July 2013 DC Beacon Edition by The Beacon Newspapers

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Multifaceted singer wins pageant

Helping Foreign Service families Miller has volunteered for many organizations over the years, including the Boy Scouts of America, Little League and Fairfax

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEBBI MILLER

By Rebekah Sewell Debbi Miller never thought she’d be entering a beauty pageant at her age. Her days are crammed full — volunteering for numerous organizations, gardening, spending time with friends and family, and singing opera. True, she had participated in four Miss Alabama pageants while in college. Scholarships awarded to pageant finalists had helped to pay her tuition. But now she was 64. Miller was being encouraged by her friend Jackie Bong-Wright, the 2004 Ms. Virginia Senior America winner, to give it a shot. Miller went to a pageant orientation and became enchanted. “Our society tends to marginalize older people, especially older women. They focus on the beauty of youth,” she said. “This pageant is important because it celebrates the fact that beauty has nothing to do with age. It reminds older women that they are not trivial. We are valuable and vital.” And besides, Miller added, “It’s fun to get dressed up in beautiful clothes and remember that you are a beautiful woman, even though you’re older,” she said. So she took a chance and entered. On May 17, Miller was crowned Ms. Virginia Senior America at the ShenanArts Theater in Staunton, Va. “I am as happy as a clam,” she said about her win. Suzi Athanas of Virginia Beach and Lilshey Huffman of Staunton were declared first and second runners-up, respectively. The pageant is organized and run by volunteers who are dedicated to honoring enthusiastic and talented women over 60. Contestants are judged by their philosophy on life, talent and evening gown competitions, and a personal interview with the judges. There is also a separate community service award, based on volunteer work, for which contestants may apply. Each year, Senior America, Inc. holds a national pageant competition, where local winners from each state compete for the title of Ms. Senior America. Miller will represent Virginia at the national pageant from October 20 to 25 in Atlantic City, N.J.

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Fairfax resident Debbi Miller was crowned Ms. Senior Virginia in May. In addition to winning the overall title, she won the Evening Gown, Talent and Ms. Congeniality honors. The opera singer and dedicated volunteer said she entered the contest to show that older women are “valuable and vital.”

County Public Schools. Most of her current work is with the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW). Her husband, Terry, is the director of the Center for International Trade and Economics at the Heritage Foundation and is a former U.S. diplomat. He served as a U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Economic and Social Council and General Assembly in 2006. His work in public service took the family all over the world, including France, New Zealand, Italy and Barbados. While it sounds glamorous, life in the Foreign Service is demanding, Miller said. “In the beginning [of each post], I loved it. I loved learning new languages, meeting new people and tasting new food.

“But the end is hard,” Miller recalled. “I have a hard time saying goodbye. Being far away from our extended family was [also] difficult, especially on holidays.” Because of her personal experience, Miller was inspired to help address the needs of others in similar situations. She describes AAFSW, a volunteer nonprofit, as “dedicated to the needs of Foreign Service employees and their dependents.” AAFSW provides Foreign Service members with support networks, legislative advocacy and organized interest groups, including drama and writing groups. Miller serves as both membership chair See PAGEANT WINNER, page 39

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What’s private anymore? The recent revelations that our govern- rectly used to influence us. (See this month’s ment collects telephone records and inter- story, “How loyalty programs influence shopping” on page 29.) cepts Internet communicaDo we buy GPS devices and tions have led to a great hue cell phones with GPS functionand cry throughout the world. ality? How about smartphone I don’t deny the revelations apps that help us navigate trafare shocking. But what’s fic, find nearby stores and hoshocking to me is that the tels, and choose our music and programs have been renews for us based on our past vealed, not that they are tak“expressed preferences”? ing place. Again, we willingly, even eaI am also shocked by how gerly, seek out these useful surprised so many people services. But all of them are seem to be that privacy and FROM THE keeping close tabs on our every secrecy aren’t valued the way PUBLISHER they used to be. Our privacy By Stuart P. Rosenthal movement — where we drive and when, what we read and lisis no longer valued or protected by our government, by businesses, ten to, where we shop and what we spend. Today’s businesses know more about each by journalists — or by the rest of us, really. If we just look around, we can see evi- of us than ever before. And if you read the dence of this in nearly every aspect of our fine print of their “terms of use,” you will see daily lives. that this information is available as well to Do we join frequent flyer and frequent other businesses they choose to work with, buyer clubs? Use grocery store and drug- and to all levels of government investigators store discount programs? Sign up for cred- whenever there’s a potentially reasonable it cards that offer small refunds? need for it. The same certainly goes for phone call All of these track every purchase we make and use that information to spit out records, and that should not be news, either. competitors’ coupons at the cash register Don’t we regularly read news reports indicating that wrongdoers (bribed officials, and to bombard us with offers to buy. Yes, we voluntarily use the cards. They philandering husbands, thieves) were aren’t forced upon us. But our consumer buy- caught by police or private detectives who ing habits are easily bought, and they are di- searched through their phone records?

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And what about the Internet searches we do at home or work? The “cookies” planted by every site we visit are not to satisfy our hunger, but that of those who own or manage the sites and search engines. We run a light at an intersection, and we get a ticket in the mail. How long might it be before speeding tickets are issued to us automatically based on what our GPS measures as our traveling speed? Two fellows casually put down their backpacks at the Boston marathon and walk away. Within hours, a video of their actions is splashed on television screens around the world. Is it a revelation that all of us are similarly being filmed whenever we do nearly anything outside our homes? We used to be able to choose, for the most part, what aspects of our lives were lived in public. But it has become more and more difficult to even function today without “choosing” to lose our privacy. We can no longer walk down a sidewalk, enter a building, drive in our cars, shop in a store, or surf the Internet with a reasonable expectation of privacy. I don’t point this out to indicate a categorical objection. On the contrary, I am generally pleased that our law enforcement officers are able to so readily locate my fellow Americans who steal credit and ATM cards, rob banks, and plant bombs on the street. Furthermore, there’s no denying that we live in dangerous times. There are many groups and individuals throughout the world who publicly announce their intention to try to kill and maim as many Americans as they can. I have every reason to believe

they mean what they say, and if there are ways to detect and prevent them from doing so, I think we should be pursuing them. But there is definitely a trade-off going on here, and I am surprised that more Americans don’t seem to have realized it before. I guess it’s time we started talking about it. Different people will have different opinions regarding how much general snooping they are willing to tolerate, and how much they trust those institutions — including Congress and the courts, as well as attorneys and investigative journalists — who provide some checks and balances to protect citizens from government overreaching. In the end, it all comes down to whom you trust. I invite you to share your thoughts on this subject through a letter or email to the editor. I leave you with one last thought. This whole debate has been sparked by high-level secrets published in a British newspaper and the Washington Post. There used to be a time when reputable news organizations consulted with the U.S. government before revealing state secrets that might conceivably undermine citizen protections. The days when our government had such privacy rights seem to be gone as well. Clarification: Our June article, “Stable value funds help preserve capital,” did not note that stable value funds may only be purchased through a 401(k) retirement plan. Our thanks to readers who pointed out this omission.

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or email to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification. Dear Editor: I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy the Beacon. As a former journalist, I really appreciate how you target your articles in a lively, readable fashion to your chosen demographic. And advertisers obviously recognize what a good job you’re doing. Margo Smith Rockville, Md. Dear Editor: Back to your “sober reflections” column (“From the publisher,” March), my husband died of Alzheimer’s at a highly recommended nursing home in Arlington in October 2010. Both 78, we had come down by medic-van that January from New Jersey. Two of our children live in Arlington, the others in Minnesota. He was suffering from Alzheimer’s. I was having problems resulting from osteoporosis that made it difficult to care for him, even with part-time aides. After see-

ing how he suffered in the nursing home, I wish I had tried harder, and feel I would have if our children were closer by. He had a private room in the Alzheimer’s unit, which was furnished with our couch, etc. I had an efficiency apartment across the street and was with him every day. But all he wanted was to be home with me, and he should have been. This is the goal we have to strive for if there is a living spouse. But a simpler goal is to remove the most egregious offense of nursing homes, at least for Alzheimer’s patients — the mechanical lift. He was incontinent, and instead of changing him in bed, he was dangled on the device, confused and humiliated, surrounded by two, sometimes three, women speaking a foreign language. The mechanical lift guidelines recommend cognitive ability for usage. My comSee LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 41

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Health Fitness &

SCANS ‘SEE’ PAIN For the first time, brain scans measure pain’s intensity and effect of drugs FROM IMMOBILE TO MOBILE Motor-powered exoskeletons help the paralyzed to walk again SKIN CANCER 101 It’s never too late to lower your risk of skin cancer; what to watch for ANTI-AGING DRINKS These drinks aren’t from the fountain of youth, but they do slow aging

A healthy long life? It’s all in our heads Hypothalamus may hold keys to aging well By Douglas Heaven A mechanism that controls aging, counting down to inevitable death, has been identified in the hypothalamus — a part of the brain that controls most of the basic functions of life. By manipulating this mechanism, researchers have both shortened and lengthened the lifespan of mice. The discovery reveals several new drug targets that, if not quite an elixir of youth, may at least delay the onset of age-related disease. The hypothalamus is an almond-sized puppet master in the brain. “It has a global effect,” said Dongsheng Cai at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Sitting on top of the brain stem, the hypothalamus is the interface between the brain and the rest of the body. It is involved in, among other things, controlling our automatic response to the world around us, our hormone levels, sleep-wake cycles, immunity and reproduction.

Important research done in mice While investigating aging processes in the brain, Cai and his colleagues noticed that aging mice produce increasing levels of nuclear factor kB (NF-kB) — a protein complex that plays a major role in regulating immune responses. NF-kB is barely active in the hypothalamus of 3- to 4-month-old mice but becomes very active in old mice, aged 22 to 24 months. To see whether it was possible to affect aging by manipulating levels of this protein complex, Cai’s team tested three groups of middle-aged mice. One group was given gene therapy that inhibits NFkB, the second had gene therapy to activate NF-kB, while the third was left to age naturally. The last group lived, as expected, between 600 and 1,000 days. Mice with activated NF-kB all died within 900 days, while the animals with NF-kB inhibition lived for up to 1,100 days. Crucially, the mice that lived the longest not only increased their lifespan but also remained mentally and physically fit longer. Six months after receiving gene therapy, all the mice were given a series of

tests involving cognitive and physical ability. In all of the tests, the mice that subsequently lived the longest outperformed the controls, while the short-lived mice performed the worst. Post-mortem examinations of muscle and bone in the longest-living rodents also showed that they had many chemical and physical qualities of younger mice, according to a study published in Nature.

Hormones also play a role Further investigation revealed that NFkB reduces the level of a chemical produced by the hypothalamus called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) — better known for its involvement in the regulation of puberty and fertility, as well as the production of eggs and sperm. To see if they could control lifespan using this hormone directly, the team gave another group of mice — 20 to 24 months old — daily subcutaneous injections of GnRH for five to eight weeks. These mice lived longer too, by a length of time similar to that of mice with inhibited NF-kB. GnRH injections also resulted in new neurons in the brain. What’s more, when injected directly into the hypothalamus, GnRH influenced other brain regions, reversing widespread age-related decline and further supporting the idea that the hypothalamus could be a master controller for many aging processes. GnRH injections even delayed aging in the mice that had been given gene therapy to activate NF-kB and would otherwise have aged more quickly than usual. None of the mice in the study showed serious side effects. So could regular doses of GnRH keep death at bay? Cai hopes to find out how different doses affect lifespan, but said the hormone is unlikely to prolong life indefinitely since GnRH is only one of many factors at play. “Aging is the most complicated biological process,” Cai said. “There are dozens of pathways that people will look at thanks to this work,” said Richard Miller at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Miller has previously demonstrated that an immunosuppressant drug called rapamycin can also extend life in mice.

Since the hypothalamus — and GnRH in particular — regulate several major biological processes, it may be possible to influence aging through related mechanisms, said Miller. He wants to look at possible dietary interventions, such as the indirect effect that spikes in glucose may have on the hypothalamus. Stuart Maudsley at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore agrees that the hypothalamus could be the route in for age-controlling drugs. “The body is all one big juicy system,” he said. The ideal drug would hit that system at its center. “Activate that keystone and everything falls into place,” he said. Though this is the first time that an explicit role has been found for GnRH in the aging process, previous studies in humans have hinted at a link between longevity and fertility — in which the hormone is known to play a significant role. As GnRH levels drop, so does egg production and fertility. In a study presented in May at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America in New Orleans, Graziella Caselli at the University of Rome, Italy, and colleagues found that mothers in Sardinia who’d had their last child over the age of 45 — so were still fertile at a late age — were significantly more likely to reach 100 than those who’d had their last child at a younger age. Since late fertility could be linked to higher levels of GnRH, Cai said those findings are a good match for his own. “There is likely to be some kind of biological correlation between aging and reproduction,” he said.

So can we delay aging? “There are maybe 10 steps to controlling aging,” said Miller. “We’ve taken the first two or three.” The first is simply accepting the idea that aging can be slowed down, he said. “Many think it can’t. They are wrong.” Maudsley said that we could see drugs that slow aging in the next 20 years. Initially, though, research is likely to focus on delaying the onset of age-related diseases. “That could solve some real problems,” said Cai. But since the hypothalamus has an ef-

fect on every cell in the body, Maudsley warns that interfering with it could lead to unwanted sequences of events. “You’re playing with fire,” he said. Tweaking the hypothalamus isn’t the only way to extend lifespan. Researchers are investigating several other avenues in their quest to defy age. The immune system may be a good place to start. Rapamycin — a drug produced from bacteria discovered on Easter Island — is commonly used to suppress the immune system of transplant patients. It also increases the lifespan of yeast cells and mice. Alternatively, resveratrol, found in grapes, is thought to stabilize DNA and has been used to extend the lifespan of yeast by 70 percent. It seems to work for worms and fruit flies, too. Restricting calories is another option. Macaques given 30 percent fewer calories significantly outlive peers on a non-restricted diet. Rather than dieting, it might be possible to develop drugs that trick the body and brain into thinking it has consumed less. “It may be possible to fiddle with the amount of food we absorb or how the hypothalamus monitors intake,” said Richard Miller, who researches aging at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Finally, on the principle that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, small doses of toxin may promote cell growth by rallying the body’s defense mechanisms. For example, garlic and chili contain components that induce a mild stress response. This opens cell membranes and lets in calcium, driving growth factors. Some researchers suggest that it is this principle, known as hormesis, that is behind the health benefits of exercise and restricted diets. The scientific director of the National Institute on Aging, Dr. Luigi Ferrucci, will be the keynote speaker at the Beacon 50+Expo on October 13, 2013 in Silver Spring, Md. He will discuss the latest research on aging and address the topic, “What we’re learning about how to live longer and better.” © 2013 Reed Business Information UK. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services.

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scrupulous online pharmacies increasingly offer patients counterfeit versions of Viagra and other brand-name drugs for up to 95 percent off with no prescription needed. Patients don’t realize the drugs are fake or that legitimate pharmacies require a prescription. Other major drugmakers likely will watch Pfizer’s move closely. If it works, drugmakers could begin selling other medicines that are rampantly counterfeited and sold online, particularly treatments for non-urgent conditions seen as embarrassing. Think: diet drugs, medicines for baldness and bir th control pills. “If it works, everybody will hop on the train,” said Les Funtleyder, a healthcare strategist at private equity fund Poliwogg, who believes Pfizer’s site will attract “fence-sitters” who are nervous about buying online. — AP

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Brain scans can ‘see’ and measure pain By Marilynn Marchione In a provocative new study, scientists reported that they were able to “see” pain on brain scans and, for the first time, measure its intensity and tell whether a drug was relieving it. Though the research is in its early stages, it opens the door to many possibilities. Scans might be used someday to tell when pain is hurting a baby, someone with dementia, or a paralyzed person unable to talk. They might lead to new, less addictive pain medicines. They might even help verify claims for disability. “Many people suffer from chronic pain, and they’re not always believed. We see this as a way to confirm or corroborate pain if there is a doubt,” said Tor Wager, a neurosci-

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entist at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He led the research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine. So far it is only on pain felt through the skin — heat applied to an arm. More study needs to be done on more common kinds of pain, such as headaches, bad backs and pain from disease. Pain is the top reason people see a doctor, and there’s no way to quantify how bad it is other than what they say. A big quest in neuroscience is to find tests or scans that can help diagnose ailments with mental and physical components such as pain, depression and PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Looking for pain’s “signature” Although many studies have found

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brain areas that light up when pain is present, the new work is the first to develop a combined signature from all these signals that can be used to measure pain. “This is very exciting work. They made a huge breakthrough in thinking about brain patterns,” said Dr. David Shurtleff, acting deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which helped sponsor the research. “We need a brain-based signature for pain. Self-report doesn’t cut it. It’s not reliable, it’s not accurate.” The research involved four experiments at Columbia University approved by a panel to ensure no participants were harmed. In all, 114 healthy volunteers were paid $50 to $200 to be tested with a heating element placed against a forearm at various temperatures, not severe enough to cause burns or lasting damage. Some of the experiments required them to stand it for 10 to 20 seconds. “It’s like holding a hot cup of coffee that you really want to put down but can’t quite yet,” Wager said. Functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI scans, which don’t require radiation as X-rays do, recorded changes in brain activity as measured by blood flow. Computers were used to generate signatures or patterns from these readings. The first set of experiments on 20 people developed signatures for pain versus the anticipation of it or mild warmth on the arm. The second experiment validated these signatures in 33 other people and found they predicted how much pain they said they felt. “It’s really what seems to be a true measure of the experience that the patient’s having,” and it gives a number to pain severity that can guide care, said one expert with no role in the studies, Dr. Costantino Iadecola, director of the Brain

and Mind Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Measuring emotional pain, too Researchers took their work a step further with the third experiment, which involved 40 people who recently lost a serious love relationship and were feeling intensely rejected. Besides the heat tests, they had scans while being shown a picture of their former partners and then a picture of a good friend. Researchers found the brain signatures for social or emotional pain were different from the ones for physical pain. “That’s very provocative,” said Dr. Allan Ropper, a neurologist at Brigham and Women’s and Harvard University who wrote a commentary in the journal. The signatures seem highly accurate and able to distinguish physical pain from other kinds, he said. In the fourth experiment, researchers gave 21 participants two infusions of a morphine-like drug while they were being scanned and having the heat tests. The first time, they knew they were getting the drug. The second time they were told they were getting dummy infusions but in fact got the drug again. Brain signatures showed their pain was being relieved both times in proportion to how much drug was in their systems. “This is beginning to open a new wedge into brain science,” Ropper said. “There may be completely novel ways of treating pain by focusing on these areas of the brain rather than on conventional medications, which block pain impulses from getting into the spinal cord and brain.” Shurtleff also said he hoped the research would lead to newer drugs. “We want medications that can reduce this signature and don’t show a signature for addiction,” he said. — AP

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

Varied ways to fight hospital infections By Mike Stobbe They sweep. They swab. They sterilize. And still the germs persist. In U.S. hospitals, an estimated 1 in 20 patients pick up infections they didn’t have when they arrived, some caused by dangerous “superbugs” that are hard to treat. The rise of these superbugs, along with increased pressure from the government and insurers, is driving hospitals to try all sorts of new approaches to stop their spread: Machines that resemble “Star Wars” robots and emit ultraviolet light or hydrogen peroxide vapors. Germ-resistant copper bed rails, call buttons and IV poles. Antimicrobial linens, curtains and wall paint. While these products can help get a room clean, their true impact is still debatable. There is no widely-accepted evidence that these inventions have prevented infections or deaths. Meanwhile, insurers are pushing hospitals to do a better job, and the government’s Medicare program has moved to stop paying bills for certain infections caught in the hospital. “We’re seeing a culture change” in hospitals, said Jennie Mayfield, who tracks infections at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Those hospital infections are tied to an estimated 100,000 deaths each year and add as much as $30 billion a year in medical costs,

according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency last month sounded an alarm about a “nightmare bacteria” resistant to one class of antibiotics. That kind is still rare, but it showed up last year in at least 200 hospitals.

C-diff especially difficult Hospitals started paying attention to infection control in the late 1880s, when mounting evidence showed unsanitary conditions were hurting patients. Hospital hygiene has been a concern ever since, with a renewed emphasis triggered by the emergence a decade ago of a nasty strain of intestinal bug called Clostridium difficile, or C-diff. The diarrhea-causing C-diff is now linked to 14,000 U.S. deaths annually. That’s been the catalyst for the growing focus on infection control, said Mayfield, who is also president-elect of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. C-diff is easier to treat than some other hospital superbugs, like methicillin-resistant staph, or MRSA. But it’s particularly difficult to clean away. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers don’t work, and C-diff can persist on hospital room surfaces for days. The CDC recommends hospital staff clean their hands rigorously with soap and water — or better yet, wear gloves. And rooms should be cleaned intensively with

bleach, the CDC says. Complicating matters is the fact that larger proportions of hospital patients today are sicker and more susceptible to the ravages

of infections, said Dr. Marisa Montecalvo, a contagious diseases specialist. See SUPERBUGS, page 9

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J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Exoskeletons enable paralyzed to walk This version, called Indego, is among several competing products being used and tested in U.S. rehab hospitals that hold promise not only for people such as Gore with spinal injuries, but also those recovering from strokes or afflicted with multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. Still at least a year away from the market, the 27-pound Indego is the lightest of the powered exoskeletons. It snaps together from pieces that fit into a backpack. The goal is for the user to be able to carry it on

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By Carla K. Johnson When Michael Gore stands, it’s a triumph of science and engineering. Eleven years ago, Gore was paralyzed from the waist down in a workplace accident, yet he rises from his wheelchair and walks across the room with help from a lightweight “powered exoskeleton.” The technology has many nicknames. Besides exoskeleton, the inventions are also called “electronic legs” or “wearable robots.”

a wheelchair, put it together, strap it on and walk independently. None of the products, including the Indego, are yet approved by U.S. regulators for personal use, meaning they must be used under the supervision of a physical therapist. Gore, 42, of Whiteville, N.C., demonstrated the device last month at the American Spinal Injury Association meeting in Chicago, successfully negotiating a noisy, crowded hallway of medical professionals and people with spinal injuries in wheelchairs. When he leans forward, the device takes a first step. When he tilts from side to side, it walks. When Gore wants to stop, he leans back and the robotic leg braces come to a halt. Gore uses forearm crutches for balance. A battery in the hip piece powers the motors in the robotic legs. “Being able to speak with you eye-to-eye is just a big emotional boost,” Gore said to a reporter. “Being able to walk up to you and say hello is not a big thing until you cannot do it.”

Some drawbacks The devices won’t replace wheelchairs, which are faster. None of the devices are speedy enough, for example, for a paralyzed person to walk across a street before the light changes, said Arun Jayaraman of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, who is testing a number of similar devices. “None of them have fall prevention technology,” Jayaraman added. “If the person falls, they can hurt themselves badly. If you fall down, how do you get off a robot that is strapped into you?” In addition, they need to be even lighter and have longerlasting batteries, he said. Still, Jayaraman said, the devices might

help prevent pressure sores from sitting too long in a wheelchair, improve heart health, develop muscle strength, lift depression and ultimately bring down medical costs by keeping healthier patients out of the hospital.

Made by several companies Companies in Israel, New Zealand and California make competing devices, and all the products are becoming less bulky as they are refined. The Indego was invented at Vanderbilt University in Nashville and tested at the Shepherd Center, a rehabilitation hospital in Atlanta. It’s now licensed to Clevelandbased Parker Hannifin Corp., which makes precision engineered products like aircraft wheels and brakes. It’s unclear exactly how much the devices will cost if they become available for personal use. Some technology news media reports have said $50,000 to $75,000. Indego’s makers want to bring the cost below that, said co-inventor Ryan Farris of Parker Hannifin. Experts say it will take years of research to prove health benefits before Medicare and private insurance companies would consider covering the expense. Paul Tobin, president of the nonprofit advocacy group United Spinal, said wearable robots present an exciting opportunity, but that patients should keep their expectations realistic. “It’s going to be critical that people have a thorough medical evaluation before trying something like this, especially if they’ve been injured for some time,” Tobin said. “It won’t be appropriate for everyone. For some people, it will be a godsend.” — AP

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

Superbugs From page 7 There’s a growing recognition that it’s not only surgical knives and operating rooms that need a thorough cleaning, but also spots like bed rails and even television remote controls, she said. Now there’s more attention to making sure “that all the nooks and crannies are clean, and that it’s done in as perfect a manner as can be done,” Montecalvo said.

Portable germ-killing machine Enter companies like Xenex Healthcare Services, a San Antonio company that makes a portable, $125,000 machine that’s rolled into rooms to zap C-diff and other bacteria and viruses dead with ultraviolet light. Xenex has sold or leased devices to more than 100 U.S. hospitals. The market niche is expected to grow from $30 million to $80 million in the next three years, according to Frost & Sullivan, a market research firm. Mark Stibich, Xenex’s chief scientific officer, said client hospitals sometimes call them robots and report improved satisfaction scores from patients who seem impressed that the medical center is trotting out that kind of technology. At Cooley Dickinson Hospital, a 140-bed facility in Northampton, Massachusetts, the staff calls their machines Thing One, Thing Two, Thing Three and Thing Four, borrowing from the children’s book The Cat in the Hat. But while the things in the Dr. Seuss tale were house-wrecking imps, Cooley Dickinson officials said the ultraviolet has done a terrific job at cleaning their hospital of the difficult C-diff. “We did all the recommended things. We

used bleach. We monitored the quality of cleaning,” but C-diff rates wouldn’t budge, said nurse Linda Riley, who’s in charge of infection prevention at Cooley Dickinson. A small observational study at the hospital showed C-diff infection rates fell by half and C-diff deaths fell from 14 to 2 during the last two years, compared to the two years before the machines.

Some experts say there’s not enough evidence to show the machines are worth it. No national study has shown that these products have led to reduced deaths or infection rates, noted Dr. L. Clifford McDonald of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His point: It only takes a minute for a nurse or visitor with dirty hands to walk into a room, touch a vulnerable patient with germy hands, and undo the benefits of a recent space-age cleaning. “Environments get dirty again,” McDonald said, and thorough cleaning with conventional disinfectants ought to do the job. Beyond products to disinfect a room, there are tools to make sure doctors, nurses and other hospital staff are properly cleaning their hands when they come into a patient’s room. Among them are scanners that monitor how many times a healthcare worker uses a sink or hand sanitizer dispenser. Still, “technology only takes us so far,” said Christian Lillis, who runs a small foundation named after his mother, who died from a C-diff infection. Lillis said the hospitals he is most impressed with include Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago, where thorough cleanings are confirmed with spot checks. Fluorescent powder is dabbed around a room before it’s

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J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

New test aids prostate treatment decision By Marilynn Marchione A new genetic test to gauge the aggressiveness of prostate cancer may help tens of thousands of men each year decide whether they need to treat their cancer right away or can safely monitor it.

The new test, which went on sale in May, joins another one that came on the market earlier this year. Both analyze multiple genes in a biopsy sample and give a score for aggressiveness, similar to tests used now for certain breast and colon cancers.

Doctors say tests like these have the potential to curb a major problem in cancer care — overtreatment. Prostate tumors usually grow so slowly they will never threaten a man’s life, but some prove fatal — and there is no reliable way now to tell which ones are which type. Treatment with surgery, radiation or hormone blockers isn’t needed in most cases and can cause impotence or incontinence, yet most men are afraid to skip it. “We’re not giving patients enough information to make their decision,” said Dr. Peter Carroll, chairman of urology at the University of California, San Francisco. “You can shop for a toaster” better than for prostate treatment, he said.

Enter the Oncotype test A study he led of the newest test — the Oncotype DX Genomic Prostate Score —

was discussed at an American Urological Association meeting in San Diego in May. The results suggest the test could triple the number of men thought to be at such low risk for aggressive disease that monitoring is a clearly safe option. Conversely, the test also suggested some tumors were more aggressive than doctors had believed. Independent experts say such a test is desperately needed, but that it’s unclear how much information this one adds or whether it will be enough to persuade men with lowrisk tumors to forgo treatment, and treat it only if it gets worse. Only 10 percent who are candidates for monitoring choose it now. “The question is, what’s the magnitude of difference that would change the patient’s mind?” said Dr. Bruce Roth, a cancer specialist at Washington University in St. Louis. One man may view a 15 percent chance that his tumor is aggressive as low risk, “but someone else might say, ‘Oh my God, let’s set the surgery up tomorrow,’” he said. “I don’t think it’s a slam dunk.” Also unknown: Will insurers pay for the expensive test without evidence it leads to better care or saves lives? The newest test was developed by Genomic Health Inc., which has sold a similar one for breast cancer since 2004. Doctors at first were leery of it until studies in more groups of women proved its value, and the same may happen with the prostate test, said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the American Cancer Society’s deputy chief medical officer. The company will charge $3,820 for the prostate test and says it can save money by avoiding costlier, unnecessary treatment. Another test for assessing prostate cancer risk that came out last summer — Prolaris by Myriad Genetics Inc. — sells for $3,400. Both companies can sell the tests without Food and Drug Administration approval under separate rules that govern lab diagnostics. Myriad Genetics has published nine studies on Prolaris involving more than 3,000 patients. Genomic Health has not published any results on its prostate test, another thing that makes doctors wary. Yet it has a track See PROSTATE TEST, page 13

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SUPPORT GROUPS FOR CAREGIVERS

Holy Cross Hospital offers weekly support groups for caregivers who are spouses and adult children. Adult children meet on Mondays from 6 to 8 p.m. and Thursdays from 10 to 11 a.m. or 2:30 to 4 p.m. Spouses meet on Wednesdays from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and Fridays from 10 to 11:30 a.m. These support groups take place in Room 12 of the Holy Cross Hospital Caregiver Resource Center, 9805 Dameron Dr., Silver Spring, Md. For more information, contact Sister Kathy Weber at (301) 754-7152.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

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Never too late to lower risk of skin cancer Have you had a bit too much sun for your own good? Decades of boating, fishing, hiking, golfing and just plain drowsing on the deck contribute to your lifetime exposure and risk of developing skin cancer. But there are simple steps you can take now to reduce your risk and catch worrisome skin blemishes before they turn into a threat — particularly malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. “The biggest misconception is that there is no turning back once you have accumulated sun damage and sunburn,” said Dr. Daniela Kroshinsky, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and medical dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. “But adopting good sun habits prevents accumulation of additional damage that

could contribute to the overall risk for melanoma and even more so for nonmelanoma skin cancers and pre-cancers.” Add to that a reasonable level of surveillance for suspicious skin blemishes, and you can drastically reduce the chance of getting into the danger zone. Sunlight primarily consists of three wavelengths: UVA, UVB and UVC. Earth’s ozone layer filters the most damaging UVC rays. UVA represents 95 percent of the sun’s energy that reaches Earth’s surface, and penetrates deepest into the skin. UVB carries just 5 percent of the sun’s energy but can still burn the skin’s outermost layer.

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melanoma as women. “Older men are the population at greatest risk for a bad outcome because they do not access care, and they don’t look at their skin as much as other groups do,” Kroshinsky explained. That’s unfortunate, because if it’s caught before it spreads, melanoma is highly treatable. According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate for people whose melanoma is diagnosed and treated before it spreads is 98 percent. After the cancer spreads, survival plummets to 16 percent. It is fortunate, then, that the skin is the only organ entirely available to inspection. Your risk of developing a skin cancer depends primarily on two factors: genetics and sun exposure history. Genes: Do you have red hair, fair skin and blue eyes? Then you are at higher risk than someone with darker skin. Do you have a first-degree relative (parent, sibling) who has been diagnosed with melanoma? Do you or others in your family tend to develop a lot of moles and skin blemishes, some of which have turned out to be “atypical” or abnormal in growth, shape, size or color? These are all risk factors for skin cancer.

Exposure: The more sun exposure in your life, the higher your overall risk for skin cancer. In particular, repeated sunburns or blistering sunburns boost your lifetime risk. If your sun-exposure or family history suggests elevated risk, Kroshinsky recommended that you discuss it with your primary care provider. “Talk to your doctor,” she advised. “Ask if, based on moles and amount of sun damage, you should be looked at by a dermatologist.” The risk assessment should include a quick check of your medications. Some can leave you more sensitive to the sun. These include the commonly prescribed fluoroquinolone antibiotics like Cipro and some blood pressure medications. The doctor’s role: Once your baseline risk is known, either your primary doctor or a dermatologist can perform the needed skin exam at an appropriate frequency. For people at normal risk, every one to two years might be sufficient. Being at greater risk may warrant more frequent screening. Kroshinsky examines people with atypical moles every six See SKIN CANCER, page 14

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Types of skin cancer According to the American Academy of Dermatology, one in five people in the United States will develop skin cancer at some time in their lives. There are three types: Squamous cell cancer begins in the middle layer of the epidermis, affects only its surroundings, but eventually forms a raised patch with a rough surface. Basal cell cancer is associated with

the lowermost epidermal layer. The cells invade surrounding tissues, forming a painless bump that later becomes an open ulcer with a hard edge. Malignant melanoma, which accounts for 75 percent of skin cancer deaths, occurs in the pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) in the basal layer of the epidermis or in moles. The cells reproduce uncontrollably and invade distant body sites. —TMS

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

Prostate test From page 10 record from its breast cancer test. About 240,000 men in the U.S. are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, and about half are classified as low risk using current methods. Doctors now base risk estimates on factors such as a man’s age and how aggressive cells look from biopsies that give 12 to 14 tissue samples. But tumors often are spread out and vary from one spot to the other. “Unless you can be sure your biopsy has hit the most aggressive part that’s in the

prostate, you can’t be sure” how accurate your risk estimate is, explained Dr. Eric Klein, chief of urology at the Cleveland Clinic, who led early development of the Oncotype prostate cancer test.

Testing the test For one study, researchers used prostates removed from 440 men. They measured the activity of hundreds of genes thought to be involved in whether the cancer spread beyond the prostate or proved fatal. A second study of biopsies from 167 patients narrowed it down to 81 genes, and researchers picked 17 that seemed to pre-

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ther a lower or a higher risk category. “It went both ways — that was the remarkable thing. In any category of risk it added independent information compared to the standard criteria we use today,” Carroll said. “More work needs to be done, but, in my opinion, this is a very good start.” However, Dr. Kevin McVary, chairman of urology at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and a spokesman for the Urological Association, said the test must be validated in more men before it can be widely used. “It’s not there yet,” he said. — AP

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Registration opens July 1 for the 2013 Northern Virginia Senior Olympics, which will take place Sept. 7 to 19 at 17 different venues throughout Northern Virginia. Participants must be 50 years of age and older and live in a sponsoring jurisdiction. More than 50 events are offered, from track and field to scrabble and dominoes. The registration fee is $12, which covers multiple events. Register online by Friday, Aug. 30 at www.nvso.us or by mail, postmarked by Friday, Aug. 23. Registration forms are available by calling (703) 228-4721. You can no longer register onsite at the time of the events.

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dict aggressiveness no matter the location in the tumor. A third study used single-needle biopsy samples from 395 UCSF patients scheduled to have their prostates removed. The gene test accurately predicted the aggressiveness of their cancer once doctors were able to see the whole prostate after surgery. Using one current method, 37 of the 395 men would have been called very low risk and good candidates for monitoring. Adding the gene test put 100 men into that category, said another study leader, Dr. Matthew Cooperberg of UCSF. The gene test shifted about half of the men into ei-

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Skin cancer From page 12 months and people with a history of nonmelanoma pre-cancers every three months. Your role: Learn how to identify worri-

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

some skin blemishes. Certain features indicate that a mole should be examined by a doctor. “Look for anything that is new, that looks different from other things on your body, or anything that’s changing, growing or bleeding,” Kroshinsky said. “Also, any-

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Develop safe sun habits Do not spend extended periods in the sun with your skin exposed and unprotected. The longer you’re exposed, the higher your risk. “We counsel people to avoid prolonged sun exposure between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.,” Kroshinsky said. “But that’s the peak time when people like to do things.” If you are out, take these steps: 1. Wear a hat with a brim that covers the ears and shades the nose. 2. Always use sunscreen. 3. If it is comfortable, wear long sleeves

and pants. Boaters and fisherman beware: The reflected light off the water surface can increase exposure. When you use sunscreen, use it properly. Many people use sunscreen but burn anyway because they did not apply enough, did not replenish it often enough, or applied it after actually becoming exposed to the sun. Here are Kroshinsky’s sunscreen recommendations: Apply the sunscreen at least 20 to 30 minutes before you go out in the open sun. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against UVA as well as UVB rays. Use a sunscreen with an SPF rating of at least 45. Adults should apply 6 teaspoons (1 ounce) on your body and face, or about the volume of a shot glass. Be sure to coat the ears, back of the neck, and exposed skin on the head. Reapply every hour if you are in the water or sweating heavily. Reapply every two to three hours if not in the water or not sweating. © 2012 President and fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

The A, B, C, D, E of Melanoma If you spot a mole or skin blemish with one of these characteristics, have it examined by a doctor: A. Asymmetr y: One half does not match the other half. B. Border irregularity: The edges are ragged, notched or blurred. C. Color: The pigmentation is not uniform. Different shades of tan, brown or black are often present. Dashes of red,

white and blue can add to the mottled appearance. D. Diameter: Melanomas usually are greater than 1/4 inch (6 mm.) in diameter, or about the width of a pencil eraser, when diagnosed, but they can be smaller. E. Evolving: A mole or skin lesion looks different from the rest or is changing in size, shape or color. —TMS

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

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Health Studies Page

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Genetics of macular degeneration studied By Barbara Ruben Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over the age of 65 in the United States and other Western countries. Currently in the United States, advanced AMD affects more than 1.8 million people, and the number is expected to in-

crease to nearly 3 million by 2020. There are two types of AMD, dry and wet. In about 10 percent of cases, dry AMD progresses to a more advanced and damaging form of the eye disease known as wet macular degeneration. In the latter, blood vessels grow beneath the retina and leak blood and fluid. This

leakage causes permanent damage to light-sensitive retinal cells, which die off and create blind spots in central vision. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are now seeking the genetic roots of the disease in hopes that they will someday be able to predict who will get it, as well as provide targeted treatments to stop vision loss.

Volunteer with or without AMD The study will examine and compare the frequency of small gene variances in patients with advanced AMD to that of individuals without the disease. Previous studies have shown that genes in those with macular degeneration have differences in the areas of DNA repair, oxidative stress and inflammation. Certain genes may also protect against AMD. To compare genes of those with macular degeneration and those without, the study is seeking both healthy participants and people with the disease. All must be age 50 or older. All participants will provide an eye health history, and those without the eye disease will have a routine eye examination, including dilation of the pupils for ex-

amination of the back of the eye.

Only one visit required All participants will have 10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) of blood drawn from an arm vein during a single visit to the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md. The DNA in the blood will be isolated and tested for certain genes that other research indicates are important in aging and age-related diseases. The gene sequences will be identified and compared in patients with macular degeneration and those without. People with certain retinal diseases that developed before the age of 50 cannot participate. These include diabetic retinopathy, uveitis, high myopia and retinal dystrophies. In addition, those with conditions that limit complete examination of the eye with an imaging technique called stereo fundus photography cannot take part in the study. This includes patients with cataracts, vitreous haze and opacities due to ocular diseases. For more information or to volunteer, call the NIH Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office (PRPL) at 1-800-411-1222 or email prpl@mail.cc.nih.gov. Refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00058695.

BEACON BITS

July 29

KIDNEY CANCER TREATMENT UPDATE

On Monday, July 29, Medical oncologist Dr. Michael Atkins, will discuss currently approved treatment approaches for patients with advanced kidney cancer from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The event will be at Hope Connections for Cancer Support, Beaumont House at FASEB, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Md. For information, contact (301) 634-7500 or info@hopeconnectionsforcancer.org.

July 15+

GRIEVING WORKSHOP FOR MEN

Montgomery Hospice presents “Picking up the Pieces Through Grieving,” a two-session workshop for men grieving the death of a loved one. Led by male facilitators. There is a workshop on Monday, July 15 and another on Saturday, July 22. The event lasts from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Free and open to any Montgomery County resident. Montgomery Hospice is located at 1355 Piccard Dr., Rockville, Md. Registration required. To register, call (301) 921-4400.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

Stay sharp with these 11 anti-aging drinks By Brierley Wright Aging is inevitable. And there are many variables involved in how long you live. But you can also add years to your life by making smarter food choices. Help keep your mind razor-sharp and body finely honed with these anti-aging drinks: 1. Pink grapefruit juice for smoother skin Pink grapefruit gets its pink-red hue from lycopene, a carotenoid that’ll keep your skin smooth, according to a small study published in the European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. Researchers found that of the 20 individuals studied, those who had higher skin concentrations of lycopene had smoother skin. 2. Alcohol to ward off Alzheimer’s disease Drinking alcohol — moderately, which is one glass a day for women and two daily for men — may ward off dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. As we age, brain cells die, leading to gaps that slow nerve transmission within the brain and between the brain and the rest of the body. Moderate drinking appears to somehow prevent these “potholes.” (Scientists aren’t sure why.) In high doses, however, alcohol kills brain cells, leading to brain damage that may manifest itself as permanent memory loss. 3. Cocoa for a healthier heart The Kuna people of the San Blas islands, off the coast of Panama, have a rate of heart disease nine times less than that of mainland Panamanians. The reason? The Kuna drink plenty of a beverage made with generous proportions of cocoa, which is unusually rich in flavanols that help preserve the healthy function of blood vessels. Maintaining youthful blood vessels lowers risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and dementia. 4. Beet juice to beat dementia Beets are rich in naturally occurring nitrates, which — unlike unhealthy artificial nitrates found in processed meat — may be beneficial. In a 2011 study in the journal Nitric Oxide, older adults who ate a nitrate-rich diet got a boost in blood flow to the frontal lobe of their brains — an area commonly associated with dementia. Poor blood flow contributes to age-related cognitive decline. Scientists think that the nitrates’ nitric oxide, a compound that keeps blood vessels supple, helps increase brain blood flow. Cabbages and radishes also naturally contain nitrates. 5. Green tea to fight inflammation Even if coffee is your beverage of choice, don’t bag tea altogether, especially green tea. Green tea is full of potent antioxidants that help quell inflammation. Chronic inflammation plays a significant role — as either a cause or effect — in many diseases, including type 2 diabetes, autoimmune diseases and the three top

killers in the United States: heart disease, cancer and stroke. In fact, researchers from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock recently found that green tea can inhibit oxidative stress and the potential inflammation that may result from it. “After 24 weeks, people who consumed 500 mg. of green tea polyphenols daily — that’s about 4 to 6 cups of tea — halved their oxidative stress levels,” said Leslie Shen, Ph.D., the study’s lead author. (The placebo group didn’t see a single change.) 6. Soy milk for firm skin and fewer wrinkles The isoflavones in soymilk may help to preserve skin-firming collagen. In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, mice fed isoflavones See ANTI-AGING DRINKS, page 18

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Anti-aging drinks From page 17 and exposed to UV radiation had fewer wrinkles and smoother skin than mice that were exposed to UV light but didn’t get isoflavones. The researchers think that

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

isoflavones help prevent collagen breakdown. 7. Milk to build muscle mass and strength Studies show that we lose 1/2 to 1 percent of our lean muscle mass each year, starting as early as our 30s. Muscle

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strength also declines by 12 to 15 percent per decade. The amino acids in protein are the building blocks of muscle — and one amino acid, called leucine, is particularly good at turning on your body’s muscle-building machinery. Once that muscle-building switch is flipped — you need to do this at each meal — you’re better able to take in the amino acids (of any type) from protein in your diet. Milk contains whey protein, an excellent source of leucine. Other dairy products, such as Greek yogurt, as well as lean meat, fish and soy, such as edamame and tofu, are also rich in this amino acid. 8. Carrot juice for memory Carrots contain luteolin, a flavonoid believed to reduce inflammation that can lead to cognitive decline. In a 2010 study published in the Journal of Nutrition, mice that ate a diet that included luteolin had better spatial memory (e.g., how quickly they found a platform in a water maze) and less inflammation than mice that didn’t get any luteolin. Luteolin is also found in bell peppers, celery, rosemary and thyme. 9. Coffee may protect against skin cancer Drinking a single cup of coffee daily may lower your risk of developing skin cancer. In one study of more than 93,000 women, published in the European Journal

of Cancer Prevention, those who drank 1 cup of caffeinated coffee a day reduced their risk of developing nonmelanoma skin cancer by about 10 percent. And the more they drank — up to about 6 cups or so per day — the lower their risk. Decaf didn’t seem to offer the same protection. 10. Water for better breath Water keeps your throat and lips moist and prevents your mouth from feeling dry. Dry mouth can cause bad breath and/or an unpleasant taste — and can even promote cavities. 11. Orange juice for eye health Studies show that people with low levels of antioxidants are more likely to develop agerelated macular degeneration (AMD) than those with higher levels. (AMD is the leading cause of blindness in people over 60.) Vitamin C, abundant in orange juice, is one antioxidant that seems to be especially protective against the disease. (Other antioxidants include vitamin E, lutein and zeaxanthin.) While it’s not completely clear how antioxidants protect your eyes, it seems that they accumulate in the retina where they can mop up free radicals, compounds that damage cells by starving them of oxygen. EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com. © 2013 EatingWell, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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July 19

THANK YOU

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discount on their auto insurance premium (check with your insurance agent for details). The class is located at Iona Senior Services, 4125 Albemarle St. NW, Washington, D.C. and lasts from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Space is limited, so register today at (202) 362-0704.

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July 24

DROP-IN GRIEF DISCUSSION Montgomery Hospice presents a drop-in discussion about grief and healing for anyone mourning the death of a loved one.

Discussion lasts from 6:30 to 8 p.m. This event is free and open to any Montgomery County resident. Montgomery Hospice is located at 1355 Piccard

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

Pets and bugs can transmit Lyme disease Dear Pharmacist: species. You can get infected from cat On Facebook, you said people catch bites/scratches, mites, fleas, mosquitoes, Lyme disease from their biting flies and ticks. Sadly, anpets, which tote ticks. tibody blood tests only detect That’s how I got Lyme, and a few strains. So your test reI have Bartonella, too. sult may say negative for Bart I found this out thanks (and Lyme for that matter), to you, and it explained but you still have it. my symptoms of joint Physicians unaware of the pain, confusion, memory limitations of standard ELISA loss and seizures. I owe blood tests mistakenly accept my life to you! — D.C. a “negative” result and diagDear D.C.: nose you with a neurological Thank you. Lyme is the DEAR or autoimmune disease, fiPHARMACIST fastest growing epidemic in bromyalgia, CFS or any one of By Suzy Cohen the United States. It’s been a 300 diseases that Lyme mimfocus for me ever since my ics. first column which sparked thousands of It’s a terrible oversight because you “atta girl” emails from 27 countries. might really have Lyme and co-infections Few medical journalists tackle Lyme be- like Bart, Babesia or Ehrlichia. cause it’s extremely controversial. You I’m sure you are alarmed by now, but do see, some physicians don’t believe chronic you realize there’s no conclusive test for fiLyme exists, and there’s a huge divide bromyalgia or CFS? These are diagnoses of about treatment protocols. “exclusion,” meaning your doctor tests you So while the docs are busy arguing about and rules out every other disease before whether it’s real, and how long to treat it, stamping you with fibro/CFS. most Lymies are misdiagnosed. They But you must ask if Lyme and Bartonella bounce from doctor to doctor, suffer be- have been ruled out properly by capable, yond belief, and some die. Others want to. specialized laboratories. For Lyme, I recThere are 30 Bartonella-like or “Bart”

ommend testing by Igenex Labs. For Bartonella, I recommend either Igenex or Galaxy Labs. With all their limitations, they’re still more reliable than standard ELISA tests, which are frequently wrong. I interviewed a Lyme-literate medical doctor, Marty Ross, M.D. who said, “I often make my decision to treat Bartonella based on symptoms. If you have enough Bartonella symptoms, you should be treated for the infection regardless of testing.” I suggest you get Dr. Ross’s free treatment manual from www.TreatLyme.net. Bart symptoms include chronic fatigue, pain, muscle twitching (fasciculations), anxiety, depression, abdominal pain, vomiting, fever/chills, autistic-like symptoms, hallucinations, neuropathy, tinnitus, joint pain,

The Sun

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BEACON BITS

Aug. 8

skin rash, stretch marks, memory loss, brain fog, cystitis and excessive day sweats. Bartonella affects the brain. It also affects vision, causing conjunctivitis, foreign body sensation, vision loss, optic neuritis, redness, blurriness and light sensitivity. I have more to say. To receive an extended version of my article, sign up for my free newsletter at www.DearPharmacist.com. I also recommend an excellent book by Stephen Harrod Buhner called Healing Lyme Disease Co-infections, available from Amazon.com. 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. Visit Suzy Cohen at www.dearpharmacist.com.

CHESAPEAKE BAY/TANGIER ISLAND CRUISE Join Senior Outdoor Adventures in Recreation (SOAR) for a leisurely drive to Crisfield, Md., on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake

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J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Exercise can cause or prevent foot pain Q: Does exercise increase your chances of developing plantar fasciitis or help protect against it? A: Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation in a band of tissue that runs from your heel to the bones in the ball of your foot, and it makes walking quite painful. One of the most common orthopedic complaints involving the feet, it most often occurs after age 40. Exercise increases your risk of plantar fasciitis if you run long distances, especially on hills or uneven surfaces, or exercise in shoes that don’t provide enough support in the arch of the foot or padding in the heel. On the other hand, risk of plantar fasciitis also increases with excess body weight

or when the Achilles tendon (the tendon connecting the muscles in the calf of your leg to your heel) gets tight. Adequate exercise is a key factor in avoiding weight gain, and proper stretching to keep ankles, calf muscles and Achilles tendons flexible helps reduce risk of plantar fasciitis. One of the main symptoms of plantar fasciitis is heel pain when you first get out of bed or stand up after sitting for an extended time. The pain usually gets better as you walk a bit more, but gets worse as the day continues. If you think you have plantar fasciitis, see your healthcare provider to make sure this is the cause of your pain. It can take quite awhile for the problem to re-

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solve, but most people do feel better heat-treated tomato juice. Tomato juice has been used in many within a year if they take certain actions. studies because it’s been Because it can take so long shown to effectively provide to improve, and can pose lycopene that may help resuch an obstacle to the exerduce risk of prostate cancer. cise that keeps you healthy, And in a laboratory study it’s important to talk with that tried to mimic human diyour doctor about how much gestion processes to see how to rest, how to gradually add carotenoid compounds are activity back in, and what affected, researchers calcusort of shoes, inserts, lated that in equal weight stretching exercises or even portions, more lycopene night splints on your foot you NUTRITION would be absorbed from raw might need. watermelon than from raw Work with your healthcare WISE By Karen Collins, tomatoes. provider to find alternative When you bring it home, ways to be physically active in MS, RD, CDM keep uncut watermelon at a way that is safe and comfortroom temperature for up to a week or able for you. The American Academy of Family until fully ripe. Not only will the melon get Practice website shows two stretches better tasting, research on uncut waterthat are recommended to be done twice melon shows that lycopene content may a day to help resolve or prevent plantar even increase during room temperature fasciitis, but do make sure to get individ- storage. Watermelon is also an excellent source ualized advice from your doctor before you try them if you already have this of vitamin C, and it holds on to virtually all of its vitamin C and carotenoid compounds condition. To see the stretches, scroll halfway down during this storage period. Refrigerate the watermelon once it’s this web page: http://bit.ly/plantarfascitis. Q: I’ve heard that watermelon is a ripe or after you’ve cut it in pieces, and use good source of lycopene. Is watermel- within five days. The American Institute for Cancer Reon as good a source of lycopene as search offers a Nutrition Hotline, 1-800tomatoes? A: Watermelon is rich in lycopene, a 843-8114, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday phytochemical that is a carotenoid “cousin” through Friday. This free service allows you to ask questions about diet, nutrition and to beta-carotene. Lycopene from watermelon seems to be cancer. A registered dietitian will return well absorbed without the cooking or pres- your call, usually within three business days. Courtesy of the American Institute for ence of fat that so markedly increases how much lycopene we absorb from tomatoes. Cancer Research. Questions for this column Research is limited, but in one human may be sent to “Nutrition Wise,” 1759 R St., study, lycopene from raw watermelon juice NW, Washington, DC 20009. Collins cannot was absorbed as well as the lycopene from respond to questions personally.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

Mustard chicken with summer vegetables Few things go together better than chicken and an assortment of summer vegetables all cooked so that the flavors mingle. Convenient and easy to prepare, this dish makes a great complete summer meal. It also allows you to combine the best of the garden into a single dish. The delightful mustard sauce seals in the moisture of the chicken while providing a wonderful flavor. The hearty quality is gained from the stone ground mustard. Mustard is made by grinding mustard seeds to make a zesty, rustic condiment that is minimally processed. The fennel with its subtle anise taste adds an unexpected flavor twist to the roasted vegetables. The smaller fennel bulbs are less fibrous, but if you have large bulbs, you can peel off the outer layers for more tender pieces. The much underutilized fennel has a storied past. It was on Charlemagne’s list of must-have cooking ingredients and was reportedly Thomas Jefferson’s favorite vegetable. When it comes to summer vegetables, the term “new potatoes” is often confusing. They are not a separate variety of potato, but merely immature or younger versions of other varieties. Harvested during the spring and summer, the skin of new pota-

toes is generally thinner than the skin found on older potatoes. Not surprisingly, they are rarely peeled before cooking. Because they are small in size, they blend well with the other vegetables. These qualities make them perfect for roasted dishes. In addition to the mustard sauce and natural taste of the summer vegetables, the recipe derives great flavor from the thyme — a truly classic summer herb. The onions and celery further add to the layers of flavor. You might want to make a little extra of this recipe because it makes great leftovers. Simply refrigerate and reheat later to enjoy again. Mustard Chicken with Summer Vegetables Serves 4 4 Tbsp. stone ground mustard 2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce 4 chicken legs, skin removed 4 chicken thighs, skin removed 1 medium fennel bulb, cut into 1-inch wedges 2 small yellow squash, sliced 1 1/2-inch thick 2 small zucchini, sliced 1 1/2-inch thick 4 carrots, sliced in half lengthwise 4 celery stalks, sliced into 2-inch pieces

1 red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges 8 whole baby new red potatoes or 4 small red potatoes, halved 4 sprigs fresh thyme 1 Tbsp. olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large mixing bowl, whisk together mustard and soy sauce. Add chicken and coat well. In large baking pan, arrange fennel, squash, zucchini, carrots, celery, onion, potatoes and thyme. Brush vegetables with

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BEACON BITS

July 17

LEGAL ISSUES

Rick Gow, an expert in financial planning and wealth management with the firm of Lara, May and Associates, will present “Legal Issues Facing Seniors,” at Friendship Terrace Retirement Community on Wednesday, July 17 from 1 to 2 p.m. Gow will discuss how seniors can organize their affairs and plan who will make decisions for them if they are no longer able to. This program is free and open to the public. Seabury at Friendship Terrace Retirement Community is located at 4201 Butterworth Pl. NW, Washington, D.C., two blocks from the Tenleytown Metro station on the Red Line. For more information, call (202) 244-7400.

July 9

oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken over vegetables. Brush chicken with mustard sauce. Cover pan with foil and roast for approximately 50 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Remove foil, increase oven temperature to broil and roast another 4 to 5 minutes to brown vegetables and chicken. Serve. Per serving: 400 calories, 12 g. total fat (3 g. saturated fat), 40 g. carbohydrate, 28 g. protein, 7 g. dietary fiber, 460 mg. sodium. — Courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research

It’s not all up to you. Call us. 240-777-3000 ADS@ MontgomeryCountyMD.gov

FARMER’S MARKET COUPONS

A limited number of free farmer’s market coupon books worth $30 will be distributed to low-income seniors in Montgomery County on Tuesday, July 9 at 10 a.m. The coupons may be used at farmer’s markets in Montgomery County and participating markets in the District of Columbia until Nov. 30. They will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at several locations, including Elizabeth House, 1400 Fenwick Ln., Silver Spring, Md. and Gaithersburg Senior Center, 80-A Bureau Dr., Gaithersburg, Md. For a complete list of locations or more information, call (240) 777-3810.

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Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Coping with obnoxious family members Dear Solutions: I have a brother-in-law who has been very successful financially and in business. The trouble as far as I’m concerned is that he’s also obnoxious, and I don’t know how to deal with him

without insulting my wife, since he’s her brother. He never stops reminding everyone that he’s a “self-made man.” Whenever he hears of someone who is a welleducated professional but isn’t rich

because of it, he scoffs and repeats mire his accomplishments. his mantra, “What did all that educaThen quietly point out that success tion get him? Look at me — comes in different forms. It’s I didn’t have to go to school not always about money. It’s to get where I am. I’m a also about accomplishment self-made man.” and loving the work you do. I haven’t punched him Dear Solutions: yet. Any suggestions? We had an 85th birth— Bernie day party for my brother Dear Bernie: Ben recently. UnfortuThe trouble with that “selfnately, my sister invited a made man” is that he worships really annoying nephew of his creator! hers whom we hadn’t SOLUTIONS But does he really? Dig a litseen in years. By Helen Oxenberg, tle deeper and realize that his He’s 32 years old, and MSW, ACSW scoffing at educated people he kept saying how smacks of jealousy and inferioramazed he is that Ben is ity. 85 years old, since he assumed Ben Instead of punching him when he puts was dead by now. He actually said that these people down, try something else. several times right in front of Ben. First give him his due. Tell him you adAnd then before he left he said, “Boy, if Ben lives to be 90 that will really be a miracle, so I’ll certainly try to come to that.” — ???!!! Dear ???!!!: Just tell this obnoxious bore that if he takes good care of himself, doesn’t smoke or drink, and exercises regularly, he might make it to Ben’s 90th — if he’s invited. © Helen Oxenberg, 2013. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

BEACON BITS

July 17

At Revitz House, Bernice and Howard have rediscovered a close-knit, friendly community, one that money can’t buy. A sense of cultural community and belonging is a powerful tool for living. To feel secure and at home in new surroundings, to be among people who remember what it was like to walk to school and wait for their mothers’ freshly baked strudel to cool, to share memories with those who seem already familiar with them. That’s what it’s like to live at Revitz House. Bun and Howard have formed abiding friendships with their neighbors (and even some small pets), and they take advantage of an unparalleled program of social activities,

with choices from creative art, to trips to the Strathmore Music Center and shopping, to Zumba. All at an amazingly affordable price. The medical and therapeutic services on our campus are among the best in the nation, in an atmosphere of positive attitudes and friendly faces. Our kitchen prepares a delicious kosher dinner every evening. Find out why so many have made our Rockville community a part of their lives.

REVITZ HOUSE 301.770.8450 • www.revitzhouse.org It Takes a Community.

VISIT THE RICH, FAMOUS (AND WAXY)

Join the Langley Park Senior Activity Center for a day trip to D.C. to visit Madame Tussaud’s. The famous wax museum has all your favorite celebrities. The cost is $25 for Prince George’s residents and $30 for nonresidents. Lunch not included in cost. The trip departs from the center, 1500 Merrimac Dr., Hyattsville, Md. at 10 a.m. For more information, visit (301) 408-4343.

July 26

MARYLAND STATE HOUSE TOUR

Join Arlington County 55+ for a day trip to tour the Maryland State House on Friday, July 26. Experience Maryland’s rich history during a tour of the State House and the Government House (Governor’s Mansion). Afterward stroll through scenic Annapolis and enjoy lunch (on your own) at one of the many waterfront restaurants. The cost is $8 for residents and $10 for non-residents. There are many other tours available. For more information and a complete list of tours, call (703) 228-4748.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

Say you saw it in the Beacon

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Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

D.C.-area housing market is heating up By Carol Sorgen Still in their 60s, Ron and Reesa Bowes weren’t necessarily looking to move into a retirement community when they discussed downsizing, but they were so impressed with Erickson Living’s Greenspring community in Springfield, Va., that they decided to make the move anyway. “We had lived in our Fairfax home for 25 years,” Reesa Bowes said, “and decided we didn’t want to make an interim move. When a residence at Greenspring became available, we decided to take advantage of it.” The Boweses put their single-family home on the market in April and, to their surprise, it sold within five days — and at very close to asking price.

A seller’s market Donna Evers, president and broker of Evers & Co. Real Estate, says whatever stage of life you’re in, “If you want to move, this is the time to do it. “Yes, prices are continuing to rise, so you may be able to get more money for your current home in the months ahead. But the home you want to buy is going to go up in price, too,” she said. According to Evers (as well as to numerous housing reports in both local and national media), the real estate market in the close-in DC Metro area is experiencing “robust” growth, with dollar volume of sales up 21 percent over last April and average sale price up 6 percent. Also, the number of days that homes for sale remain on the market has dropped a

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significant 35 percent compared to last April, as more buyers enter this very competitive marketplace. (Statistics are taken from the Metropolitan Regional Information System for three areas: Washington, D.C.; Montgomery County, Maryland; and Fairfax County, Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia.) In April, there was a 1.9-month supply of inventory, Evers said, while a 6-month supply is considered normal in many parts of the country. “This acute shortage [of homes for sale] is likely to continue throughout 2013,” Evers continued, “because even though more sellers are entering the market, they are greatly outnumbered by enthusiastic buyers, who have renewed confidence in the housing market and who want to take advantage of the record low interest rates and the variety of favorable mortgages available.” According to Lisa A. Sturtevant, associate research professor and deputy director of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, the real estate market in the greater Washington metropolitan area has been good for quite some time. In fact, it never really got bad, at least not compared to much of the rest of the country. She predicts that it will only continue to get stronger, since this is a region of steady, high-wage employment. “A lot of people who may have put off looking for a

home are now saying, ‘I want to get in when I can,’” said Sturtevant. Evers noted, however, that even with the increase in listings, the inventory in this area will remain tight in the upcoming months because of the lack of new construction (though new building projects are beginning again). As a result, buyers can still expect to be in competition with other buyers, especially for properties in popular neighborhoods in the area. Potential buyers need to be prepared to act quickly on properties they want to buy.

Easier to sell your home Long and Foster agent Ron Sitrin said that while the bustling market is good for everyone, seniors should be especially happy — especially those who have put off putting their home on the market and may not have been keeping up with home upgrades. “The demand is so great now,” he said, “that simply giving the house a good cleaning and perhaps a paint job should be all that’s needed.” In fact, contrary to the popular belief that you should sell your home and then move, Sitrin advised seniors to move first, and then put their house on the market so they don’t have to live through the tumult of the home-selling process. See HOUSING MARKET, page B-3

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

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Technology enables safer aging at home By Barbara Ruben From pill bottle caps that record the last time medication was taken, to touchscreen monitors that connect older adults and their families, to apps for smartphones and tablets, new inventions make aging in place safer and easier. Here is a sampling of products that have come on the market recently. Rx Pill Timer. Did you ever stop and say, “Wait, did I take my pills today?” A helpful tool that displays when you last took medication can put a stop to the frequently asked question. Patients replace the lids on their pill bottles with the Rx Timer Cap, which works like a stopwatch. Every time the cap is replaced onto the bottle, the timer automatically resets itself and then begins counting the hours and minutes since medication was last taken. The pill caps come in several sizes, and their use leads to a 34 percent improvement in taking medicine at the proper time, according to its manufacturer. For more information: www.rxtimercap.com, 1-800-428-7537. MedCenter System. This talking system, which stocks up to a month of medication at a time in an organized fashion,

Housing market From page B-2 “With the market the way it is,” said Sitrin, “within 30 days the house will be gone. You won’t have had to live with the upheaval, and you won’t have to carry two mortgages.” To make things even easier on yourself, Sitrin recommends using one of the many

also reminds you to take pills up to four times a day. It displays the date, as well as the day of the week. After taking a dose of a medication, the device tells you when it will be time for the next pill. “My father would forget to take his necessary medication, which would result in him fainting and passing out,” said Martin Cooper, the inventor of the MedCenter System. “Coming up with a way to organize my parents’ medications and encourage their adherence was the true motivation behind creating the system.” To learn more, see www.medcentersystems.com or call 1-866600-3244.

Monitoring systems VideoCare connects people and their caregivers with easy-to-use touchscreen technology. The system doesn’t require a keyboard, mouse or technical skill to use. A simple touch opens a two-way video connection with a professional caregiver, family mem-

ber or friend, through which they can chat face-to-face, much like with Skype. The system also allows users to access photos, videos and music just by touching the screen. In addition, the VideoCare system helps keep track of medication, appointments and other activities of daily living. Reminders will pop up on the screen and caregivers will be notified if there is no response. For more information, see www.videocare.com or call (650) 933-5150. Lively is a device that uses sensors placed on objects in a person’s home to monitor their daily activity. The easy-to-install sensors are placed on objects such as the refrigerator, the front door, etc., that then relay activity

messages to a computer monitoring daily activity. So when the refrigerator door or medicine cabinet is opened, that movement is recorded. Lively, however, is not a video monitoring or emergency alarm device. An activity report is delivered regularly in the mail to adult children or caregivers to update them on the resident’s daily activities. Activity can also be displayed on a smartphone app or customer login website. For more information, see www.mylive See TECHNOLOGY, page B-5

extraordinary life, If you’ve led an

WELCOME HOME.

companies that are springing up to help seniors in their downsizing effort — from organizing and decluttering, to packing, moving and getting their former home ready for sale. And when you’re settled in your new home, said Sitrin, be grateful that you waited until now to sell your home in this easy market. “What may have been a delay in your plans is now paying dividends,” he said.

You can have it all at Fox Hill — the amenities of a world-class hotel with the investment opportunity of condominium ownership in a cosmopolitan senior community. Savor four gourmet dining venues and our Kindred Spirits bar. Enjoy our luxurious full-service Sanctuary Spa and Salon. Stay fit with a personal trainer at our fitness center and indoor pool. Or pursue your passions in our Performing Arts Center, wine cellar and tasting room, and our art and recording studios. Our elegant condominiums overlook 16 wooded acres off River Road and I-495, where the world is at your doorstep.

Ask about re-introductory pricing, now available for a limited time. 8300 Burdette Road | Bethesda, MD 20817 888-720-5414 | www.foxhillresidences.com

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Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

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

2201 Savannah Street SE Washington, DC 20020

7010 Schoonmaker Court Alexandria, VA 22310

202-678-5699

703-719-7268

Rent based on income

From $791

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Metro area is among best for aging By Rebekah Sewell Last year, the Milken Institute, an economic think tank, created the first Best Cities for Successful Aging Index, which analyses and ranks the metropolitan areas that are best for older adults. Its definition of cities for successful aging includes those that provide safe and affordable places to live; institutions and organizations that help residents maintain health and happiness; have an economy supporting financial security and economic success; feature easy mobility and access to public transportation; and show respect for their older residents, helping them stay connected as an integral part of the community. Cities are given three main rankings: one for the overall aging population, one for those 80 and over, and one for residents 65 to 79. Eight other rankings compare specific factors, such as healthcare, wellness, financial and living arrangements.

D.C. is 9th

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703-858-9507 From $893

5999 Emerson Street Bladensburg, MD 20710

301-779-6196 Rent based on income

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6428 Bock Street Oxon Hill, MD 20745

301-540-1162

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5101 River Road, Suite 101 • Bethesda, MD 20816

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Overall, the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area (including its Maryland and Virginia suburbs) ranked number 9 on the index’s “Top 20 Large Metros.” This ranking reflects its high position in successful aging for the older population as a group. For those 65 to 79, D.C. was deemed particularly successful, and ranked number 4. For residents 80 and older, the area was considered less so, with a ranking of number 12. “The Washington, D.C., metro area is

a prime spot for seniors who want to work, further their education, or find satisfying volunteer work. But the area is pricey and ranks below the median in community engagement,” according to the report’s “take away” for the area. Highlights of the region include low levels of unemployment in both the overall and senior populations. That’s partly because there are many service-sector organizations here, rather than manufacturing jobs, and the former offer more opportunities for seniors to find employment. D.C. was considered to offer ample transportation (including Metro and bus), and to have many opportunities for lifelong learning and retraining, if desired. Also, volunteer and creative outlets abound, with many museums and organizations providing opportunities to volunteer. Some costs in the area are high, which explains why D.C. is not ranked higher. Transportation, housing and rent are deemed expensive, compared to other cities. Taxes are also higher here than in other areas.

Other top communities The top-ranked large metropolitan area in the index is Provo-Orem, Utah. The report says the area’s “learning environment and vibrant economy provide opportunities for a second career and retraining. The presence of Brigham Young University, one of the largest private universities in the U.S., and a proSee METRO AREA, page B-5

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

Technology From page B-3 ly.com/ or email info@mylively.com. The Ambio Remote Health Monitoring System monitors weight, blood pressure and blood glucose levels. Using compatible blood pressure cuffs, scales and glucose meters, these devices wirelessly send vital sign readings to a health portal. Caregivers can log onto a website or use an app to monitor the information and get notifications when the numbers fluctuate or are a cause for concern. To learn more, see http://ambiohealth.com or call (203) 612-5600.

Apps for phones and tablets Earl is a voice-activated app that users with low vision can activate without needing to read small print on an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.

Metro area From page B-4 business environment make Provo the No. 1 city on our list. It also boasts a low incidence of chronic disease, thanks to healthy lifestyles and a focus on wellness.” Madison, Wisc. ranks second among

With a few spoken commands, the Earl app will read aloud news articles or other content from 250-plus newspapers, magazines and websites from around the world. Material can be read in one of five voices. Newspapers include USA Today, The New York Times and The Huffington Post. Three articles can be accessed each day for free. Unlimited articles are available with a $9.99 per month subscription. For more information, see www.earlspeech.com or call 1-866-811-2343. A new free iPad app designed for seniors called ConnectMyFolks delivers email, texts, photos and videos in a simple format to make it simple to keep in touch with children and grandkids. Arriving emails and texts land in the “Mail” box, photos land in “Pictures,” and videos land in “Movies.” Bright yellow flags appear to alert of new items. Buttons are large, and prompts are clear. A “home” button that appears on every

screen makes it easy for the user to return to the home screen. Photos and messages can’t be lost because they can’t be removed. Learn more at www.connectmyfolks.com or email support@connectmyfolks.com. The BugMe! Stickies app updates the age-old jotting of reminder notes. The app allows users to type in reminders on colorcoded “sticky” notes that pop up on a background that looks like a bulletin board. Alert tones can also audibly notify users that there is a reminder. The app is available for iPhones and iPads, as well as Android-based phones and tablets. Wello. Don’t want to leave the house to go to a gym? Wello lowers the barriers to

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getting healthy by delivering a convenient fitness solution to a computer. Clients can find qualified trainers in an online marketplace, and schedule, pay for and interact over live, two-way video, either one-on-one or with a group exercise class, using a laptop and webcam. Wello offers a number of different search options to narrow down the field to the right trainers or classes. For example, you can search by schedule, price, workout type, trainer style, gender, reviews, etc. One-on-one training starts at $19 for 30 minutes, and group classes of three to five participants start at $10. Learn more at www.wello.com.

large metro areas, while Sioux Falls, S.D. and Iowa City, Iowa are the first and second ranked small metro areas for successful aging. For more information about the Milken Institute’s Best Cities for Successful Aging Index, visit http://bit.ly/BestCitiesforSuccessfulAging.

Pull out and save this section.

Livelife

to the fullest at Chancellor’s Village

Independent and assisted living with true Southern hospitality We’re located between Washington, DC and Richmond, Va., on a beautiful 15-acre wooded campus, minutes from historic Fredericksburg. We are Fredericksburg’s best kept secret. Restaurant-style dining. All apartments come with a porch or balcony.

CALL 888-324-1550 FOR YOUR PERSONAL TOUR AND TO LEARN ABOUT OUR SUMMER SPECIALS.

Independent Living | Assisted Living 12100 Chancellor’s Village Lane Fredericksburg, VA 22407 www.seniorlifestyle.com

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Housing Notes By Rebekah Sewell & Barbara Ruben

Easier mortgage access for retirees Many older adults have considerable assets and retirement savings, but a modest income. Sometimes, a person’s monthly income is too low to allow them to qualify for

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

a conventional mortgage. But a rule change by mortgage giant Freddie Mac should be making it easier for more older adults to obtain such a loan. Lenders want the mortgages they issue to satisfy Freddie Mac requirements so they can be sold to investors in the secondary mortgage market. Freddie Mac’s rule change — which allows a large portion of a borrower’s financial assets to count in determining whether they qualify for a Freddie Mac mortgage — officially took effect in 2011. However, word has been slow to spread, according to Freddie Mac vice presidents

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45 PAGES that add up to a remarkable retirement! Call 1-800-840-8669 to request your FREE Guide to Retirement Living at an Erickson Living® community. It’s packed with pricing, floor plans, details about our on-site amenities—and much more!

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Christina Boyle and John Watkins. For a long time, Freddie Mac has allowed lenders to count Social Security payments, dividends and trust distributions in calculating a borrower’s qualifying income. The 2011 rule also allows lenders to consider individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and 401(k)s, lump-sum retirement account distributions, and the proceeds from the sale of a borrower’s business to determine eligibility for a loan. “Freddie Mac’s current requirements offer a potentially big deal for many prospective homebuyers, including the nation’s rapidly growing population of retirees and near-retirees who aspire to buy or refinance a home,” Boyle and Watkins wrote in a blog post about the change.

New book offers advice on aging in place Psychologists Mary A. Languirand and Robert F. Bornstein have co-written a guidebook called How to Age in Place: Planning for a Happy, Independent, and Financially Secure Retirement. It is filled with tips, anecdotes, advice and research about a variety of subjects related to maintaining one’s independence while aging. Aging in place is a popular movement that typically emphasizes ways to remain in one’s home rather than moving to a retirement community. Among the things people often think about are home renovations and safety modifications such as walk-in bathtubs and grab bars in bathrooms, and widened (wheelchair accessible) doorways. How to Age in Place broadens this view. According to Languirand and Bornstein, aging in place options are not restricted to remaining in one’s long-time home. Modifications can be very expensive, and some homes are not suitable for adjustments. True aging in place, they say, is about finding the right environment and home for you that emphasizes your ability to remain independent. They also explain that research and financial stability are key elements to making it work. They discuss possible ways to invest money and whether an annuity is a smart choice. Other topics include pensions, IRAs and Social Security. The book is split into two sections: “Making it Work” and “Making it Count.” The first five chapters explore and explain the necessary strategies for aging in place, including deciding where to live, modifications that can be made for a safer and more accessible home, decisions about transportation when faced with declining mobility, and strategies for dealing with illness and injury. The second part of the book explores

the mental and emotional journey one must take while aging in place. To remain happy, a person needs to stay connected to friends, strengthen his ties with loved ones, and give back to the community. How to Age in Place will be available for sale beginning Sept. 3. The book may be preordered from Amazon at http://bit.ly/HowtoAgeinPlace.

New kosher meal delivery service Kosher caterer Wrap2Go is joining forces with home-delivered grocery nonprofit Top Banana Home Delivered Groceries to provide and deliver kosher meals directly to customers’ homes. Top Banana delivers a wide variety of fresh and packaged groceries on a weekly basis to customers in Washington, D.C., Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Charles counties. Delivery fees are charged on a sliding scale, based on income. In addition to delivering groceries and prepared kosher food, Top Banana drivers, if requested, will bring the order into your home and put items away in cabinets, a refrigerator or freezer. While they’re there, they can also do small chores like loosen jar lids, take out the trash, or pick up the mail. For more information about Top Banana — including how to place an order for kosher meals or other groceries, or to make a tax-deductible donation — call (301) 372-FOOD (3663) or visit www.topbananagrocer.org. Other questions for Wrap2Go may be asked at (301) 328-1418.

Renters Alliance helps tenants The Montgomery County Renters Alliance is a new nonprofit that works to advance renters’ rights in the county. The Renters Alliance grew from the county’s Tenant’s Work Group reports. The group provides advocacy, education and support for renters on a range of issues, such as how to form tenant associations, improve renter-landlord relations, and obtain fair and predictable rent increases. It also promotes legislation requiring just-cause eviction — ensuring that landlords may evict tenants only for a legal reason, such as criminal activity or failure to pay rent. The group also supports an eviction law that guarantees no considerable change on leases from year to year. The Renters Alliance is working with the county government, including the Housing Code Enforcement Office and the Office of Landlord-Tenant Affairs. For more information on the growing organization, visit www.rentersalliance.org or email info@rentersalliance.org.

You may win theatre tickets – see page B-11.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

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Villages sprouting throughout metro area By Barbara Ruben When an 87-year-old Northwest Washington resident undergoing cancer treatment learned that she would have to move out of her apartment for several weeks so that the building could repair a water leak in the wall, she was at a loss of what to do. That’s where an organization called Northwest Neighbors Village stepped in, finding her a place to stay, providing meals, and even packing up fragile glassware she had inherited before work began at her apartment. Northwest Neighbors is just one local example of the “villages” that are springing up around the country, in which neighbors in a community band together to provide or secure services enabling residents to remain in their homes as they age. Northwest Neighbors has community volunteers who help their neighbors with all sorts of things — from changing light bulbs, to getting to doctor appointments or the store, to figuring out how to use a new computer or phone. The community also offers referrals to vetted service providers and organizes social events. Marianna Blagburn, executive director of the village, said so many eager volunteers have come forward that some are disappointed they aren’t needed to help on a near-daily basis. The village covers a sprawling area of Northwest Washington, including Friendship Heights, Tenleytown, Chevy Chase and N. Cleveland Park. “Social capital is on the rise throughout the country. In our area in particular, we’ve seen a great response to a ‘neighbors helping neighbors’ model,” she said.

A hotbed of village activity In the Washington area, there are nearly 40 such village programs either up and running or under development. “Villages have caught on in the Washing-

ton area probably because a lot of people choose to stay here as they get older,” said Miriam Kelty, one of the founders of Bannockburn Neighbors Assisting Neighbors in Bethesda, Md. Bannockburn is an intergenerational allvolunteer effort, providing help with transportation, household chores, friendly visiting and equipment loans. According to a neighborhood survey, about a quarter of the residents in the 300home community are between 56 and 80, and 7 percent are over 80. So the expectation might have been that younger residents would mostly be assisting older ones. Kelty wanted to keep the project open to helping all residents, but she was still amused to find that tops on the list of “equipment loans” were not canes and wheelchairs, but rather high chairs and strollers. While many villages around the country charge an annual fee to support a paid “concierge,” Kelty said their village purposely adheres to a model in which membership is free to everyone. Even in their relatively affluent neighborhood they don’t want people to feel they can’t get a service because they can’t pay for it. Members of Chevy Chase at Home Village, on the other hand, pay $500 per year for a full household membership, while a membership with limited services costs $250. The Chevy Chase village has two part-time staff members who are paid. Membership chair Steve Schmal doesn’t yet need services himself, and he volunteers by helping drive residents to church and doctor appointments. “We loved the neighborhood, and we’re getting older. When I heard about it, it just seemed right. We know other people who have chosen other options. I have a cousin who lives in Leisure World, but Leisure World is not for us. We prefer to live in a

community that’s much more diverse. “Obviously one of the issues is, ‘can we live in our house as we get older?’ I’m in my early 70s, and it’s an inevitable question,” said Schmal, who has lived since 1980 in his house in Chevy Chase, Md. The village has 198 individual members living in 127 households, but Schmal said he is always striving to boost the number of members.

Funding concerns Members of the Northwest Neighbors Village also pay an annual fee ($500 for individuals and $750 for households of two persons or more) for access to an array of services and social events. There are two paid staff. But even those fees cover only about half of the costs to run the village, Blagburn said.

Another village grappling with funding is the Vertical Village at Wildwood in Arlington, Va. The village is comprised of several apartment buildings for all ages, but has an unusually high concentration of people over age 70, according to the U.S. Census. About 140 of the 1,200 residents are involved in the village, which is organized and sponsored by the Volunteers of America and the Arlington County government. The village organizes social events and helps coordinate services for members, such as rides to appointments and help with grocery shopping. Unlike most villages, which raise their own money through membership dues or foundation grants, the Vertical Village is See VILLAGES, page B-8

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Villages From page B-7 funded by the Arlington Area Agency on Aging. When the government agency said it would no longer fund the village starting in June, residents rallied in support, going to the Arlington County Board of Supervisors to lobby for more money. They won another year of funding. Village Program Coordinator Eddie Rivas likes the spontaneous intergenerational connections that have bloomed. Village members meet two Tuesday afternoons a month in the apartment’s community room for exercises, games and coffee. “One of the byproducts was that kids in middle school get home from school around the same time [we meet]. They were curious: Why were there people in the room? And snacks? We were at first worried about [potential] behavior issues, but now they play card games along with the elders. It’s become a beautiful thing.” There are similar intergenerational activities at the Bannockburn village. In the village’s Wise Elder Program, a high school student is paired with an older resident to work on an oral history project, which is then presented to the village. Students can earn community service hours needed to graduate from school. “The idea was that a lot of local kids don’t have local grandparents or much, if any, contact with older people,” Kelty said.

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Words of advice Now that there are so many villages up and running, there is an association called the Washington Area Villages Exchange, or WAVE for short. Members meet quarterly to network and share tips. Kelty is the vice president of the organization. WAVE, in turn, is part of the national Village to Village Network. What are some of the things village leaders have learned the hard way that can be helpful for those trying to start up their own village? Blagburn has a whole laundry list. “Many villages in the beginning felt they should do everything for everyone, took calls at all hours, found volunteers to do what members needed. It really became overwhelming,” she said. She recommends taking a look at the community to see what resources already exist and then collaborate and partner with some of these agencies. For example, Northwest Neighbors Village contracts with Iona Senior Services for geriatric care management and counseling. She also recommends opening up social activities to the general public as a way of marketing to find ne w volunteers and members. And Blagburn said that volunteer training is essential for the 200-member Northwest Neighbors Village. Schmal warns that it takes a while to get established. “Don’t expect it to be up and running in less than a year. [It’s] probably closer to two years,” he said. “But once it’s going, the sky’s the limit in terms of potential.”

A list of local villages District of Columbia • Capitol Hill Village, www.capitolhillVillage.org • Cleveland Park Village, in development www.clevelandparkVillage.org • Dupont Circle Village, www.dupontcircleVillage.org • Foggy Bottom West End Village, in development, www.fbweVillage.org • Georgetown Village, www.georgetown-Village.org • Glover Park Village, www.gloverparkVillage.org • Northwest Neighbors Village, www.nwnv.org • Palisades Village, www.palisadesVillage.org • Pennsylvania Avenue Village East, www.paVillageeast.org • Far NE Senior Village, in development, pcostley@erfsc.org • Far SE Senior Village, in development, eopow@hotmail.com kcobbleahi@gmail.com • Ward 4 Senior Village, in development, shannon.cockett@yahoo.com

Maryland • Bannockburn Neighbors Assisting Neighbors, www.bannockburncommunity.org • Bethesda North, in development, firekrone@yahoo.com • Bethesda Senior Village, in development, hcaraher@verizon.net • Burning Tree Village, www.burningtreeVillage.org • Cheverly, in development, sofferkatherine@gmail.com • Chevy Chase at Home, www.chevychaseathome.org • Hyattsville Aging in Place, info@hyattsvilleaginginplace.org • Little Falls Village, in development, www.littlefallsVillage.org • Olney Home for Life, www.olneyhomeforlife.org • Potomac Community Village, in development, nurbach11@verizon.net • Silver Spring Village, in development, www.silverspringVillage.org • Takoma Park Planners, in development, wolfgang.meigner@gmail.com • Town of Garret Park Seniors Committee, in development, bonniebtyler@aol.com

Virginia • Arlington Villages Project, in development, www.arlingtonVillages.org • At Home in Alexandria, www.athomeinalexandria.org • Braddock District Council Aging in Place Program, bwallbdc@gmail.com • Franklin Park Neighbors e.duggan@verizon.net • Lake Barcroft Village, www.lakebarcroftVillage.org • McLean: A Community for All Ages, 703-734-1580 • Mosby Woods Village, mosbywoodsVillage@gmail.com • Mount Vernon at Home, www.mountvernonathome.org • Reston for a Lifetime, www.restonforalifetime.org • Vertical Village at Wildwood, http://bit.ly/verticalvillage

Umbrella Groups • Washington Area Village Exchange, www.WAVEvillages.org • Village to Village Network, www.vtvnetwork.org Source: Washington Area Village Exchange

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

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Consider selling or donating to declutter By Jessica Anderson and Patricia Mertz Esswein If you’re in the process of downsizing, many of your castoffs could find great second homes and net you some cash in the process. And for the things that you can’t sell, donating them to charity can make you feel good and offer a tax deduction.

Some ways to sell eBay. Go to eBay.com and register for an account. Then click “Sell” and select “Sell an item.” The site walks you through options for categorizing, pricing and shipping. Focus on small items that are easy to price and pack, such as designer clothes, baseball cards and jewelry. It costs nothing to list up to 50 auction items each month and add “Buy It Now” pricing; you’ll pay 9 percent of the total sale amount (up to $250) for each item. Craigslist. Larger items, such as furniture and appliances, are perfect for Craigslist because buyers come to you to haul them away. The listings are free for a week in big cities (45 days in smaller cities). Insist on payment in cash to avoid bounced checks. Specialty sites. Sell designer clothing and accessories at the Snob (www.thesnob.biz) and Snobswap (www.snobswap.com). For vintage clothing, try Etsy (www.etsy.com) and Fashiondig (www.fashiondig.com).

Sell your smartphones and other tech products on sites such as Gazelle.com, NextWorth.com, USell.com and BuyMyTronics.com. Just log on, get an offer and mail in your item. You will receive a check or a deposit to your PayPal account. Consignment shops. Shopowners will sell your clothing or household furnishings for you. They’ll price your items based on their experience, and will reduce the price over time. They typically take one-third to one-half of the final sale price. Yard sale. For stuff that’s not worth the trouble of listing, try a one-day-only yard sale. For extra appeal, get your whole block to participate. Not into pricing everything? That’s okay. Aaron LaPedis, author of The Garage Sale Millionaire, recommends that you put a price tag on anything you want to sell for more than $25 (so people don’t waste your time with low-ball offers), but let people make an offer for anything else. “There’s a 50-50 chance they’ll offer you more than you were looking for,” said LaPedis. Attract more visitors by listing your sale at Tag Sell It (www.tagsellit.com). And when the day is done, donate what’s left to Goodwill. Estate liquidators. Call a “clean-out” company if you have a lot of stuff that you need to get rid of quickly. Some liquidators will conduct a “tag sale” in your home or

off-site; they generally take 25 to 40 percent of the proceeds. Others buy your stuff outright, haul it away and sell it.

Donating your belongings Many people can benefit from your castoffs, and that way less stuff ends up in a landfill. The easiest way to donate clothing, housewares and furniture is to contact a nonprofit organization that will send a truck to pick up your things (the driver will leave a tax receipt) and offer it for sale in its thrift stores. Two major players are Goodwill (www.goodwill.org) and the Salvation Army (www.salvationarmyusa.org). Veterans organizations that provide a similar service include Amvets (www.amvetspick-

up.org), the Military Order of the Purple Heart (www.veteranpickup.org) and Vietnam Veterans of America (www.clothingdonations.org). Check with the charity to verify what it is willing to take — especially if the items are large. • Electronics. You can donate your cell phone to a victim of domestic violence through Verizon’s HopeLine program (http://aboutus.verizonwireless.com/com mitment/community_programs/hopeline) or to support troops overseas at CellPhonesforSoldiers.com. The National Cristina Foundation (www.cristina.org) will connect you with local nonprofits that will take your computer and tech accesSee DECLUTTER, page B-10

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J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Sometimes it’s OK to want to be alone By Gretchen Tucker Most adults in our society value independence and the ability to make our own decisions. However, as we age, the ability to preserve one’s autonomy is often challenged by physical and cognitive losses. The Center for Aging Studies at UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County) is currently examining this topic within assisted living (AL), funded by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health. I began working on this study about the same time my husband’s grandmother began to lose her independence. I knew Grandmother for 23 years. She was active, social, independent and eternally optimistic. She lived alone in the

home that she had shared with her husband until she was 95. She participated in activities at a local senior center, went on bus trips, even a cruise with her daughterin-law. If I invited her to go somewhere, she’d ask, “What time are you picking me up?” She never hesitated. I would ask her how she was doing; she’d respond, “I’m still kicking, not as high, but I’m still kicking.” Her goal was to live to be 100. She drove until her early 90s, when her eyesight declined. Eventually, it became difficult for her to take care of her home, meals, finances, and to manage her health. In 2011, she became ill, was hospitalized, and then admitted to a nursing home for rehabilitation.

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She would have required daily assistance in order for her to return home, but she refused to have a stranger watching her in her house. And so Grandmother moved into an assisted living community. I knew more about the aging process than your average granddaughter-in-law. After getting my M.A. in sociology with a concentration in aging, I worked in an assisted living facility and conducted research at UMBC’s Center for Aging Studies. I knew from my work that moving from independence into an AL setting could be an extremely difficult transition. I knew, too, that the AL and my husband’s family would want Grandmother socializing as soon as possible. Despite encouragement from family and

staff to go to the dining room for meals or participate in activities, she refused. In the course of a month, Grandmother had been hospitalized, admitted to a nursing home, moved to an assisted living, and would likely not be returning to her home. She had been social, active and independent for so many years. It was understandable that she would now need and want time to herself. For staff and family members, this presented a conflict. Was Grandmother still capable of making informed decisions and would her decision to eat alone negatively affect her health? Fortunately, the AL honored her per-

Declutter

tions on your federal income taxes. Most tax-preparation software will help you value your donated items. (With TurboTax’s ItsDeductible.com, you can track contributions throughout the year so that the information is ready come tax time.) The Salvation Army and Goodwill offer valuation guidance on their websites. Or you can assign value based on what items would sell for at a local thrift store. Make a list of everything you donate, and be sure to get a receipt from the charity. For you to claim a deduction, the charity must be nonprofit and exempt from federal income taxes — a 501(c)(3) organization. If your noncash contributions total more than $500, you must complete Form 8283 and attach it to your tax return. Single items valued at $5,000 or more require a written appraisal, but you can deduct the appraisal fee as a miscellaneous itemized deduction. © 2013, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

From page B-9 sories, including scanners, digital cameras and modems. Before you donate tech gear, be sure to erase any personal data. • Clothing. Look for a “free clothing closet” in your community. Soles4Souls (www.soles4souls.org) collects new and gently used shoes for people around the world. • Books. Some public libraries accept donations. Or look for charities that accept books at the American Library Association’s website (www.ala.org/tools/libfactsheets/alalibraryfactsheet12). • Collections. If you have collectors’ items that you would like to donate to a historical society or museum, visit the organization’s website or call to ask for its guidelines for donation. If your stuff is in good condition, you can donate it and claim a charitable contribution — as long as you itemize deduc-

See ALONE, page B-12

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

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FREE HOUSING AND OTHER INFORMATION For free information from advertisers in this special section, check off those that interest you and mail this entire page to the Beacon. Please do not request info if you are not interested. All replies will have an equal chance to win theatre tickets.

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Check the boxes you’re interested in and return this entire coupon to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227. You may also include the free info coupon on page 5. One entry per household please. Name __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________E-mail_______________________________________________ City _______________________________________________________ State ______________________ Zip ____________________ Phone (day) _______________________________________________ (eve) ________________________________________________ Please provide your telephone number and e-mail address so we may contact you promptly if you win the drawing.

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CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

The Residences at Thomas Circle (202) 626-5761 1330 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington, DC 20005 www.ThomasCircle.com The Residences at Thomas Circles is an exceptional senior living community located in the heart of the district in Washington, DC. Here, residents enjoy a stimulating lifestyle filled with activities and entertainment as well as the company of a diverse group of interesting people. The excellent location means residents can easily visit area attractions, museums, theater, special events and more via the Metro or a short walk. In addition to independent living, The Residences at Thomas Circle is the only in-town senior living community to offer an on-site continuum of health services: assisted living, skilled nursing, and rehabilitative or memory care. Ask about our new respite program, Circle Stays: special savings in assisted living and memory care. Visit www.ThomasCircle to learn more or call 202.628.3844.

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Brooke Grove 301-260-2320 18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 www.bfg.org This community hums with warmhearted camaraderie and a zest for living shared by residents and staff alike—in independent living, assisted living, memory support, rehabilitative care and nursing care. Experience all that makes Brooke Grove different. Beautifully designed residences in a truly picturesque setting. Unique LIFE® enrichment programming and choices to satisfy every palate. Unsurpassed continuing care and innovative memory support care. Come for a visit and see why Brooke Grove Retirement Village is one of the most sought-after continuing care retirement communities in the state and how living here is simply different … because what surrounds you really matters.

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Chancellor’s Village 888-324-1550 12100 Chancellor’s Village Lane Fredericksburg, Virginia 22407 www.seniorlifestyle.com Chancellor’s Village is Virginia’s only Senior Lifestyle Community with both independent and assisted living. Spacious apartments are available in many floor plans, and each residence also includes a porch or patio. Nestled on 10 wooded acres between Washington, DC and Richmond, VA. Our amenities package is strong on service and personal care, and is included in the monthly fee! The amenities at Chancellor’s Village include individual laundry and linen service, three chefinspired meals each day, abundant recreational, cultural and entertainment choices, a wellness center with an on-staff personal trainer, complimentary transportation as you need it, and much more. Chancellor's Village is truly Fredericksburg's Best Kept Secret. To schedule your visit call (888) 324-1550.

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Making your home safer, better with age Former carpenter and contractor Louis Tenenbaum consults with families, builders, developers and product manufacturers on universal design. Tenenbaum, a resident of Potomac, Md., recently talked with the Beacon’s Managing Editor Barbara Ruben about ways to make homes safer and more comfortable for aging residents. Learn more at his website, www.louistenenbaum.com. Beacon: As people age in their homes, what are some of the main issues that arise for them? Tenenbaum: Our houses were designed for Peter Pan, for people who were never going to grow old. And, in fact, people didn’t grow old 50 years ago. Seventytwo was kind of the end point. When I graduated from college in 1976, 72 was getting pretty old. Now 92 is getting pretty old. In that 20 years, we changed. It used to be the biggest problem we had in the ‘60s and ‘70s was people growing old without a lot of money. And that hasn’t changed. What is also happening is that when

people get into their 70s and 80s, they start to move more slowly and maybe have arthritis. They may have multiple chronic conditions, which impact the way they interact with their environment. If people have changed, it makes sense that their housing needs to change. For example, living in a house with stairs, if you can’t use them, is a real problem. It’s really like eye glasses. If you’re [older and] sitting in an auditorium without glasses or a hearing aid, it’s a real problem. The situations are really similar. But we don’t typically talk about houses that way. What is universal design? The guy who came up with universal design, Ron Mace, was not older when he came up with it. But he did have some physical conditions that were different than the general population. He was an architect, and he saw that things need to be different as the population changes. What Mace said is that universal design is building or designing things that almost

Alone

was lonely, but rather, it was what she wanted. It was her choice, her decision. In April, Grandmother’s health declined further, and she was placed on hospice at the assisted living. Before she passed away she told me, “I’m tired out. I just want to be a lazy critter.” Making it to 97 is just as good as making it to 100. We should be able to choose how and with whom we want to spend our time, maintaining our autonomy even up to the end. Gretchen Tucker is a research assistant at the Center for Aging Studies at UMBC.

From page B-10 sonal autonomy and allowed her to eat meals in her room; eventually she ate in the dining room. Being alone is often seen negatively. Some believe a lack of socializing may lead to worsening feelings of depression and isolation. However, each situation is unique, just as each individual is unique. Gentle encouragement and socialization may be helpful for some residents, whereas for Grandmother, being alone didn’t mean she

See TENENBAUM, page B-13

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

Tenenbaum From page B-12 everybody can use. They’re not special, they’re just useful for everyone. So an entryway that almost everyone can get into is a universal design entryway. If you think about aging, we, in fact, become different people throughout our lives. When we are very small, we are completely helpless, and we go through changes throughout our lives. So there is a natural way to understand this. We become different people as we age, and homes that are prepared to adapt to ourselves [as we change] is universal design. It’s not easy conceptually. Most of the time people will try to say it’s adapting the home so you can use it in a wheelchair. But that’s not it, because [universal design] really makes a home so it meets your needs whoever you are. When we got typewriters, we got those little metal foldout tables for them. When we got computers, we got drawers a little lower for the keyboard. That’s universal design. It’s making design and the built environment work the way people work. When should people start thinking about universal design? Consider these issues whenever you are looking to move into a home. A home with many steps is probably not the best one. But it’s not that simple, because often a house with many steps will have a sloping driveway that goes to the back entrance, so maybe you can get into it more easily than a house that has a few steps at all the doorways. This is probably the most critical part: By the time it’s too late, it’s really too late. You need it before you need it. That’s because there’s a disconnect between the time your life changes due to your health changing and the process of reconstructing homes. That’s a really big problem people don’t want to get. What are the most important components to making your home meet your needs safely? Obviously, getting in and out is critical.

Safety is about a couple things, about what might not be great about your neighborhood. You don’t want to be marked as a person who goes into their home very slowly. It’s also about lighting, and about having your front door protected from the weather so you can get out your keys and open the door. It’s also having really good steps with a railing, or better, no steps at all. The second most important thing is the ability to get to a bedroom and bathroom that works for you inside the house. Those are the most important things, but they’re not necessarily the least expensive things. In many things, we start with the less expensive things and build our way up. So you start with a starter home and maybe a small kitchen set. But with this, when you need it — if you don’t have the really important basics in place — it probably isn’t going to serve you. Starting with a grab bar in the bathroom, for example, is pretty good but I’m concerned you’ve become complacent with that. That may keep you safer from falling, which is really important, but may not be enough to allow you to move back to that house after something drastic happens. It’s when you have a health crisis and you can’t get back and live in your home; that’s when your world changes. What are some of the simpler first steps people can take to age in place? The first thing you want to do is avoid injury and make your home comfortable. If it’s really hard for you to get up from the couch, it would be great to have a remote for the lighting, a remote to change the thermostat, even to open and close certain windows. Today, you can use an iPad to control all these things and relatively inexpensive devices to make them happen. Other things to keep you safe could be adding grab bars, removing throw rugs, getting the lighting to work. That means organizing things so you have to do less bending and reaching to get them. If See TENENBAUM, page B-14

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

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INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Ashby Ponds 703-723-1999 or 1-800-564-0155 21170 Ashby Ponds Boulevard Ashburn, VA 20147 EricksonLiving.com Ashby Ponds in Ashburn offers maintenance-free retirement living combined with a vibrant lifestyle--all in a beautiful, private and gated community. Without the worries of a house and yard, you can spend more time pursuing your passions. Travel, volunteer, take a college class and explore some of Ashby Ponds many clubs and interest groups. Campus restaurants offer a variety of delicious dining options, while security offers protection and peace of mind. Enjoy the stability of predictable monthly expenses and look forward to a healthy future with our health care and wellness services. Whatever your passions in life, you’ll find the freedom and opportunity to follow them at Ashby Ponds. Continuing Care at Ashby Ponds is under construction and opens in 2014, featuring assisted living, nursing care, post-acute rehabilitation, and memory care.

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Sommerset 703-450-6411 22366 Providence Village Dr. Sterling, VA 20164 www.sommersetretirement.com THERE’S A REAL DIFFERENCE at Sommerset, the liveliest, friendliest retirement community in Virginia’s Sterling and Leesburg area. It’s a rental retirement community with no long-term commitment, no entrance fee and no buy-in expense. Plus, unlike retirement communities that include assisted living, Sommerset is all about savoring new freedom to live. Enjoy gracious dining, housekeeping, a Wellness Center, an excellent staff and a scope of activities plus free transportation to your own doctors and to Sterling and Leesburg shopping that is simply unmatched by any other retirement community in Loudoun County.

ASSISTED LIVING

Riderwood 301-495-5700

The Solana Olney 301-570-2611

3140 Graceﬁeld Road Silver Spring, MD 20904 EricksonLiving.com

2611 Olney-Sandy Spring Road Olney, MD 20832 www.brookdaleliving.com/solana-olney.aspx

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

The Solana® Olney, in Olney, Maryland, provides Assisted Living and Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care options for seniors. Our community offers residents an intellectually stimulating, physically invigorating and emotionally fulfilling life. Those who desire to retain their independence but do not require the skilled nursing care provided in nursing homes will appreciate our friendly staff’s assistance with activities of daily living. We also provide speciallydesigned programs and care for those with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia-related illnesses. At The Solana Olney, you and your loved one will enjoy a stylish, comfortable and inviting community environment to share with neighbors and friends, along with all the features and amenities needed to enhance your personal lifestyle. We invite you to call to learn more.

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Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Vinson Hall Retirement Community 703-536-4344 6251 Old Dominion Drive McLean, VA 22101 www.vinsonhall.org Our not-for-profit, continuing care retirement community enhances the lives of our residents through person-centered care and services while fostering dignity, security and friendship. As an innovative not-for-profit community, we attract leaders in the field of aging who design research and pilot new initiatives and technology to help improve the lives of our residents and seniors everywhere. Vinson Hall provides independent living to commissioned military officers and their immediate family. Everyone is welcome at Arleigh Burke Pavilion, where we provide assisted living, skilled nursing and private pay nursing care services, and at The Sylvestery, where we offer assisted living care for those with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Emerson House 301-779-6196 5999 Emerson Street Bladensburg, MD 20710 Emerson House Apartments is conveniently located on Emerson Street, just off of Rt. 450 and 57th Ave in Bladensburg, Md. A quaint residential setting, just minutes from neighborhood shopping, the community is convenient to Prince George's Hospital, a local library, public transportation and parks. Activities within Emerson House include: exercise classes, a Wii bowling league, arts and crafts classes, bingo, movie night, parties, bus trips and much more. Emerson House is a nine-story, community designed for today’s seniors (62 and older). Our 220 one-bedroom units offer Section 8 rent subsidy for low- to moderate-income households. Please call today to request an application or make an appointment to tour our community. 301-779-6196. Monday – Friday 8:30 to 5:00.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Greenspring 703-913-1200 or 1-800-788-0811

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

How to select the right personal care aide Home care is health and/or supportive services delivered to people in their homes. The goal of home care is to enable a person who needs care to remain at home, while maintaining or improving the quality of life. Home care can: • help preserve the care recipient’s sense of independence and security, • relieve stress for the care recipient and family members or caregivers, and • prevent unnecessary hospital or nursing home bills. Home care services include supportive services, skilled care and infusion therapy. Supportive services include help with bathing, dressing, shopping and meal preparation, as well as light housekeeping and basic companionship. Skilled care services, ordered by a physician, include services provided by registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs), physical therapists, registered dietitians, speech therapists and occupational therapists. Infusion therapy is specialized therapy used to feed, hydrate, or give medication to a person who has difficulty taking food, liquid or medicine by mouth. Skilled care

agencies often work with pharmacy companies to provide infusion therapy. Should you use an agency? You have the option of hiring an individual yourself or going through a home care or home healthcare agency. To help make that decision, consider the following: Home healthcare agencies pros: • Screening, hiring/firing, pay and taxes are handled by the agency. • Provider receives in-service training and supervision by professional home care staff. • If the worker is sick, a substitute can be sent. • Can provide individuals with a variety of skills to meet varying needs (e.g. skilled nursing care, physical therapy, etc.) • May be partially covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance. • Home care agencies must be licensed and have a criminal records check for workers. Cons: • Usually cost more • Several workers may be used, which

Tenenbaum

Healthcraft that I just love. It goes from the floor to ceiling. It can be installed in just a few minutes without hardware and is really secure. You can put it next to a chair or the bathtub to hold onto for getting in and out. Another idea is to make it so you can sit down while putting on makeup or shaving. You can just use an office chair or stool that rolls in your bathroom. You can do the same thing in the kitchen. Just get a rolling cart or something lower, or pull out a drawer and put a cutting board across the drawer. That way you can sit down while you’re cutting and chopping

From page B-13 there’s a pot you use all the time, and you store it in the back, put it in the front or even leave it on the stove. I was in someone’s home where they moved a chair so it was kind of a hand-hold. The problem was the lamp they use to read with had too short a cord to move near the chair, so they stopped reading as much. Keep track of what’s important to you, and make those things convenient and safe. There’s a product called the SuperPole by

See HOME CARE AIDE, page B-15

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Ring House 301-816-5012

7410 Spring Village Drive Springﬁeld, VA 22150 EricksonLiving.com

1801 E. Jeﬀerson Street Rockville, MD 20852 www.smithlifecommunities.org

Situated in beautiful Springfield, Greenspring is the perfect place to enjoy an active lifestyle now, with added peace of mind for the future. Everything you need is right on campus, including continuing care services, should your health needs ever change. Greenspring is supported by the nation’s largest integrated health and wellness system for seniors. Nestled on 108 acres and bordered on three sides by wooded parkland, Greenspring is home to more than 2,000 residents. A refundable deposit guarantees there is no financial risk, and the monthly service package includes utilities, maintenance, and flexible dining plans you can use in any of the four on-site restaurants. On-site amenities include restaurants; stores; medical center with full time physicians; an all-season swimming pool; a fitness center with full-time trainers; barber shop and hair salon; bank; and a full-time, interfaith pastoral staff.

Ring House is an ideal choice for retirement living. Ring House is located in the heart of Rockville — easy access to entertainment, shopping, family and friends. From the elegant setting as you walk through the door, to the variety of attractive apartments with fresh new kitchens, granite countertops, and baths with walk-in showers, Ring House has everything you need to make the most of your retirement living. Rent includes breakfast and dinner, scheduled bus transportation, housekeeping, a fitness center plus an award-winning activities program. Tap into a full range of services available on the Ring House campus, including a medical clinic, therapy services and personal care services. Make Ring House your home.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

Home care aide From page B-14 can be confusing and distressing for the person receiving care. • Less individual choice in workers. Privately hired home care provider pros: • Usually cost less • A strong relationship can develop between the worker and the person receiving care, although this can also happen through an agency when there is a commitment to continuity. • You get to choose the person you think will be the best to provide care. Cons: • If the home care worker is sick, no substitute is readily available. • Screening, hiring/firing, pay and taxes must be handled by you. • Services may not be covered by Medicaid or private insurance. • No state or federal standards or laws cover independent home care providers.

Questions to ask an agency If you choose to use an agency, determine if you need a home care agency with skilled medical care services or if an agency that only offers non-medical services will meet your needs. Call several agencies for information. Compare services and cost, also consider the answers to the questions below. During your conversation, evaluate how helpful and open the staff is in answering your questions and whether you get a good impression from your first contact with the agency. 1. Can this agency provide you with the kind of care you need? 2. Can this agency meet your scheduling needs? Are there minimum hours and days of service you must accept? 3. Can this agency meet your budgetary needs? What is the cost of care? If you have

Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance available, does this agency accept those? 4. How long has the agency been in business? In your community? 5. Will you receive all agreements in writing, including services to be performed, cost and payment information, company policies and procedures, a Client’s Bill of Rights and Responsibilities? 6. How does the agency hire and train staff? What types of background and reference checks are done? Are the employees licensed and/or bonded? 7. Do agency workers have liability insurance? 8. Does a supervisor make an initial visit to assess needs? 9. How is the quality of care monitored? How often does the supervisor visit to evaluate the home care provider? 10. Are nurses required to evaluate the home care needs? Do they consult the client’s physician? 11. Are the client and family included in developing the plan of care? Are they involved in care plan changes? 12. Whom do you call with questions, problems, or complaints? 13. Are all records kept confidential? 14. What procedures are in place for handling emergencies? Are caregivers available 24 hours a day, seven days a week? 15. What is the holiday policy? Is care provided? Are there additional fees? 16. Can you cancel service at any time? Next, ask for references and contact them. These references might be from physicians, social workers, hospital discharge planners, clients or family members. Ask questions such as: • Do you frequently refer patients/clients to this agency? • Do you have a contractual relationship with this agency? • What feedback have you gotten from See HOME CARE AIDE, page B-16

Aging in Place Made Affordable! Reminders, Personal Hygiene Assistance, Grocery Shopping, and much more A family company: You will always speak directly with our owner Only highly qualiﬁed and experienced caregivers Fully licensed, bonded, and insured

New Introductory Special Oﬀer ONly $15.30 per hour New clients only. Call for details For a limited time only.

WB 7/13

INDEPENDENT & PERSONAL CARE COMMUNITIES

B’nai B’rith Homecrest House 301-598-4000 14508 Homecrest Road Silver Spring, MD 20906 www.homecresthouse.org Homecrest House is a non-profit, affordable subsidized community offering two options: independent and personal care services. PERSONAL CARE offers: assistance with bathing, daily meals, weekly housekeeping and laundry services with optional medication administration. Homecrest is nestled on ten beautiful acres with its own pond and neighbors Leisure World. Qualified residents pay approximately 30% of their adjusted income for rent, and may qualify for care subsidies. Homecrest offers a full array of activities both in-house and around the metro area via our van service. Our computer lab, beauty shop, exercise room, library and social halls are just a few amenities our residents enjoy at Homecrest House. Call today for a personalized tour or visit us on the web at www.homecresthouse.org.

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

The Village at Rockville 301-424-9560 9701 Veirs Drive Rockville, MD 20850-3462 www.thevillageatrockville.org At The Village at Rockville, our goal is to create assisted living that makes people more independent, not less. In beautiful private suites, residents will enjoy pampered comfort and just the right amount of help they need, under the watchful eyes of licensed nurses, available 24/7. Additionally, residents can bring their own furniture for a truly personalized new home, but, if needed, we can provide a bed, pillows, a bedside stand, a chest of drawers and a lamp. Our assisted living residences come with a generous package of services and amenities included: • Delicious dining, with three meals and snacks daily • Weekly housekeeping • Utilities • Laundry facilities • Maintenance and repair • Local transportation within a 10-mile radius • Stimulating programs for learning and enjoyment Call today for a tour!

SENIOR APARTMENT COMMUNITY

• Companionship, Meal Assistance, Medication • • •

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The Oaks at Olde Towne 301-495-5700 9 Chestnut Street Gaithersburg, MD 20877

301-717-2212 www.bestseniorcare.us

Residential Service Agency # R 2041

You may qualify for services at no cost! Call now for details.

The atmosphere at The Oaks at Oldetowne is filled with gracious living. Here, you will appreciate not having to worry about maintenance chores. At the same time, you can take advantage of nearby shops, library, banks, and postal services as well scheduled trips on the Oaks at Oldetowne mini bus. Downtown Gaithersburg and the historical attractions of the area are just minutes away. Enjoy carefree leisure living at The Oaks at Olde Towne, an affordable senior apartment community for persons 62 or better. Call today for your tour!

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Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Home care aide From page B-15 patients/clients who have dealt with this agency? • Were you satisfied with the care given? • Were there any problems, and how were they handled?

Hiring a private caregiver You can find privately hired home care providers through referrals from friends, family, or other trusted individuals, community contacts and advertisements. When hiring a provider, you are responsible for negotiating all terms of the services, pay, tax and Social Security withholding responsibilities, etc. with each provider. The family/client is responsible for supervising the provider’s work and may be considered to be the employer by the Internal Revenue Service. Follow these steps to help you identify a qualified provider and maintain a good relationship: 1. Prepare your list of needs. 2. Screen applicants by phone first. If the applicant sounds reliable and it feels good to you, set up an interview time. If the phone screening doesn’t go well, don’t make an appointment for an interview. Just say “I am doing other interviews, and I will get back to you.” Do not give out any personal information, such as your name, address and location, to those you do not intend to interview.

Give a brief description of your needs, stating the number of hours you need help and the amount you can pay. Give the applicant an opportunity to ask questions about your situation. Obtain their name, phone number, experience and training. If you feel the applicant is suitable, make an appointment to interview them in person. 3. Meet with selected applicants. The initial meeting should include the person who will be receiving care and a family member, trusted friend, or neighbor whenever possible. You may ask to see identification with a picture of the applicant on it. Get to know the applicants. Let them tell you about themselves. Show interest in them as a person. Review your needs with the applicant. Give the applicant an opportunity to ask questions. Interview as many applicants as you want or need to in order to find a suitable provider. Tell the applicants you have other appointments and will call when you have made your decision. Select the applicant you feel most comfortable with and who you think can best help you with your needs. Possible interview questions: What kind of work have you done, other than what is listed on the application? What kind of training have you had? What types of work do you enjoy, not enjoy?

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

What are your interests? Why did you choose this type of work? Have you ever been convicted of a crime? Details? Are you allergic to smoke or animals? Do you have a driver’s license and insurance? Would you be willing to take me places? Would you cook or plan meals for me? Do our needs include anything that you can’t or won’t do? How long do you plan to stay on the job? Would you ever need to bring someone to work with you? Are there any problems with the days or hours we need? We can pay ___ per hour, is that agreeable to you? Are you willing to agree on a trial period for training and getting acquainted? If you have special needs, such as memory loss, abusive behavior, or incontinence, be sure to question the applicant’s ability to deal with these. 4. Check references Questions to ask in conducting a reference check: • How long have you known the provider and in what capacity? • What qualities, as you view them, are the provider’s strengths in dealing with people? • What qualities, as you view them, are the provider’s weaknesses in dealing with people? • To your knowledge, has the provider worked with persons like the person need-

ing help and in what setting or capacity? • Would you hire this person again? Why or why not? • Are there other comments or information that you would like to share? 5. Hire the provider of your choice. Once you have selected a provider, be sure to call all the other applicants and let them know you have hired someone. You may want to ask qualified applicants if they would be interested in working as an emergency back-up. Keep applications on file. Contact Social Security and the IRS to determine what your tax responsibility is. Develop a written agreement that spells out specific duties, hours and days of care, fees and when payments will be made, whom to call in case of emergencies, who will be responsible for transportation, any arrangements for sick or annual leave, who will pay Social Security and other taxes. After a trial period, for example, one month, evaluate with the provider the services you are receiving and make any needed changes. For more information about home care, contact the following: National Association for Home Care, (202) 547-7424, www.nahc.org; Family Caregiver Alliance, www.caregiver.org, 1-800-445-8106; and Family Care America, www.familycareamerica.com, (804) 327-1112. Excerpted with permission from the Fairfax County Department of Family Services’ Division of Adult and Aging Services and Fairfax Area Agency on Aging.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

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How to choose a long-term-care facility By Cameron Huddleston Making the decision to move a loved one to a long-term-care facility is never easy. Finding the right facility is even tougher. I know because I made the decision recently to place my mother, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, in a memory-care residence that specializes in caring for people with the disease. After spending months agonizing over whether it was the right time to move her to a facility where she could receive 24hour care, I spent just as long trying to find a residence that would best suit her needs. I believe, though, that all the time it took me to research and visit facilities was worth it because I did find the right place for my mom. If you have a loved one with Alzheimer’s, dementia or other disability, that person might someday need to move into a longterm-care facility. Although the majority of Americans who need care receive it at home from family or friends, those with Alzheimer’s are much more likely to receive care in a nursing home. According to a 2012 report by the Alzheimer’s Association, 75 percent of people diagnosed with the disease will be admitted to a nursing home by age 80, compared with 4 percent of the general population. That’s why it’s important to know how to choose a long-term-care facility if the need arises for someone you love.

Step 1: Determine your needs Before you can select a long-term-care facility for a loved one, you must know what sort of care he or she needs. There are several levels of care that senior-care properties provide: Assisted living for those who need help in one or more activities of daily living, such as dressing or bathing. Skilled nursing for those who need the attention of a nurse every day, who are bedridden, or have more complicated behavior issues. Memory care for those with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Some properties provide varying levels of care under one roof. That can be a good option for people who want to move to a senior-care residence when they’re just starting to require help, then stay in place (by simply moving to another wing or floor) as their needs progress, said Sean Kell, CEO of A Place for Mom, a seniorcare adviser service. Kell said that, in addition to considering the level of care, people need to think about where their loved ones would want to be. That is, would they prefer living downtown or in the suburbs? In the same city where they currently live or closer to family in another city? Do they need a place that allows pets or accommodates special dietary needs, such as a kosher diet? These questions need to be addressed before you start your search in earnest.

Step 2: Assess your ability to pay

Your options may be limited if your loved one does not have long-term-care insurance or other financial resources to pay for care. Assisted living costs $3,600 a month on average, according to Kell, and memory care runs about $4,700 a month on average. (Local prices are often higher.) Skilled-nursing facilities cost an average of more than $6,700 a month and can reach as high as $12,000 a month. Health insurance and Medicare do not cover this sort of long-term care. If you’re a veteran, you might be able to get help paying for long-term care from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Medicaid rules vary by state, but in general this government program does pay for long-term-care services (primarily nursing-home care). However, your loved one basically has to deplete his or her assets to become eligible. Medicaid may cover assisted living or

home care in more than half of the states if the cost is less expensive than a nursing home, said Byron Cordes, president of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. But the waiting list to get such Medicaid coverage (known as the Medicaid waiver in Maryland) is often long.

Step 3: Start your search Once you know what type of facility would be the best match for your loved one, you can start your search. Ask doctors, as well as friends and family, for recommendations. There also are several resources to help you develop a list of senior-care properties that might fit the bill: Eldercare Locator (www.eldercare.gov) is a service of the U.S. Administration on Aging. It provides links to Area Agencies on Aging, which can provide a list of facilities and information about long-term-care options in your area. To reach them by phone,

call 1-800-677-1116. A Place for Mom (www.aplaceformom.com) is the nation’s largest seniorcare adviser service. It has a directory of about 19,000 senior-care properties, including facilities specializing in dementia care, and its advisers provide free assistance in finding care options. (The senior-care properties in its network pay A Place for Mom a referral fee when a senior moves in. The fee is a percentage of the first month’s rent, and all properties pay the same percentage.) Medicare.gov’s Nursing Home Compare tool (www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare) lets you compare skillednursing facilities based on the quality of care they provide, find out what special services they offer, and see results of health and safety inspections. The National Association of ProfesSee LONG-TERM CARE, page B-19

\Ask about our limited time savings offer.

Wondering what care is best for your loved one?

We can help.

N O O N E C A N M AT C H YO U R C A R E O R D E V O T I O N . But watching a loved one slip away day by day can be heartbreaking. You want his or her life to be as meaningful as possible, with joy and purpose. Today, professionals in The City Club Memory Care Neighborhood at Thomas Circle are devoted to providing the latest and best in practices maximizing successful outcomes. From daily programming to environmental stimulation, The City Club can help bring back smiles and a sense of security to you and your loved one.

Call (202) 626-5761 to talk to a professional, or schedule a private tour.

The City Club Memory Care Neighborhood is an exceptional choice.

1330 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW | WASHINGTON, DC 20005 | THOMASCIRCLE.COM

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J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

How you can personalize a rented space By Melissa Rayworth It’s yours, but it isn’t. A rented apartment or house can be a wonderful place to live, and a challenging place to decorate. The restrictions are many: Landlords often want their white walls to stay white. Many won’t let you do even the most minor construction. Some even ask renters not to nail anything to the walls. Complicating things further, many rental properties have small rooms and nofrills, builder-grade light fixtures, doors and cabinetry with little personality. How can you inject some of your personality into a rented space without enraging your landlord? The first step is to go all in. “So often people think of their rental as not theirs, and therefore go through life not creating

a beautiful home or nest,” said designer Kyle Schuneman, author of The First Apartment Book: Cool Design for Small Spaces (Potter Style, 2012). “Life is too short to not create a sanctuary that represents your unique vision.” Home decorating blogger Wanda Hoffs gives the same advice to her readers at recreateanddecorate.com. Here are five ideas from Hoffs and Schuneman that can help you embrace your rented space.

Plan carefully “Usually rentals are small, and I am a firm believer in function before form,” Schuneman said. “Sometimes it’s a puzzle piece to get those ‘must haves’ into your space — the desk, the bed, the couch.”

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

UPDATE (OR TEACH) YOUR COMPUTER SKILLS

Computer classes by the Jewish Council for the Aging, SeniorTech, are designed to help seniors refresh or advance computer skills and learn to use social media. Classes taught by expert instructors are held in Rockville, Gaithersburg and Northern Virginia. Fees range from $15 to $80 per course. SeniorTech is also looking for new instructors to teach basic and intermediate Windows. They would like to add hardware and software “clinics.” For more information, visit www.accessjca.org and review the current course catalog. Call (240) 395-0916 or email seniortech@accessjca.org if interested in teaching.

He suggested using old items in new ways: Does the desk become a footboard? Should a small bookcase from your old living room be tucked into the corner of your new kitchen? If your current furniture doesn’t fit well into a rental, Hoffs suggested spending wisely on new items.

Change walls without paint “Wallpaper used to be only for the homeowner crowd,” Schuneman said, “but now with companies like Tempaper, you can put up temporary wallpaper that peels on and peels back off when you’re ready to move.” Hoffs suggests using wall decals, which now come in a huge range of styles and sizes, or even duct tape. “It comes in many great colors and patterns,” she said, “and can be used on a wall in many different patterns, such as the trending chevron pattern, stripes, or even to create a border around a wall grouping.” If you want to do just a bit of painting that could be easily repainted before you move out, Hoffs and Schuneman both suggest painting a stenciled design on one wall. Or paint a band of bold color along the top of your walls. To make the eventual repainting easier, Hoffs said, “always know the original color and brand of paint.”

Infuse with color “If you’re afraid to touch your walls or have a really difficult landlord,” Schuneman said, “bring in the color through fabrics and textures around the room. If you leave your walls white, hang a bold curtain on the windows and a coordinating couch that really pops.” Hoffs agreed: “Fabric can be a great, inexpensive way to add color, pattern and texture

Discover the Support You Need to Live the

LIFE YOU LOVE “I moved to The Solana® for the added security of supportive services and am happy to say I was the very first resident here! From the moment I saw my beautiful new home, with high ceilings and granite countertops, I fell in love, and moving everything into my spacious one-bedroom apartment was a breeze. Now, life is as busy as ever – whether I’m catching up with friends at happy hour, enjoying one of our many outings, or watching a movie in our in-house theater.” ~ Anne Kimball, First Resident at The Solana Olney

For more information, call 1-888-694-1669

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to a room. It can be framed or stapled to a large art canvas to be hung on the walls,” to add a burst of color. You can also attach fabric temporarily to a wall using spray starch. Lush plants are another option: “Bring in plants to add life, color and to warm up your home,” Hoffs said. Even if you’re not a gardening expert, “there are many lowmaintenance ones for those who do not have a green thumb.” When it’s time to move, they’re easy to take with you.

The floor is your fifth wall “Your floors are a blank slate for design,” Schuneman said. “Treat it as your fifth wall and find a beautiful rug to ground the whole space.” Schuneman is a fan of FLOR carpet tiles, which can be arranged to make what appears to be a rug of any size. “I love using FLOR tiles for rentals because they can be put together in different configurations when you move and can be personalized, so only you have that certain pattern that represents your style,” he said.

Make temporary swaps Although you can’t change the cabinets in your rented kitchen or bath, Hoffs points out that you can swap out the hardware on doors and drawers at a very small cost. “You can always change these back to the original ones when you start to move,” she said, as long as you remember where you’ve stored the originals. The same goes for light fixtures. A change of lighting can add “instant drama” to your home, Hoffs said, so consider swapping out the current fixtures with ones that reflect your taste. Just be sure to store the landlord’s fixtures carefully and reinstall them properly before moving out. — AP

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Long-term care From page B-17 sional Geriatric Care Managers’ member directory (http://memberfinder.caremanager.org) can help you find a care manager in your area. Professional geriatric care managers can help families evaluate care options and select a senior-care residence. They charge $100-$150 an hour, on average. Create a list of properties that best meet your loved one’s needs and wants. Make sure each is licensed by checking with your state’s health and human services department or Medicare.gov. Use the Eldercare Locator site to get contact information for your local longterm-care ombudsman, then ask him or her if there have been any citations at those properties, said Linda Fodrini-Johnson, executive director of Eldercare Services in San Francisco. Nothing will ever be perfect, but you don’t want to see significant lapses in patient care, such as serious injuries because of neglect or errors in medication management. Also ask whether the properties have recently had a change of ownership or management turnover. Fodrini-Johnson said that you can mark off such properties from your list because a “facility in transition is not the place you want to go.”

Step 4: Visit prospective facilities Internet and phone research can only get you so far. To know whether a facility is right for your loved one, you need to visit it. Try to inspect at least three. “You have to get in there and look at it, walk around, meet the residents, have a meal,” Kell said. Fodrini-Johnson recommends making an appointment to tour the residences and speak with administrators

during the week. Then you should plan to make an impromptu visit to each on a weekend to see how the facility operates when the administrator isn’t there.

What to look for: • Pay attention to overall cleanliness. Does it meet your expectations of what “clean” should be? • Follow your nose. Are there strong, offensive odors in common areas or emanating from residents’ rooms? • Watch the residents. Make sure they are in common areas and are active. If not, ask where they are and what they’re doing. • Watch employees. Do they smile and say hello? Do they look like they enjoy their jobs? How do they get residents to participate in activities — by command or social invitation? Are nurses behind their stations, or are they engaged with residents (which is where they should be)? • Observe an activity. The residence should have a list of daily programs posted. Make sure those programs are actually occurring. • Look at the physical setup. It should look like a residence, not a hospital. That means it should allow residents to bring their own furniture or other belongings to make their rooms or apartments feel more like home. And make sure that the property is secure so that residents can’t wander off. If it’s a memory-care facility, the layout should be simple — such as a single hallway that encircles a common area — so that residents don’t get confused or lost. • Look for life, such as fish tanks, caged birds, potted plants and a garden — something to give residents a reason to smile.

What to ask: • Can my loved one’s needs be met

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here? Be explicit about what the person requires. Don’t hold anything back. • What is the basic monthly cost? What are the added costs if a family member needs extra help with medications or incontinence? There are often several levels of care, and even little things have additional costs. • Is there a community fee (a one-time payment that covers the administrative cost of moving someone into the facility and refurbishing a room for that person)? If so, is it refundable if your loved one doesn’t want to stay? • What kinds of activities are provided? • Are religious services held at the facility, or are residents taken to services offsite? • What is the ratio of caregivers to residents? It should be no less than 1 to 15 for assisted living and 1 to 8 for memory care.

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• What conditions would cause a resident to need to move to another level of care? • Does a doctor make regular visits to the residence? • Specific to Alzheimer’s and dementia, what sort of training does staff receive for dementia? • Is the facility licensed to provide dementia care, and is there a special unit for people with dementia? • Is there a daily routine for people with dementia? (The answer should be yes.) • Finally, ask residents if they like living there, and ask any of their friends or family who might be visiting what they think about the facility. Most important, trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. © 2013 the Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE ON AGING

Spotlight On Aging VOLUME XXIV, ISSUE 7

A newsletter for D.C. Seniors

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE By John M. Thompson, Ph.D., FAAMA In this month’s edition of “Spotlight on Aging” I would like to discuss fraudulent schemes and scams that target seniors, and provide you with information to help you avoid becoming a victim of this criminal activity. Recently, I confronted this issue with my parents, who live in Columbia, S.C. Around 7 p.m. on a Friday, my father responded to a knock at the door. Two individuals, a male and a female, wanted to sell my parents a vacuum cleaner. Although my father had not called a vacuum cleaner company to request this visit, he invited them in, and they spent two hours giving my father a demonstration of their product in an attempt to convince him to purchase the vacuum cleaner. While I am pleased to report that my father did not purchase a vacuum cleaner that evening, I am disturbed that my father allowed these two individuals into his home for two hours. In speaking with my father about his encounter and asking him some basic questions, I am convinced that this was a scam. First, the individuals never provided my father with their business cards, contact information, or Web address to learn more about the company or the product after their visit. Second, the individuals did not even have a vehicle. They were dropped off by someone in a non-descript white van. My father is a trustworthy person who believes that others are trustworthy as well. He definitely is an optimistic person and views the glass as half full, instead of half empty. However, in today’s society,

we all must be cautious of strangers and their potentially bad intentions. My father mentioned that he just wanted to be nice to them. Ultimately, it is more important that my father considers his welfare and safety and that of my mother by protecting themselves and their finances from such perpetrators. Fortunately, this story does not have a sad ending of violence or stolen money. Crimes against unsuspecting seniors will not always present themselves as a perpetrator masquerading as a vacuum cleaner sales representative. Crimes may present themselves in other ways, such as the incident that occurred in D.C. where an individual posed as a maintenance worker to gain entrance into the apartments of two seniors. Unlike my parents’ experience, these two seniors were robbed and beaten by the “maintenance worker.” I trust that the situations described here put you on alert about people with criminal intentions to scam seniors even if it means harming them. Let me remind you to keep your doors locked and not to allow anyone to come into your home if you have not requested a visit in advance. Moreover, if you have scheduled a visit to your home, be sure that the individual comes at a mutually agreed upon time and has a photo name badge imprinted with the employer’s or company’s name. Should you suspect that a criminal perpetrator is knocking at your door, please immediately contact the Metropolitan Police Department by dialing 911.

July 2013

Paid off the Mortgage? Don’t Forget to Keep Your Homeowner’s Insurance Current “I thought I didn’t need homeowner’s insurance,” said the 75-year-old District homeowner. That was until a guest smoking a cigarette fell asleep and burned down the house she had lived in for 40 years. Because she had paid off her mortgage, her lender was no longer setting aside monthly premiums to pay for homeowner’s insurance. So she found herself homeless, and with no insurance to rebuild. Terrified, she contacted people who are now trying to help her get money from government, churches and grant-making nonprofits to rebuild her house. Nobody keeps track of how many people have paid off their mortgage and either purposely or accidentally let their insurance lapse. But you may have a relative in the same position. If they’ve paid off their mortgage, they must remember to keep up their homeowner’s insurance. What if your home was destroyed by fire, for instance, and you discovered that there was no longer a homeowner’s policy in force?

What if a burglar breaks in? If you don’t have a homeowner’s insurance policy, you will be responsible for covering the costs of repairs and stolen merchandise. If the entire house is destroyed, it will be your responsibility to finance a new home. As tempting as it may seem, especially since some homeowners have sued their banks for allegedly colluding with insurance companies to overcharge them, it is not a good idea to let your insurance lapse without at least seriously considering the risks and shopping around for reasonable coverage. Not having homeowner’s coverage is an enormous financial risk. Lenders require that homebuyers purchase homeowners insurance in order to get a mortgage. In fact, most mortgage companies require that homebuyers pay premiums into an escrow account each month, from which the mortgage company pays the insurance company each year. This way, the mortgage company is See INSURANCE, page 25

Mayor Visits Senior Programs

Mayor Vincent C. Gray stopped by the Hattie Holmes Senior Wellness Center, the Hayes Senior Wellness Center and the Model Cities Senior Wellness Center recently. During his visits, the Mayor spent time listening to seniors and sharing future plans for the District, including the Age-Friendly City initiative. While at the Hayes Senior Wellness Center, the Mayor assisted with serving meals to participants. For more information on programs and services provided by the D.C. Office on Aging, call 202-724-5626 or visit dcoa.dc.gov.

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

D.C. OFFICE

AGING NEWSLETTER

Ms. Senior D.C. 2013 Chosen The District crowned Nancy A. Berry as Ms. Senior D.C. 2013 during the recent Ms. Senior D.C. Pageant held at the University of the District of Columbia. Berry, a resident of Ward 5, was one of five contestants to compete for the title. Berry, First Runner-up in the 2012 event, was not planning to participate, but she was coaxed by many to run, saying, “The handwriting was on the wall, and I entered the contest.” Awarded Best Talent for her performance sporting the flapper look in a red fringe dress and matching head

piece, Berry danced to “Sweet Georgia Brown” from the Broadway musical Bubbling Brown Sugar. First Runner-up Sharon Lockwood danced to “Hot, Hot, Hot” with energetic dance moves in a costume reminiscent of “I Dream of Jeanie.” Second Runner-up Amelia Anderson-Weaver, also in red, wore a multi-tiered dress and sang a Dionne Warwick favorite, “You’ll Never Get to Heaven if You Break My Heart.” Ms. Senior D.C. was also awarded Best Evening Gown, wearing a powder blue strapless gown with sweetheart

Pictured (left to right) Tonya J. Smallwood, president and CEO, Family Matters of Greater Washington; Ms. Senior D.C. Nancy A. Berry; her grandson Troy Holland, Jr.; Dr. John Thompson and his daughter Chloe.

neckline and a bodice featuring starstudded stones. The gown, designed by Terani Couture, included an A-line skirt with a tulle overlay. Berry also received the awards for Best Interview and Ms. Congeniality. Ms. Congeniality was voted upon by each of the contestants, which also included Washington Seniors Wellness Center participant Hope Spruill and Ida Crews. Other highlights of the contest included an opening and finale performed by the MC Steppers to the theme song “Vogue.” During the opening, the contestants and Ms. Senior D.C. 2012 Mary L. McCoy danced in the number, which featured photo shoot-like camera flashes and sound effects, with dancers wearing colorful sequined costumes performing fash-

ion runway-inspired steps. The MC Steppers performed the finale alone to “Diamonds” by Janet Jackson, with sleek, all-black costumes and long gloves adorned by rhinestone jewelry. Mr. D.C. Joseph Humphrey, 22, escorted Ms. Senior D.C. 2012 Mary L. McCoy as she recited her farewell address and made her final walk. McCoy thanked all for their support during her reign and wished the new queen well. McCoy was a big hit in Atlantic City at the Ms. Senior America Pageant and competed as a top 10 finalist. Ms. Senior D.C. Nancy A. Berry will also compete in the Ms. Senior America Pageant to be held October 20-25. The Ms. Senior D.C. Pageant is presented by the D.C. Seniors Cameo Club, Family Matters of Greater Washington, and the D.C. Office on Aging. The event is held to recognize the community service, talent and inner beauty of District residents who are age 60 and older.

The Master of Ceremonies for the event was Robert "Captain Fly" Frye, the voice of WPFW 89.3 FM's Oldies House Party and WYCB 1340 AM's Senior Zone. Captain Fly, the lead singer of the Intruders, also serenaded the contestants during the event.

Ms. Senior D.C. Nancy A. Berry also won the Best Talent award for her dance performance in a flapper outfit.

DCOA Open Positions

Pictured (left to right) Ida Crews, escort Michael Hawkins; Hope Spruill, escort Charles Hudson; Amelia AndersonWeaver, her husband Samuel; Ms. Senior D.C. Nancy A. Berry, her grandson Troy Holland, Jr.; Sharon Lockwood and her husband David.

There are two openings that have been posted by the D.C. Department of Human Resources for the D.C. Office on Aging. To apply for the Resource Allocation Officer (Grants Administrator) position or the Supervisory Public Health Analyst position, or for more information about the openings, visit dchr.dc.gov. HR Answers may also provide individuals with general information on D.C. Government employment opportunities. Call them at 202-442-9700.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

D.C. OFFICE

AGING NEWSLETTER

Community Calendar July events 3rd to 7th • 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will take place on the National Mall, between 7th and 14th Streets. This annual event, sponsored each JuneJuly by the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, celebrates cultural traditions from around the world. The Folklife Festival includes daily and evening music and dance performances, crafts and cooking demonstrations, storytelling and discussions of cultural issues. Parking is limited; Metro may be the best option. The closest stations are Smithsonian, Federal Triangle and National Archives.

ries Follow Up” at the Green Valley Senior Nutrition Site, 2412 Franklin St. NE. For more information, call Vivian Grayton at 202-529-8701.

12th • 5 to 8 p.m. Meet printmaker Terry Svat and sculptor Judith Simmons, whose work is now on display at Iona, at a reception for the artists. The event features live music and refreshments. The exhibition is open for viewing Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sept. 27. Iona is located at 4125 Albemarle St. NW. RSVP by contacting Patricia Dubroof at 202-895-9407 or pdubroof@iona.org.

18th • 10 a.m. 11th • 10:30 a.m. Learn more about diabetes at this “Diabetes Se-

From page 23 assured that insurance will be available if the home is damaged. But once the mortgage is paid off, there is no longer a mortgage company requiring homeowners’ insurance. Some homeowners unintentionally allow their coverage to lapse because their lender no longer requires them to pay. Others may voluntarily decide to end the coverage to save money because they don’t think anything will happen to their home. What does homeowners insurance cover? The physical structure and personal property, such as clothes, furniture, jewelry, electronics and other things. And don’t forget personal liability insurance that covers policyholders against lawsuits in the event somebody gets hurt on their property. If the homeowner negligently causes an injury or damages another person’s property, the policy protects the homeowner. Addi-

The DCOA Ambassador Program is a free, interactive program designed to reach out to older

tionally, the homeowner’s policy usually pays for a lawyer, if necessary. (The homeowner’s policy does not cover all negligent acts — for example, auto accidents are not covered.) Be sure to contact an insurance professional to help you decide which policy to buy (there are several different forms) and how much to insure your house for. For questions about homeowner’s insurance, you may call the D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking at 202727-8000. Paying the final mortgage payment is a dream come true. Be sure it doesn’t turn into a nightmare. The District of Columbia’s Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking regulates the city’s financial-services businesses. It has two missions: to effectively and fairly regulate financial services to protect the people of the District; and to attract and retain financialservices businesses. For more information, visit www.disb.dc.gov.

SPOTLIGHT ON AGING Spotlight On Aging is published by the Information Office of the D.C. Office on Aging for D.C. senior residents. Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the D.C. Office on Aging or by the publisher. 500 K St., N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002 202-724-5622 • www.dcoa.dc.gov John M. Thompson, Ph.D., FAAMA Executive Director Darlene Nowlin Editor Selma Dillard Photographer

Learn more about healthy living at the Ft. Lincoln 3 Health Information Day held at the Ft. Lincoln 3 Senior Nutrition Site, 3298 Ft. Lincoln Dr. NE. For more information, call Vivian Grayton at 202-529-8701.

31st • 11:30 a.m. Learn how to protect your vital information at a medical identity theft seminar at Edgewood Terrace Senior Nutrition Site, 635 Edgewood St. NE. For more information, call Vivian Grayton at 202529-8701.

DCOA Call-In Talk Line The D.C. Office on Aging has launched a Call-In Talk Line to help alleviate the isolation and loneliness that many seniors in the community experience. The program gives seniors an opportunity to share their concerns with a caring individual who can direct them to

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resources and services available to assist DC residents. The free service is available Monday through Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Call weekdays: 202-724-5626. Someone cares and is waiting to speak to you!

The D.C. Office on Aging does not discriminate against anyone based on actual or perceived: race, color, religion, nation-

al origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, familial status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, disability, source of income, and place of residence or business. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination which is prohibited by the Act. In addition, harassment based on any of the above protected categories is prohibited by the Act. Discrimination in violation of the Act will not be tolerated. Violators will be subjected to disciplinary action.

22nd • 10:30 a.m.

O ff i c e of

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adults and their caregivers to help them learn about DCOA programs and services. Ambassador training is held at the Office on Aging, 500 K St. NE. Call 202-724-5626 to register today!

311DCgov

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J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Money Law &

BIG BANK STOCKS Banking’s behemoths, like Bank of America, have made big stock gains PERSONALIZED PRICING Grocery store loyalty programs are offering more personalized deals PHONY PHONE FEES Scammers may be trying to sneak extra charges onto your cell phone bill

Investing to earn 4 to 8 percent or more By Nellie S. Huang To earn up to an 8-percent yield in a world where safe investments pay 1 percent or less requires accepting significant risk. But if you really want or need to boost return and are willing to take some risks to do so, read on. Many of today’s best bets for high yields — master limited partnerships (MLPs), mortgage-owning real estate investment trusts, and business development companies — trade on exchanges like stocks, putting you in the often gut-churning position of watching their share prices whip around like a roller coaster. But there are also strong dividend-paying stocks and high-yield municipal bonds that more conservative investors might want to consider.

Master limited partnerships Becca Followill, head of stock research at U.S. Capital Advisors, thinks MLPs are a great idea for superior income. Her favorite is Targa Resources Partners (symbol NGLS; recent price, $46; yield, 6.0 percent). Morningstar analyst Steven Pikelny likes four closed-end funds offered by BlackRock: BlackRock Corporate High Yield (COY; $8; 7.6 percent); BlackRock Corporate High Yield III (CYE; $8; 7.9 percent); BlackRock Corporate High Yield V (HYV; $13; 8.2 percent); and BlackRock Corporate High Yield VI (HYT; $13; 8.1 percent).

All invest in “junk” bonds and take on a moderate amount of debt to boost their payouts, and all recently traded at close to net asset value. Pikelny suggests buying the one trading at the biggest discount to NAV (or at the smallest premium). He also favors AllianceBernstein Global High Income (AWF; $16; 7.7 percent). Top holdings of this fund include bonds issued by Brazil and Argentina, but more than 70 percent of assets are in corporate junk bonds. Speaking of junk bonds, a key benchmark fund, the Bank of America Merrill Lynch High Yield Master II index, currently yields 5.9 percent. Wells Fargo Advantage High Income (STHYX; 4.0 percent) yields less because of expenses and because it is more conservatively managed than many junk funds. Still, High Income beat its typical peer over the past three years, with a 10.3-percent annualized return — and it did so with less volatility. The biggest junk-bond ETF is iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond (HYG;, 4.9 percent). It charges annual fees of 0.50 percent.

Municipal bond funds If you’re in a high tax bracket, consider a closed-end fund that owns municipal bonds. Nearly all such funds use borrowed money to boost income. One that doesn’t is Nuveen Municipal Value Fund (NUV; $10; 4.4 percent), which

mostly buys high-quality, long-term bonds. Although at first glance the fund’s yield seems to disqualify it from this group, you really need to look at its taxable-equivalent yield — what someone would have to earn from a taxable bond to equal the yield of a tax-free bond. In this case, 4.4 percent is the equivalent of a 6.1-percent taxable yield for someone in the 28-percent federal tax bracket and 7.7 percent for an investor in the top 39.6percent bracket, who also faces the new 3.8-percent Medicare surtax on investment income. For those who can stand more risk, UBS analyst Sangeeta Marfatia favors BlackRock MuniYield Quality (MQY; $17; 5.7 percent), which also buys long-term, highgrade munis. But unlike the Nuveen fund, this one uses borrowed money to boost income. A 5.7-percent tax-free yield is equivalent to 7.9 percent taxable for someone in the 28-percent bracket and 10.0 percent for a top-bracket investor. If you want more diversification, check out PowerShares CEF Income Composite (PCEF; $26; 7.4 percent). It’s an exchangetraded fund that owns dozens of taxable, income-producing closed-end funds. Most of its holdings borrow money, though the ETF itself does not.

Dividend-paying stocks Normally, to get even 4 to 6 percent yields, you have to take on a fair amount of risk. But in the case of dividend-paying

stocks, that may not always be the case. Some high-yielders, such as AT&T (symbol T; recent price, $38; yield, 4.7 percent), Verizon Communications (VZ; $50; 4.1 percent) and Intel (INTC; $21; 4.2 percent), are financially strong companies that have the wherewithal to sustain their payouts. Jason Brady, of Thornburg Investment Management, favors telecom companies because of the rapid growth of smart phones. One of his favorites is Telstra (TLSYY; $24; 6.0 percent), a leading Australian provider. We took a page from his book: iShares International Select Dividend ETF (IDV; 5.2 percent) tracks an index that includes 100 high-yielding stocks in developed foreign markets.

Preferred shares Preferred shares are stock-bond hybrids. They pay a fixed, regular dividend like bonds, but the shares trade like stocks. Preferreds suffered terribly during the 2008 financial crisis, but they’ve recovered strongly since then. One ETF, iShares S&P U.S. Preferred Stock (PFF; 5.6 percent), holds 75 percent of its portfolio in banks, insurance and diversified financial-services companies. Bonds in developing countries are paying yields of more than 4 percent these days. T. Rowe Price Emerging Bonds See EARN MORE, page 28

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

Senior benefits grow, shrinking all else By Charles Babington With Congress increasingly unable to resolve budget disputes, federal programs on automatic pilot are consuming ever larger amounts of government resources. The trend helps older Americans (including wealthy ones), who as a group receive the bulk of Social Security and Medicare benefits, at the expense of people (including low-income seniors) who benefit from almost all other government programs. This shift of resources draws modest public debate. But it alarms some policy advocates, who say the United States is reducing vital investments in the future. Because Democrats and Republicans can’t reach a grand bargain on deficit spending — with mutually accepted spending cuts and revenue hikes — Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid keep growing, largely untouched. Steady expansions of these nondiscretionary “entitlement” programs require no congressional action, so they flourish in times of gridlock. Meanwhile, nearly all other discretionary programs are suffering under Washington’s decision-by-indecision habits, in which lawmakers lock themselves into questionable actions because they can’t agree on alternatives.

that benefit younger Americans as well as needy seniors. They include early education initiatives such as Head Start, scientific and medical research, and meals on wheels for the homebound. This shift in public resources is dramatic and growing. While 14 cents of every federal dollar not going to interest was spent on entitlement programs in 1962, the amount is 47 cents today, and it will reach 61 cents by 2030, according to an analysis of government data by Third Way, a centrist-Democratic think tank. “Entitlements are squeezing out public investments” in education, infrastructure, research and other fields that have nurtured future prosperity, the study said. “The only way for Democrats to save progressive priorities like NASA, highway funding and clean energy research is to reform entitlements.” But Democrats won’t consider entitlement cuts until Republicans agree to increase taxes for the rich. And Republicans, who control the House, refuse to do that. The Third Way study was written 10 months ago. Since then, partisan clashes that produced the “fiscal cliff” and the automatic cuts have made matters even worse, said the group’s vice president, Jim Kessler. “The foot is on the accelerator with entitlement programs, and it’s on the brakes on investments,” Kessler said. “And this country needs more investments.” Society must care for the elderly and needy, Kessler said, “but we can’t do that at the expense of young people and new ideas.”

A generational divide The latest example is $80 billion in automatic budget cuts (the “sequester”), which largely spare Medicare and Social Security. Growth in these costly but popular programs is virtually impossible to curb without bipartisan agreements. Instead, the spending cuts are hitting the military and many domestic programs

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numbers, total benefits for seniors are bound to grow. “But over the course of decades, Medicare and Social Security spending generally grow faster than inflation, per beneficiary,” Kessler said. That squeezes nearly everything else. According to White House budget records, discretionary spending comprised two-thirds of total federal outlays in 1968 and mandatory spending made up 27.5 percent. The estimate for 2018 has those shares nearly reversed: discretionary programs will consume 27.5 percent of total federal

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Big bank stocks are staging a comeback By Kathy Kristof Banking’s behemoths are on a roll. Bigbank stocks have soared over the past two years, and the companies’ prospects look bright, thanks to an uptick in business lending, better loan quality and cleaner balance sheets.

To be sure, the stocks are still well below where they were before the financial crisis struck five years ago. For example, Citigroup (symbol C) sold for as much as $552 in 2007 (adjusted for a reverse split in 2011). In late June, the stock went for $50. Citi may be the most promising of the

big-bank stocks. Analysts expect Citi’s earnings to grow about 14 percent annually over the next three to five years. The profit growth should boost the stock, which trades at a relatively low 10 times estimated 2013 earnings.

Bank of America’s big rise The hottest big-bank stock has been Bank of America (BAC). Its shares have rocketed from $5 in late 2011 to $13 today. B of A is slowly working through the disastrous results of a decade of acquisitions. Strong results and the belief that B of A’s woes are finally winding down have driven the stock’s ascent. The shares sell for 13 times predicted 2013 earnings. That seems expensive for a bank stock, but it looks like a fair price in light of expected annual earnings growth of 23 percent over the next few years.

Other bank stocks to consider Shares of JPMorgan Chase (JPM) continue to be held back by a London trading debacle that cost the bank a whopping $6.2 billion, said analyst Erik Oja, of S&P Capital IQ. Although a congressional report was highly critical of the company’s leadership, including chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon, Oja thinks JPMorgan is among the nation’s best-run banks. At $54, the stock sells for nearly 9 times estimated 2013 earnings and yields 3.1 percent. An attractive big bank with a different focus is Capital One Financial (COF), one of the nation’s biggest credit card issuers. It generates about three-fourths of its income from credit cards and consumer loans. The improving financial health of the consumer sector is driving down Capital One’s default rates and helping to put the company in a position to meet increasingly stringent regulatory capital requirements well ahead of schedule. In fact, the bank is so well capitalized that regulators recently gave it permission to hike its quarterly dividend sixfold, to 30 cents per share. At $62, the stock yields 2 percent and sells for 9 times projected 2013 earnings. Kathy Kristof is a contributing editor to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. And for more on this and similar money topics, visit www.Kiplinger.com. © 2013 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Earn more From page 26 (PREMX; 4.3 percent) and Fidelity New Markets Income (FNMIX, 4.3 percent) hew closely to a JPMorgan emerging-markets bond index. Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income (FAX; 5.4 percent), a closed-end fund, focuses on Australian and Asian debt.

Real estate investment trusts Finally, real estate: Health Care REIT (HCN; $70; 4.4 percent), a real estate investment trust, and CBRE Clarion Global Real Estate Income (IGR; $10; 5.7 percent), a closed-end fund, offer exposure to two growing areas of the sector. The growth catalyst behind HCN is the firm’s senior-living communities. CBRE is a real estate firm whose assets are mostly invested in North America (59 percent), but which has a chunk across Asia (29 percent), making it a good bet for cashing in on rising consumer wealth in that region. The fund recently traded at a 4-percent discount to net asset value. Nellie S. Huang is a senior associate editor at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. And for more on this and similar money topics, visit www.Kiplinger.com. © 2013 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

How loyalty programs influence shopping By Candice Choi Loyalty programs at supermarkets used to be as simple as getting access to the cheaper advertised prices on store shelves. But as companies fight to hold onto customers amid intensifying competition, they’re using shoppers’ purchasing histories to offer more personalized deals. Eventually, some say deals could become so customized that everyone is paying different prices for the same item. “There’s going to come a point where our shelf pricing is pretty irrelevant because we can be so personalized in what we offer people,” Safeway CEO Steve Burd said in a call with analysts earlier this year. The company, which operates chains including Vons and Dominick’s, rolled out its “Just For U” loyalty program last year. Other grocery store chains are investing in more sophisticated loyalty programs as well, given the growing pressure they face from big-box retailers, drugstores and dollar stores. As companies step up their loyalty programs, here’s a look at how they affect how much you spend and what you buy.

Boosting sales Whenever you see any discount, keep in mind that the store’s goal is always to get you to spend more, not less. Loyalty programs achieve this in a couple

different ways. To start, your past shopping patterns help companies better predict which new products you might be inclined to buy. If you’re a natural food fan who buys Kashi cereal, you might start getting offers for a new Luna bar flavor or Greek yogurt. But it’s not just about convincing you to buy more stuff overall. One of the problems facing the supermarket industry is that people are increasingly getting their groceries from a variety of sources. For example, someone might get their dried pasta at Target, meat at Whole Foods, and fruit at an independent, local market. “The reality in the grocery industry is that it’s very competitive — the average shopper shops at five stores,” said Mir Aamir, president of customer loyalty and digital technologies at Safeway. One of the goals of loyalty programs is convincing you to do more of your shopping in one place. So a shopper who’s buying baby wipes at a store, but not diapers, might suddenly start getting offers for the latter because the company knows there’s likely a baby in that house. By the same token, companies can sense that they’ve lost a customer when you stop using the loyalty card. The result might be an uptick in special deal offers to get that customer back. So even if you tend to get most your gro-

ceries at a particular store, it might be worth signing up for loyalty programs at rival stores or at least keeping an eye on the prices they’re offering.

Personalized pricing All the data companies collect when you use your loyalty card helps them tailor their marketing to you. Kroger, the nation’s largest traditional supermarket chain, still has a traditional loyalty program that gives shoppers the special prices listed on shelves. The company also mails out personalized packets of coupons to its loyalty card members several times throughout the year. The offers are based on past purchases, meaning someone who regularly buys

Cheerios might get offers for that cereal, as well as milk and other related items. But now, the company is testing a program that also better calibrates the exact level of the discount offered to particular shoppers. Keith Dailey, a spokesman for Kroger, declined to say where the program is being tested and how specific the offers get. But he said the idea is partly to set more “consistent” prices for shoppers over a set period. So unlike a traditional coupon that is used only once, you might be offered a discount you can redeem multiple times before a certain date. The point is to encourage you to become a regular shopper, building a habit See SHOPPING, page 30

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 1333 H STREET, N.W., 2nd FLOOR, WEST TOWER WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005 NOTICE OF COMMISSION HEARING GENERAL DOCKET NO. 117, IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF THE OFFICE OF THE PEOPLE’S COUNSEL FOR AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE BUSINESS PRACTICES OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SUPPLIERS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (“Commission”) announces a public hearing on July 12, 2013 at 10 a.m. at the Commission’s office to receive information and comment on a number of issues related to the marketing and sales practices of retail suppliers, marketers and brokers serving residential and commercial electricity and natural gas customers in the District.

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Pursuant to the Retail Electric Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 1999 and the Retail Natural Gas Supplier Licensing and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, the Commission has an obligation to facilitate the development of competitive electricity and natural gas supply markets in the District of Columbia. Under these laws, customers may choose the supplier from whom they purchase electricity and natural gas. There are currently 117 electricity suppliers, marketers and brokers and 51 natural gas suppliers, marketers and brokers that are licensed by the Commission to sell electricity and/or natural gas in the District.

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The Commission has recently received a significant increase in questions, comments, and complaints, primarily from residential customers, about the marketing and sales practices of some retail energy suppliers, marketers and brokers. The Commission has also received a petition from the Office of the People’s Counsel requesting that the Commission open an investigation into the business practices of retail energy suppliers. Before ruling on OPC’s petition, the Commission is holding this public hearing to receive further information and comments from the Office of the People’s Counsel, the retail energy supply industry, and business and residential customers regarding the following areas of interest:

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• The recent experiences of consumers with alternative energy suppliers, marketers and brokers who are soliciting their business; • Practices and steps taken by retail energy suppliers, marketers and brokers licensed in the District of Columbia; • Explanation of enrollment processes, verification methods, and record retention for customers’acceptance of a product offer, contract renewal, and contract revisions that are being used in the District of Columbia; • Voluntary efforts and best practices by retail energy suppliers, marketers and brokers to protect consumer rights; and • Suggested revisions to the Commission’s existing consumer protection regulations (15 DCMR §§ 327.1 - 327.54 (2008): Customer Protection Standards Applicable to Energy Suppliers) that will improve customer protection and which may facilitate greater public availability and understanding of competitive energy supply options. The public hearing will convene at 10:00 A.M., on July 12, 2013 in the Commission’s Hearing Room. Persons wishing to testify at the hearing should have their names placed on the witness list by contacting the Office of the Commission Secretary by telephone at (202) 626-5150, by email at www.dcpsc.org., or submit testimony in writing at the above address by no later than June 28, 2013.

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How to avoid shady mobile phone fees By Anya Kamenetz The average person is paying more than $70 a month on her cell phone bill. With those kinds of prices, it’s infuriating to realize that small-time scammers may be sneaking extra charges into the fine print. But that’s exactly what the Federal Trade Commission says is happening. It’s called cell phone “cramming,” and in April the FTC filed the first-ever case about it. The complaint alleges that an Atlanta company called Wise Media sent people unauthorized text messages featuring news or horoscopes, and then billed them $9.99 a

month in “subscription” fees for something they had never subscribed to. How do you avoid having this happen to you?

Watch for third-party billing You may be familiar with fundraising efforts for presidential campaigns, disaster relief, and the like that ask you to make a $10 donation by texting a word or two to a special shortcode on your cell phone. That charge then appears on your cell phone bill, which is called “third-party billing.” The FTC doesn’t want to shut down

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third-party billing for mobile phones altogether because of these legitimate uses, even though third-party billing is also the way that the no-good crammers operate, and even though Verizon and AT&T have recently banned third-party billing for landlines. So it’s left up to individual consumers to police their own bills.

Scour your bill In the absence of an all-out ban on thirdparty billing, it’s important for each one of us to look carefully at our monthly mobile bill, especially if it’s more than you expected. You are looking for something under “miscellaneous charges” or “subscription fees” or “surcharges.” Note unfamiliar abbreviations, apps or downloads, and calls from area codes you don’t recognize. Even if there aren’t any unauthorized charges, taking a close look at your bill has the added benefit of helping you figure out if you’re paying for services you don’t need, or need to switch to a different plan.

Be aware of “text spam” In March, the FTC filed yet another complaint against spammers who sent a total of 180 million unauthorized and unwanted text messages. Sometimes consumers were charged for the messages. Sometimes they offered “free” gift cards or prizes, but in order to claim the supposed gifts people were asked to sign up for personal information or pay for services — you guessed it, another pathway to cramming.

Shopping From page 29

Did you know?

You may qualify for assistance in paying your home phone bill. Discounts for basic telephone service are available to eligible District of Columbia low-income residents.

Verizon Washington, D.C. Lifeline Plans: Verizon Washington, D.C.’s Lifeline service, known as “Economy II,” offers reduced rates on Verizon’s monthly telephone bill and one-time discounts on the cost of installing phone service. Additionally, toll blocking is available to Economy II customers at no charge. Economy II Service*: $3.00 per month for unlimited local calling. Value-added services are not included (e.g., Call Waiting, Caller ID). No connection charges apply. Also, customers will not be charged for the federal subscriber line charge. Economy II customers who are 65 years of age or older can have this service at a further reduced rate of $1.00 per month. • Full terms and rates for these services, including terms of eligibility, are as set forth in federal and in Verizon’s tariffs on file with the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia. Rates as stated here are effective as of September 1, 2011. But, the rates and other terms are subject to change in the future.

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Link-Up America is for District residents who are eligible for social service assistance. New customers or customers who move to a new address may qualify for a 50 percent reduction in service connection charges.

Contact DDOE at 311 to apply

To learn more about the Lifeline program, visit www.lifelinesupport.org.

The safe policy is, if you get any text message written in all caps from a sender you don’t recognize, delete it. By the same token, avoid signing up for contests or special offers that ask for your cell phone number. This is the major way that spammers get hold of cell numbers in the first place. In general, these free offers and prizes are too good to be true.

that leads to you spending more money at a particular store over time. Dailey says the pilot is an “extension of what we’ve been doing for decades,” because coupons of any kind already lead to people paying different prices for the same items. Still, the growing degree of personalization is clearly resonating. Kroger, which also operates Ralphs and Fry’s, notes that 60 percent of customers cash in at least one coupon from the personalized packets

What you can do If it happens to you, take action as soon as possible. The FTC is working to improve the dispute resolution process when it comes to mobile phone cramming. The first place to contact about an unauthorized charge is your cell phone carrier, who may agree to credit the money back to you. You should also ask the company to put a “block” on any third party billing in the future. The company should be able to give you information about the third party so you can contact them directly to dispute the charge. Follow up by putting your complaint in writing: email and certified mail both work. Finally, the FTC requests that you file a complaint with it as well. Go to FTC.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP. You can also contact your state attorney general’s office with the problem. Just because you’ve complained, don’t assume the problem is taken care of. Follow up by checking your bill next month to make sure the charges don’t reappear. © 2013 Anya Kamenetz. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc. they’re mailed throughout the year. That compares with less than 5 percent for traditional coupon mailings. In addition to maximizing sales, the benefit of such personalized pricing for companies is that it becomes harder for competitors to steal away customers with better offers. “The price offered to the individual customer is really between the retailer and customer now,” said Euan White, senior vice president of consumer markets at Dunnhumby, which works with Kroger and a wide range of retailers to analyze shopping patterns. — AP

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July 18

RETIREMENT FINANCES FOR WOMEN

Merrill Lynch senior financial advisor Terrence Frederick will discuss the unique challenges and concerns women face with their retirement finances on Thursday, July 18 at 4 p.m. The free event takes place at Langston Brown Senior Center, 2121 N. Culpeper St., Arlington, Va. Call (703) 228-6300 to register.

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Making the most of mother-daughter travel. See story on page 34.

French Alps’ glorious food and scenery an aperitif of red Beaujolais spiked with black currant liqueur (crème de cassis). Not only is the wine good in Lyon, it is cheap. The calorie-conscious may find bouchon meals a bit heavy, since the bistros’ specialties are dishes like tripe soup, pork offal sausage, coq au vin and blood sausage. But when in Rome… Banter with the chef and neighboring diners is expected. In fact, to not engage in hearty, elbows-on-the-table eating would be considered insulting. In the no-frills, checkered-tablecloth atmosphere, guests mop up juices and sauces with fresh-baked bread as they chat with fellow diners. Local chefs will tell you that the authentic bouchons are only found in Lyon. Bouchon purists require a little plaque at the restaurant’s door showing Gnafron, a drunken marionette with a red nose and wine glass — a sign that the eatery is part of the official French bouchon association. French novelist Stendhal commented, “I know of only one thing that you can do well in Lyon, and that’s eat.” Eat well you can, but there’s more.

PHOTO BY GLENDA BOOTH

By Glenda C. Booth According to Allrecipes.com, Lyonnaise potatoes, “a simple combination of potatoes and onions, can be absolutely extraordinary.” What I discovered on a recent trip to Lyon is that all cuisine in that city is extraordinary. Lyon (pronounced “lee-on”) is France’s third-largest city and its gastronomic capital. The city is a crossroads of several cuisines — the hearty meats of the cattle and sheep farms to the west, the olive-oil and tomato-ey flavors of the Mediterranean to the south, and the scrumptious butters and cheeses of the north. Lyon is especially famous for its homey restaurants called bouchons. My introduction to these rustic eateries was a fivecourse feast at Chez Paul, highlighted by an entrée of ox tongue with piquant tomato sauce and a huge serving bowl filled with white beans shared by four — my travel mate and two friendly strangers at our table. These heaping dishes were interspersed with beets, gherkins, pickled herring, four choices of cheese, and topped off with a crème caramel dessert. Maureen McFalls commented, after “surviving” her first bouchon meal, “I felt like a little piggie myself after that amazing meal.” While studying the menu, we lubricated our own chitterlings with a communard —

Passageway to the Renaissance Lyon is spliced by two rivers, the Rhone and the Saône. City center is the onesquare-mile Presqu’ile in between, a peninsula throbbing with activity in its squares, cafés, shops, restaurants, museums, thePHOTO BY GLENDA BOOTH

The Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière sits atop a hill in Lyon. Visitors can either walk to the top of the hill or take a funicular.

Wildflowers blanket the 132,000-acre Parc National de la Vanoise in the heart of the French Alps. The park includes more than 100 lakes and 1,300 acres of glaciers.

aters, opera house and perhaps a sidewalk protest. Old Town, or Vieux Lyon, the Romans’ capital of Gaul in 43 C.E. and a silk-making center in the 15th century, is a zigzaggy, UNESCO World Heritage site, as it contains one of the largest concentrations of Renaissance buildings in Europe. You can escape to another age in this labyrinth of musty passageways, cobbled streets and narrow alleyways crammed with Renaissance and medieval facades. Lyon is especially known for its 315 traboules — dingy, tunneled passages stretching for 30 miles and built in the 1800s to provide silk weavers shelter from inclement weather as they moved their delicate handiwork. In World War II, the traboules were hideouts for the French Resistance dodging German street patrols. At the Musée Historique de Lyon, a 15th century mansion, you can learn about the decorative features of Lyon’s buildings. Here also is the Musée de la Marionnette, home of the town’s famous Lyonnais puppets — the 18th century creations, Guignol and Madelon — and the only museum in France devoted to puppetry. As you meander, you’ll salivate as you study the offerings of numerous boulangers (baked goods), charcuteries (prepared meats) and fromageries (cheese shops). No trip to a French town is complete

without a visit to its cathedral. The Romanesque and Gothic Cathédral St-Jean, bedecked with gargoyles, was built between 1180 and 1480. Inside is an astronomical clock, beautiful rose windows, and 13th century stained glass above the altar. You can hike up to the Basilique NotreDame de Fourvière, a structure that defines the skyline looming from its hilltop position and irreverently known as “the upside-down elephant.” The walking weary can ascend via the funicular. At the top, you’ll soak in a broad view of the city between the two rivers or maybe glimpse the Alps on a clear day. On the promenade along the Rive Gauche of the Rhone, you can probe openair markets amid the walkers, runners, cyclists and a few relaxed loafers.

On and up into the Alps Lyon is the gateway to the French Alps, which climax at Europe’s highest point, the 15,780-foot Mont Blanc. The famous mountains are only an hour or so west from the bustle of downtown by train. In the summer, the French Alps become a Sound of Music setting, exploding in natural beauty — soaring snowcapped peaks, crystalline lakes, jagged ridges and verdant meadows spangled with wild flowers of every hue. (Winter has its pristine beauSee FRENCH ALPS, page 33

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French Alps From page 32 ty too, which attracts world-class skiers.) The Savoie region starts in the north at Lake Geneva and ends at the mighty Mont Blanc. In between are many towns, hamlets and resorts separated by rolling pastoral landscapes, meadows and hillsides dotted with grazing dairy cows, complete with tinkling bells. One place to absorb all things alpine is the 132,000-acre Parc National de la Vanoise, France’s first national park designated in 1963 and home to five nature reserves. The park contains 107 lakes and 1,300 acres of glaciers, as well as massive peaks, plateaus, meadows and hiking trails. La Grande Sassière Nature Reserve, altitude 7,500 feet, rises between the villages of Tignes and Val d’Isère. Hiking and walking choices range from gentle paths to moderately challenging slopes. The treks are well worth the effort for summer sightings of animals like the ibex (one third of the country’s 2,100 are here), the goat-like chamois (6,000 here), marmots, foxes, stoats, hares, 1,200 species of plants and 120 species of birds. Bearded vultures and golden eagles soar above. Wildflowers burst forth like multi-colored stars on a green velvet carpet. Park rangers and local guides lead walks in the summer and can drive visitors to a trail from the tourism office in Val d’Isère.

Alpine villages Parc National de la Vanoise is bordered by 28 villages. A year-round, convenient spot is the town of Val d’Isère, known as one of the world’s top ski resorts, but it doubles as an easygoing summer spot, especially for families because it offers activities like tennis, bocce, trampolines, hik-

ing, biking, trekking, horseback riding, rafting and kayaking on the River Isère. Val d’Isère boasts 27,000 hotel beds and a local population of only 1,500. The town is sprinkled with brightly colored flower boxes and beds from which four-foot lupines seem to lunge. For a 360degree alpine vista, take the ski lift to 8,200 feet above the tree line. At the top, you can fish in a mirror-clear lake — or just imagine Heidi romping over the crest of the nearest hill. In the Old Village, the quaint Catholic church is always open. Don’t miss the town cheese factory for an authentic cheese-making experience, including a view of goats, whose milk is used to make the cheese, grazing next door. Even the grocery (casino marché) is fun to explore — a warren of local wares like wines, pâtés, jams, herbs, cheeses and olive oils and a refreshing change from the big box, cookie-cutter American supermarkets. Every region of France touts its own cuisine. The French Alps have an enticing food story too, summed up in one word — cheese. It’s not the bright orange processed chunks and slices common to U.S. grocery shelves. France has around 400 types of cheese, their method of manufacture closely guarded. The farmstead cheeses of the Alps mostly start with Tarentaise cows and result in yummy products like Beaufort, Tomme de Savoie and Bleu de Termignon. Sampling them all to identify the sometimes subtle, sometimes not-so-subtle, differences is a worthy culinary escapade all its own. And the cheese dishes of the French Alps are what many tourists write home about. Warming on a chilly day is the tartaflette, a creamy assemblage of potatoes, ham, crème freche, wine, cheese and onions baked to perfection. A raclette is a mixture of melting cheese,

boiled potatoes, charcuterie and baby gherkins. And finally, fondue. Fondue Savoyarde has three types of cheese — Emmental, Beaufort and Comté — melted in dry white wine for dunking fresh bread chunks. Here in the mountains after a rainfall, you might see cooks collecting snails off roadside plants for dinner, as I did. In the Alps, weather can change quickly in any season, so have layers at hand and be prepared for rain and cold. Another jumping off point for the Alps is Annecy, a town by Lac d’Annecy, filled with bewitching 16th century passageways, canals, a 12th century chateau, castles and cafes. Lyon and the French Alps are good examples of how varied, deep and enticing

French gastronomy is and has been for years, and reaffirms for visitors that eating in France is essential to the art of living.

If you go Lyon Tourism: www.en.lyon-france.com. Offers free booking services. Val d’Isere Tourism: www.valdisere.com. Staff speak English and can offer lodging options. Once you chose, they can book your room. Annecy Tourism: www.lac-annecy.com To get to Val d’Isere: From Lyon, either take the train to Bourg-St. Maurice and then rent a car or take a taxi or bus 40 minutes. Or rent a car and drive from Lyon (three hours). For information about Parc National de la Vanoise, visit www.parcnational-vanoise.fr. See FRENCH ALPS, page 35

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J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

The joys of mother-daughter traveling By Anne D’Innocenzio When I was young, I learned a lot about travel from my mother. She taught me how and what to pack. She taught me to keep a travel diary to record my memories. And most importantly, she taught me how to

power-sightsee. “You never know when you’ll be back,” my mother used to say, as she and my dad pushed my sister, brother and me to yet another art museum, Gothic church or 18th-century cemetery.

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Decades later, my mother and I still travel together, but now that she’s in her mid80s, our roles have changed. She’s hearing-impaired, and often uses a cane for balance, while I bring a notepad and pen to write down tour highlights for her. I also handle hotel accommodations, hail the cabs, and make sure a wheelchair is waiting at the airport to take her to the gate. Some might think of traveling with an elderly parent as a burden, but my mom is invaluable to me. She’s still vibrant and fiercely holds onto her love of travel. She’s a globe-trotter and a wealth of knowledge — my personal version of a Frommer’s guide or smartphone app. I’m a journalist, perpetually time-strapped as I race to meet the next deadline, so I also depend on her to help me with the research for our trips. She often highlights hot spots weeks in advance.

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Childhood travel memories Back when I was in college, I would have never dreamed my mother would become my travel companion decades later. I might have even shuddered at the possibility. You see, growing up in our family, vacations were rarely about splashing in hotel pools or relaxing on beaches. Vacationing was a form of boot camp. Think touring Washington, D.C. in July, when scorching temperatures wilt hair bows and drench summer shorts. Even a trip as a child to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., was not as much fun as one might think. My mother made sure it was squeezed between educational sightseeing trips to Cape Canaveral, home of the Kennedy Space Center, and St. Augustine, where my sister, brother and I learned about 16th century history and explorer Ponce de Leon. But as the decades have gone by, my mom’s and my life’s circumstances have made the mother-daughter travel combo a natural, practical and enjoyable experience. To be sure, I have taken plenty of trips with friends to a variety of places — Puerto Rico, Miami’s South Beach, San Francisco. And over the years, my mom has traveled with her own circle of friends, and most often with my father, crisscrossing the globe to faraway places like Australia and Indonesia. My father was a catalyst for travel — he worked for a major oil conglomerate that took him on overseas assignments. But mom lost her most dependable travel buddy when my dad died in 2002, and her aging friends are too frail to travel now. As for me, most of my friends are married and often travel with their families. I don’t particularly like to travel alone, and it’s hard to synchronize my plans with my single friends’ crazy work schedules. Even if my friends were more readily available, I worry that taking trips with them might put stress on our relationships.

Complementing each other What makes this mother-daughter travel team work is that we understand each other. That includes our differences. Unlike me, my mom is fearless — and has remained that way even into her 80s. Turbulence on planes doesn’t bother her, while I get a pit in my stomach anytime a plane lurches. At 80, she climbed the steep stone steps to the top of Ireland’s Blarney Castle. I, on the other hand, get nervous when I see spiral staircases. So I stayed at the bottom, and waited for her to come down. My mother is also more organized than I am. Think of TV’s favorite “Odd Couple” — Felix and Oscar. Weeks in advance of a trip, my mom folds her clothes neatly in her suitcase and wraps her shoes with layers of tissue paper as if she’s wrapping a gift. I See TRAVELING W/MOM, page 35

Traveling w/mom From page 34 often find myself packing the night before, throwing things in a bag helter-skelter. And even though I have adopted my mom’s sightseeing approach of trying to cover a lot of ground, we have our own styles. We love to go to art museums, but I like to concentrate on the highlights of the exhibit. Mom studies every single painting for a few minutes before moving on to the next. So we compromise and meet at the end of the exhibit.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

Connecting with family roots

Traveling together we have also discovered similarities. We are both forgetful. In fact, losing eyeglasses has become our specialty. After touring the massive Romanian parliament in Bucharest built by the country’s late dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, my mother realized she had left her glasses inside. The problem: She didn’t remember which of the hundreds of rooms she left them in. We did find them eventually with the help of our tour guide, but not without confronting armed guards trying to keep us from retracing our steps.

As I get older, I value more and more how my mother has used travel as a way to connect with our roots. As a family, we have been to Italy several times, where we visited relatives or tried to research our ancestors in small towns like Deliceto in the Southeast corner of Italy. I have also admired the way my mom used travel as a source of comfort. Two years after my brother passed away at age 23, my sister, mother and father went to Europe. My mother was key in the planning.

Friends tell me how lucky I am to have my mom as my travel companion. I do feel lucky, but I’m already starting to feel nostalgic. A few weeks ago, after being hospitalized with a severe case of the flu, my mother confided in me that perhaps her traveling days are over. I refuse to believe it. And so I’m planning our next trip. An Alaskan cruise maybe, or what about a trip to the South of France to visit her friend? If I have my way, the possibilities for more adventures with my mom remain endless. — AP

AP PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNE D’INNOCENZIO

Summertime Excursions “Les Misérables”

at Riverside Center Dinner Theater Wednesday, August 14 You will hear the people sing in this widely acclaimed epic musical, based on Victor Hugo’s novel. Winner of Best Musical in both London and New York and recently a major motion picture, this is a huge and exciting production that you will not want to miss. Per Riverside’s tradition, this trip will include a luncheon with table service. $129 per person

Smith Island Cruise

Saturday, August 24 Ride by motorcoach to the Eastern Shore, then cruise from Crisfield to historic Smith Island, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay. You can browse this charming island with its narrow streets designed for walking or cycling, mingle with the locals, have lunch at the Bayside Inn where you’ll sample the famous Smith Island cake, peruse the quaint shops, and enjoy the peace and tranquility this island provides. $129 per person

Jersey Shores

Wildwood and Cape May, NJ Sunday–Wednesday, September 8-11 We extend the summer season with a trip to an oceanfront hotel at Diamond Beach. You’ll tour historic Cape May; and you’ll visit the worldfamous Wildwood boardwalk; Cape May Point, Sunset Beach, and Historic Smithville. In addition, you’ll go on a dolphin-watching cruise and enjoy other area attractions. $629 per person, dbl. occ.

Anne D’Innocenzio (right) is pictured with her sister Donna and mother Marie on the banks of the Rhine River. In addition to vacationing in Germany, the D’Innocenzios have traveled to Italy, Ireland and other locales together. They find their different travel styles complement each other.

French Alps From page 33 Trains are easily available, reliable, comfortable and a hassle-free way to move around. One caution: If you are not fluent in French, using ticket machines may be daunting, so buying tickets from agents or online may be easier. Train tickets are usually not collected but randomly checked, with heavy fines

for freeloaders. The word “composte” means “punch your ticket” in the yellow station machines which record where and when you embarked. So be sure to composte before you board. Train information is available at www.raileurope.com; www.sncf.com; www.eurail.com (Eurail passes are valid in 21 countries.) The lowest roundtrip fare to Lyon from all three Washington-area airports in early August is $1,386 on US Airways.

Other Upcoming Trips Laurel Highlands and Pittsburgh, PA October 20–23 Christmas at The Hotel Hershey December 1–3 New Year’s Eve at Virginia Beach December 30–January 1 Call us for our full schedule and details about these and our other fun-filled trips.

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J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Style Arts &

Can you imagine Bob Levey without a jacket and tie? Neither can he. See page 38.

Show takes American dream to new heights Portrait of a neighborhood The show opens at dawn with the electrifying title song, beginning three days in the lives of a neighborhood and its denizens. Bodega owner Usnavi (David Gregory) takes us on a tour of the street and its stories, highlighting the hopes and the dilemmas coloring daily life in a neighborhood on the cusp of change. With vigorous choreography from co-directors Toby Orenstein and Lawrence B. Munsey and choreographer Christen Svingos, the two-dozen-member company gives us a vibrant introduction to a series of intertwined vignettes. And the vigor of the performances never lets up. A mix of newcomers and Toby’s regulars, the cast immediately gets to the core of their characters in what is essentially a soap opera, and wins us over. That’s essential in overcoming the rather flawed book by Quiara Alegria Hudes, which relies heavily on exposition and broadly written characters and story lines. The vignettes all seem familiar, recycled through Latino-infused vernacular and attitude. Some of the exposition — telling, rather than showing a story — takes place

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in the songs, but any awkwardness there is offset by the hip-hop nature of some of the selections, which allows characters to rap their way, more or less naturally, through plot details. Still, the stories are stale, enlivened primarily by the emotive music and vivid acting and choreography. Clumsily constructed emotional manipulation of the audience actually succeeds because each of the leading actors is able to reach within and offer us something that feels real. Usnavi and his grandmother, Abuela Claudia (Crystal Freeman), dream of returning to the Dominican Republic. Spirited college freshman Nina (Alyssa V. Gomez) is seeking both the nerve and the money to return to Stanford University after dropping out. Her hard-working parents Kevin (David Bosley-Reynolds) and Camila (Tina Marie DeSimone) face selling their gypsy cab company to help her. Their African-American employee Benny (Marquise White) struggles to win their acceptance as he and Nina fall in love. Usnavi, meanwhile, loves Vanessa (Nadia Harika), who longs to escape the neighborhood, along with her bad credit score

PHOTO BY KIRSTINE CHRISTIANSEN

By Michael Toscano Bam! In the Heights hits the stage at fullthrottle, a high-energy blast of Grammywinning salsa and Latin pop, swirling choreography and quickly recognizable characters. Now at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, the Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2008 never lets up in its fervent attempt to ingratiate itself with the audience. And it usually succeeds. While the story is set in the ethnically Spanish-speaking enclave of Washington Heights in Manhattan’s upper reaches, and the sensibilities of its street setting is urban, the show’s themes resonate with anyone who has ever marveled at the American dream. The music (and lyrics) from Lin-Manuel Miranda, who conceived the show and starred in its long Broadway run, is superb. The score blends Latin pop with hiphop and adds a layer of old-fashioned Broadway show tunes, perhaps making the Latin rhythms and mild hip-hop-inspired lyrics and delivery accessible and agreeable for ears not already attuned to them.

Benny (Marquise White), Sonny (Ryan Alvarado) and Usnavi (David Gregory) hang out at the neighborhood bodega in the Toby’s Dinner Theatre production of the Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights. In the show, store owner Usnavi takes the audience on a tour of Washington Heights and its denizens.

and alcoholic mother. Throw in a sub-plot of a winning lottery ticket, and some other characters who mostly provide comic relief, and the overall effect — the blend of story, character and music — is a pleasing theatrical mural. See IN THE HEIGHTS, page 37

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

In the Heights From page 36

Emotional and compelling songs “It Won’t be Long Now,” an Act One song featuring Vanessa, Usnavi and Sonny (Ryan Alvarado), a teenage employee at Usnavi’s bodega, is more schmaltz than salsa, but Harika’s outsized performance adds grit and emotional heft to the show tune. It’s intense, compelling and ultimately uplifting. “Paciencia y Fe” (“Patience and Faith”) is a stirring exploration of the clash of aspiration and struggle, as Freeman’s Abuela leads the company in a floorfilling mélange of melody and melodrama. Act Two opens on a somber note, following a somewhat cataclysmic ending to the first act. It seems like a bleak dawn after the festive first act. But we know the innate humanity of the people in this neighborhood will overcome tribulation, and we’re not disappointed. Soon enough, it’s time for “Carnival del Barrio,” another high-energy production number featuring Santina Maiolatesi in her happy Toby’s debut as Daniela, wisecracking owner of a beauty salon who is eager to re-locate her shop to a better area. I say production number, but here at Toby’s, that means a floor filled with dancing and singing, with just a few minimal props, as it’s theater-in-the-round, and that round space has to serve food just prior to the show. Still, the dance is so eye-catch-

ing and vibrant, and the singing so joyous, and the music so pulsating, that nothing else is really needed. The music, as always at Toby’s, comes from a small live band tucked away in a cramped room, augmented with synthetic sounds emanating from a keyboard. “Alabanza,” mourning the loss of a beloved character (more by-the-numbers emotional manipulation from writer Hudes), becomes an elegiac anthem and a highlight of Act Two. Also of note is the too-brief singing of Tobias Young, in the mostly walk-on role of Piragua Guy, who sells piragua, a frozen, syrupy concoction popular in Puerto Rico. He ends Act One with the song “Piragua” and reprises it near the end of Act Two, unleashing a sweet, soaring voice that we need to hear more of in future productions. The show’s story takes place July 3 through July 5, and Toby’s production runs right through the 4th of July holiday. It’s fitting, as this is an American tale, however often it has been told.

bage,” and “Arroz de la Vega,” which is fiesta rice with spicy tomatoes. In the Heights continues through July 21 at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, 5900 Symphony Woods Road, Columbia. The show runs seven days a week with evening and matinee performances.

Reservations are required. Ticket prices range from $35.50 to $54, depending on which performance is selected. There is ample, free parking on the premises. For reservations and more information, call 1-800-88TOBYS (888-6297) or visit www.tobysdinnertheatre.com.

Ethnic buffet dishes Making this production a sensation for the palate, as well as the eyes and ears, Toby’s has mixed in some Dominican-flavored dishes to its usual evening buffet fare, included in the ticket price. These include “Abuela’s Pork Goulash,” Dominican Chicken, Pasta Del Dia, “Carnaval Corn Medley,” “Benny’s Broccoli Con Queso,” “Caribbean Braised Cab-

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J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Business casual guarantees a faux pas If you’re a man — and I’ve been one for rant. The agenda was pretty high-brow (porages — it used to be easy to dress for a trait painting), and the audience was going to business or a social event. be university-educated. I had Find a jacket and a white a jacket, a white shirt and a tie shirt. Find a tie. Find well-polin hand when a little voice ished leather shoes. Place popped into my brain. them all on appropriate body “Robert,” it said, “this is parts. Head for the door. 2013. Every choice you’ve But lately, a festering disease just made is hopelessly unhas taken hold. It’s called hip, hopelessly out of date. “Business Casual,” and it’s con“This is a Business Casual fusing the dickens out of men era, and this is probably who’ve been men for ages. going to be a Business CasuHOW I SEE IT The other day, I attended a lec- By Bob Levey al event. Go tie-less. Go for ture at a fancy downtown restaublack running shoes instead

of leather. You can keep the jacket if you insist. But the shirt absolutely MUST be patterned and colorful.” So I caved to current fashion. And when I marched into the event, a cloud of embarrassment quickly settled over me. Of the 28 men in attendance, exactly two were swaddled in Business Casual. The rest were decked out in Business Typical — shirts, ties, suits. Naturally, the exact opposite had taken place just a week earlier. That time, the event was an evening party at someone’s home. As I studied the contents of my closet, I could hear my long-departed mother

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giving one of her famous lectures. “Robert,” I almost heard her say, “this is an evening event at SOMEONE’S HOME. Show proper respect. Suit. Tie. Polished shoes. This is your mother speaking. Over and out.” Well, Ma, I listened to you. And you’ll never guess what happened. As soon as I strode into the living room of SOMEONE’S HOME, my eyes beheld…nothing but guys in sport shirts and jeans. My jacket came off and my tie went into the coat pocket. But the damage had been done. Once again, Business Casual Mania had made me swing and miss. My mother would know the answer to all this puzzlement. “A good host or hostess always lets you know what appropriate dress will be,” she’d surely say. “Just take a look at the invitation.” Well, Ma, I do and I have. And I am here to tell you that only once in a great while is dress specified, or clear to an ignoramus like your son. Descriptions seem to be aimed at females, not at men who have been men for ages. In my hand, I hold an invite to an upcoming charity gala. “Festive dress,” it says. Would you mind telling me what that means for me and all the other men? Should I go rent a sparkly body suit like the ones Elvis used to wear? Sorry, folks. Sparkly isn’t me. But what is, for this party? I have absolutely no idea. Elsewhere in the stack of paper on my desk is an invite for a Saturday evening cocktail party. “Springlike dress,” it says. Great. Terrific. Does that mean I should wear a yellow short-sleeve sport shirt? Only if I want to look like a washed-up golf pro. Does that mean I should wear shorts?

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Fairfax County presents a County Forum on “Creating an Older Adult Friendly Community” in three locations. The first takes place at the Hendon Senior Center, 873 Grace St., Herndon, Va., on Wednesday, July 10 from 4 to 6 p.m. The second takes place on Thursday, July 11 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Ravensworth Baptist Church, 5100 Ravensworth Rd., Annandale, Va. The third takes place on Friday, July 19 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Village Square Theatre, Greenspring Village, 7410 Spring Village Dr., Springfield, Va. For more information or to register, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults or call (703) 3245411, TTY 711. D1895RX13_Beacon

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

Pageant winner From page 1 and mentoring chair. Mentors act as informal buddies, who provide emotional support and advice. Miller is “in charge of making those pairings.” For more information on AAFSW, visit www.aafsw.org. Because of her varied volunteer work, the Ms. Senior Virginia pageant judges felt she was also the clear winner of the Community Service Award. After travelling extensively, Miller said it was nice to settle down when she and her family moved to Fairfax in 1992. One of the things she likes most about Virginia is that “It’s green. I love that we have four seasons here. It’s all very lush.” They’ve lived in Virginia for more than 20 years, except for a two-year stint in New Zealand. In her free time, Miller enjoys yoga, tending her garden and playing bridge with her husband. She is also a member of a monthly book club. “I have a lot of different groups of friends with different shared interests. They are wonderful. There are also many cultural opportunities here: museums, operas, symphonies and plays. It’s a very lively cultural environment.”

phy on life” component. In 35 seconds or less, contestants are asked to express theirs. Miller’s is refreshing and inspiring: “I have lived at 34 different addresses in my lifetime. That’s a lot of uprooting. My motto is, ‘bloom where you are planted.’ I believe that in any situation, you can choose to produce something beautiful, something lovely. Or become something lovely. Life is short, so bloom.” An additional difference is that the Senior America pageants emphasize inner beauty rather than external beauty. Still, as with traditional beauty pageants, contestants are ranked on an evening gown competition, a talent performance and an interview. The contestants wear sumptuous and glittery costumes that help make the event special. The gown Miller wore for the talent segment of the competition was of her own design, handmade in Barbados during her travels.

will also compete in the national Ms. Senior America pageant. Maryland will not have a statewide pageant this year, but the Maryland state director has chosen at-large representative Marcia Ann Davis, 69, of Baltimore County, to compete in October. The Ms. Senior D.C. Pageant took place on June 23 at the University of the District of Columbia. The winner was Nancy A

Berry, from Ward 5, who also won the Best Evening Gown, Best Interview, Best Talent and Ms. Congeniality awards. First runner-up and Best Salesperson was awarded to Sharon Lockwood, and second runner-up was awarded to Amelia Anderson-Weaver. See more about the See PAGEANT WINNER, page 40

Other area pageants Contestants from Maryland and D.C.

Your New Lifestyle Begins Here

A life filled with music Miller has three degrees in vocal performance. She attended BirminghamSouthern College and the University of Texas for her undergraduate and graduate level work. She also trained privately in Milan, New York and at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. With these skills, she remains an active recitalist as a lyric soprano. She is a member-at-large of Sweet Adelines International and currently sings at the First Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. She especially enjoys listening to Mirella Freni, an Italian lyric soprano who sang well into her 60s. “Normally, women’s voices tend to deteriorate after menopause or get wobbly,” Miller said. “She has managed to keep her voice young and fresh. I want to be like that!” Miller also cites Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo as an inspiration and Verdi as her favorite composer. Miller’s family is filled with musical talent. Her three children are professional musicians. Their talents include vocals, trumpet, flute and piano. The family recorded an album together entitled Songs for My Father, a tribute to Miller’s father, who recently turned 90. Her musical specialties include opera, Broadway show tunes, sacred music and women’s barbershop. She used these talents to perform the “Jewel Song” from Gounod’s opera Faust during the pageant. This challenging aria is four minutes long, and Miller only had two minutes for her performance, so she had to cut the piece short. But it was clearly still striking for the judges. One major difference between the Senior America pageants and more traditional beauty pageants is its inclusion of a “philoso-

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Levey From page 38 Only if I want to look like a never-was body-builder. Does that mean I should wear sandals? My mother would have a posthumous fit. My confusion in the clothing arena was born many years ago, during a job interview. The big boss had just hired me. We were shaking hands. A final question

Pageant winner From page 39 D.C. pageant on page 24 and at www.face book.com/MsSeniorDCPageant. Interested in competing? Miller says, “Do it. Dare to do it. Be brave! Seniors may be older, but they’re not done living. They’re not done inspiring, creating or en-

popped into my head. “Do you have a dress code here?” I chirped. “Son,” said the big boss, “always dress as if we’re about to send you out to meet Queen Elizabeth.” I have never met Queen Elizabeth. But I have never forgotten that advice. I have adapted it as follows: “Always better to be overdressed than underdressed.” But now, along comes Business Casual. joying just because they’re over 60.” Miller will be singing at the Beacon’s 50+Expo on Oct. 6 at Ballston Common Mall in Arlington, Va. For more information or to volunteer for the Expo, see page 3 of this issue or visit www.thebeaconnewspapers.com. For more information about the national Ms. Senior America pageant, visit www.senioramerica.org.

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Sigh. Moan. Even the name is fraught with confusion. I think Business Casual means too businesslike to be casual and too casual to be businesslike. In other words, a strong bet to be wrong, regardless of the time of day, day of the week or nature of the event. What’s wrong with a little Queen Elizabeth-seeking formality? And what’s wrong with “casual” meaning blue jeans? When

you try to split the difference between businesslike and casual-like, you miss the mark, in one direction or the other, every time. My mother had another watchword that’s etched on my brain. “Always be yourself,” she’d (incessantly) say. Good advice, Ma. I’m sticking to suits and ties from now on. Business Casual is giving me the business. Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

FROM PAGE 42

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD M I S T

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Letters to editor From page 2 plaint to the Virginia Dept. of Social Services was rejected. I haven’t pursued the matter further, but I hope future patients can be spared this part of their ordeal. I know the lifts are designed to protect the aides, but at what cost to the patients? Two aides should be able to change a patient in bed without hurting their backs. [Liability] insurance is another big issue. My husband walked in to the nursing home and was in a wheelchair a few days later. They are afraid of falls. Phyllis A. Russell Arlington, Va.

Classifieds cont. from page 43. Wanted MILITARY ITEMS WANTED: Collector seeks to purchase military uniforms; flight jackets, patches, insignia, medals, etc. from the Civil War through Vietnam. Especially seeking U.S. Army Air Corps, USMC, Airborne, and German/Japanese/Italian items from WWII. ALSO BUYING old Boy Scout, Airline Items, Toys, Lighters. Call Dan 202841-3062. VINYL RECORDS WANTED from 1950 through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-596-6201. BUYING MILITARY MEMORABILIA WW2, WW1, Civil War uniforms, weapons, photos and items associated with US, German, Japanese or items of other Military History. DAVE 240-464-0958. WANTED: ANTIQUE ELECTRONICS, engineers’ estates, Hi-Fi Stereo, huge old loudspeakers, ham radios, records, professional quality musical instruments, antique computers, scientific curiosities. 202-527-9501, vcvdc@msn.com. STAMP COLLECTIONS, AUTOGRAPHS purchased/appraised – U.S., worldwide, covers, paper memorabilia. Stamps are my specialty – highest price paid! Appraisals. Phone Alex, 301-309-6637. Stampex1@gmail.com.

Wanted CASH FOR ESTATE BUYOUTS, estate clean-outs, jewelry to furniture, one item or whole state. Free Estimate, Will Travel. 301520-0755. CASH FOR RECORDS & CDs. BEST PRICE GUARANTEED. Free appraisals. All types of music, 33, 45, 78 & CDs. Call Steve 301-646-5403. Will make house calls. FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious, capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree], knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate, I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from Oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to 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.

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Puzzle Page

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Crossword Puzzle Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Not Just Detergent by Stephen Sherr 1

21 24 29

Scrabble answers on p. 41.

Jumble Answers

43 46

9 15

65 68

Across

Down

1. Purr of a copycat 6. Salt Lake City students 10. Like The Beatles 13. Her four husbands were Alfred, Donald, Riccardo, and Rossano 14. The second memo 16. Payment alternative 17. It can get your face slapped 19. Toy engine sound 20. Stooges or Amigos 21. One drop in a rainstorm 22. Sport league divisions 24. “Holds one quart of iced tea” 28. ___-la-la 31. Tik ___ (The first number one song of the decade) 32. Punishment, to a waitress 33. One who comes back to the homeland 35. Stir fry ingredient 36. 36 inches, relative to a yard 39. The 40s 43. Estrada of CHiPs 44. Work for the Red Cross 45. Trippy shirt makers 46. Pants style 48. Agency whose activities are summarized by “the 3 Cs”: capital, contracts and counseling 50. ___ no evil 51. Newsmag with realllly slow delivery 55. 4 parts gin to 1 part vermouth, for example 56. Buffoon 57. Eat like a bunny 61. 2008 reality show, America’s Toughest Jobs, briefly 62. 17, 23, 39, and 51 Across 66. B&O stop 67. Delhi tongue 68. Chunks broken from an ice shelf 69. Shortened dog or fruit 70. Sleep fitfully 71. Bend down

1. Product of a witch’s cauldron 2. Word before after 3. Prepare for takeoff 4. Hop ___ 5. Boat propeller 6. Settle in to the hotel 7. A canine 8. Little green men 9. Moon feature 10. Chapter One 11. Largest artery 12. Start (as applause) or end (as a bubble) 15. Sanctified 18. Prefix used for the tenth month 23. “Do ___ ...” 25. Pint-sized 26. Oklahoma city named for a character in Idylls of the King 27. Start a Monopoly turn 28. Fir instance 29. Backside 30. Spread for toast 34. Acid neutralizer 35. Off kilter 37. Unnecessary modifier for “pittance” 38. To be, to Romans 40. Butter subst. 41. 4, on many clocks 42. Like gouda, but betta (to some) 47. A canine 48. Equilibrium 49. Son of a salesman 51. Comprehend 52. ___ Live (diet book) 53. About 56% of college students 54. Bird of the Everglades 58. Successor to Claudius 59. Winner of three 2012 Academy Awards 60. Winged stinger 63. Class that may ignite the interests of 53D 64. Value of a “Goooooooollll!” 65. Docs. for preggos

Answers on page 41.

Answer: Easy to hold up on a rainy day -- AN UMBRELLA Jumbles: ABBEY PUPIL BENUMB YEARLY

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

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 at 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 & Employment Opportunities JOB SEARCH and career transition assistance with a Princeton and Yale educated professional. 25 years experience in the Washington Metropolitan Area helping individuals to make rewarding career moves. Whether you are a high school student in search of a first job or the managing director of a prestigious law firm seeking to develop a second career, I would welcome the opportunity to speak with you. Very reasonable rates. Feel free to give me a call anything to discuss your situation in complete confidence. I look forward to speaking with you. Arthur C. Hamm (Art), ABetterCareer@comcast.net. Located at the juncture of Tuckerman Lane and Seven Locks Road in Potomac. Thank you! 301-351-5286.

Caregivers ROSALEEN HEALING HANDS – A private duty company with over 40 years experience. Our philosophy is “Care for the elderly in our community.” Our goals are to provide the best care, to embrace this new role with skill, patience, love and dedication. We will care for you and your loved ones in your home or nursing home with reasonable prices. We do live-in as well. Please call us at 240-421-9351 or 301-8064692 for further information. NURSING STUDENT AND LICENSED, bonded, highly experienced CNA seeks fulltime, overnight Caregiving position. I’m pet friendly, with an extensive resume, stellar references and solid background check. If interested, kindly call Jacqueline at 301-787-3555. COMPANION – I would like to be a companion for the elderly from 3-7 pm or weekend and/or sleepover. Call Shirley, 202-387-3155. ASSISTED LIVING HOME – Compassionate, cost-effective, professional medical staff and in a home-like environment in Silver Spring. Maryland State Licensed. Transportation, recreation, shopping, and clinical support. Call 301-9444600. CAREGIVER – LOOKING FOR A LOVING, caring, compassionate, dependable and reliable one with years of experience and references for your elderly ones? Have experience with MS, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and other health problems. Please call 301-908-9134. FREE ROOM AND BOARD – for responsible adult. Need help with my 93-year-old husband. Kitchen privileges. Free parking. Rockville/Potomac area, friendly people. Call Carol, 301-4243433. EXPERIENCED CAREGIVER FOR HIRE – For private care in home or healthcare facility. Provides care with love, dignity and respect. Licensed CNA. References available. Cited in the Washington Post for service. Contact Winicna@gmail.com, 202-726-7886 or 202-744-2880.

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Computer Services COMPUTER REPAIR – PC/APPLE. We make house calls. DC/VA/MD. TechInCars.com. A+/MCSE Certified Techs. Ask for Patrick, 15+ years experience, 703-587-3330. PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. Call: D. Guisset at 301-6424526. COMPUTER LESSONS – Personal Computer training at your home. Email, Internet, general computer use. Windows 8, Smartphone/tablet, digital camera. Learn at your own pace with gentle & patient tutor. We also troubleshoot problems & setup new computers. Teaching Seniors since 1996. Senior Discount. Call David, 301-762-2570, COMPUTERTUTOR.

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate LARGE ROOM FOR RENT, Riggs Park Area. Senior female preferred. Call 202-629-4096. SHENANDOAH VALLEY home site, camping, horse, etc. lots near Shenandoah River. Breathtaking views of Skyline Drive and Massanutten mountains. Two- to eight-acre lots five miles north of Luray, VA. Chris Gindhart, 540-7429804, cgindhart@cavalierfarms.com. Website: www.cavalierfarms.com. Request flyer: Chris Gindhart, 422 Cavalier Rd., Rileyville, VA 22650. LOOKING TO TAKE THE LEAP? I’ll take you on a tour of the community, show you floor plans, discuss campus amenities, & offer how to best coordinate your move. I will preview units & contact you with a match. I also offer exceptional service selling your home. I’m a Seniors Specialist, Buyer Broker, Top 1% of Agents Nationwide, and a Leisure World resident! You can see my current listings on page 20. Contact me: 301-580-5556, SueHeyman@aol.com, www.SueHeyman.com, Weichert, Realtors. LEISURE WORLD® - $269,000. 3BR 2FB 1HB “M” in Greens. Table space kitchen, separate dining room. Large enclosed balcony. New paint and carpet. 1530 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $98,000. 2BR 1-1/2 BA “Elizabeth” Co-op. Renovated and ready with wood floors and new carpet, gated patio.1308 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $159,000. 2BR 2FB “G” in the “Fairways.” 1st floor apartment, table space kitchen and separate dining room, garage space included. 1195 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - RENTAL - $1300. 2BR, 1-1/2BA “C” in “Greens.” New paint and carpet, move-in ready. 950 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® -RENTAL - $1700. 2BR 2FB. “CC” in “Turnberry Courts.” Open kitchen, wood floors, GARAGE space included. 1085 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $185,000. 2BR 2FB “B” in “Overlook.” Table space kitchen with passthrough to separate dining room. Enclosed balcony with golf course view. 1035 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $279,000. 3BR 2-1/2BA “LL” model in the “Greens.” 1st floor with enclosed balcony and extended patio, easy access to outside exit and walking paths, table space kitchen, separate dining room, move-in ready. 1593 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $59,000. 1 BR 1 FB “Raleigh” co-op, huge bedroom with lots of closets, balcony, co-op fee includes everything except phone. 990 sq. ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $269,000. 3BR 2-1/2B “M” in the “GREENS.” Great space with enclosed balcony, new paint and carpet and separate storage room in basement. 1530 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $105,000. 2 BR 1-1/2 BA “C” in the “Greens.” New paint and carpet, also for rent. 950 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $139,000. 2BR 2FB “G” in “Fairways.” Table space kitchen with passthrough, separate dining room, new paint and carpet, enclosed balcony. 1014 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 20th of each month. Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards. Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $15 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word. Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $35 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word. Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad. Send your classified ad with check or money order, payable to the Beacon, to:

The Beacon, D.C. Classified Dept. P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227 For information about display advertising, or to request a media kit, call (301) 949-9766.

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate

Personal Services

LEISURE WORLD® - $159,000. 2BR 2FB “H” in “Fairways.” Table space kitchen with big pantry closet and window, separate dining room with window. Huge living room, enclosed balcony, owners’ suite with dressing area. 1220 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463.

EVENT PLANNING – We will plan your next celebration for you. We plan retirements, anniversaries, reunions, baby showers and birthday celebrations. Contact Norine at 301-3259807.

WE’LL BUY YOUR HOME Without the Hassles. Local Company in business since 2003. BBB Accredited. Call 877-948-3232 today for details. No Obligation or Fees. LOOKING FOR A QUIET AND FRIENDLY WOMAN between the ages of 55-70 to share my lovely home in a quiet area of Silver Spring, MD. Must be strict vegetarian, non-smoker, and nondrinker. The rent is $600/month including utilities. Call Carol at 301-754-1289 between 6:30PM – 8:30PM. BEAUTIFUL ONE-BEDROOM IN GREENS, age 55+ community in Silver Spring. Close to elevator, tree-top views, glass balcony open to living room. Fresh paint, newer carpet, mostly newer appliances. $93,000. Call Roberta Campbell, Weichert Realtors, 301-681-0550 or 301-801-7906.

For Sale KING DAVID CEMETERY, Falls Church. 3 Lots, Section 41. All 3 for $25,000. Call Norman 703-297-7703. 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 MGL CLEANING SERVICE Experienced. Same team every time. Licensed bonded, insured. Good references, free estimates. Our customers recommend us. Mario & Estela: 202-4916767 & 703-798-4143. MICHAELS HAULING Clean-outs, scrap & debris removal yard waste, etc. Mulch, dirt & stone delivery, lite dump truck, 20’ trailer & bobcat. Fully insured. 240-388-1898. NEED HOUSING CLEANING? Professional service at an affordable rate! Weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, or one time. Call Fulvia for a free estimate. 240-644-4289.

Miscellaneous 68-YEAR-OLD SINGLE MALE employed part-time looking to rent part of house, basement okay, in Silver Spring or Takoma Park with private bathroom and private partial kitchen (I don’t cook). Please call Steve, 301-589-4040.

Personal Services VAN MAN – For your driving needs. Shopping, appointments, pick-up and deliver – airport van. Call Mike 301-565-4051. WILL TYPE YOUR MEMOIRS, manuscripts, etc. For info and rates, call 703-671-1854. FEMALE WITH LEGIBLE HANDWRITING will address cards and letters for senior citizens, disabled and businesses. Call 301-8870218. LIFETIME MEMORIES ON PROFESSIONAL VIDEO – Pass your memories to future family members. Let them see and hear you. Great prices. VideoLegaciesEverlasting.com. 301-5355592.

FIRE ARMS TRAINING BY NRA CERTIFIED instructor. Basic pistol. Advanced personal one-on-one and concealed handgun permit training available. Call Craig at 703-896-0068 in Springfield, Va.

Volunteer Opportunities COLUMBIA LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND, a nonprofit organization serving people of all ages in the Washington metropolitan area who are blind and visually impaired, is recruiting adult volunteers to serve as Readers and Friendly Visitors. Participants in the Readers & Friendly Visitors program are adult volunteers who are matched one-on-one with blind or visually impaired adults. Volunteers arrange weekly meetings with clients at their homes to assist with activities, such as reading mail, grocery shopping or running errands. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact Jocelyn Hunter at 202-454-6422 or jhunter@clb.org to attend an upcoming orientation.

Wanted PULP MAGAZINES WANTED. Paying Cash. The Shadow, Doc Savage, G-8 Westerns, Crime, Horror. Pulp drawings and paintings. Older comic books. Please call Larry, 240-5331445. WE BUY OLD AND NEW COINS, Jewelry, Silver and Gold, Paper Money Too. Watches, Clocks and Parts, Military Badges and Patches Old and New. Call Greg, 717-658-7954. HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUES, ESTATES - Cash paid for antiques, estates. I’ve been in the antiques business for over 25 years. I live in Silver Spring and work in Bethesda. I’ve been selling on EBAY for over 15 years. I pay the most for your valuable treasures. Buying the following items: furniture, art, silver, gold, old coins, jewelry, wrist watches, military items including, guns, rifles, knifes, swords, medals, etc. also buying old toys, dolls, trains, books, tools, musical instruments, old sports items, memorabilia, gold, baseball, fishing, old photos, comic books, etc. Please call TOM at 240-476-3441, Thank you. OLD AND NEW WE BUY Sterling Silver Flatware, Tea Sets or Single Pieces., Furniture, Tools, Cameras, Good Glassware, Art Work Too. Toys From Trains to Hotwheels, Action Figures to Star Wars. Call Greg, 717-658-7954. WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, Guitars, Banjos, Mandolins, etc. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack, 301279-2158. CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. We make house calls. Ask for Tom. Call anytime 301-654-8678 or 301-654-0838. WE PAY CASH for antique furniture, quality used furniture, early American art, pottery, silver, glassware, paintings, etc. Single items to entire estates. Call Reggie or Phyllis at DC 202726-4427, MD 301-332-4697.

Classifieds cont. on p. 41

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Assisted Living

SIMPLY

DIFFERENT Nothing says “home” like a beloved pet greeting you … the aroma of baking brownies … the sound of a child laughing … and the many other comforting touches you’ll find at The Meadows and The Woods. Whether it’s assistance with daily tasks or rekindling memories, our skilled staff is always there to offer help and strengthen confidence. Those who live here continue to grow, and to feel a sense of purpose with each new day.

because what surrounds you really matters.

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