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Self-taught artist’s commission PHOTO COURTESY OF MARYLAND CITIZENS FOR THE ARTS

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Villages can help neighbors age in place By Margaret Foster For those aging in their longtime home, tasks that used to be routine may over time become daunting. Driving at night and getting to medical appointments might become challenging, too. And for those who live alone, life can become, well, lonely. If you happen to live in northwest Baltimore, however, a volunteer group can be of help. Founded in 2012, Northwest Neighbors Connecting (NNC) has a mission to help older residents of the area remain safely in their homes for as long as possible, aiding with household tasks and providing ways for them to stay socially active and involved in life. For just $10 a month (or less, depending on financial situations), the group’s 130 members can get discounted rides, inhome technological assistance, help with household tasks like installing grab bars, and — perhaps most importantly — good company. “It is life-changing,” said Anne Shimanovich, program director of Aging in Community at Comprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc. (CHAI), which partners with NNC. The organization hosts monthly meetups, art classes and bus trips, but it also keeps in touch with its members by phone. “We call our members at least once a week, so we check in and find out what they need,” she said. On the second Tuesday of every month, NNC hosts monthly get-togethers, often with a speaker, music and dancing at the Myerberg Center. These gatherings are free to anyone who’s interested. “People are welcome to come and see what we’re all about at no cost,” Shimanovich said.

What is a village? Northwest Neighbors Connecting is an

INSIDE A good time to buy your dream house?

example of a “village” that supports older neighbors. “It’s not a physical place; it’s a volunteer support group,” explained Caroline McKelden Wayner, the former executive director of Village at Home, an organization that helped older residents in 20 Baltimore neighborhoods before closing down during the pandemic. A village, Wayner said, “really does enable you to age at home for longer than you would normally be able to. It’s that extra support network when you just need a little bit of support to stay at home.” The first such “village” was formed in Boston 21 years ago. Longtime residents of Beacon Hill, a downtown neighborhood, didn’t want to move out, so they pitched in to hire a concierge to find and train volunteers to help with small tasks as they aged. That grew into Beacon Hill Village, and became so successful that it spawned a nationwide movement and even published a guide explaining how to form your own village. Today, a national organization called Village to Village Network helps support and professionalize more than 250 villages throughout the country.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHAI BALTIMORE.

By Laura Melamed Today, a former Baltimore mansion where enslaved people once toiled houses part of the Walters Art Museum. Inside, a huge mirror-and-ceramic mosaic honoring one of those workers has become part of the permanent collection. The Walters announced two major acquisitions last fall, one of which is this collaborative mosaic created by celebrated Baltimore artist Herbert Massie, 64. The three-part work consists of two massive ovals, each 10 feet across and five feet high, and a slightly smaller third oval. They are framed with an array of ceramic plates, each decorated by a different person and arranged by Massie. No two plates are alike, yet they all somehow fit together. The artwork, called Reflections of Sybby Grant, celebrates enslaved cook Sybby Grant, who once lived in the mansion at 1 West Mount Vernon Place. While doing research for the museum, students from the Baltimore School for the Arts found an 1861 letter from Grant addressed to her enslavers, the Thomas family. When the Walters discovered Grant’s letter, curators decided to honor the workers who had been enslaved by the Thomases. The museum approached Massie and commissioned the piece in 2018. “They wanted me to be the artist to do the work,” Massie said. “I’ve been known around the state and city as a community activist.” The completed piece is made largely of mirrors, stained glass and broken ceramic plates decorated by 400 members of the community. Massie facilitated the project over the course of a year, working at Jubilee Arts, the Walters and Baltimore City recreation centers and schools. “For me to work on a project like this

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Baltimore’s lack of villages Although there are dozens of such villages in the Greater Washington, D.C. area, Baltimore only has one or two. There are a few explanations why the village model hasn’t taken off here. “In Baltimore, many people still have relatives in town,” Wayner pointed out. Older adults often rely on younger family members to give them rides or help around the house. In addition, Baltimore has many thriving Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) or Life Plan communities. “We have a huge number of CCRC communities — they’re hugely popular in our area — so a lot of people who might use a

What to know about assisted living

Volunteers with Northwest Neighbors Connecting provide services aimed at helping older neighborhood residents remain in their homes as long as possible.

village” don’t need it, Wayner said. Often, the people who know what they need are the ones who form a village, as was the case in Beacon Hill. “The best kind of villages are the kind that pop up organically,” Wayner said.

Help from the state Sometimes, villages need a little more help and money to survive. The new Mary-

Create a realistic plan for your care

land Secretary of Aging, Carmel Roques, has tasked the Maryland Department of Aging, which she leads, to find the best strategies to help Marylanders who want to start their own villages. “The main thing that we’re doing is to understand how to best provide support to help the villages,” Roques said. “There are See BALTIMORE VILLAGES, page B-3

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Herbert D. Massie, a self-taught artist, has taught art classes in the Baltimore area for most of his life. Massie’s work is now a permanent part of the Walters Art Museum collection, which calls him “a long-treasured gem of our local arts community.”

[with] all the aspiring young minds and older adults who wanted to be an artist — to actually work on something that would be shown in a museum, I thought would be a novel idea,” Massie said.

Welcome Home to Harmony

A Baltimore native Massie was born and raised in Baltimore, where he has lived his entire life.

Sc a n to G Ke ys to H e t You r a ppi ne ss

ARTS & STYLE

Author’s new book about stained glass windows in Baltimore shines a light on the area’s ups and downs page 11

See ARTIST, page 12

FITNESS & HEALTH 4 k Detecting “silent” heart attacks k Reduce your risk for vision loss LAW & MONEY k Gift grandkids some stock k Make retirement meaningful

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Up for the challenge As editor of the Beacon, and an advocate of compensating family members for the for older adults throughout the area, I care of other family members. spend a good part of my day You might think, “But if I’m reading and thinking about caring for my spouse/parthe short- and long-term chalent/child, that’s because it’s lenges that face us as individwhat I should do. Why would I uals and confront our rapidly want to turn that loving care aging society as a whole. into a paid job?” Sometimes these can feel Well, for one thing, it’s problike intractable problems, and ably one of the most challengwhen that happens, it can get ing jobs that exists! And those dispiriting. who offer caregiving often F o r t u n a t e l y, I g e t t o don’t take the time to care recharge my enthusiasm FROM THE enough for themselves, leadevery December by attending PUBLISHER ing to burnout and, all too frethe “What’s Next Longevity In- By Stuart P. Rosenthal quently, serious illness of the novation Summit” in Washingcaregiver. And that, of course, ton, D.C., where more than 200 of the coun- is not very helpful to the one being cared for. try’s brightest and most creative entreprePerhaps giving caregivers some extra neurs come to share the technology and money that they could use to hire respite business ideas they are developing to im- care or take advantage of adult day care prove the lives of older adults. centers — services that would give them a Here’s a quick overview of some of the break now and then — would actually remost interesting statistics, technologies sult in more and better care overall. and insights I heard there. While most of Government insurance (Medicare and these don’t qualify as news, it was good to Medicaid), as well as private insurance comhear that creative minds are using this panies, are very interested in this model beknowledge to generate a better future. cause keeping the insured out of long-term A number of speakers (and others in the care institutions and staying as healthy as audience I met and spoke with) are work- possible at home results in long-term cost ing to address the acute caregiver short- savings for them (and us taxpayers). age. One of the most intriguing solutions In addition, technologies are out there that came up again and again was the idea today that utilize sensors and artificial intel-

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Baltimore area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Howard County, Md. and Greater Washington, D.C. Subscriptions are available via third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. Maryland residents add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below. Publication of advertising contained herein does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Signed columns represent the opinions of the writers, and not necessarily the opinion of the publisher. 0Publisher/Editor – Stuart P. Rosenthal President/Associate Publisher – Judith K. Rosenthal Executive Vice President – Gordon Hasenei Managing Editor – Margaret Foster Art Director – Kyle Gregory Vice President of Operations – Roger King Advertising Representatives – Steve Levin, M.K. Phillips, Alan Spiegel Marketing & Operations Manager – Ashley Griffin Assistant Editor – Ana Preger Hart Editorial Intern – Margaret Scala

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

ligence (AI) — sometimes aided by roundthe-clock human oversight — to help educate family (and professional) caregivers, answer their questions on the spot, enable health practitioners to track the condition of their loved ones and intervene when necessary, and even predict if someone is likely to fall soon or is heading for a heart attack. One hopes that the more such products we have, and the more affordable they become as competition heats up, the better off we’ll be despite the rising need for and serious dearth of professional caregivers today. For those ready to move to an older adult community, this may be pertinent. Though it may seem that construction on new senior housing is going nonstop, nationally it turns out that “availability is shrinking faster than new buildout,” according to Lisa McCracken, head of research and analytics at the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care. Occupancy of senior housing units is now at record highs, she reported. Across all senior housing, she estimates an additional 100,000 units will be needed each year starting in 2024 to keep pace with the need. Some of the builders and housing communities at the event spoke about ways they are blending new technology with hands-on care to address the needs of their current residents and build new, state-of-the-art communities. Several speakers addressed the growing needs of those at the margins of society. Ryan Elza of the U.S. Administration for Community Living, a part of HHS, said that half of today’s unhoused people are older adults. And that their number is expected to triple between now and 2030 to 2.4 million. He further noted that the shelters offered to the unhoused are not designed for older adults and often can’t accommodate them. Meanwhile, Jean Accius, the CEO of Creating Healthier Communities, shared the shocking statistic that the current life expectancy of a typical resident of the affluent Washington neighborhood of Georgetown is 97, while the life expectancy of those living just a few miles away in the Anacostia neighborhood is only 65.

He touched on several ways to help close the gap, including such simple steps as meeting the people where they are by bringing mobile health services into the neighborhoods that currently lack sufficient medical care facilities. What about robots? You’ve probably read about the wide variety of robotic products on the market, including here in the Beacon. There are animatronic pets (cats that meow, turn their head, turn over for you to scratch their belly and more) that dementia patients, in particular, find deeply comforting. Other robot-like or tablet-based products engage their owners in conversation, check on them periodically during the day, remind them to take their meds or turn off the stove, etc. You and I might think such items would drive us insane, especially if we found ourselves looking forward to a nice “chat” with our robot. But long-term studies are seeing incredibly positive results with older adults. One robot called ElliQ produced improved health and a reduction in perceived isolation in more than 90% of users. The robotic pets from Joy for All were found to reduce not only their owners’ loneliness but even their pain. No doubt the explosive popularity of ChatGPT over the last few months will prove the point as more and more of us become comfortable with AI interlocutors. I’m just getting started, and I’m already out of space. But I think you get the idea. People are aware of the serious problems we face with insufficient caregivers, far too few geriatricians, rising homelessness and an “epidemic of loneliness,” to quote the Surgeon General. But others are working hard to tackle these challenges, drawing attention from governments and investors who want to reduce costs and improve lives. If you met and heard some of these (usually, but not always) young inventors and entrepreneurs talk, you would probably feel a lot better about the future. I know I do.

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinions on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or email info@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification. Dear Editor: I enjoyed reading your cover story about teaching prisoners [“A second chance behind bars,” December 2023]. You open the mind of readers with hope for those who have been crushed but made whole again. Margaret McDermott Silver Spring, MD Dear Editor: My friend started trying different Alzheimer’s medications four years ago at

the age of 69. He continued to slide downwards until a year ago, when the doctor told us that there are no more new drugs to try. Without outside influence, he started improving. He started thanking me for taking him around and feeding him, for example. I would estimate that after dropping medications, he went from [the speaking skills of] a 3-year-old to a 6-year-old. Ed Hsu Via email

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Ask the Ho H me Care Exper xpert Tom Smith, To th, Bu Business Dev Business ve elopm nt Man elopment Manag ager, Family & Nursin in ng Carre e

ince 1968, Family & Nu Nursing Care has helped tens of thousands of families by providing g p older access to caregivers who help adults wi with accttiv ivit ities of dai aily ly liivving — incl cluding bat athing, dressing, mobiliitty assistance, errands, meal prep, ligght

Q: For a client or a family who is looking for a caregiver for a loved one, what advice would you give? A: It’s a learning process. When looking fo for a caregiverr,, make sure it fe feels right, that a this person is someone who you get along with very well and who you fe feel understands you or your loved one right fr from the start. Of course, you will want

houseke keepingg, medicat aattion remin i d ders, compan m anionsh hiip and more. Now serviing the t Bal altimore region, Family ly & Nu Nursing u g Care is a leadingg resource fo for privat ivate dut uty home care services, prov oviding clien nts and their faami millies wit ith access to compassionat ate

and expert-level caregiv ca ivers to help older help older adul a ults maintai ain ain their t independence and qualiity of liffee as theyy age g . Ni Ninetyy-eigggh ht p percent of surve veyed cl clients hav ave said they t woul uld recommend these t services to a fr friend or family ly memberr..

This montth, we asked To Tom Smiitth, Busin ness Development Managerr,, Fam mily & Nu Nursing Care to ut the im mp portance tell us more about of finding thee riggh ht caregiv iver fo for yourself or a loved one an and buiilding a strong bond together.

someone who has the skills to provide the care that is needed. It’s a very personal relationship, but the bottom line is that it is like hiring anyone ffo or something you need: you want to be on the same wavelength. Great communication and understanding go a long way. y. Don’t accept the first person, or the second, if you feel that they are not the right match fo for you and your needs. Don’t settle if you don’t think it is the right match.

and families can benefit from them when they respect the caregiver’s experience and develop a trust in them.

Taking an in nterest in your caregiver’s’ life and offe ffering a listening earr to them can go a long waayy as well. w

Q: Based on your experience, what’s ecret to e se eatiing a strong ond with your areg giver? : Creaating a strong bond quires great a communicat ation d trustt from both parties. For caregivver, it is important to racticee active listening when tendin ng to client’s needs and questss. The main thing is that lients and caregivers an bu uild a strong elatio onship with the abilityy to maintain an open d dialogue, hear each other, and talk things throu ugh. Caregivers can havee ideas, and clients

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Health Fitness &

There are ways to improve communication with a person experiencing dementia. Learn about them on page 6.

Know the signs of a ‘silent’ heart attack By Julie Corliss Most people don’t know that you can have a heart attack without realizing it. In fact, these so-called silent heart attacks account for an estimated 30% to 60% of all heart attacks. Recognizing and responding to a silent heart attack is important, as it can be a harbinger of a more serious, potentially deadly heart attack. “Heart attacks can be silent for a variety of reasons,” said cardiologist Dr. Peter Stone, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Just like a regular heart attack, a silent one occurs when the heart muscle doesn’t receive enough blood — usually when a clot blocks blood flow inside a narrowed heart artery. The quality, duration and intensity of the resulting pain can vary quite a bit. Some people describe the sensation as a dull

ache or crushing pressure, which may be mild or short-lived and, therefore, unnoticed or ignored. Typically, the reduced blood flow must last about 15 to 30 minutes to result in a detectable heart attack (that is, part of the heart muscle becomes damaged or dies). Sometimes, symptoms come and go, which doctors refer to as stuttering symptoms. “When a clot obstructs an artery, the body’s natural clot-busting process is instantly set in motion,” Stone explained. If the clot dissolves, symptoms may abate — but then return if the clot-forming forces win.

Radiating and referred pain Various quirks related to pain perception may also play a role in a heart attack going unrecognized. “People often think the discomfort has

to be on the left side of the chest because that’s where the heart is located,” Stone said. But nerves within the heart can send signals to the surrounding nerves, causing pain that may radiate to the stomach, back, neck, arm or jaw. For example, if an artery blockage occurs near the bottom of the heart, it may affect nerves in the diaphragm — the muscular membrane that separates the chest from the abdominal cavity. This can be perceived as abdominal discomfort or nausea. Or people may experience shoulder pain, a classic example of referred pain. This phenomenon — when pain is felt in a location other than the actual source — happens because of overlaps in the network of nerves in the spinal cord.

agus are sometimes mistaken for a heart attack, but the opposite can also occur. Sometimes, people assume their chest pain is caused by a respiratory infection or other lung disease when they’re actually having a heart attack. Another possible misattribution is heartburn, which happens when stomach acid rises up into the esophagus. [See “Ways to overcome heartburn discomfort” on page 8.] If you have diabetes, you’re more likely to have a silent heart attack. Over time, high blood sugar can damage your nerves and the small blood vessels supplying those nerves — including those that transmit pain signals. While pain tolerance may be physiological, emotional and cultural factors can come

Mistaken attributions Problems with the lungs and the esoph-

See HEART ATTACK, page 5

Who can benefit from a cochlear implant? By Joseph Breen, M.D. Dear Mayo Clinic: I’m 70 years old and have worn hearing aids for about a decade. Over the past several years, my hearing seems to be getting worse. Although I have tried several different kinds of hearing aids, I feel as if they are not effective any longer. A friend suggested I ask an audiologist about cochlear implants. I thought those were just for people who are deaf. Could a cochlear implant help someone like me? How does it work? A: A cochlear implant could be a good alternative to hearing aids in your situation. It’s true that when they were introduced in the 1980s, cochlear implants mainly were used for people who had complete hearing loss. Today, however, they often are used to help people who have more advanced hearing loss that cannot be corrected with hearing aids. Our ears have three areas: the outer, middle and inner ear. Sound waves pass through the outer ear and cause the eardrum to vibrate. The eardrum and three small bones of the middle ear transmit the vibrations as they travel to the inner ear. Within the inner ear, the vibrations pass through fluid in a snail-shaped structure, called the cochlea.

Inside the cochlea are thousands of tiny sensors, called hair cells, that turn the vibrations into electrical signals that are sent to your brain through your auditory nerve. The vibrations of different sounds affect these tiny hairs in different ways, causing the nerve cells to send different signals to your brain. That’s how you distinguish one sound from another. In most people who develop hearing loss, the hair cells in the cochlea are damaged or missing, usually due to aging, exposure to loud noise, or for genetic reasons. That means the electrical signals can’t be transmitted efficiently to the brain, and the result is hearing loss. A cochlear implant replaces the function of the hair cells by sending electrical signals directly to the hearing nerve and giving the brain the ability to perceive sound once again.

How cochlear implants work The implant has two main pieces: an external processor that fits behind your ear and an internal receiver implanted under the skin behind your ear. The processor captures and processes sound signals and then sends those signals to the receiver. The receiver sends the signals to tiny electrodes that are placed directly into

the cochlea when the device is implanted. Those signals are received by the auditory nerve and directed to your brain, and your brain interprets those signals as sound. All parts of a cochlear implant are small, and the processor that fits behind your ear looks similar to a hearing aid. Because of the small size of these devices, they are relatively inconspicuous, particularly for people with long hair.

Simple outpatient procedure Cochlear implantation requires a consultation with an otolaryngology surgeon who would perform a relatively short outpatient surgical procedure. A small incision is made behind the ear to insert the device. Most people experience little discomfort from the surgery, and its overall risk is low. Once a patient has had a chance to heal — usually several weeks after surgery — an audiologist connects the processor to the implant for the first time. The patient should be able to hear immediately, but many cochlear implant users report that they needed to adjust to the sounds that they hear with their implant. This adjustment process often takes at least six months, with many patients reporting that the sound quality and their ability to understand speech continue to

improve for a year or more. Cochlear implants are a well-established technology. At first, physicians and researchers only recommended them for people who had total hearing loss. Over the years, though, research has shown that cochlear implants can be useful for people who still have some hearing or who have useful hearing in only one ear. They can be particularly helpful for people who have difficulty understanding speech in everyday listening situations, despite using good hearing aids. Talk to a healthcare professional who specializes in hearing loss to find out if you would be a good candidate for a cochlear implant. Most people who receive a cochlear implant find that they can communicate better with the people around them, and more fully participate in conversations and other daily activities that require the ability to hear clearly. Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. Email a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit mayoclinic.org. © 2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Heart attack From page 4 into play as well, said Dr. Stone. For instance, people may dismiss or ignore pain because they don’t want to appear weak.

Diagnosing a silent heart attack Heart muscle damage from a heart attack creates a distinct signature on an electrocardiogram (ECG), a recording of

the heart’s electrical activity. A heart ultrasound (echocardiogram) can also detect a prior heart attack. If either test suggests heart damage, it should be a wakeup call to prioritize efforts to avoid more damage. Follow healthy lifestyle habits (and take medications, if necessary) to make sure your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar are within normal ranges. © 2023 by Harvard University.

Varied heart attack symptoms During a heart attack, about threequarters of both men and women experience the classic symptom of chest discomfort that spreads through the upper body. But some people experience other symptoms. These less-common symptoms might be slightly more frequent in women and in older people, but they can also happen in men and younger people. Classic symptoms: • Pressure, aching or tightness in

the center of the chest • Pain or discomfort that radiates to the upper body, especially shoulders or neck and arms • Sweating Other symptoms: • Shortness of breath • Weakness • Nausea or vomiting • Dizziness • Back or jaw pain • Unexplained fatigue

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Tips for coping with a dementia patient By Heidi Godman Dementia poses many challenges both for people struggling with it and for those close to them. It can be hard to witness and cope with common behaviors that arise from illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia or frontotemporal dementia. Caring for a person who has dementia may be frustrating, confusing or upsetting at times. Understanding why certain behaviors occur and learning ways to handle a variety of situations can help smooth the path ahead.

Some common behaviors People with dementia often exhibit a combination of unusual behaviors, such as:

• Making odd statements or using the wrong words for certain items • Not realizing they need to bathe or forgetting how to maintain good hygiene • Repeating themselves or asking the same question over and over • Misplacing objects or taking others’ belongings • Not recognizing you or remembering who they themselves are • Being convinced that a deceased loved one is still alive • Hoarding objects, such as mail or even garbage • Exhibiting paranoid behavior • Becoming easily confused or agitated • Leaving the house without telling you and getting lost

Why do these behaviors occur? Inside the brain of a loved one with dementia, picture a wildfire shifting course, damaging or destroying brain cells (neurons) and neural networks that regulate our behavior. What drives this damage depends on the underlying cause, or causes, of dementia. For example, while the exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not known, it is strongly linked to proteins that are either gunking up or strangling brain cells. In contrast, someone with vascular dementia has experienced periodic insufficient blood flow to certain areas of the brain, causing neurons to die. “As dementia progresses, the person loses brain cells associated with memory, planning, judgment and controlling mood. You lose your filters,” said Dr. Stephanie Collier, a psychiatrist at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital.

Six coping strategies Dealing with dementia-related behavior can require the type of tack you’d take with a youngster. “Due to declines, older adults with dementia can seem like children. But people are generally more patient with children. You should consider using that approach with older adults,” suggested Lydia Cho, a McLean Hospital neuropsychologist.

• Don’t point out inaccurate or strange statements. “It can make people with dementia feel foolish or belittled. They may not remember details but hold onto those emotions, feel isolated, and withdraw. Instead, put them at ease. Just go with what they’re saying. Keep things light,” Cho recommended. • Don’t tr y to reason with the person. Dementia has damaged your loved one’s comprehension. Attempting to reason might be frustrating for both of you. • Use distraction. This helps when the person makes unreasonable requests or is moderately agitated. “Acknowledge what the person is saying, and change the activity. You could say, ‘I see that you’re upset. Let’s go over here for a minute.’ And then do an activity that engages the senses and relaxes them, such as sitting outside together, listening to music, folding socks, or eating a piece of fruit,” Collier said. • Keep unsafe items out of sight. Put away or lock up belongings the loved one shouldn’t have — especially potentially dangerous items like car keys or cleaning fluids. Consider installing cabinet locks. • Super vise hygiene routines. The person with dementia might need a reminder to bathe or might need to have the See DEMENTIA, page 8

Here, assisted living is living, with the right amount of personal assistance… …at a great value. A place of independence Pickersgilll assisted living residents are rarely in their rooms! Instead,, theyy’re out and about— participating in a community activity or event or dining with friends.

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Lifestyle choices reduce vision loss risk By Howard LeWine, M.D. Q: My mother has macular degeneration. How can I avoid getting it myself? A: Scientists have made progress in understanding what causes age-related macular degeneration (AMD) — the leading cause of vision loss for people ages 50 or older in the United States. We’ve learned that certain genes and lifestyle factors increase the risk for developing AMD, and we’ve discovered treatments that often slow the disease’s progression. Yet for all our advances, we still don’t have a guaranteed way to prevent AMD. You are at greater risk if one of your parents had the condition, but it doesn’t mean you’re destined to get it. AMD destroys the macula — the central part of the retina, the layer of tissue in the back of the eye that changes light into electrical signals. The signals are sent to the brain, which converts them into images. There are two types of AMD. Both

types reduce the clarity of central vision, blurring or even erasing the image in the center of a person’s vision. In dry AMD, the most common form, deposits of fat and protein called drusen slowly accumulate behind the retina, causing it to thin and leading to the destruction of the macula’s light-sensitive (photoreceptor) cells. The result is vision loss. As AMD progresses, drusen can cause new, abnormal blood vessels to grow under and into the macula. The blood vessels leak and bleed, rapidly causing photoreceptor cell damage, scarring and vision loss. This is called wet AMD. For now, the only advice to ward off AMD is to follow healthy lifestyle habits that help reduce your risk for the eye disease — and for many other health problems as well. These include the following: Don’t smoke. Smoking has many damaging effects on the body, including increased oxidative stress in the retina. Oxidative stress may affect the way the blood vessels respond, and there seems

to be some interaction between smoking and genes that can increase your risk for developing AMD. Control your blood pressure. High blood pressure damages the blood vessels that feed oxygen and nutrients to the retina and increases the risk for AMD. Exercise. Exercise keeps your blood vessels healthy. Aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as cycling, swimming or brisk walking. Eat a heart-healthy diet. Coronary arter y disease, high cholesterol and obesity all increase your risk for developing AMD. Eat a heart-healthy Mediterranean-style diet that includes

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lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and olive oil; moderate amounts of fish and poultry; and a little bit of low-fat dairy. Make sure you include green, leafy vegetables in your diet. They’re rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, which have antioxidant properties and have been shown to improve pigment density in the macula, which protects the cells from free radicals. Howard LeWine, M.D., is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. For additional consumer health information, visit health.harvard.edu. © 2023 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Sauce for chewy, savory-sweet noodles By Kelly Song Scallion oil noodles, a popular Shanghainese dish, are springy wheat noodles dressed with scallion-infused oil, savory soy sauce, and sugar for balance. We slowly simmered scallion whites and thinly sliced shallot in peanut oil to draw out their aromas, with thin strips of ginger added for freshness. Dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and

sugar added to the scallion mixture helped form a glossy, savory-sweet sauce. Fresh wheat noodles, which have a tender, chewy texture, were tossed to coat in the sauce. The dish can be served plain or enhanced with a range of toppings, including blanched bok choy, stir-fried ground pork, or crispy fried eggs. We opted for the traditional route of garnishing with crispy scallion greens, which

are shallow-fried until nearly blackened and shatteringly crisp.

Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles Serves 4 to 6 Ingredients: 1/4 cup light soy sauce 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce 5 teaspoons sugar 15-18 scallions (6 ounces), white and green parts separated 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled 1 pound fresh Chinese wheat noodles 2/3 cup peanut or vegetable oil 1/8 teaspoon table salt 1 shallot, halved and sliced thin Directions: 1. Combine light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl; set aside. Halve scallion whites lengthwise, then slice into 1½-inch segments. Slice green parts into 1½-inch segments; reserve white and green parts separately. Slice ginger crosswise into thin rounds. Stack rounds and slice into thin matchsticks. 2. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large pot. Add noodles and cook, stirring often, until just tender. Drain noodles, rinse well, and drain again; set aside. 3. Meanwhile, heat oil and scallion greens in a 14-inch wok or 12-inch non-

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Dementia From page 6 day’s clothes laid out on the bed. Or you might need to assist them with bathing, shaving, brushing teeth or dressing. • Spend time together. You don’t have to convince your loved one of your identity or engage in fascinating conversation. Just listen to music or do some simple activities together. It will help keep the person from withdrawing further.

Safety should come first Sometimes, simple strategies aren’t enough when a loved one has dementia. For example, if the person frequently tries to leave home, you might need to add child-proof covers to doorknobs, install additional door locks or a security system in your home, or get the person a GPS tracker bracelet. If the person is frequently upset or even violent, call the doctor. It could be that a

stick skillet over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until most scallions are browned and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, use a slotted spoon to transfer scallion greens to a small bowl; sprinkle with salt and set aside. 4. Add shallot, scallion whites and ginger to oil remaining in wok and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until scallion whites and shallot are golden and wilted, 11 to 13 minutes. 5. Stir soy sauce mixture to recombine and add to scallion mixture in wok. Cook, stirring often, until sugar is dissolved and sauce is rapidly bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes. Add noodles and toss until evenly coated in sauce and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Top with scallion greens to serve. © 2023 America’s Test Kitchen. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

new medical problem (such as a urinary tract infection) is causing agitation. “If the agitated behavior isn’t due to a new health problem and is predictable and severe, we might prescribe a medication to help regulate mood,“ Collier said.

Seek help and support for yourself No one expects you to know how to interact with someone who has dementia. There’s a learning curve for all of us, and it continues even after you get a feel for the situation. “The process keeps changing,” Cho noted. “What works today may not work next week or the week after that for your loved one. So, keep trying different strategies.” And get support for yourself, such as group therapy for caregivers and their families. You can also find information at the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org) or Family Caregiver Alliance (caregiver.org). © 2023 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Jan. 19

AARP SMART DRIVER COURSE You may be eligible to receive a discount on car insurance after

completing AARP’s Smart Driver course that teaches helpful and safe driving strategies. The course takes place at Seven Oaks Senior Center, 9210 Seven Courts Dr., Nottingham, on Fri., Jan 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $20 for AARP members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register, call the instructor, Dennis Wodarczyk, at (410) 933-4878. AARP members may also take the driver course online.

BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2024

Makes a great gift!

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

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Villages can help neighbors age in place

What is a village? Northwest Neighbors Connecting is an

INSIDE A good time to buy your dream house?

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHAI BALTIMORE.

By Margaret Foster For those aging in their longtime home, tasks that used to be routine may over time become daunting. Driving at night and getting to medical appointments might become challenging, too. And for those who live alone, life can become, well, lonely. If you happen to live in northwest Baltimore, however, a volunteer group can be of help. Founded in 2012, Northwest Neighbors Connecting (NNC) has a mission to help older residents of the area remain safely in their homes for as long as possible, aiding with household tasks and providing ways for them to stay socially active and involved in life. For just $10 a month (or less, depending on financial situations), the group’s 130 members can get discounted rides, inhome technological assistance, help with household tasks like installing grab bars, and — perhaps most importantly — good company. “It is life-changing,” said Anne Shimanovich, program director of Aging in Community at Comprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc. (CHAI), which partners with NNC. The organization hosts monthly meetups, art classes and bus trips, but it also keeps in touch with its members by phone. “We call our members at least once a week, so we check in and find out what they need,” she said. On the second Tuesday of every month, NNC hosts monthly get-togethers, often with a speaker, music and dancing at the Myerberg Center. These gatherings are free to anyone who’s interested. “People are welcome to come and see what we’re all about at no cost,” Shimanovich said.

What to know about assisted living

Volunteers with Northwest Neighbors Connecting provide services aimed at helping older neighborhood residents remain in their homes as long as possible.

Help from the state Sometimes, villages need a little more help and money to survive. The new Mary-

Create a realistic plan for your care

Pros and cons of retiring abroad

And more!

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JANUARY 2024 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Has time come to buy your dream house? By Erin Wood I don’t know about you, but over the last few years, the conversation at just about every barbecue or dinner party inevitably turns to how high real estate prices have become. And just as quickly, the blame is laid at the feet of Airbnb — the online short-term rental company that enables homeowners to rent out spare rooms or entire homes, giving travelers alternatives to traditional hotels and motels. [See “How to turn a home into an Airbnb rental,” in the October 2023 Beacon.] What’s that have to do with home prices? Some investors snap up properties to use as Airbnbs, edging out ordinary home buyers — such as those itching to buy their retirement dream home — and contributing to the affordability crisis.

Deals may become available That may be about to change. A few months ago, a tweet by Reventure Consulting CEO and housing analyst Nick Gerli went viral when he suggested that Airbnb revenues had fallen off a cliff. “The collapse is real,” Gerli tweeted. According to him, hot markets like Phoenix and Austin are particularly hardhit. If true, could this mean disillusioned Airbnb hosts will start dumping their properties, creating buying opportunities for

frustrated home buyers? Exorbitant housing prices have forced many Americans to put off buying the retirement home of their dreams. The S&P/Case Schiller U.S. National Home Price Index is up 41% since March 2020, when the pandemic first hit. Obviously, there are a lot of factors that have contributed to the housing unaffordability crisis, and Airbnb is just one of them. By some estimates, short-term rentals contribute only 1% to 4% to the overall real estate price increases. Still, forced selling in some very desirable markets could lead to deals, and buyers who’ve been on the sidelines could soon have a good opportunity. But before you leap, make sure you understand the dynamics of today’s real estate market. Things may have changed from the last time you were a property buyer. Here are a few things to consider:

High mortgage rates Cheaper home prices are great for real estate buyers. But they’ve been coupled with much higher mortgage rates, which in many cases negate any savings on price. The national average for a 30-year fixedrate mortgage in mid-December was 7.48%, nearly three times the 2.5% mortgage rates we saw in 2021. The last time

rates were this high was late 2000. Given that it took more than 20 years for mortgage rates to reach this point, it may be a long time before interest rates fall below 3% again. You could miss out on deals if you’re waiting for lower interest rates. When interest rates are this high, I advise clients to avoid debt whenever they can. I realize that most people can’t buy a home without a mortgage, but taking on debt for a second home or a vacation property is another thing entirely. Think about it: If you’re paying over 7% for a mortgage, you’d have to make more than 7% on your investments to make it worthwhile to borrow. That’s an awfully high hurdle that I’m not sure this market can support.

Cash is king On the other hand, you may be sitting on a pile of cash just waiting for the real estate market to come back down to earth. Maybe you sold a home not too long ago and banked the proceeds. Or perhaps you’ve been saving for this goal and can pay cash (or make a significant down payment). If that’s you, this could be your time. Being able to buy a home with cash can also make you more attractive to sellers during the buying process. You might be able to close faster than buyers who need to get a mortgage — putting you in a posi-

tion to negotiate a cash discount. The combination of potentially more housing supply and higher interest rates could be keeping other buyers away, also reducing your competition.

Rent out your second home Some of this talk of Airbnb’s demise is hyperbolic, for sure. I still think, for some people, renting out a home to short-term renters can be a lucrative way to supplement retirement income — as long as you do it right. For starters, I wouldn’t recommend buying an overpriced property and taking out an expensive mortgage to pay for it. If your bookings are less than you anticipated, you’ll have an unsustainable financial burden. That said, being an Airbnb host can be a good way to bring in some additional income or offset the cost of a vacation home. In fact, Airbnb reports that a quarter of its hosts in the U.S. and Canada are retirees. If you’ve owned your property for a long time and don’t have a high monthly mortgage payment, you won’t be under the same financial pressure to rent out your place. Just bear in mind: If your property is in a location with a distinct vacation season — like the beach in summer or a ski resort in winter — you may be more able to rent it out at the very time you want to use it See DREAM HOUSE, page B-5

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Five facts to know about assisted living By Liz Weston If you or a loved one can no longer live safely at home, assisted living may be the answer. Residents typically live in their own rooms or apartments and get housekeeping services, meals and help with personal care. But facilities can vary enormously, and people’s expectations about assisted living often clash with reality, experts say. Here are some important things to know. 1. Medicare doesn’t cover the cost Nationwide, the median cost of assisted living facilities averaged $4,500 a month in 2021, the last year data was collected by longterm care insurer Genworth. But costs range enormously depending on the area and the services provided, said Amy Goyer, AARP’s national family and caregiving expert. [Ed. Note: For example, Genworth found

the median cost in Maryland to also be $4,500, but in Virginia it was $5,250 and in Washington, D.C. it was $5,948. For full details, including median costs for home care and nursing home care, visit Genworth.com/aging-andyou/finances/cost-of-care.html.] 2. There may not be a medical professional on staff Assisted living is considered residential rather than medical care, said elder care expert Kate Granigan, president-elect of the Aging Life Care Association’s board of directors and CEO of LifeCare Advocates in Newton, Massachusetts. Some facilities bring in doctors or other medical professionals to provide routine care, she said. But if there is a medical professional on staff, it’s often a nurse who can assess people’s needs rather than pro-

vide hands-on care. “They’re not there to change bandages and to administer medical assistance,” Granigan said. 3. You may need more care than you’ll get The key word in assisted living is “assisted,” Goyer said. While facilities can provide help around the clock, they aren’t designed for people who need constant one-on-one care. That’s the function of a nursing home. If someone requires medical care in addition to help with daily living, they would need a skilled nursing facility. Residents or their families often expect help on demand, but assisted living facilities aren’t staffed for that. “[Residents] may wait half an hour for someone to help them go to the bathroom,” Goyer said.

Assisted living facilities typically offer tiers of care, with each tier increasing in price. The first tier may include medication reminders and help getting in and out of the shower, while the next tiers offer increasing levels of hands-on care, she said. Prospective residents or their families need to ask what’s included in each tier and what exactly bumps the resident up to the next level of care, Goyer added. Another important question to ask is whether private caregivers can be brought in if the resident needs more care than the facility provides, Granigan said. Not all facilities allow outside help, which could mean the resident has to move to a nursing home if their needs increase.

Baltimore villages

rals, helping to combat social isolation, really being able to be very customized to that local community,” Roques said. “Having [these services] delivered by the community themselves is probably one of the best ways to do that.” Roques is also committed to helping underserved communities start villages. “We’re looking at making sure that the resources we have are targeting those communities that tend to have less resources and services and maybe don’t have a village,” she said.

Building social ties

Schloss teaches art classes to NNC members once a month, writes articles for its newsletter, and co-chairs the trips committee, which organizes outings to places like the Baltimore Museum of Art and Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton. “This past year, we’ve been doing a lot of museums of different types,” Schloss said. For information on Aging in Community programs, services and events, visit chaibaltimore.org/nnc or call (410) 500-LIFE (5433).

From page B-1 administrative costs associated with running a village, so we’re looking at providing technological assistance and administrative assistance.” To that end, the department included grants for six villages in its 2024 budget. “We’ve looked at the village model as a really positive opportunity to make sure that the local neighborhood [itself] can be engaged in offering direct services, refer-

Whether you join a village as a member or a volunteer, the organization can bring you closer to your neighbors. Cheswolde resident Heidi Schloss started volunteering for NNC a decade ago, after she retired as a Baltimore City art teacher. “I’ve made some good friends there over the years,” she said. “It’s a nice diverse group, which is wonderful for some of the folks who never got the opportunity to meet people from diverse groups.”

See ASSISTED LIVING, page B-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 below and mail this coupon to the Beacon. All coupons received by January 20 will be entered into a random drawing for tickets. You need not request advertiser info to win.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2024

Assisted living From page B-3 4. You can get kicked out Scrutinize the admissions agreement — the legal contract that outlines the services, costs and other terms of admission — and ask questions about what can trigger an eviction. Assisted living facilities can kick people out if they have behavior problems, need more care than the facility provides, or can no longer pay the bill, said Jaclyn Flores, consumer and policy advocate for the nonprofit California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR). Assisted living facilities also can raise rates with sufficient notice, and many have been doing so, Flores added. Flores recommends prospective residents have a Plan B long before their sav-

Dream house From page B-2 yourself. You have to ask yourself what’s the point of owning a vacation home if you can’t enjoy it during prime season.

Plot your next move Predicting real estate prices and the direction of interest rates is never certain. Who could have predicted that [coming out of] a global pandemic would lead to soaring inflation and out-of-control real estate prices?

ings are exhausted. Options might include moving to a less expensive facility, or exploring public benefits such as the aid and attendance benefit available to veterans, or Medicaid — the federal public health insurance program for people with low income and few assets. 5. There’s no one-stop shop for getting advice AARP has a checklist for evaluating assisted living facilities (see bit.ly.com/ALchecklist). Advocacy groups such as CANHR and the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care (theconsumervoice.org) can provide additional information. [Ed. Note: Also contact your local long-term care ombudsman office.] If you’re looking for assisted living, you’ll likely come across online marketplaces, placement agencies and consultants who offer to help. You may get valu-

able information, but the guidance may not be objective or comprehensive, Goyer said. Facilities pay these sources for referrals, so you may get steered to one that pays a commission rather than the one that’s the best fit. [See “Sources for free or paid housing referrals,” in the October Beacon.] For personalized advice, consider a consultation with an aging-life-care professional, also known as a geriatric care manager, who is paid only by your fees. For a cost that often ranges from $100 to $250 an hour, the pro — who is typically a nurse or social worker — can evaluate the aging person’s needs, recommend resources, and help find appropriate facilities, Granigan said.

Still, it’s smart to watch where things are headed. Maybe after 11 interest rate hikes, housing is ready to cool, and a drop in Airbnb bookings could lead to more properties on the market. If you’ve had your retirement real estate dreams dashed time and again in this overheated market, this could be your opportunity. Just make sure you’re realistic about what you can afford and how you’ll pay for it. © 2023 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Finding the right place can take time, and the pro also can recommend ways to keep the current home safer while you search, she added. You can get referrals for an aging-life-care professional from the Aging Life Care Association. Genworth’s “Cost of Care” survey was conducted by CareScout, a Genworth company, which contacted 67,742 providers by phone from June through November 2021 to complete 14,698 surveys of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult day health facilities and home care providers. This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. All rights reserved.

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JANUARY 2024 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Never too early to develop your care plan By Liz Weston At some point, most older people will need help getting through the day. Someone turning 65 today has a 70% chance of eventually requiring assistance with basic living activities, such as bathing, dressing and using the toilet, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That’s the grim reality. Even grimmer is that Medicare typically doesn’t pay for such help. Plus, families often don’t try to figure out how to provide this care until there is a health crisis, which can lead to unnecessary stress, conflicts and escalating costs, said certified financial planner and physician Carolyn McClanahan of Life Planning Partners in Jacksonville, Florida. Making a care plan well in advance allows families to get organized, locate ap-

propriate resources, and figure out ways to pay for care before a crisis hits. “A care plan is thinking through the logistics of what you’re going to need as you age so that when [an emergency happens], you are prepared,” McClanahan said.

Deal with denial first The biggest barrier can be our own wishful thinking, said Katy Butler, author of the books The Art of Dying Well and Knocking on Heaven’s Door. We want to picture a perfectly healthy life followed, if absolutely necessary, by a quick and painless death. The reality may be quite different, and that can be awful to contemplate, Butler acknowledged. One way to cope is to plan for temporary rather than permanent disability. For example, what kind of help might you or your

BEACON BITS

Jan. 13

VINTAGE RECORD SWAP Visit Roland Park Community Center on Sat., Jan 13 from 5 to

7:30 p.m. to swap, sell and trade vintage records with other 78 rpm-record collectors. This free event takes place in the main hall at 5802 Roland Ave., Baltimore. For more information, email rolandparkcc@comcast.net or call (410) 435-1506. (You may also drop off nonperishable food for the Maryland Food Bank at the center every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

loved one need after a hip or knee replacement? How well is the home set up for recovery? Who would help with household tasks? Contemplating a two- or three-month disability with an eventual return to health is less daunting, but involves much of the same planning as a more lasting decline, Butler said. “I think that really would help people visualize without terrifying them.”

Where might you get care? Many people want to remain in their current homes as they age, something called “aging in place.” That typically means relying on family members for care, using paid workers or both. If family members will be tapped, discuss the logistics, including whether and how much they will be paid. If home health aides will be hired, consider who will supervise the process. Costs can mount quickly. Nationally, the median cost of a full-time home health aide is $5,148 a month, according to long-term care insurer Genworth. (AARP offers a free cost-of-care calculator to estimate costs in your area. See bit.ly/AARPcostofcare.)

Explore ways to cover costs Are there savings that can be tapped? Does the older person have long-term care insurance, or can they get a reverse mortgage? Will other family members chip in? Does the older person qualify for government help, such as veterans benefits, Medicaid or state programs? Benefitscheckup.org, a site run by the nonprofit National Council on Aging, can help you search for resources that help people age in place. Families may also want to consult an elder law attorney for personalized advice. (You can get a referral from the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys at www.naela.org.)

Also, consider whether the current home is “aging friendly,” McClanahan said. An occupational therapist can suggest adaptations that could allow the older person to remain in the home if they’re disabled. Some changes might be simple, such as removing throw rugs that could cause falls, while others — like widening doorways or constructing a walk-in shower — might be part of a larger remodel. The sooner you get this evaluation, the more time you will have to plan and pay for it, McClanahan said, adding “I recommend everybody do this when they hit their 50s if they’re planning on staying in their home.”

Consider the community Even if the home supports aging in place, the neighborhood might not, Butler said. Consider how the older person will socialize, get groceries and make it to health appointments if they can no longer drive. [See “Villages can help neighbors age in place” on page B-1 for ways local neighborhood villages may help.] An independent living or senior living facility could provide more amenities, but these typically don’t provide long-term care, Butler said. Is the older person OK with moving again later, or should they start with an assisted living or continuing care facility that can provide more help as needed? Once you have a plan, write down the details and consider sharing it with family members or other people who may be involved, McClanahan suggested. Revisit the document periodically as circumstances change. “Aging planning is not a one-and-done thing. It’s an ongoing process,” she said. This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. All rights reserved.

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Charlestown 1-800-222-9651 715 Maiden Choice Lane Catonsville, MD 21228 CharlestownCommunity.com The Best of Everything is at Charlestown Experience the finest in maintenance-free senior living at our beautiful 110-acre campus. You’ll enjoy resort-style amenities, clubs and activities, delicious dining, and services that promote your health and well-being, including on-site medical care for every stage of your life. Our stylish apartment homes feature modern finishes and floorplans to suit every need. Our predictable Monthly Service Package takes the guesswork out of managing your expenses, because almost everything is included. And our 90% Refundable Entrance Fee* means your legacy is protected. Call 1-800-222-9651 to request your free brochure or to arrange an in-person or virtual tour. *Carefully read the Residence and Care Agreement for the conditions that must be satisfied before the Provider is required to pay the Entrance Fee Refund.

Makes a great gift! | Housing Options

BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2024

B-7

Some pros and cons of retiring abroad By Becca Van Sambeck Retirement is one of the most exciting phases in a person’s life, and for good reason: Suddenly, for the first time in decades — or maybe even ever — all your time is yours. It’s an opportunity to try different things, embark on new adventures, or simply relax for once. But where should you spend your time embracing the luxury of retirement? While plenty of people opt to stay in the same place, others seek more retireefriendly climates when looking for the best place to retire. Some even decide to make the most daring move possible and retire abroad. There are many reasons why making your change of scenery an entirely new country may make sense for you. But it’s not a move that will work for everyone. Consider these pros and cons of retiring abroad.

Pro: The adventure of a new culture There’s something fun and thrilling about being in a new environment — new sights to see, new foods to try, new people to meet. It can completely reorient your

BEACON BITS

Jan. 13

UMBC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GAME

world to experience so many new things. Plus, learning another language and adapting to unfamiliar cultural customs are great ways to keep your mind sharp and engaged when you don’t have work to focus on.

Con: Culture clash headaches Of course, for some people, the adventure of living in a new country gets dull fast. Not knowing the language or the culture can leave you feeling alienated and craving the ease and comforts of your homeland. You’ll need to consider whether you’d really like to embrace an unfamiliar culture or if you’d prefer just passing through on a trip.

Pro: The lower cost of living In general, you’ll find it’s more affordable to live outside of America these days.

“The U.S. is becoming extremely expensive on an international scale. As an example, the cost of living in NYC is twice as expensive as Florence, Italy, where I live,” said Alex Ingrim, a private wealth manager at Chase Buchanan, who aids other Americans living in Europe with their financial planning. “Porto, a popular retirement destination in Portugal, is almost 65% cheaper to live in than San Francisco,” he added. Spending your retirement in a place where you can stretch your dollar further is certainly tempting. After all, retirement does mean you have a finite amount of funds, and this lower cost of living will alleviate spending concerns. You can have a lot more fun in your retirement when you can actually spend on things you enjoy instead of the basics. “The difference in affordability means that people can retire earlier, travel more, and have more experiences at a younger

age than they would traditionally plan for,” Ingrim noted.

Con: Missing typical U.S. amenities However, that level of affordability comes with a cost, he added. While you’re certainly spending less on your living situation, you’ll likely find yourself in a smaller home without many of the everyday luxuries common in the U.S. — including air conditioning, central heating, private outdoor space and up-to-date appliances. Local infrastructure may not “be up to American standards,” and it may be difficult for ex-pats to get used to the way local bureaucracies are run. That means some will miss the convenience of life in America, even if it has a higher price tag. “While the U.S. is expensive, See RETIRING ABROAD, page B-8

Welcome Home to Harmony

Cheer for the UMBC Retrievers as they take on UMass Lowell’s River Hawks on Sat., Jan 13, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Chesapeake Arena, 1000 Hilltop Cir., Baltimore. Tickets are $10 for seniors and can be purchased online at bit.ly/RetrieversBasketball or at the box office. For more information, call (443) 612-3840.

Jan. 17

HOW TO AVOID SCAMMERS

This free presentation by the Baltimore County Department of Aging and CHANA’s Elder Abuse Program explains how to avoid scams by sharing stories and information about the latest scams. Visit the Bykota Senior Center, 611 Central Ave., Towson, on Wed., Jan. 17, at 10 a.m. to participate. Registration isn’t necessary. For more information, email bykotasc@baltimorecounty.gov or call (410) 887-3094.

Jan. 26

SENIOR SIP AND SOCIAL

Visit the Glen Burnie Library on Fri., Jan. 26, from 11 a.m. to noon to meet other older adults from the neighborhood and enjoy a hot beverage. This free monthly social hour takes place at 1010 Eastway, Glen Burnie. Registration isn’t necessary. For more information, call the library at (410) 222-6270.

Sc a n to G Ke ys to H e t You r a ppi ne ss

BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2024

PULL-OUT & SAVE THIS SECTION! PHOTO © ALESSANDRO BIASCIOLI | DREAMSTIME.COM

The quirky charms of another country can, over time, become annoyances if they get on your nerves. Consider all aspects of daily life before making a decision to move abroad.

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B-8

Retiring abroad

you’re coughing up double the taxes.

From page B-7

The bottom line

the amenities on offer and the ease of everyday administration are pretty unmatched,” Ingrim said.

We all dream of living abroad and starting an entirely new journey, and retirement may provide the perfect opportunity to do just that. However, you need to determine if it’s truly the right move for you: Will you enjoy the adventure of living within a new culture? Or will the issues associated with beginning anew be too much of a hassle? You also need to figure out your finances and determine how much money you’ll really be saving when residing abroad — including whether your taxes will become too much of a burden if you move to your dream country. Before you go, speak with a tax lawyer based where you want to live, as well as other people based in that country, to get a sense of what you can expect when you make the leap. If it makes sense personally and financially for you to retire abroad, you may find this phase of your life more magical than you ever expected. © 2023 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Possible con: Tax liabilities Depending on where you plan to retire, your tax responsibilities may become a massive setback. No matter where you are in the world, a U.S. citizen or green card holder needs to pay U.S. taxes. But you may find an extra tax burden exists where you live. “It’s important to consider that you may have a tax liability to another country if you are considered a tax resident there. The typical expectations of Americans around the taxation of Social Security and of Roth IRAs being tax-free may not hold true in your new country. Italy and Spain are good examples of this,” Ingrim said. That’s why you need to consult with a lawyer and find out beforehand exactly how you’ll be taxed upon a move. It will directly impact the amount of money you’ll actually have. You may find there isn’t much of a financial reward to moving after all, when

BEACON BITS

Jan. 9

BYKOTA SENIOR CENTER TRAVEL FAIR Browse trips and destinations for older adults at a travel fair and

sign up early for 2024 Bykota Senior Center trips. This free event takes place on Tue., Jan. 9, from 2 to 4 p.m. at 611 Central Ave., Towson. Registration isn’t necessary. For more information, email bykotasc@baltimorecounty.gov or call (410) 887-3094.

Jan. 25

FREE SKETCHING CLASS AT THE WALTERS Artists of all abilities are invited to spend their evening drawing to live music at the Walters Art Museum galleries. Light instruction

and materials will be provided. This free event takes place on Thu., Jan. 25, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at 600 N. Charles St., Baltimore. Registration isn’t necessary. For more information, call (410) 547-9000.

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Experience Vibrant Living at Oak Crest A warm, welcoming environment. Modern apartment homes with contemporary finishes. Resort-style amenities. Clubs and activities for engaged living. All of this and more awaits you at Oak Crest, a beautiful 87-acre senior community nestled in Baltimore County. You’ll enjoy maintenance-free living with a predictable Monthly Service Package that includes virtually all services. Our 90% Refundable Entrance Fee* provides peace of mind for you and your loved ones. And should you ever need them, advanced care options are available right on campus. We’d love to send you a free brochure and answer your questions. Please call 1-800-333-5693 today. *Carefully read the Residence and Care Agreement for the conditions that must be satisfied before the Provider is required to pay the entrance fee refund

Makes a great gift!

BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2024

Money Law &

Plan a meaningful retirement focused on giving back. See story on page 10.

No, your Social Security isn’t going away By Jamie Feldman The Social Security Administration (SSA) is making a concerted effort to quell fears over dwindling reserves in the trust fund. In a new episode of the SSA Talks podcast, SSA chief actuary Steve Goss offered some much-welcomed reassurance that, while there is still a risk that benefits will lessen as the reserves are depleted, there’s no need to believe Social Security will run dry. “People should not worry about the trust fund ‘running out of money,’ as is sometimes said, and (SSA) having an inability to pay any benefits,” he said. “Sort of the probably worst-case scenario here is that we, within 10 years, reach a point where we can only pay about 80% of the level of benefits that are scheduled or intended into law by Congress as of that point in time and going forward.” Goss concedes that while that number

is obviously not 100%, “it’s a long way from not having any money to pay for any benefits.” His commentary follows the SSA’s announced cost-of-living adjustment last month that increased benefits for recipients by 3.2% — or on average about $54 per month — starting in January. Many Americans fear that the program faces financing shortfalls, however. A recent Harris Poll of 1,806 adults on behalf of Nationwide shows that three-fourths (75%) of those over the age of 50 worry that Social Security will run out of funding in their lifetime. One in five of these adults (21%) said they have no other source of retirement income.

Congress is stalemated Congress has not been much help on the reassurance front, either. While there are usually numerous bills circulating on various aspects of Social Security, the fate of

benefits seems to lie stagnant between congressional Republicans and Democrats. Though both parties have denied that cuts to benefits are on the table, they have yet to offer any clear, bi-partisan reassurance that there is a path forward to prevent a crisis for future retirees. Lawmakers’ proposals on potential remedies to the program include increasing payroll taxes, raising the retirement age (last raised from 65 to 67 in 1983), and increasing taxation on Social Security benefits. Among the bills fairly recently introduced is one from Rep. John Larson (DCT), ranking member of the House Social Security Subcommittee. Introduced in May, Larson’s Social Security 2100 bill seeks to increase Social Security payroll taxes, as well as add an additional net investment income tax for people earning more than $400,000. The bill, which has companion legisla-

tion in the Senate, has received widespread support from Democrats but has been met with criticism by Republicans. Like most bills this session of Congress, it is unlikely to move out of committee.

What you can do As for taking action yourself, there are steps you can take, including delaying applying for Social Security so that you increase your payments. [Ed. Note: The closer you get to the age of 70 to claim benefits, the more you will earn per month for the rest of your life.] You can also write to your Congressional representatives to urge action. For help in planning for retirement and figuring out your personal retirement Social Security payments, Goss recommends visiting the SSA’s website, ssa.gov. © 2023 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Consider gifting stock to grandchildren By Dan Burrows If you have never given a child shares in a publicly traded company as a holiday present, that’s probably just as well. Presents are supposed to be fun. Investing in equities — as remunerative over the long haul as they have proven to be —isn’t fun a lot of the time. That said, the impulse to give stocks as a gift to a youngster is understandable, even noble. We want children to develop critical life skills around money as early as possible. The more they learn about saving and investing — to say nothing of compound interest, dividends, the economic cycle — the better. We know how important this stuff is going to be for them in ways they can’t yet imagine. Stocks even have a singular appealing quality as a gift. They’re dynamic. A child can follow a company and its stock. Hopefully, the stock will appreciate in value. Perhaps you and your grandchild will bond as you follow corporate developments and stock charts together. A gift that allows the two of you to spend time together, while learning something and maybe even making a little money, too? Sounds lovely.

Consider indexing The vast majority of full-time professional investors can’t do it, so why should you? The simple fact is that most investors can’t beat the market because most stocks can’t beat the market. Between 1990 and 2020, more than 55% of all U.S. stocks underperformed risk-free one-month U.S. Treasury bills, according to Hendrik Bessembinder, a finance professor at Arizona State University. These stocks didn’t just fail to beat the market, they failed to beat cash. Even more damning, the professor found that the entirety of the $76 trillion in net global stock market wealth created between 1990 and 2020 was generated solely by the topperforming 2.4% of stocks. Finding winning stocks is like finding needles in haystacks. That’s why Vanguard founder and indexing evangelist Jack Bogle always advised clients to “buy the haystack.” So, if part of the purpose of giving stocks as a gift is to teach your grandkids about investing, you should probably start by discussing the advantages of indexing and the miracle of compounding. If you can achieve an annualized return

— also known as a compound annual growth rate — of 7.18%, your initial investment will double every 10 years. Happily for all of us, the S&P 500 has generated an annualized return of at least 7.1% over the past 30, 20, 15 and 10 years — and that’s after inflation. The market has basically been doubling our money or better in real terms for decades. You could explain these facts to your grandchildren as you give them some S&P 500 ETFs, such as the SPDR S&P 500 (SPY, about $455 per share) or the Vanguard S&P 500 (VOO, $418). An ETF is probably an even more disappointing present for a kid than stock (or underwear), so it’s bound to make an impression. The important part is that the child learns that indexing is generally the best way to go for most retail investors.

Best stocks to buy for children If the point of this holiday gift isn’t to teach your grandchild about the wonders of indexing, then here are some general guidelines for picking individual equities. If you give shares in some company to your grandkids as a gift, they probably don’t care about dividend yields, or

price/earnings multiples, or trailing-12months levered free cash flow. Rather, if you feel you must buy individual stocks as a gift, be sure to invest in high-quality companies your grandchild recognizes and maybe cares about. High-quality blue chip stocks with fortress-like balance sheets and a decent chance of beating the market over the next, say, five to 10 years, are easy enough to screen for. Have a look at what industry analysts believe are buy-rated blue chips with interesting businesses. Apple (AAPL, $190), Microsoft (MSFT, $379) and Walt Disney (DIS, $95) are all buy-rated components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average with excellent longterm track records — and they can all be fun to follow. Nike (NKE, $108) is another buy-rated Dow stock that likely holds relevance for your grandkid. Wall Street also happens to be bullish on Dow stock McDonald’s (MCD, $282) these days. Perhaps your grandchild would like a side of fries with her shares in the Golden Arches? If you really want to teach your grandSee STOCKS, page 10

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JANUARY 2024 — BALTIMORE BEACON

How to make retirement more meaningful By Heidi Ardis A purpose-driven retirement is all about finding meaning and fulfillment in your postwork years. It is more than just relaxing and enjoying leisure time; instead, it involves actively seeking activities and interests that align with your values and passions. Much of our identity in life is tied to work, but retirement gives us the opportunity to rethink our purpose and to rediscover who we are, using the extra time to focus on who and what is most important to us. Retirement, in many ways, can be a new age of discovery for us as we find new pursuits that interest us. Or we can view retirement as an opportunity to make up for lost time, doing the things we’ve long wanted to do but didn’t have time for. Many retirees take on new roles and responsibilities, such as providing childcare for grandchildren, shopping for higher-

risk neighbors, and providing emotional comfort to family and friends. In return, these stepped-up roles have given retirees a greater sense of purpose and connection. There are even health benefits associated with having purpose: Studies show that those with a higher sense of purpose have greater cognitive functioning, better overall health, higher life satisfaction and longer lifespans. The possibilities are endless. Let’s explore different ways to infuse purpose into your retirement and make it truly extraordinary: • Find your passion. Start by exploring activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. Try new hobbies and join clubs or groups. Reflect on your past experiences and think about what made you feel most alive and fulfilled. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Remember,

retirement is a time to discover and pursue what truly makes you happy. • Volunteer or give back. This is a fulfilling way to make a positive impact in your community. One of the most meaningful aspects of life is making a difference in the lives of others. Retirement is a chance to use your skills, knowledge and time to help someone. That could mean mentoring, assisting at a local charity or participating in community events. The joy and fulfillment you receive from giving back is truly priceless. So go ahead — lend a helping hand and spread kindness wherever you can. • Set goals. Setting goals helps you stay motivated and make the most out of this new chapter in your life. Start by reflecting on what you want to achieve and what brings you joy: learning

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a new skill, traveling to new places, or spending more time with loved ones, for instance. Break big goals down into smaller milestones to keep yourself motivated along the way. Dream big and go after what makes you happy. • Focus on continuous learning. Embrace the joy of learning without the pressure of grades or exams. Keep intellectually engaged by taking classes, attending workshops, or even pursuing online courses. Dive into subjects that have always intrigued you, or explore new areas of interest. • Consider a part-time job. Just because you’re retiring doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ruling out working. Along with the financial benefits of having a parttime job in retirement, other plusses include social interaction, a renewed sense of purpose and identity, physical activity and mental engagement. By aligning your retirement with your passions and values, you can create a meaningful and purposeful life that continues to inspire and motivate you. Start with what makes you happy, be open to new possibilities, and embrace the blessing of being able to live each day to the fullest. Dan Dunkin contributed to this article. This article was written by and presents the views of our contributing adviser, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. © 2023 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.

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kids about investing, start with indexing. If you want to have fun playing around with individual stocks, go ahead. Just know that you’re going to have lots of ups and downs. Of course, it’s true that unless you plonk down a serious chunk of starting capital, a small gift of stocks is unlikely to make anyone a member of the 1% one day. If 20 years ago you had invested $1,000 in Apple, pretty much the best stock of the past couple of decades, it would today be worth about $500,000. (To be fair, adjusted for inflation, $1,000 in 1993 equals $2,153 today.) That’s a fabulous return, but it’s hardly Mega Millions money. The same amount invested in the S&P 500 would be worth about $6,300 today. If you can find the next Apple, go for it. Most importantly, make sure the stocks you pick are relevant to the person receiving the gift. If you want this present to hold the recipient’s attention longer than most, that’s the only hope you’ve got. Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Retirement Report, Kiplinger’s monthly periodical that covers key concerns of affluent older Americans who are retired or preparing for retirement. © 2023 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Makes a great gift!

BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2024

WALTERS ART MUSEUM

Style Arts &

Herb Massie enlisted help from Baltimoreans for his mosaic Reflections of Sybby Grant. Our cover story continues on p. 12.

Illuminating Baltimore’s stained glass

Delving into the past In researching the book, Rabben came to focus not on architectural details but on the people of Baltimore’s past. “What I started to think about was why did people want these windows in their

houses? Who decided to install them? When did this fashion start? Why did it end?” Rabben said. “To answer those questions, I had to learn more about Baltimore’s long, rather sordid history of segregation, especially residential segregation.” That’s because the records of stained glass made and installed in Baltimore from the late 1840s onward were incomplete, Rabben found. Many records have been lost, and most windows were not signed or dated. So Rabben began reading histories of Baltimore, like Eric Holcomb’s The City as Suburb: A History of Northeast Baltimore Since 1660 and Antero Pietila’s Not in My Neighborhood: How Bigotry Shaped a Great American City, which ultimately led to her broadening her focus. “It was totally unexpected and kind of serendipitous that I would come across this topic — and that it would become a book and a whole new direction for my research,” Rabben said. As a result, Through a Glass Darkly is unlike anything she had written before, she said.

stained glassmakers in Baltimore today. “They were very interested and eager to talk about their craft,” Rabben said. “They were thrilled that somebody was paying attention to their work and wanted to know more about it.” Some have been involved in high-profile projects, like restoring the stained glass panels for the Maryland State Senate in Annapolis or Clifton Mansion in Baltimore’s Clifton Park, or creating the stained glass window in the Benton Municipal Building downtown.

Researcher and activist Rabben earned a Ph.D. in urban anthropology for her research in Brazil. She returned there many times See STAINED GLASS, page 13

Many contributed to the project Baltimore historians, city planners, architects and museum curators helped Rabben when she was working on the book. “It’s been the best research experience of my career,” she said. Of course, Rabben also consulted some of the half dozen well-known

PHOTO COURTESY OF LINDA RABBEN

By Ana Preger Hart When author, anthropologist and human rights activist Linda Rabben moved to northeast Baltimore in 2021, she wanted to get to know her new neighborhood better. On her daily walks, she noticed that many houses had stained glass windows. Rabben, who grew up in Philadelphia and lived for 30 years in Takoma Park, Maryland, became curious. “I really hadn’t paid any attention to them” before, Rabben said in an interview with the Beacon. “So, I was seeing this with new eyes.” “The first thing I wanted to find out was, who made these windows, when were they made, and where were they made,” said Rabben, associate research professor of anthropology at the University of Maryland. That is how the idea for Rabben’s new book, Through a Glass Darkly: The Social History of Stained Glass in Baltimore, came about. Published in November, the illustrated book connects “the evolution of this decorative art form to the reality of racial, ethnic and religious segregation and discrimination in the city,” Rabben writes in her 11th book.

Baltimore researcher Linda Rabben published her 11th book, which is about the people behind the stained glass windows found in many Baltimore houses, churches and public buildings.

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Artist From page 1 He gravitated to the creative arts since he was a child, and is a self-taught artist. “I never graduated from an art school,” Massie said. “I took a couple classes up at CCBC…then I went to Clayworks to take classes to improve on my talents.” Massie worked a variety of jobs, from baker to a laborer to salesman, before turning to the arts full time. Massie began teaching art as a volunteer at Mary E. Rodman Recreation Center in Edmondson Village. He rearranged his work schedule to go there twice a week. From there, he started teaching painting, drawing and other classes at different schools. He went to Baltimore Clayworks to enroll in a class and landed a job that lasted decades. Massie “showed up at the doorstep at Baltimore Clayworks,” he recalled, and they quickly hired him as a teacher. “I went there as just a clay teacher in their community arts program, and I wound up managing a couple of studio sites off campus and co-running the community arts program.” After more than 25 years of experience as a teaching artist, in 2016, Massie was selected as the Sue Hess Maryland Arts Advocate of the Year by Maryland Citizens for the Arts. Massie has brought the arts to city

recreation centers, private, public and county schools, and numerous arts organizations. “I’ve been working with communities through art for the last 20 to 30 years,” Massie said. “I’ve worked with almost every art agency here in Baltimore.” Massie has brought the arts to people of all ages and circumstances. He has worked with teenagers, adults and community elders. He has hosted workshops for people recovering from addiction and people released from prison. “Herb has a way of inspiring students, whether they are elementary-school-age students or senior citizens,” said Nicole Fall, who was community arts manager at Baltimore Clayworks when Massie was first hired as a teacher.

Starting the mosaic project When Massie started on the mosaic, he began the creative process in Baltimore at the Jubilee Arts studio on Pennsylvania Avenue — the city’s center of African American history and culture. “At some point, the museum sent some folks [to ask] how they could assist because they knew the work was heavy,” he said. They decided to take the pieces over to the museum’s studio site in Woodberry, and Massie continued to work on them there, affixing one- and two-inch mirrors as a border, then stained glass, broken

JANUARY 2024 — BALTIMORE BEACON

pieces of mirror and later the plates. Massie premade hundreds of plates for people to decorate and illustrate. He also created clay stamps so people could imprint different textures on the plates. Community members worked on decorating the plates during a series of drop-in workshops at the Walters Art Museum, a few schools, and a couple of rec centers. “I did workshops everywhere,” Massie said. “I can’t even count them.” The workshops at the museum were open to the public, well attended and busy. “My biggest problems with the workshops was that adults would come in with kids, and they were so consumed with making sure that their son or daughter got it exactly right and not working on their own,” Massie said. “When it comes it comes to art, [I say] let a kid express themselves through the art. As we get older, we start having opinions, and our thought process is different. We spend too much time thinking ‘What am I going to do?’ instead of just doing it.” Some of the mosaic workshops were exclusively for staff at the Walters Art Museum. Massie thought it was an excellent opportunity for the workers, who spent most of their time in an environment where art is displayed, to be able to participate in the process of creating art. Massie may lead more workshops at the Walters in the spring. The mosaic’s ceramic plates and mirror fragments are mounted on large ovals that represent turtle shells, a nod to Grant’s letter, in which she writes about preparing turtle soup. Massie brought food to all of his mosaic workshops — no turtle soup, but lots of barbecued ribs, collard greens with smoked turkey necks, macaroni and cheese and crabcakes. “One of the things I like to do when

folks work with me is I always like to feed them,” Massie said.

Gwynn Oak artwork Another of Massie’s community art pieces was unveiled in August 2023, at the Gwynn Oak Park Unity Festival, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the desegregation of the now-closed amusement park. Massie created the artwork with his 19year-old nephew Darean Barrett and a handful of others. The work was truly a community project because a website was established as a platform for the public to upload personal images. Massie used the personal photos as a unique, detailed overlay he created on top of a photograph he bought from the Baltimore Sun of 11-month-old Sharon Langley, the first black child to ride the merry-goround at the park. [See our cover story “Author made history as a baby,” February 2022.] Massie enlarged the Sun photo to five feet and essentially re-created the photo from images of community members in a photographic collage and mosaic. Massie’s new place in the Walters’ permanent collection is a tribute to his lifelong commitment to art. “I was always interested in art,” Massie said. “That was always my goal. I’ve had friends who jokingly but seriously say that back when we were in junior high when a teacher asked what you want to be, I always knew I wanted to be an artist. So, a lot of folks that grew up knowing me aren’t surprised that I wind up full circle.” Massie’s work can be found on Instagram at #HerbMassie and #break_and_make_mosaic. Reflections of Sybby Grant is on view at the Walters Art Museum at 1 West Mount Vernon Place. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday; closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Admission is free.

Peace of Mind is Priceless Pre-planning a funeral is a great gift, to your family and to you: It relieves the pressure on them to imagine what you might have wanted while they deal with grief and loss. Your funeral service will be exactly as you wish. Your family can enjoy peace of mind knowing everything has been arranged. If you choose to pre-fund, the cost is fixed and protected from later price change or inflation.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2024

Stained glass From page 11 from 1980 to the early 2000s, to do research on human rights and social change. She worked for Amnesty International before becoming interested in international migration issues and, in particular, sanctuary and asylum as cultural, religious and political institutions. For many years, she helped asylum seekers and refugees as a volunteer and human rights activist. This led to a job at the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service in Baltimore. Although Rabben worked as an anthropologist, activist and editor, above all, she considers herself a writer. “When I hit age 70, I wrote a memoir to try and make sense of my professional life,” Rabben said. The memoir, which she self-published in 2021, “is all about my life as a writer, which I’ve been since I was nine years old.

“I wanted to talk about all the different career paths that I’ve gone down and how they’re related to writing.” So far, the best response to her latest book has been readers who have told her, “You know, now I’m seeing stained glass everywhere I go. I never noticed it before. And it really changed the way I look at the decoration on houses.” To Rabben, that’s high praise. “I can’t think of a better, more satisfying response to my work,” she said. “I’ve changed the way people are seeing something.” To find out more about Rabben or her other books, visit her website, wordworker.net . To see a free exhibit curated by Rabben that features works by local stained glassmakers, visit The Peale, 225 Holiday St., Baltimore. Hours are 3 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The exhibit runs through February 4th, but will be closed from December 22 through January 3. For more information, email info@thepeale.org or call (667) 222-1814.

BEACON BITS

Jan 20

BEACON BITS MEET-UP Ongoing POETRY Bring one to two poems to the Hereford Branch of the Baltimore County Library on the second Wednesday of each month to a workshop with other poets and Michael Fallon, who has taught poetry for 35 years. This free event takes place at 16940 York Rd., Hereford. Email poems ahead of time to fallon@umbc.edu and bring three hard copies to the meet-up. For more information, call (410) 887-1919.

Jan. 13

FREE PIANO RECITAL

Enjoy live music and light refreshments at the Catonsville Senior Center piano students’ recital. This free event takes place on Sat., Jan. 13 from 2 to 5 p.m. at 501 North Rolling Rd., Catonsville. Registration isn’t necessary. For more information, call (410) 887-0900.

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

Join the Enoch Pratt Free Library and Juliette Wells, professor of literary studies at Goucher College, to discuss Jane Austen and her novels’ enduring appeal. Wells will also talk about her new book, A New Jane Austen. This free event is presented in person and virtually on Sat., Jan. 20, from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Poe Reading Room, Central Library, 400 Cathedral St., Baltimore, and on EPFL’s Facebook and YouTube pages. To attend in person, register at bit.ly/AustenBookTalk. For more information, call (410) 396-5430.

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JANUARY 2024 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Crossword Puzzle Find a new crossword every day on our website at www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com/puzzles. Write Right 1

By Stephen Sherr

13 16 19

44 48

53 58

50 54

Across 1. Standard, half the world from the intl. date line 4. Puts in the secret ingredient 8. Friends’ Central Perk, and Seinfeld’s Monk’s 13. “Go, team, go” 14. River fish 15. Place to shout 13 Across or 49 Down 16. Cracker spread 17. Mideast ruler 18. Like Anthony Michael Hall in 80’s movies 19. A literal flea market, for example 22. Show a need for a CPAP machine 23. ___ of the Roses 24. Piehole 27. It brings to mind some of Ringo Starr’s instruments 32. Second player on Family Feud, perhaps 35. Oracle 36. Recipient of 2,912,523 votes in Florida in 2000 37. Green and abundant 39. Adagio and allegro 42. Spy ___ Hari 43. Gambling term that sounds like your mom’s sister 44. 1977 film with subtitle The Killer Whale 46. Nickname for some Theodores 47. A good place to show off your ass 52. Bodycare boutique 53. Neither hide ___ hair 54. NFL’er who participates in “The Brotherly Shove” 58. Officer in Mr. Peanut’s army 63. “I wasn’t even there,” for example 65. It is infused into Kleenex Soothing Lotion tissues 66. Half a ___ is better than none 67. Bakers often make it 13 68. Three tsps. 69. “Mommy” has them; “Daddy” doesn’t 70. Daisy that appears to be looking at you 71. Best coast to see sunrises 72. “You ain’t seen nothing ___”

Down

1. Silo contents

43 47

36 39

BB124

23 27

Scrabble answers on p. 13.

2. Flat bread 3. “___ of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice” (ML King) 4. Powerful tennis server 5. Knight’s widow 6. Small amount 7. Result of poor urban planning 8. Songbird 9. 1.32 acres (on a football field) 10. Transport to San Francisco Giants home games 11. Epilogue 12. ___ Yes to the Dress 16. Network of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos 20. Jedi, later than Obi-Wan K or Mace W 21. Little Caesars offerings, colloquially 25. Largest blood vessel 26. Say “not guilty” 28. “A stranger’s just a friend you haven’t ___” 29. Honey producer 30. There is a lot of it in Camelot closets 31. One of the “big five” of film’s studio era 32. Lets the cat out of the bag 33. The time before the big event 34. Kick one out of the cool kids’ table 38. “Behind every great man is a woman rolling __ eyes” (Jim Carrey) 40. One in a pay-to-play scheme 41. Scene loc. in Nurse Jackie 45. Pulitzer-winning writer James 48. Connected to the ‘net 49. Greet the visiting team 50. Lavish 51. Engineer, and member of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame 55. Garden protector 56. “If you can’t make it good, at ___ make it look good” (Bill Gates) 57. One of Santa’s neighbors 59. Toe the line 60. Island 10 kilometers from Italy 61. Decrease in net income 62. Didn’t share 63. Commotion 64. Smoked salmon

Answers on page 13.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2024

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; Legal Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on the right. 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.

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We thank our advertisers who make our publication possible. Please patronize them and let them know you saw their ad in the Beacon. Adult Day Programs St. Ann Adult Day Services . . . . .B2

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Catholic Charities . . . . . . . . .B2, B6 Charlestown/Erickson . . . . . .B5, B6 Christ Church Harbor Apts . . . . .B5 Enterprise Residential . . . . . . . . .10 Everall Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Harmony at Enterprise . . .1, B7, B8 Harmony at Kent . . . . . . . . . . .1, B7 Harmony at Waldorf . . . . . . . .1, B7 Kessler Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Oak Crest/Erickson . . . . . . . .B5, B8 Park View Apartments . . . . . . . . .10 Pickersgill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 St. Mary’s Roland View Towers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Virginia Towers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Warren Place Apts. . . . . . . . . . . . .12

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JANUARY 2024 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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