a professor at American University, interviewed hundreds of college students in America, Germany, Japan and Slovakia for her recent book, Words Onscreen: The Fate of Reading in a Digital World. Her surveys reveal that they find comprehension far superior with printed books than on screens.

Not only is it easier to take notes and find your place after a break, but it’s easier to focus, to measure your progress, and to read carefully.

The constant distractions offered by Internet-connected devices make it nearly impossible to concentrate on learning, Baron was told time and again. “Over 92 percent...said they concentrate best when reading a hard copy,” she wrote in the Washington Post.

Now as for readership of news, the news is less sanguine. In a recent opinion piece in The Hill, Washington-based political pollster Mark Mellman recently lamented the scant attention younger people pay to

national and international news stories.

He noted a Pew study found that only 5 percent of Americans under 30 “claimed to actually follow political/Washington news ‘very closely.’ Those 65 and older were five times more likely to do so.”

Older Americans were also “three times more likely to follow news about local government than those under 30.”

He attributed this to the fact that most young people do not enjoy following the news, and tend to gather knowledge of world affairs only incidentally (and briefly) on Internet sites such as Facebook.

Furthermore, true “news consumers generally spend very little time on Internet news sites,” Mellman reported. A McKinsey study traced the vast majority of news consumption (92 percent) to TV, radio and newspapers, and only 8 percent to smartphones, tablets and computers.

Will the younger generations’ strong preference for printed books someday translate into readership of newspapers and more interest in current events? Mellman isn’t optimistic.

“As members of each generation aged between 2004 and 2012, Pew reported little change in the amount of time they spent following news. Older people remained substantial news consumers, while the young continued to be far less attentive,” he wrote.

There seems to be a pattern here.

What’s of most concern to people, they read in print, whatever their age.

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or email to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

Dear Editor: I saw it in the Beacon! After my retirement, I enrolled in a screenplay writing class at Howard University. After having suffered a stroke, it was one of the best decisions I could have made.

This class served to be one of my best medications. It helped with keeping my mind busy. It also motivated me and kept me occupied.

Because of this class, I’ve written two beautiful songs. One is “If You Had Lived,” which is a dedication to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This song can be heard on YouTube at http://bit.ly/hattiesmallsong.

The title of my other song is, “If I Could Only Turn Back Time.” I am a lover of country and western music, though this one is not yet on YouTube.

Oh yeah! I forgot to let you know: I am 82 years old.

Hattie Small Washington, D.C.

Dear Editor: Unfortunately Dr. Riggs is 100 percent correct in his assessment (re: March’s From the Publisher column, “Should we spend it all?”).

I have said for years that our Medicare system is basically the story of the Grasshopper and the Ant as done through Fractured Fairytales. The ant works hard and saves all his life, and then all his money is eventually all spent on his nursing home or other elder care, and he has to go on Medicare [sic] along with the grasshopper who fiddled away his money his whole life and has the government pay his expenses from the get-go.

Mr. Rosenthal’s opposition to this is based on the premise that if all the ants are willing to accept this injustice, then our national resources will get depleted somewhat slower.

See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 49

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Say you saw it in the Beacon

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Technology &

Innovations Fairfax volunteers offer free tech advice

By Rebekah Sewell Fairfax county resident and avid music fan Bill Behnke, 69, was having some iPod issues. His son-in-law had set him up with the popular “Internet radio” station Pandora, which can be listened to on multiple digital devices, including computers, smartphones and tablets. But he couldn’t get it to play in his car.

Unlike traditional radio, Pandora allows users to select the particular songs they want to hear through a customized “playlist.” Behnke was a big fan of the radio app, and he often listened to his playlists from his apartment at Harbor House in Herndon, Va. There he has access to his building’s wireless Internet, also known as

Wi-Fi, which allowed him to play Pandora on his computer and his iPod touch.

But Behnke couldn’t find a way to play Pandora on his iPod while in the car. Since iPods can access the Internet, he didn’t understand why it wouldn’t play there.

Behnke took his question to the staff at the nearby Herdon Senior Center, who tried to help but didn’t know how to solve his problem.

Free help available But that didn’t mean they gave up. The center referred him to a program called Fairfax IT On Call (IT stands for “information technology”). The program began last May, and matches residents who have

technology-related questions with local tech-savvy experts.

All the work is done by volunteers, and the program is overseen and managed by Fairfax Volunteer Solutions. The program deals with a wide range of technological issues, and the volunteers possess varying types and levels of skills.

To qualify as a volunteer, Volunteer Solutions requires a thorough application and background check. It reviews the candidates’ references as well.

What makes the system effective is the program’s flexibility. Tom Rose has been working with the program since last summer, and he works on a couple of cases per month. Volunteers are not required to

commit to a minimum number of cases or hours, and they also only take the cases that match their expertise.

Rose was recruited for the position by Carol Moran, the process manager at Volunteer Solutions. His experience in the IT field spans over 30 years. As a data center manager, he has to be familiar with the latest technology, and Moran felt he would be a good fit for the program.

Like the other volunteers, Rose only assists on the cases for which he feels qualified. “Thankfully, when a client request gets sent around, you have a good description of the issue.

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A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

How to book a doctor or ER visit online

By Linda A. Johnson It’s like OpenTable — the website that makes it easy to book a restaurant reservation — but for medical appointments.

No waiting weeks to see a dermatologist. No sitting for hours in the emergency room. No frantic calls to find a family doctor with openings.

Online services such as ZocDoc and InQuicker are enabling patients with nonlife-threatening conditions to schedule everything from doctor’s office visits to emergency room trips on their laptops and smartphones — much like OpenTable users do with restaurant reservations.

Hospitals and doctors increasingly are subscribing to the services to simplify appointment scheduling for patients who dislike waiting on hold and are comfortable doing everything from shopping to banking online.

Short ER wait times ZocDoc covers many Washington- and Baltimore-area doctors, while InQuicker includes just a few Washington-area facilities and practitioners in its data base.

With most of the services, booking is as simple as going to a website, entering a zip code and the kind of care needed, and checking available times.

Patients can get a doctor appointment within a couple days, even if they’re a new patient. And the services say most patients are seen within 15 to 20 minutes of their appointment, and when an ER backs up, patients with reservations are texted to come later.

“I truly believe talking to people on the phone to schedule doctors’ appointments will be something of the past very soon,” said Natan Edelsburg, a New York resident who has made 10 doctor appointments

through one of the biggest online medical appointment booking services, ZocDoc. Doctors and hospitals are using such services to attract and retain patients as the healthcare landscape keeps getting more competitive. With the nationwide proliferation of urgent care centers and pharmacy clinics open on nights and weekends, patients have more convenient options than ever before.

The booking websites also are a way for hospitals and doctors to try to please patients at a time when they face new financial incentives to do so. Starting this year, the Affordable Care Act, which requires most Americans to have health insurance, increases or reduces the Medicare payments hospitals receive each year based on patient satisfaction and quality.

That can have a significant impact: Medicare, which covers Americans 65 and

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older and others with disabilities, pays for 43 percent of hospital patients’ care. A similar program for doctors starts next year.

“I don’t think you can compete in our medical practice marketplace without being a ZocDoc participant,” said Dr. Bobby Buka, a New York dermatologist who gets about 15 patients a week from ZocDoc.

Easy booking The services, which are free for patients but usually charge $200 to $300 per doctor a month, are benefiting from the focus on making scheduling easier for patients.

ER Express, an Atlanta startup, books reservations for more than 150 ERs and urgent care centers in nearly 30 states, but not in the Washington or Baltimore areas.

It served more than 40,000 patients in See ER APPOINTMENTS, page 6

Tech advice From page 3 “If it’s something I can handle, I throw my name in the ring. If not, I wouldn’t burden them with me just trying to make their problem worse,” he joked.

It was Rose who assisted Behnke with his Pandora issue and resolved it. He received the description of the problem and contacted Behnke directly, only a few days after the request had been submitted. They then scheduled an appointment in Behnke’s home.

“What I was so impressed with right from the get-go was that he volunteered to come out on a Saturday morning, and I thought that’s really something. He’s using his own personal time to come and help me,” Behnke said.

“I found out later that he has a full-time job during the week. He’s not retired like I am. He was willing to forfeit his weekend free time to come out and help me.”

Though Rose was asked to join the volunteer program, he committed to it because “it sounded like a great way to meet people. It always feels good to help,” he said.

Tutorials for software and devices Most of Rose’s volunteer work consists of providing tutorials. “I enjoy the how-to type of questions such as, ‘how do I use a piece of software?’ ‘I just got an iPad, and I want to learn what it can do,’ and ‘I need help with my printer,’” he said.

After discussing Behnke’s problem, Rose realized the iPod wasn’t playing Pandora in the car because it had no source of Internet.

To illustrate the issue, he showed Behnke that his iPod was losing the connection to his apartment’s Wi-Fi when he walked outside.

Then, using his own smartphone, he showed Behnke how such a cell phone could be used as an Internet hub that enabled his iPod to play Pandora in the car. The problem was, Behnke didn’t have such a cell phone!

“He asked me what kind of a cell phone See TECH ADVICE, page 5

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Please return this form to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227 WB4/15

Feel free to mail this together with the theatre ticket drawing form on p. B-11.

I N F O R M A T I O N

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F R E E

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★

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The Marilyn J. Praisner Library presents an email basics course on Friday, April 10 at 11 a.m. This class will focus on creating an e-mail address, understanding how e-mail works, and additional tools you can use with your e-mail provider. Registration is required and space is limited, so sign up early. For more information or to register, visit http://host.evanced.info/montgomerycountymd/evanced/eventcalendar.asp or call (240) 773-9460.

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Another client Rose got to know well was his first one — 93-year-old Millie. She had lost touch with many of her acquain-

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Connecting with social media

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I have. My cell phone is an antique. It’s a flip phone. It’s not a smartphone at all,” Behnke laughed. “And then he said, ‘Your cell phone will not access Wi-Fi.’” Behnke realized he would have to replace his phone with a smartphone and purchase mobile data (a monthly plan to provides Internet access for his phone) in order to access the Internet in his car. The cost would run him an extra $30 per month and at least $250 upfront to replace the phone, which didn’t seem feasible.

All in all though, Behnke was satisfied that he’d explored the problem thoroughly. “He helped me with what I was trying to accomplish, and helped me determine that it was going to be pretty expensive to make it work,” he said.

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From page 4

tances and even family members.

Rose decided to sign her up for the social networking site Facebook. Within the hour, they had created her personal profile and begun to “friend” people she once knew.

“It was neat showing her that and how quickly we could — all the sudden — find people she hadn’t seen in 50 years,” said Rose. “We connected with someone she went to high school with!”

That experience convinced Rose he was going to like this volunteer position. “I’ve really enjoyed meeting everybody so far.

I’m really impressed just hearing their story. After meeting Millie, I was hooked.”

Making friends and hearing about their lives is rewarding for Rose. “The types of issues we handle can be done within an hour.

Sometimes it takes a little longer, [but] sometimes it’s just because we’re chatting,” he laughed. “I’ve always had a good feeling every time I’ve left a new friend.”

For more information about Fairfax IT On Call, or to apply to volunteer, contact Carol Moran at Carol.Moran@fairfaxcounty.gov or (703) 324-5410.

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Tech advice

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

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ER appointments From page 4 2014, up 300 percent from 2013.

Meanwhile, ZocDoc, which is based in New York, has more than 6 million patients per month making appointments for dentists, family doctors and 40-plus types of specialists in more than 2,000 cities.

ZocDoc was started in 2007 by Cyrus Massoumi, who was frustrated trying to get care after his eardrum ruptured during a long flight and he had to wait four days to see an ear specialist.

“We think everyone in America will be booking online eventually,” Massoumi said.

InQuicker had a similar origin. It also was founded by someone who had some experience with the hassles of scheduling medical appointments. Tyler Kiley, who’d spent lots of time in ERs growing up because his mom

was an ER nurse and his dad a hospital administrator, started it in 2006. He said he’d seen lots of unnecessary waiting, so he created software for online check-ins.

Growth surged after current CEO Mike Brody-Waite joined in 2010, bringing his marketing expertise. InQuicker now serves 224 hospital ERs, 517 doctor practices, 126 urgent care centers and some other medical providers.

The Nashville company scheduled 302,000 appointments in 2014, up more than 80 percent from 2013, and its revenue was $7 million. Revenue is projected to reach $15 million this year, said marketing chief Stacie Pawlicki.

Pulling in new patients Doctors and hospitals say the services help attract new patients.

At Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

outside Chicago, assistant ER director Dr. Steve Edelstein said ER Express sends about 40 patients a month to his ER and the hospital’s nearby Grayslake Emergency Center. A quarter are new patients, and he said those tech-savvy customers “are generally more likely to have credit cards and good insurance” than others.

“It’s been nothing but a benefit,” Edelstein said.

Jersey City Medical Center and its two urgent care centers rolled out InQuicker two years ago, and use grew quickly. Together, they draw roughly 300 patients a month — 70 percent of them new patients — through InQuicker and their own healthstops.com site.

“It’s helped a lot with patient satisfaction,” said operations chief Kirat Kharode. His

ER’s average wait to see a doctor is 35 minutes, versus 15 or less with a reservation.

Some patients also like the benefits of booking online. Lauren Toth, 29, made an ER reservation last spring at Jersey City Medical Center when her foot swelled up and red spots covered her leg.

“When I got there, the waiting room was packed. There must have been 50 people there, and they took me in 10 minutes,” recalled the Manhattan public relations representative.

Doctors advised rest and ice packs, and sent her home for follow-up. Later, a dermatologist diagnosed inflamed blood vessels and prescribed medication.

“This could revolutionize the way emergency care is delivered,” Toth said.

— AP

BEACON BITS

Apr. 14

NEW ADMINISTRATION IMPLICATIONS

Leadership Montgomery’s SeniorLM Activity Group presents a panel, “New Administration – New Budget: Implications for Senior Services,” on Tuesday, April 14 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Twinbrook Community Center, 12920 Twinbrook Pkwy., Rockville, Md. Featured speakers include Uma Ahluwalia, director of the Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Services; Rona Kramer, Maryland Secretary of Aging; George Leventhal, president of the Montgomery County Council and chair of the HHS Committee; and Judy Levy, chair of the Montgomery County Commission on Aging. This event is free for Leadership Montgomery members and $15 for the general public. Registration is required by Thursday, April 9. To register, visit www.leadershipmontgomerymd.org/event/new-administration-new-budget-implications-senior-services. For more information, contact Ali Levingston at ali.levingston@leadermont.org or visit www.leadershipmontgomerymd.org.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations S

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Asbury Methodist Village 409 Russell Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 301-987-6291

JCA Bronfman Center 12320 Parklawn Dr, Rockville, MD 240-395-0916

GET TO KNOW WINDOWS® 8.1 & WINDOWS 10

COMPUTER BASICS WITH WINDOWS® 7

COMPUTER BASICS WITH WINDOWS® 7

DO MORE WITH WINDOWS® 7

Prerequisite: Windows 7 or Vista PC Fee: $85 6 sessions # 322 Mon May 4 — June 15 Prerequisite: Windows 7 or Vista PC Fee: $85 6 sessions # 323 Tues May 5 — June 9

DO MORE WITH EMAIL

Limit: 10 9:30-11:30am Limit: 10 9:30-11:30am

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent Fee: $50 3 sessions Limit: 10 # 324 Fri May 8 — May 22 9:30-11:30am

EXPLORE THE WEB WITH GOOGLE® SEARCH

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent and current access to the Internet 2 sessions Limit: 10 Fee: $35 # 325 Fri May 29 — June 5 9:30-11:30am

ASSISTED PRACTICE

FREE sessions: an integral part of your learning. You must be registered for at least one class to participate.

No Fee Wed May 6— June 10 9:30-1:30pm

Prerequisite: Windows 7 or Vista PC 6 sessions Limit: 8 Fee: $85 # 326 Thurs May 7 — June 11 10:00-12:00pm Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent 6 sessions Limit: 8 Fee: $85 # 327 Thurs June 25 — July 30 1:00–3:00pm

MICROSOFT WORD: INTRODUCTION

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent 2 sessions Limit: 8 Fee: $35 # 328 Mon May 4 — May 11 10:30-12:30pm

MICROSOFT WORD: THE NEXT LEVEL

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent Fee: $65 4 sessions Limit: 8 # 329 Mon May 18 — June 15 10:30-12:30pm

MICROSOFT EXCEL: SPREADSHEET

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent 4 sessions Limit: 8 Fee: $65 # 330 Wed July 8 — July 29 1:00-3:00pm

IPAD® FOR THE LEVEL COURSE

7

NOVICE THIS IS A BEGINNER

Prerequisite: iPad® needs to be updated to IOS 7 and have an Apple ID and password Bring fully charged iPad® to class Fee: $ 35 2 session Limit: 8 # 331 Wed May 13 — May 20 1:00-3:00pm # 332 Wed July 9 — July 16 10:00-12:00pm

GETTING STARTED WITH YOUR IPAD®

Prerequisite: iPad needs to be updated to IOS 7 and have an Apple ID and password Fee: $65 4 sessions Limit: 8 # 333 Wed June 3 — June 24 10:00-12:00pm

10 AMAZINGLY USEFUL WEBSITES YOU NEVER KNEW EXISTED

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent Fee: $20 1 session Limit: 8 # 334 Thurs June 4 1:00-3:00pm # 335 Wed July 1 1:00-3:00pm IPHONE®,

AN INTRODUCTION

Prerequisite: Bring fully charged iPhone® to class Fee: $20 1 session Limit: 8 # 336 Fri May 8 10:00-12:00pm # 337 Fri June 5 12:30-2:30pm IPHONE

PHOTOGRAPHY

Prerequisite: Bring fully charged iPhone® to class Fee: $ 20 1 session Limit: 8 # 338 Fri July 10 10:00-12:00pm

8

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Facebook®, an IntroductIon

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent Fee: $35 2 sessions Limit: 8 # 339 Wed/Thurs June 10 & 11 1:00-3:00pm # 340 Tues/Wed Aug 4 & 5 10:00-12:00pm

Meet the technoLogy gurus! brIng us your ProbLeMs!

Fee: $30 per individual session Limit: 8 Experts available to help individuals with hardware/software issues. Topics: iPhone®/iPad®, backing up the cloud, laptop/desktop issues, photos/videos, PowerPoint® and more. # 341 Tues May 5 1:00-3:00pm # 342 Tues May 19 1:00-3:00pm # 343 Tues June 9 1:00-3:00pm # 344 Tues June 23 1:00-3:00pm # 345 Tues July 14 1:00-3:00pm # 346 Tues July 28 1:00-3:00pm # 347 Tues Aug 11 1:00-3:00pm # 348 Tues Aug 25 1:00-3:00pm

 NEW  NEW  NEW 

tech tuesday

Presentations on hot topics in technology

shouLd I transItIon FroM the Pc to the Mac? Fee: $20 # 349 Tues

1 session May 5

Limit: 25 10:00-12:00pm

usIng the Internet to PLan and book traveL Fee: $20 # 350 Tues

1 session May 19

Limit: 25 10:00-12:00pm

organIzIng, enhancIng and sharIng your dIgItaL PhotograPhs Fee: $20 # 351 Tues

1 session June 9

Limit: 25 10:00-12:00pm

Fee: $20 # 352 Tues

1 session June 23

Limit: 25 10:00-12:00pm

aPPs to try beFore you buy – save on your Purchases

buyIng your next coMPyter or sMart devIce Fee: $20 # 353 Tues

1 session July 14

Limit: 25 10:00-12:00pm

cuttIng the cabLe – tv WIthout the PrIce oF cabLe Fee: $20 # 354 Tues

1 session July 28

IntroductIon to the cLoud Fee: $20 # 355 Tues

1 session Aug 11

Limit: 25 10:00-12:00pm Limit: 25 10:00-12:00pm

Crystal City

1750 crystal dr shops, suite 1638b crystal square arcade, arlington, va 703-941-1007

coMPuter basIcs: IntroductIon to the PersonaL coMPuter usIng WIndoWs® 7

Prerequisite: Bring a flash drive to class Fee: $85 6 sessions Limit: 8 # 356 Wed May 6 — June 10 10:00am-12:00pm # 357 Wed July 1 — Aug 5 10:00am-12:00pm

InterMedIate Pc, WIndoWs® 7 and WIndoWs® 8.1

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent Fee: $85 6 sessions Limit: 8 # 358 Tues May 5 — June 9 10:00am-12:00pm # 359 Tues July 7 — August 11 10:00am-12:00pm

exceL basIcs

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent; bring a flash drive to class Fee: $85 6 sessions Limit: 8 # 360 Thurs May 7 — June 11 10:00am-12:00pm

JCA SENIORTECH exceL – beyond basIcs

Prerequisite: Excel Basics or equivalent Fee: $50 3 sessions Limit: 10 # 361 Thurs July 2 — July 16 10:00am-12:00pm

tourIng the Internet

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent Fee: $85 6 sessions Limit: 10 # 362 Mon May 4 — June 15 1:00-3:00pm # 363 Mon July 6 — Aug 10 1:00-3:00pm

10 aMazIngLy useFuL WebsItes you never kneW exIsted

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent Fee: $20 1 session Limit: 8 # 302 Mon April 13 12:30pm-2:30pm # 364 Tues May 12 1:00pm-3:00pm

guIde to buyIng a PersonaL coMPuter (WorkshoP) Fee: $20 # 365 Mon

1 session Aug 24

Limit: 8 1:00pm-3:00pm

Fee: $20 # 366 Mon

1 session June 22

Limit: 8 1:00pm-3:00pm

keePIng your coMPuter secure

organIzIng, edItIng, and sharIng Photos WorkshoP

Prerequisite: Basic computer and mouse skills Fee: $35 2 sessions Limit: 8 # 303 Tues Apr 14 – 21 10:00-12:00pm # 367 Tues Aug 18 – 25 10:00-12:00pm

WorkshoP: sMartPhones and tabLets usIng the androId oPeratIng systeM(os) Prerequisite: None Fee: $20 1 session # 300 Thurs Apr 9

taMIng Word (WorkshoP)

Limit: none 12:30-2:30pm

Prerequisite: Basic computer knowledge and mouse skills Fee: $35 2 sessions Limit: 8 # 368 Tues June 16 – 23 10:00am-12:00pm

understandIng your aPPLe IPad® (WorkshoP)

Prerequisite: Bring a fully charged Apple iPad® to class Fee: $50 3 sessions Limit: 8 # 292 Wed-Fri Apr 29 – May 1 10:00am-12:00pm # 369 Tues-Thurs May 26 – 28 5:00pm-7:00pm # 370 Tues-Thurs July 21 - 23 1:00pm-3:00pm

usIng your aPPLe IPhone® (WorkshoP)

Prerequisite: Bring fully charged iPhone® to class Fee: $50 3 sessions Limit: 8 # 294 Mon Apr 20 12:30pm-2:30pm # 371 Mon June 29 1:00pm-3:00pm # 372 Mon Aug 17 1:00pm-3:00pm

usIng skyPe® to Make vIdeo or audIo caLLs (WorkshoP) Fee: $20 # 296 Wed # 373 Thurs # 374 Thurs

1 session Apr 15 June 18 Aug 20

Limit: 8 10:00am-12:00pm 10:00am-12:00pm 10:00am-12:00pm

usIng aPPLe IPhoto® and IMovIe® (WorkshoP)

® bring your own iPad® or iPhone® Prerequisite: Must Fee: $20 1 session Limit: 8 # 305 Mon Apr 27 12:30-2:30pm vIeWIng MovIes on your Pc (WorkshoP)

Prerequisite: Basic computer skills Fee: $20 1 session Limit: 8 # 307 Thurs Apr 2 10:00am-12:00pm # 375 Thurs June 4 1:00pm-3:00pm # 376 Thurs Aug 6 10:00am-12:00pm

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

WIndoWs® 8.1 deMonstratIon

Prerequisite: None, you may bring your own laptop with Windows 8.1 Fee: $20 1 session Limit: 8 # 309 Thurs Apr 9 10:00am-12:00pm # 377 Thurs June 25 10:00am-12:00pm # 378 Thurs Aug 27 10:00am-12:00pm

graPhIcs exPLorers

Prerequisite: Knowledge of Photoshop® Elements 10 or 11 software Fee: $35 ongoing sessions Limit: 8 # 379 Mon May 4 - June 29 10:00am-12:00pm # 380 Mon July 6 - Aug 31 10:00am-12:00pm

assIsted PractIce

no Fee Limit: 8 FREE sessions: An integral part of your learning. You must be registered for at least one class to participate. All practice sessions 10:00am-12:00pm.

Spreak with your instructor for details.

Microsoft at Westfield Montgomery Mall 7101 democracy blvd, bethesda, Md 301-765-3080

All classes at Tysons Corner are taught on the Surface Tablet (Microsoft) or you may bring a laptop computer. No Apple® products.

WIndoWs® 8.1 an IntroductIon Fee: $35 # 381 Thurs # 382 Thurs

2 sessions Limit: 6 May 7 – May 14 8:30am-10:00am June 18 – June 25 8:30am-10:00am

do More WIth eMaIL

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent Fee: $50 3 sessions Limit: 6 # 383 Wed Aug 10 – Aug 24 8:30-10:00am

Microsoft at Tysons Corner 1961 chain bridge rd, McLean, va 22102 703-336-8480

All classes at Tysons Corner are taught on the Surface Tablet (Microsoft) or you may bring a laptop computer. No Apple® products.

MIcrosoFt exceL

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent Fee: $65 4 sessions Limit: 6 # 384 Wed May 6 — May 27 10:00am-12:00pm

LInkedIn®, an IntroductIon

Prerequisite: Solid computer skills and an active email account Fee: $20 1 session Limit: 6 # 385 Wed June 3 10:00am-12:00pm

PoWerPoInt® PresentatIons

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent Fee: $35 2 sessions Limit: 6 # 386 Wed June 10 — June 17 10:00am-12:00pm

DISCOUNT!

STUDENTS RECEIVE A 10% DISCOUNT WHEN BILL IS PAID IN FULL 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE START OF CLASS. If you have questions, call 240-395-0916 or email seniortech@accessjca.org

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

DESCRIPTION AND GUIDELINES

The Microsoft operating systems vary by site and include Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1. Classes are designed to help older adults, 50+, refresh or advance their computer skills and learn to use social media. Courses are taught by volunteer instructors and coaches. Courses are almost always “hands on” in which students practice skills and techniques on a computer during class.

ATTENTION:

Instruction, course materials and all computer language settings are in

English.

Courses are taught with Windows computers.

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY

SENIORTECH REGISTRATION FORM

COMPUTER TRAINING

WAYS TO REGISTER:

BY MAIL:

Include your payment with form to JCA SeniorTech 12320 Parklawn Drive Rockville, MD 20852-1726

BY PHONE: Call 240-395-0916 with your credit card information

NOTE: ALL REGISTRATIONS ARE DUE 7 DAYS PRIOR TO START OF CLASS. Name: ___________________________________________________________________ Age: ________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________ City: ____________________________________________________ State: _______ Zip Code: _______________ Phone#: ______________________________ Email: __________________________________________________ I have taken a JCA SeniorTech class before: ____ Yes ____ No

Student ID (Office use only)_______________

I WOULD LIKE TO REGISTER FOR: Class #

Class Title

Location

Start Date

Start Time

Fee

#

$

#

$

#

$

#

$

#

$

#

$

10% DISCOUNT WHEN BILL IS PAID IN FULL 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE START OF CLASS

-

TOTAL $ _________

PAYMENT METHOD:

Each JCA SeniorTech center follows the weather-related decisions of the public school system in its jurisdiction, except that if a school system is closed for even part of the day, the center will be closed the entire day. As soon as possible, your instructor will arrange to make up any classes cancelled due to inclement weather.

REFUND POLICY: Students who wish to withdraw and receive a full refund must notify JCA at least 48 hours before the first class begins.

A 50% refund is given after the first class.

For more information, call 240-395-0916.

WB4/15

❒ Master Card ❒ VISA ❒ American Express ❒ Check (Make Checks payable to JCA SeniorTech.)

Name as it appears on card: ____________________________________________________________

-

-

Card Number

-

____________ ____________ ____________ _____________

Exp. Date

______ /______

Sec. Code

__________

OFFICE USE ONLY Course #_____ Paid_____ Registration #_______ Date________

Course #_____ Paid_____ Registration #_______ Date________

Course #_____ Paid_____ Registration #_______ Date________

Course #_____ Paid_____ Registration #_______ Date________

Course #_____ Paid_____ Registration #_______ Date________

Course #_____ Paid_____ Registration #_______ Date________

NOTICE: WITHIN THE LIMITS OF ITS RESOURCES, JCA SERVES PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS AND FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. INDEED, WE TRY TO BE AS INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE IN ALL THAT WE DO. SOMETIMES, HOWEVER, JCA MAY DENY A PERSON OR GROUP THE OPTION TO ENROLL OR TO CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL OR PARTICULAR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO DO SO, AT OUR SOLE DISCRETION, SHOULD WE BELIEVE THAT OUR ACTION IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE INDIVIDUAL OR PROGRAM OR FOR ANY OTHER REASON NOT PRECLUDED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

Each contribution or remittance of payment by check is considered authorization to convert that particular check into an electronic fund transfer. If your check is unable to be converted, it may be processed as a Check Replacement Document drawn against your account. When we use information from your check to make an electronic fund transfer, funds may be withdrawn from your account as soon as the same day you make your payment, and you will not receive your check back from your financial institution. You have the right to opt out of Electronic Conversion. If you choose to exercise this right, write the words ‘Opt Out’ in the memo field of your check and JCA will process it as a draft against your account.

✃

SeniorTech

9

TSay you saw it in the Beacon

JCA SENIORTECH

10

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Health Fitness &

HOT AND HEALTHY Frequent saunas appear to increase longevity; some reasons why NOT SO SWEET Artificial sweeteners cut calories, but some may have safety concerns THE WHOLE (GRAIN) TRUTH Myths and facts about whole grains and gluten-free claims VOLUNTEERS FOR YEARS Two area residents are to receive Path of Achievement Awards

Game changer: Stents for stroke patients

By Marilynn Marchione Stroke experts are reporting a major advance: Stents similar to the ones used to open clogged heart arteries can also be used to clear a blood clot in the brain, greatly lowering the risk a patient will end up disabled.

Patients treated with these brain stents were far more likely to be alive and able to live independently three months after their stroke, doctors reported at a recent American Stroke Association conference.

The treatment was so successful that three studies testing stents were stopped early so the devices could be offered to more patients. One study also found the death rate was cut almost in half for those given the treatment.

“This is a once-in-a-generation advance in stroke care,” said the head of one study, Dr. Jeffrey Saver, stroke chief at the University of California, Los Angeles.

An independent expert, Dr. Lee Schwamm of Massachusetts General Hospital, called it “a real turning point in the field.” For many patients, “this is the difference between returning home and not returning home,” although only certain

types of patients can be offered it, he said.

Stroke care “needs to be completely changed” to make the treatment more widely available, said Dr. Walter Koroshetz, acting director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

“This has taken stroke therapy to the same place that heart attack therapy is now,” he said.

Work faster, less damage Most of the 800,000 strokes in the U.S. each year are caused by a blood clot lodged in the brain. The usual treatment is clot-dissolving medicine called tPA. When that doesn’t work, doctors sometimes try devices pushed through blood vessels to pluck out the clot, but several studies found they didn’t help.

However, newer devices — metal mesh cages called stent retrievers — open an artery much faster and with less damage to the blood vessel. Unlike heart stents, which stay in place to prop the artery open, the brain stents flatten the clot, trap it and are removed with it.

Two brands are sold in the U.S. —

Trevo, made by Stryker Corp. of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Solitaire, made by Covidien, now part of Minneapolis-based Medtronic Inc. They won FDA approval in 2012 based on their ability to remove a clot — not because there was evidence they improved patient outcomes.

Last fall, the first solid evidence that these devices actually improved patient recovery arrived. A study in the Netherlands that tested a variety of clot removers, mostly stents, found these treatments greatly lowered the risk of disability in patients whose clots were not dissolved by tPA. Stroke experts said at the time that more studies were needed to confirm the success. The three new studies do that. All were stopped early because independent monitors saw better results three months later in those treated with devices after tPA failed to dissolve their clots.

Two studies tested just the Solitaire stent, and the third tested a mix of devices, but mostly stents. Patients all sought help fast, had clots that were not opened by tPA, and had no evidence of irreversible brain damage on CT scans.

Highlights of the studies — A study in the U.S. and Europe on 196 patients found 60 percent of those treated with a Solitaire stent were free of major disability versus 35 percent of those given just tPA. Covidien sponsored the trial.

— A study led by Australian researchers of 70 patients found 71 percent of those given a Solitaire stent were free of major disability versus 40 percent of those given tPA alone. The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and others paid for the trial.

— A study led by Canadian doctors of 316 patients found 53 percent treated with a stent or other clot-removing devices were free of major disability versus 29 percent of those given just tPA. Ten percent of patients given both treatments died versus 19 percent of those given just tPA. Covidien and others paid for the study, and some study leaders have financial ties to the companies.

The Canadian and Australian studies were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

See STENTS, page 12

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

FREE PHYSICIAN LECTURES:

Holy Cross Germantown Hospital is now open.

Hear from experts and have your questions answered:

For over 50 years, Holy Cross Health has been dedicated to improving the health of the communities we serve. Now, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital brings much-needed health care to upper Montgomery County. This new hospital features:

Aging and Gynecologic Health Thursday, April 16 6:30 to 8 p.m.

– – – – –

A full-service emergency department All private patient rooms with 24/7 visitation Beautiful new maternity suites Medical, surgical and behavioral health services The latest technology and equipment

Holy Cross Germantown Hospital is conveniently located right off I-270. With peaceful views and state-of-the-art technology, you can trust our team to provide a safe and positive healing environment that you’ll want to call your very own.

Ebony Hoskins, MD Gynecologic Oncology Rami Makhoul, MD Colorectal Surgery Anita Pillai-Allen, MD Urogynecology Shobha Sikka, MD Obstetrics and Gynecology

Maintaining Joint Health and an Active Lifestyle Wednesday, April 22 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Ricardo Cook, MD Orthopedic Surgery Leo Rozmaryn, MD Orthopedic Surgery Samuel Sanders, MD Orthopedic Surgery

19801 Observation Drive Germantown, Maryland 20876 301-557-6000

HolyCrossHealth.org

SIGN UP TODAY: To register or learn more, call 301-754-8800 or visit HolyCrossHealth.org.

11

12

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Frequent saunas may increase longevity

By Lindsey Tanner Frequent sauna baths may help you live longer, a study of Finnish men suggests. It would be welcome news if proven true — in Finland where hot, dry saunas are commonplace, and for Americans who have been

shivering in a snowy Nordic-like winter.

Previous research suggested that saunas might improve blood vessel function and exercise capacity, and lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension.

The new study links long, hot sauna

baths with even more benefits, including fewer deaths from heart attacks, strokes, various heart-related conditions and other causes.

The research was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

About 2,300 Finnish men, in their early 50s on average, were asked how often they used saunas. The rates ranged from once weekly to every day. During almost 20 years of follow-up, more than 900 of the men passed away.

The researchers took into account characteristics in addition to sauna use that would affect survival, including cigarette smoking, weight, physical activity, blood pressure and cholesterol, and income.

Longer, frequent saunas best Deaths from heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems were nearly two

times more common in men who used saunas once weekly than in those who used saunas at least four times weekly.

Deaths from other causes were also more common in men who used saunas infrequently.

The amount of time spent in the sauna mattered, too. Fatal heart-related deaths were less common in men whose sauna sessions lasted more than 19 minutes, compared with those who spent less than 11 minutes in the sauna.

As for the reasons saunas might help, Dr. Jari Laukkanen, a University of Eastern Finland researcher and the lead author, said it could be that high temperature and humidity may cause beneficial physiological changes in the cardiovascular system. But he said more research is needed to determine how and why saunas might prolong survival.

They are clearly relaxing for many people, and the camaraderie they offer may also benefit health, said heart specialist Dr. Rita Redberg, editor of the medical journal. “Clearly time spent in the sauna is time well spent,” she said.

What saunas work best?

Sauna rooms were 79 degrees Celsius, or 174 degrees Fahrenheit, on average for the most frequent users, but slightly lower for men who only used saunas once weekly. Finnish sauna rooms typically allow users to regulate temperature by pouring water on heated rocks.

In Finland, nearly every home has a private sauna, often a separate room built into the basement. Families often use them together, and older apartments often have common saunas.

The study is based on observational information, and more rigorous research is needed to determine if saunas, or some unmeasured factor, might explain the results.

The authors said similar studies are needed in women to determine if they would gain the same benefits.

They said the research doesn’t apply to saunas that operate at lower temperatures and don’t allow pouring water on rocks to regulate heat, nor to steam rooms or hot tubs.

— AP

Stents From page 10 Stent treatment is not for everyone, and it won’t help people who had a stroke some time ago. It is not known if stents would help people who were not given tPA first, or those who seek help too late to get it.

The key to surviving a stroke is getting help fast — tPA must be given within four and a half hours after symptoms start.

For more stroke information online, see http://stroke.nih.gov and www.strokeassociation.org.

— AP

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

13

Use artificial sweeteners in moderation

By Judy Thalheimer, R.D The label says, “no sugar added,” “sugar-free” or “diet.” So what makes the food or drink inside the package so sweet?

Chances are it’s an artificial sweetener, a chemically processed sugar substitute.

Also known as non-nutritive, non-caloric or high-intensity sweeteners, these synthetic sweeties are hundreds or even thousands of times sweeter than table sugar.

Artificial sweeteners are not carbohydrates, so they don’t raise blood sugar levels. This makes them a good alternative to sugar for people with diabetes. They also don’t contribute to tooth decay and have virtually no calories, so they’re a popular option for weight loss.

Artificial sweeteners are everywhere — in soft drinks, juice drinks, gum, candies, yogurt, ice cream, baked goods, breakfast cereals and individual sweetener packets for home use. The big question is, are they safe?

Most testing is done on rats and mice, and the number of test subjects, the amount of the sweetener they are fed, and how long the study lasts can have a big impact on the outcomes. Not surprisingly, different studies show different results, which can create a lot of confusion for people.

Watchdog groups, such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest, rightly call attention to studies that raise concerns about safety, urging the FDA to review products as new information emerges. At this time, however, the National Cancer Institute says there’s no clear scientific evidence that any artificial sweeteners approved in the U.S. cause cancer.

The FDA does set Acceptable Daily Intakes, so (as with most things) moderation is key.

Artificial sweeteners can help cut calories or make it possible to have a sweet treat that doesn’t raise blood sugar, but don’t overdo it, and keep an eye out for new high-quality studies.

Safety testing As with any food additive, a company that wants to put an artificial sweetener in a food or drink has to get permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA reviews all the scientific evidence provided by the company to make sure the product is safe.

Artificial sweetener safety guide 1. Acesulfame-potassium. (Acesulfame K, Ace-K).

Products: Sweet One, Sunett. FDA-approved 1988. Typically used in frozen desserts, candies, soft drinks, drink mixes, gelatin desserts, yogurt, chewing gum and

baked goods. Used with aspartame in Coca-Cola Zero and Diet Pepsi.

Safety: The FDA reports that more than 90 studies support the safety of Acesulfame-K. Watchdog groups are calling for new studies to answer questions about possible cancer risk and thyroid damage.

2. Advantame. Approved by the FDA in 2014 for use as a sweetener and flavor enhancer in foods, except meat and poultry.

Safety: Before approving advantame, the FDA reviewed 37 animal and human

safety studies. They also looked at what happens to advantame in our bodies and whether it is likely to cause cancer.

3. Aspartame. FDA-approved in 1981.

Products: Equal, NutraSweet, AminoSweet, Sugar Twin. Used in powdered drink mixes, soft drinks, breakfast cereals and other dry packaged foods. Cannot be used in baked goods, because it breaks down at high temperatures. The only sweetSee SWEETENERS, page 15

14

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A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Myths and facts: whole grains vs. gluten

By Densie Webb, Ph.D., R.D. At first glance, whole grains like whole wheat, barley, quinoa and brown rice may not seem controversial, but misconcep-

tions and half-truths abound, creating barriers to meeting the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommendation to consume at least three servings of whole grains a day.

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Here’s what we learned on the subject at the recent conference “Whole Grains: Breaking Barriers,” organized by Oldways, a Boston-based nonprofit food and nutrition organization: Myth No. 1: Much of the wheat found in food products is genetically modified (GMO).

Fact: Not true. Despite what some popular, gluten-free diet books claim, there is no GMO wheat commercially available in the U.S. Myth No. 2: Today’s wheat crops have been bred to contain more gluten than in the past.

Fact: Wrong again. The level of gluten in today’s wheat crops is similar to what it was in the 20th century. However, the average consumption of gluten-containing products has increased, as gluten is added as a thickener or stabilizing agent to a lot of processed foods — such as soy sauce, ketchup, spice mixes, processed meats and chicory coffee.

Myth No. 3: Eliminating gluten from your diet, including that found in whole

wheat, is a great way to help you lose weight.

Fact: There’s no evidence that getting rid of gluten will help you lose weight. In fact, research shows that people who consume whole grains, many of which contain gluten, either lose weight or gain less weight over time, compared to people who consume little or no whole grains.

If you lose weight on a gluten-free diet, it’s most likely because you’re eating fewer calories as a result of the recommended dietary restrictions.

Myth No. 4: Gluten-free products are lower in calories.

Fact: If only! A lot of gluten-free products are actually higher in calories than gluten-containing products, because of the extra fat and sugar sometimes added to make up for the missing gluten — a protein that helps provide structure and body to baked products. Read labels.

Myth No. 5: Grain consumption triggers inflammation.

Fact: Actually, research shows that conSee GRAINS VS. GLUTEN, page 16

BEACON BITS

Apr. 11

PARKINSON’S SYMPOSIUM The Sibley Senior Association, the Prevention of Blindness

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Sweeteners From page 13 ener in Diet Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper.

Safety: According to the FDA, aspartame is one of the most exhaustively studied substances in the human food supply, with more than 100 studies supporting its safety. Watchdog groups, however, point to several studies that say it might increase cancer risk. Some people report headaches from aspartame.

Note: People with the rare genetic condition phenylketonuria (PKU) should not consume products containing aspartame.

4. Neotame (Newtame). FDA-approved, 2002. This chemical cousin of aspartame is not currently found in soft drinks and not used often in packaged foods because it doesn’t taste quite like sugar. It can be used in baked goods, but will most likely be mixed with another artificial sweetener or sugar to compensate for the taste.

Safety: In determining the safety of neotame, the FDA says it reviewed data from more than 113 animal and human studies designed to identify possible toxic effects.

Watchdog groups say neotame appears safe, but caution that it has not been tested by independent researchers.

5. Saccharin. FDA-approved: before 1958.

Products: Sweet and Low, Sweet Twin, Sweet ‘N Low, Necta Sweet. Approved for

use in processed foods, beverages, fruit juice drinks, and bases or mixes, and as a sugar substitute for cooking or table use.

Safety: Studies showing saccharin caused cancer in rats nearly led to a ban in 1977. Thirty human studies have since found that saccharin is safe for human consumption.

Note: It’s recommended that a 150-lb. person not have more than 8.5 packets of saccharin a day according to safety levels established for this sweetener.

6. Sucralose. FDA-approved: 1999.

Products: Splenda. The most common artificial sweetener. Found in baked goods, kettle corn, frozen desserts, ice cream, soft drinks and prepared meals, often mixed with aspartame or ace-K. Safety: The FDA reviewed 110 safety studies in approving the use of sucralose.

Brand-new research found sucralose caused leukemia in mice.

Note: A small child who drinks more than 2-3 cans of sucralose-sweetened soda a day could exceed the Acceptable Daily Intake.

7. Sugar alcohols (erythritol, isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, and others). Not sugar or alcohol, these sweeteners are reduced calorie, but not calorie-free. Found in ice creams, cookies, puddings, candies and chewing gum labeled “sugar-free” or “no sugar added.”

Today most sugar alcohols are made in a lab, but many exist in nature so they’re

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not technically considered “artificial” sweeteners. Most sugar alcohols have no FDA approval date because they are not regulated as food additives.

Safety: Safe, but may cause gastrointestinal distress if you consume too much.

15

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 800-829-5384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com. © 2015 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Grains vs. gluten From page 14 suming whole grains can help reduce inflammation in the body. Inflammation is associated with a higher risk of several diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

Myth No. 6: Whole grains are bland and boring.

Fact: It’s not your mother’s whole grains you’re seeing on the shelves. The number of flavorful, light whole-grain products has grown exponentially over the last several years. The variety you’ll find in almost any

supermarket is impressive, from wholewheat pearl couscous and organic 7-grain pancake and waffle mix, to almond wholegrain bread and whole-grain waffles.

Myth No. 7: Whole grains are dense and heavy.

Fact: While some whole-grain products are much more dense than products made with processed white wheat flour, today there are many products made with wholewheat white flour (from a different strain of wheat than most wheat products), which are much lighter in color and flavor than the whole grains of yesteryear, and still provide the health benefits of whole grains.

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Myth No. 8: Whole grains take too long to cook.

Fact: Again, while traditional whole grains, like brown rice, take much longer to cook than their highly refined counterparts, many whole-grain products, such as multi-grain rices, brown rice and brown and wild rice mixes are now available that cook in a minute or two in the microwave.

Myth No. 9: All grains send blood sugar on a roller coaster ride of peaks and valleys, and have a negative effect on health.

Fact: It’s actually the opposite. Eating whole grains helps maintain lower blood sugar levels, and people who eat the most whole grains, whether they contain gluten or not, are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

Myth No. 10: Avoiding grains that contain gluten will lower your risk of several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Fact: Your risk will be reduced only if you’re avoiding highly processed refined grains, such as cakes, cookies and dough-

nuts made with refined white flour, whether or not they contain gluten. But don’t confuse the idea of avoiding processed refined grains with avoiding all grains. Whole grains, whether they contain gluten or not, can benefit your health in a variety of ways.

Myth No. 11: All wheat, including whole wheat, is addictive and must be cut out of the diet in order to feel better and be healthy.

Fact: Not so. Wheat has no addictive properties. You may have read that researchers have identified a compound in wheat that can interact with opioid receptors in the brain, which is where addiction takes place. But the same compound is found in milk, rice and even spinach. And no one worries about becoming addicted to spinach!

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 800-829-5384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com. © 2015 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS ACTIVE AGING EXPO

May 4

The City of Gaithersburg presents its Annual Active Aging Expo on Monday, May 4 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bohrer Park, located at 506 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg, Md. This free event is open to the public and will include demonstrations, pampering, and a pizza lunch. There will also be talks on pain management, posture and its effects on health, the benefits of theater beyond entertainment, elder abuse and fraud (and ways to protect ourselves), learning to be our own health advocates and more. For more information, call (301) 258-6380.

Apr. 25

WOMENFEST

Howard County presents its annual Womenfest on Saturday, April 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Gary J. Arthur Community Center at Glenwood, located at 2400 Route 97, Cooksville, Md. Womanfest is a free event that focuses on health, wellness, fashion and beauty, and is designed to inspire women to live more balanced, healthier and fuller lives. The event features over 90 vendors and exhibitors, seminars and health screenings.

This year’s keynote address “Build Your Healthy Tomorrow, Today!” will be presented by Lynne Brick, president of Brick Bodies Fitness Services, Inc. For more information, visit www.howardcountyaging.org/WomenFest or call (410) 313-5440.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

17

Long-time community volunteers honored

By Kate Petersen mental health, disability rights, employThey have contributed tens of thou- ment, prison ministry, anti-poverty initiasands of hours to helping the homeless tives and violence prevention. and those with disabilities, and advocating Brady has functioned as an integral parfor more affordable senior housing and vi- ticipant in organizations dedicated to these olence prevention. Jean Brady and Karin causes, often coordinating the group’s efWilson have made service a forts both on site and behind central part of their lives for the scenes. many years, dedicating themThe Rockville resident has selves to their community’s coordinated 130 volunteers to needs. serve the homeless at So OthFor this and more, they are ers Might Eat (SOME). Espebeing honored this month cially significant, as a foundwith the Neal Potter Path of ing member of the Catholic Achievement Award. The Archdiocese of Washington award honors two MontElderly Task Force, Brady’s gomery County residents 60 report on the needs of the Jean Brady or over whose accomplishelderly led the Archdiocese to ments make them exemplary role models put greater emphasis on affordable assistin their community. It is named for Potter, ed living. the former Montgomery County ExecuThat eventually led to a number of subtive, who died in 2008. The awards will be sidized group homes for area seniors built presented at the Montgomery Serves by Victory Housing, the housing developAwards event on April 27. ment arm of the Archdiocese. In particular, Brady helped start “Mary’s House,” Serving far and wide Victory Housing’s subsidized assisted livJean Brady, 81, has been a volunteer and ing residence in Rockville. civic activist in the City of Rockville and “Mary’s House would not exist without Montgomery County for over 40 years. the vision, energy and determination of Sharing her talents broadly, she has volun- Jean Brady. She was committed to ensurteered to address social issues including ing that low-income seniors would have a affordable senior housing, homelessness, place to age in dignity in their community,”

said Monsignor Ralph Kuehner as part of Helping close to home Brady’s nomination, which included supBrady not only serves others, however. port from four people who worked with Service is part of her home life as well. her.

After her husband, John, was diagnosed In addition, Brady was instrumental in with dementia, she became his primary obtaining approval from elected officials to caregiver. He passed away from complicaturn a former elementary school site into tions related to his illness in 2013. Togethwhat became the award-winning Rockville er they raised seven children and have 14 Senior Center. She also secured state and grandchildren. local funding to renovate it.

Even with such a long list of accomplishLorraine Schack, director of senior ments, Brady said she is amazed that she services for the City of Rockville and for- won the Path of Achievement award, and mer director of the senior cennoted, “I’ve got a lot of nice ter she said, “By her sincerity, people supporting me.” personal experience and deterOne of those is Chuck mination, Jean has successfulShort, former director of the ly persuaded elected and apcounty’s department of pointed officials to provide health and human service. In services, programs and facilithe nomination, he said, ties for our most vulnerable “Jean has been a powerful adand deserving residents.” vocate for so many people Looking back at her experiand causes, a champion for ence with Mar y’s House, the rights of the disabled, Karin Wilson Brady noted, “All my experiseniors, the homeless, those ence came to a head when we were work- with mental illness…It is hard to think of a ing on Mary’s House. Assisted living didn’t sector of society that she has not helped. even have a name when we started.”

She was and continues to be always on the With a task that daunting, why does scene for those who need a helping hand Brady continue to volunteer with such and a strong advocate.” vigor? “I believe in giving back,” she said simply. “There are a lot of people out there See VOLUNTEERS, page 18 who don’t have anyone to assist them.”

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Volunteers From page 17

Supporting others Gaithersburg resident Karin Wilson, 80, has clocked over 20,000 hours over the past eighteen years volunteering at the Support Center, an adult medical day center. The Support Center’s program serves

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

adults with physical and/or medical disabilities or cognitive impairment who do not require 24-hour institutional care, yet are not capable of full-time, independent living.

After she retired, she chose to devote her time to helping others. And with so much time spent at the Support Center, Wilson has performed almost every non-

FORMERLY

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medical job available —serving as bookkeeper, billing specialist, reading group leader and lunch server — often all in the same day!

One of the things Wilson enjoys about volunteering is the opportunity to do something completely different from her job prior to retirement. However, when Support Center board members learned about Wilson’s background as an accountant for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees for 35 years, she was asked to take on the responsibilities of treasurer for the group. In that capacity, she kept the organization solid through many inevitable transitions.

Wilson’s desire to care is also integrated into her personal life, as she cared for her mother before her mother needed to be cared for in a nursing home. She also heads to her daughter’s house every morning to get her grandchildren ready for school so her daughter can get to her job as a high school teacher.

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Wilson said she feels terrific about winning this award, but that her kids were particularly excited.

Wilson spends four days a week in the Support Center, splitting her time between budget and billing work, cleaning after lunch, and leading a reading group once a week. “The reading group is a lot of fun,” Wilson said. “We don’t just sit there and read, but we talk, and people can tell if they have had a similar experience.”

Wilson cites the people she helps as her favorite part of volunteering. “There are some who have been here as long as I have,” she said. “If I am out one day, they notice. When I come back, they will ask, ‘Where were you yesterday?’ That’s really nice.”

While Wilson enjoys the company of the people she volunteers with, it is no doubt that they value her immensely, as well.

Mudah Brooks, health manager at the Support Center said, “Karin will buy with her own money anything she think the center needs, even if she has just heard one of us mention a need in passing. She’s also very good at treating every person here with dignity and respect, whether they are a client, a staff member, or a visitor.”

The Path of Achievement awards are presented in partnership with the Montgomery County Commission on Aging and the Beacon Newspapers. The winners will be honored at the Montgomery Serves Awards on April 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Imagination Stage in Bethesda. For more information or to register for this free event, call (240) 777-2600 or visit www.montgomeryserves.org/montgomery-serves-awards2015.

BEACON BITS

May 5+

CONNECTING IN FRIENDSHIP COURSE

The Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington (JCCGW) present a four-session interJennifer Director of Nursing 11 years

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active course called Connecting In Friendship on Tuesdays, May 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Classes

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

19

Kids and adults: stand up for your beliefs Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Rosa to kill her on her way home from school.

A bullet struck her in the head and Parks. These are just three out of many extraordinary people in history who took a badly wounded her, but did not kill her.

She managed to pull through stand for their beliefs in a with the help of many doctors peaceful, non-violent way. and nurses, and continues to Ordinary people do this, fight for the rights of girls in too. Many amazing individuPakistan to get an education. als speak at events every day Malala was awarded the about their feelings and Nobel Peace Prize for her views. work at the age of 17, making But it’s not just adults that her the youngest person ever can make a difference. Take Malala Yousafzai, for example to win that prize.

I believe that Malala is an — a young Pakistani girl who, GENERATIONS inspiration to all of us. She has at the age of 14, was shot by a TOGETHER terrorist because she had been proven — along with Jane AdBy Alexis Bentz dams for her social reform standing up for women’s rights work, Mother Teresa for her and education in her country.

A group called the Taliban had been charity work, Nelson Mandela for peacetelling women living in her area of Pak- fully stopping aparthheid, Aung San Suu istan that they should dress in a certain Kyi for her non-violent struggle for human way so that their bodies were covered, re- rights in Myanmar (Burma), Elie Wiesel frain from watching TV and listening to for his work on the cause of peace, and music, and that they shouldn’t get an edu- many others — that when you stand up for cation. The Taliban were actually destroy- what you believe in, you can make a huge ing buildings, especially schools, and were difference.

How can each of us make a difference? patrolling the area constantly.

Malala, however, wouldn’t take it. She Here’s my suggestion. Read the newspawanted the right to have an education. She per; find issues in your community and in spoke out at many events and was also in- the world that you feel strongly about; terviewed on TV. It was because of this then get together with a younger buddy that the Taliban singled her out and tried and talk to them about it.

You can discuss some of the issues that have been affecting Americans in recent months — the riots in the Midwest, international issues (what’s happening in Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, etc.), or local matters, like the effects of federal and state budget cutbacks on programs for seniors and others.

You can each share your opinion on the subject, and bond with, and learn from, each other at the same time. Then, together you may plan activities to help bring about change in peaceful ways.

You can also read and discuss I am Malala, a memoir written by Malala Yousafzai, with your younger friend.

Just remember: both kids and adults can make a difference, and it’s never too late.

Even if you feel you aren’t likely to make history yourself at this point, perhaps a younger person you speak with now will someday become great because they stand up for their beliefs, and you will have played a role in helping them become who they are.

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Health Studies Page

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Help test a new lung disease treatment

By Barbara Ruben In the chronic lung disease bronchiectasis, a patient’s airways become abnormally enlarged and slowly lose their ability to clear out mucus from the lungs. The mucus builds up, and bacteria begins to grow.

People with the disease have a chronic cough, shortness of breath and chest pain, and their lung function is often irreversibly reduced.

While bronchiectasis is a hallmark of cystic fibrosis, three times as many people who are diagnosed with bronchiectasis get

it from other causes, such as smoking.

“However, in a large group of people who have it, we don’t know what its cause is,” said Dr. A. Whitney Brown, a transplant pulmonologist at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va. “These tend to be older adults, age 60+ men or women, but it’s more common in older females.”

About 100,000 people in the United States have the non-cystic fibrosis form of bronchiectasis. Patients with the chronic condition often lose weight and are malnourished, and suffer from cycles of in-

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flammation and infection with the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Brown said.

While oral antibiotics, breathing treatments and supportive nutrition are used to help combat the disease, bronchiectasis is not curable. “It’s a pretty bad bacteria.

Most adults who have this, it will be impossible to totally eradicate. The idea is to have as low a level as possible,” she said.

Volunteers needed for study The Advanced Lung Disease and Transplant Program at Inova Fairfax, where Brown works, is one of 90 sites worldwide participating in a study to see if an inhaled form of the antibiotic Cipro might offer better control for bronchiectasis.

Ciprofloxacin, which was approved by the FDA in 1987 in pill and IV form to treat a variety of bacterial infections, is not yet approved in a form that that can be breathed in through a nebulizer. Nebulizers change a liquid medication into a mist that can be delivered directly to the lungs when inhaled.

“We have a very underserved population, and there is no approved antibiotic nebulizer treatment for bronchiectasis,” Brown said.

The study will look at the investigational drug Pulmaquin — a slow-release version of ciprofloxacin inhaled via nebulizer.

Those in the study will be randomly select-

ed to receive either Pulmaquin or a placebo treatment with no active drug. Neither the participants nor the study investigators will be told who is receiving which substance.

What the study entails Participants will have the nebulizer treatment at home once daily for a month, and then go without treatment for a month. They will cycle through these drug and no-drug phases twice more. Then everyone — both those who got the placebo and those who took Pulmaquin — will take the actual drug for one month.

There will be screening and post-medication visits at Inova Fairfax. About 12 to 15 outpatient visits to the hospital will be required, over the span of about a year.

To qualify for the study, participants must be 18 or older and have a diagnosis of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis with at least two exacerbations that were treated with antibiotics in the last year.

Participants will be compensated for transportation costs. All study visits and medications are free.

“I think a real bonus is that you’re seeing a physician at least once a month for very comprehensive care free of charge,” Brown said.

For more information, call Research Manager Edwinia Battle at (703) 776-3067.

BEACON BITS

Apr. 18

BECOME YOUR OWN LIFE COACH

Join Dr. Cyd Charrow, a positive life-change specialist, for a workshop, Saturday, April 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The location is to be announced. Charrow will discuss what you want in life, how to conquer negative thinking and turn vision into action. For more information and the location, email bkarro@arlingtonva.us.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

21

An important warning if you take statins Sometimes blind faith leads to a disaster. cause they deplete coenzyme Q10, which Sometimes a miracle. Where will you end up? is needed for healthy mitochondria.

Statins also deplete a special protein If you’re one of the millions of people dicalled “Heme A” that totes oxyagnosed with high cholesterol, gen and iron to your heart. Its you will more than likely be long-term depletion interrupts given a prescription statin pill.

ATP production and leads to These work well to reduce cellular fatigue, among other cholesterol, and come in many major problems. brand and generic forms: LoYou cannot survive longvastatin for Mevacor, atorvasterm without adequate ATP tatin for Lipitor, pravastatin for production, so it needs to be rePravachol, fluvastatin for Lestored. Fatigue, cramps, musscol, simvastatin for Zocor, cle weakness, memory loss, pitavastatin for Livalo, and roDEAR depression, cancer… you must suvastatin for Crestor.

PHARMACIST have ATP in your body or else!

Statins affect many pathways

By Suzy Cohen Statins also inhibit the in the body. They are strong biosynthesis of vitamin K2, anti-inflammatories, and are being tested for their use in cancer patients. which we manufacture if we have healthy As for cholesterol reduction, they work by intestinal gut flora. Do you? I don’t know crushing a natural enzyme in your body that anyone who has a perfect gut.

K2 comes from fermented veggies. It prowould otherwise produce cholesterol.

I want you to make a mental note, statins tects our arteries from calcium plaques or do not suck out gooey cholesterol from your atherosclerosis. Without enough K2, statinarteries, nor do they negate cheese fries. No, induced or not, we are compromised.

Today, we know statins also block very these drugs merely suppress the new production of cholesterol by your body. Here’s special, powerful proteins known as selenowhere blind faith (take this pill and you’ll feel proteins because they contain selenium. The most famous of those is called glutathione better) collides with scientific research.

Last month, a study was published in peroxidase, which protects muscle tissue the Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology from free radical damage (oxidation).

Your heart is the busiest muscle in your entitled, “Statins stimulate atherosclerosis and heart failure: pharmacological mecha- body. It has to work 24/7. Your heart musnisms.” Repeat: “Statins stimulate athero- cle cells are ‘burned’ from all the oxidation (due to the impairment of selenoprotein sclerosis and heart failure.” Whoa!

The researchers concluded, “The epi- biosynthesis), and this is a factor in condemic of heart failure and atherosclerosis gestive heart failure. This reminds me of that plagues the modern world may para- Keshan’s disease, which is heart failure doxically be aggravated by the pervasive due to low selenium. use of statin drugs.”

If you have to take statins, please use the lowest dose possible. Be diligent about putting back the nutrients that statins inKnown problems with statins What an irony! The problem is that terfere with, such as coenzyme Q10, selemany other studies have found similar dis- nium and vitamin K2, along with other astrous effects of statins on the heart. It heart-healthy nutrients.

However, there are exceptions to taking has to do with mitochondrial dysfunction, which means that the little generators in these nutrients, so ask your doctor (yes, the same one that gave you the statin). your heart cells get sick.

This is a classic case of drug mugging Your heart is a very high energy muscle. It requires thriving mitochondria in (where a medication depletes essential nuorder to churn out ATP, your energy mole- trients), so I hope you will consider replencule. Statins are toxic to mitochondria be- ishing some of the affected nutrients, espe-

cially if you have uncomfortable or new symptoms. Talk to your physician about dosages of these vitamins, because this is a highly individual matter.

This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your con-

dition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement.

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

Enjoy the Beacon?

Tell your friends.

Concerned about MEMORY? Interested in free exercise training?

Under a grant from the NIH/National Institutes on Aging, we are looking for MEN and POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN AGE 55 and OVER, who are relatively sedentary (low regular physical activity).

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HUH H O WA R D

For more information, call

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

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A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Don’t give in to an elder’s discrimination Dear Solutions: My granddaughter is a lesbian and is “out of the closet.”

One of her best friends is straight, and she doesn’t want her grandparents — with whom she lives — to know about my granddaughter because her grandfather “hates gays.” The irony is that her friend tells her that the grandfather likes her a lot.

It took my granddaughter a long time and a long struggle to come out to our own family, and now she’s being asked to go back in the closet for her friend’s grandparent.

Since we’re talking about the grandparent generation, she asked me for

some advice about how to handle this.

Suggestions?

— Emma Dear Emma: She should tell her friend that the closet doesn’t have a revolving door — out is out!

It might do her friend’s grandfather some good to discover that “some of his best friends (or his granddaughter’s) are gay.”

However, that’s his problem, and that’s between her and her grandfather. Your granddaughter must be who she is even if it means not going to her friend’s home any more.

If her friend is a real friend, she’ll understand and won’t ask her to lie.

Dear Solutions: What do you think about age differ-

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ence relationships where the woman ask me, and I do these things gladly.

However, other people in the comis older than the man? I’m 48 years munity have heard of me old and divorced. My and are constantly asking friend’s nephew is 22, and me if I would mind doing as strange as it sounds, I’m this or that “little thing.” very attracted to him.

I don’t charge anyone — I can feel that he’s very although I could use the attracted to me also, but money — but it is getting a he’s ver y shy. Should I little overwhelming. make the first move, since I would still do it for close he’s so shy? friends, but how do I tell — Older Woman others that I want to be paid Dear Older Woman: SOLUTIONS now? I feel a little embarYou’re right. He’s shy about

By Helen Oxenberg, rassed about asking. I don’t 26 years!

MSW, ACSW want to alienate people.

If you really felt this was the — Harry right thing to do, you wouldn’t be asking. Male or female, 22 is very Dear Harry: So you want to be paid, but you also young, very inexperienced, very vulnerable. Someone 48 and divorced is practical- want to be liked.

Tell people that you’ve actually started a ly from another planet.

I know there are May-December mar- little “handyman” job part time, and will be riages that have worked, but not many. happy to help them, but can’t do it free for And when they do, it’s usually for unusual one and not others.

You can, however, still do it as a favor for reasons.

Attraction and real love is mostly one- close relatives and very close friends. sided and short-lived in this kind of rela- After all, you don’t want to go to a family or tionship. So don’t turn his head. Turn friend’s dinner party and be handed a bill for the meal. So, one hand washes the yours — in another direction. other, even if one is a handyman’s hand.

Dear Solutions: © Helen Oxenberg, 2015. Questions to be I’m what I guess people would call a handyman. I’ve always been good at considered for this column may be sent to: fixing things and figuring out what’s The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author wrong and can be fixed.

Now I’ve retired, and acquaintances at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about and friends who know what I can do reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

BEACON BITS

May 2

2015 Leadership in Aging Celebration T H E N AT I O N A L P R E S S C L U B S U N D AY , M AY 31 S T AT 4:30 P M

The Leadership in Aging Celebration raises awareness and funds to support Seabury’s services and housing for older adults. The event will include cocktails, dinner and silent and live auctions. Join us as we recognize Seabury’s CEO Joe Resch and Robert and Mary Elyn McNichols of McNichols & Associates for their outstanding service in the field of aging.

Seabury Resources for Aging currently provides direct services to more than 15,000 older adults and their caregivers. Our services particularly help low income older adults who need care management, meals, housing, transportation and help with home maintenance.

Purchase tickets today at seaburyresources.org or by calling (202) 414-6318.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter!

SENIOR HEALTH FAIR

The Interchurch Community Health Initiative will be hosting a health education forum with a senior focus on Saturday, May 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lomax A.M.E. Zion Church, 2704 S. 24th Rd., Arlington, Va. For more information, call Rev. Samuel W. Whittaker at (703) 979-3738.

Ongoing

ASK A MASTER GARDENER

Montgomery County Master Gardens presents free walk-in “Ask a Master Gardener” sessions on Saturdays from April through September in 14 locations throughout the county. For more information and a full list of participating locations, visit www.extension.umd.edu/mg/locations/montgomery-county-master-gardeners or call (301-590-9650).

J OE RESCH

M ARY ELYN & BOB M C N ICHOLS

#63211

#8904

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE ON AGING

Spotlight On Aging VOLUME XXVI, ISSUE 4

A newsletter for D.C. Seniors

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

By John M. Thompson, Ph.D., CPM, FAAMA In this edition of “Spotlight on Aging,” I would like to highlight an event that is near and dear to my heart, the senior symposium. On May 13, the District of Columbia Office on Aging will host the Fourth Annual District of Columbia Senior Symposium at the Renaissance Hotel. As in years past, this one-day insightful symposium is your golden opportunity to gain information on diverse topics covered at interactive workshops and during a lunchtime plenary session. We will also have an exhibitor hall that will concentrate on technology, home and community-based services, government services, and financial institutions that will provide demonstrations and beneficial information.

The theme for this year’s senior symposium is Career-to-Golden Years: Promoting Longevity and Independence for Seniors, which is very fitting as DCOA serves working adults caring for a grandparent to those citizens who are productive, engaged, and en-

joying their golden years to seniors who may not be as mobile and are dependent on home and communitybased services and supports to sustain a quality of life.

For those symposium attendees who are focused on planning for a successful future, we will have workshops covering healthy living, financial planning and estate planning. We will also host educational workshops on longterm services and supports, long-term care insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, innovative practices in senior service delivery, caregiver support, and palliative and end of life care.

Other workshops will cover elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; AgeFriendly D.C.; emergency preparedness; intergenerational programming; cultural sensitivity and seniors; and a film screening chronicling the lives of three vibrant gay seniors.

To attend this year’s senior symposium, please contact the Office on Aging at 202-724-5622.

Compete to Become Ms. Senior D.C. 2015!

Are you a D.C. resident who is age 60 years or older and interested in representing your peers as Ms. Senior D.C. 2015? Are you actively involved in your community? Consider becoming a contestant in the next Ms. Senior D.C. Pageant. Contestants are judged on a personal interview, their philosophy of life, their talent and evening gown presentations.

The winner will represent the District of Columbia and compete in the Ms. Senior America Pageant.

For more information on how to sign up, visit www.dcoa.dc.gov to fill out your application online or call 202-724-5622 for more information.

April 2015

Kojo Nnamdi Show Focuses on Aging in Place Dr. Thompson served as a guest on the “Kojo Nnamdi Show” on WAMU 88.5 FM and was joined by Roger Lewis, Washington Post journalist and urban planner, to discuss ways District seniors can successfully age in place, developing trends toward Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORC), and innovative intergenerational housing options.

In case you missed the full interview, visit the www.kojonnamdishow.org and look for the show titled “Shaping the City: Aging and Neighborhoods.”

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More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

D.C. OFFICE

ON

AGING NEWSLETTER

DCOA promotes and advocates active and healthy living for older adults to remain in their neighborhoods and communities for as long as possible. Since 1975, DCOA has been building networks of programs and services that improve their health, wellness, nutrition, mobility, safety and much more. Our Ecosystem helps to illustrate how DCOA works with public, private, and government partners to expand opportunities and implement best practices to meet the evolving needs of District residents as they age. To download a copy, visit www.dcoa.dc.gov

Pepco Files Billing Error Notification with PSC Pepco has filed a billing error notification (BEN) with the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia on March 20. The error impacts approximately 650 Pepco consumers. Pepco discovered the error on March 19th. Due to the error, Pepco is holding back bills or issuing partial bills as a quality control measure and to ensure that customers do not receive inaccurate bills. The Commission is looking further into

the matter and will provide additional information as it becomes available.

For more information about Pepco’s BEN, please contact the Commission’s Office of Consumer Services at 202-626-5120.

The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia is an independent agency established by Congress in 1913 to regulate electric, natural gas, and telecommunications companies in the District of Columbia.

Spotlight On Aging continues on page 27, following the Housing & Home Care Options magazine at the right Please pull out and keep the magazine.

You may also pull out and keep Spotlight on Aging.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

Say you saw it in the Beacon

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A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

What’s in a name? Ask these communities

By Rebekah Sewell A number of long-standing senior living communities in the area were originally established with religious roots, and their church affiliation was reflected in their original names.

For decades, being such a faith-based nonprofit attracted both residents of that faith as well as others who associated both trustworthiness and goodwill with religious organizations. Even today, for many people, such organizations are closely associated with altruism and morality, which attract certain prospective residents regardless of their beliefs.

Times change, however. And today, both because of a rising tendency toward secularity in society and an appreciation for diversity in living arrangements, some potential customers can be put off or alienated by a community’s official or historical religious affiliation.

For these and other reasons, several local communities have moved to change their names to more accurately reflect both who they serve today and what they do.

The Beacon spoke with representatives from these communities to get a better understanding of what was behind their name changes. Here are their stories.

The Village at Rockville The community known for more than 100 years as the National Lutheran Home changed its name to the Village at Rockville in 2010. The impetus for the change was a major expansion of services.

But in truth, the community’s mission had begun to expand many years before that.

Like many facilities called a “home” in the past, National Lutheran Home long offered skilled nursing and rehabilitation as well as long-term care to its residents.

But more recently it began to offer inde-

MY FRIENDS ARE ALL RIGHT HERE

NO WORRIES ABOUT THE FUTURE

pendent living cottages, on-site restaurants and a variety of classes to its many active and assisted living residents.

“People who have known us forever really equated skilled nursing as our forte. And that’s been a wonderful trait to have. But we do so much more than skilled nursing,” explained Courtney Malengo, director of community relations at the Village at Rockville.

“We wanted a terminology that showcased the village as a whole [and] represented the multiple disciplines and types of services we were offering,” she said.

“We’re not a nursing home. We also wanted to get away from any imagery or naming that would negatively associate that,” Malengo added.

In addition, National Lutheran Communities, its parent company, has begun to develop and open several new communities around the mid-Atlantic region, all using “The Village” as part of their name.

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“Going from one community to now a family of communities, we really wanted to have a consistent nomenclature for how each of the communities would be named coming forward,” Malengo said.

Malengo pointed out that this is a trend seen in housing and healthcare services throughout the country. “Within the senior-care industry, you have had a huge shift from what was a very institutional mindset to very much resident-directed care, neighborhood, home-feel,” she said.

And yet, despite the name change and new marketing approach, the Village at Rockville continues to be affiliated with its Lutheran roots. Its new logo features a Lutheran Church cross and the tagline “A National Lutheran Community.” This eliminated the word “home,” while keeping the connection to the church.

It also helps link the growing number of Lutheran communities together and to remind people of their older, well-respected reputation. It helps people realize, “‘Oh, it’s still the National Lutheran Home; they’ve just changed their name,’” explained Lawren Selby, director of sales and marketing.

“Our history and heritage is extremely important, and we still are a faith-based, not-forprofit. We wanted to make sure we kept true to that tradition, but also positioned us for future growth and future residents that may come to utilize our services,” said Malengo.

Though the response from current residents was largely positive, “acceptance of it is going to take time because we have such a long, rich history,” said Selby.

Forest Hills of DC The Methodist Home of DC opened as an affiliate of the Methodist church in 1889. It originally offered services exclusively to those of the Methodist faith.

While that changed many years ago, and like all current nonprofits, the assisted living, memory and nursing care residence is open to people of all faiths, there remained a perception among some that the community was still all or mostly composed of Methodists.

CEO Sandy Douglas noted, “we’re no longer exclusively for Methodists. We’re moving forward and being inclusive of residents of all families, faiths, and all religious beliefs, as well of those with no religious beliefs.”

But when contemplating a name change, like the National Lutheran Home, the Methodist Home also had concerns about retaining the charged word “Home” from See NAME CHANGES, page B-3

On the cover: Christine Alexander and her pet cat enjoy the grounds of Friendship Terrace in Northwest Washington.

The independent living senior community is owned by Seabury Resources for Aging (previously called Episcopal Senior Ministries). Like a number of nonprofits in the area, it has recently removed the clear religious reference from its name.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

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Benefits of free housing referral services

By Rebekah Sewell After Rose Kellyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mom had a stroke, her condition stabilized, but she was permanently affected by the stroke. Her family realized she wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to live alone anymore. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d hoped she would have more mobility. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d hope sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be able to go home,â&#x20AC;? said Kelly.

Kelly and her father moved her mother to the Sanctuary at Holy Cross, an extended care facility in Burtonsville, Md., until they could find her a more permanent residence.

There they were put in touch with Bonnie Danker, a senior care advisor for Care Patrol, one of several area companies that helps older adults find the right place to live.

Care Patrol is a franchise, and Danker owns and operates the Greater Maryland location. She uses her knowledge and experience with local housing options to provide her referral services, which are offered at no cost to clients. Care Patrol is paid a referral fee from the communities.

Danker visited Kellyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mom to determine her condition and the level of care she would need in her new home. Danker worked with Kellyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father since her mother was unable to tour facilities.

She eventually recommended residential assisted living, and took Kellyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father to see Avonlea-Ridge Assisted Living, a small, five-bedroom residential facility that

Name changes From page B-2 their original name. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mom doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to go to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the home,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? explained Jennifer Brown, director of admissions and marketing at the community, which is now known as Forest Hills of DC. Brown wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t talking about her own mom. Rather, she was giving voice to what her residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; adult children would frequently say, and the negativity that is associated with the word.

Forest Hills of DC officially adopted its new name last July. With the name change, the board of trustees opted for a total rebranding of the community, which Douglas described as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;necessity.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;ended up being perfect for my mother,â&#x20AC;? said Kelly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For us, the smaller facility offered more personalized treatments, care and customized assistance.â&#x20AC;?

A memory care option Last fall, Danker met with client Pat Oliver, who was looking for a home for his mom, 82. Oliverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mom was diagnosed with Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease two years ago, and couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t continue living in her home.

The family sought an assisted living community that would offer memory care and help keep her active and engaged.

Oliverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mom had limited finances and couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t qualify for their first choice, Asbury Methodist Village. But the staff at Asbury was familiar with Care Patrol and referred them to Danker.

Danker felt that residential assisted living would be a good fit for the Olivers, too. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really sold on the idea,â&#x20AC;? Oliver said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but she took us to a couple nice places, and we thought, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;maybe this could work if we found the right place.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

Oliverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s search was heavily influenced by his momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Though she had experienced memory loss, she was â&#x20AC;&#x153;still relatively communicative and relatively active,â&#x20AC;? he said. He didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to leave her where she would be simply â&#x20AC;&#x153;sitting around.â&#x20AC;?

Danker worked with the family for several

The board hired a brand consultant who met with several constituencies, including the residents and their families, to get a better grasp of the community and what kind of a change would be appropriate.

They decided to adopted the tagline â&#x20AC;&#x153;inclusive senior livingâ&#x20AC;? and change their logo and color scheme. The term â&#x20AC;&#x153;inclusionâ&#x20AC;? is significant for Forest Hills, since not only are residents of all faiths welcome, but the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision is to provide seniors â&#x20AC;&#x153;with all the resources they might need for a safe and comfortable life.â&#x20AC;?

The tagline â&#x20AC;&#x153;pretty amazingly captures what we do and who we do it for,â&#x20AC;? said Douglas, and she is pleased that the name change has been â&#x20AC;&#x153;warmly and enthusiastically embraced.â&#x20AC;?

weeks and took them to see many residential care homes. But none of the places felt like home until they found Brookeville House, located in quiet and rural Brookeville, Md. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was an unbelievably nice home,â&#x20AC;? said Oliver. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A nice big house â&#x20AC;&#x201D; bright, open.

People seemed nice. People seemed engaged.â&#x20AC;?

Normally fiercely independent, his mom is slowly adjusting to living in the house. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taking a little time,â&#x20AC;? Oliver said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happier than sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s people around all the time.â&#x20AC;?

Oliver especially appreciates the activities planned for residents at Brookeville, including afternoon tea and many social gatherings, which help keep his mom as busy and as sharp as possible. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m no doctor,â&#x20AC;? Oliver, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but from

my experience [with Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s], if your memoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not much to do but keep them engaged,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to keep them active.â&#x20AC;?

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait too long Another local referral company is Always Best Care, which provides both housing referral for those who want to move, and aging in place assistance for those who want to stay in their home.

Company representatives meet with their clients to determine their needs and whether aging at home is appropriate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We begin by evaluating their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual and financial needs and preferences,â&#x20AC;? said founder Robin Henoch.

See REFERRAL SERVICES, page B-5

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Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Name changes From page B-3

Seabury Resources for Aging In 2010, Episcopal Senior Ministries changed its name to Seabury Resources for Aging.

The nonprofit organization not only operates three affordable housing communities, but also provides senior transportation, home-delivered meals, care management and other services for certain D.C. residents on behalf of the D.C. Office on Aging.

There was a concern that some seniors may have felt the communities’ Episcopal origins excluded non-Episcopal participants.

“The name change and new visual identity are intended to reflect the organization’s growth, while ensuring that everyone feels welcomed to our homes and services,” explained Kate Lewis, chief advancement officer.

However, they also wanted to pay a subtle tribute to their founding values, naming the organization after Samuel Seabury, the first Episcopal Bishop consecrated in the United States. The name Seabury Resources for Aging is “perfect” because it will appeal to Episcopalians who will recognize the reference, as well as to others who don’t.

At the time of the name change, Seabury Resources had been working with the Taproot Foundation, a group of pro bono consultants who suggested the name change and total rebranding.

“Seabury had grown so much, in terms of the programs we offered and the people we served, that we realized we needed to build a very strong brand for our organization as a whole. It helps with external visibility, as well as bringing staff, volunteers, clients and residents together,” said Lewis.

The organization has seen even more

EXPERIENCE THE

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

growth since the name change and rebranding of its communities, which are now known as Seabury at Friendship Terrace (independent), Seabury at Springvale Terrace (assisted living), and Seabury at Home First (group home living).

“Rebranding an organization — even if it doesn’t include the complications of a name change — can serve to draw attention to the good works provided to our community by so many nonprofit organizations,” said Lewis.

The name-change trend The market for senior housing and services has greatly changed, and these communities felt it was important to reflect that change, with an emphasis on inclusion.

“There has been a really drastic shift within the industry and so a lot of organizations have gone through, and are going through, name changes because they want to reflect that,” said Malengo.

In another example, the Presbyterian Home of DC changed its name to Ingleside at Rock Creek. Though the community no longer refers to itself as Presbyterian, it still calls itself a “faith-based nonprofit.”

The Hebrew Home of Greater Washington and its affiliated housing communities — Ring House, Revitz House, Landow House and Cohen-Rosen House — didn’t change their individual names but decided to adopt an “umbrella” name for their campus of growing communities. Since 2006, the group has been called the Charles E. Smith Life Communities, named after a

DIGNITY

prominent Jewish philanthropist.

As with Seabury Resources, the title is creative because it doesn’t sound religiously affiliated, but it retains a connection to its roots and pays respect to one of its biggest financial contributors. The new title also conveys the many types of services offered and is more open to prospective residents.

The original facility opened in 1910 as the Hebrew Home of the Aged. In 1969, when it moved to its current location in Rockville, Md., the name was changed to the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington. Charles E. Smith, a developer, was instrumental in the funding and planning for the Rockville location and was eventually named president.

Some communities and organizations are still thinking about changing their names, while others feel strongly that it’s important to maintain their religious ties publicly. Adventist Community Services, for example, has several housing communities in the Washington, D.C. area and has held firm to its Adventist connection in their names.

Those that have changed their name see this as a contemporary trend that will grow. “I’m very aware of what the tides have shown as many facilities are changing their name,” said Douglas.

“We felt as though it was time to better present and represent the population that we have living here, the population that we have working here, and that are visiting the community. We decided to proactively change the name to reflect the population that we’re serving.”

SECURITY

FRIENDSHIP

Solana Difference 75 N Inde EW pend Livin ent g apar tmen ts ar NOW e OPE N

The Solana® Olney, a Brookdale® managed community, offers senior living solutions from the nation’s leader in senior accommodations and related services. Stop by and discover all the places life can go at The Solana Olney.

Stop in for a personalized visit today or call (301) 570-2611 for more information.

Assisted Living Alz zheimer’s & Dementia Care 2611 Olney Sandy Spring Road | Olney, M MD 20832 | brookdale.com !!"#$%"&! '%("!)*%"' +",-"./"0"#10234015"67"816652093"(3:.61"!.;.:<"):=>?"+0/@;.993?"#+?"A( >"B"C3<>"A>(>"&0D3:D"0:2"#E"-7F=3>"GHIIJKC%(JLKJIGM"(N

VINSON HALL RETIREMENT COMMUNITY Vinson Hall Retirement Community !"#"$%$&'%(")"*%$) $+ $,"*#'-".-) '-/-$)"*%//+$ )0" located in idyllic McLean, VA and offers independent residential living 1%'"/ 2 )#'0"%1("3-'!4")5- '" //-6 #)-"1#/ 204" and select government employees of equal rank.

Arleigh Burke Pavilion Assisted Living and The Sylvestery Memory Support !"#!$"%&'()%&"*)+)$,%-",./"+),$)!#0

VINSON HALL RETIREMENT COMMUNITY supported by Navy Marine Coast Guard Residence Foundation 6251 Old Dominion Drive, McLean, VA 22101 Please Visit Us at www.vinsonhall.org 703-536-4344

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Referral services From page B-3 If the client needs more care, she makes sure they and their loved ones are aware of their options. Like the other companies, Henoch is given a commission by the referred community, not paid by her client.

“Having an independent agent go through the process of finding a community can be helpful in understanding all of their options from ‘who pays for this?’ to ‘what happens if my family member’s health condition deteriorates?’” Henoch explained.

Another benefit of having a third-party agent is that he or she can help convince clients that they need a higher level of care, especially if the client’s family has been unsuccessful in doing so.

She shared a tragic example: a client’s daughter was unable to convince her mom to move from her home to an assisted living facility, so they postponed it indefinitely. Without supervision and assistance, she refused to eat and passed away soon after.

“The best advice that I give my clients is, ‘don’t wait until it’s too late to move your family member to assisted living,’” she said. Meeting with a referral agent could be the catalyst to extending or enhancing a loved one’s life.

Other local options Home Marketing Services for Seniors, a Virginia-based company owned by Queenie and Douglas Kemmerer, is another organi-

zation that provides a referral service for its clients. The couple mainly provide home sale and marketing consulting services for those moving to retirement communities.

They also assist with the entire transition of downsizing, selling the home, and looking for a new home if desired.

Finding a suitable home for their clients can be difficult, since there are many factors to consider. Doug often meets with his clients’ adult children to make decisions.

“Preference for a specific geographic area — often near medical resources — and funds available are the critical starting issues,” he said.

The Kemmerers also suggest a hand-on approach to finding their clients a new home. “We suggest visiting each prospective community to understand the feel and ambience of each,” he said.

Home Marketing’s services cost nothing to their clients. If they consult on the selling of a home, they are paid by the chosen real estate agent, just as housing communities to which clients are referred pay them a commission.

Custom Senior Living Search LLC is a Virginia-based company that solely focuses on housing referral services. It is owned and managed by David Greenwood, a former financial planner and patient education consultant in the healthcare field.

Like Danker, Greenwood meets with clients and discovers their unique needs and preferences, including location, community size, proximity to loved ones, reli-

gious affiliation if relevant, and financial options. He then recommends the most suitable of the 150 local partner communities to which he refers people.

After tours, he meets with his clients to discuss how they felt about the communities. “We tell them to choose a place that meets their needs and budget, yes. But also the place where they feel most at home,” he said. “We also review the pros and cons of each option afterwards.”

A common sentiment from owners and workers in the referral field is the fulfillment they feel seeing their clients happy and adjusting to their new lives.

As Greenwood put it, “Once a client settles in to his or her new community, we like to drop in and see how things are going. It makes me very proud when we see clients who are happy and thriving in their new surroundings.”

B-5

For more information Always Best Care www.alwaysbestcare.com/us/md/mont gomery-county/potomac.aspx (301) 637-0233.

Ask Carol www.ask-carol.com/va (703) 879-2272 Care Patrol of Greater Washington http://carepatrol.com (301) 363-4670 Custom Senior Living Search LLC www.customseniorlivingsearch.com (240) 462-8027 or (703) 942-6606 Home Marketing Services for Seniors www.hms-usa.com (703) 476-2260 Pack And Move www.pack-n-move.com (703) 354-6359

QUALITY ASSISTED LIVING

AND

M E M O RY C A R E

Call today to schedule a personal tour.

703-834-9800 12052 N. Shore Dr. • Reston, VA 20190 www.TallOaksAL.com Coordinated Services Management, Inc. Professional Management of Retirement Communities Since 1981

A lot more than you thought.

For a lot less than you think.

The Village at Rockville— the area’s greatest value in Continuing Care Retirement You probably didn’t realize that The Village at Rockville included a friendly neighborhood of one- and two-bedroom cottage homes within a beautiful 30-acre enclave. You get all the benefits of home ownership without the burden of upkeep and maintenance—we take care of all of that for you, inside and out. An additional benefit: You have access to our highly-rated continuum of care, including memory support Assisted Living suites (coming summer 2015), Long Term Care, as well as myPotential Rehabilitation in newly-renovated private rooms.

Upcoming Events Coffee & Conversation with Residents

Cottage Tour Provided Thursday, April 16, 2015 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Downsizing & Doing it Right!

Luncheon & Community Tours Wednesday, May 6, 2015 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

To RSVP, visit our website or call.

Would you like to learn about The Village at Rockville?

Call 301-354-8486 to schedule your personal tour of our community.

9701 Veirs Drive | Rockville, MD 20850 | 301-354-8486 | www.thevillageatrockville.org Celebrating 125 years of service, The Village at Rockville is sponsored by National Lutheran Communities & Services, a faith-based, not-for-profit ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, serving people of all beliefs.

301-354-8486 www.thevillageatrockville.org

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Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Riderwood 301-495-5700 3140 Gracefield Road Silver Spring, MD 20904 EricksonLiving.com Ideally located in Silver Spring, Riderwood offers maintenancefree retirement living combined with a vibrant lifestyle―all in a beautiful, private community. Without the worries of a house and yard, you can spend more time pursuing your passions. Travel, volunteer, take a college class and explore some of Riderwood’s many clubs and interest groups. Multiple campus restaurants offer a variety of delicious dining options, while 24-hour security offers protection and peace of mind. Enjoy the stability of predictable monthly expenses and look forward to a healthy future with our full continuum of health care and wellness services.

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Sommerset 703-450-6411 22355 Providence Village Dr. Sterling, VA 20164 www.sommersetretirement.com At Sommerset Retirement Community, located in the heart of Sterling, Virginia, you’ll experience exceptional independent living at its best, with a comfortable, fulfilling, secure and active lifestyle.

Sommerset’s unique amenities include restaurant style dining, housekeeping, 24-hour front desk personnel and private transportation. Enjoy the convenience of being just minutes from medical services, shopping, banking and entertainment.

For two years in a row now, Sommerset has been voted by the readers of Virginia Living Magazine as one of the best retirement communities in Northern Virginia!

Call us or visit our website to request more information or to schedule your tour and complimentary lunch. Also be sure to see our video, our commercial and many testimonials.

INDEPENDENT & PERSONAL CARE COMMUNITIES

B’nai B’rith Homecrest House 301-244-3579 14508 Homecrest Road Silver Spring, MD 20906 www.homecresthouse.org Homecrest House is a non-profit, affordable subsidized community offering two options: independent and personal care services. PERSONAL CARE offers: assistance with bathing, daily meals, weekly housekeeping and laundry services with optional medication administration.

Homecrest is nestled on ten beautiful acres with its own pond and neighbors Leisure World. Residents may qualify approximately 30% of their adjusted income for rent, and personal care subsidies.

Homecrest offers a full array of activities both in-house and around the metro area via our van service. Our computer lab, beauty shop, exercise room, library and social halls are just a few amenities our residents enjoy at Homecrest House. Call today for a personalized tour or visit us on the web at www.homecresthouse.org.

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

How to evaluate a retirement community

By Adele Winters If you’re considering a move for yourself or a family member to an independent living retirement community, there are a number of criteria you should consider before making your final decision.

Among the most basic things to consider is the quality of the staff, facility and programming. Concern for residents’ safety is especially important.

Look for: • On-site amenities, such as a beauty shop, banking and postal services, transportation, and a variety of meal programs.

• A varied calendar, with activities that are of interest to you, including religious services, if that is an important consideration.

• Staff (front desk, maintenance, housekeeping, food service, etc.) who are trained to notice changes in residents’ appearance, mobility, personality, etc.

• An alert system so that the management or social services office will be notified if mail has not been picked up, if a resident hasn’t been on time for a regularly scheduled activity, etc.

Is it your kind of place?

The physical environment of the facility is also an important consideration. Are the corridors too long; is the facility too fancy, too intimidating, too much like a hotel?

Some people prefer a homey, smaller setting, while others prefer a larger, more anonymous facility.

Look for unobtrusive supports — such as handrails in corridors, high, firm furniture in common areas, and low-pile carpeting to facilitate the use of walkers and wheelchairs.

Some other things to take note of include: • How many residents have their own cars?

• Is there bus transportation? A wheelchair lift? How far is it to the prospective resident’s family, physicians, grocery store, shopping center, church or synagogue, etc.?

• Are there intergenerational programs with nearby schools and day care centers?

• Is there a buddy system or welcoming committee to help new residents become acclimated?

• Are pets permitted? This may be an issue if you have allergies, or are afraid of animals.

• Are there wellness services such as

blood pressure checks, a mobile dentist, etc.?

• Are there housekeeping and laundry services?

• Are options available for adding services — such as meals, personal care, medication management — on an a la carte basis?

Try the food Food, and the social interactions that accompany community meals, are prime considerations for many. If the facility serves regular meals, try to make arrangements to join the residents for lunch or dinner. This will give you the opportunity to answer the following questions: • How is the food presented? How does it taste?

• How do the staff and residents interact?

• What is the behavior of the other residents like?

• How do the residents dress for meals?

• Is the atmosphere lively or quiet?

• Does the dining room have sound-absorbing materials such as drapes, acoustical tiles and table linens to help hearing-impaired residents enjoy the social interaction?

• Is the lighting too subdued or too strong?

• Are menus distributed in advance so that residents can select alternate entrees?

• Can meals be delivered to individual apartments? How often? How much does it cost?

• Does the admissions staff tell the dining room manager about new residents so tablemates can be matched by similar interests/backgrounds?

• Is there open or assigned seating?

• If a resident has a private duty aide, is the aide allowed in the dining room? (This would be a good time to ask the facility about their policy on private duty aides as well. For example, do residents have to use an in-house agency or registry?)

• Is there a monitoring mechanism in place so that someone is alerted if a resident misses a meal?

Once you’ve answered all these questions to your satisfaction, make an unannounced visit and ask random residents how they like the facility.

Even better, stop residents or their family members in the parking lot (where they are more free to talk openly) and ask about their experience.

BEACON BITS

Apr. 11

BLESSING OF THE FLEETS

The U.S. Navy Memorial presents its annual Blessing of the Fleets on Saturday, Apr. 11 at 4 p.m. A popular event during the Cherry Blossom Festival, it takes place immediately after the Blossom Festival Parade.

The blessing is a symbolic ceremony intended to safeguard crews and ships through a blessing by a clergy at the water’s edge. This year’s event features VADM Robin Braun, Chief of Navy Reserve as speaker. Following the ceremony, participants will be served Navy bean soup by the White House Mess. The Navy Memorial is located at 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.navymemorial.org or call (202) 737-2300.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

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Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Emerson House 301-779-6196 5999 Emerson Street Bladensburg, MD 20710 Emerson House Apartments is conveniently located on Emerson Street, just off of Rt. 450 and 57th Ave in Bladensburg, Md. A quaint residential setting, just minutes from neighborhood shopping, the community is convenient to Prince George's Hospital, a local library, public transportation and parks.

Activities within Emerson House include: exercise classes, a Wii bowling league, arts and crafts classes, bingo, movie night, parties, bus trips and much more. Emerson House is a nine-story community designed for today’s seniors (62 and older). Our 220 one-bedroom units offer Section 8 rent subsidy for low- to moderate-income households.

Please call today to request an application or make an appointment to tour our community. 301-779-6196. Monday – Friday 8:30 to 5:00.

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Seabury at FRIENDSHIP TERRACE 202-244-7400 4201 Butterworth Place NW Washington, DC 20016 www.friendshipterrace.com Active, affordable senior living close to stores, restaurants, transportation and entertainment can be found at Seabury at Friendship Terrace! Located in a quiet, tree-lined northwest Washington neighborhood, Friendship Terrace is just two blocks from the Tenleytown Metro station. The community offers affordable senior living with subsidy assistance to those who are eligible, as well as exciting on-site events including performances, lectures, holiday observances, socials, and more. A rooftop deck, greenhouse, library, lounges, and a dining room overlooking an outdoor courtyard are highlights of the community. If needed, additional on-site care can be arranged. Come for a tour and learn how to make Friendship Terrace your new home.

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Greenspring

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

To sell your home, give every room a role

By Kim Cook Many of us have one room in the house that doesn’t really have a job. Maybe we set it up with an air bed once in a while for guests, or shove out-of-season clothing boxes in there, or use it as a holding zone for stuff we’re not sure what to do with.

But when your house is on the market, every room has a role to play to make the sale. Next to fixing whatever’s broken, staging — decorating rooms in an inviting way to help people imagine living in them — is important.

“The purpose of home staging is to draw the buyers into the house emotionally so they say, ‘Wow, we want to live here!’” said Melinda Bartling, a real-estate agent and home stager in Overland Park, Kansas.

“Buyers must be able to see themselves living in the house, not questioning why it looks the way it does. For example, if you use your finished basement as a catch-all, buyers will wonder what’s wrong with the space.’’

New York-based real-estate agent Nathalie Clark’s motto is “minimalism with personality.’’

“The owner’s presence must be as discreet as possible, but the rooms have to feel inhabited and should clearly state their function,’’ she said.

Here are some ideas from stagers on what to do with an unused space:

other “dead’’ space with shelving, and stock the shelves with smart-looking boxes and bins.

But leave some empty space in a closet, too. “Closets filled with items other than clothes send the message there isn’t enough storage in the house,’’ said Bartling.

Make it creative Transform a bedroom with a tiny closet into creative workspace. Suggest a craft or art studio with a table and some neatly displayed materials.

Line up a series of identical bookshelves and make a small yet inviting library by adding a rug, a comfortable chair and a side table.

Make it an office Real-estate agents tend to prefer that bedrooms be staged as bedrooms, because buyers usually want lots of those. But depending on your market, it may pay off to stage one of those rooms as a home office.

If you’ve got more than four bedrooms, Clark said, turn one into a home office. In a four-bedroom home, “use the room farthest from a bathroom,’’ she advised.

Add a desk, chair and lamp, and lay down a fresh new rug in either a chic neutral hue or a style-savvy pattern that ties it into neighboring rooms.

Make it a closet

Make it a workout space

Everyone wants good storage. Turn a potential shortcoming into a valuable feature by transforming a small room into a large closet or dressing room.

Install a shelving system. If money’s an issue, just outfit one long wall to achieve the purpose. Add a chair or ottoman and a large mirror, perhaps, so buyers can imagine a dressing room.

If your home is short on storage, consider outfitting an under-stair niche or

Empty nesters often have basements that once were playrooms. Clark suggests converting a space like that into a cozy TV room or gym.

“For a gym, you don’t need a lot of fancy equipment,’’ she said. “A bench, some neatly stacked weights, a few ropes or bands hung on pretty hooks, a mirror and a mat can all easily be arranged to create a powerful visual effect.’’

—AP

Pull out this section and keep!

703-913-1200 or 1-800-788-0811 7410 Spring Village Drive Springfield, VA 22150 EricksonLiving.com Situated in beautiful Springfield, Greenspring is the perfect place to enjoy an active lifestyle now, with added peace of mind for the future. Everything you need is right on campus, including continuing care services, should your health needs ever change. Greenspring is supported by the nation’s largest integrated health and wellness system for seniors. Nestled on 58 acres and bordered on three sides by wooded parkland, Greenspring is home to more than 2,000 residents. A refundable deposit guarantees there is no financial risk and the monthly service package includes utilities, maintenance, and flexible dining plans you can use in any of the four on-site restaurants. On-site amenities include restaurants; stores; medical center with full time physicians; an all-season swimming pool; a fitness center with full-time trainers; barber shop and hair salon; bank; and a full-time, interfaith pastoral staff.

55+ Inderjeet Jumani REALTOR® Senior Real Estate Specialist 703.472.8804 ijumani@LNF.com www.IJumani.com Alexandria / Old Town Historic District 400 King Street ~ Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Are you a 55+ homeowner?

Have you thought of moving to: a smaller home, · one-level living, · active adult community, or · an assisted living community?

I can help you sell your home in the shortest time for the best price.

Downsizing can be easy . . . ·

LET’S MEET AND TALK!

703.472.8804

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Some high-tech ways to sell your home

By Patricia Mertz Esswein These days, home buyers want to scope out a property even before they visit it.

Most use the Internet in their search; half use a mobile device to hunt on the go, according to the latest survey of buyers by the National Association of Realtors.

Look for these new tools to help agents and sellers grab the attention of today’s tech-savvy shoppers.

ministration, the drones violate the FAA’s rules for commercial aviation.

The FAA won’t finalize new rules specifically for UAVs until 2016 or 2017, said Brendan Schulman, a lawyer who specializes in unmanned aircraft at Kramer Levin Naftalis and Frankel, a law firm in New York City. But until then, real estate photographers and agents who’ve weighed the risks and rewards are still using drones.

A beacon for buyers

For drama and context, you can’t beat a video tour that features an exterior view of a home taken by a video camera mounted on a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone. Such videos are often used to provide a unique perspective of high-end homes with waterfront or large acreage.

Real estate drones currently operate in a “gray market,” said Colin Snow, CEO of DroneAnalyst.com, in Redwood City, Calif.

That’s because without express permission for use from the Federal Aviation Ad-

The 3D Showcase — created by Matterport, a developer and manufacturer of 3D photographic technology — lets buyers virtually “walk through” a home’s interior in three dimensions, as well as view a 3D floor plan (called a dollhouse view).

To use the service, real estate photographers or brokerages must buy a special camera (it costs $4,500) that rotates on its tripod to capture everything in a room.

Matterport CEO Bill Brown said that within a year, the company expects to add design tools so potential buyers can virtually renovate or redecorate the virtual floor plan.

And within two years, buyers should be able to immerse themselves in the space via a virtual-reality headset that they can plug into their smartphones.

Patricia Mertz Esswein is an associate editor at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. And for more on this and similar money topics, visit Kiplinger.com. © 2015 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Times have changed, but our mission to provide personalized, affordable services and housing to seniors has remained constant.

Our care options include Independent Living, Enhanced Living, and Assisted Living services, all under one roof and just a heartbeat away from downtown Silver Spring and the Red Line Metro Station.

Come visit us and see why families have

been choosing Springvale Terrace for half a century. Call 301-587-0190 (TRS 711) today.

50

O

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

Call or visit our web site to view these communities:

Lockwood House 600 North Madison Street, Arlington, VA 22203

7010 Schoonmaker Court Alexandria, VA 22310

703-538-6000

703-719-7268

Rent based on income

From $856

873 Grace Street Herndon, VA 20170

703-904-9444 From $910

T ING 50

1965-2015

E F S ERVIC

ARS

Excellence

RA

YE

A Legacy of Senior Living

EB

An over-the-top perspective

A 3D view

CEL

The old standby of paper fliers in a box attached to a yard sign frustrated buyers — and sellers — who often found the boxes empty. But with RealtyBeacon’s free app, the info is sent right to your iPhone or iPad using low-energy Bluetooth transmitters.

To use the system, an agent attaches a small box with a beacon enclosed to a For Sale sign. When buyers with the app pass within 100 feet of the beacon, they instantly receive photos and details about the home. An Android version of RealtyBeacon is coming soon.

B-9

7837 Richmond Highway Alexandria, VA 22306

703-780-9072 From $966

Wingler House Apartments 20900 Runny Meade Terrace Ashburn, VA 20147

703-858-9507 From $903

5999 Emerson Street Bladensburg, MD 20710

301-779-6196 Rent based on income

Mrs. Philippines Home for Seniors, Inc. 18889 Waring Station Road Germantown, MD 20874

6428 Bock Street Oxon Hill, MD 20745

301-540-1162

301-567-9537

From $1,015 for 2 bedroom

Rent based on income

5101 River Road, Suite 101 • Bethesda, MD 20816 Senior Living,in the Heart of it All 8505 Springvale Road, Silver Spring, MD 20190 1-800-552-7724 MD RELAY SERVICE SpringvaleTerrace.com

301-941-8040 www.qpmgmt.com Professionally managed by Quantum Real Estate Management LLC T/A Quantum Property Management

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Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Knollwood 202-541-0149 or 1-800-541-4255

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Housing Notes

By Barbara Ruben

6200 Oregon Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20015 www.armydistaff.org

Vinson Hall opens new buildings

Knollwood is a continuing care retirement community owned and funded by the Army Distaff Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization. Located in Washington, DC, the continuum of care includes independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing care and memory care and is home to approximately 300 residents. The community offers apartments ranging from 500 sq. ft. to 2800 sq. ft. for independent living, and handicapped accessible apartments for assisted living. It also features multiple dining options, a salon, library, a fitness center and pool, several music rooms and art studio. Coming soon are newly renovated, state-of-the-art wellness and fitness centers, independent living apartments, front lobby and a lounge. As the first military retirement community of its kind, Knollwood has provided quality retirement living to military officers and their relatives since opening in 1962.

Vinson Hall Retirement Community in McLean, Va., opened new independent living apartment and community buildings in January. This adds 75 new apartments and 12 new short-term rehabilitation suites to the Continuing Care Retirement Community.

As a community of veterans and government officials, the independent living apartments are open to commissioned military officers and their immediate family members from all U.S. uniformed services and government employees of equal rank from select government agencies.

New residents of the new independent living building include several retired generals, three former ambassadors, CIA officials and a published author.

All 75 apartments offer nine-foot ceilings, gourmet kitchens and screened-in porches. Many upper level apartments have 14-foot domed ceilings and balconies.

The new apartments range in size from 1,200 to 2,150 square feet, and include floor plans from one to three bedrooms.

Situated in the middle of Vinson Hall’s campus is the new four-story Community Building. On the first floor is a state-of-theart short-term rehabilitation unit that holds 12 private suites. The new unit also houses a country kitchen as well as a reading room, and a physical therapy area is located on the ground floor.

The second floor includes executive offices, a reading room, convenience store, beauty salon and a bistro. The bistro features a full-service bar and updated menu influenced from D.C.’s trending restaurants.

The grand ballroom, which can hold up to 550 people, is located on the top floor, and includes a stage and floor for concerts and performances.

For more information, see www.vinson hall.org or call 1-800-451-5121.

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Ashby Ponds 703-723-1999 or 1-800-564-0155 21170 Ashby Ponds Boulevard Ashburn, VA 20147 EricksonLiving.com Ashby Ponds in Ashburn offers maintenance-free retirement living combined with a vibrant lifestyle--all in a beautiful, private and gated community. Without the worries of a house and yard, you can spend more time pursuing your passions. Travel, volunteer, take a college class and explore some of Ashby Ponds many clubs and interest groups. Campus restaurants offer a variety of delicious dining options, while security offers protection and peace of mind.

Enjoy the stability of predictable monthly expenses and look forward to a healthy future with our health care and wellness services.

Whatever your passions in life, you’ll find the freedom and opportunity to follow them at Ashby Ponds. Continuing Care at Ashby Ponds is now open and features assisted living, nursing care, post-acute rehabilitation, and memory care.

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

The Virginian 703-385-0555 9229 Arlington Boulevard Fairfax, VA 22031 Welcome to the Virginian – one of Northern Virginia’s most respected Continuing Care Retirement Communities. Since 1980, our community, located on 32 wooded acres, has been home to hundreds of residents from all walks of life.

With accommodations of one- and two-bedroom apartments in Independent, Assisted, and Enhanced Assisted Living, The Virginian also offers Long Term Nursing, Rehabilitation, and now, Home Health Services. Residents are encouraged to take advantage of the many amenities offered. We offer age in place apartments ideally suited for mixed level-of-care couples. Call today to schedule a tour and enjoy a complimentary lunch or dinner. The Virginian offers surprisingly affordable luxury living in the heart of Fairfax. Come see why our residents are proud to call The Virginian home.

Ashby Ponds expands independent living Ashby Ponds, located in Ashburn, Va., will open Magnolia Place, a new residential building, in late summer. This will be the community’s fourth newly constructed independent living residential building to open since 2012.

With this addition, Ashby Ponds expects that the community will grow to more than 1,100 residents by the end of 2015.

Magnolia Place, a four-floor, 161,000 square-foot building, will include 83 independent living apartments. Residents of Magnolia Place will be able to choose among 13 one- and two-bedroom floor plans.

Some of the features that Magnolia Place will offer include underground parking, a large courtyard, pond and tree-lined

views, and easy access to the community’s newest clubhouse, Great Oak. Apartment amenities will include stainless steel kitchen appliances, granite countertops, open floor plans, and upgraded lighting and flooring options, as well as full-size, sideby-side washers and dryers. Many of the apartments will also offer an outdoor living space with a screened-in porch or a patio.

More information about Ashby Ponds can be found at http://www.ericksonliving.com/ ashby-ponds or by calling 1-800-839-3496.

Reverse mortgage workshops Housing Counseling Services, Inc., a HUD-approved nonprofit housing counseling agency, is one of the few housing counseling agencies in the Washington metro area that also has certified reverse mortgage counselors on staff. Housing Counseling Services recently began two free educational classes for homeowners and their family members: The first option is for those who have never had a reverse mortgage and want to learn more about them. On the second Tuesday of every month, at 2 p.m., the organization offers a workshop called “Reverse Mortgages for Beginners, How to Apply.”

The second option is for those who have a reverse mortgage but need a refresher on how it works. The “Reverse Mortgage Refresher Workshop” is on the third Tuesday of every month at 2 p.m.

The free workshops are held at Housing Counseling Services, Inc., 2410 17th St. NW, Suite 100, Washington, D.C. All workshops are available in English and Spanish.

Other languages are available with advance notice. For more information, call (202) 667-7006 or email info@housingetc.org.

Studying agingin-place villages The Foggy Bottom West End Village has been selected as one of 20 villages nationwide to participate in a National Evaluation of Villages Feasibility Study, conducted by the University of California Berkeley in partnership with the Village to Village Network Research Committee.

The 18-month study is being funded by the Retirement Research Foundation.

The growing village movement uses volunteers and vetted service professionals to help older adults live independently. There are more than 50 villages open or forming in the Washington area.

The purpose of the evaluation is to launch and test a national system for gathering information describing villages and the impact they have on their members. The evaluation also provides useful information for individual villages aiming to improve programs or demonstrate their impact on members.

Since its opening in October 2013, the Foggy Bottom West End Village has grown to 139 members. Its 75 volunteers See HOUSING NOTES, page B-12

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

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FREE HOUSING AND OTHER INFORMATION For free information from advertisers in this special section, check off those that interest you and mail this entire page to the Beacon. Please do not request info if you are not interested. All replies have an equal chance to win. To be eligible for Wolf Trap tickets, your reply must arrive by May 1, 2015.

HOUSING COMMUNITIES: WASHINGTON, DC ❑ Armed Forces Retirement Home . . .B-10 & B-14 ❑ Friendship Terrace . . . .B-8 & B-14 ❑ Knollwood . . . . . . . . .B-10 & B-14 ❑ Residences at Thomas Circle . . . . . . .B-2 & B-19 ❑ Robert L Walker House . . . . . . .B-9

MARYLAND ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Brooke Grove . . . .B-15, B-19 & B-20 Covenant Village . . . . .B-9 & B-19 Emerson House . . . . . . .B-8 & B-9 Homecrest House . . . . .B-6 & B-12 Mrs. Philippines Home . . . . . . .B-9 Olney Assisted Living . . .B-13 & B-17 Park View at Bladensburg . . .B-18

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Park View at Columbia . . . . . .B-18 Park View at Emerson . . . . . .B-18 Park View at Laurel . . . . . . . .B-18 Potomac Place . . . . . . . . . . . .B-12 Riderwood . . . . . . . . . .B-6 & B-16 Solana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-4 Springvale Terrace . . . .B-9 & B-15 Village at Rockville . . . . . . . . . .B-5

VIRGINIA ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Arbor Terrace of Herndon . . . . .B-3 Ashby Ponds . . . . . . .B-10 & B-16 Chesterbrook Residences . . . .B-13 Falcons Landing . . . . . .B-7 & B-17 Greenspring . . . . . . . . .B-8 & B-16 Gum Springs Glen . . . . . . . . . .B-9 Herndon Harbor House . . . . . . .B-9 Morris Glen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-9 Sommerset . . . . . . . . .B-6 & B-12 Tall Oaks Asst. Living . . . .B-5 & B-17

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Tysons Towers . . . . . . . . . . . .B-18 Vinson Hall . . . . . . . . .B-4 & B-15 Virginian, The . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-10 Wingler House . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-9

FINANCIAL SERVICES: ❑ Jefferson Mortgage Group . . .B-16

HOME CARE SERVICES: ❑ Classic Caregivers . . . . . . . . .B-15 ❑ Old Dominion Home Care . . . .B-14 ❑ Options for Senior America . . . .B-16

HOME REFERRAL SERVICES: ❑ Care Patrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-4 ❑ Custom Senior Living . . . . . . . .B-3

REAL ESTATE SERVICE: ❑ Long & Foster/Inderjeet Jumani .B-14

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A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Do you need to beef up home coverage?

By Jessica Anderson You may already know that homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flood damage or sewage backup. But what about things your policy covers, but might not cover sufficiently?

Replacing your home In the event of a disaster that leads to a total loss, your policy pays up to the dwelling limit. If that’s less than the cost to rebuild your home, you have to make up the difference. Your insurer estimates the cost to rebuild, but to make sure its estimate is accurate, use an online calculator, available at sites such as www.hmfacts.com ($7) and www.accucoverage.com ($8).

To get full replacement coverage for

partial losses, most insurers require you to have a policy with a dwelling limit of 80 percent or more of the insurer-estimated cost to rebuild, noted Bill Wilson, associate vice-president of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America.

Your policy should include an inflation guard clause keyed to regional costs that adjusts your coverage every year. Also, make sure your policy has extended replacement cost — ideally, for 20 percent to 25 percent above the dwelling limit; you can add it as an endorsement for about $50.

If you have to rebuild your home to bring it up to current code, you’ll need ordinance and law coverage. You should be able to bump up your coverage to 25 percent of the dwelling limit for about $50 a year.

Voted #1 in Prince William County

High-value belongings

Home office

All policies cover your personal property, typically up to 50 percent of your dwelling limit. But policies generally limit reimbursement for jewelry, silverware and collectibles, such as stamps and coins, to $1,000 to $2,500. Most policies cover you if items are stolen, but not if they are lost or damaged. Plus, they pay out actual cash value (depreciated based on the age of the item) rather than replacement cost.

If you buy a rider ($10 to $20 per $1,000 in coverage a year for jewelry and silver, for example), you can collect the replacement cost if you file a claim. It also eliminates the deductible and covers mysterious disappearance and breakage for fragile items.

Most homeowners policies limit coverage for business equipment to $2,500, and provide no liability coverage for business use of your home. If you have clients or delivery people coming to your home office regularly, or you have more than $2,500 in equipment used for business, you’ll need more coverage. A separate home-office policy can provide liability and contents coverage for a couple hundred dollars a year.

Jessica Anderson is an associate editor at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Send your questions and comments to moneypower @kiplinger.com. And for more on this and similar money topics, visit Kiplinger.com. © 2015 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Housing notes

active villages, five in development, and 20 more in the discussion stage. The Rockville Village Concept Advisory Committee is an ad hoc group that meets monthly to share information about senior services and the village movement throughout the county. Current members include representatives from the Rockville City Council, city and county agencies, companies and nonprofits providing senior services, members of existing villages, and other interested Rockville residents“ Given the demographics of Rockville and its generally ‘cooperative’ nature, it isn’t surprising how wide-ranging the interest is in forming villages,” said Ann Seltz, board member of Community Ministries of Rockville and chair of the committee. “But I think we’ve all been surprised at how much is happening. ”The Rockville Village Concept Advisory Committee is open to anyone involved with or interested in the aging-in-place move-

From page B-10 have provided more than 500 hours of services to members.

“Our village’s data will help provide the basis for demonstrating the benefits of belonging to a village,” said Foggy Bottom West End Village Executive Director Bob McDonald. “The broad scope of Village services — including social and cultural events and programs, educational forums, health and wellness sessions, and volunteer services — provides our members with an enhanced quality of life.”

For more information on the village, see www.fbwevillage.org.

Montgomery County villages bloom Montgomery County currently has 13

See HOUSING NOTES, page B-13

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

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Where’s the best place to retire, tax-wise?

By Sandra Block No matter where you retire, you’ll owe the same amount to Uncle Sam in federal taxes. But whether you stay put or relocate can have a significant impact on what you’ll owe in state taxes.

If you’re thinking of pulling up roots, compare the taxes in potential retirement states with those in your current state.

Wherever you retire, you may be eligible for senior-related tax breaks on retirement income. (A state with no income tax is appealing, but don’t forget about sales and property taxes.)

Housing notes From page B-12 ment. For more information, contact Ann Seltz at RockvilleVillages@gmail.com. To learn more about Montgomery County initiatives on aging in place, contact Pazit Aviv, village coordinator, Aging & Disability Services, Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Services at (240) 777-1231 or pazit.aviv@montgomerycountymd.gov.

New assisted living group home The Cottage at Curry Manor, a Bethes-

FRIENDS

•

COMFORT

What will !"#$%

•

We’ve analyzed the tax laws of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and come up with some basic recommendations. For details on the tax rules in all the states, visit kiplinger.com/links/retireetaxmap.

Retirement income Looking for a state that doesn’t tax income? Try Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington or Wyoming. A couple of others, New Hampshire and Tennessee, tax only dividends and interest.

But Tennessee exempts taxpayers 65 and older who have total annual income of

da, Md. assisted living home for eight residents, opened last year. Residents include a retired State Dept. translator, NIH research doctor and elected official.

Amenities include a private bathroom in each suite, home-cooked meals from the house’s gourmet kitchen, landscaped gardens, cooking classes, art gallery, music programs, and access to spa services and personal training sessions.

The Cottage at Curry Manor joins the Capital City Nurses family of companies.

Homecare company Capital City Nurses was founded in 1976 by Washington nurses.

For additional information about the Cottage at Curry Manor, visit www.thecottagehomes.com or call (301) 365-2582.

DELICIOUS CUISINE

you

Chesterbrook #######&'()"'!*'(+

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QUALITY

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$33,000 or less for single filers ($59,000 for joint filers). New Hampshire offers a $1,200 exemption for taxpayers 65 and older.

Of the 41 states plus the District of Columbia that have a broad-based income tax, most offer breaks to protect some (and, in a couple of cases, all) retirement income. The most generous states are Mississippi and Pennsylvania, which make all retirement income tax-free, including pensions and distributions from retirement accounts.

Most other states allow retirees to exclude part of their retirement income. Georgia offers the largest such retirement-income exclusion — at $65,000 for a taxpayer 65 or older (couples can shelter $130,000).

Kentucky allows exclusions of up to $41,110 of military retirement pay, qualified private pensions, annuity income, and

civil-service and state and local government pensions.

Six states offer no safe haven for retirement income: California, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Rhode Island and Vermont. Connecticut excludes 50 percent of military retirement pay from tax, but it offers no other retirement-income breaks.

Social Security benefits States are pretty generous when it comes to Social Security. While Uncle Sam taxes up to 85 percent of your benefits, they’re 100 percent tax-free in 36 states and the District of Columbia.

The rest of the states tax Social Security to some extent. Rhode Island and West See WHERE TO RETIRE, page B-14

W hat Makes

Olney Assisted Living

U nique?

Olney Assisted Living is a ! "#$%&'#!%()!&*+*&%&" ,-*.$ for seniors with dementia. We provide &" )'((*"-'.!%&'#! and daily life enrichment programming with the goal of enhancing cognition, feelings of accomplishment, and /,'0*.$%"1%0*1!2 Join us for our next event.

“As a volunteer in the library and the daughter of a former resident, I love feeling like we are one extended family here. I have felt that since day one.”

Sharon Levy, volunteer and Chesterbrook family member

Ask the Expert !"#$%&'$())*$#&$+,&-$./&'#$0)#)1",2$3),)45#2 Thursday, April 9 • 6:00 ! - 7:30 !

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Diagnoses of Dementia Thursday, April 16 • 6:00 ! - 7:30 !

Dr. Nicole Absar, Medical Director, Copper Ridge Memory & Neurospychiatry Clinic

Experience a community within a community. Feel at home the second you walk through our doors and meet your future neighbors.

We embrace our residents for who they are—individuals who have unique interests, backgrounds, and lifestyles.

Call or visit today and see why our residents love living here.

Getting Beyond “Dementiaism” Thursday, May 14 • 6:00 ! - 7:30 !

Dr. Jonah Ronch, The University of Maryland Baltimore County Registration at 5:30 !. All events are free. Light hors d’oeuvres.

Call (301) 570-0525 to RSVP or to schedule your visit.

703.531.0 7 8 1 16940 Georgia Avenue Olney, MD 20832 olneymemorycare.com Assisted Living Community

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A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

How to find and hire a home health aide When Richard Foye was looking for a home health aide to live with his 97-yearold mother, he found the search daunting.

One applicant was bipolar and admitted that she didn’t always take her medication.

Another was afraid to stay overnight alone with his mom.

Finally, Foye found a caring and capable aide. But “it was a struggle,” he said.

Care at home can be a lot less expensive than a nursing home or an assisted-living facility, especially for seniors who need only a few hours of help a day. And staying

in familiar surroundings can be much more comfortable for the caregivee than living in an institution.

There are many options for hiring trained aides through private companies.

Finding an aid to hire directly, as Foye learned, is not easy. But with perseverance, it’s a manageable task.

Types of aides To start, think about the level of help your parent or spouse will need. For the most seriously ill, there are registered nurs-

es, who can manage many complex medical conditions, administer medications, and operate sophisticated equipment.

At the next level are certified nursing assistants, who have training in first aid and in helping patients bathe, go to the bathroom and transfer from a bed to a wheelchair.

Finally, for those who don’t need skilled assistance, there are companions and homemakers, who may have little or no medical training.

Once you settle on a level of care, decide how many hours of assistance you’ll need. Does your mom need someone to come in just a few mornings a week to help her cook, clean or perhaps bathe? If Mom needs constant care, you can hire aides to work eight- or 12-hour shifts.

Hiring a live-in aide would be a lot less costly, since you’ll be providing room and board. But you can’t expect a live-in to be on call 24 hours a day. If your loved one needs to be turned in bed every few hours, you’ll need to use shift workers.

Often the biggest area of conflict between aides and clients is confusion over what services will be provided. For instance, families often expect aides to administer medications. But in most states, only nurses can dispense drugs.

How to hire an aide

tion is to hire an employee of a homehealth agency. The agency will take care of the aide’s withholding taxes and any benefits, and it will find a fill-in on days your aide cannot come. The agency may also provide insurance and arrange ongoing training.

In Baltimore, the going rate is $21 an hour for a certified aide who is an agency employee. A registered nurse will likely cost twice as much.

A second option is to hire an independent aide through home-health agencies called registries. These firms act like an old-fashioned hiring hall. They may check aides for competency or a criminal record, but the level of screening differs by firm.

Aides hired through a registry may cost, on average, around $15 an hour.

To find a good agency, check with your local area agency on aging (AAA) or a nonprofit information-and-referral service.

[Numbers for local AAAs appear at the end of this article.]

The federal government’s HomeHealth Compare at www.medicare.gov provides broad quality ratings for Medicare-approved agencies. (But note that Medicare itself will pay for only very limited home care after a hospitalization.)

Once you’ve selected some potential companies, call and ask many questions.

How long has the firm been in business? Is

You can hire an aide in one of three ways. The simplest but most expensive op-

Where to retire From page B-13

The nation’s first military retirement community has provided more than 50 years of ser vice to those who experienced the unique life of the military family. Knollwood is built on the cornerstones of personal attention, superior care and camaraderie.

Knollwood, bordering Rock Creek Park, is convenient to all Washington, D.C., has to offer.

Our affordable continuing care retirement community features modern independent living apar tments from 500 to 2,900 sq. ft., assisted living apartments, skilled nursing and memory care.

Virginia, for instance, tax benefits same as the federal government does.

Connecticut, Kansas and Missouri benefits when a taxpayer’s income ceeds certain thresholds. Some of

the tax exthe

See HEALTH AIDES, page B-17

states, including New Mexico, allow benefits to qualify for a tax break under a broader retirement-income exclusion.

Sandra Block is a senior associate editor at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. © 2015 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Faces of Friendship

Life is Wonderful with these Faces Our community of friendly faces makes life more fun, more delicious, much easier, and much, much friendlier.

Friendship Terrace offers affordable senior apartments in an active, independent community within walking distance of the Tenleytown Metro stop, shopping, dining, and more. Call 202-244-7400 (TRS 711) today to schedule your personal tour.

FriendshipTerrace.com

1-800-643-3769 DC RELAY SERVICE • 1-800-643-3768 TTY 4201 Butterworth Place, NW, Washington, DC 20016

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

How Medicare covers care in your home Dear Savvy Senior, How does Medicare cover home healthcare? Because of my illness, my doctor suggested I get home healthcare, but I want to find out how it’s covered before I proceed.

— Need Some Help Dear Need: Medicare covers a wide variety of intermittent in-home health care services (usually up to 28 hours per week) for beneficiaries, if you meet their specific requirements. Here’s how it works: In order for you to secure coverage for home healthcare, Medicare first requires that you be homebound. This means that it must be extremely difficult for you to leave your home, and you need help from a device (like a wheelchair or walker) or another person in order to do so.

You will then need your doctor to approve a “plan of care” confirming that you need skilled-nursing care or skilled-therapy services from a physical or speech therapist on a part-time basis.

Your doctor can also request the services of an occupational therapist and a home health aide to assist with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing and using the bathroom. Your doctor must renew the plan of care once every 60 days.

You will also need to use a home health agency that is certified by Medicare.

If you meet all of the requirements, Medicare should pay for your in-home care.

Skilled nursing care only But be aware that Medicare will not pay for home health aide services (such as bathing, dressing or using the bathroom) alone, if you do not need skilled-nursing or skilled-therapy services, too. Homemaker services, such as shopping, meal preparation and cleaning are not covered either.

You also need to know that Medicare has recently changed their home healthcare policy regarding degenerative diseases. They will now pay for in-home physical therapy, nursing care and other servic-

es to beneficiaries with chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease in order to maintain their condition and prevent deterioration.

In the past, Medicare would only cover home health services if the patient were expected to make a full recovery.

If you have original Medicare, you can locate a Medicare-certified home health agency by calling 1-800-633-4227 or by visiting medicare.gov/homehealthcompare.

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you should contact your plan directly and ask which home health agencies work with the plan and are within the plan’s network of providers.

For more detailed information on how Medicare covers in-home health, see the “Medicare and Home Health Care” online booklet at medicare.gov/pubs/pdf/10969.pdf.

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CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Vinson Hall Retirement Community 703-536-4344 6251 Old Dominion Drive McLean, VA 22101 www.vinsonhall.org Our nonprofit continuing care retirement community enhances the lives of our residents through person-centered care and services while fostering dignity, security, and friendship. As an innovative retirement community, we attract leaders in the field of aging who pilot new initiatives and technology to improve the lives of our residents and seniors everywhere. Vinson Hall Retirement Community provides all levels of care. Our independent living is open to commissioned military officers and their immediate family. Everyone is welcome at Arleigh Burke Pavilion, where we provide assisted living, skilled nursing, and private pay nursing care services; and at The Sylvestery Memory Support, where we offer assisted living care for those with memory impairment or other forms of dementia

INDEPENDENT/PERSONAL CARE/ASSISTED LIVING Other options If you don’t qualify for Medicare coverage, there are other coverage options depending on your situation, including: Insurance: If you happen to have longterm care insurance, check to see if it covers in-home care. Or if you have a life insurance policy, see if it can be utilized to pay for care.

Medicaid: If your income is low enough, all states offer Medicaid programs that will pay for some forms of inhome care. To investigate this, contact your local Medicaid office.

Veterans Assistance: If you’re a veteran, some communities have a Veteran-Directed Home and Community Based Service program, which give veterans a flexible budget to pay for in-home care.

Also available to wartime veterans and their spouses is a benefit called “Aid and Attendance” that helps pay for in-home care, as well as assisted living and nursing home care.

To be eligible, you must need assistance with daily living activities like bathing, See MEDICARE, page B-17

Seabury at SPRINGVALE TERRACE 301-587-0190 8505 Springvale Road Silver Spring, MD 20910 www.springvaleterrace.com The team at Springvale Terrace is excited to debut a new look and feel, thanks to a recently completed $5.4 million renovation project.

Located in the heart of Silver Spring, Springvale Terrace blends affordability with convenience, style and quality care. Independent apartments are available and enhanced senior living is complemented with personal care services including three meals a day, housekeeping, laundry, and medication administration. And, if additional care is needed, Springvale Terrace also has beautiful assisted living apartments. This range of services—combined with low monthly rates—provides just the right amount of assistance to meet your needs while allowing you to live in an apartment you’ll love. Call today to learn more and schedule your personal tour.

ASSISTED LIVING

Brooke Grove Retirement Village 301-260-2320 18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 www.bfg.org This community hums with warmhearted camaraderie and a zest for life shared by residents and staff alike. Experience all that makes assisted living at Brooke Grove extraordinary. Cozy, homelike dwellings with easy access to beautiful courtyards and walking paths. Caring staff trained in using memory support techniques, building independence and lifting selfesteem. Innovative LIFE® Enrichment Programming with meaningful activities and off-site adventures. Visit us to see why Brooke Grove Retirement Village is one of the most sought-after continuing care retirement communities in the state. Living here is simply different … because what surrounds you really matters.

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A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Moving and remodeling plans surveyed Sixty-five percent of retirees say they are living in the best homes of their lives, according to a new Merrill Lynch study conducted in partnership with the company Age Wave.

With newfound freedom from work and family restrictions, fewer home-related financial concerns, and unprecedented longevity, retirees are more empowered to pursue a home that fits their desired lifestyle and changing priorities.

The study, “Home in Retirement: More Freedom, New Choices,” also found that

64 percent of retirees are likely to move at least once during retirement, with 37 percent having already moved and 27 percent anticipating doing so.

“How and where our nation’s aging population chooses to live will have widespread implications on the way homes are designed, the resources people will need, and how communities and businesses nationwide should prepare,” said Andy Sieg, head of Global Wealth and Retirement Solutions for Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

NOW IS THE TIME!

Find the perfect floor plan—and get it while you can!

There’s never been a better time to enjoy your retirement in a beautiful, new home at an Erickson Living® community. Our predictable expenses and exciting lifestyle make living in one of our communities a smart decision for you and your loved ones.

Call 1-800-789-2013 for a FREE brochure and schedule your visit today.

EricksonLiving.com

10645202

The research explores priorities and concerns of retirees and pre-retirees when choosing the type of homes and communities they hope to live in during retirement.

Based on a nationally representative survey of more than 3,600 respondents, the study also examines the powerful connections people have to where they live.

New freedom to move Throughout most of people’s lives, where they reside is determined in large part by work and family responsibilities. However, as people enter their late-50s and 60s, they approach and begin to cross what this study reveals as the “Freedom Threshold,” with retirement representing a gateway to unprecedented freedom to choose where to live.

The study found that: • Retirees are more than twice as likely to say they are free to choose where they want to live when compared to pre-retirees (67 percent vs. 30 percent).

• Four out of five (81 percent) Americans age 65 and up are homeowners, and among them 72 percent have fully paid off their mortgage.

An estimated 4.2 million retirees moving into new homes last year alone. Retirees’ top motivations for moving include being closer to family (29 percent), reducing home expenses (26 percent), and changes in health (17 percent) or marital status (12 percent).

• Many people assume they’ll downsize once retired. However, the study found that half (49 percent) of retirees didn’t downsize in their last move — and, in fact, 30 percent moved into larger homes.

• Retirees’ top reasons for upsizing were to have a home large and comfortable enough for family members to visit (33 percent) or live with them (20 percent).

• Retirees who did downsize (51 percent) cite greater freedom from the finan-

cial (64 percent) and maintenance (44 percent) burdens of a larger home among their top reasons.

Among retirees who have not and do not plan to move during retirement, the top reasons include their deep emotional connection with their home (54 percent), close proximity to family (48 percent) and friends (31 percent), wanting to remain independent (44 percent), or because they simply can’t afford to move (28 percent).

Prior to age 55, more homeowners say the financial value of their home outweighs its emotional value. As people age, however, they become far more likely to say their home’s emotional value is more important — as cited by nearly two out of three people (63 percent) age 75 and older.

Among people 65 and over who moved last year, most (83 percent) chose to remain in the same state.

Home improvements and technology Households age 55 and above account for nearly half (47 percent) of all spending on home renovations — about $90 billion annually.

Renovations made by retiree homeowners who plan to stay in their home throughout retirement include: • Creating a home office (35 percent).

• Improving curb appeal (34 percent).

• Upgrading a kitchen (32 percent) or bathroom (29 percent).

• Adding safety features to accommodate aging (28 percent).

• Modifying home to live on one floor should there be trouble with stairs (15 percent).

Many retirees are also interested in new technologies that can make their homes See REMODELING, page B-18

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Health aides From page B-14 the firm insured? How does it handle complaints?

Most important, you’ll want to learn all you can about the individual aide they will be sending you. You’ll also want to know what their policy is on replacing an aide that you and your Mom do not like.

If you have long-term-care insurance, read the policy carefully and contact your agent to determine if it will cover all or part of your costs. Some policies will reimburse you only if you hire through an approved agency.

Medicare and Medicaid, which pays for long-term home care only if you meet strict income and asset tests, will also require you to hire through an approved firm.

You can save money by hiring an aide on your own. You may find one through a newspaper ad, an online service such as Craigslist.org, or a friend. You’ll negotiate your own price, but expect to pay about $10 to $12 an hour.

Note that if you go this route, you will be an employer. You’ll have to pay Social Security taxes, withhold income taxes, check references, and make sure that an immigrant worker has a green card.

Also, by self-hiring, you will have to make other arrangements when your aide calls in sick or takes vacation.

Evaluating an aide Before choosing an aide, conduct an inhome interview. Most reputable agencies will conduct a formal assessment of your

Medicare From page B-15 dressing or going to the bathroom. And, your annual income must be under $21,466 — after medical and long-term care expenses. If you’re a surviving spouse of a veteran, your income must be below $13,794 to be eligible. Your assets must

loved one’s needs.

Ask the aide about his or her experience. If your mom has dementia or other special needs, see if the aide has cared for such patients before. Find out if the agency or the aide has malpractice insurance.

After you hire someone, prepare a daily schedule of duties, so that expectations are clear. Visit frequently, and at irregular times.

Check that the house is clean, that the refrigerator is full and that Mom is doing well — that she’s up and dressed (if that is possible) every morning. If she is confined to bed, check for bedsores. Have the aide keep a log of what she does each day.

It is crucial that you communicate with the aide. If an aide is doing a good job, offer your thanks. If there are problems, talk about it. Sometimes an aide is capable, but personalities can clash. If so, you can ask an agency to send someone else.

Remember, this is a difficult situation for everyone. A little patience can go a long way.

Local Dept. of Aging numbers to call: Anne Arundel County Dept. of Aging and Disabilities: (410) 222-4464 Baltimore City Division of Aging and Care Services: (410) 396-4932 Baltimore County Dept. of Aging: (410) 887-2108 Carroll County Bureau on Aging: (410) 386-3800 Harford County Office on Aging:(410) 638-3025 Howard County Office on Aging:(410) 313-6410 © The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

also be less than $80,000, excluding your home and car.

To learn more, see va.gov/geriatrics or call 1-800-827-1000.

Send your questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

B-17

ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE

Tall Oaks Assisted Living 703-834-9800 12052 N. Shore Drive Reston, VA 20190 TallOaksAL.com

Tall Oaks Assisted Living has proudly served Reston and the Metropolitan DC area since 1991 by providing quality Assisted Living and Memory Care to seniors. From superb and delicious dining to engaging activity programming and 24-hour licensed nursing care, our goal is to exceed expectations in every aspect of community life.

The friendliness and longevity of our leadership team give families peace of mind knowing that their loved one’s care is in experienced hands. Call today to schedule your personal visit, and be sure to ask about our current leasing specials.

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Falcons Landing (855) 333-6327- Toll-Free 20522 Falcons Landing Circle Potomac Falls, VA 20165 www.FalconsLanding.org/DreamsComeTrue Luxurious Living after a Career of Service.

Nestled near the Potomac River in scenic Northern Virginia, Falcons Landing Military Retirement Community is a vibrant hub for residents who have retired from work, but not from life!

We continually strive to provide the best experiences for our residents. Our dreams came true in 2014 as we completed the anticipated expansion that includes our new Wellness and Fitness Complex, contemporary Woodburn Café and stylish Compass Club!

Falcons Landing is a community of retired military officers of all branches of service, senior-level federal employees, their spouses and surviving spouses, as well as those honorably discharged with any length of service. At Falcons Landing, the adventure continues!

Call us to schedule a lunch in our new Woodburn Cafe!

ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE

BEACON BITS

Apr.

AGE-FRIENDLY DC TALKS

Age-Friendly DC presents a series of talks discussing “Moving Toward an Age-Friendly City — What’s Next?” throughout April in area libraries in Washington, D.C. There will be talks at the following branches: Palisades, located at 4901 V St. NW on Wednesday, April 8 from 1:30 to 3 p.m.; Rosedale, located at 1701 Gales St. NW on Thursday, April 9 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.; Southeast, located at 403 7th St. SE on Thursday, April 8 from 3 to 5 p.m.; Francis A. Gregory, located at 3660 Alabama Ave. SE on Saturday, April 11 from 10 a.m. to noon; Southwest, located at 900 Wesley Pl. SW on Saturday, April 11 from 1 to 3 p.m.; Capitol View, located at 5001 Central Ave. SE on Thursday, April 16 from 7 to 8 p.m.; Mt. Pleasant, located at 3160 16th St. NW on Saturday, April 18 from 1 to 3 p.m.; Deanwood, located at 1350 49th St. NE on Monday, April 20 from 10:30 a.m. to noon; and Chevy Chase, located at 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW on Tuesday, April 24 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. For more information, contact Gail Kohn at (202) 727-7973 or gail.kohn@gc.gov.

Apr. 20

THE SANDLOT SCREENING

Friends of the Aspen Hill Library presents a free screening of The Sandlot at 7:30 on Monday, April 20 at the Aspen Hill Library, located at 4407 Aspen Hill Rd., Rockville, Md. This movie night features the heartwarming film about kids learning about life while playing sandlot basement in the early 1960s. For more information, call (301) 871-1113 or email aspenhill@folmc.org.

Olney Assisted Living Memory Care by Design

301-570-0525 16940 Georgia Avenue Olney, MD 20832 www.olneymemorycare.com A memory care specific community, Olney Assisted Living offers compassionate care in an environment designed specifically for those with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. Each building trait and feature has been selected to foster independence and freedom. This includes cozy interior “neighborhoods,” a central Town Center featuring a beauty/barber shop, and individual memory display cases outside of each resident’s room to help with recognition. Daily life enrichment programming is provided with the goal of enhancing cognition, feelings of accomplishment, and quality of life. Licensed, on-site nursing care is provided 24 hours a day by a team of experienced professionals. Families seeking memory care will feel right at home in this brand new community, which is filling quickly.

For more information, call 301-570-0525 today.

B-18

Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Finding the right nursing home takes time

By Eleanor Laise Until last year, Norm Guivens didn’t have the most favorable impression of nursing homes. Having visited various friends and relatives in these facilities, the Braintree, Mass., bridge teacher was struck mostly by the odor of soiled linens

and drab institutional decor.

Then late last year, after being diagnosed with dementia and suffering several falls, Guivens’ 87-year-old father moved to the nursing home within his continuing care retirement community. To create a homelike atmosphere, the immaculately clean, cheer-

ful facility houses residents in groups of about 20 around central kitchens, dining areas, lounges and libraries. Residents are free to wake up and go to bed when they please, and are encouraged to decorate their rooms with personal possessions.

Guivens’ father, whose sedentary lifestyle while living alone had caused his muscles to atrophy to the point where he struggled to stand, has thrived in the facility. With ample attention from nursing aides, he’s now moving around with a walker, chatting with other residents and playing bingo.

“Healthwise, he’s much better where he is now than he was in the apartment,” Guivens said.

For baby boomers like Guivens and their elderly parents, there’s no question that the nation’s best nursing homes can provide outstanding care in a homelike setting while helping residents preserve their dignity and autonomy. The big question is this:

With more than 15,000 nursing homes nationwide, how do you find the best facilities?

Beginning the search The federal government’s online tool Nursing Home Compare can be a good starting point for consumers, as long as they recognize the tool’s limitations. Go to www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare to see star ratings for all nursing homes in your area that participate in Medicare or Medicaid.

The ratings range from 1 to 5 stars (more stars are better) based on the facility’s performance on health inspections, staffing hours for nurses and nursing assistants, and “quality measures,” such as the prevalence of pressure ulcers and falls among residents.

Seniors and their families should be wary of any one- or two-star facility, advocates say. Nursing Home Compare also identifies homes that have been deemed “special focus facilities,” which have severe problems and should be avoided.

While the ratings can help you steer clear of the most troubled nursing homes, See NURSING HOME, page B-19

Remodeling From page B-16

YO U R

New

LIFESTYLE BEGINS HERE

ALL COMMUNITIES ARE SMOKE-FREE

A PA RT M E N T H O M E S F O R T H O S E 6 2 A N D B E T T E R

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

EASTERN SHORE

Furnace Branch 410-761-4150

Easton 410-770-3070

Severna Park 410-544-3411

HARFORD COUNTY

BALTIMORE CITY

Bel Air 410-893-0064

Ashland Terrace 410-276-6440

Box Hill 410-515-6115

Coldspring 410-542-4400

HOWARD COUNTY

BALTIMORE COUNTY

Colonial Landing 410-796-4399

Catonsville 410-719-9464

Columbia 410-381-1118

Dundalk 410-288-5483

Ellicott City 410-203-9501

Fullerton 410-663-0665

Ellicott City II 410-203-2096

Miramar Landing 410-391-8375

Emerson 301-483-3322

Randallstown 410-655-5673

Snowden River 410-290-0384

Rosedale 410-866-1886

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

Taylor 410-663-0363

55 AND BETTER!

Bladensburg 301-699-9785

Towson 410-828-7185

Laurel 301-490-1526

Woodlawn 410-281-1120

Laurel II 301-490-9730 = NEWLY RENOVATED

www.ParkViewSeniorLiving.com Call the community nearest you to inquire about eligibility requirements and to arrange a personal tour or email parkviewliving@sheltergrp.com.

Professionally managed by The Shelter Group. www.thesheltergroup.com

more convenient, connected, secure and easier to maintain. For instance, 80 percent are interested in innovative ways of reducing their home expenses, such as smart thermostats or apps to control appliances, while 58 percent are interested in technologies to help maintain their home, such as cleaning robots or heated driveways.

Though people enjoy many new freedoms during retirement, health and care can become significant factors when choosing where to live, particularly as people reach their 80s.

Among people 85 and older, three-quarters (74 percent) have difficulties with daily activities, including housework or getting around the home. And while the average age of people entering assisted living is 85, people overwhelmingly prefer to receive extended care, if needed, in their own home (85 percent).

“The good news is that there have been tremendous innovations in both technologies and home care services that enable retirees to live independently even if they face health challenges,” said Ken Dychtwald, founder and CEO of Age Wave.

“In fact, as more boomers enter their retirement years with more freedom and new choices, we will see a growing number of homes, communities and technology innovations designed to meet people’s needs and desires throughout every stage of retirement.”

To download “Home in Retirement: New Freedoms, More Choices,” visit www.ml.com/retirementstudy. © 2015 Bank of America Corporation.

All rights reserved.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

Nursing home

more at www.thegreenhouseproject.org.

INDEPENDENT LIVING

From page B-18

Make a visit

they won’t necessarily help you find the highest-quality facilities. One reason: Two of the three major components of the star rating — staffing data and quality measures — are based on information that’s self-reported by the nursing homes.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in October announced changes aimed at improving the reliability of the data underlying the star ratings. The agency said it would electronically collect payroll data, for example, instead of relying on nursing homes’ self-reported staffing numbers. Although the agency will begin implementing the changes in 2015, consumers won’t see some of the improvements until 2016.

Visiting the nursing home is critical to finding quality care. Take the tour during regular business hours, but also have a meal, and schedule another visit late in the evening or on a Sunday afternoon, to get a flavor of round-the-clock life in the facility.

In addition to basics such as cleanliness and food quality, observe whether residents are engaging in activities or sitting around listlessly. Check the bulletin boards for information on resident and family council meetings. Leaders of these groups, which advocate for residents in the home, can provide insight on any concerns about the facility.

Staffing is among the top factors to consider. During your visit, observe whether residents are sitting around waiting to be fed at mealtimes or waiting to go to bed after dinner. If so, the facility probably doesn’t have enough staff, said Pat McGinnis, executive director of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.

Ask about the level of staff turnover, which tends to be fairly high in nursing homes. If they’ve had four administrators in one year, “it’s a yellow or even red flag,” Crandall said.

Ask the facility if it practices “consistent assignment,” meaning that the same aide is assigned to care for the resident each day. In facilities that don’t use consistent assignment, residents can have as many as 20 or 25 different people caring for them in a month.

Find out if there’s a registered nurse on site around the clock. Federal requirements mandate that nursing homes have an RN on site just eight hours per day. RNs are the only members of the nursing staff licensed to assess a resident when his medical condition changes.

Expand your probe When it comes to quality of care, no nursing-home rating system or state health department website can tell the whole story.

To get a fuller picture, consumers should collect data from numerous sources. New consumer-oriented online tools can help you compare nursing homes’ inspection results and run-ins with regulators.

ProPublica, an investigative news organization, launched Nursing Home Inspect (http://projects.propublica.org/nursinghomes) in 2012. The online tool lets consumers to compare nursing homes in their state based on problems found by regulators and the financial penalties imposed.

Call your state department on aging and your local long-term-care ombudsman’s office. Ombudsmen advocate for long-termcare residents’ rights and help revolve resident complaints. Ask about any state sanctions and consumer complaints against facilities you’re considering. You can find links to your state programs at the Eldercare Locator (www.eldercare.gov). Also ask if your state offers its own nursing-home ratings.

Consider a home’s quality of life. A number of nationwide initiatives are focused on improving quality of life in nursing homes by making the facilities feel more like home and residents feel more like members of a family. These “culture change” efforts give residents more choices and flexibility to set their own schedules and eat what they like.

Simple steps, such as loosening rigid visiting hours and mealtimes, can make a big difference, advocates say. Nursing aides don’t need to haul sleeping residents out of bed at 7 a.m. so they can get to the dining room for breakfast, said Lynda Crandall, executive director of the Pioneer Network, a nonprofit group that promotes culture change in nursing homes.

Rather than making incremental changes, some culture-change advocates are starting from scratch. The Green House Project, for example, builds skilled-nursing facilities that house about 10 residents around an open kitchen. Each resident has a private room with a private bath. There are no nursing stations, room numbers, call bells or medication carts, said David Farrell, senior director of the Green House Project. Each Green House is “built from the ground up to look and feel like a real home,” Farrell said. Learn

Read the contract The high cost of care means that many nursing-home residents who enter a facility intending to pay privately will ultimately run out of money. Medicare only pays for limited nursing-home care. Therefore it’s best to focus on facilities that accept both Medicare and Medicaid — information available on Nursing Home Compare.

When reading the facility’s admissions contract, families should be aware of any provisions asking for a financial guarantor.

“Federal law prohibits a nursing facility from requiring a financial guarantee as a condition of admission,” said Eric Carlson, a directing attorney at the National Senior Citizens Law Center. Some facilities have asked relatives to “volunteer” to be financially responsible, he said. “Don’t sign anything to take on financial liability,” Carlson said.

Another red flag in the agreement: a waiver of liability, such as language suggesting that falls, dehydration and other harm are common and unavoidable. Also look for broad language authorizing eviction without proper cause, such as when a resident is unmanageable or uncooperative. And watch out for arbitration agreements, which remove the resident’s right to take the facility to court if a dispute arises. © 2015, Kiplinger. All Rights Reserved.

Distributed By Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

B-19

Brooke Grove Retirement Village 301-260-2320 18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 www.bfg.org You’ll feel it as soon as you drive onto our 220-acre campus of lush pastures and hardwood forest—all that makes independent living at Brooke Grove different. Beautiful cottages in a truly picturesque setting.

Maintenance-free living, with more time for what you really want to do. Personalized fitness programs, meals prepared by talented chefs, clubs and social events. Neighbors who share your interests and passions. Come for a visit and see why Brooke Grove Retirement Village is one of the most sought-after retirement communities in the state. Living here is simply different … because what surrounds you really matters.

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

The Residences at Thomas Circle (202) 626-5761 1330 Massachusetts Ave. NW Washington, DC 20005 www.ThomasCircle.com The Residences at Thomas Circles is an exceptional senior living community located in the heart of the district in Washington, DC. Here, residents enjoy a stimulating lifestyle filled with activities and entertainment as well as the company of a diverse group of interesting people. The excellent location means residents can easily visit area attractions, museums, theater, special events and more via the Metro or a short walk. In addition to Independent Living, The Residences at Thomas Circle is the only in-town senior living community to offer an on-site continuum of health services: Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, or Memory Care. Ask about our new respite program, Circle Stays: special savings in Assisted Living and Memory Care.

Visit www.ThomasCircle to learn more or call 202.626.5761.

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Covenant Village (301) 540-1162 18889 Waring Station Road Germantown, MD 20874 www.qpmgmt.com • Spacious 2-bedroom plans with washer/dryer in each apt.

• Covenant Village shuttle bus for shopping and local trips • Fitness room, billiard room, game/crafts room, movie theatre • On-site beauty salon, garden plots It’s all about our residents, says Kathy the Property Manager. The staff ensures that the residents always have interesting and exciting activities going on. Some of the fun includes movie nights, new resident meet and greet, holiday parties, fashion shows, and community dinners. Attendance at the wine and cheese and ice cream socials is close to 100%.

Covenant Village was recently awarded a trophy by the Property Management Association for being Maryland’s Best Affordable Community in their category! Please call today to make an appointment for a tour.

B-20

Housing Options

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

April 2015

UPCOMING SEMINARS & EVENTS at Brooke Grove retirement village

As experts in senior care and memory support, Brooke Grove Retirement Village is pleased to offer seminars and events that promote physical, spiritual and mental well-being.

All seminars and events will be held at Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, located at 18131 Slade School Road on the Brooke Grove Retirement Village Campus.

Please register with Toni Davis at 301-388-7209 or tdavis@bgf.org.

Support for the caregiver seminar: “Dementia Conversations” April 14, 2-3 p.m.

Rightsizing Seminar: “Downsizing your home ... not your life” April 23, 2-3 p.m.

This program will provide tips on having difficult conversations with family, teach you about planning for care and connect you with helpful resources. FREE. Register by April 12.

Gain tips for efficiently going through the contents of your home to prepare for your next move—and for motivating yourself to get started. FREE. Register by April 21.

Living W Well Seminar: “What’s stress type?” s your o April 15, 7-8 p.m.

A Identify the five major stress types and the tools for addressing them. Light supper at 6:30 p.m. FREE. Register by April 13.

Independent living

assisted living

rehabilitation

Gentle e Yoga Classes Mondayss & Wednesdays, 3-3:45 p.m.

March 16 – April 22 Six-week session: $89 Walk-ins: $8.50 per class Enjoy the health benefits of yoga in this class for beginners and those with stiffness or movement limitations.

All poses may be done using a chair.

long-term care

memory support

18100 Slade School Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860 • 301-260-2320 or 301-924-2811 • www.bgf.org

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Say you saw it in the Beacon

D.C. OFFICE

ON

27 2

AGING NEWSLETTER

Spotlight On Aging, continued Continued from page 26, preceding the Housing & Home Care Options magazine at the left.

Please pull out and keep the magazine. You may also pull out and keep Spotlight on Aging.

Don’t Become a Victim of a Scam “Because you pay your income taxes

(FTC), the nation’s consumer protec-

Grant scammers generally follow a

so that they can steal the money in the

on time, you have been awarded a free

tion agency, says that “money for noth-

script: they congratulate you on your

account. Always keep your bank ac-

$12,500 government grant! To get your

ing” grant offers usually are scams,

eligibility, then ask for your checking

count information confidential. Don’t

grant, simply give us your checking ac-

whether you see them in your local

account information so they can “de-

share it unless you are familiar with

count information, and we will direct-de-

paper or a national magazine, or hear

posit your grant directly into your ac-

the company and know why the infor-

posit the grant into your bank account!”

about them on the phone.

count,” or cover a one-time “process-

mation is necessary.

• Don’t pay any money for a “free”

Sometimes, it’s an ad that claims you

Some scam artists advertise “free

ing fee.” The caller may even reassure

will qualify to receive a “free grant” to

grants” in the classifieds, inviting read-

you that you can get a refund if you’re

government grant. If you have to pay

pay for education costs, home repairs,

ers to call a toll-free number for more

not satisfied. In fact, you’ll never see

money to claim a “free” government

home business expenses, or unpaid

information. Others are more bold:

the grant they promise; they will disap-

grant, it isn’t really free. A real govern-

bills. Other times, it’s a phone call sup-

they call you out of the blue. They lie

pear with your money.

ment agency won’t ask you to pay a pro-

posedly from a “government” agency

about where they’re calling from, or

The FTC says following a few basic

cessing fee for a grant that you have al-

or some other organization with an of-

they claim legitimacy using an official-

rules can keep consumers from losing

ready been awarded — or to pay for a list

ficial sounding name. In either case,

sounding name like the “Federal

money to these “government grant”

of grant-making institutions. The names

the claim is the same: your application

Grants Administration.” They may ask

scams:

for a grant is guaranteed to be accept-

you some basic questions to deter-

• Don’t give out your bank account

of agencies and foundations that award

ed, and you’ll never have to pay the

mine if you “qualify” to receive a grant.

information to anyone you don’t

grants are available for free at any public

money back.

FTC attorneys say calls and come-ons

know. Scammers pressure people to

library or on the Internet. The only offi-

for free money invariably are rip offs.

divulge their bank account information

See SCAMS, page 28

But the Federal Trade Commission

Enrollment is Now Open for DCOA’s Saturday Respite Program!

This program gives a four-hour break for caregivers of those with Alzheimer ’s disease, and related disorders and people with dementia which included Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities.

Participants engage in interactive and stimulating activities with other participants and program volunteers.

Volunteers encourage and support active participation, socialization, recreation, and fun!

Eligibility:

Age 60 years or older Low to moderate income Has mild to moderate dementia and/or memory loss D.C. resident (Priority given to those in Wards 7 & 8) Needs minimal assistance with prompting and/or cueing

For more information, please contact the Information & Referral/Assistance (I&R/A) Unit at :

(202) 724-5626

Cluster Care Project

ELIGIBILITY

• Age 60 years or older • D.C. resident who lives alone • Has mild to moderate dementia and/or memory loss • Needs minimal assistance with prompting or cueing • Interest in attending an adult day health/ wellness center program

For more information, please contact the Information & Referral Assistance (I&R/A) Unit at:

(202) 724-5626 D.C. Office on Aging 500 K Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 www.DCOA.dc.gov

What is Cluster Care:

“Cluster Care” is designed to assist adult day health/wellness center attendees who may need a little extra help in the morning with personal care needs (i.e. dressing, grooming, and/or lite meal prep).

Cluster Care provides the following:

• Personal Care Aide (PCA) services for a cluster of people in a high density residential community, • Coordination of transportation to and from Adult Day Health, and • Linkage to additional services and supports.

28

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

D.C. OFFICE

ON

AGING NEWSLETTER

Community Calendar April Events 7th • 10:30 a.m.

The Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired will present a black history program at 2900 Newton St. NE. For more information, contact Gloria Duckett at 202-529-8701, extension 219.

8th • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The District of Columbia Office on Aging in conjunction with the Department of Parks and Recreation and Senior Zone 1340 AM will present a Community Health, Wellness and Informational Fair at the Emery Recreation Center, 5801 Georgia Ave. NW. For more information, contact Mark Bjorge at 202-374- 9890.

13th • 1:30 p.m.

15th • 1 p.m.

Dr. Thomas Obesisan will present information on Alzheimer’s disease and give memory screenings at the Model Cities Senior Wellness Center, 1901 Evarts St. NE. For more information, call 202-635-1900.

Dr. Thomas Obesisan will present information on Alzheimer’s disease and give memory screenings at Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center, 3500 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE. To learn more, call 202563-7225.

14th and 28th • noon The D.C. Caregivers Online Chat at Noon is held biweekly to provide caregivers with assistance through an online forum. Log on for advice, resources and tips to assist you with your caregiving responsibilities. If you are not available at 12 p.m., check back at your convenience and hit replay to see the entire chat. Join the discussion at www.dcoa.dc.gov/page/caregiverchat. For more information, contact Linda Irizarry at 202-535-1442 or linda.irizarry@dc.gov.

9th • 10 a.m. to noon

14th • 10 a.m.

Join the Ward 4 Mini Commission on Aging at its monthly meeting held at the Fourth District Police Precinct, 6001 Georgia Ave. NW.

The D.C. Office on Aging (DCOA) Ambassador Program is a free, interactive, member-based program designed to reach out to older adults and their caregivers to help them learn about the services and resources available to them through DCOA. If you are interested in expanding your network and educating older adults about the services and resources available to them, join the next Ambassador Training Workshop to learn about all of the programs and services that DCOA offers to the community and how you can become an Ambassador. All workshops include an overview of Office on Aging programs and services, information on how to access resources, and guidance on your role as an advocate. Call 202-724-5622 to register today.

9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th • 2 to 4 p.m.

Iona’s Take Charge/Age Well Academy presents its “What, Me Move?” class series, which offers participants help in understanding how to keep their housing affordable. The four-week course will present the options and supports available to older adults in the D.C. metropolitan area, as well as navigating current equity and understanding legal rights and opportunities. The fee is $90; however there are scholarships available upon request. Refreshments will be served. For registration and questions, please email community@iona.org or call the office at (202) 8959420. Iona is located at 4125 Albemarle St. NW

15th • 10:30 a.m.

There will be a Ward 5 Mini Commissioner’s meeting at Seabury Resources for Aging, at 2900 Newton St. NE. For more information, contact Thelma Hines at 202-529-8701 extension 222.

SPOTLIGHT ON AGING

18th • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The D.C. Office of the People’s Counsel presents Horizons 2015: Uniting Energy, Technology & Consumers. It will be held at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clark Law School, 4340 Connecticut Ave. NW. The event is free and open to the public. To register, see Horizons2015.net

18th • 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Capital City Chapter of the Links, Inc. will hold its annual Senior Luncheon at Dunbar Senior High School, 1200 First St. NW. Email deborahroyster@yahoo.com to learn more.

25th • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Attend the Ebenezer Baptist Church Community Health Fair, 46 Q St. NW. Contact Connie Summers at 301-758-0554 for more information.

May Event 21st • 5 to 9 p.m.

In Celebration of Older Americans Month, East River Family Strengthening Collaborative, Inc. and the Aging Disability Resource Center will present the Ward 7 Prom for Seniors, titled “The East River Swing,” with dinner and dancing. It will be held at St. Luke’s Center, 4923 East Capitol St. SE. For ticket information, contact Robin Gantt at 202-534-4800, ext 110 or Chicquita Bryant at 202-534-4880 Ext 125.

Scams From page 27

ceive. If you want to reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive, place your telephone number on the

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

500 K St., N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002 202-724-5622 • www.dcoa.dc.gov Executive Director John M. Thompson, Ph.D., FAAMA Editor Darlene Nowlin Photographers Darrell jackson Jr. & Darvis Logan The D.C. Office on Aging does not discriminate against anyone based on

actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, familial status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, disability, source of income, and place of residence or business.

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

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

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Money Law &

29

ABCs OF MEDIGAP A guide to choosing supplemental insurance to fill Medicare’s gaps MUTUAL FUNDS REOPEN Some closed funds are opening, but does that mean you should invest?

TECH STOCKS SOAR Tech stocks are flying high, and they aren’t expected to crash like in 2000.

SIDESTEP PROBATE Plan your estate carefully to avoid probate’s costs and delays

Lawmakers debate right-to-die legislation

By Barbara Ruben and Brian Witte When Maryland Del. Shane Pendergrass (D-Howard) was a teenager, she watched her grandfather suffer terribly from Parkinson’s disease.

So when Roger “Pip” Moyer, the former Mayor of Annapolis, and Richard E. Israel, former assistant attorney general, who both also had late-stage Parkinson’s, asked Pendergrass to sponsor legislation that would allow Marylanders with less than six months to live to be prescribed drugs that would end their lives, she agreed.

The death with dignity bill is named after Israel, who is in hospice, and Moyer, who died in January. It has been introduced in both houses of the General Assembly, and Pendergrass says she is “very optimistic” that it will pass before the session adjourns for the year on April 13.

Other legislators feel support is lacking and the bill will probably be reintroduced next year, after more discussion among voters and legislators. The legislation is sponsored in the state Senate by Sen. Ronald Young (D-Frederick and Washington Counties).

The measure would allow adults, whose doctors have given them a prognosis of six months or less to live, to obtain a prescription that would induce their death. To qualify, the patient must submit a written request witnessed by two persons, at least one of whom is not a relative or in any way a benefactor

from the person’s death. The patient must also be able to self-administer the drugs

Who will it help?

In a poll of 600 Marylanders conducted

by Goucher College in February, respondents were asked if they support or oppose a policy with the same stipulations as the legislation. Sixty percent of respondents said they support the policy, and 35 percent opposed it.

Pendergrass said she feels the legislation is important for older adults. “I’m 65 years old, so this stage of life is sort of the last stage of life. We all know what comes, and the question is how. This gives people some control over how if they are really suffering.”

Pendergrass said that she anticipates the legislation would most help cancer patients because, unlike many patients with Parkinson’s or ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), they would be more likely to be able to self-administer the medication within six months of death.

“So this is not going to help everyone,” she said. “The people who might really need it, and whom I might really want to help, may not all benefit.”

Republican Gov. Larry Hogan said he is taking a serious look at the measure, and he hasn’t yet reached a decision.

“I’m kind of torn on the issue, because I’ve got some issues about, you know, help-

ing people terminate their lives, but I also understand that some people go through some very difficult times, and they’re suffering. I see both sides of the issue,’’ he told reporters.

Opponents’ concerns Critics contend it is nearly impossible to predict whether someone has six months or less to live. Opponents also say the bill does not require doctors to give patients a screening for depression before providing the prescription.

Del. John Cluster (R-Baltimore County) cited the example of his mother-in-law, who had severe intestinal disease and was advised to enter hospice by her doctor.

“Now four years later, we’re celebrating her 94th birthday. In that particular case, she may have taken the drug to end her life. She now has two great-grandkids, who would never have been able to see her,” Cluster said.

“The doctors aren’t God. They just can’t make those decisions.”

Former Baltimore Ravens football player O.J. Brigance, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2007, agrees. He testified against the legislation in a March hearing. He said that he has led some of the most productive years of his life while living with a challenging illness from which people generally die between two and five years after being diagnosed.

“The thought that there would be a legal avenue for an individual to take his or her own life in a moment of despair — robbing family, friends and society of their presence and contribution to society — deeply saddens me and is a tragedy,’’ Brigance testified, speaking with the help of a machine while sitting in a wheelchair.

At the hearing, Aris T. Allen Jr., the son of the former lawmaker who was elected the first black chairman of the Maryland Republican Party, recounted how his father shot himself while suffering from cancer in 1991.

“He would often say, ‘I want to die with my boots on.’ He being from Texas, I think you understood what he meant,” Allen testified. “As a medical doctor, he saw firsthand the pain and suffering of terminally ill persons, and that’s not how he wanted to die.”

Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington are the only states that currently have right-to-die measures in place. The issue received national attention last year when Brittany Maynard, a 29year-old Oregon woman diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, decided to take her own life with prescription drugs and used her scheduled death to advocate for greater acceptance of the idea.

For the full text of the proposed legislation, visit www.mgaleg.maryland.gov and enter bill #SB676.

Brian Witte writes for the Associated Press

White House aging forums call for action

By Matt Sedensky Amid a profound shift in America’s demographics, advocates for seniors pressed for changes on long-term care, retirement security and elder abuse as the White House launched a series of forums on aging.

The late February session in Tampa was the first of five nationwide that will mold the topics addressed later at the White House Conference on Aging — a once-a-decade meeting that has led to change on everything from senior housing to Social Security.

In opening panels, speakers focused on four key areas: ensuring that seniors have the financial means to sustain retirement; promoting healthy aging; providing longterm services and supports; and protecting older Americans from financial ex-

ploitation, abuse and neglect.

Participants representing government, academia and social service agencies also came with pet issues of their own, and closed-door afternoon meetings were expected to begin generating possible solutions.

Caregiving policy sought Geriatric social worker Monica Stynchula of St. Petersburg said she hopes for a national caregiver policy to supplement the Family and Medical Leave Act, which she called “grossly inadequate.”

“We need something that goes beyond that,” she said. “It’s happening in each of our families today. It’s just too important.”

The first White House Conference on Aging in 1961 helped lay groundwork for

Medicare, and featured addresses from President Dwight D. Eisenhower and President-Elect John F. Kennedy. Four succeeding conferences in the decades that followed led to other legislation affecting seniors and the creation of the Senate Special Committee on Aging.

This year’s events come as baby boomers — the 78 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 — are reaching eligibility for Social Security. But decades of stagnancy on key issues facing older adults and the perception of a paralyzed Congress left some participants skeptical about what change the White House conference could actually stir.

and professor at the University of South Florida at Sarasota-Manatee who attended the Tampa forum, said the conference might be more a symbolic gesture than an agent for change.

Aging advocates, she said, are not only dealing with a dysfunctional Washington, but a public skeptical of government overreach and a host of other national problems that garner more attention amid relatively austere budgets.

“I don’t have high expectations about what policy goals might be accomplished for older adults in the next decade,” Black said, “though the needs are great.”

However, Cecilia Munoz, director of the

Will Washington take heed?

Kathy Black, a geriatric social worker

See WHITE HOUSE, page 30

30

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A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

The ABCs of picking a Medigap policy

By Christopher J. Gearon People enrolling in traditional Medicare should buy a supplemental insurance policy to cover the substantial gaps left by deductibles and co-payments, according to consumer advocates.

But choosing a private Medigap plan can be daunting.

That’s what Joyce Katen discovered when she turned 65 last May. “I got so confused,” says Katen, a clothing manufacturing consultant in New York City. She turned to the Medicare Rights Center (www.medicarerights.org), a consumer group that helped her choose a policy among numerous offerings.

Like others approaching age 65, Katen first needed to decide how she’d protect herself against Medicare’s large coverage gaps. Most beneficiaries have two options.

They can go with a private Medicare Advantage plan, which covers all Medicare benefits, provides drug coverage and limits out-of-pocket costs. Or they can opt for traditional Medicare and buy a separate Medigap policy and a Part D prescriptiondrug plan.

For Katen, that decision was easy. Ad-

vantage plans restrict your selection of providers, and Katen said she wanted to be able to use any doctor she chooses, as traditional Medicare allows.

Filling in the gaps Then came the hard part for Katen: choosing a supplemental insurance policy.

Medigap policies are sold by private insurers in 10 standardized benefit designs, named A through N. With some exceptions, coverage and price generally increase as you move up the alphabet.

Plans C and F are held by a majority of the 9 million Medigap beneficiaries. Both pay the deductible for Medicare Part A, which covers hospital costs, and for Part B, which covers outpatient costs. The deductible for Part A is $1,260 for each benefit period in 2015, and the annual Part B deductible is $147. (Plans E, H, I and J are no longer sold, but if you hold one, you can continue to keep it in most cases.)

To figure out which policy is best for you, consider your “health status, family medical history and risk tolerance,” said Casey Schwarz, policy and client services counsel for the Medicare Rights Center.

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Healthier beneficiaries who rarely need medical care may be best suited for highdeductible plans. Plans K and L are highdeductible policies that have lower premiums but impose higher out-of-pocket costs. Plan F also offers a high-deductible version.

But new beneficiaries should not choose a plan based solely on their health today. As long as you buy a Medigap policy within six months of enrolling in Part B, an insurer cannot reject you or charge you more because of medical issues. However, if you become ill and want to switch to a plan with better coverage, an insurer can boost the cost or turn you down.

Katen decided to go with the fullyloaded Plan F. Katen, who is healthy, said she would rather pay more for comprehensive coverage and not worry about footing the bill if she gets sick.

“I can’t imagine not having the coverage,” Katen said. She pays UnitedHealthcare, which sells policies under the AARP name, a monthly premium of $261, in addition to the monthly $104.90 Part B premium she pays to Medicare.

Find a plan that fits your needs

White House

major legislation, simply to get people talking about the issues and debating solutions.

“We don’t always have to look to the president or our Congress to solve the problems that we have in our world,” said Rongel, founder of Encore Tampa Bay, which helps people transition into new jobs later in life. “We can look to our local communities, to our state government.”

Other forums are planned for Phoenix on March 31, Seattle on April 2, Cleveland on April 27, and Boston on May 28. A date for the formal White House meeting has not yet been set.

— AP

From page 29 White House Domestic Policy Council, said she believed the issues being raised could yield bipartisan support.

“These are issues that are very deeply personal as well as deeply nonpartisan,” she said. “The notion that we should be focused on things like retirement security, long-term care and healthy aging simply should be beyond partisan politics.”

Bevan Rogel of Tampa said the discussions are useful even if they don’t bring

Depending on the plans offered in your area, Plan N could be a middle ground for many healthy beneficiaries.

“Plan N provides very good coverage and is more affordable than Plan F,” said Ross Blair, senior vice president of eHealthMedicare.com, a division of online broker eHealth Inc. Plan N provides much of the same coverage as Plan F, but it doesn’t cover the $147 Part B deductible. It also charges a $20 co-payment for doctor visits and a $50 co-payment for emergency room visits that don’t result in hospital admissions.

In New York City, UnitedHealthcare offers a Part N plan for $178 a month, compared with Katen’s $261 premium for Plan F. Katen could still come out ahead with Plan N if she had two emergency room visits and 40 visits to the doctor.

Once you choose your plan category, it usually makes sense to go with the company offering the cheapest price for that plan.

Under federal law, all plans offered under the same letter must offer the same benefits.

See ABCs OF MEDIGAP, page 31

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

31

Some closed mutual funds are reopening

By Stan Choe The velvet rope is dropping in front of more mutual funds.

Some smaller corners of the market have stalled recently, even as the Standard & Poor’s 500 index closes in on its record high. That means some fund managers are once again welcoming new investors, after they had closed their funds years ago to new money.

More than a dozen mutual funds have reopened their doors over the last year, according to data compiled by Morningstar.

The number doesn’t include funds that have partially re-opened — those that still bar new entrants but allow longtime investors to add more money.

Why funds reopen

ABCs of Medigap

change over time, ask for a three- to fiveyear rate history for each policy you’re considering. Also ask for quotes as if you were age 70, 75 and 80.

Some insurers will offer discounts — for nonsmokers, for women and for those who hold several policies with the company, such as homeowners and auto insurance.

While companies in most states can conduct medical underwriting if you apply for a plan after the initial six months are over, there are some exceptions. You can buy Medigap coverage without underwriting if you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan and you move out of its service area, or if your insurer stops selling the Medigap plan you currently have.

Another exception is if your retiree health coverage from a former employer ends. And some states, such as New York, prohibit underwriting after the six-month period.

To compare policies in your area, visit www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan/questions/medigap-home.aspx. To get additional help, get in touch with your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program through www.shiptalk.org.

You’ll find rules in your state by visiting the website of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (www.naic.org). © 2015, Kiplinger. All Rights Reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Funds reopen to investors when they’re looking for new cash to invest. That usually comes after assets have shrunk because their corner of the market has broadly struggled or because the fund’s managers have made poor investment choices. In 2008, when the financial crisis sent global markets plunging, at least 46 mutual funds reopened to new investors.

The funds that have reopened over the last year cover a grab bag of categories, including natural resources and dividend-paying stocks. But more than a quarter of them focus on small-cap stocks, which hit a wall last year. Small-caps had their worst performance in 16 years relative to large-cap stocks.

“You look at the market as a cycle, and

From page 30 Prices for the same policy can vary widely, however. For example, annual Plan F premiums range from $1,752 to $3,768 in Rockville, Md., and from $2,472 to $6,552 in Miami.

Three pricing methods Besides checking the initial premium, ask the insurer which of the three pricing methods it uses for the plan you’re considering.

Attained-age pricing bases the premium on your age when you buy the policy, with rates rising as you grow older. Premiums can also increase because of inflation.

With issue-age pricing, the premium is based on the age at which you buy the policy (the younger you buy, the less expensive), and it will not change as you age, except for inflation.

Community-rated policies charge the same price to everyone regardless of age, and your annual premium can only increase for inflation.

“We would encourage going with a community-rated plan, with an issue-age plan being the next best thing,” Blair said. He compares attained-age policies to variablerate mortgages, which start off at a low price but can escalate considerably.

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there tend to be times to sow and times to reap,” said Buzz Zaino. He’s the lead portfolio manager of the Royce Opportunity fund, which has closed twice since 2003, when the small-cap market was hot and buying opportunities were scarce. It has also reopened twice, when the market was down and cheap stocks were easier to find.

Analysts generally see it as a sign of good stewardship if a fund closes before growing too large. A bigger pile of assets can mean more fees for fund managers, but it also forces them to use it. Stock pickers can run out of ideas they feel strongly about if they have too much cash.

Another danger for small-cap stock funds in particular is that a fund could build up too big a stake in a single stock, which makes selling later on more difficult.

An open and closed case study

silver analyst rating from Morningstar.

The fund closed to new investors in 2010 when a rush of interest was pushing its asset level higher. That’s because the fund easily beat competitors for three straight years through 2009 by focusing on high-quality, small-cap stocks that hold up better during downturns.

Since closing, assets for the Perkins Small Cap Value fund have shrunk to roughly $1.7 billion from a peak of close to $3.5 billion. Its investing style held it back in the years following the financial crisis, when low-quality stocks surged.

The fund lagged the average return for its category in 2010, 2012 and 2013. Then in 2014, small-cap stocks stalled due to worries they’d become too expensive relative to their earnings.

In mid-2014 the fund began considering reopening, said co-manager Justin Tug-

One of the latest funds to reopen is the Perkins Small Cap Value fund, which has a

See MUTUAL FUNDS, page 32

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Tech stocks soar in a strong resurgence

By Stan Choe Whenever you hear, “this time is different,” the wise move is usually to ignore it.

But when it comes to technology stocks, which are flying at levels unseen since the dot-com boom was about to go bust, mutual-fund managers are insisting that this time really is different. And they’re largely right.

The Nasdaq composite index is trading near its record level set in 2000, but the lofty level is better supported this time.

Tech companies are more profitable, and they’re paying dividends. Analysts are judging them based on how much cash they generate rather than how many eyeballs they attract on the Internet.

And investors are now only mildly interested in tech funds, instead of clamoring for them. That means fund managers don’t expect a repeat of what happened the last time the Nasdaq was this high, when the index went on to plunge nearly 80 percent in less than three years.

And strategists along Wall Street, from Goldman Sachs to Deutsche Bank, say technology remains one of the more attractive sectors of the market.

Check out big, older stocks To be sure, warning signs are flashing that the overall stock market may be too expensive. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index is trading at close to its highest level

in a decade relative to its earnings. And particularly high valuations for pockets of the tech sector are making bargain-hunting investors wince, such as the hot socialmedia and big-data arenas.

But fund managers say big, well-established tech stocks still look ready to deliver more gains.

Consider Paul Meeks, who may have more reason than anyone to steer clear. In 2000 he was running the Merrill Lynch Internet Strategies fund, which launched the same month that the Nasdaq peaked. The fund started with more than $1 billion in assets, but lasted less than two years before it merged with another fund as the dot-com bubble deflated.

“I learned from the lashes on my back, from making mistakes,” Meeks said.

He’s now portfolio manager of the Sextant Growth fund, which can invest in stocks from any sector, not just Internetrelated companies, and can sell stocks and move into cash if things look too expensive.

But Meeks still keeps a big chunk of his fund in technology stocks, about 25 percent at the end of last year. Some of his biggest holdings include Apple and Facebook. The fund ranked in the top 17 percent of its category in 2014, Meeks’ first full year at the helm.

Mutual funds

usually reopen only after struggling, whether that’s due to the market they focus on or their own missteps.

The best-case scenario may be the Tweedy, Browne Global Value fund. Since reopening in 2008, it has produced an annualized return of roughly 5.5 percent. Over the same time, the average foreign, large-cap value stock fund has lost 0.1 percent annually.

But it’s close to a flip of a coin as to whether the fund will outperform its peers.

Among 226 mutual funds that have reopened to new investors since 2000, 112 have gone on to do better than the average fund in their category. That’s almost exactly 50 percent.

Another consideration is that a newly reopened fund could close if it gets hot and assets run up again.

— AP

From page 31

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man. The slowdown for small-cap stocks meant that valuations were looking more attractive, and the fund’s managers saw more potential buying opportunities.

Another co-manager of the fund, Tom Reynolds, said that in the past six to nine months, the team has been analyzing 10 to 15 new stocks a week as potential purchases.

The fund reopened to new investors at the start of the year.

Is it a good idea to invest?

So, does it pay to invest in a newly reopened fund? One consideration is that it’s typically a contrarian investment. Funds

See TECH STOCKS, page 34

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Apr. 15

FINANCIAL LITERACY LUNCHEON

The Southwest Waterfront AARP Chapter #4751 presents a luncheon meeting on financial literacy at noon on Wednesday, April 15 in the Community Room at River Park Mutual Homes, located at 1311 Delaware Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. Speakers Eric Dibraccio, regional sales director at CUNA Mutual Group, and Nelson Thomas Turner III, vice president of wealth management at CUNA Brokerage Services, will discuss savings and investments. Current AARP members and new prospective members are welcome. The cost of lunch is $5. For more information, contact Betty Jean Tolbert Jones at bettyjeantolbertjones@yahoo.com or (202) 554-0901.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Plan ahead to avoid probate’s costs, delays Probate is a process by which property • A living trust. A living trust is a revois distributed to a decedent’s beneficiaries. cable trust, meaning you can change it at In most situations, it is time-consuming, of- any time while still living. You specify the fers no benefits, and can rebeneficiary of any assets in the sult in expensive, avoidable trust agreement, as you would legal expenses. in a will. After your death, the In probate, the will is filed assets go directly to your inherwith a local court; the deceitors without probate and withdent’s property is identified out a waiting period. You can and appraised; debts are paid; name alternate beneficiaries. challenges to the will’s validity Court challenges to living are adjudicated; and the retrusts are rare. It is generally maining assets are distributed more difficult to challenge a as the will specifies. living trust than a will in court.

THE SAVINGS Normally, probate takes GAME A living trust does not elimiapproximately up to a year, By Elliot Raphaelson nate the need for a will. Almost often longer. The executor no one transfers everything to a appointed in the will is retrust. Any assets not transferred sponsible for hiring a probate attorney, to your trust won’t pass under the terms of when required. the trust agreement. You can use a “pourEven with a modest estate, attorney fees over” will directing any remaining property can be substantial. Probate costs vary by be poured over into your living trust. state, but you can expect them to be apA disadvantage of the living trust is that proximately 5 percent of the value of prop- is more work, and more expensive, to creerty in the estate. ate and maintain than other probate-avoidance alternatives. Although it is the most Steering clear of probate flexible way to avoid probate, not everyone There are ways to avoid probate, and it’s needs one. Ask your attorney. in the interest of your heirs to investigate • Naming a beneficiary for your rethese options. An excellent source is 8 tirement accounts. When you establish a Ways to Avoid Probate (Nolo) by Mary Ran- retirement plan, you will be asked to name dolph, J.D. Here are a few strategies. beneficiaries (and optional alternative

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ones). You may change beneficiaries at any time up to your death. A will does not override beneficiary elections you make on these forms! Any beneficiary changes must be made on the forms associated with your retirement account. If you have a named beneficiary, the accounts will not go through probate.

• Payable-on-death accounts. Bank account assets, including certificates of deposit, can easily be kept out of probate by simply designating them as payable-ondeath and telling your bank the name of your intended beneficiary. Your beneficiary will have immediate access to the funds after your death.

The only disadvantage is that you can’t

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name an alternate beneficiary. So if your original beneficiary dies, advise your bank to change the beneficiary.

• Transfer-on-death registration for stocks and bonds. Unless you live in Louisiana or Texas, you can name someone to inherit your stocks, bonds or brokerage accounts without probate.

• Property held in joint ownership.

The following ways to own property in joint ownership avoid probate: joint tenancy with right of survivorship; tenancy by the entirety; and community property with right of survivorship (applicable only in five states). Ask your attorney for advice. © 2015 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed

By Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Tech stocks From page 32

It’s not the year 2000 Among the reasons managers say tech is much better positioned now than in 2000: Profits are bigger.

Tech companies slashed costs to improve profitability after the dot-com bubble burst. “Tech spent the better part of the last decade in its own private recession,”

said Josh Spencer, portfolio manager of the T. Rowe Price Global Technology fund.

“Tech frankly kind of grew up while nobody was looking at it.”

The sector is reaping the benefits. Tech companies kept about 18 cents of every $1 in revenue as operating profit last year, more than any other sector and nearly double the average for the S&P 500.

Valuations are better.

The price of a stock generally depends

BEACON BITS

Apr. 28

CYBER SECURITY

Arlington County presents a talk on cyber security led by tech specialist David Jordan on Tuesday, April 28 from 11 a.m. to noon. at the Langston-Brown Senior Center, 2121 N. Culpepper St., Arlington, Va. Daily lives, economic vitality and national security depend on a stable, safe and resilient cyberspace. Learn how to protect yourself. For more information, call (703) 228-7369.

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A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

on how much profit a company generates and how much investors will pay for it. Because tech companies are earning much more now than in 2000, their price-earnings ratios look much more reasonable.

Cisco Systems, for example, trades at 18 times its earnings per share over the last 12 months, versus 270 times in March 2000.

As a group, technology stocks are among the least expensive in the market. Only the telecom and financial sectors have lower prices relative to their expected earnings.

Dividends exist.

In 2000, dividends were seen as a sign of weakness. Investors wanted all available cash to fund more growth. Perceptions have changed. Technology is now the biggest dividend payer of the 10 sectors that make up the S&P 500, and has a yield of 1.5 percent.

Investors are more skeptical.

In 2000, investors scrambled into tech stock funds, and the demand pushed valu-

ations ever higher. Investors are now more circumspect. They put a net $1.8 billion into tech mutual funds and exchange-traded funds over the last year, according to Morningstar. That’s less than went into such niche categories as global real estate or gold mining stocks.

Of course, the growth potential that technology stocks offer also comes with big price swings. New technologies are constantly making older ones obsolete, leading to more volatility.

During the dot-com bubble, people were too exposed to something that should have been a sideline to their portfolio rather than the core, said Meeks, who said he, too, lost money when the Merrill Lynch Internet Strategies fund fell.

That’s why managers suggest keeping tech stocks as only a portion of a diversified portfolio, not as its centerpiece.

— AP

BEACON BITS

Apr. 28

HOW TO MANAGE MONEY Fairfax County presents “Money Management Tips and Tools for Caregivers” on Tuesday, April 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Learn how to

handle the unique money management challenges associated with being a caregiver while keeping your finances organized at the same time. This event will take place at Herndon Fortnightly Library, located at 768 Center St., Herndon, Va. For more information or to register, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/OlderAdults or call (703) 324-5205, TTY 711.

Did you know?

You may qualify for assistance in paying your home phone bill. Discounts for basic telephone service are available to eligible District of Columbia low-income residents.

Verizon Washington, D.C. Lifeline Plans: Verizon Washington, D.C.’s Lifeline service, known as “Economy II,” offers reduced rates on Verizon’s monthly telephone bill and one-time discounts on the cost of installing phone service. Additionally, toll blocking is available to Economy II customers at no charge.

Economy II Service*: $3.00 per month for unlimited local calling. Value-added services are not included (e.g., Call Waiting, Caller ID). No connection charges apply. Also, customers will not be charged for the federal subscriber line charge. Economy II customers who are 65 years of age or older can have this service at a further reduced rate of $1.00 per month.

• Full terms and rates for these services, including terms of eligibility, are as set forth in federal and in Verizon’s tariffs on file with the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia.

All rates, terms and conditions included in this notice are subject to change and are current at the time of printing.

Contact Washington, DC Lifeline Program at 1-800-253-0846 to apply To learn more about the Lifeline program, visit www.lifelinesupport.org.

Economy II is a Lifeline supported service. Lifeline is a government assistance program. Only eligible consumers may enroll. You may qualify for Lifeline service if you can show proof that you participate in certain government assistance programs or your annual income (gross and from all sources) is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guideline. If you qualify based on income, you will be required to provide income verification. Proof of participation in a government assistance program requires your current or prior year’s statement of benefits from a qualifying state or federal program; a notice letter or other official document indicating your participation in such a program; and/or another program participation document (for example, benefit card). Proof of income requires your prior year’s state or federal tax return; current income statement from an employer or paycheck stub; a statement of Social Security, Veterans Administration, retirement, pension, or Unemployment or Workmen’s Compensation benefits; a federal notice letter of participation in General Assistance; a divorce decree; a child support award; and/or another official document containing income information. At least three months of data is necessary when showing proof of income. In addition, the Lifeline program is limited to one discount per household, consisting of either wireline or wireless service. You are required to certify and agree that no other member of the household is receiving Lifeline service from Verizon or another communications provider. Lifeline service is a non-transferable benefit. Lifeline customers may not subscribe to certain other services, including other local telephone service. Consumers who willfully make false statements in order to obtain the Lifeline benefit can be punished by fine or imprisonment, or can be barred from the program.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A P R I L 2 0 1 5

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A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Travel Leisure &

Cruise ships are adding features, such as bumper cars on Royal Caribbean, to draw younger passengers. See story on page 39.

Crossing the Atlantic in style on the QM2 draped at least one sunset sky.

There were sunny days and foggy days, rainy days and windy days, as the ship sailed on with just a slight rumbling sway beneath our feet.

A winter crossing could be a bit rockier.

Still, a New York Times article noted that the North Atlantic’s “heaving beauty is mesmerizing. It’s a volcano of sorts.”

While there were some young families aboard, seniors predominated on our crossing. Some had to traverse the decks and enter the dining areas, bars and theaters using walkers or in wheelchairs. But they all seemed to get around.

Donna and I prefer being devoured by a good book, watching movies and just walking, rather than heavy socializing. We had plenty of opportunities for those pastimes. The QM2 library is the largest at sea (over 8,000 books) and the ship’s Illuminations Theater not only shows movies afternoons and evenings, but also houses the world’s only floating planetarium.

We rounded the promenade deck every morning after breakfast three times, equal to about a mile — and took long treks to find our way around the ship’s 14 decks.

We also lounged on padded deck chairs, taking in the sun when it shone and the salty smell of the wind off the sea while reading our books

PHOTO COURTESY OF CUNARD

By Robert Friedman Aboard the Queen Mary 2, Roger McGuinn, former leadman of the Byrds, sings a shanty of tough and tender times at sea. Then we adjourn to the ship’s ballroom for a white-gloved serving of afternoon tea, finger sandwiches and scones with clotted cream, while a young woman with long tresses strums the harp.

It’s a small part of another day aboard the Cunard line’s 14-deck, 1,130-foot long, 148,528-ton flagship during an eight-night, seven-day transatlantic crossing from New York to Southampton, England. The QM2 is the only passenger liner that still makes regularly scheduled crossings, from May to January.

Departing at 5 p.m. from a new pier in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn (today’s humongous cruise ships no longer fit comfortably beside the Manhattan docks), the liner carried a near-capacity 2,382 passengers and a crew of some 1,200 — a 1-to-2 crew-to-passenger ratio.

This wasn’t my first Atlantic crossing, but it was for Donna, my companion, and I could glimpse in her eyes the awesome wonder of an initial crossing.

Since it was summer, the sea was mostly calm, but the wind still whipped up little sudsy caps as we cut through the true blue, and a huge reddish-copper sheet

PHOTO COURTESY OF CUNARD

Most Queen Mary 2 passengers dine in the multi-level Britanna Restaurant, where dinner entrees include roast duck à l’orange and broiled lobster tail, shrimp & scallop feuillantine.

The Queen Mary 2 departs for the seven-day trans-Atlantic crossing from New York to Southampton, England. It is the only passenger ship that still makes regularly scheduled crossings between the major world ports.

Activity bonanza But other onboard activities were so varied and numerous, you just had to attend at least a few.

For Donna, daily watercolor painting classes returned her to a love of making art that had been interrupted over the years for life’s mundane necessities, like making a living and raising a family.

I actually found myself Lindy hopping part of one night away to “In the Mood” and other swing classics, played by the ship’s big band in the Queen’s Room, which the QM2 says has the largest dance floor in what is, of course, the biggest ballroom at sea.

And still the activities — more classic folk-rock music by McGuinn; Q&A sessions with former Star Trek helmsman George Takei; a one-hour breeze-through of Hamlet by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art; jazz sessions by Julliard School faculty and students; lectures on the lives and times of Hollywood icons Cary Grant, Judy Garland and Bette Davis, with snippets from their films; cornball show-biz revues; a sublimely silly parade of female passengers in their best, and worst, hats for the Royal Ascot Ball — and on and on till the midnight hour nightly.

Bars galore, five swimming pools, a health spa, hot tubs, a casino, and all sorts of meet-up groups — coffee klatches for lone travelers; Alcoholics Anonymous gatherings; get-togethers of Friends of Dorothy LGBT (supposedly named after gay idol Judy Garland’s Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz).

Some 30 passengers, all male, were shooting the breeze and downing cocktails at one very informal Friends of Dorothy meeting. Paul, an apparently successful middle-aged businessman from Palm Springs, Calif., said he frequently takes cruises and ocean crossings with his husband. He said that several women have attended the once semi-secret, now-ubiquitous Friends of Dorothy get-togethers on most of these cruises.

Paul introduced me to his husband Phil, also a prosperous looking near-senior, “We’ve been together 24 years,” said Paul, “and last year, finally, we were allowed to get married.”

Dining choices abound While relatively few of the Downton Abbey crowd had exclusive rights to a couSee QM2, page 37

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

QM2 From page 36 ple of fancy dining rooms, the vast majority of passengers dined in the double-deck Britannia Restaurant, where the waiters snapped napkins onto your lap as soon as you were seated.

There were also specialty restaurants (all Asian, all Indian, all Italian, one operated by celeb chef Todd English) for an extra $10 to $30 per meal. You had to buy your own wine, and you could order it at the table or press the “wine line” button on your cabin phone and discuss your choice with a sommelier.

The food and the service were mostly first-class. There were two dinner sittings, at 6 and 8:30 p.m. Donna and I chose the later one. We appeared in the Britannia mostly only for dinner, since we got up too late for the restaurant’s breakfast, which ended at 9:30 a.m. Turning ahead the clock by one hour at noon on five days also messed with meal hours.

But no problem. If you missed a Britannia meal, the Kings Court, a busy cafeteria, served breakfast from 4 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. You did suffer the indignity of having to tote your tray to a table. Lunch could also be picked up there until 3:30 p.m., just about when tea time kicked in at the Queen’s Room.

Whenever you entered a dining area, a bottle of Purell was at the door, and in the first two or three days, an attendant gave your hands an extra spritz. That was to keep at bay the feared, highly contagious norovirus that has spread among cruise passengers on several recent, highly publicized occasions.

When Jack and Sylvia, our dinner companions from Sarasota, Fla., found out that Donna and I were from the D.C.-area, much political talk followed. It was lefties (us) against righties (them).

Jack, a Dick Cheney lookalike, jokingly dubbed us “limousine liberals” (my 1995 Toyota Camry would be thrilled by the upgrade), and we pronounced Sylvia and Jack to the right of Rush Limbaugh.

But guess what? We actually got along, laughing a lot during meals and finding deeper truths about one another than the political corners we often push one another into.

Note to Congress: It’s not that difficult.

All you have to do is eat, drink and laugh together as you glimpse the sea sweeping by through the bay windows.

At one lunch, we met Tony, a middleaged Londoner, who told us with a Michael Caine accent that he was now spending much of his time attending lectures and enrolling in classes. “I just finished studying about 19th century British colonialism in Southeast Asia,” he said proudly.

When I told him I had lived in Puerto Rico, and that many people there believe the island is a U.S. colony, Tony responded: “Six a one, ‘alf dozen of the other.”

The large majority of the passengers were Brits and Americans, but there were also hundreds of Germans aboard, since the QM2 docked at Hamburg after its stop at Southampton. While most of the Brits and Germans were going home after touring the U.S., for many of the Americans, the crossing was the first leg of a European visit.

Our tablemates were sailing to Hamburg, where they would rent a car, drive to Switzerland, then to France and possibly Venice. “Time is not of the essence,” said Jack, who just turned 70. “What’s most important is relaxing and enjoying ourselves while we travel.”

A relative bargain Donna and I, both members of the shrinking middle class, didn’t have to go into hock to make the trip. I found a great

deal less than three weeks before the ship sailed — $699 for each of us — less than $100 a day for transportation to Europe, an inside “stateroom,” entertainment (except for drinks), and food, food and food. There were even free launderettes on the cabin decks.

Donna and I were ready for a vacation and, remembering the good old days on ocean liners, I looked up online “transatlantic crossings.” The bargain fare was offered by Vacations to Go, a Houston-based travel agency. A couple of e-mails and we were set to go. For another $40 per passenger, we booked with the agency bus fare

from Southampton to London, a two-hour ride. The bus was waiting at the dock.

Our 157-square-foot QM2 cabin was the least expensive type on the liner, whose other accommodations with balconies and even duplex suites could range into the thousands of dollars per passenger.

We had a double bed, work table, TV, telephone, small fridge, and ample closet space, already stocked with bathrobes and slippers. Not too much drawer space.

Bathroom and shower, of course. For seven days, it was cozy and livable, espeSee QM2, page 38

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QM2

Please tell our advertisers, “I saw you in the Beacon!”

From page 37 cially if you didn’t pack too much, which you shouldn’t.

Figuring out the attire For the men, a suit and a sports jacket should do, along with everyday wear, depending on the season. Since most of the trip is through the North Atlantic, a sweater and windbreaker are advisable, even in high summer.

For women — well, how dressy do you want to get in the evenings? The QM2’s suggested dress code is probably the most formal at sea. It is dressier than a cruise in, say, the Caribbean.

During the day, people were in casual clothes, including jeans and shorts. But at 6 p.m., the dress code kicked in. While there were no fashion police around to cite you for being under-dressed, most of the passengers got spiffed up for dinner.

How veddy British was the trip? Well, there were four formal dress nights on our eight-night crossing, meaning floor-length or cocktail dresses for the women and either tux or dark suit-and-tie for the men.

On the other nights, guys had to wear jackets but could go tieless. If you wanted to go tieless and jacketless on any night, you had to dine cafeteria-style.

Just about all of the room stewards and much of the restaurant staff were from the

Philippines. Jose, our cabin guy, said we should call him Joe. Juan, one of our waiters, introduced himself as Johnny.

Internet service was available for passengers in a computer lounge. It was pretty pricey. There were time plans ranging from $47.95 for 120 minutes to $167.95 for 480 minutes. You could also pay as you go, 75 cents a minute, which may be OK if you just want to say a quick hello to the family.

But if you can’t remain Internet free for the week (unfortunately, who can?) I suggest the 120-minute plan. We paid as we went, and didn’t seem to be on line that long, but wound up with a $70 bill.

I was able to receive and make calls on my smartphone for $2.49 a minute.

When you get the feeling, as you will at times, that you are in a floating luxury resort, find a quiet place on a forward deck where you can smell the ocean, feel the wind on your face, and view the parting waves, the flaking whitecaps, the endless sea. You’ll get a sense of the journey — one of life’s pleasures, unavailable on today’s cramped, time-warping jet flights.

Currently, the lowest price listed on Cunard’s website for the crossing is $999 for an inside cabin. (Last-minute specials like ours may be available if you wait until shortly before sailing and search online.)

For reservations and more information from Cunard, call 1-800-728-6273 or see www.cunard.com.

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39

Cruises work to wow with robots and snow

By Beth J. Harpaz Snow rooms, better Wi-Fi and a continued emphasis on specialty food and drink are some of the trends for cruising in the next year or two.

The industry that put skating rinks and waterslides on ships keeps “coming up with funky, cool things — that wow factor,’’ said Fran Golden, who writes for Porthole.com and USA Today’s Experience Cruise site.

New ships Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas debuts in April with the same innovations that made a splash at last year’s launch of its sister ship, Quantum of the Seas: robot bartenders, simulated skydiving, bumper cars, and an observation capsule rising high above the sea.

Norwegian Escape arrives in Miami in November with a snow room offering freezing temperatures for post-sauna invigoration. The ship’s showcase food and drink includes a Margaritaville restaurant, Mondavi-brand wine bar, craft beer from Miami’s Wynwood Brewing, and restaurants offering tapas and Latin seafood from celebrity chef Jose Garces.

Viking, the company known for river cruises, is introducing an oceangoing vessel, Viking Star. With a capacity of 928, it’s small compared with megaships carrying 4,000, but Viking says it will be destination-oriented, with more time in port around the Mediterranean, Western Europe and Nordic region. All-inclusive prices will cover shore excursions, Wi-Fi, self-service laundry, wine, beer and specialty restaurants.

Looking ahead to 2016, Carnival will launch its first new ship in four years, Carnival Vista, with the first IMAX theater at sea and two new thrill attractions: a 455foot-long multicolored tube slide called a Kaleid-o-Slide, and SkyRide — a cycling ride suspended from a track. A Family Harbor area offers more family accommodation options, and a lounge hangout with largescreen TVs, games and concierge desk.

Regent Seven Seas’ new Explorer ship, also debuting in 2016, will have one of the largest and priciest suites ever offered at sea. The $5,000-a-night, per person, Regent Suite will be 3,875 square feet, with grand piano and private spa.

Itineraries and events Disney Cruise Line brings Frozen to sea next summer with themed deck parties,

character meet-and-greets, menus and performances on select sailings. Disney Magic itineraries include the Norwegian fjords that inspired the hit movie.

Cunard marks 175 years since its first ship Britannia crossed from England to North America. Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 departs Liverpool on the same route July 4, the date Britannia departed in 1840.

All 2015 Cunard sailings will host anniversary events, such as themed balls. In May, all three Cunard ships — Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria — will rendezvous for celebrations in Southampton and Liverpool.

An emerging trend identified by CruiseCritic.com editor Carolyn Spencer Brown is expedition, or soft-adventure, cruising to places like the Amazon.

Land-based tour companies like Lindblad have long offered voyages to exotic destinations, such as Antarctica and the Galapagos. But now luxury cruise companies like Silversea and Seabourn are getting into the business.

“That means the comfort level and sophistication level is going to rise, with more food options, cabins with balconies and suite accommodations,’’ said Spencer Brown, who recently cruised the Peruvian Amazon. “You won’t have to give up the comforts of home to do these trips.’’

Cruise Market Watch says per-person, per-day expenditures on 2015 cruises will average $222, including ticket price and onboard spending. That’s a 3.5 percent increase over 2014.

But there are still bargains. CruiseCompete.com has a webpage devoted to cruises under $300, including three-night trips on Golden Princess and Carnival Imagination starting in California with stops in Mexico.

Bob Levinstein, CEO of CruiseCompete.com, advises “the absolute best deals are going to be last-minute.’’ That doesn’t mean the week before the cruise, but six or seven weeks out, after final payments are due for advance bookings. Last-minute deals work best for folks with flexible schedules who can drive to ports so they don’t need plane tickets, Levinstein said.

Bargain cruises are especially prevalent in the Caribbean and Mexico due to an oversupply in the region, especially among “older and less attractive ships,’’ according to Rich Skinner, co-owner of Cruise Holidays of Woodinville, a Vacations.com brand.

But Skinner also sees “significant increases to both Europe and Alaska prices.’’

And some cruises now have “value-added’’ prices where you pay more but get more included, like alcohol, gratuities or Wi-Fi.

Food and fitness Many cruise lines have partnered with famous chefs to appeal “to a foodie audience,’’ said Golden, of Porthole.com. Often the name-brand venues onboard are specialty restaurants, so you pay extra, but still less than what it costs to eat at the chef’s land-based restaurant. (An exception, Golden notes: Guy Fieri’s burgers are free on Carnival ships.)

Cruises are also offering more intense

fitness options, said Levinstein, like Norwegian Fight Klub, a cardio boxing program. People who are into fitness are wary of cruising “because you eat all the time on a ship,’’ Levinstein said. Cruise lines can overcome those concerns with innovative ways to spend time at sea getting in shape instead of putting on weight.

Wi-Fi on cruises has been expensive and slow, but “there’s definitely a big push to improve,’’ Levinstein said, especially on Royal Caribbean and Carnival. Carnival is piloting a social media package, with access to sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, for $5 daily or $25 per voyage. You pay more for email, web-surfing or Skype.

— AP

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

41

Consider third-party rental car insurance “Don’t buy the rental company’s grossly age — primary coverage — is available overpriced collision damage waiver (CDW); from third-party agencies at a far lower cost than the amounts rental cominstead, rely on the coverage panies charge. you get for no extra cost In response, I heard about a through your credit card.” driver who faced the foreign For decades, that’s been rental problem, and instead of the mantra of most travel writbuying Super CDW for more ers. It’s still the best overall than $200 a week, bought a approach for most travelers — third-party policy from Protect but not for all, and not always.

Your Bubble (protecctyourYes, almost all American bubble.com) for $7.99 a day.

Express, Diners Club and Visa Sure enough, he put a scrape cards still cover damage to a TRAVEL TIPS on the car. When he returned rental car, as do many MasterBy Ed Perkins it, the agent added 621 euros Card and Discover cards. But sometimes you either don’t want to — or to his bill — 580 euros for the repairs and a can’t — rely on your credit card’s coverage: 41 euro “administrative charge.”

When he got home, he downloaded a Most credit card collision coverage is secondary, meaning it pays only what you can’t claims form, scanned all the relevant docufirst recover from other insurance, and you ments, and emailed it back to Protect Your may not want to risk a big hit on your regu- Bubble. In about two weeks, he received a check covering the 580-euro repair charge lar auto insurance for damage to a rental.

Secondary coverage means you may in full but not the administration fee.

His conclusion: Fair enough — Protect have to pay the full amount of damage up Your Bubble came through without any front and claim reimbursement later.

Most credit card coverage requires that hassle and was a far better deal than the you decline the rental company’s CDW, but rental company’s Super CDW. The only irbase rates for rentals in some foreign coun- ritation was that initial hit on his credit tries include some CDW, which you cannot card; the claims process was painless. decline. That CDW has a high deductible, however, and some credit card issuers re- Other options fuse to cover it because you didn’t decline it.

Protect Your Bubble isn’t the only Rental companies sell “Super CDW” to source for low-cost third-party rental car cover the deductible, but at very stiff prices. coverage: The basic problem here is that rental • Some comprehensive travel insurance companies grossly overcharge for colli- bundles include an add-on CDW option. sion coverage. Typically, you pay at least • CSA Travel Protection sells $35,000 of $15 a day, and often up to $30 a day — collision-only coverage for $9 a day sometimes even more than the base rental through TripInsuranceStore.com. rate. It’s a huge profit center for them.

• When you rent from a big online travel agency (OTA) such as Expedia or Priceline, A cheaper choice these days the agency typically offers its own I recently reported that collision cover- primary CDW option for around $10 a day.

BEACON BITS

June. 24

RESORT AND PLAYHOUSE DAYTRIP

Southwest Waterfront AARP Chapter presents a daytrip to Allenberry Resort & Playhouse in Boiling Springs, Pa., on Wednesday, Jun. 24 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The $80 cost includes round-trip motor coach, buffet luncheon, dessert and beverages, and a ticket to see the musical Damn Yankees. All proceeds will benefit the SWWF AARP Chapter’s Educational Awards and Scholarship Program. To register, mail checks to Inez Davis, #3 16th St. NE, Washington, D.C. For more information, contact Inez Davis at (202) 5442313 or Betty Jean Tolbert Jones at (202) 554-0901.

• Auto Europe quotes rates with and without no-deductible CDW. In Italy, for example, the price difference is $48 a week for a compact car.

• Another independent company, Insure My Rental Car (insuremyrentalcar.com) quotes zero-deductible coverage at $32 a week or $114 per year, but coverage is only $25,000, which may not be enough in a bad collision. That agency offers an alternative of an annual policy, for a tad under $100 a year.

• UK-based Worldwide Insure (worldwideinsure.com) offers an alternative for Super CDW in Europe for 15 pounds (about $24) for a week or 38 pounds annually to travelers age 25 to 84.

The take-away here is straightforward.

If you can accept secondary coverage, and it covers you fully, your credit card remains the lowest-cost way to protect yourself against big damage claims.

But if, for any reason, you want primary coverage, or your credit card doesn’t offer complete coverage, third-party collision coverage can protect you against damage claims for far less than the rental car companies charge.

Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. Perkins’ new book for small business and independent professionals, “Business Travel When It’s Your Money,” is now available through www.mybusinesstravel.com or www.amazon.com.

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A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Style Arts &

Jewelry that qualifies as art will be among many handmade objets d’art at the Smithsonian Craft show this month. See story on page 43.

Civil War musical aims to please too well es, together with song lyrics and monologues based on the letters of a variety of people making their way through this horrific period of clashing creeds, cultures and cash.

There are worthwhile moments here, things to appreciate. But the production is hampered in both design and execution.

Young, earnest cast Directed by Tony nominee Jeff Calhoun, who also directed The Civil War, this is an achingly earnest production. The cast is on the young side, with a few veterans of local stages mixed in, and they are so eager to please that some of the grit of the subject matter is worn away.

It doesn’t help that much of the music is blandly pop, rather than period, played loudly to compensate for the lack of evocation of the time and place of the subject matter.

Oh, there are occasional flashes of the period — an old-sounding fiddle passage here or there. But not nearly enough. The 21 performers do showcase impressive singing talent — transcendent in a few songs, but otherwise underutilized in a

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By Michael Toscano The temptation to begin this review with the old adage about not learning from history and thus being doomed to repeat it is overwhelming.

The history in question is not the Civil War, even though the show is titled, Freedom’s Song: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. No, at issue is the history of producers and writers who set out to amend or improve a show, but end up making the same mistakes as the original team.

The show, onstage at Ford’s Theatre through May 20, has dramatically moving moments and a few stirring songs, but is diminished by some indistinguishable tunes and ridiculously misplaced political correctness.

This substantially sung-through history journey is a re-worked and abbreviated version of the sprawling show The Civil War, which Ford’s presented half a dozen years ago. It is part of the special series of shows and events the theatre has created for the 150th anniversary of President Lincoln’s assassination.

Like the original, it features Lincoln’s words from texts of his letters and speech-

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Freedom’s Song: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War, at Ford’s Theatre through May 20, focuses on the War Between the States as seen through the eyes of everyday people, from soldiers to slaves. The musical is part of a series of programs created to observe the 150th anniversary of President Lincoln’s assassination, which took place on April 15, 1865.

haze of notes and decibels.

Early in act one, the double song “By the Sword/Sons of Dixie” is a stirring anthem, as the company raises the fever and heat of war to a high pitch. That leads to “The Peculiar Institution,” as the company continues working magic and curdles that raised blood with the horror of the lash on flesh.

“Candle in the Window” is a pop tune sung with the power of gospel voices. In “Freedom’s Child,” Kevin McAllister, as a fugitive slave, leads the company with a brawny bass that commands rapt attention and then rises to soft emotion as this runaway black man tries to find his place and his pride in a new world.

“The Last Waltz for Dixie” is, perhaps appropriately, a modern country number meant as a paean to the Lost Cause. It’s pleasant enough, even if one doesn’t mourn the Cause.

Odd choices Calhoun has his cast smoothly utilize all of the stage, with scenic designer Tobin Ost’s striking set featuring a stylized shell representing Lincoln’s office. The actors move about efficiently in the otherwise sparsely decorated space, changing roles and costumes.

But the director undermines some of the seriousness of the enterprise by turning Lincoln’s hat into a silly fetish. It’s one thing to see the stovepipe hanging atop a long black coat, or occupying a corner of a desk-table. That identifies the space as Lincoln’s and is poignantly evocative.

But it is quite another thing to see actors cast adoring eyes in its direction, or take the thing in their hands, fondling it as a silly-shaped talisman while speaking the See FREEDOM’S SONG, page 44

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

43

Bethesda artisan crafts fine arts jewelry

By Rebekah Sewell Namu Cho grew up in Seoul, South Korea, after the Korean War. The war had devastated the economy, and many families were torn apart by the conflict. There were heavy casualties on both sides.

While some may say he had an unfortunate childhood, Cho, now 59, managed to find his way. Though the war left poverty and desperation in its wake, and tensions were still very high, Cho found the bleak

situation gave him a certain freedom to explore his passions and discover what he wanted to do with his life.

“I didn’t care much for my studies or my future, because there wasn’t much hope for anyone in my situation. I wasn’t pressured much into studying, so I had a very free mind and spirit,” he explained. This allowed him to explore his creative side through wood carving and making things with his hands.

PHOTO BY REBEKAH SEWELL

Namu Cho’s fine jewelry designs are inspired by nature. The Bethesda-based artisan is the only local resident chosen to exhibit in this year’s juried Smithsonian Craft Show, to be held April 23 to 26 at the National Building Museum.

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Cho eventually decided to attend Kook Min University in Seoul, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. He later earned a Master’s from the same institution.

At the university, he learned many technical skills, but now says he didn’t get to explore conceptual approaches to art. Cho realized that attending a school abroad might help round out his education.

He was eventually admitted to Bowling Green State University in Ohio, where he earned another Master of Fine Arts degree in 1984. There he flourished and worked with other “like-minded artists,” he said.

Finding his unique style Cho returned to South Korea after finishing his degree. At first, he struggled to

make a name for himself as an artist.

“It was hard for me to survive in Korea [at first], because I had no famous background. I was a young artist, and no one knew about me,” he said.

Fortunately, his unique approach to art soon became more recognizable. For many years, Cho’s passion was “making large, sculptural objects.” His private studio is filled with his creations — often drawing on nature as an inspiration — from his front door featuring hand-carved eagles to a tall hammered copper chair.

His work was highly influenced by the natural world and his Korean heritage.

Cho’s main focus had always been jewelSee FINE JEWELRY, page 45

44

Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Freedom’s Song From page 42 great man’s words.

And on the subject of iconic imagery, it was quite jarring for me to see the bold colors of the Confederate Stars and Bars battle flag ostentatiously displayed just below the box where Lincoln was shot. Really? Right there?

Those are quibbles, though, when compared to the major structural fault of the original material, which the adaptors have not repaired and may have aggravated.

Too politically correct?

You see, this is a Civil War with three sides: the North, the South, and the slaves.

The North and the South, as depicted here, are two morally equal entities. It’s oh-so-sad, this war, and soldiers and families alike suffer horribly, regardless of their loyalties.

Yet, it is all oddly divorced from political and social reality. The slaves are seen as a

distinctly separate unit, not really attached to one side or the other, but nevertheless vitally interested in the outcome.

It is an exercise in the silliest of political correctness, as the writers seem afraid to remind us that some of these people put their lives on the line in defense of a system keeping other people in perpetual and brutal bondage for their own comfort and profit. You will forgive me if I don’t see a moral equivalence between the two sides, regardless of some of the less-than-lofty motives of some of the warriors in blue.

True, factors other than slavery were involved above and below the Mason-Dixon Line — including cultural affinity for one’s region and economic self-interest. But all we get here is some yearning for the genteel and courtly Old South from the boys and men in gray.

Lincoln’s words speak to the cause of the Union, but we don’t really see why those in the north followed him. In fact, the only sentiment we get from a combatant on ei-

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

ther side related to slavery is from a Union soldier who says he’s not really interested in laying down his life on behalf of slaves.

While that sentiment is historically accurate for many, its inclusion here as the sole reference to the subject is oddly unbalanced.

Kudos to lighting designer Michael Gilliam and projection designer David Budries, who do marvelous work creating dazzling imagery, never more so than in “How Many Devils,” as the steadily increasing death count of the war is made palpable. As the soldiers sing in mounting step-by-step cadence, the drum beating, the numbers projected onto the stage tell a staggeringly horrifying tale of spilled blood and death.

The numbers move in and out and eventually overwhelm the senses.

At a trim 90 minutes, the new Freedom’s Song has a few exciting songs, and several moving moments. But even though his name is in the title, the Lincoln we see here is only the man in the Memorial — a figure in stone for the ages.

His words are recited in stentorian tones, not the pitches and accents of a wily lawyer and master politician with the soul of a poet. It’s not about him, really, and by avoiding some unpleasant realities, it’s not really about us, either.

Show times and prices Freedom’s Song: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War continues through May 20 at Ford’s Theatre, 511 Tenth St. NW, Washington.

Show times: Mondays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. (except April 6, 13 and 14); Fridays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. (except May 1 and 8). Additional weekday matinees at 2 p.m. on May 1 and 8.

There will be audio-described performances on Tuesday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 2 at 2 p.m. A captioned performance is scheduled for Saturday, May 9 at 2 p.m., and a sign-interpreted performance will occur Thursday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets range from $20 to $69. Patrons 60 and older may purchase discounted tickets to weekday and weekend matinees in the premium orchestra and rear orchestra. The weekday matinee discounted price is $30; $40 on weekends.

Tickets are available at www.fords.org and via Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787.

Ford’s Theatre is accessible to persons with disabilities, offering wheelchair-accessible seating and restrooms, as well as audio enhancement.

For information, call (202) 347-4833. For information and tickets, visit www.fords.org.

BEACON BITS

Apr. 12+

LIBRARY BOOK SALE

The “Friends” of the William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Neighborhood Library presents a spring Book Sale on Saturday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, April 19 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the Lockridge/Bellevue Library, located at 115 Atlantic St. SW, Washington, D.C. All proceeds from the sale go directly to supporting programming and equipment needs at the library. Books will be discounted and most will cost $2 or less. For more information, call (202) 561-8611.

Apr. 10

BEST COMPANIES FOR OLDER WORKERS

Nominate a company for the Experience Counts Award, which recognizes best practices of employers in Montgomery County that bring skills and diversity to their workforce by hiring workers 55 and older.

The awards are sponsored by Montgomery County’s Dept. of Economic Development, the Workforce Investment Board and the Jewish Council for the Aging. The award’s deadline has been extended to April 10. Nominations are available online at MoCoExperienceCounts.com. Send questions, and nominations to ECAwards@MoCoExperienceCounts.com.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Fine jewelry From page 43 ry design and craftsmanship. However, he frequently experimented with new techniques, and enjoyed dabbling in sculpture and metalworking. As time passed, Cho returned to jewelry as his primary focus.

“Since I’m getting old, it’s getting harder for me to work on such large-scale pieces,” he said. “Now I create very fine jewelry that looks almost laser made because of its precision, but it’s actually all handmade.” This work allows him to flex his creative muscles while working on smaller objects.

Here, again, “my inspiration comes from nature. Specifically, leaves, tree trunks and winding branches. Nature appeals to me because of its free form and continuous movement,” Cho said.

His striking jewelry often appears more like fine art than wearable pieces. He created his own brand — Namu Art Wear — and sold pieces successfully in Korea for the next 10 years.

At the same time, he wanted to share his skills with others, and became a distinguished teacher and lecturer at several universities.

Back to the U.S. In 1996, Cho immigrated to the United States permanently. He settled with his family in Bethesda, Md., where he worked to establish his career here and build his reputation as an artist. Eventually he

opened Namu Studio in his home a few years later.

“My biggest dream was to have my own studio. Also, I like to be independent with my work, so being hired by someone was not an option for me,” he said.

In the majority of his work, Cho employs the ancient techniques of Damascus steel, where multiple layers of metal are fusion welded together, and Damascening, the inlay of a precious metal into other metal.

His pieces feature Damascus steel for the foundation, which gives the base an unrefined and eye-catching look. Using the damascene inlay technique, he favors gold for its malleability and beauty. It also bears a striking contrast to his base of steel, an effect that is stunning and unique.

Cho’s jewelry has come to attract national attention. He has won many awards, including the prestigious Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award in 2003. Each year, he participates in several paneled competitions and exhibitions, and his work has also been featured in galleries all over the country.

In April, he will be one of the featured artists at this year’s Smithsonian Craft Show, one of the most prestigious juried art shows in the country. In fact, he is the only local artist selected to be in this year’s show. [For more information about the show, see sidebar on this page.]

In addition to participating in such exhibitions, Cho stays busy working independ-

The Smithsonian Craft Show This year’s Smithsonian Craft Show will take place from Thursday, April 23 through Sunday, April 26 at the National Building Museum.

The exhibition features more than 100 artists who will exhibit, sell their wares and compete for awards. The artists’ work spans across 12 different mediums, including ceramics, decorative fiber, furniture, glass and jewelry, among others.

The selection process for the show’s exhibitors is very competitive, and the elite are selected from an pool of more than 1,100 applicants.

“Each year, the co-chairs of the Smithsonian Craft Show select three individuals who are well-known and highly respected in the field of fine craft to act as jurors — to review all of the applications and select the artists for the show the following year,” said marketing coordinator Susan Cooper.

Cooper said Cho has been chosen frequently to participate because “his work

is masterful. His pieces reflect a sense of strength and longevity, yet they are delicate and even wistful — a perfect balance.”

Cho has also received many awards at past shows, including the Exhibitor’s Choice Award in 2012, Gold Award in 2010 and 2007, and Best of Show in 2009.

Before the show begins, there will be a preview benefit on Wednesday, April 22. Attendees can meet the artists and get early access to their wares, and enjoy a cocktail buffet and music. Tickets are $200 per person.

Tickets to the Craft Show, which will be held at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW, Washington, D.C., cost $20 for a one-day pass; $30 for a two-day pass. To purchase tickets, call 1888-832-9554 or email austrpr@si.edu.

More information about the show is available at http://smithsoniancraftshow.org.

— Rebekah Sewell

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

ently in his private studio, guest lecturing at local colleges and universities, and leading workshops to help other artists further their art.

In his free time, he enjoys fishing. He even crafts his own custom fishing tools.

Ever the explorer, Cho says he is con-

45

stantly searching for new inspiration for his work. “I am always been trying to create new concepts, forms, or developing new dreams,” he said.

To see some of Cho’s work, go to www.studionamu.com. Or go visit him at the Smithsonian Craft Show in April.

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A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Solomonic wisdom for a widowed friend It has been a very tough year for my better, not worse,” Charlie told me. friend Charlie.

But now he’s in the middle of a fourHis wife died at age 75 after a prolonged alarm dispute with his adult children. and complicated illness. UnThey want him to strip their derstandably, her death left mother’s voice off the voice Charlie, age 77, adrift. He has mail greeting and to replace it had a great deal of trouble — with some generic voice, getting his equilibrium back. with Charlie’s, with the faOne decision that Charlie mous voice of some Hollyhas found very comforting is wood star, anything but their to preserve the couple’s mother’s dulcet tones. decades-old greeting on his “My daughter says it creeps answering machine. her out to hear her mother say It’s the voice of his depart- HOW I SEE IT ‘Thank you for calling’ almost ed wife. She says, very sweet- By Bob Levey a year after she died,” Charlie ly, that you should please said. “But it’s my phone and leave a message after the beep. my voicemail machine. Can’t the kids be a “Every time I hear her say that, I feel little more understanding about this?”

Evidently not. So Charlie booked me for lunch so I could play tie-breaker and counselor.

My first step was to gather some facts.

“Do you have other mementoes of her around the house?” Charlie said he did.

Old family pictures remain on display. Her favorite art still hangs on the walls.

“But it’s not ghoulish, Bob,” he said.

“It’s just a way to remember her, not to bathe in grief. The voicemail greeting is in the same spirit.”

Next, I lobbed some questions.

Has Charlie altered anything in his home since his wife’s death? The paint on the living room walls, maybe? The way he stacks coffee mugs in the kitchen cabinet?

“Not a thing,” he said. “I do everything the way she always did. Because that was an ‘us’ decision. So it’s still an ‘us’ decision, even though there’s no ‘us’ anymore.”

Next, some good-natured honesty.

I told Charlie that if my wife dies before I do, the very first thing I will do is to leave the lid of the toilet up after I use it. She hates that, so I bend to her wishes. Can Charlie point to any similar “couple habits” that he has bent or broken since his wife died?

“Not one,” he said. “I still load the forks into the dishwasher teeth down, as she always insisted. I still rotate the bath towels in exactly the same order.” And by the way, Charlie said, “I still put the toilet seat lid down after I use the toilet.”

We had a chuckle over that, but a rueful one.

Next, a probe or two about the couple’s children. Couldn’t Charlie argue that the

voice on his answering machine is his business, not theirs?

“I’ve done exactly that, Bob,” he said.

“But my daughter said that making decisions that she and I agree on is a way to stay connected to me and to honor her mother. I think that’s a wee bit self-serving, but I don’t want to drive wedges between the kids and me right now. So I haven’t pressed it.”

But you also haven’t stripped your wife’s voice off the machine, have you?

“No. I don’t say I never will. But I’m just not ready to do it yet.”

Can’t your kids understand that?

“They say they can. But then they keep bringing it up. I think I’m about to do what they want, for the sake of family peace.”

I pointed out to Charlie that there were two issues here —keeping a recording of his wife’s voice is one, and using it the way he’s using it is two.

The answer here — for the sake of family peace as well as for the sake of Charlie’s rights — is to have his cake and eat it, too, I said. Make a separate recording of his wife’s greeting and keep it in a drawer somewhere. At the same time, make a new recording for the answering machine.

My friend’s face spread slowly into a light-bulb-just-went-on grin.

“You’re a genius, you know that?,” he said.

I pooh-poohed that overstatement. But I did tell Charlie that every time I clanked down the lid of the toilet from now on, I’d be thinking of him.

“With friends like you, Bob,…..” he said.

Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

BEACON BITS

Apr. 22+

AUDIO-DESCRIBED ART TOUR The National Gallery of Art presents an audio-described art tour

on Wednesday, April 22 and Saturday, April 25. This tour is a free event for individuals with impaired sight and anyone who wishes to enhance their art experience with verbal descriptions. Featured pieces for April include power players in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Learn about famous works of art on an hour-long walking tour, beginning at 1 p.m. For more information, visit YourEyes.org/events or call Lorena at the NGA at (202) 842-6905.

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 48 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

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T A P A

R I T Z

A B O W

L A V A

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Artist

system, overseeing 2,000 teachers. Her husband held a similar position in science.

“We were a power couple,” she quipped.

From page 1 program in an elementary school across the street from the college, Lipton was “entranced” and decided she wanted to teach foreign languages to young students. In the 1940s and ‘50s, very few elementary schools offered foreign languages. But Lipton hoped to change that.

After several years of teaching in traditional elementary classes, she found herself with what was called an IGC class. “Officially, it stood for Intellectually Gifted Class,” she recalled, “but teachers called it the ‘I Go Crazy class’” because of the smart, rambunctious students.

Part of the job was teaching her fourth grade charges French. She wrote verb conjugations on the board on the first day, and a boy at the back raised his hand.

“He said, ‘What do we need this for?’ And I said, ‘You know, you don’t,’ and I erased the board. And behold, this kid taught me how to teach foreign languages in an elementary school. Use sentences that mean something, something that engages them.

This led to a whole new world.”

Lipton rose through the ranks of the New York City Public School system, taking short maternity leaves to have her two daughters, but continuing to teach at a time there were few working mothers.

She eventually became the director of foreign languages for the entire school

Moving to Maryland The Liptons moved to Maryland in 1975.

“Why did I move? Grandchildren. Our daughters decided they didn’t want to live in New York. We said, ‘If you’re staying in Maryland and there’s grandchildren, we’re coming. Like it or not.’”

Today, Lipton has four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Once in Maryland, Lipton became the head of foreign languages for Anne Arundel County Public Schools. She also served as the coordinator of the Modern Language Dept. at the University of Maryland Baltimore County’s outreach department.

She has written several foreign language dictionaries for children, and other books on language. In 2013, Lipton was recognized by the Northeast Conference of the Teaching of Foreign Languages as a “Regional World Language Treasure...in recognition of priceless and unique contributions to world language education and educators.”

She continues to serve as the director of the National FLES (Foreign Language in the Elementary School) Institute.

Empowering the viewer Does Lipton see any parallels between language and art? Not really, she says. But

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

she did “flirt” with art after getting her doctorate from New York University.

“I painted a big painting with all the shades of pink and all the swirls I now do.

My husband wasn’t nearly as thrilled with it as I was. He said, ‘I’ll tolerate it for a while.’”

The five-foot-by-five-foot painting hung in their living room for a few years, but did not make the move to Maryland.

She is now experimenting with round paintings and preparing for upcoming shows, including a solo show at the Bethesda Library in the fall.

“I am just amazed that this really works.

It seems to be interesting to people of all ages. Children enjoy it. They always say, ‘What is it?’ And I say, ‘Whatever you want it to be.’ They are always surprised they have the power to decide what it might look like,” Lipton said.

“I think that’s the fun of doing abstract work, because it can appeal to so many people. They can become active participants in enjoying it. They can have a totally different idea about it than what I originally thought it might be. That empowers the viewer, I think. That really pleases me.”

Lipton will next exhibit as part of the 40th Annual Community Art Show and Sale presented by the Women’s Club of Chevy Chase, 7931 Connecticut Ave., Chevy Chase, Md., from April 10 to 12.

Call (301) 652-8480 for more information.

From May 10 to June 2, she will participate in a show called “A Lifetime of Perspective” at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, 6125 Montrose Rd., Rockville, Md. To learn more, call (301) 881-0100.

To see Lipton’s work online, go to www.gladys-c-lipton.org/art/index.html.

Our Mission: To secure the well-being of Montgomery County Seniors through the shared strength of diverse organizations and individuals.

Professionals working with seniors are invited to our Monthly GROWS meetings on the first Thursday of the month at 8:15 a.m. usually at Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Wheaton, Md.

Upcoming Programs at Holiday Park April 2: When Dad Won't Eat, speaker: Susan I. Wranik, MS, MA, CCC-SLP May 7: Yoga Designed for the Brain, speaker: Jane Setlboum

Find your Homestead...

Monday, April 27 – 6:30pm Imagination Stage, Bethesda County Executive Ike Leggett will recognize those whose accomplishments and lifelong commitment to volunteer service make them outstanding role models for young and old alike in Montgomery County.

2015 NEAL POTTER Path of Achievement Awards

Hit the links on our championship courses. Learn about our native flora and fauna along the Cascades Gorge Hike.

Experience falconry, the sport of kings. Or spend the day relaxing in our luxurious spa. All these activities and dozens more await at The Omni Homestead Resort. Find your Homestead amid our 2,300 acres in the scenic Allegheny Mountains of Virginia. Ask about our midweek special!

800-838-1766 • omnihotels.com/thehomestead

Jean Brady

Karin Wilson

The evening’s honorees include winners of the Roscoe R. Nix Distinguished Community Leadership Awards and the Montgomery Serves Awards

Registration is required for this FREE event go to www.montgomeryserves.org or call 240-777-2600

©2015 Omni Hotels & Resorts

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PUZZLE PAGE Call FREE

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Crossword Puzzle Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Take Turns

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1. Move like Jagger 6. Mother and Silly 11. He has no common sense 14. He wrote “Common Sense” 15. Create the disco version 16. Fundamental principle 17. Crank it!

19. Honestly, it’s a “concentrated aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide” 20. Strict grammarian 21. “The rocks” 22. Give a lifetime achievement award 24. Place for gas, coffee, and cigarettes 27. Space next to the space bar 30. Long Sun. talk 31. Manhunters 32. Thai payment 34. Toe total 35. Hematite and magetite 38. Protest retroactively 42. Gates’ was soft; Dell’s was hard 43. Watercolors and ice sculptures 44. Aquatic mammal 45. Wonderful words on a cake 47. Innocent ___ lamb 49. Sinkerballer’s stat.

50. Close down for the night 54. Brand new 55. Vintage car 56. Vanilla qty.

60. South of Leb. 61. Neglect 64. Girl between Marsha and Cindy 65. Roll downhill 66. Cold and barren 67. Fonzie’s approvals 68. Prepares a manuscript 69. It’s stuffed in a muffin

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2. Spanish appetizer 3. Ostentatious display 4. Frumpy 5. There’s one in “two” 6. Root seller 7. Conger chaser 8. Down Under bird 9. TV family since 1989 10. Makes an effort 11. Settle on similar sounds 12. Authority 13. Clean a fireplace 18. MN athlete 23. Create a box of candies 25. It is found twice in Mississippi 26. Olympian’s weapon 27. Take ___ 28. Molten chocolate 29. Retail rejections of The King or The Jedi 33. Special rewards 34. Demolition team’s tool 36. “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ___ achieve greatly” (RFK) 37. Red Cross supplies 39. Recipient of “Jr.”, perhaps 40. Pitcher Hershiser 41. The one who lost the game 46. Caught in ___ 47. T-Men 48. In stilettos 50. Board of appeals 51. “Once it’s said, you can’t ___ it” 52. Rhyme for “my eyes” in Daydream Believer 53. Project Runway goal 57. Saloon selective 58. General promotion 59. Moving like a snail 62. Once around the track 63. Relent, like the tides

Answers on page 46.

Answer: What the picnickers thought of the swarming insects -- "GNAT" MUCH Jumbles: AGENT BOOTH MORGUE CANOPY

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Letters to editor From page 2

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

His statement about giving as much as feasible to children and grandchildren does make sense (do it early enough that the government can’t claim it back).

Sounds to me like a good elder lawyer is worth his weight in gold.

Ira Thompson Silver Spring, Md. Dear Editor: Re: “Should we spend it all?”, I totally agree with you. I’m one of many who complain about corporate greed. So how is it all right to be so personally greedy and inconsiderate of both those around us and future generations?

And just because something may be technically legal, that doesn’t mean it’s OK to do it.

I think you’ve stated your case very well.

Rosalie Pascale Takoma Park, Md. Dear Editor: Alexis Bentz’s column telling us to just ask questions and conversations with grandchildren will progress (“Intergenerational conversation starters,” March) was awesome and definitely a help for me.

I have two granddaughters in Ohio, and a phone conversation seems a bit hard in flowing. But I tried Alexis’ technique, and what a lovely, long conversation I had with my granddaughters.

My young grandsons live in Maryland, and I am blessed to see them a lot, but will also ask questions and listen intently to them.

Also, Bob Levey’s March article (“A marketing lesson from a beggar”) was very interesting, and made me laugh and learn.

Thanks for such an awesome paper.

Cathy Swanton Silver Spring, Md

BEACON BITS

Apr. 18+

VIOLIN AND VIOLA WORKSHOP

The U.S. Army Strings presents a Violin and Viola Workshop on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19 at Brucker Hall, which is located on the Fort Myer side of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Arlington, Va. This event features a master class, recitals, career roundtable discussions and a grand concert by the U.S. Army Orchestra. Registration is requested. To register, contact stringworkshop.usarmyband@gmail.com with your name and contact information.

Apr. 12

FURNITURE PAINTING WORKSHOP

Penny of Kaleidoscope Creations presents an interactive furniture painting beginners class using CeCe Caldwell’s Paints, an earthfriendly, all natural chalk and clay paint line. Learn the basics and paint your personal pre-approved piece. Students will learn how to distress, sand, wax and age another small piece you can take home. All supplies are included. The cost is $125. For more information or to register, email kaleidoscope_penny@aol.com, visit www.stifelandcapra.com or call (703) 533-3557.

May 12

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO MAKE BLANKETS

Volunteers are needed to make blankets for sick and needy children on Tuesday, May 12 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Extension Office, 18410 Muncaster Rd., Derwood, Md. Knitters, crocheters and quilters are welcome. Yarn and fabric are provided. Donations of acrylic yarn are also accepted. For more information or to sign up, call Pat at (301) 460-5451.

WB 4/15

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CLASSIFIEDS The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on page 51.

CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either. Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment.

EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS: We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

Business and Employment Opportunities WE ARE LOOKING FOR FULL-TIME LEAD JANITORIAL help in our Silver Spring, MD facility. Successful candidate will provide excellent references which demonstrate responsibility and strong mission of service. Respond to office@yise.org or call 301-493-4465 x 401.

Caregivers “A” HOME HEALTH CARE – Experienced nurses, CNA, GNA are available 24/7. Cooking, companionship, personal care, housekeeping, driving. Full/Part-time or live-in. Flat rate for live-in care. 15 years experience. 240-533-6599.

KIND, DEPENDABLE, EXPERIENCED caregiver for live-out care or live-in care for a flat rate. Hygiene care, Meal preparation, Housekeeping, Errands, Appointments, Medication reminders. Call 301-490-1146.

CHEVY CHASE HOME CARE – reliable certified caregivers at time of illness, infirmity, loneliness. Personal assistance, ALL AGES, 4- to 24-hour shifts, homes, hospitals, nursing homes.

MD, DC, No. VA. Tel.: 202-374-1240. www.ChChHomecare.com.

Computer Services COMPUTER LESSONS – Personal Computer training at your home. Email, Internet, general computer use. Windows 8, Smartphone/tablet, digital camera. Learn at your own pace with gentle & patient tutor. We also troubleshoot problems & setup new computers. Teaching Seniors since 1996. Senior Discount. Call David, 301-762-2570, COMPUTERTUTOR. PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. Call: David G at 301-642-4526.

Events YARD SALE BENEFITTING MAGAGNOSSE, Haitian school. Rent outdoor table for $20 by April 9 to sell your goods at St. Elizabeth Church, Rockville on April 25th. 301-881-1380.

Financial Services TAXES – ACCOUNTING, BOOKKEEPING and eldercare. Call 410-653-3363.

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate 55 PLUS – JOIN OUR FAMILY in Bowie, furnished bedroom, private bath in lower level of townhouse. Free utilities, Internet, cable. $950 a month. Info, 980-365-1808 or 240-381-1001.

A P R I L 2 0 1 5 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate

Miscellaneous

Wanted

LOOKING TO TAKE THE LEAP? I’ll take you on a tour of the community, show you floor plans, discuss campus amenities, & offer how to best coordinate your move. I will preview units & contact you with a match. I also offer exceptional service selling your home. I’m a Seniors Specialist, Buyer Broker, Top 1% of Agents Nationwide, and a Leisure World resident! You can see my current listings on page 33. Contact me: 301-580-5556, SueHeyman@aol.com, www.SueHeyman.com, Weichert, Realtors.

PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT ON CLUTTER – Looking for participants. Do you struggle with clutter? I am a photographer looking for people who are willing to have their cluttered or messy living spaces anonymously photographed. Compensation provided. Call 571-331-9316 or visit everittclarkphotography.com for more information.

MILITARY ITEMS WANTED: Collector seeks to purchase military uniforms; flight jackets, patches, insignia, medals, etc. from the Civil War through Vietnam. Especially seeking U.S. Army Air Corps, USMC, Airborne, and German/Japanese/Italian items from WWII. ALSO BUYING old Boy Scout, Airline Items, Toys, Lighters. Call Dan, 202-841-3062.

LUXURY LIVING AT A MODEST PRICE in 55+ world of living gated community! Unit features 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, separate dining room, glass enclosed balcony, economical gas heat, washer & dryer in one of our newest buildings. Call Joan Brown, 240-277-3132, 301-6810550, ext. 138. Weichert, Realtors.

HUSBAND OF BRAIN-INJURED WOMAN seeks Long-Term Relation with Marriage in Mind. In my late 60s, DC area, active and fit, gentleman. Wife in accident 2 years ago with major brain injury, mental and physical abilities poor, no communication or companionship. Relation reduced to caregiver. No immediate divorce now, but want relation with good lady. Marriage likely. Race irrelevant. Please contact Paul at saver7777@aol.com.

LEISURE WORLD ® – $183,900. 2BR 2FB “J” model in “Villa Cortese.” Table space kitchen with window, separate dining room, enclosed balcony. 1136 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $325,000. 2 BR 2 FB “Royal Aintree” patio home with update kitchen, enclosed sunroom addition, 1-car garage. 1394 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $384,900. 2BR +DEN 2FB KK with garage in “Overlook.” Open table space kitchen, separate dining room, built-ins in den and BR2, huge enclosed balcony, 1510 sq ft.

Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $274,900. 2BR 2B “F” in Turnberry Courts. T/S kitchen, separate dining room, enclosed balcony, wood floors, close to elevator. 1315 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $135,000. 1BR 1FB 1HB “A” in “The Overlook.” Rarely available model, with upgraded white kitchen, enclosed balcony with ceiling fan, MBR with step-in shower, 930 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $148,500. 3 BR 2 FB “Ellicott” model. Top floor with cathedral ceiling, table space kitchen, separate dining room, balcony off living room. 1340 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $285,000. 2BR 2FB “EE” with garage space in “Vantage Point East.”

Open table space kitchen, separate dining room, enclosed balcony. 1260 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

For Sale CEMETERY PLOTS FOR SALE – King David Memorial Park, 4 lots, 161 and 162. $4,250 each OBO. Mike, 301-977-0969.

42” ROUND, UPHOLSTERED WHITE tufted ottoman – clean, good condition, $50. Blue, upholstered office rolling chair – clean, good condition, solid metal frame, $25. 703-620-0617.

2 SALVADOR DALI woodblock prints from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Signed and framed.

Asking $900 for the pair. Can email pictures if desired. Call Steve, 410-913-1653.

Health MOBILE MD AVAILABLE – Licensed physician, Family Medicine and Urgent Care. 24/7, where you are. Accept: Medicare, Medicaid. Call: 703-303-2543. Fax: 703-641-8321. Email: dr.zhousclinic@gmail.com.

Home/Handyman Services EXPERT ROOF REPAIRS and new installations. 40 years experience. 5-year warranties.

Rated A on Angie’s List. See our photo gallery at RamboandRamboConstruction.com. MHIC# 8342. Call, 301-220-4222.

BILL’S LIGHT HAULING. Garage, basement, attic cleanouts. Junk to the dump, yard debris, storm damage, etc. No job too small. Call Bill, 240-876-1206.

THE GOLDEN NETWORK offers Jewish seniors and retirees a variety of engaging programs, including lectures, classes, one-on-one learning in person and by phone, concerts, sing-alongs and more! For more information and details about upcoming events, call 301-338-4810, email info@goldennetwork.org, or see goldennetwork.org.

Personals

Personal Services EZ SPANISH IS CUSTOMIZED just for you!

Every lesson is unique, and founded on students’ needs and interests. Group and individual classes. Lessons are engaging, effective and fun. Mariela has experience teaching Spanish to seniors. Cell, 240-204-4783. Email, marielakfz@gmail.com.

LIVE RENT FREE – PHYSICALLY ABLE, West Indian Lady, 89 years seeks experienced female or nursing student for evening chaperone. No pay. In exchange, free bedroom, bath, utilities, cable. Expected to work elsewhere during day; no overnight guests. Luxury condo, Laurel. Close to Laurel Hospital. Must have auto, 240-280-1238.

WILL TYPE YOUR MEMOIRS, manuscripts, etc. For info and rates, call 703-671-1854.

CHERYL’S ORGANIZING CONCEPTS LLC – Professional Organizing Services. Help with all aspects of home organizing. Experienced – References – Member NAPO. All work confidential. Licensed – Bonded. $25 discount on initial appointment. www.CherylsOrganizing.com.

301-916-9022.

VAN MAN – For your driving needs. Shopping, appointments, pick-up and deliver – airport van.

Call Mike, 301-565-4051.

READY TO DE-CLUTTER? I can help. Sort, donate, discard. Reasonable rates. Call Jan, 301933-7570.

Wanted

CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. We make house calls. Ask for Tom. Call anytime 301-654-8678 or 301-654-0838.

STAMP COLLECTIONS, AUTOGRAPHS purchased/appraised – U.S., worldwide, covers, paper memorabilia. Stamps are my specialty – highest price paid! Appraisals. Phone Alex, 301309-3622. Stampex1@gmail.com.

FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious, capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree], knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate, I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from Oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to firearms, from silver and gold to classic cars. If it is wonderful, I am interested. No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301-2798834. Thank you.

CASH FOR ESTATE BUYOUTS, estate clean-outs, jewelry to furniture, one item or whole state. Free Estimate, Will Travel. 301520-0755.

MILITARY ITEMS Collector seeks: helmets, weapons, knives, swords, bayonets, webgear, uniforms, inert ordnance, ETC. From 1875 to 1960, US, German, Britain, Japan, France, Russian. Please call Fred 301-910-0783, Thank you. Also Lionel Trains.

WE PAY CASH for antique furniture, quality used furniture, early American art, pottery, silver, glassware, paintings, etc. Single items to entire estates. Call Reggie or Phyllis at DC 202726-4427, MD 301-332-4697.

STERLING SILVER... TOP DOLLAR paid for silver marked “Sterling,” “925” or “800.” Want flatware, bowls, plates, candlesticks, etc. Please, no silver plate. Call Richard, 301-646-0101.

CASH FOR RECORDS & CDs. BEST PRICE GUARANTEED. Free appraisals. All types of music, 33, 45, 78 & CDs. Call Steve 301646-5403. Will make house calls.

BEACON BITS WE BUY JEWELRY, SILVER, GOLD, AND COSTUME. Coins, Paper Money Too. Watches, Clocks, Military Badges and Patches Old and New. Call Greg, 717-658-7954.

OLD AND NEW, WE BUY STERLING SILVER FLATWARE, Tea Sets, Single Pieces of Silver, Large pieces of Silver Plate. Attic, Basement or Garage. Call Greg, 717-658-7954. You have something to SELL, we are looking to BUY. HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUES, JEWELRY, ESTATES. I have been advertising in the Beacon for 20 years. Montgomery County resident – will travel to D.C., MD, VA. Buying following items: Furniture, art, jewelry, gold, sterling silver, old coins, vintage pocket and wrist watches, old tools, books, camera, military items – guns, rifles, knives, pocket knives, swords etc. Also buying: old toys, dolls, trains, comic books, photographs, autographs, musical instruments, guitars, violins, etc. Also old sports memorabilia and equipment – baseball, golf, football, fishing etc. Please call Tom at 240-4763441.

BUYING MILITARY MEMORABILIA WW2, WW1, Civil War uniforms, weapons, photos and items associated with US, German, Japanese or items of other Military History. DAVE, 240-4640958.

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, Guitars, Banjos, Mandolins, etc. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack, 301279-2158.

VINYL RECORDS WANTED from 1950 through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-596-6201.

Apr. 6+

LONG-TERM CARE VOLUNTEERS

Montgomery County presents several training sessions for its Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program from Monday to Friday, April 6 to 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This training is required for participation in the program. Team members are assigned to a specific location for regular visitation and promotion of resident rights in these settings. Pre-registration is required. The sessions will take place at Holiday Park Senior Center, located at 3950 Ferrara Dr., Silver Spring, Md. For more information or to register, call (240) 777-3369 or email HHSLTCOMBUDSMAN@MontgomeryCountyMD.gov.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 5

Say you saw it in the Beacon

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

51

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES

CRISIS COUNSELORS NEEDED Volunteers are needed for crisis counseling and companion servic-

es at Montgomery County hospitals and police stations for victims of rape and sexual assault. All potential volunteers must attend a training program, which covers crisis intervention skills and the specialized knowledge of the emotional, medical and legal issues that victims face. Volunteers must commit to serve for one year, in an on-call capacity, for one 12-hour shift or two six-hour shifts per week. Volunteers provide 24-hour crisis counseling, and all volunteers must be at least 21 years of age, Montgomery County residents, have a valid driver’s license and immediate access to transportation. Bi-lingual volunteers are encouraged to apply. For more information or to arrange an interview, call the Montgomery County Victim Assistance and Sexual Assault Program at (240) 777-1355 or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/vasap.

Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 20th of each month.

Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards.

Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $15 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word.

Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $35 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word.

Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad.

Send your classified ad with check or money order, payable to the Beacon, to:

The Beacon, D.C. Classified Dept.

P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227 For information about display advertising, or to request a media kit, call (301) 949-9766.

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Research Studies

Aerobic Exercise Memory Study .21 Diabetes Clinical Study . . . . . . . .20 IDEAL Healthy Aging Study . . . .21

Computer Classes

JCA SeniorTech . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-9

Dental Services

Friedman, Stephen, DDS . . . . . . .20 Oh, Judy DDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Employment

Sales Person Wanted . . . . . . . . . .32

Events

Active Aging Expo . . . . . . . . . . . .44 GROWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 JCA 50+ Employment Expo . . . . .4 Montgomery Serves Awards . . . .47 Seabury Resources for Aging . . .24

Financial Services

Childrens National . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Jefferson Mortgage Group, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-16

Funeral Services

Fram Monuments . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Going Home Cremation . . . . . . . .32

Government Services

DC Board of Elections/Ward 4 . .22 DC Board of Elections/Ward 8 . .23 DC Office on Aging . . . . . . . .25-28 Mont. Co. Aging and Disability Services . . . . . . . . . .14 Montgomery County Information & Services/311 . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Hearing Services

Auditory Services, Inc . . . . . . . . .24 Sound Hearing Centers . . . . . . . .10

Home Health Care

Best Senior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Classic Caregivers . . . . . . . . . .B-15 Elder Caring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Holy Cross Home Care . . . . . . . .20 Liv Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Old Dominion Home Care . . . .B-14 Options for Senior America . . .B-16

Housing

Arbor Terrace of Herndon . . . . .B-3 Arden Courts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Ashby Ponds/ Erickson . . . . . . . .B-10, B-16, 48 Aspenwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Brooke Grove Retirement Village . . . . . . . .B-15, B-19, B-20 Charter House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Chesterbrook Residences . . . . .B-13 Churchill Senior Living . . . . . . . .45 Covenant Village . . . . . . . . . . .B-19 Culpepper Garden . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Emerson House . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-8 Falcons Landing . . . . . . . .B-7, B-17 Forest Hills of DC . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Friendship Terrace . . . . . .B-8, B-14 Greenspring/Erickson . .B-8, B-16, 48 Homecrest House . . . . . . .B-6, B-12 Knollwood/Army Distaff Foundation . . .B-10, B-14 Oaks at Olde Towne, The . . . . . . .19 Olney Assisted Living . .B-13, B-17 Park View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-18 Potomac Place . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-12 Quantum Property Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-9 Residences at Thomas Circle, The . . . .B-2, B-19 Riderwood/Erickson . .B-6, B-16, 48 Ring House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Solana of Olney, The . . . . . . . . .B-4 Sommerset Retirement Community . . . . . . . . . .B-6, B-12 Springvale Terrace . . . . . .B-9, B-15 Tall Oaks Assisted Living . .B-5, B-17 Tysons Towers . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-18 Village at Rockville . . . . . . . . . .B-5 Vinson Hall Retirement Community . . . . . . . . . .B-4, B-15 Virginian, The . . . . . . . . . .B-10, 52 Waltonwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Housing Referral Service

Care Patrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-4 Custom Senior Living Search . .B-3

Legal Services

Eleff Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Law Firm of Evan Farr . . . . . . . .33 Law Offices of Paul Riekhof . . . .31

Medical/Health

2 Fitt Wellness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Abbvie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Dupont Urology & Urogynecology . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Holy Cross Hospital . . . . . . . . . . .11 Horizon Vascular Specialists . . . .13 I Hate Knee Pain . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Low Vision Specialists of Maryland & Virginia . . . . . . .15 Medical Eye Center . . . . . . . . . . .16 Novant Health Imaging . . . . . . . . .5 Seven Corners Medical Center . .21 Stem Cell Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 United Healthcare . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Miscellaneous

Car J Car Donation . . . . . . . . . . .34

Pharmacy

CVS/pharmacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Rite Aid Pharmacy . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Real Estate Services

HC Custom Homes . . . . . . . . . . .30 Long & Foster/Eric Stewart . . . . .35 Long & Foster/Inderjeet Jumani . .B-8 Weichert/Sue Heyman . . . . . . . . .33

Restaurants

Original Pancake House . . . . . . . .41 Wrap2Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Retail/Pawn/Auction

Boone and Sons Jewelers . . . . . . .30 Four Sales LTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 G&G Pawn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Quinn’s Auction Galleries . . . . . .24

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation

Communicare Health . . . . . . . . . .14 Manor Care Health Services . . . . .6 Village at Rockville . . . . . . . . . . .17

Subscriptions

Beacon Subscription . . . . . . . . . .49 Washington Jewish Week . . . . . . .41 Theatre/Entertainment Ford’s Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Toby’s Dinner Theatre . . . . . . . . .42 Washington Ballet/Nutcracker . . .43 Wolftrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-11

Tour & Travel

Eyre Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Homestead, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Potomac Eagle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Tripper Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 US Navy Memorial . . . . . . . . . . .45 Vamoose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Utilities

Verizon DC Lifeline Program . . .34

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