June 2015 | Howard County Beacon by The Beacon Newspapers

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It took the coming of age of the baby boomers to kick off the idea, said TVIH Board President Mary McGraw, of Ellicott

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Residents find value in a village By Robert Friedman A group of Howard County older adults have joined together in the belief that it takes a village to provide aging residents with a continuing good quality of life and more security in their own homes. The organization, for county residents 55 and over, is called the Village in Howard, (TVIH), and it coordinates home services as well as social and educational events for its members. “A lot of aging people in the area don’t have family members close by. As you get older, it’s good to have people you can call on for help around the home,” said Columbia resident Duane St. Clair, 64, a village member who helped plan the local organization. “Like my wife and me, many people moved into the county when they were young, and we’re all now reaching that age where we could need help to stay in our home, which we all want to do. Howard County is not as young as it used to be. The Howard Village is an idea whose time has definitely come.” TVIH is part of a movement that began in the Beacon Hill neighborhood in Boston 12 years ago and is now spreading around the country. In most cases, villages consist of older homeowners living in an established neighborhood. Residents generally pool their annual fees to hire a concierge who negotiates group rates with home service providers of many types, arranges social activities for members, and solicits neighborhood volunteers to help older members in whatever way they can. At last count by the Village to Village Network, a national umbrella group, there were more than 160 such neighborhood villages coast-to-coast, with another 147 getting ready to go, as well as villages in Europe, South Africa and Australia. In the Washington, D.C. area, there are 50 villages up and running or under development. The founders of TVIH decided against separating Howard County into multiple neighborhood villages, and instead considers the entire county to be one such village.

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Pat Dunford, a volunteer with the Village in Howard, helps Village member Charlie Catania by replacing ceiling light bulbs in his home. The recently created Village in Howard enables older adults in the county to remain in their homes as they age by providing the assistance of neighborhood volunteers, community social and educational events, access to a list of vetted service providers, and more. There is a modest annual fee for membership.

City, who has been working since 2012 to create a local village. TVIH opened its doors in January. “The baby boomers have always been changing the culture,” said McGraw, 70. “Remember the ‘60s?” McGraw noted that TVIH is not in competition with such government services as offered by the county’s Office of Aging. “We are one more resource for seniors, and are not in competition” with such agencies, she said. Still active part-time at a nursing-care agency, McGraw said she became aware of the virtual village movement when she was publisher of a monthly newspaper for the county’s seniors, which she began in 2001 and closed in 2011.

“I was very interested in the village idea from the start, but then I had no time to do anything about it. Now, I have the time,” said McGraw, who lives alone and whose children live in other states. Continuing care and assisted living facilities have never appealed to the vast majority of older adults. Repeated AARP studies over the last 20 years have found that more than 85 percent of those 65 and older would prefer to keep living in their residences for as long as possible. And that is what TVIH, like other senior villages, is aiming to help the county’s senior do, McGraw noted. Each grassroots village, she said, goes See VILLAGE, page 11

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TECHNOLOGY k Trim spending with apps k Auto safety technology

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Looking back and ahead A reader wrote me recently to say she clipped and saved the “Man of Valor” column I wrote last year as a eulogy to my late father, and that she has read it many times since. She suggested I reprint it in our upcoming editions as a Father’s Day column. I was touched by the request. I am not reprinting it here, however, as the column is available on our website at www.theBeaconNewspapers.com (enter “man of valor” in the “site search” box on the home page, or go directly to www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/blog/2014/03/02/man-valor). But in considering her request, I was led to think about how many things have changed in my life since my dad passed away in March 2014 and my mom passed away five months later. The last few months of each of their lives were very intense for my brother and me. During our dad’s last period of illness, when our parents were still living in Texas, my brother and I took turns traveling back and forth to help care for him (and our mom) and to stay with him in the hospital. After he died, we moved my mother to this area, where she lived in a skilled nursing facility and endured five hospitaliza-

tions during her last months of life. Each of us visited her frequently at the nursing home, and also took turns staying with her in the hospital. For these reasons, our ordinary work schedules and family routines were upended for nearly a year. And while that was difficult, of course, I learned some extremely useful things — about myself and others — as a result. You see, though my wife and I started the Beacon more than 26 years ago, and have seen it grow into four monthly editions with a staff of 14 over the years, I have continued to be a very hands-on boss. (Let’s be honest, I’ve been a micromanager.) Necessarily, I had to pull back from many tasks and daily decisions last year when caring for my parents, and in that way I learned that our staff was really quite capable of handling nearly everything without me. I should have known that, or at least attempted to discover it, before. But I didn’t learn it — or rather, I didn’t experience it — until I was forced to step back. Since then, I have felt myself freed to de-

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of Howard County, Md. and is privately owned. Other editions serve Greater Baltimore, Md., Greater Washington DC, and Greater Palm Springs, Calif. Subscriptions are available via third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. Maryland residents add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below. Publication of advertising contained herein does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Signed columns represent the opinions of the writers, and not necessarily the opinion of the publisher. • Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal • Associate Publisher..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President, Operations........Gordon Hasenei • Director of Sales ................................Alan Spiegel • Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King • Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben • Art Director ........................................Kyle Gregory • Advertising Representatives ........Doug Hallock, ................................................ Steve Levin, Jill Joseph • Editorial Assistant ........................Rebekah Sewell

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vote more of my time to other efforts — When Judy and I were raising our two some business-related, some not. children, they consumed much of our time I have, for example, started to focus and energy. Then, one day, we became more on my health, working empty-nesters, and we now out, changing my diet and consider ourselves lucky if losing some weight. I have they have time to Skype once started to read books outside a week and text now and of my usual Beacon-related inthen. terests. When my parents were I have attended synagogue healthy and living independdaily to recite the customary ently in Texas, I spoke with prayers and lead the services them weekly by phone. When in memory of my parents. they became ill, their needs And I have returned after could be as consuming as if many years to learning Jew- FROM THE they were newborns. PUBLISHER ish texts and improving my While we’re employed, fullHebrew, this time with a daily By Stuart P. Rosenthal or part-time, we are counted study partner. on to show up and carry our Who knew there were so many hours in weight at work. When the time comes to a day? consider retiring, our daily routine and Though my parents are sadly not here sense of purpose can change drastically. to see these transformations in my life, I At each stage of our lives, it’s important give them much of the credit for them. to step back, consider what has changed, And I don’t just mean because their illness- and take stock of what that can mean for es took me away from work and showed us. me my business could survive and thrive There are things (and people) whose without me. passing we will mourn. There are ways in I also believe I can see their hands even which our thoughts and behaviors will be now directing me, and in some cases pro- modified. And there are myriad opportunividing me, with these opportunities for ties that can take us in new directions, if personal growth. That’s especially true in we allow them to. the ways in which my spiritual life has changed for the better. At different times in our lives, we bear different responsibilities and encounter different possibilities.

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or e-mail to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification. Dear Editor: I enjoy reading the articles offered in your paper. I would like to share some thoughts on how I would like to see it modified and hopefully improved. In “Myths and facts: whole wheat and gluten,” in the May issue, I am troubled by the selectivity of the questions used by the author. For example, the first question about GMO status of the wheat is misleading in that wheat variety used worldwide is in fact a hybrid product. This means that the process of developing it was the earlier version of what was done before genetic modification in its current form was practiced. While the author’s answer is technically correct, it is misleading in that the current variety of wheat is indeed different than the ancient wheat. For some people, the additional proteins in it might not be benign. Myth 9 has a statement that is not supported by any facts. Just a repetition of a narrative without any basis. All the data on

glycemic index (GI) from different sources do not support what the author has claimed that whole wheat has a higher GI than sugar. Hence, it is implicated in the blood sugar roller coaster. There is small benefit of whole wheat as compared with wheat, but the more important point is the bigger effect of whole wheat vs. sugar. I particularly enjoy the various websites you point out. Can you find someone who can do the same thing with some apps relevant to seniors’ life and well being? Thank you for providing many good sources of useful information. I look forward to reading it. D. Deepak Chadha Columbia, Md. From the Editor: Thank you for your suggestion that we include useful apps in our Technology & Innovations section. We have taken your advice and have added some in this month’s “Beacon Links” column, along with an article about some useful apps.

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Technology &

Innovations Financial apps to help you trim spending By Alex Veiga Joshua Levinson was about to splurge on some exercise equipment, but a personal finance app on his smartphone gave him a friendly reminder: He’d just recently dropped $150 for Valentine’s Day. “When I looked at that, I was like ‘OK, this has been an expensive week,’” said the 22-year-old college student. That notification, flashed by the Mint Personal Finance app, prompted Levinson to hold off on the $40 purchase. He credits the app, which he’s been using for about a year and a half, with helping him become more aware of where his money goes. He estimates it saves him from $50 to $100 a month. Keeping tabs on your spending is essential to getting your finances under control, but this can be a tedious process. As a result, many people don’t do it. A smartphone or tablet can help you see where your dollars are going, as a first step toward making a change. Apps for budgeting, expense tracking, paying down debt and other personal financial uses abound these days on Apple’s App Store on iTunes or on Google’s Play Store for Android phone users. Many bank accounts also now come with apps that let you see your balance, deposit checks by taking a photo, and view your transactions. You’ll want to try out a few to find out which one is the best fit for your needs. Some require users to enter spending data themselves, while others can siphon those details automatically from your checking

and credit card accounts. In the latter cases, you need to share your passwords so they can access your accounts online. What’s important is to have something that you will stick with and that’s generally simple.

Tracking accounts, spending One of the most-downloaded personal-finance apps is Mint Personal Finance, from Intuit. Mint requires little daily input from users. The app will automatically pull 90 days of transactions from your bank accounts, credit cards, auto loans, and other accounts. Credit card transactions often will have a category already assigned, based on the merchant. You can change that or add tags to help sort expenses. Users who like to pay for purchases in cash will have to enter those charges by hand, however. To make it work, though, users have to provide Mint with their username and passwords to those accounts. If that makes you uneasy, Mint notes that it uses the same encryption and security measures as major banking institutions. “We’re also verified and monitored by third-party experts such as TRUSTe, VeriSign and other stalwarts of online security,” said Holly Perez, a Mint spokeswoman. Despite a surge in high-profile cyberattacks on banks and retailers in the past year, Mint said its app continues to see year-over-year growth in downloads. The app also continues to add features, most recently rolling out an option to re-

ceive free credit scores that requires users to divulge their full name and Social Security number. Mint is free, but you’ll have to get used to seeing ads mixed in with the information you actually want. Similar apps: Pocket Expense Personal Finance, Money Manager Expense & Budget Just interested in tracking your spending without linking your checking and credit card accounts? Try Spendee and One Touch Expenser. Both make it easy to quickly enter an expense on the go, among other features.

Craft and stick with a budget Although Mint and similar apps have tools to track where your money goes, You Need A Budget (YNAB) puts more emphasis on crafting a budget and keeping tabs on how closely you’re sticking with it. YNAB uses a budgeting feature that mirrors the “envelope” system of money management. It involves assigning budget items like groceries or clothing an envelope with a set amount of money every month. If you overspend on groceries, for example, you can shift some of the funds in one of your other budget categories to cover the excess spending, keeping you within your overall budget limits. YNAB creates virtual envelopes you can track on your smartphone or PC. The app isn’t free and only works in conjunction with a $60 software you install on your personal computer. Users can link up their bank account to YNAB, but the app doesn’t automatically

pull in spending data. Users have to enter each transaction manually. “That one is a little harder to maintain if you’re not in a heavy change-my-life budget mode,” said Katie Brewer, a certified financial planner. “It forces you to focus on it.” Similar budgeting apps: Goodbudget, Mvelopes

Paying down debt You may be juggling multiple credit-card balances. Some apps can help you develop a strategy to minimize interest charges. Among them is Easy Debt Free, which lets users set up payment plans based on the avalanche method, that is, making debts with the highest interest rate the first priority, or the snowball approach, which involves paying off what you owe on the smallest accounts first. Similar apps: Debt Payoff Assistant, Debt Payoff Planner When sizing up financial apps, look for those that provide users plenty of options to customize spending categories. Seeing a detailed breakdown showing, say, just how much of one’s paycheck is going toward dining out can help add extra motivation to rein in spending, Brewer said. “I want people to be able to see what they have been spending money on, not as a guilt exercise,” said Brewer. “There’s always this big question mark: ‘I don’t really know where the money goes.’ That’s one thing a budgeting app can help with. You can look at the hard numbers.” — AP

Data breaches threaten patient records By Lindsey Tanner Your private medical information is under threat. That’s according to a study that found almost 30 million health records nationwide were involved in criminal theft, malicious hacking or other data breaches over four years. The incidents seem to be increasing. Compromised information included patients’ names, home addresses, ages, illnesses, test results or Social Security numbers. Most involved electronic data and theft, including stolen laptops and computer thumb drives. The study didn’t examine motives behind criminal breaches, or how stolen data

might have been used. But cyber-security experts say thieves may try to use patients’ personal information to fraudulently obtain medical services.

Honest errors and dishonest hacks Cases that didn’t involve malicious intent included private health information being inadvertently mailed to the wrong patient. Hackings doubled during the study, from almost 5 percent of incidents in 2010 to almost 9 percent in 2013. Hackings are particularly dangerous because they can involve a high number of records, said Dr. Vincent Liu, the lead author and a scientist

at Kaiser Permanente’s research division in Oakland, California. “Our study demonstrates that data breaches have been and will continue to be a persistent threat to patients, clinicians and healthcare systems,” Liu said. The study appeared in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. A JAMA editorial says there’s evidence that the incidents are leading some patients to avoid giving doctors sensitive information about their health — including substance abuse, mental health problems, and HIV status. “Loss of trust in an electronic health in-

formation system could seriously undermine efforts to improve health and healthcare in the United States,” the editorial said.

Don’t fall for phishing Patients should be alert to cyber threats, including “phishing” emails from hackers posing as doctors, hospitals or health insurance companies, said Lisa Gallagher, a cybersecurity expert at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. Those messages require clicking on a link to get information, which is how the See HEALTH RECORDS, page 5

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

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Auto safety technology is cool, but costly By Dee-Ann Durbin Drivers want more collision-prevention technology in their cars, but there is a limit to how much they will pay. Blind spot detection, night vision and collision avoidance systems — which automatically apply the brakes if the driver doesn’t react in time — are the top three technologies drivers want on their next cars, according to a study released recently by the consulting firm J.D. Power. Drivers are much less excited about fuel-saving features, like solar roofs or active grille shutters, which open and close to improve aerodynamics. They also show little interest in wellness gadgets, like seats that measure your blood pressure, or sensors that let drivers use

hand gestures to control the car’s functions. Navigation systems also weren’t popular.

Older drivers less keen As the age of the driver goes up, the budget for new technology goes down. Generation Y buyers, who are 38 and younger, say they would spend the most — an average of $3,703 — for new technology. Generation X buyers would spend $3,007, while Baby Boomers are willing to fork over $2,416. Pre-Boomers, or those born before 1946, would spend $2,067. That might not be enough to get them all the features they want. High-tech safety features are often packaged together, and may only be available on more expensive trim levels.

To get blind spot detection and emergency automatic braking on the $94,000 Mercedes-Benz S Class, for example, buyers must first upgrade to a $4,500 premium package and then spend $2,800 for a separate safety package. A night vision system, which uses sensors and heat-seeking cameras to warn drivers of obstacles in the road, is an extra $2,260.

Prices are dropping Prices are rapidly coming down, however, as cameras get cheaper and automakers spread out their costs by adding safety features to more and more models. Toyota said last month that automatic braking will be a $300 to $635 option on the 2016 RAV4 SUV. Right now, the company offers auto-

matic braking on the Prius hybrid, but only as part of a $4,320 package. For the study, which took place between January and March, J.D. Power asked 5,300 recent car buyers to rank 59 separate technologies. Some, like the wellness car seats or a rear-mounted camera that projects images onto the rearview mirror, aren’t yet commercially available. Another technology that appealed to respondents — a paint that repairs small scratches itself — is uncommon but available on a handful of models from Nissan, Infiniti and Lexus. Kristin Kolodge, the executive director of driver interaction at J.D. Power, said See AUTO SAFETY, page 6

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hackers get you to their fake websites where they can ask you to provide private information. Instead, patients who receive such requests should call the purported sender to verify whether the email is legitimate, she said Patients should also double check doctor bills and other insurance company information. “Don’t throw away your “explanation of benefits” forms. Take a close look at them,” Gallagher said. “If you see care [billed for] that wasn’t provided to you, or dates and names of providers that don’t make sense, go to the provider and report that.” For the study, Liu and colleagues analyzed an online database regulated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and containing mandated reports

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of breaches in health information protected by federal privacy law. Over the four years, 949 data breaches were reported across the country. The numbers climbed annually, from 214 in 2010 to 265 in 2013. Nearly 60 percent involved theft. Prominent cyberattacks affecting two health insurance giants happened after the study. Last May, a data breach hit Premera Blue Cross, affecting about 11 million customers and others. And between last December and late January, hackers accessed an Anthem Inc. database with information on nearly 80 million people. Authorities believe hackers in China may be behind both attacks, Gallagher said. She said cybersecurity was among key topics at her nonprofit group’s recent annual meeting. Members include doctors, hospitals, health plans and sellers of electronic health record products. —AP

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Beacon Links/Apps By Barbara Ruben Editor’s note: We are adding free smartphone and tablet apps to our monthly feature on fascinating and helpful websites. To find them, type the app name into the search function on the app store on your phone.

Links Find your family’s roots Many genealogy sites make you pay a fee, or they have very limited resources for research. Family Search offers access to census information, passenger ship lists, death notices, military registrations and much more for free. While the Mormon church is the “primary benefactor” of the site, anyone can use it, and it includes

records for people of all religions and ethnicities. Once you’ve discovered your ancestors, you can begin to build a family tree on the site and add photos and documents, as well as link with other family trees. https://familysearch.org

Melding past and present The website Dear Photograph features photos of people from around the world holding up a photo taken years earlier at the same spot, so that the old photograph is surrounded by the modern-day site. In one, a woman holds up a black-and-white photo of her father from the 1930s as he rides a pony down the street against the backdrop of the street today in color. Another holds up a photo of the New York skyline with the Twin Towers still standing, next to today’s skyline. Anyone can submit a photo, along with a short explanation of the juxtaposed images. http://dearphotograph.com

J U N E 2 0 1 5 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Make your computer more accessible Having trouble reading the print on your computer monitor? Learn how to change the text size on your screen with tips from Microsoft for users of Windows 7 and 8 and Windows Vista. Also find out how you can talk to your computer and how you can set it to read material out loud to you. The site also shows you how to adjust sound if you’re having trouble hearing alerts, and how to adjust the keyboard if you have tremors. www.microsoft.com/enable/aging/ tips.aspx

Apps

you on your smartphone when it’s time to take your medications. The easy-to-set up medication management app can be used to set up reminders for yourself or a caregiver, who can sync the app on their device. MediSafe also offers refill reminders, and can send data about your medications to your doctor. Medisafe

Find a DVD It’s Saturday night and you want to pop in a DVD and watch a movie. You go to the nearest Redbox, but all the copies of the movie you really want to see are gone. With the Redbox app, you can reserve your movie choice ahead of time and can find other Redbox locations near you, including driving directions. Redbox

Get medication reminders Did you forget the pill you were supposed to take at noon? The MediSafe Pills and Medication Reminder app will notify

Ted Talks anytime Access riveting talks from some of the world’s most fascinating people, from business gurus, tech geniuses, medical mavericks and more. You can view thousands of TED Talk videos, with subtitles in many different languages. In addition, you can create custom playlists and bookmark talks to watch later, as well as download talks to watch when you are offline. TED

Auto safety From page 5 prototype technologies were included in order to help automakers and suppliers decide what sorts of features to prioritize. “The auto industry is standing on its head to keep technology up to consumers’ new standards,” Kolodge said. —AP

BEACON BITS

June 18

ALL ABOUT APPS

Do you have a smart phone, iPad, or tablet? Apps make the iPhones and Androids the powerful little devices that they are. Learn how to add apps to your device, learn what an app is, and share the ones you love at the Bain Center on Thursday, June 18 from 11 a.m. to noon. The center is located at 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia, The program is free, but you must make a reservation at the center or by calling (410) 313-7213.

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Have a problem with your iPhone or iPad or want to learn how to better use its many features? Need help with your laptop or desktop computer? Call the Bain Center to sign up for a one-onone 30-minute meeting with an expert who will assist you with your concerns and questions. The center is located at 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia, Call the center at (410) 313-7213.

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Health Fitness &

BIG SHOT A small study suggests a tetanus shot can boost brain cancer treatment PREPARING FOR CARE How those facing dementia can make their future care choices known early FOODS THAT KEEP YOU FULL Aim to eat lower on the glycemic index to avoid spikes in blood sugar HELP FOR DRY EYES Humidifiers, plus supplements with fatty acids and vitamin A, soothe dry eyes

Research unlocks secrets of hearing loss The ability to discern pitch — to hear the difference between “cat,” “bat” and “hat,” for example — hinges on remarkable gradations in specialized cells within the inner ear. New research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and the National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders has explained, for the first time, what controls these cells’ development and patterning. The findings are crucial to efforts to reverse hearing loss caused by age, loud sounds or other factors. The researchers have been studying the development of these cells in chickens, which, like many creatures, have a remarkable capacity humans lack: the ability to regrow the sound-detecting cells after suffering hearing loss. Jeffrey T. Corwin, Ph.D., of the University of Virginia’s Departments of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, noted that if both a human and a hen were to be exposed to a sound loud enough to destroy the ability to hear a certain pitch, the outcomes would be very different. “We would lose the ability to hear that

sound for the rest of our lives,” Corwin noted. “The bird also would lose the ability, but within 10 days, it would have its cells back. They would hook back up to the nerves, and within a few weeks its hearing would be back and almost indistinguishable from before.” Understanding that process, then, may one day allow scientists to replicate it in humans. “Eventually, therapies will come about from this regenerative approach, and these new discoveries will be a critical component,” Corwin said.

closest to where sound enters the ear, while lower-pitched sounds are detected by cells with taller hair bundles located further in. That pattern progresses through the several thousand hair cells that are essential for hearing. “When you hear different sounds, not every single hair cell in the cochlea is responding, only the ones that are sensitive to the specific sound frequencies,” explained Benjamin R. Thiede, Ph.D., lead author of a paper outlining the new discovery.

The key to regeneration The ear hairs we need Pitch detection occurs within the cochlea, a small spiral structure within the inner ear. Inside the cochlea are specialized cells, known as hair cells. These are “tuned” to different sound pitches based, in part, on their locations along the cochlea’s spiral and the number and the length of their stereocilia — hair-like microscopic protrusions that give the cells their name. High-pitched sounds are detected by cells with shorter hair bundles, located

Until now, scientists have not understood what orchestrates the formation of this critical pattern of individually distinct hair cells. The researchers, however, have solved that mystery. They demonstrated that two specific molecules, Bmp7 and retinoic acid, guide cells to acquire location-specific attributes. Bmp7 starts the initial patterning process, and retinoic acid regulates how the cells’ hair bundles grow to different lengths. Thiede found evidence that there are

different levels of retinoic acid activity along the length of the cochlea. So he tried adding more retinoic acid in cells grown in a lab dish and found that they produced longer hair bundles. Then he used a drug to block retinoic acid’s activity, and found that resulted in shorter bundles. Thiede noted that when chickens regenerate damaged hair cells, the new cells develop with just the right characteristics for cells in those particular locations along the cochlea. “So the question is, are developmental signals like Bmp7 and retinoic acid involved in reestablishing the pattern of hair cells and restoring hearing to the regenerating cochlea?” he asked. “If we look at the mammalian system, which can’t regenerate, are these signals lost? Does the mammal turn off these important signals once development is completed, so they’re not reactivated for regeneration?” That’s a matter for further investigation, but it suggests a tantalizing path for develSee HEARING LOSS, page 8

Pinpointing the cause of lower back pain Lower back pain is among the most common complaints of older age. The lumbar or lower area of the spine can suffer from many different ailments. “You do most of your bending in the lower back, and that’s probably why the lower back tends to be affected more,” explained Dr. Jeffrey Katz, a Harvard Medical School professor and editor of the Harvard Special Health Report, “Low Back Pain: Healing Your Aching Back.” The key to finding relief starts with understanding the cause of your pain. See if any of these symptoms sound familiar, and address pain as soon as possible to keep it from getting worse:

Sprains and strains Together, sprains and strains are the most common cause of lower back pain. A sprain is an injury to a back ligament, which helps hold the bones in your spine together. A strain is an injury to a muscle or a tendon, which connects muscle to back bones. Symptoms: Forward or sideways benttrunk posture, limited motion, and spasms in your back muscles.

What you should do: “Try to maintain everyday activities and stay physically active, while avoiding activities and postures that make it worse, such as lifting and twisting,” said Katz. “That alone should do the trick.” Healing can last days to weeks. Icing the injured area right after the injury, and applying wet heat thereafter, can help. So can stretching exercises and over-the-counter painkillers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). However, long-term NSAID use can cause stomach ulcers and bleeding, liver and kidney damage, and increased risk for heart attacks, so be sure to get your doctor’s approval before using them. If your pain gets worse rather than better, you may have a more serious condition that warrants a doctor visit.

However, if the soft inside protrudes through a crack in the outer layer, it can inflame the spinal nerves and cause pain. That’s called a herniated disc, sometimes referred to as a “slipped” disc. Symptoms: Sudden lower back pain or numbness that often travels into the buttock and down the leg, sometimes all the way to the foot (a condition known as sciatica). What you should do: “Don’t panic; this condition usually gets better on its own, but it may take a few months,” said Katz. He advises that you stay as active as you comfortably can. Over-the-counter painkillers can help relieve backache and leg pain. If pain persists for weeks, see your doctor for imaging tests. You may need a prescription painkiller and a course of physical therapy. An epidural steroid injection has been shown to relieve leg pain from sciatica.

Disc problems

Spinal stenosis

The bones in your spine are separated by cushions called discs. Aging dries out the gelatinous inside of a disc and thins the outer layer, which may cause the entire cushion to deflate and bulge out of place. That rarely causes pain.

Sometimes the spinal canal — the channel down the spine that holds the spinal cord and nerve roots — can be squeezed or narrowed by bulging discs, thickened ligaments, or small growths called bone spurs. The narrowing is called stenosis. Stenosis

puts pressure on the nerves and spinal cord. Symptoms: The pressure causes lower backache that’s especially painful when standing up straight, bending backward, or walking. The pain often goes away when you lean forward or sit. Stenosis may also cause pain in the buttocks and legs. What you should do: Over-thecounter painkillers and physical therapy can help back pain, and an epidural steroid injection can relieve leg pain. “However, this pain is not likely to go away on its own,” said Katz. “You may need prescription medication for pain, and surgery to decompress the nerve roots.” Relieve back pain by strengthening your abdominal muscles. Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, knees bent, feet flat on the floor and hip-width apart. Exhale as you tighten your abdominal muscles as if pulling your navel toward your spine, and slightly tilt your pelvis, flattening your lower back on the floor. Hold. Return to the starting position. Repeat 8 to 10 times. — Harvard Health Letter © 2015. President and Fellows Of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Health Shorts Tetanus vaccine may fight cancer Can a tetanus shot help treat brain cancer? A small study hints that it might. A dose of tetanus vaccine let patients live longer — in some cases, years longer — when added to an experimental treatment for the most common and deadly kind of brain tumor, researchers reported in the journal Nature. It “put the immune system on high alert,” paving the way for the experimental treatment to work better in attacking the disease, said researcher Kristen Batich of the Duke University Medical Center. Dr. John Sampson of Duke, senior author of the report, called the results promising but noted the study was small (12 pa-

J U N E 2 0 1 5 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

tients), and said bigger studies are needed to confirm the results. A follow-up study has already been planned but isn’t recruiting patients yet, Batich said. Brain cancer experts unconnected with the work were impressed. The results are “very exciting,” said Dr. Nader Sanai of the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. While he agreed more work is required, “what you have so far, it’s a very positive story.” Tetanus is otherwise known as lockjaw. Vaccines for it are routinely recommended for children and adults. The new study focused on glioblastoma, a brain cancer that killed Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in 2009. Even after surgery to remove the tumor, it usually grows back and kills. The few drugs to treat these tumors have little effect. Half of patients die within about 15 months. The new work is an example of a longstanding effort to harness the immune system to fight cancer, an approach called

immunotherapy. The specific strategy it used is called a dendritic-cell vaccine. Doctors remove particular blood cells from a patient and equip them with a chemical target found in the tumor. Then they return the cells to the patient’s body, where they train the immune system to go after the cancer. The 12 patients in the new study were treated with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. All patients got an ordinary tetanus-diphtheria shot and then three injections of their own cells, spaced two weeks apart. Then they were randomly divided into two groups. One group got a second, tiny dose of the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine at the place in the skin where the cells would be injected the next day. The other group got a dummy dose. The idea behind the tetanus mini-shot was that the immune system “gets revved up in this particular area” so that “the body will be more excited about what’s to come,” Sampson said. Cell injections continued monthly until

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brain scans showed their tumor growing. For the six patients who got the dummy shot, only one was still alive two years after diagnosis, surviving for about 3 1/2 years. Still, overall results for this group indicated a small benefit from the cell injections alone, Batich said. The results were far better for patients who got the mini-shot of tetanus. Four surpassed two years. One of them lived almost five years and another nearly six years.

Get second opinion with breast biopsy Here’s another reason for getting a second medical opinion: Biopsy specialists frequently misdiagnose breast tissue, potentially leading to too-aggressive treatment for some women and under-treatment for others, a study suggests. The results indicate that pathologists are very good at determining when invasive cancer is present in breast tissue, but less adept at making the right diagnosis with less serious conditions or when biopsied tissue is normal. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, involved 115 U.S. pathologists and 240 breast biopsy specimens. Their diagnoses were matched against those of three experts. It was an experiment and may not reflect what happens outside a research setting, but the authors say the results highlight the challenges of accurately interpreting tissue under a microscope. About 1.6 million breast biopsies are performed each year nationwide, typically after radiologists spot something suspicious on a mammogram. Tissue is withdrawn through a needle or from a surgically removed growth and examined under a microscope. Previous research has shown that interpreting mammograms can also be tricky and lead to under- or over-treatment. Among the new study’s findings: • Pathologists correctly diagnosed abnormal, precancerous cells about half the time, no better than a coin toss, said lead author Dr. Joann Elmore, a University of Washington researcher. Treatment for this condition typically includes frequent monitoring and sometimes medication. About a third of these cases were misdiagnosed as not worrisome or normal, while 17 percent were deemed more suspicious or cancer. Since as many as 160,000 U.S. women each year are diagnosed with See HEALTH SHORTS, page 9

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Hearing loss From page 7 oping new treatments. WhatDoctorsKnow is a magazine devoted to information on health issues from physicians, major hospitals and clinics, universities and healthcare agencies across the U.S. Online at www.whatdoctorsknow.com. © 2015 Whatdoctorsknow.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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New ways to express future care wishes By Eleanor Laise Caring for someone with dementia can present a host of difficult questions. When should the patient be moved to a longterm-care facility? Would she want to participate in experimental drug trials? Under what circumstances would she want lifesustaining treatments? A growing array of advance-planning documents are helping seniors facing Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia gain a greater voice in answering such questions. Some of the documents can work hand in hand with existing advance directives outlining wishes for end-of-life care. Others focus on day-to-day decision-making, such as documenting the patient’s preferences for who should provide care at home. The documents help address a major challenge for families and caregivers, who are often left to wonder whether they’re honoring an Alzheimer’s patient’s wishes. People completing these documents include those in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, as well as those who have a family history of the disease or have provided care for a patient and seen its effects up close. “Most people diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s have a window of capacity where they can still make legal documents and consider their future,” said Robb Miller, executive director of the Washing-

Health shorts From page 8 this condition, the results suggest many may be getting inappropriate treatment, Elmore said. • Pathologists mistakenly found something suspicious in 13 percent of normal tissue. • They had similar trouble with a condi-

ton state arm of Compassion and Choices, a patient advocacy group. Miller’s organization recently started offering a “mental health advance directive” designed for people facing dementia. The document lets users communicate how they’d like to be cared for on a day-to-day basis as their disease progresses. This includes preferences for caregivers and how care should be financed. The document, available at www.compassionwa.org, conforms with Washington state law on mental health advance directives but may not be legally binding in other states. Users may be able to adapt the document to conform with their own state’s laws, but they should first consult with an elder-law attorney, Miller said.

Settle future conflicts now The document’s primary value, however, may lie not in its legal weight, but in resolving potential disagreements among family members or care providers. Having your wishes documented “can be extremely helpful in a situation where conflict arises,” Miller said. Other advance-planning documents help users communicate their views on a particular issue. The Alzheimer’s Association, for example, offers a “driving contract” that allows the patient to designate someone to tell her when it’s no longer

tion called DCIS — 13 percent of these cases were misdiagnosed as less serious, while 3 percent were mistaken for invasive cancer. DCIS involves abnormal cells confined to a milk duct and is diagnosed in about 60,000 U.S. women each year. Cases have increased because of rising mammogram use, and it can sometimes spread, so usual treatment is surgery and radiation. — AP

safe to drive. Go to www.alz.org and enter “driving contract” in the search box. Some patient advocates also suggest that seniors consider augmenting a conventional living will — which communicates preferences for end-of-life care — with language that deals specifically with dementia. The reason: Many states’ standard living-will forms focus on scenarios where the patient is terminally ill or permanently unconscious, and don’t address situations where the patient may have dementia. Compassion and Choices offers a “dementia provision” that can be added to a standard advance directive to make it clear that the patient wishes the living will to take effect under specific conditions where she remains conscious but is unable to commu-

nicate, safely swallow food and water, and recognize other people. The document is available at www.compassionandchoices.org. Other forms, such as the “Five Wishes” document available on the Aging with Dignity Web site (www.agingwithdignity.org), leave space for users to describe specific conditions under which they don’t want life-sustaining treatment. Be sure to discuss your wishes with anyone you have designated to make healthcare choices for you when you are incapacitated. “People aren’t comfortable asserting their authority unless you’ve talked to them,” said Barbara Coombs Lee, president of Compassion and Choices. © 2015, Kiplinger. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Use glycemic index to feel less hunger By Dr. Jean Harvey-Berino, Joyce Hendley and Rachel Johnson All the carbohydrate foods we eat cause a release of glucose into the bloodstream — and a corresponding rise in insulin — but some raise glucose more than others. The glycemic index (GI) is a system of ranking foods containing equal amounts of carbohydrate according to how much they raise blood-glucose levels. Foods with a high GI value tend to cause a higher spike in blood sugar, and because high-GI foods are so quickly metabolized, they tend to make you hungry again sooner. By contrast, lower-GI foods are metabolized more slowly and are believed to keep your appetite on a more even keel. Most of the so-called “healthy” foods

you probably try to eat more of are low on the glycemic scale — like vegetables, whole grains, beans and other high-fiber foods. And the foods with higher glycemic values, like refined grains and sweets, are probably ones you aim to avoid anyway.

How to go low Here are five ways to eat lower on the glycemic index every day: 1. Don’t be refined. Watch your intake of foods and products made with refined grains — such as white bread or white rice, crackers, potatoes and pasta — and choose unrefined (whole-grain) versions of these foods whenever possible. It’s getting a lot easier. Just look at how many whole-grain pastas you can find

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these days. Try mixing them half and half with their refined counterparts at first, then gradually phase in more whole grains as you become used to them. 2. Fiber up. Experts recommend that we get 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily, but most of us barely meet the halfway mark. Aim for that goal, and you’ll also be lowering the glycemic values of your meals by making them move more slowly through your digestive system. Try reading labels and selecting packaged foods with highest fiber content; leave the peels on vegetables and fruits when they’re edible. Make your default breakfast a high-fiber cereal; shop around to find a brand you like that provides at least 8 grams of fiber per serving. Try to eat beans, lentils, split peas or other legumes at least three times a week; snack on fiber-rich foods like popcorn, high-fiber crispbreads, and nuts and dried fruits in moderation. 3. Pair with protein. Whenever you’re eating a carbohydratebased meal or snack, make sure there’s at least a little protein in the mix — some chicken strips in your pasta bowl or a light smear of peanut butter on your English muffin, for example. Protein takes longer to digest than carbohydrates, so you’ll have a more gradual rise and fall of blood

sugar — and you’ll feel fuller longer, too. 4. Drizzle with a little oil. Fats, like proteins, are broken down into large particles that take a longer time for the body to digest — so adding a little fat to a carbohydrate-rich meal can lessen its glycemic impact considerably. Drizzle bread with a little olive oil; toss carrots with a bit of tasty dressing. Keep in mind, though, that fat calories add up more than twice as fast as those of protein or carbohydrate — so drizzle judiciously. 5. Double-check. Curious about the Glycemic Index/ Glycemic Load score of your favorite foods? It might be useful — and sometimes eye-opening — to know. So you don’t get bogged down in details, just focus on foods you eat most often, such as breakfast cereal or particular fruits. For a list of 100 common foods and their glycemic index and load, visit www. health.har vard.edu/healthy-eating/ glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_ 100_foods. From “The EatingWell Diet,” copyright 2007 by Eating Well, Inc. Published by The Countryman Press, P.O. Box 748, Woodstock, VT 05091. EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com. © 2015 Eating Well, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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May 21

NUTRITIONIST TALK Nutritionist Rona Martiyan will offer nutrition information and tips

on healthy eating during a presentation on Thursday, May 21 at 11:30 a.m. in the new Fitness Center at the Ellicott City 50+ Center, 9301 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City. For further information, call (410) 313-1400.

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H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; J U N E 2 0 1 5

Village From page 1 about meeting that goal in its own way. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a saying,â&#x20AC;? McGraw noted, â&#x20AC;&#x153;that if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen one village, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen one village.â&#x20AC;?

Joining in So far, the nascent TVIH counts 73 members, and hopes to double that number by the end of the year. (The county now has between 30,000 and 40,000 seniors â&#x20AC;&#x201D; about 14 percent of the population and expected to keep growing.) The non-profit group has no paid staff. It now is run by volunteers. There is a $350 fee for full individual membership; $450 for a two-person household. Associate member fees are $150 for one; $250 for two people in the same home. While associates can take part in all the social and educational activities, full members also get the personalized services offered by volunteers. There is also a vetted list of home contractors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You will probably have to call your own plumber,â&#x20AC;? said McGraw. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But if you have a leaky toilet thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s running up the water bill, we have people who can fix that,â&#x20AC;? she said. So far, most of the Howard villagers are couples and singles (the majority women) in their 60s and 70s who tap into the social activities. These range from picnics to Sat-

urday morning walks, to lectures on how to avoid being scammed, to museum visits, to a special showing of the movie, Selma. Then thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the drum circle, where members learn from musicians how to beat out the rhythm of their years. Many see the membership as a form of insurance for later years when they will need rides to and from the doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office, or help with fairly simple electrical, plumbing, gardening or moving problems, as well as being able to connect with reputable providers of paid services. While TVIH is just getting started, other villages have added more complex ser vices, such as social work and discounts at local stores. In one District of Columbia village, volunteers accompany members to medical appointments to take notes.

An eye toward the future â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a wonderful concept,â&#x20AC;? said Jane Sherman of Columbia, a founding TVIH member. She noted that though she and her husband Jim, ages 73 and 74, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need the home services now, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We might need that help in the future.â&#x20AC;? Nancy Maestri, 68, and husband George, 70, joined up with TVIH as associate members to take advantage of the activities, and with an eye on the possibility of future help in the home from the organization. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The idea appealed to us,â&#x20AC;? she said.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;?While we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need the full price services yet, we know that if we ever need these services, they would be available to us.â&#x20AC;? The village model has very successful in prosperous areas, according to the Washington Post, which noted that many villages offer reduced or sliding-scale rates for lowincome residents. The D.C. Office on Aging has awarded two $15,000 grants to groups hoping to start villages in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lower-income wards. TVIH Board President McGrath said the Howard group was â&#x20AC;&#x153;looking at a program for scholarshipsâ&#x20AC;? that would help

low-income seniors in the county become village members. For more information about Howard Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new virtual village, including a calendar of events, visit www.thevillageinhoward.org. Prospective members can also call (443) 367-9043. A monthly e-mail newsletter provides schedules of activities and village needs. The organization has an office at the Winter Growth facility, 5466 Ruth Keeton Way (next door to the Bain Center) in Harperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choice Village Center, Columbia.

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Causes and treatments for dry eyes Gritty, scratchy, irritated, burning eyes, tear mixture. excess watering and/or blurred vision are Lack of oil for your tears causes the waall symptoms of dry eyes. tery layer of the eye to evapoToday I’m outlining some causrate, making it feel dry and es (including some weird causgritty. This is why you often es), as well as simple, affordsee promotions for fish oil to able solutions. help with dry eyes. It can imBlinking your eyes allows a prove levels of oil in your complex mixture of oil, water body and serves as a lubriand mucous to bathe the surcant. face of your eye. These tears The causes for reduced remove debris, provide lubritear production vary. Among cation, help reduce your risk them: DEAR of infection, and keep the surAge matters. Anyone over PHARMACIST face of your eye clean. the age of 50 who has gone By Suzy Cohen We take this vital function for through hormonal changes granted until we run out, or we (both men and women) may develop an imbalance of the make-up of our experience more problems with dry eyes.

LASIK surgery. This is an unusual but possible cause of dry, irritated eyes. Autoimmune disorders. It could be a direct assault to the tear glands or collateral damage. Regardless, dry eyes are associated with many autoimmune disorders, including Hashimoto’s, Sjogren’s syndrome, rosacea, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and lupus. Medication. There’s no shortage of drugs that can dry you out! There are literally hundreds. At the top are antihistamines, which are intended to dry you out. That one is no surprise. Also decongestants and many anti-depressants (especially the tricyclics, nortriptyline, amitriptyline and doxepin). Muscle relaxers are big-time dryers, like cyclobenzaprine and baclofen. Sleeping pills, blood pressure medications and thiazide diuretics such as HCTZ are other eye dryers.

A variety of solutions Palliative treatments such as natural tear drops are fine, but your real goal is to reduce the inflammation and discover the underlying cause. As noted above, it’s well known today that fish oils (omega 3 fatty acids) are helpful for dry eyes. But you can do better. The new dietary supplement “Chia Seed Omega” by Essen-

tial Formulas contains essential fatty acids from chia seeds, a superfood plus omega 3s. It’s powerful stuff, and sold without prescription at health food stores. What else can you try? Eat black currants or take a supplement of black currant seed oil. This significantly increases your plasma concentration of GLA (gamma linolenic acid), which is an omega 6. It also enhances immune function. Place a small humidifier on your nightstand and sleep with it turned on; it can work wonders. Vitamin A, especially good if you have a BCMO1 gene SNP. Warmth will help loosen up any hardened oil in clogged meibomian glands (which secret meibum, the oily component of tears). Apply a warm compress to your eyes for 10 minutes, morning and bedtime. Try a Thermalon moist heat compress for a better effect. Hyaluronic acid can also make a huge difference for your eyes and skin. It helps you hold onto moisture. This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement. Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To contact her, visit www.SuzyCohen.com.

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June 3

CATARACT SURGERY ADVANCES Dr. Yassine Daoud will address “Latest Advances in Cataract

Surgery,” including intraocular lenses and lens implant options, in a free lecture on Wednesday, June 3 from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Howard County General Hospital Wellness Center, 10710 Charter Dr., Columbia. For more information, visit www.hcgh.org or call (410) 740-7810.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U N E 2 0 1 5

Health Studies Page

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Study helps those living with dementia By Carol Sorgen A new study sponsored by the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine is looking for participants who are 70 years of age or older, have memory problems, and live at home in the greater Baltimore area. The objective of the study, which is called Maximizing Independence at Home (MIND) Plus, is to find out if providing person-centered care — which focuses on care and knowledge of a patient over time, not on a visit-by-visit basis — will make it possible for these individuals to remain in their own homes longer. The MIND at Home Plus study is a followup to an earlier Hopkins program, MIND at Home, which was completed last year. That 18-month pilot program brought resources and counselors to elderly Baltimore residents with dementia and other memory disorders. Those were found to significantly increase the length of time patients were able to continue living successfully at home, according to Hopkins researchers. “The project demonstrated that we were able to help such people age in place without sacrificing their quality of life,” said study leader Quincy Miles Samus, an as-

sistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The earlier trial involved 303 people 70 years and older with memory disorders — primarily dementia and mild cognitive impairment. One hundred and ten of them received an in-home visit from a memory care coordinator and nurse who assessed a range of care needs, including diagnosis of memory problems, review of medications, behavior problems, daily activities, and untreated medical problems, such as hearing or vision problems, high blood pressure or diabetes. The care team then developed a personalized care plan and worked with the family over time to oversee progress and attend to new needs that arose. The goal was to see if a dementia care coordination model that incorporated evidence-supported care practices could delay or prevent the need to move from home to other settings, such as nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

Nine more months at home

Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, the Johns Hopkins investigators said that those who got 18 months of care coordination with home visits were able to safely stay in their homes a median of 288 extra days, or around 9.5 months over a median followup period of about two years. “This can make a huge difference in

terms of comfort, money and quality of life for those involved,” said Samus. The researchers found that participants who met regularly with coordinators were significantly less likely to leave their homes or die than those in the control See DEMENTIA, page 14

Want to Prevent Falls in the Elderly? Seeking Men and Women to participate in a research study at the University of Maryland & Veterans Aﬀairs of Baltimore to better understand balance and the prevention of falls in aging individuals. You will receive:

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In a report published in the American

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Dementia From page 13 group, who did not get these services. Also, they had fewer unmet care needs, particularly for safety and legal/advance care issues, and had improved quality of life. Because insurance does not always cover non-medical needs and coordinator services, Samus said her team’s research was designed to begin answering the question of whether care models like MIND can demonstrate the financial savings and value of community-based care in hopes

J U N E 2 0 1 5 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

that more health insurers might cover the cost of programs like this in the future. In the trial, coordinators checked for home safety, nutrition and food availability, and whether patients participated in meaningful or purposeful activities beyond simply watching television for much of the day. They also assessed whether patients should be evaluated for driving safety, whether they were at risk of wandering off and getting lost, and what local community resources were available to address unmet needs. Beyond such services, the program provided education about dementia and mem-

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ory problems to caregivers and patients, as well as informal counseling and problem-solving. Legal issues such as advance directives and wills were also discussed, and coordinators contacted family members at least once a month. The memory care coordinators were community workers and did not have clinical backgrounds or prior training in caring for people with memory disorders, suggesting that the potential workforce that could acquire coordinator skills is large, Samus said. Coordinators received intensive training over four weeks, including lectures, role play and observation of dementia patients in clinical settings. The care coordinators received hands-on support from a nurse and a physician, and the team met weekly to discuss cases. The results suggested that wider application of the homecare model should also be evaluated to determine whether it can provide a cost benefit to public insurers like Medicaid and Medicare, said Samus.

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The current MIND at Home Plus study will attempt to do just that. Hopkins will implement the study through two community-based service agencies: Jewish Community Services and Johns Hopkins Home Care Group. Like the previous program, the study is a home-based care coordination program

that focuses on persons with dementia living at home and their family caregivers. Its goal is to help persons age in place safely while increasing their quality of life. The 18-month-long program will assess and address unmet care needs of persons with dementia (such as home and medication safety, cognitive and behavior symptom management, meaningful activities, and legal considerations) and their caregivers. The care team will be made up of a memory care coordinator, nurse, occupational therapist and physician. MIND at Home participants will receive an in-home needs assessment followed by up to 18 months of care coordination aimed at filling unmet needs. The study is enrolling 600 participants. All will receive the same care program. They must have a diagnosis of dementia, speak English, and have a study partner who can participate. Those in the study cannot be in hospice or planning to move out of the area within six months. According to Samus, the communitybased model in the study is expected to improve outcomes within six months and result in an estimated net savings of $12.5 million over three years. To register or find out more about the MIND at Home Plus study, contact Dr. Quincy Samus at (410) 550-6744 or email gmiles@jhmi.edu.

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H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U N E 2 0 1 5

The

Senior

NEWS and EVENTS from the Howard County Office on Aging

Connection

Department of Citizen Services

A Message from

Phyllis Madachy Director, Howard County Department of Citizen Services

ay was a time of change in the Department of Citizen Services, as County Executive Allan Kittleman announced key leadership changes. I have been appointed as the Department’s new Director and Starr Sowers was named Administrator of the Office on Aging. “It’s imperative that we meet the needs of seniors in Howard County, a growing and increasingly diverse population,” Kittleman said when making these appointments. I am honored to be chosen to lead this Department, particularly at a time when we are planning for a growing senior population. I pledge my commitment to support the Office on Aging in its initiatives and to ensure that the Department and its Offices work smoothly with our community partners to plan for the future. I’m a firm believer that we can always be better, reach more people, build stronger partnerships and find new ways to improve lives. County Executive Kittleman is looking for improvement and Starr and I support that direction. What makes this so exciting is that I have been reunited with incredibly creative people in the Offices of Aging, Consumer Affairs, Children’s Services as well as the Department Administrative staff. As some of you know, I have worked in communitybased aging services since 1974, and joined the Howard County Office on Aging in 1981. I was proud to serve as administrator of the office from 1995 to 2007 and as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Howard County Government from 2007 to 2009. I have had many years in county government and broad experience working with community partners. It is my goal to find better ways to listen to residents, create new and sustainable models, and strengthen older adults’ ability to age where they choose. Starr has worked for the Office in various capacities since 1985, and developed the popular 50+EXPO. She has served as Manager of the Health and Wellness Division, creating programs such as Living Well, Cycle2Health, and WomenFest. Prior to this position, she was Manager of Senior Center Operations with oversight of eight senior centers and three Senior Center Plus centers. Both Starr and I look forward to the opportunities and challenges of our new leadership roles. The entire Department is united in our commitment to make Howard County a place where people say “I’m glad I live in Howard County.”

Volume 5, No. 6 • June 2015

Unite Against Elder Abuse

very year an estimated five million, or one in 10, older Americans are victims of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Elder abuse can occur anywhere — in the home, in nursing homes, or other institutions. It affects seniors across all socio-economic groups, cultures, and races. Annually on June 15, Howard County joins with communities around the world to recognize World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). This year’s theme is One person. One action. One Nation. United Against Elder Abuse. WEAAD gives us an opportunity to share information and spread awareness about those who fall victim to physical, sexual, psychological or emotional abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation in later life. Sadly, most cases of elder abuse go undetected. Experts believe that for every case of elder abuse or neglect reported, as many as 23.5 cases go unreported. One person and one action can make a difference, so don’t assume that someone has already reported a suspicious situation. For more information about what you can do to spot and prevent elder abuse, download 12 Things Anyone Can Do to Prevent Elder Abuse, and Red Flags of Abuse, from The National Center on Elder Abuse website, www.ncea.aoa.gov, or visit www.howardcountyaging.org/eldersafety. To heighten awareness as individuals will make a difference, but together, we can unite as one nation. Join us to take a stand against elder abuse! To increase local awareness of elder abuse and support prevention, the Howard County Department of Citizen Services, its Office on Aging, the Howard County Police Department and the Howard County Mental Health Authority will present the 2nd Annual Protecting Vulnerable Adults Conference on Friday, June 12, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Sheraton in Columbia, 10207 Wincopin Circle, 21044. Anyone who works with older adults is encouraged to attend, including advocates, fiduciaries, first responders, medical professionals and others. The keynote address, Addressing Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults, will be delivered by Philip Marshall, author of “Broken Trust: The Brooke Astor Story.” Admission is free but seating is limited and registration is required. Register online at https://eventbrite.com/event/16163129355/ For more information, contact Ofelia Ross Ott 410-313-6052 or email oross@howardcountymd.gov. If you need a sign language interpreter or other accommodations to attend, contact Maryland Access Point (MAP) at 410-313-5980 or email map@howardcountymd.gov one week in advance.

The Senior Connection

J U N E 2 0 1 5 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Avoid Home Improvement Scams By Pfc. André Lingham, Howard County Police Department

uring spring and early summer, many people are planning improvements to their homes. Unfortunately, con artists, pretending to be legitimate contractors, are out in the nice weather too, prowling neighborhoods to find their next victim. Often they target senior citizens, who are more likely to be home than younger people. Many of these scammers have the perception they can easily fool the elderly. These criminals hope to trick the unsuspecting out of as much of their savings as possible.

How to Avoid Becoming a Victim If you need repairs made to your house, take the following steps to ensure you are dealing with a professional service: Don’t purchase services from contractors who show up uninvited at your house. Instead, ask for recommendations from friends or people you trust. Shop around for a good price. If you are having major work done, get several quotes in writing. Google the company to see if there is negative information about it online. Also, check it out with the Better Business Bureau®. Insist on a signed contract that includes your requirements, and be certain you understand it. If a contractor pressures you to buy his services, look elsewhere for your home repair needs.

A typical scam involves spotting people working outside and approaching them or knocking uninvited on doors. The fake contractor then launches a sales pitch for driveway paving, tree trimming and roof repair. If the homeowner agrees to the work, all too often the con artists do an inadequate job. They may use materials to pave a driveway that wash away after the first storm or they may hammer nails into the roof without actually making repairs. These criminals often leave a home in worse shape after completing their “repairs” than it was before they started.

Warning Signs How to tell if someone offering to work on your house should not be trusted and is very likely a crook or scam artist: They say they were doing work in the neighborhood and have “extra material” they didn’t use. They demand full payment up front, often requesting it in cash. They are unable to show proper licenses, such as a permit allowing them to do this type of work. They offer a special deal only available that day. They try to pressure the homeowner into buying their services. Another spin on this scam: one “contractor” may offer to go with the homeowner to inspect whatever needs repairing while his associate steals valuables from the home.

Remember, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

The Senior Connection is published monthly by the Howard County Department of Citizen Services and the Office on Aging. This publication is available in alternate formats upon request. To join our subscriber list, email seniorconnection@howardcountymd.gov Howard County Office on Aging, 6751 Columbia Gateway Dr., Columbia, MD 21046 410-313-6410 (VOICE/RELAY) • www.howardcountyaging.org Find us on

www.Facebook.com/HoCoCitizen

Kim Higdon Henry, Senior Connection Editor kahenry@howardcountymd.gov Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the Howard County Office on Aging or by the publisher.

Tuesday, June 16, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. The Hawthorne Center, Hickory Ridge Village Center, 6175 Sunny Spring, Columbia, MD 21044 6&%%277(83%/,379(:";#'&%(":(<&+$+%;/+"%9(=277('2$/;$$(>%$+(32'(:"%(!&+$9(3#'(?3%&#(@;779(@"=3%'(A";#+*(-./&("#(012#19 =277(:3/272+3+&(3(!%"1%34("#(!&+()&%&3B&4&#+C((D3E*9(3(7"B2#1(F%&#/,(G;77'"1(!%"B2'&'()*(<3=$HA"4:"%+ /""%'2#3+"%(I#1%2'(J7&*$+&&#9(K"2#$(;$(:"%('&4"#$+%3L"#$C(( FMDD((N((<OD0 D9(P-(<DQ ((N((OIJ@Q(MDFMD @6DPQ ( DMRDS((N(( <0AD(I (OI6IQDS More info: Karen Hull at khull@howardcountymd.gov OR 410-313-7466 Call Hickory Ridge Village Center to register: 410-730-7327

!"#$"%&'()*(+,&$&(-./&("#(012#1(!%"1%34$5(

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U N E 2 0 1 5

The Senior Connection

Avoid Pension Advance Traps Source: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Howard County Office of Consumer Affairs

any retirees depend on a pension to cover day-to-day as well as occasional unexpected expenses, such as health emergencies or home repairs. We’ve heard that some retirees with pensions who are facing financial challenges have responded to ads for cash advances on their pensions. Although pension advances may seem like a “quick fix” to your financial problems, they can eat into your retirement income when you start paying back the advance plus interest and fees. A pension advance is a cash advance in exchange for a portion (or all) of your future pension payments. Pension advance companies typically charge high interest rates and fees and often target government retirees with pensions. Former service members should also be on guard. Military retirees and veterans who receive monetary benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have been offered pension advances even though it’s illegal for lenders to take a military pension or veterans’ benefits. Many of those companies use patriotic-sounding names or logos and even claim they are endorsed by the VA as a way of enticing potential customers. If you or a loved one is considering a pension advance, consider your alternatives. A financial coach or credit counselor can help you weigh your options and plan for new or unexpected financial demands. The Maryland Money Helpline (877-254-1097) offers free, confidential financial counseling to Maryland residents regardless of income level, debt or financial status. The Howard County non-profit Making Change provides individual financial coaching sessions on a sliding scale (based on income) as well as free individual financial education sessions each week at the MultiService Center in Laurel.

For more information, call 410-880-5917. You can also search for additional local assistance from the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies’ at www.aiccca.org.

Protect Your Retirement Pension 1) Avoid loans with high fees and interest. Pension advance companies may not always advertise their fees and interest rates, but you will certainly feel them in your bottom line. Before you sign anything, learn what you are getting and how much you are giving up. 2) Don’t sign over control of your benefits. Companies sometimes arrange for monthly payments to be automatically deposited in a newly created bank account so the company can withdraw payments, fees and interest charges from the account. This leaves you with little control. 3) Don’t buy life insurance that you don’t want or need. Pension advance companies sometimes require consumers to sign up for life insurance with the company as the consumer’s beneficiary. If you sign up for life insurance with the pension advance company as your beneficiary, you could end up footing the bill, whether you know it or not. For more information on any questionable financial products, contact the Howard County Office of Consumer Affairs at 410-313-6420 or email consumer@howardcountymd.gov.

EMOTIONAL. SEXUAL. FINANCIAL. PHYSICAL.

Ellicott City’s New, State-of-the-Art 50+ Fitness Center is Open!

Abuse isn’t always visible.

A PARTNERSHIP OF

Over 2,000,000 INCIDENTS OF ELDERLY AND VULNERABLE ADULT ABUSE EACH YEAR IN THE U.S.

1in14

Check out the new Ellicott City 50+ Fitness Center!

THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF CASES ACTUALLY REPORTED

The center is open Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Participants must be 50 years of age or older and a member of a Howard County Senior Center to use the facility. The !"#$%&'()*++%)#,)-&#'.)+/&0&1)2()2')#'(0+1"3(+04)$2,,)02(&)+5) $10 per month for County residents and $15 for non-residents. Small group orientations are being held for those interested in 6&20'#'.)7+8)(+)",&)(7&)9('&,,)&!"#$%&'(:),#.')"$)2()(7&);#('&,,) <&'(&0)50+'()1&,=>)?7&)@A3&)+')B.#'.)0&3+%%&'1,)(72()4+") check with your physician before participating in any physically demanding activity or workout program. The Ellicott City 50+ Fitness Center can be reached at 410-313-0727.

How Will YOU Take a Stand? Because You CAN Help! • Visit an Older Neighbor Who Lives Alone • Volunteer for a Program that Benefits Seniors • Support a Local Abuse Prevention Initiative For more information, to learn the signs of abuse, or how you can help, go to

www.howardcountyaging.org/eldersafety

The Senior Connection

J U N E 2 0 1 5 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

June 2015 Calendar of Events Don’t miss these exciting programs and services from the Howard County Office on Aging!

Bain Center Monday, June 1 • 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. — A MOMENT TO HONOR Honor the significant people in your life who are no longer with us; features a guest speaker plus quiet reflection time with music, sharing and a group activity. FREE; light refreshments. 410-313-7466.

Tuesday, June 2 • 11 a.m. to noon — THE FABULOUS 50’S Celebrate the era of cool cats and rock’n’roll with two young performers from the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore. FREE; however, to reserve lunch, sign up in Great Room 3 by May 26.

Wednesday, June 3 • 7 to 8:30 p.m. — MEDICARE’S PLAN FINDER Learn how to compare and review Medicare Prescription Drug and Health Plans. FREE; sponsored by SHIP. Register at 410-313-7391.

Tuesday, June 9 • 11 a.m. to noon — THE GEORGE BURNS SHOW Alan Devalerio relates fascinating details of George Burns’ career, performing vaudeville routines. FREE; reservations required.

Tuesday, June 16 • 11 a.m. to noon — SHOW STOPPERS AND CHART TOPPERS! Join Terry Marsh for a blend of Big Band standards, Show Tunes, Swing and Blues. FREE; to reserve lunch sign up in Great Room 3 by June 9.

Glenwood 50+ Center Wednesday, June 10 • Noon — GLAMOUR AT GLENWOOD A fashion show of summer clothes and accessories by Christopher and Banks. $15 includes catered meal, show and music. 410-313-5440.

June 16, 17, 18 • 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. — FOOD, FUN & FICTION Join us in the lobby for our annual Book and Bake Sale. Get your vacation reads, cookbooks, children’s books and more! 410-313-5440.

Thursday, June 18, 10:30 a.m. — ESSENTIAL OILS 101 Discover the beauty and intrigue of essential oils in this introductory class by Karen Schembari. 410-313-5440.

North Laurel 50+ Center Tuesdays, June 2 and 16 • 1 to 2 p.m. — WOMEN’S SOCIAL GROUP Meet new friends in a casual and supportive atmosphere to exchange stories and engage in activities together. FREE; register at 410-313-0380.

Wednesday, June 10 • 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. — COWBOY COOKOUT

East Columbia 50+ Center Thursday, June 11 • 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. — SUMMER NIGHTS SIZZLE Explore Latin tastes in art, music and dance, plus demos by our new ballroom dance group. Mocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Enjoy rustic cowboy grub, games, and western songs. Cost: lunch donation for adults 60+. Call 410-313-0380 to sign up by June 3.

Wednesday, June 17 • 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. — CHICKEN & FISH FRY Celebrate the special men in your life with a delicious meal and live blues, country, and rock n’ roll music. $3 plus lunch contribution for adults 60+.

Thursday, June 18 • 10 a.m. — FLORAL DESIGN Create your own floral masterpiece with guidance from the Longwood Garden Club. $5 fee for supplies.

Elkridge 50+ Center Thursday, June 18 • 11 a.m. to noon — RADIO IN BALTIMORE Learn about the history of radio broadcasting in Baltimore and its legendary radio personalities. FREE

Wednesday, June 24 • 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. — FATHER’S DAY PARTY Enjoy a fried chicken dinner and musical entertainment by Vel Reed. FREE; reserve lunch by June 17.

TO REGISTER FOR ANY OF THESE EVENTS or for additional information, call the number listed, the Center, or Maryland Relay 711. To request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations to participate, call 410-313-5980 one week in advance. FOR A FULL LISTING OF EVENTS happening in our senior centers this month, visit our website:

www.howardcountyaging.org/seniorcenters

Thursday, June 25 • 10 to 11 a.m. — EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

HOWARD COUNTY SENIOR CENTERS

A discussion group focusing on emotional wellness as we age, coping strategies and solutions. FREE

Bain Center ................................5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia .........410-313-7213 East Columbia 50+ Center .........6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia ...........410-313-7680 Elkridge 50+ Center ...................6540 Washington Blvd., Elkridge...........410-313-5192 Ellicott City 50+ Center ..............9401 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City ............410-313-1400 Glenwood 50+ Center ................2400 Route 97, Cooksville ....................410-313-5440 Longwood 50+ Center ...............6150 Foreland Garth, Columbia ............410-313-7217 North Laurel 50+ Center ............9411 Whiskey Bottom Rd., Laurel .........410-313-0380

Ellicott City 50+ Center VOCAL LESSONS WITH DIANE Vocal coach is seeking students. $30/half hour by appointment. 410-313-1400.

Wednesday, June 3 • 10 a.m. — NUTRITION EDUCATION Rona Martiyan, RD, LDN, offers nutrition information and tips in the fitness center. Ask questions and get back on the wellness track. FREE

Tuesday, June 23 • 11:15 a.m. — HOWARD COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT Pfc. André Lingham, HCPD’s Senior Citizen Liaison, will discuss safety tips, fraud prevention, community concerns and avoiding scams. FREE

SENIOR CENTER PLUS SITES Ellicott City Senior Center Plus .......410-313-1425 Glenwood Senior Center Plus .........410-313-5442 North Laurel Senior Center Plus......410-313-7218

www.howardcountyaging.org/seniorcenters

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U N E 2 0 1 5

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Money Law &

WHAT TO ASK AN ADVISER Five key questions you should ask of a financial adviser whom you’re considering hiring SOCIAL SECURITY FOR SINGLES How to maximize your Social Security benefits if you have never been married, or are widowed or divorced BUILDING A NEW BUSINESS Look for capital for your start-up business using models where your customers fund you

Some brokers, banks will pay for accounts By Kathy Kristof If you want a great return on your money, forget about the interest rates and look for accounts that offer cash bonuses. In an effort to poach customers from their competitors at a time when interest rates are excruciatingly low, banks and brokers are offering cash giveaways. Although these bonus payments won’t make you rich, they do offer a certain return in an environment where a risk-free yield is otherwise elusive.

Stock and investment accounts Among those that have gotten into the act is Fidelity Investments, which recently launched an Individual Retirement Account matching program. If you transfer assets in a traditional, Roth or rollover IRA invested with another company to Fidelity, the Boston-based mutual fund giant will match a portion of your subsequent contributions for three consecutive years.

How much can you get? That depends on how much you deposit now and add to the account later. Fidelity’s match is only on new contributions — after your initial transfer — and the match ranges from 1 percent to 10 percent of the new contribution, depending on the amount of the initial deposit. If you transfer the minimum amount of $10,000, your match is 1 percent. To get the top 10 percent match, you must transfer at least $500,000 to Fidelity. At present, the government limits annual IRA contributions to $5,500 ($6,500 for those over age 50), so Fidelity’s match would range from $55 to $650 a year. Both TD Ameritrade and E*Trade offer deals that are based on the amount of money you shift into new accounts. If you transfer $250,000 or more, both E*Trade and TD Ameritrade will pay $600 and provide a number of commission-free trades. Motif Investing, an online brokerage, is offering a similar deal. Those who transfer

at least $5,000 to a Motif IRA before the end of 2015 can get a one-time bonus of $150. Note, however, that neither Motif nor Fidelity pay cash if you’re transferring assets from a company-sponsored retirement plan. You need to bring in money from a competitor. (TD Ameritrade and E*Trade make no such demand.)

Banking bounties And brokers are not the only ones trying to poach IRAs. Ally Bank is paying bounties of $100 to $500 for IRAs transferred from other institutions, depending on the size of the deposit. Ally’s program is set to expire at the end of May. Don’t need another IRA? You can get a bonus just for moving your checking and savings accounts. Open an “extra20” checking and savings account at Santander Bank and follow the program rules (which include paying at least two bills a month online and having money direct de-

posited monthly), and you’ll get $20 a month indefinitely. While Santander has a few branches in the area, they are slated to close at the end of May. But if you’re willing to bank online, you can still take advantage of the offer. Visit them at www.santanderbank.com/us. What are all the bonuses about? They’re a way to get customers to open “sticky” accounts — financial industry jargon for business that is impractical or hard to move to another firm. That gives the financial institution time to hook you on its service and win over more of your business, said Mark Schwanhausser, research analyst at Javelin Strategy & Research, a consulting firm in Pleasanton, Calif. “They want a chance to impress you,” he said. “It’s not a bet on an immediate profit. It’s a bet on a long-term relationship.” All contents © 2015 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Small impact potential from Fed rate hike By Matthew Craft and Paul Wiseman Nobody knows when exactly, but the day will eventually come when the Federal Reserve nudges its benchmark lending rate from next to zero to something slightly higher. When that happens, it will put upward pressure on borrowing rates throughout the economy — for credit cards, mortgages and student loans. But that doesn’t mean the era of incredibly low interest rates will soon be over. The Fed’s chair, Janet Yellen, has taken pains to be cautious. In March, the central bank gave more signals that it will move slowly toward its first interest-rate increase in nearly a decade. By the end of the year, Fed officials expect the benchmark rate will reach 0.625 percent. It was a different world the last time the Fed began a series of hikes. Rates were already much higher than today. In June 2004, the Fed lifted its benchmark rate from 1 percent to 1.25 percent. By the time the Fed was finished in 2006, the rate had reached 5.25 percent. Nobody expects anything like that now. With the economy still growing slowly and

inflation minuscule, rates will likely hover near historic lows. The Fed doesn’t want to ratchet up the monthly payments on your credit card. It’s in no rush. “You’re going to see rates remain low for quite some time,” said Patrick Maldari, senior fixed-income specialist at Aberdeen Asset Management.

Mortgage rates to rise a bit Many expect mortgage rates to creep higher this year. The average 30-year mortgage carries a rate of 3.7 percent, according to Freddie Mac. That’s close to a record low of 3.31 percent and compares with an average rate of 5.9 percent a decade ago. Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com, thinks homeowners ought to lock in mortgage rates as long as they remain below 4 percent. If you haven’t refinanced already, in other words, consider it soon. Home loans won’t hinge on the Fed’s next move, though. Mortgage rates are closely tied to long-term interest rates, specifically the 10-year Treasury note. These rates are tethered to the Fed’s benchmark yet have plenty of wiggle room. The 10-year yield has actually been

falling over the past year. The reason? The Treasury market is dominated by global players. So when Europe’s economy runs into trouble, for example, traders around the world look for safety in the Treasury market, buying U.S. government bonds and pushing yields down. Another factor: The Fed is keeping a lid on yields by sitting on trillions of dollars of Treasurys following a huge bond-buying program that ended last year.

Savings interest remains paltry It’s been a tough time for people socking away money in savings. On average, savings accounts pay an annual percentage yield of 0.09 percent, according to Bankrate.com. A one-year certificate of deposit pays a paltry 0.28 percent. For every $1,000 saved, in other words, the bank will give you $2.80. Ka-ching! “Savings rates are nearly at zero and, unfortunately, I think depositors aren’t going to see much of a difference,” said Casey Bond, managing editor at GoBankingRates. The Fed has signaled that it will raise rates slowly and carefully. A series of hikes large enough to lift yields on savings accounts, however, could put the economic recovery at

risk by curbing lending and business spending. “Anything that would give savers a real boost would be too disruptive,” Bond said. “I think people need to be focused on other things, like avoiding bank fees,” Bond said. “Fees can wipe out your earnings because savings rates are so low.”

Credit card considerations Credit card rates could start to inch up once the Fed raises its benchmark federal funds rate — especially the low teaser rates credit card issuers use to entice people to sign up or shift credit card balances. McBride advises that borrowers “grab those zero-interest balance transfers and introductory credit card rates. As the Fed moves away from zero interest rates later this year, credit card issuers will too. Chip away at your variable-rate debt now before interest rates start to climb.” Credit card rates remain high — variable credit card rates average nearly 15.8 percent, according to Bankrate.com. But they could head higher if the fed funds rate goes up. That’s because credit card rates See FED RATE HIKE, page 20

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J U N E 2 0 1 5 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

What should you ask a financial adviser? By Anya Kamenetz A reader wrote recently about a common conundrum. At 65, he and his wife are nearing retirement and had plans to meet with a financial consultant to discuss how to make their investments last. “I wish you could be there with us,” he wrote, “but since that isn’t going to happen, I would like to ask you: What are

some of the most important questions we should be asking him? I want to be prepared to learn everything I can, and what to do to keep our money coming in.” I called up Alin Lozada of Sarasota, Fla. to find out. He’s been a financial adviser for 24 years and is a retirement income certified professional, a highly specialized designation from the American College of Fi-

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June 9+

MEDICARE 101 AND 102

“Medicare 101” will be the topic of a presentation on Tuesday, June 9 at 10 a.m. at the Wellness Center of Howard County General Hospital, 10710 Charter Dr., Columbia. Presented by the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) and the Howard County Office on Aging, topics will cover the basic offerings of the Medicare 101 program. A second program, “Medicare 102” — focusing on additional solutions when Medicare isn’t enough — will be held at the same time and location on Tuesday, June 16. For additional information, visit www.hcgh.org or call (410) 740-7810.

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nancial Services. Here are five key questions to ask. 1) What’s your background? One of the first things to ask a new adviser is, how long have you been in business? You can check the background of a broker, adviser or other financial professional on the BrokerCheck page at the website of FINRA, the financial industry’s regulatory body. See http://brokercheck.finra.org. But it also helps to ask an adviser face-toface whether you’ll turn up any complaints or regulatory findings against them. 2) How do you get paid? Lozada said it’s also important to understand how your adviser’s bread is buttered. For example, a Series 7 and Series 6 license simply requires that a broker recommend “suitable” investments — not necessarily the best investments for you. This suitability clause can cover so-called wealth managers and certified representatives (for example, the folks from your company’s retirement plan). Bottom line: brokers earn commissions and fees from the financial products you buy. It doesn’t mean they can’t give good advice, but it means they may have other priorities besides your wealth and security. A fee-based registered investment adviser, by contrast, has a “fiduciary duty” to put clients’ interest first, including full disclosure of all risks and fees. Once you’ve decided that you want to work with a particular adviser, and have established trust, the rest of the conversation should be all about you. 3) Am I paying too much in fees? High fees can torpedo your long-term returns. A good adviser will walk you through your current portfolio and be able to point out where you may be paying too much. The initial conversation, said Loza-

da, can take two hours. 4) Do my current investments match my risk tolerance? All too often, said Lozada, individuals nearing retirement have been steered into portfolios that are more aggressive than they should be. This can also happen when the account holder fails to rebalance their portfolio over time. In any case, a course correction may be in order to bring more predictable payoffs. 5) What should I do about long-term care? “Long-term care is the No. 1 thing that will devastate a portfolio,” Lozada said. Compare it to other situations we typically insure against. “You have a 2 percent chance of having your house burn down, a 6 percent chance of getting in a car accident, but a 70 percent chance of needing some type of care before you pass away.” Even those lucky enough to have a few million dollars in the bank, he said, can have it wiped out if both spouses have health issues for several years. Lately, Lozada has been innovating by having some of his clients put a portion of their IRA into a policy that rolls up long-term care insurance with an annuity and a life insurance policy. Depending on what life brings, you can draw the annual income from the annuity for a while, then convert to the care benefit, and finally leave the insurance policy to your kids. “It’s all about having a plan,” Lozada said. And ideally, a trusted adviser you can build a long-term relationship with to help you design and carry out that plan. Anya Kamenetz welcomes your questions at diyubook@gmail.com. © 2015 Anya Kamenetz. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Fed rate hike

recent report from UBS looked at the Fed’s initial rate hikes going back to 1954. It showed that the Standard & Poor’s 500 index rallied an average of 7.6 percent in the following six months. Many investors are confident that as long as the Fed moves gradually, the stock market should be fine. That’s what happened in the last round of Fed hikes, in 2004. The S&P 500 finished that year with a 9 percent gain. — AP

From page 19 are based on the prime rate that banks charge their best customers, and the prime rate is based on the federal funds rate. To judge by the stock market’s daily swings, investors fear the Fed’s first rate increase. Speculation that the Fed is preparing to move usually knocks stocks down. But the market has actually performed well in the face of rising interest rates. A

BEACON BITS

June 23

CRIME CONCERNS

Drop in the Ellicott City Senior Center on Tuesday, June 23 at 11:15 a.m. to hear police senior citizen liaison Andre Lingham discuss safety tips and fraud prevention. Learn about local community concerns and scams. The center is located at 9410 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City. For more information, call (410) 313-1400.

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June 15 410.337.8900 | www.frankelderlaw.com | 1.888.338.0400 Towson | Columbia | Easton

FREE PRODUCE DAY

The annual free produce day sponsored by the Maryland Food Bank will take place on Monday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Elkridge Senior Center, 6540 Washington Blvd., Elkridge. For more information, call (410) 313-5192.

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H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U N E 2 0 1 5

Social Security if you’re single or divorced By Sandra Block When it comes to Social Security, if you’re single, you have fewer options than your married friends. But you can still take steps to increase your lifetime benefits. And divorced people may still be able to claim benefits based on their ex’s earnings. Here are some strategies to maximize your benefits. Single retirees who never married don’t need to concern themselves with survivor benefits. That gives single beneficiaries a less compelling reason to postpone claiming benefits after full retirement age. But suppose you’re healthy and want to postpone taking benefits so you can earn delayed-retirement credits (that is, the extra 5.5 to 8 percent per year you get for delaying your receipt of Social Security benefits). You should still file at 66 and suspend your benefits. Here’s why: Ordinarily, Social Security will pay no more than six months’ worth of benefits retroactively. But if you file and suspend at age 66, you’re eligible to collect all of the benefits that accumulate after you file your claim. That could provide a significant cash reserve for unexpected expenses, such as a catastrophic illness or long-term care. This strategy also reduces the risk that you’ll die before you’ve had an opportunity to take advantage of delayed credits, said William Reichenstein, professor of finance at Baylor University and a principal with consulting firm Social Security Solutions. (Kiplinger has partnered with Social Security Solutions to offer a tool to uncover the most advantageous time to start collecting your benefits; visit www.kiplinger.socialsecuritysolutions.com for details.)

Widows and widowers You’re eligible for a survivor benefit based on your deceased spouse’s earnings. You can claim this benefit as early as age 60, or 50 if you’re totally disabled. The amount is based on your late spouse’s benefit when he or she died. If your spouse died before claiming Social Security, the benefit will be based on 100 percent of the amount due at your late spouse’s full retirement age. Most widows receive a higher payment

by claiming their husband’s monthly benefit instead of their own, according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. And the age a husband chooses to start collecting his own benefit can have a significant impact on his widow’s ultimate survivor benefit. In order for you to receive 100 percent of your late spouse’s benefit, you must wait to claim until your full retirement age. Otherwise, the benefit will be reduced by a certain amount for each month you file before your full retirement age. Remarriage won’t affect survivor benefits as long as you’re 60 or older when you remarry. Don’t ignore your own benefits, though. If you expect to live a long time, it might make sense to claim survivor benefits, even if they’re smaller than your own, so your own benefits can continue to grow. Once you reach age 70, you can switch to your own benefit, which will have been enhanced by the delayed-retirement credits.

If you are divorced Even if you haven’t spoken to your ex for years, you may be eligible for benefits based on his or her earnings record. If you left the workforce to care for children or aging parents, or simply earned a lot less than your former spouse, this provision could dramatically bump up your benefits. In order to claim either spousal or survivor benefits, you must have been married for at least 10 years and not be entitled to a higher benefit based on your own record. In addition, you must be at least 62 and unmarried. You’ll lose the spousal benefit if you remarry, although you can reapply if you get divorced again or your second spouse dies. You can collect spousal benefits even if your ex hasn’t applied for benefits, as long as he or she is at least 62 and you’ve been divorced for at least two years. (You don’t even have to tell your ex that you’re applying for benefits based on his or her record.) In addition, your spousal benefits will have no effect on the benefits your ex (or your ex’s new husband or wife) receives. You will, however, need to provide the Social Security Administration with a copy of your divorce decree, and it’s helpful to

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have your ex’s Social Security number, too. As is the case with other benefits, you can increase your lifetime benefits by delaying your claim. If you wait until you reach full retirement age, you’ll be eligible for 50 percent of your ex’s benefits at his or her full retirement age. You can apply earlier, but your benefits will be reduced by between 7 and 8 percent for each year before your full retirement age. Divorced spouses who have their own work history can take advantage of the “re-

stricting an application” strategy used by married couples — that is, after you reach full retirement age, claim 50 percent of your ex’s benefits, based on your former spouse’s earnings. This will enable your own benefits to earn the delayed-retirement credit. When you turn 70, you can switch back to your own, now-larger benefits. Again, this strategy will have no impact on your ex’s benefits. See SOCIAL SECURITY, page 22

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Ways to fund your own small business Many people aspire to start their own options for small business owners who business. They may have an excellent busi- need financing, based on both research and ness concept, and the skills and knowledge his own success in establishing businesses. to excel, but founder on this Five options to consider reality: There is a very high He describes five models rate of failure for newly startthat help many small businessed small business. es overcome a lack of capital. One major reason for such They share a common characfailures is insufficient financteristic: The business owner ing. Too many individuals unuses his customer to provide derestimate how much capital the working capital before will be required early on. having to produce or fund his Most traditional financial inservice or product. stitutions will not lend money THE SAVINGS Here’s a summary of the to small businesses until GAME models: they’ve proven profitability. By Elliot Raphaelson Matchmaker model: The John Mullins, associate probusiness, with limited or no inifessor of management practice at the London Business School, has written tial investment, brings buyers and sellers an informative book, The Customer-Funded together, never owning the product being Business (Wiley), that discusses excellent sold. Some examples include real-estate

brokers, eBay, Expedia and Angie’s List. They earn their commission as middlemen. The book presents the case history of Airbnb — a website that started in 2008 and has grown into a global booking system that enables people with extra space in their homes to rent rooms by the night to travelers. The company now offers more than 800,000 listings and has served more than 18 million customers in 192 countries so far. Pay-in-advance model: In some industries, customers pay suppliers in advance for at least part of the price of goods or services before receiving anything. Examples include consultants, architects, tax preparers and financial planners. The book discusses Via.com — an Indian travel company that started in 2006 and has grown into India’s largest travel business with more than $500 million in sales. Subscription model: The customer

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agrees to purchase an item that is delivered repeatedly over an extended timeframe. Newspapers and magazines ask you pay up-front for subscriptions weeks, months or years in advance. Other examples are maintenance contracts on your cars, appliances and computers. The book cites India’s TutorVista, which helps more than 10,000 students per month with homework in their own homes. Scarcity model: What’s offered for sale is restricted to a limited quantity for a limited period, and the seller’s supplier is paid after the sale is made. After the merchandise is sold, no more is available. Mullins cites the “flash sales” concept pioneered in France by Jacques-Antoine Granjon, is which the unwanted inventory of high profile brands is sold. Using this concept, Granjon was able to create a business selling more than 200,000 items across eight European countries. Service-to-product model: Businesses start by providing a customized service and eventually use their expertise to deliver stand-alone packaged solutions. A good example is Microsoft. Bill Gates and Paul Allen initially had a contract with IBM to develop an operating system for IBM’s personal computer. Subsequently, they won contracts with other PC manufacturers. Then they started delivering packaged software products, transforming their service business into a product business. Mullins’ book will be helpful to prospective small business owners lacking the needed start-up capital, as well as to established business owners looking to expand. I should add that if you are considering starting, enhancing or expanding a business, it also makes sense to contact your local chapter of SCORE, an organization dedicated to mentoring entrepreneurs. SCORE chapters are located nationwide and staffed by counselors who have been successful running their own business. I have volunteered with the organization and can attest that it has made a crucial difference for many fledgling enterprises. Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at elliotraph@gmail.com. © 2015 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Divorced spouses are also eligible for survivor benefits, as long as the marriage lasted 10 years or more. If your ex dies, you’re eligible for 100 percent of his or her payout. Remarriage won’t affect your eligibility as long as you’re at least 60 (or age 50 if you’re totally disabled). You can switch back to your own benefits at 70 (or earlier) if that would result in a larger monthly payment. Sandra Block is a senior associate editor at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. © 2015 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U N E 2 0 1 5

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Travel

Leisure &

Find out what travel perks are worth splurging on. See story on page 25.

Dijon, France — much more than mustard Two “children” were added later, and they strike a smaller bell on the quarter hour. Wandering the warrens of this town amid timber framed buildings and Gothic imagery, you can easily stumble upon a café or brasserie emitting irresistible aromas of fine French cuisine. Of course, Burgundy has long been one of France’s main wine-producing regions, laced with vineyards famous for producing top-quality wines from grapes like pinot noir, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc in the area’s ideal wine-making climate, soils and latitude. For the French, wine is the water of life, which the Romans made here, then the Cistercian monks and, of course, the French, all with TLC. They made and still make wine to sell, taste, imbibe and savor. A tour through the countryside around Dijon, through pastoral mustard and currant fields and wine country, with stops in stone-built hamlets, offers a nice break from the town’s homage to dukedom.

By Glenda C. Booth You can leave Dijon loaded with travelready packs of Dijon mustard in multiple flavors, from raspberry to tarragon to chardonnay. But Dijon offers so much more than mustard. Dijon, the capital of the Duchy of Burgundy from the 11th to the 15th centuries, exudes a genuine medieval charm and mystery. Fortunately, it was spared bombing in World War II, so many buildings from the late Middle Ages still stand. The town, about 200 miles from Paris in eastern France, honors its dukes and duchesses at nearly every turn. The massive Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy was built on the site of a third century ramparts so the dukes could keep the barbarians out. Philip the Bold, a duke, rebuilt it in 1366, and in 1433, Philip the Good added kitchens with six fireplaces, each large enough to roast a wild ox. Dijon’s Gothic and Romanesque Notre Dame cathedral, dating from the early 13th century, was built to the “glory of the duke.” The church, with three levels of gargoyles leering over the entrance, has a vast transept and 13th century stained glass windows. The clock atop the church was a war trophy won from the Belgium town of Courtrai in 1383 by Phillip the Bold. It elicits oohs and ahs for its two automatons, fondly called Jacquemart and Jacqueline, that strike a bell with a hammer on the hour.

The Old Town area of Dijon, France dates back to medieval times, when dukes held power and protected the city from invaders. Tourists may visit many of the ornate ducal palaces and medieval churches in the area.

Owls, dukes and markets The Office of Tourism’s Owl’s Trail will quickly put you in a Medieval mindset. It’s an easily navigable walking tour with sidewalk owl symbols designating 22 sites. The owl symbol comes from a stone relief owl sculpture on the Notre Dame cathedral’s north corner. It is believed to bring good luck when people touch it with their left © DAVIDMARTYN | DREAMSTIME.COM - VINEYARD PHOTO.

The Burgundy region of France has been home to winemaking for 2,000 years. The slopes and soil are said to have the perfect grape-growing conditions. The vineyard and chateau of Clos de Vougeot, pictured here, is about 12 miles outside of Dijon.

hand and make a wish. Why the left hand? It’s closest to the heart. The beloved owl, worn smooth from so much affection, was damaged by vandals and restored in 2001. Dijon has several towers built to symbolize the dukes’ power and protect against invaders since the 4th century. Tour Philippe le Bon (yes, Duke Philip the Good again), is a 150-foot-high tower well worth the 316 steps up a winding staircase to the top where, on a clear day, you can see Mont Blanc. The monumental Palace of the Dukes and States of Burgundy overlooks the Place de la Libération, a huge public square built in 1686. Inside the palace today is city hall (Hotel de Ville). The eastern wing houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts (Museum of Fine Arts), with rooms that are themselves works of art. The paintings and sculpture, from Egyptian to modern, include works by Monet, Manet, Gris and Roualt, plus Islamic glass, Korean stoneware and Tibetan and Indian sculptures. Today, the only hint of when the palace served as a residence is a tour of the ground-floor kitchen and underground cold storage. Around 300 people produced meals for the ducal family. The dukes memorialized themselves by

not only leaving their portraits, but also ordering statues to adorn their elaborate tombs, now on display. The Mourners — 38 medieval sculptures commissioned by John the Fearless, the second Duke of Burgundy — are alabaster figures of priests, monks, choirboys and family members in grief and pain, some looking toward heaven, some shrouded in draped clothing and hoods. For a rejuvenating escape from dukedom, mingle with the townfolk at Les Halles, the covered market on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Vendors offer loaf-size patés, foie gras, charcuterie, jelled hams, fig pastries, quiches, sausages, over 100 cheeses and more. You’ll see how the French can turn every part of an animal, including the head, tongue and foot, into delectable dishes. Outside, shoppers sort through mounds of underwear, shoes, umbrellas and other wares. If you prefer more American-style shopping, the Galleries Lafayette is a fivefloor department store.

Gastronomical nirvana Dijon is a great place to explore “terrior.” No, it’s not a national security threat or a breed of dog. The French might say that See DIJON, page 24

Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Dijon From page 23 the concept doesn’t translate easily, but in general, it refers to food and wine and other factors that combine to make food and wine unique to each individual region. For gastronomes, three of Dijon’s restaurants have earned stars in the Michelin Guide — Restaurant Stéphane Derbord, Hostellerie du Chapeau Rouge and Le Pré aux Clercs. Less pricey but totally satisfying are Restaurant DZ’envies, near Les Halles for leg of fowl and raspberry mousse, and Restaurant L’Escargot for escargot de Bourgogne, chicken with mustard sauce, and an out-of-this-world tiramisu dusted with powdered chocolate. For lunch, try a bistro popular with locals, Chez Nous, for scrumptious croques — monsieur, madame and chevre — and bargain

wine. And, as the French say, lunch without a glass of wine is unimaginable, especially in a place where an unbeatable glass of Cote du Rhone can be sipped for around $2. For a true splurge, you can honor the region’s black currants and a famous forefather who, alas, was not a duke, by topping off your meal with a kir de Bourgogne. Kir is a mixture of crème de cassis and Burgundy aligoté white wine, named for Félix Kir, who served as Dijon’s mayor from 1945 to 1968. A kir royale is made with champagne.

Wine country Burgundy wines have a 2,000-year history of expert oenology, Burgundians brag. The Romans made wine here in 52 BC. The monks of Cluny and Citeaux nurtured vineyards in the 11th century. Until the French Revolution, in fact, winemaking enterprises

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were owned by the Catholic Church — and not just to supply communion services. The region has perfect conditions for growing the perfect grape — the angle of the hills’ slopes, the minerality of the soils, and the summer sun and temperatures that support optimal grape maturation. Outside Dijon, vineyards stretch for miles, interspersed by small towns. Vintners lovingly tend to vines that are perfectly situated on gentle slopes to maximize exposure to the sun. (Vines grown on flat fields would shade each other, one winemaker explained.) They meticulously prune leaves to enhance air circulation and eliminate any shading by a single leaf. The most famous wine country tour is the Route des Grands Crus (www.road-ofthe-fine-burgundy-wines.com). Dijon’s tourist office can arrange wine tours for every taste and budget — motorized meanders through rural landscapes, hamlets, wineries and vineyards, some with stops at fromageries. A day trip to the walled city of Beaune, the “wine capital of Burgundy,” is popular with tourists. Back to mustard. In Beaune, the Fallot family has operated La Moutarderie, a family mustard mill since 1840. That’s not exact-

ly medieval, but they still grind seeds in a grindstone to protect “all the gustative qualities of the dough.” Here you can delve into mustard’s history and its cultivation, and try “Burgundy Mustard,” a “product deeply rooted in Burgundian soil” and decidedly different from Dijon mustard, they tout. Whoever thought mustard could be so intriguing? Or dukes, for that matter.

If you go Contact the Dijon Tourism Office, www.visitdijon.com or email info@otdijon.com. Search for hotels, restaurants, tours, events and major sights. Be sure to click on the British flag at the top to read the site in English. Getting around town is easy on foot or the tram, called Diviaciti. Dijon is 186 miles from Paris (nine daily trains). Visit RailEurope at www.raileurope.com/europe-travelguide/france/index.html for information on the TGV high-speed train network. Flight prices to Paris from BWI vary widely depending on when you buy them and the dates of your trip. The least expensive roundtrip flight at press time for an early July departure was $1,231 on U.S. Airways.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

When spending a bit more is a good idea By Ed Perkins You can obsess so much about finding the “cheapest” air ticket that you may overlook cases when you’d be better off spending a little more. Checked bag. You pay $25 to check a bag for most domestic trips these days, and sometimes that’s a good idea. Sure, you can schlep a big bag to the gate and onto the plane — then fight with everyone else for a spot in an overhead bin that’s already full — without paying extra. But avoiding those long schleps and the fight for space is often worth $25, especially when you’re on an itinerary that requires connecting at a mega-hub such as Atlanta or O’Hare. These days, I always check when I have to connect so I don’t have to race from one remote gate to another hauling my large suitcase, as well as my notebook computer. And, at least in my recent experience, airlines have become really good at getting baggage to the claim area quickly. Nonstop flight. On many routes, you pay more for a nonstop flight than for a connecting itinerary. But connecting at a hub airport almost always adds at least two hours to your total time, increases the chances of encountering a weather or other problem, and adds yet another level of hassle and stress. A nonstop flight is worth more than con-

nections — that’s why the airlines can charge more for a nonstop. But the nonstop is often worth the money. Fly JetBlue. JetBlue provides a measurably better coach/economy product than any other domestic airline. Its fares are usually competitive with other lines, but even when JetBlue is a little more expensive, the superior product is usually well worth the small difference. Fly Southwest. If you prefer to check a bag or two, Southwest’s “two bags free” policy means that it’s a better deal, even when its round-trip fares are $50 to $100 higher than the competition — and Southwest usually isn’t that much more expensive. Extra-legroom seats. American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian (A330s only), and United offer a few rows of regular coach/economy seats with three to four extra inches of seat spacing. Everyone talks about “legroom,” but the real difference is room to read or work at the table and shoulder levels. The cost varies by flight and demand, but it’s usually less than $100 on even a transcontinental flight, and that extra room can make a coach flight much less miserable than usual. Global Entr y. When you return to the United States from a foreign country, membership in Global Entry permits you

to bypass the long customs and immigrations lines you sometimes encounter. You have to pass a one-time screening process and pay $100 for five years of eligibility. But even if you travel internationally only once a year, bypassing the entry hassle each time can easily be worth $20 per trip to you. Trusted Traveler. Reserved security lanes at most big airports supposedly get Trusted Travelers through security screening more quickly than other travel-

ers. In my experience, that advantage is problematic: I’ve been through airports where the Trusted Traveler lanes moved more slowly than the general public lane, and the actual screening process seems to be almost identical. I wouldn’t pay for Trusted Traveler by itself. But Global Entry automatically makes you a Trusted Traveler, so overall it’s a minor additional improvement. Contact Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. © 2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Style Arts &

Three tenors who perform on Broadway will sing hit tunes from favorite musicals in a benefit for the Myerberg Center. See story on facing page.

Musical presents our nation’s founding

More music and women needed It is not a perfect show, befitting the less-than-perfect union it celebrates, perhaps. The biggest flaw: there is a very long stretch in act one with no music to break up the occasionally dense and expository

dialogue. The conversations and negotiations explore the intricate maneuvering that allowed 13 colonies with different cultures and values to forge a united mission. It is important that this material be fully presented, but it is always something of a surprise that the writers did not break it up a bit more. When properly staged, however, it will hold your attention well enough until things pick up again. Even though we know how it will turn out, there is built-in suspense to be exploited before getting to what can be an intensely moving finale. Another awkward part of the show’s structure is that there are only brief appearances by the two female characters, Abigail Adams (Santina Maiolatesi) and Martha Jefferson (MaryKate Broulliet), the wives of two future presidents, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. So we have about two dozen male cast members working their way through Edwards’ score without much in the way of dance or chorus numbers to rely on. There’s a bit of old-man soft-shoe when John Adams (Jeffrey Shankle), Thomas Jefferson (Brendan McMahon) and Benjamin Franklin (John Stevenson) get together. And South Carolina delegate Edward Rut-

We’ve got it all...Fact and Fiction!

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Experience this funny, insightful, and compelling drama about the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the noble men behind it.

An entertaining classic about favorite fairytale characters where wishes are granted, but the consequences haunt them with disastrous results.

Based on availability. Due to the nature of theatre bookings, all shows, dates and times are subject to change.

TOBY’S DINNER THEATRE OF COLUMBIA 5900 Symphony Woods Road • CALL 410-730-8311

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By Michael Toscano Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia may be rushing the July 4th holiday a bit with its presentation of a history lesson put to (not enough) song — the classic musical 1776. But it will be performed right through the 5th of July, so you’ll have the chance to see this slightly fanciful look at the cobbling together of the Declaration of Independence as the holiday itself approaches. 1776, written by Peter Stone with songs by Sherman Edwards (and no, you don’t have to know who they are), has been with us since 1969 and remains one of the most frequently performed musicals in this area. It begins with a light look at the Founding Fathers (and two Founding Wives, not Mothers) that inexorably grows in intensity until reaching its conclusion on the fourth day of July in 1776 when, after years of labor, these fathers delivered a country.

John Dickinson (played by Darren McDonnell), a solicitor and politician known as the “Penman of the Revolution,” fights with John Adams (played by Jeffrey Shankle) in a scene from the musical 1776. The musical retelling of the birth of the United States is playing at Toby’s Dinner Theatre through July 5.

ledge (Dan Felton) hops atop some of the furniture during his fervent song calling for slavery to be retained in the new nation. But mostly, it’s designed as a spartan production with little in the way of visual spectacle, relying on the very human story behind the history to keep us captivated. So it’s really up to the director to keep things moving, allowing for proper dynamics in the storytelling. And the drama can be importantly augmented with the proper stagecraft, in terms of set, lighting and sound design. The best that can be said about this is

that Toby’s has done a workmanlike job managing the constraints of a theater-inthe-round presentation. Set designer David A. Hopkins necessarily gives us little to look at. The Philadelphia chamber is reduced to randomly scattered small desks at which the delegates to the Continental Congress sit, slouch, drink and argue. That cheats us of one of the clever openings often utilized on traditional stages. In many of those productions, the delegates are See 1776, page 29

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H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U N E 2 0 1 5

Broadway tenors to perform for a cause By Carol Sorgen Three of musical theater’s leading men will bring some of Broadway’s favorite tunes to Baltimore when the Edward A. Myerberg Center presents the Broadway Tenors in Concert at its annual fundraising event on June 4. Kyle Dean Massey, Brent Barrett and John Cudia, the three award-winning tenors who will perform at the concert, will showcase a night of musical theater hits from the Golden Age to modern-day Manhattan. During this fully staged and choreographed theatrical show, the tenors will perform selections from South Pacific, West Side Story, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, and Jersey Boys, plus arrangements written especially for them. Brent Barrett is the founding member and producer of the Broadway Tenors. He recently reprised his role as Billy Flynn in the Tony Award-winning hit Chicago —The Musical for which he received a Los Angeles Drama Critics Award. Barrett’s other Broadway roles have included Frank Butler in the Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun, Tony in West Side Story, (his first Broadway musical, while still a student at Carnegie Mellon University), Charles Castleton in Dance a Little Closer, and Baron Felix Von Gaigern in Grand Hotel. Barrett founded the Broadway Tenors in

2000, and over the years the group has grown from three to around 15 performers. As most of the singers have other roles in theater or on television, the cast is constantly changing, depending on who’s available for concerts.

Why musicals are so beloved Musical theater has the ability to transform audiences, said Barrett, whether it’s through laughter, tears, or being encouraged to think about societal issues such as racism (in musicals like Showboat and South Pacific). “Musicals can deal with those subjects in a non-violent way,” he said. “They can also open up the imagination and move people by something as simple as a melody.” For example, Barrett observed that “The Music of the Night” from The Phantom of the Opera is always a show-stopper. He’s preparing to sing one of his favorite songs, Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns,” in a memorial to theatrical producer and director Hal Prince. “It’s sentimental and bittersweet,” he said. On the flip side (for those who remember vinyl!) is a medley of Irving Berlin tunes that Barrett likes to perform for their upbeat rhythm and lyrics. Though Barrett relishes his Broadway career — and still hopes to play in such classics as Man of La Mancha, Music Man and Camelot — he also enjoys the concert per-

formances that the Three Tenors afford him. “When you’re in a show on Broadway,” he explained, “you’re singing the role as a character. When you’re doing a concert, you have to find a connection to the music that’s not character-driven. “It’s just you in a solo spotlight, creating the magic all by yourself.”

Operatic and pop tenors, too John Cudia holds the distinct honor of being the first and only actor to have performed as both the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera and Jean Valjean in Les Misérables. He is emerging as a classical crossover artist, with performances as Alfredo in La Traviata and Curly in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of Oklahoma! Kyle Dean Massey recently wrapped up a Broadway appearance in the title role in the smash revival of Pippin, and is currently starring as Kevin Bicks on ABC’s “Nashville.” He previously starred on Broadway as Fiyero, the male lead in Wicked, and Gabe in Next to Normal. He has been on several television shows including “The Good Wife,” “Inside Amy Schumer” and “Up All Night.” Massey, who has been a member of the Tenors for the past several years, enjoys performing on Broadway, he said, “because you get to tell the same story every night but in a different way.” What he likes about performing with the

Tenors is the more relaxed atmosphere, which allows for even more interaction with the audience, as well as the opportunities to sing songs that he might never get to perform on Broadway. “You don’t have to be right for the role to sing a song in concert,” he said in a recent telephone interview. The concert will take place at 7 p.m. on June 4, at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, 7401 Park Heights Ave. General admission tickets for the Broadway Tenors in Concert are $50 and are available through Myerberg Center at www.myerberg.org/broadway. Patron tickets, which include priority seating and an exclusive CD signing and dessert reception with the Broadway Tenors immediately following the performance, are available for $125. For more information, call the Myerberg Center at (410) 358-6856 or visit www.myerberg.org/broadway. Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Edward A. Myerberg Center’s programs and services for older adults in Baltimore. Myerberg Center participants enjoy college-level courses in history, literature and current events, music, art and fitness classes, trips, and special events. The Myerberg enter also offers supportive and social services, including Baltimore City’s largest Eating Together program.

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J U N E 2 0 1 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

1776 From page 26 initially seen as stiff figures in an “oil painting,” who come to life before our eyes as flesh-and-blood men. And when the play concludes with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, they recede back into the “painting.” It can be a very effective and affecting set, but unfortunately, it is impossible to pull off on a round stage such as at Toby’s.

Stellar casting That said, directors/choreographers Jeremy Scott Blaustein and Shawn Kettering have a strong cast in place. Shankle, as Adams, is one of Toby’s most reliable workhorses. With a strong voice and presence, he can be counted on to deliver an outstanding performance, and he does so here, despite being softer than the usually flinty character we see in this pivotal role. John Stevenson is fun as Franklin, played a tad broader than necessary, but with a vibrant authority that suits the role. Shankle and Franklin together onstage anchor the show with their warmth and bearing. Toby’s newcomer Brendan McMahon gives us 33-year-old Jefferson as a truly golden boy, rather ethereal in both aspect and expression, his silky voice adding a tender burnish to his songs. It’s almost too bad it’s the curmudgeonly Adams and not this elegant Jefferson who gets to twirl Martha Jefferson around the floor in the

show’s most graceful choreography, the waltz number “He Plays the Violin.” But the directors have not managed to deal effectively with the musical desert in act one; the pacing lags. And they have not paid attention to the dynamics of the final “signature” scene, where seamlessly integrated movement, sound and lighting are required to make the most of the moment. It’s an opportunity lost. The big act two song, the forceful “Molasses to Rum,” is also seriously compromised, a victim of the poor sound system. Its singer, Daniel Felton, provides the richest characterization of the show as South Carolina’s Edward Rutledge, a cunning manipulator. His presence in the deliberations is a constant slap of realism as he holds the birth of the nation hostage to defend slavery, the “peculiar institution” of his beloved South. But his impassioned accusation of hypocrisy and shared sin by the North as well as the South in “Molasses to Rum” is reduced to histrionics as he leaps about the furniture. Many of the words he is avidly singing get lost in an unpleasant mélange of incomprehensible sound. Quieter moments work better. Maiolatesi’s exquisite voice is nicely paired with Shankle’s robust baritone in their duet, “Yours, Yours, Yours.” What it lacks in sensuality, it makes up for in affectionate flirting. Likewise, Matthew Hirsch is compellingly poignant in the gripping “Momma Look Sharp,” as his young courier introduces the

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U N E 2 0 1 5

politicians to the harsh reality that their actions are paid for in blood. With direction lacking flair (and the stage lacking the “painting” effect), the final moments ticking toward our first Independence Day don’t live up to their full potential in this production. But the material — indeed, the history — is vibrant enough that it remains impossible not to be moved by the courage on display and the realization that much of what we hold dear a couple of centuries later was created in such a human fashion: chaotic, compromised and conflicted, but ultimately a triumph. 1776 continues through July 5 at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, 5900 Symphony Woods Rd., Columbia. The show runs seven days a week with

evening and matinee performances. The doors open at 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday for dinner prior to the evening performances, which start at 8 p.m. On Sundays, the buffet opens at 5 p.m. for the performance that begins at 7 p.m. Doors open for brunch Wednesdays and Sundays at 10:30 a.m., prior to matinee performances, which begin at 12:30 p.m. Reservations are required. Ticket prices range from $39.50 (for children under 12) to $58 (depending on which performance is selected). Ticket prices include buffet dinner or brunch, tea and coffee. Specialty drinks and desserts are extra, and tips to the actor/waiters constitute much of their pay. For reservations and more information, call (410) 730-8311 or visit www.tobysdinnertheatre.com.

FROM PAGE 30

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

G A M M A

U B O A T

M O V I E T I E I N S

S P E D A S H I P E T O I N I R S E K E T U I D R C A C A B A L B R O I L S T O N Y

C O P I E R S

O D O M E T E R

S C K U E P E P O N

V E R A

E E S S S A K C R I D A I M O P I O N E D N E W R S E A M Q E D E I D E R B I V E M A I F E I T A D I M E N E S T T

S A Y U C E E E P F A M I L I A R I T Y

D I A N A

E S N E

W R E C K

L I T H E

J U N E 2 0 1 5 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

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Crossword Puzzle

PUZZLE PAGE

Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Mother May I by Stephen Sherr 1

25 31

38 43

40 44

45 48

55 58

HB6/15

Scrabble answers on p. 29.

Across

Down

1. Eats without teeth 5. Spot where a bay leaves 9. Tough type of test 14. Greeting from Little Bunny Foo Foo 15. Keats’ feats 16. A1 is one 17. Go from the city to the ‘burbs 18. Wasteful spending project 19. Weirdo 20. Cri for help 23. Swallowed a swallow 24. Take in a silent movie 25. Dancer, in Fantasia 26. Full Disk Encryption, to a techie 29. Commonaliti with Januari and Juli 33. Food with circumference about 3.14 times its radius 34. Homily, briefly 35. Salad dressing celebrity 36. ___ the water 38. 2014 Motor Trend truck of the year 40. Where to take a French dip 41. Worldwide, 8% are blue 43. Logician’s last letters 45. Center of ICELAND or IRELAND 46. Saturdai trophi race 49. Guards’ demands 50. Cry over spilled milk 51. “___ had it up to here!” 52. Part of a tool chest 55. One wai into New Jersei 58. Group of plotters 61. Hummus holder 62. “Regular or ___?” 63. Prepare a steak 64. A dog howling at midnight, to some 65. Target for “Tough Actin’ Tinactin” 66. Emotionless 67. Cozy den 68. Youngster

1. ___ ray (the source of The Hulk’s strength) 2. WWII terror 3. Happy meal toys, often 4. Drove too fast 5. Xerox products 6. Car part that only rolls forward 7. Aloe ___ 8. Arctic native 9. Jail-breakers 10. Hindu dress 11. Take to court 12. Half of a blackjack 13. “You betcha” 21. “I paint objects ___ think them” (Picasso) 22. Irish name meaning “brown” 26. Preceder of contempt 27. Subject of Elton’s John’s top-selling song 28. Feudal worker 30. Bank job 31. Mosul man 32. Major nerd 33. Scrutinized closely 36. Luau torch 37. Way to get on one’s nerves 39. Serves as a go-between 42. Fish also called a porgy 44. Not one of the normals 47. “___ truckin’” 48. Zebra of the gridiron 53. Total a Toyota 54. Like a ballerina 55. First person born in the bible 56. Play charades 57. Splice together 58. Home of WKRP in Cincinnati 59. Paul’s partner on “Mrs. Robinson” 60. Word in a ghost’s vocabulary

Answers on page 29.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U N E 2 0 1 5

CLASSIFIEDS The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on 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.

Business and Employment Opportunities LOCAL HOME IMPROVEMENT COMPANY is looking for Mature Responsible Adults to work part-time representing our company and products at home shows, fairs, festivals. Weekends or weekday work available. Paid training, hourly wage, mileage reimbursement, bonus program! Call 301-829-1313 or email info@marylandsunrooms.com.

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Caregivers KIND, DEPENDABLE, EXPERIENCED caregiver for live-out care or live-in care for a flat rate. Hygiene care, Meal preparation, Housekeeping, Errands, Appointments, Medication reminders. Call 301-490-1146.

Computer Services PROBLEMS WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. Call: David G at 301642-4526.

For Sale 2 SALVADOR DALI woodblock prints from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Signed and framed. Asking $900 for the pair. Can email pictures if desired. Call Steve 410-913-1653.

Home/Handyman Services BALTIMORE’S BEST JUNK REMOVAL – Clean Outs: Whole House, Emergency, Attics/Basements. Furniture and Junk Removal, Yard Waste Removal, General Hauling, Construction Debris Removal. Free estimates. 10% Senior Discount. Licensed, Bonded and Insured. Call Jesse, 443-379-HAUL (4285).

Personal Services LEARN ENGLISH – SPANISH – ITALIAN – FRENCH – PORTUGUESE Conversational. Grammatical. Private lessons. Reasonable Rates. Tutoring students. 443-352-8200.

Wanted COLLECTOR BUYING MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, weapons, rifles, shot guns, knives, swords, bayonets, web gear, uniforms, etc. from all wars and countries. Large quantities are okay. Will pay top prices for my personal collection. Discreet consultations. Call Fred, 301-910-0783.

Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 5th of each month. Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards. Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $10 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word. Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $25 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word. Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad. Send your classified ad with check or money order, payable to the Beacon, to:

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FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree] knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to firearms, from silver and gold to classic cars. If it is wonderful, I am interested. No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301-279-8834. Thank you.

BUYING ANTIQUES, ESTATES – Cash paid for jewelry, gold, silver, old coins, pens, toys, dolls, old sports golf, baseball, any collections. Call Tom, 240-476-3441. WE BUY JEWELRY, SILVER, GOLD, AND COSTUME. Coins, Paper Money Too. Watches, Clocks, Military Badges and Patches Old and New. Call Greg, 717-658-7954.

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June 2015

UPCOMING SEMINARS & EVENTS at Brooke Grove retirement village

As experts in senior care and memory support, Brooke Grove Retirement Village is pleased to offer seminars and events that promote physical, spiritual and mental well-being. Alll seminars and events s m ev n will be held at Brooke Grove ve Rehabilitation Reh bi at n and Nursing Center, S oo Grove Retirement Village V lla Campus. located at 18131 Sladee School Road on the Brooke wi Toni Davis at 301-388-7209 3 g. Please register with or tdavis@bgf.org. Assisted Living open House June 9, 10 a.m.-12 noon Come explore our residential-style homes, gardens and secure walking paths. Discover our i lu ng innovative approach and programss including em those designed to stimulate memory. Meet our o with Alzheimer’s staff, trained in assisting those and memory loss. Enjoy oy our 220-acre campus and our live-in pets. pet Register by June 7. Alzheimer’s support group June 17, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association, this free group provides support, understanding and helpful information for caregivers and those touched by this disease. Confidentiality assured.

Support for the caregiver seminar— “I didn’t sign up for this: Trials and tribulations of caregiving” June 16, 2-3 p.m.

Most people never expect to become a caregiver to a loved one with dementia. In this seminar, we will discuss the emotional, physical and financial impact on caregivers; how to define a caregiving role you can embrace; and how to ask for help. FREE. Register by June 14. Gentle Yoga Classes Mondays & Wednesdays, 3-3:45 p.m. ne Classes es begin June 29 Six-week ix-- k ssession: $89 • Walk-ins: $8.50 per class Enjoy the health benefits of yoga in this class for beginners and those with stiffness or movement limitations. All poses may be done using a chair.

18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 301-260-2320 www.bgf.org

Independent living assisted living rehabilitation long-term care memory support