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VOL.29, NO.10

‘Camp’ pumps up music lovers

Newbies and regulars Wilton Baker, of Bethesda, Md., learned about the Peabody camp while on a tour bus in Istanbul. “I told another traveler that I had taken up piano when I retired, and she said ‘you’d love this!’ I’ve been coming ever since,” he said. A former lawyer who represented the IRS before the U.S. Tax Court, Baker was “looking for something completely different” once he retired. Unlike many of the Peabody regulars, he was a complete newcomer to the piano. Now 71, he’s taken weekly lessons for about four years now, and “it’s one of the most interesting things I do.” How’s it going? “I progress as everybody does,” he said dryly. “Slowly.” He added that YouTube “is humbling. You struggle through a piece, and then watch

OCTOBER 2017

I N S I D E …

PHOTO BY STUART ROSENTHAL

By Stuart Rosenthal If you ever took music lessons as a child, you may well recall the traumatic experience of performing for fellow students and their families at annual recitals. You might then consider it a nightmare were you to find yourself attending a weeklong “piano camp,” where you would endure a public critique of your technique before performing on stage at the Peabody School of Music in downtown Baltimore. But for several dozen adults each summer, the Piano at Peabody program is heaven on earth. For a solid week, these men and women live in the Peabody graduate dorms (with or without their spouses), eat in its cafeteria, and attend lectures, private coaching sessions, public master classes and faculty recitals from 8 a.m. till 10 p.m. every day. Those who wish can also secure private lessons with the faculty, play duets with other attendees, and practice to their heart’s content — something some of the attendees cherish as much as any other aspect of the program. The week concludes with two nights of recitals by the attendees, presumably pumped up and well-practiced for their public performances. But it’s not the performing that brings them here. It’s the love of music, and what it does for them.

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SEE SPECIAL INSERT Housing & Homecare Options following page 26

LEISURE & TRAVEL Posing on stage at the Peabody School of Music in downtown Baltimore are some of this year’s Piano at Peabody participants. The intensive one-week program for adults inspires beginners and experienced pianists alike, and helps forge long-time friendships among the participants. Front row (l to r): Toni Killinger, Steve Baddour, Teresa Hone, Jim Frison, Connie Baum, Gail Rudenstein, Dolores Vestrich; second row: Sara Leonard, Bill Baum, Laurie Barber, Debbie Koenig, Andrew Chapman, Stan McLeroy.

this 5-year-old play it much better than you can. But then you realize she’s probably practiced it more than you have, too!” Delores Vestrich, of Falls Church, Va., is a multi-decade veteran of the program. The self-deprecating 89-year-old jokes about how she started making music “banging on rocks with sticks.” The former scientist says she loves to “analyze” music, and also finds it “fun to experiment and learn how to make [various instruments] work.” It may be her modesty, but she also says forthrightly, “I play a lot of instruments badly.” In addition to piano, she mentions saxophone, marimba and flute. “No one wants to hear me, and I don’t care,” Vestrich said. “I don’t play for others; just for myself.”

She loves coming to Peabody because the instructors who lecture and conduct master classes “respect our curiosity and love” for music. She also revels in the recitals the instructors give. “You hear better music here than on any other stage; repertoire you won’t hear performed anywhere else,” Vestrich said.

Began at a real camp What is now known as Piano at Peabody actually started out about 25 years ago as a summer music camp in Maine called Encore Coda. Diane Moskowitz of Timonium, Md., who attended it for several years, remembers the camp fondly. See PIANO CAMP, page 42

Repositioning cruises offer real bargains; plus, new airlines take off, visiting Thoreau’s Walden Pond, and Bob Levey takes a stand page 34 TECHNOLOGY 4 k Preserving your digital assets FITNESS & HEALTH k New cardio and cancer drug k Your brain on diet soda SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

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Finding a new passion Long-time readers will note something as I grew up, and came to realize the incredodd about this issue. Well, maybe several ible talent and dedication required for such things. But what I have in a profession, I wised up and mind is that our cover story turned my sights elsewhere. was written by me. But this summer, I returned I don’t do that very often, to Fort Worth to sit once again you may have noticed. So what in the competition audience moved me to do so this month? and let the long days of music My personal story, in brief: waft over me. And it was there I played piano throughout my that I first learned about the school years, but pretty much Piano at Peabody program, put it aside once I got to colfrom Rabbi Warren Stone of lege, and certainly after I Temple Emanuel in Kensingstarted working for a living. ton, who happened to be sitFROM THE Furthermore, I grew up in PUBLISHER ting behind me! Fort Worth, Texas, the home By Stuart P. Rosenthal Intrigued to learn there of the Van Cliburn Internawas a week-long “piano tional Piano Competition, which I attended camp” for adults each summer in nearby regularly while growing up, mesmerized Baltimore, I told our managing editor, Barby the world’s finest young pianists per- bara Ruben, I would like to “cover the forming the most beautiful repertoire. story” myself. At first, I became inspired and dreamed The result is not only this month’s feaof becoming a concert pianist myself. But ture, but my return to regularly playing

Correction: In last month’s article, “How to track down forgotten cash,” TreasuryHunt.gov was recommended as a site to search for uncashed savings bonds. That service is no longer available. Those with questions about lost bonds should instead submit Fiscal Service Form 1048, Claim for Lost, Stolen, or Destroyed United States Savings Bonds. The form and its instructions are available at www.treasurydirect.gov/forms/sav1048.pdf. Thank you to alert reader Gloria Barrett for bringing this to our attention.

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Washington DC area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Greater Baltimore, Howard County, Md. and Greater Palm Springs, Calif. Readership exceeds 400,000. Subscriptions are available via first-class mail ($36) or third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. D.C. and Maryland residents: add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below. Publication of advertising contained herein does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Signed columns represent the opinions of the writers, and not necessarily the opinion of the publisher. • Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal • Associate Publisher ..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President of Operations ....Gordon Hasenei • Director of Sales ................................Alan Spiegel • Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben • Art Director ........................................Kyle Gregory • Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King • Advertising Representatives ........Doug Hallock, ............................................Rodney Harris, Dan Kelly • Assistant Editor ..........................Rebekah Alcalde

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (301) 949-9766 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Website: www.theBeaconNewspapers.com Submissions: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 10th of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 15th of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 51 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

the piano after decades of inaction. For years, the Beacon has reported on studies finding that older adults who start to learn, or return to, various creative arts experience not only personal satisfaction, but also use less medication, make fewer doctor visits, have reduced falls, and enjoy better health overall. And readers have approached me many times over the years, including this summer, to tell me how they or their parent blossomed in later life, discovering a new talent or developing a new skill that brought them great pleasure and fulfillment. And so, we at the Beacon have decided to embark on a completely new venture for us — a year-long program to inspire our readers to take up a new artistic endeavor in the coming months, and then, come next spring, enter some of your creations in a regional competition for recognition and prizes. We call it “The Beacon Celebration of the Arts.” For a variety of reasons, we have chosen to highlight not music or dance, but rather four types of hands-on creative work that we hope will appeal to the broadest number of people: — Painting: of any type on any medium — Sculpture/3-D Art: including sculpture in wood, stone or metal, as well as fired clay/pottery, fiber art, found object art and any other three-dimensional work — Photography: including images of people, places or objects, as well as abstract and other images manipulated by digital means — Poetry Each month, we hope to present stories about local individuals who have taken this step and want to share how it has affected their life. (Please write to us and let us know about you!) We also will be helping spread the word about the numerous venues throughout the region that offer instruction in these arts and provide opportunities to engage in them. After giving you a few months to learn about these arts and develop your skills in them, we will then solicit your best new works for a regional competition to be judged by professional artists. Winners will receive awards, cash prizes, and have their work exhibited. In addition, photos of all artists and their works will be published in a special “Celebration of the Arts” section to be printed in the Beacon next fall.

While many of you may already be quite proficient in one or more of these fields, and a number may even be professional artists, we particularly want to encourage amateurs to take a local or online class in their chosen area(s) and explore the possibilities. We will be promoting this project through partnerships with area museums, art schools, recreation departments, retirement communities, galleries and more, as well as through monthly articles and ads in the Beacon. We are especially pleased to announce a partnership with the Maryland Federation of Art (MFA), which will be providing us access to their excellent website for soliciting entries in the competition phase. While there is a modest fee of $10 for an entry, entering will entitle you to a one-year membership in MFA (new members only; value: $70), and enable you to set up your own “gallery” online — a kind of mini-website, where you can share your artwork and poetry with friends. Entries will also be archived on the site, and will be visible to the general public once the winners are announced. In my eagerness to share this exciting news with you, I have probably jumped the gun a bit. We are still ironing out some details and developing the rules for the competition. And we are only beginning to solicit partners and sponsors for this rather hefty year-long undertaking. So, there will be more to tell you as time goes on. But I wanted to share the news and whet your appetites for what I believe will be a very exciting and invigorating project. In the meantime, I encourage you to experiment with a new craft: Take a painting or sculpture class at a local recreation center. Take a new look at the world through the camera on your phone. Or simply pick up a pen and shape what you’re thinking about, or have recently experienced, into a poem. In short, let yourself blossom in your own unique way. For more information about our Celebration of the Arts, read upcoming issues of the Beacon, email us at arts@thebeaconnewspapers.com, or call us at (301) 949-9766. Potential partners and sponsors are also encouraged to contact us to learn how you can participate. We look forward to hearing from you!

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or e-mail to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification. Dear Editor: Your column “Can you relate?” in the August Beacon was so thoughtful and touching! As a retired person on a fixed income, I

cannot give as much — or to as many causes — as I want to. But I try to pick out particular causes close to my heart — international See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 49

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Technology &

Innovations How to leave your digital assets to heirs By Ken Moraif My mom, who passed away a few years ago, was a very careful and meticulous person who kept a notebook with all of her online account passwords. Mom was also a Morse code operator in the Royal Air Force during WWII, so all of her passwords were in code. I was lucky: She told me about the book and her codes. If she hadn’t, finding and deciphering her notes would have taken a very long time, and could have held up important estate and financial planning tasks. Like my mom, most of us live part of our lives online today. We have email and social media accounts. We purchase digital books and music. We pay our bills and do

our banking online. Many virtual items cannot be left to heirs through our wills because we don’t actually own them; we just have licenses to view/read/listen to them. Many online accounts, like email and social media sites, don’t belong to us either. The businesses that administer them control what happens when our contracts are terminated by death. So, how do we prepare to leave our digital legacies? #1. List all of your online accounts. These might include: • Email accounts • Financial accounts and utilities, including checking or savings accounts, re-

tirement accounts, mortgages, life insurance, gas and electric, phone or cable bills and tax-preparation services • Social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) • Music, photos or books stored online • Websites, blogs and licensed domain names • Seller’s accounts on eBay, Etsy or Amazon • Any online communities or listservs where you have been active #2. Make plans regarding what should happen to those accounts. Do you want someone special to have access to your iTunes library? To your photos? Do you want certain emails saved and

printed, or would you rather have the accounts purged? Would you prefer your social media accounts be deleted or turned into “memorial” accounts when possible? Would you like someone to post a final status update after your death? #3. Choose a “digital executor.” Let that person know where you keep your passwords (and if they need to be decoded). Talk to your executor, but also leave detailed instructions on where and how to find passwords, user names, etc. You may be able to leave virtual items you actually own (e.g., photos you took, music See DIGITAL ASSETS, page 6

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Health Studies

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Please mail this form to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227 or fax to (301) 949-8966

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Aspenwood Senior Living (See ads on pages B-10 & B-16) Atrium Assisted Living (See ad on page 18) Bayleigh Chase (See ad on page 22) Brooke Grove (See ads on pages 3, B-6, B-14, B-16 & B-20) Buckingham’s Choise (See ad on page 22) Churchill Senior Living (See ad on page 10) Covenant Village (See ad on page B-5 & B-19) Crossings at Spring Hill, The (See ad on page 6) Emerson House (See ads on pages B-6 & B-19) Fairhaven (See ad on page 22) Gardens of Traville (See ad on page 19) Hebrew Home (See ad on page 19) Homecrest House (See ads on pages B-2 & B-18) Kensington Park (See ads on pages B-9 & B-18) Olney Assisted Living (See ads on pages B-5 & B-17) Park View Bladensburg (See ad on page 23) Park View Columbia (See ad on page 23) Park View Emerson (See ad on page 23) Park View Laurel (See ad on page 23) Riderwood (See ads on pages B-6, B-12 & 48) Ring House (See ad on page 17) Springvale Terrace (See ads on pages B-5 & B-8) Sunrise at Bethesda/Chevy Chase (See ad on page B-13) The Village at Rockville (See ads on pages B-7 & B-16) Ring House (See ad on page 17) Victory Terrace (See ad on page 18)

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LiveStrong’s versatile workouts are shown in photo slideshows that break down the moves with very specific written instructions and not videos, which means you don’t have to worry about audio or the circle of death while you’re downloading content. Others include short demonstration videos that are brief enough they don’t bog down your phone or device, or use much data.

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There’s something for all levels here, including convenient quickies like their 30day ab challenge, and quick warm-ups to prevent back pain, with some videos under five minutes. Advanced folks can try the Navy Seal workout, train with Mr. Universe, or try the 41 hardest ab exercises routine. And if you’re not looking for an entirely new workout program but maybe just a few new moves to add to your routine, there’s plenty of inspiration, including 10 moves with free weights you can try at home, or 15 burpee variations (burpees are a cross between a squat, push-up and jump). www.livestrong.com/cat/sportsand-fitness

F R E E

Beacon Links & Apps

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Technology & Innovations | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Tech Shorts By Sununu Bah and Barbara Ruben

Protection from scams It is estimated that more than 5 percent of older adults become victims of a scam or fraud each year. After Howard Tischler found $8,000 in unnecessary fees and charges on his motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s credit card, he researched the personal financial management systems that were available at the time, looking for something that could prevent this from happening to his mother again. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nobody was addressing the particular issues that were happening to seniors,â&#x20AC;? Tischler said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No one was looking at current financial activity as compared to an individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historical financial activity...So what needed to be done was a personalized approachâ&#x20AC;? to do just that. So Tischler teamed up with Liz Loewy,

Digital assets From page 4 you bought) to people in your will, so make sure your executor has all the information

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

pendence, and if they believe that they have been exploited, then possibly their independence could be jeopardized,â&#x20AC;? Tischler said. EverSafe, www.eversafe.com, can be accessed online or via apps available in the iTunes store or from Google Play. Monthly subscription fees vary depending on the level of monitoring service. They range from $7.49 to $22.99 a month.

former chief of the elder abuse unit in the Manhattan District Attorneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office, to create a monitoring service that would protect people like his mom. The result is called EverSafe â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a fraudmonitoring platform that focuses on the financial health of seniors and their families. The company, based in Columbia, Md., uses artificial intelligence to detect scams, identity theft and other suspicious activity in a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial accounts, and alerts both the account holder and their family members to the finding. If indeed a fraud is found, an EverSafe employee will help put together a personalized action plan to resolve it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have experts who have been dealing with these issues for upwards of 20-plus years, who can help formulate a plan,â&#x20AC;? Tischler said. He added that a New York state study found that only a small percentage of financial abuse situations are actually reported. Why? â&#x20AC;&#x153;One, is that people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize that they are being exploited. Two, is they might be embarrassed by the fact that it happened, and they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to let anybody know. Three, people are trying to protect their inde-

When Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appeared to steal the 2009 Iran election from the presumed victor, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, citizens took to social media to voice their displeasure. As the Iranian government worked to mute the voices of protesters, Marylandbased entrepreneur Stephen Constantine was inspired to come up with a better way to follow the protest. His app, YouMap, essentially allows users to post not just what they are doing and feeling, but puts them on an interactive map, so users know where the action is. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The reason for it was because I saw the

needed to access and download them. You may also want to consider â&#x20AC;&#x153;vaultingâ&#x20AC;? your digital goods with a company that puts all of your digital information (including passwords) onto one online platform. A few of the

companies that PC Magazine recommends are iDrive (www.idrive.com), SOS Online Backup (www.sosonlinebackup.com), and Carbonite (www.carbonite.com). Whatever you decide, do make a decision.

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An atlas for people

militia attacking people in the streets, and I saw these protestors trying to organize the response on Twitter. This made me realize that this is not suitable. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have three-dimensional lives where things happen at specific locations. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when the idea of YouMap first seeded in my mind,â&#x20AC;? said Constantine, who also sits on the board of Eagle Coffee, one of the longest continually operating privately held corporations in the U.S., started by his great uncle in 1921. Constantine realized that YouMap could become more than a protest map app one night when he went to a bar in Essex, Md., that had been packed one week and deserted the next. He wanted to use his map to find where the action was. Should he drive to Baltimore or Towson for a livelier scene? YouMap told him where fellow users were checking in, marking their spot on the map with an emoji that expressed their mood. When you click on an emoji, the userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s status update appears. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At its core, YouMap is a human atlas,â&#x20AC;? See TECH SHORTS, page 7

Your digital legacy is important. Make sure your heirs can â&#x20AC;&#x153;crack the codesâ&#x20AC;? to access it. All contents ÂŠ 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Links & Apps From page 5 ney general’s office. ClipCall, free in the iTunes and Google Play stores

What’s for dinner? The Paprika app allows users to organize recipes, make meal plans, and create grocery lists. Using Paprika’s built-in browser,

Tech shorts From page 6 Constantine said. “It’s not a millennial atlas, it’s not just a protestor atlas, it’s not just an atlas for nightlife. It’s a human atlas…where people can get information to improve their lives.” YouMap is available free from the iTunes store.

Traveling internationally with disabilities While traveling abroad, Sébastien Archambeaud experienced difficulty finding adequate accommodations for his son, who has muscular dystrophy. So he created the website Handiscover, www.handiscover.com, to

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

recipes can be saved from anywhere on the web, as well as from 200 recipe sites that the app links to. Users can also enter their own custom recipes and add personal notes to recipes, as well as scale recipe ingredients to their desired serving size, such as reducing a recipe that serves six to just two. The grocery list feature automatically consolidates ingredients for chosen recipes and categorizes them by aisle. Paprika, $4.99 in both the iTunes

and Google Play stores

The Ikea Store app lets users find stores, create a shopping list, and check stock availability. But the new Ikea Place app, released in September, allows customers with some of the latest iPhones to not only browse through its 2,000-item catalogue, but see how they would look in their own homes.

It works like this: Hold up your phone, turn on the camera and place a piece of digital furniture in the part of the room you’re viewing. Do you wonder if you can squeeze in an eight-foot area rug? The app rolls it out across your room. Would a new arm chair look best by the window or in the corner? Try it both ways with the app. Ikea Place, free from the iTunes store, only for the new OS 11.0 or higher (including iPhone 6s and later versions)

help other travelers with disabilities. Archambeaud said that each country has its own interpretation of what constitutes a disability, which leads to varying — or no — accommodations for residents and travelers alike. “At the core of the issue lies the fact there is no international standard for accessibility in the travel industry,” said Archambeaud. “Without a standard, hosts — whether it’s hotels or vacation rental companies — have to make their own decisions to assess if a property is ‘wheelchair accessible’ or not. “Unfortunately, very often that only means — at best — there are ramps here and there, but does not guarantee that you will be able to use the bathroom.” Handiscover users send in information about the accessibility of hotels and apartments in more than 40 countries. Users

can search for, and rent, the accommodations directly from Handiscover. Users first indicate how much mobility they have: can they walk and handle going up a few stairs, or can they only handle one step, or do they need a fully accessible accommodation? The platform then displays

a list of reservations that fulfill the level of assistance needed. Along with basic information on the hotel or apartment, the site displays accessibility information about parking, hallway, doors, kitchen, living room, bathroom and more. Users can contact the host as well.

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Health Fitness &

EDITING DNA Gene splicing is a tool widely used by researchers seeking disease cures GOODBYE, PET You’re entitled to mourn a pet’s loss, though friends may not understand SHOTS IN THE ARM Older adults can choose between two flu vaccines designed just for them SUBTLE SIGNS OF CANCER Be alert to the highly subtle signs of ovarian cancer and talk to a doctor

Drug appears to curb heart attack, cancer By Marilynn Marchione For the first time, a drug has helped prevent heart attacks by curbing inflammation — a new and very different approach than lowering cholesterol, the focus for many years. People on the drug also had surprisingly lower cancer death rates, especially from lung cancer. An anti-tumor effect is an exciting possibility, but it needs much more study because the heart experiment wasn’t intended to test that. Doctors say the results on the drug, canakinumab (can-uh-KIN-yoo-mab), open a new frontier. Many heart attacks occur in people whose cholesterol is normal and whose main risk is chronic inflammation that can lead to clogged arteries. “We suddenly know we can address the inflammation itself, the same way we learned almost 25 years ago that we could address cholesterol. It’s very exciting,” said the study’s leader, Dr. Paul Ridker of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Results were published in the New Eng-

land Journal of Medicine and Lancet, and presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference in Barcelona, Spain. The drug’s maker, Novartis, sponsored the study and Ridker consults for the company.

Why inflammation? Statins such as Lipitor lower LDL or bad cholesterol, and have been the cornerstone of preventing heart attacks along with not smoking, blood pressure control and a healthy lifestyle. Yet one-quarter of people who suffer a heart attack will have another one within five years, and inflammation is a culprit in half of those cases. Inflammation happens after a joint is injured and swells, but similar chemical responses can occur over time throughout the body with unhealthy habits. That chronic, unseen inflammation can damage arteries and set the stage for clots. Twenty years ago, Ridker helped clarify its role and patented a cheap blood test for

a sign of inflammation called high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, or CRP. Canakinumab lowers CRP and is sold now under the brand name Ilaris for some rare inherited diseases. The study tested it in 10,000 heart attack survivors with low cholesterol but high CRP. They got the usual heart medicines, including statins, and were given one of three different doses of canakinumab or a placebo as a shot every three months. Those on the medium dose of the drug had a 15 percent lower chance of another heart attack, stroke or heart-related death over the next four years compared to people given dummy shots. About 33 people would have to be treated for five years to prevent one of these problems — a ratio that outside experts called very good. The highest dose also lowered risk but not by enough to say the drug was the reason. The lowest dose had no effect. It’s hard to get big reductions in risk by adding a new drug like canakinumab if people already are taking optimal medi-

cines, said Dr. Mark Creager, director of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock heart and vascular center and past president of the American Heart Association. But even a small improvement makes a huge difference considering how common heart attacks are, he said. “That’s going to save a lot of people.” The best part is having a new way to help patients, said the Cleveland Clinic’s heart chief, Dr. Steven Nissen, who has consulted for Novartis without fee. “For the first time we have this new target — inflammation,” Nissen said. “It’s sort of the dawning of a new era. I really think it’s that big.”

An anti-cancer effect? Inflammation also affects how cancers grow and spread. The cancer death rate was only half as large among those getting canakinumab, and death rates for lung cancer were lower in people getting the See PROMISING DRUG, page 9

Are artificial sweeteners bad for the brain? By Dr. Robert H. Shmerling Sometimes it seems like people trying to choose a healthy diet and watch their weight can’t catch a break. Past studies have linked the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and obesity. So it’s easy to understand the appeal of diet soft drinks and other artificially sweetened beverages. If you drink two cans of Coke per day, switching to diet sodas could reduce your calorie intake by 8,400 calories each month. As long as you don’t add in new sources of calories, over time that could add up to some serious loss of excess weight.

Alarming findings But now, a study has raised the possibility that artificial sweeteners in diet beverages may increase the risk of dementia and stroke. Researchers analyzed health data from nearly 3,000 adults who had filled out diet surveys, and determined their incidence of stroke or dementia over 10 years. The

findings were alarming. Compared with people who said they didn’t consume diet drinks, those who had at least one per day suffered three times more strokes, and were three times more likely to develop dementia. Consumption of regular (non-diet) soft drinks was not linked to a higher risk of these brain problems. And the results were unchanged when accounting for other important factors such as gender, diet, smoking and physical activity.

Some major caveats Before you despair or give up your favorite diet beverage forever, keep in mind that a study of this sort has some major limitations that can lead to faulty conclusions. For example: • It’s impossible to account for every factor that could affect the results. For example, maybe people with diabetes or a family history of diabetes chose sugar-free soft drinks more often than people without diabetes would. So it could be their diabetes and family history, not the diet soft

drink consumption, which were responsible for their higher rates of stroke and dementia. • This type of study cannot establish cause and effect. Even if there is a higher rate of brain disease in people who drink more diet soft drinks, we can’t be sure that the diet soft drinks were the cause. • This study did not look at the overall health effects of diet soft drinks. It’s possible they are still a healthier choice than sugar-sweetened beverages. • This study was conducted when most artificially sweetened beverages contained saccharin (Sweet’N Low, Sweet Twin), acesulfame-K (Sunett, Sweet One), or aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal). Newer sweeteners, such as sucralose (as in Splenda) were unlikely to have been included. • While the risk of stroke or dementia was higher among those consuming diet soft drinks, only about 3 percent of the studied population had strokes and about 5 percent developed dementia. So, while a higher risk was observed among diet beverage drinkers, the overall risk in those

who did or did not drink diet beverages was relatively low. • This study only looked at artificially sweetened soft drinks. It didn’t look at use of artificial sweeteners in foods or beverages other than soft drinks.

More research needed To understand how concerned we should be and how artificial sweeteners might cause these health problem (or others), additional research will be needed. I have to admit, this study has made me rethink my own habits. Would it be better if I started adding sugar to my coffee rather than my current routine of adding sucralose? I’m not sure. And this study gives me no guidance. But if you drink a lot of diet soft drinks, this study should give you pause — maybe moderation is in order. Or maybe drinking plain water wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Robert H. Shmerling, M.D., is faculty editor of Harvard Health Publications. © 2017, President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Promising drug From page 8 top two doses. Doctors don’t think the drug prevents new cancers from developing, but that it might slow the growth of any tumors that had already started, based on other research. The cancer results were unexpected and intriguing, but not consistent across all types of tumors, said Dr. Barnett Kramer, prevention chief at the National Cancer Institute. He called the lower risk for lung cancer “a promising lead” for future research, but said it comes with concern about the drug’s side effects.

The bad news Canakinumab raised the risk of fatal infections — about 1 of every 1,000 patients treated. Older people and diabetics were most vulnerable. The drug had no effect on death rates once cancer, infection and heart risks were balanced out. “The fatal infections are something to be concerned about” but overall trends are in

a good direction, said Dr. David Goff of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The federal agency had no role in the heart attack study but sponsors one underway now testing methotrexate, a pill long used to treat cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. It may give a relatively cheap way to prevent heart attacks if it works, because canakinumab is a biotech drug that’s likely to be expensive, Goff said. Novartis said it’s premature to discuss price for any use as a heart medicine. It costs as much as $200,000 now for rare diseases, and would have to prove cost-effective to justify its relatively modest benefits and risks for heart disease prevention, Dr. Robert Harrington, chairman of the department of medicine at Stanford University, wrote in a commentary in the New England journal. The company said it would discuss the new results with regulators and pursue further studies on the lung cancer possibilities. Drugs called NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, fight inflammation and pain, but they can raise heart risks, which may seem confusing in light of this study. But they work in a different way, do not reduce CRP, and can affect blood clot formation. — AP

BEACON BITS

Oct. 27+

FREE POST-CAREGIVING RETREAT WEEKEND

Hospice Caring, Inc. is offering a free, all-inclusive retreat weekend to primary caregivers whose loved one has died within the past two years. “When Caregiving Ends…What’s next?” will take place from Friday, Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. through Sunday, Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. in Potomac, Md. Connect with other former caregivers who have “walked in your shoes,” practice self-care and relaxation, share your caregiving experience, commemorate your loved one, and refocus now that your caregiving role has ended. Also enjoy renewal activities, communal meals and camaraderie. Space is limited, and registration is required. For more information or to register, contact Anne Baker, Director of Adult Bereavement Services at anneb@hospicecaring.org or call (301) 990-0854.

BEACON BITS

Oct. 22

AGING AND WELLNESS FAIR

The Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia (the J), Celebrate Fairfax, Inc. (CFI) and Innovation Health present the Northern Virginia Positive Aging and Wellness Fair on Sunday, Oct. 22 from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Inova Center for Personalized Health Conference Center, located at 3225 Gallows Rd. in Fairfax, Va. The fair features journalist Bob Levey and 30+ morning and afternoon interactive workshops for attendees, including an exhibition hall with products and services geared towards seniors, and a lunch (with pre-registration). Tickets cost $20 by Oct. 16, which includes admission, workshops and lunch. After Oct. 16, tickets cost $20 and do not include lunch. Parking is free onsite, and shuttle transportation will be available from several senior living sites at no cost. For more details and to register, visit PositiveAgingFair.com.

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Gene editing is widely used in research By Lauran Neergaard Gene editing is getting fresh attention, thanks to a successful lab experiment with human embryos. But for all the angst over possibly altering reproduction years from now, this technology already is used by scientists every day in fields ranging from agriculture to drug development. New gene editing tools let scientists alter the DNA of living cells — from plants, animals, even humans — more precisely than ever before. Think of it as a biological cut-and-paste program.

A look at the science While scientists have long been able to find defective genes, fixing them has been

so cumbersome that it’s slowed development of genetic therapies. There are several gene editing methods, but a tool called CRISPR-Cas9 has sparked a boom in research as laboratories worldwide adopted it over the past five years because it’s faster, cheaper, simple to use with minimal training, and allows manipulation of multiple genes at the same time. Pieces of RNA are engineered to be a guide that homes in on the targeted stretch of genetic material. The Cas9 is an enzyme that acts like molecular scissors to snip that spot. That allows scientists to delete, repair or replace a particular gene. The fresh attention comes from research involving human embryos. In laboratory experiments, a team lead by Oregon re-

searchers used CRISPR to successfully repair a heart-damaging gene in human embryos, marking a step toward one day being able to prevent inherited diseases from being passed on to the next generation. But there’s wide agreement that more research is needed before ever testing the technique in pregnancy. The biggest everyday use of CRISPR so far is to engineer animals with human-like disorders for basic research, such as learning how genes cause disease or influence development, and what therapies might help. But promising research, in labs and animals so far, also suggests gene editing might lead to treatments for such diseases as sickle cell, cancer, maybe Huntington’s — by altering cells and returning them to the body. Another project aims to one day grow transplantable human organs inside pigs. Safety is a key question because gene editing isn’t always precise enough. Researchers have improved precision in recent years, but there’s still the possibility of accidentally cutting DNA that’s similar to the real target.

Is it ethical? Legal? Altering genes in sperm, eggs or embryos can spread those changes to future generations, so-called “germline” engineering. But it’s ethically charged because future generations couldn’t consent, any long-

term negative effects might not become apparent for years, and there’s concern about babies designed with enhanced traits rather than to prevent disease. Earlier this year, an ethics report from the prestigious National Academy of Sciences opened the door to lab research to figure out how to make such changes — and said if germline editing ever is allowed, it should be reserved for serious diseases with no good alternatives, and performed with rigorous oversight. Where you live determines if, or what kind of, research can be performed on human embryos. Some countries, especially in Europe, ban germline research. Britain allows basic lab research only. In the U.S., scientists can perform laboratory embryo research only with private funding, as the Oregon team did, not with federal taxpayer money. Any attempt to study germline editing in pregnant women would require permission from the Food and Drug Administration, which is currently prohibited by Congress from reviewing any such request. Researchers also are using gene editing to hatch malaria-resistant mosquitoes, grow strains of algae that produce biofuels, improve crop growth, even make mushrooms that don’t brown as quickly. —AP

BEACON BITS

Nov. 3

CAREGIVER CAFÉ

Montgomery College presents Caregivers’ Café D for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias on Friday, Nov. 3 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Mark A. Gottlieb will speak about financial planning. The café will be held in room 362 of the Science Center at Montgomery College’s Rockville campus, located at 51 Mannakee St. For more information or to reserve a seat, contact Debbie Juneja at (240) 567-5678 or email Debbie.Juneja@montgomerycollege.edu.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

Program teaches skills for self-defense By Alexis Bentz Clifford L. Thomas has been practicing martial arts for more than 50 years — 40 of them teaching skills at the Tae Kwon Do Ramblers Self-Defense Systems school he founded in 1980. In August, the Grandmaster — a martial arts title that denotes his seniority and experience — held a senior safety and self-defense symposium in Bladensburg, Md. It was one of a number of similar programs he has run for community members of all ages. Thomas said he noticed that communities and schools were not educating residents and students about self-defense and safety skills. “So, I took it upon myself years ago, when they were helping the seniors with everything except safety and self-defense,” to offer such classes, he explained. The recent symposium included several demonstrations of self-defense techniques that people can use to protect themselves from an attacker. Audience members were invited to participate with Thomas and his team as they showed off moves. “This is for my friend who was mugged in Chinatown,” one volunteer announced as she successfully mirrored the technique for escaping a choke hold. In this sequence, the instructor grabbed her neck from behind. She raised her fist in the air, crossed one foot behind the

other, and twisted, wrapping her raised arm overtop her attacker’s, and removing herself from the hold. She improvised, adding some additional self-defense moves of her own, even ripping the glasses off of the instructor’s face. She smiled as she handed the instructor back his spectacles and returned to her seat; the audience roared.

Be aware of scams The forum also included information about issues beyond physical assault, including scams and fraud. Thomas’s team performed skits to educate participants on how to use their “street smarts.” One skit demonstrated what to do when a person approaches you at the grocery store and offers to help load your groceries into your car (really intending to rob you or steal your car). “You know it’s a scam. You learn to say, ‘No, thank you,’ or get security to walk you to your car. That’s their job,” Thomas advised. He also explained that if you’re in danger, shouting “Stop!” or “Help!” isn’t the way to go. “Holler not ‘Help,’ holler ‘Fire!’” Thomas advised. This will really capture people’s attention, and may even cause the attacker to lose concentration, believing that there is an actual fire emergency.

State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks made an appearance and talked about common phone and computer scams targeting seniors. One of these scams includes a caller claiming to be an IRS agent who insists that “past due taxes” be paid immediately over the phone. Another involves an individual impersonating a grandchild who claims to be in danger and asks you to wire them money. In such cases, Alsobrooks explained that one should be highly skeptical, not disclose any personal information or pay any money, and say that you will call them back. Once off the phone, contact the IRS or family members, and find out if they are indeed trying to reach you. Most likely, it

is a scam. (Note: The IRS never originates contact with people by phone, or demands payment over the phone.) “When people get older they forget that there are other people who want to scam them, to take advantage of them,” Thomas explained. “Self-defense is defending yourself before something happens. One of the biggest things that a senior can learn is awareness — not only of what’s going on around you, but awareness that [a scam or attack] could happen to you. The crowd was lively. Cheers of, “That’s right,” and “Exactly!” could be heard throughout the program. See SELF-DEFENSE, page 12

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Strategies to cope with the loss of a pet By David R. Topor More than a third of American households own at least one pet, and people often have close bonds with them. In one study, 13 of 16 people said they would give a hard-to-get lifesaving medicine to their pet over non-family people. The death or loss of a pet can be a traumatic experience and result in grief and bereavement. The loss is unique in a number of ways. While pets may die naturally, through accidents, or by trauma, pets can also die through euthanasia, which often means that the pet owner must decide exactly when his or her pet is put down. Pets can also be lost when they run away, with no opportunity for closure. Or pets may have to be given away, due to lo-

gistical or financial reasons. There is a lack of formal societal or religious processes for grieving and mourning the loss of a pet. For example, if a pet is cremated, the ashes are usually collected at the veterinarian’s office or even sent through the mail. And family and friends may not acknowledge the depth of grief brought on by the loss of a pet (“It’s just a dog”), the need for a period of bereavement, or the inability of a person to quickly replace the pet (“Just get another one”).

Tips to feel better If you are grieving the loss of a beloved pet, these strategies may help: • It is important to recognize the depth

of feelings of the loss. Your pet may have been with you through the ups and downs in life and may have even helped you cope with other losses. Give yourself the necessary time and space to grieve. Individual, group and family psychotherapy may be helpful to process the loss and make meaning of the pet in your life. • Identify triggers for your grieving and identify ways you can cope. Triggers can include the pet food aisle in the grocery store, or driving by a special place you shared with your pet. • Try to find ways to meaningfully grieve. This can include creating a memory book, journaling, building a memorial, or donating money or time to a pet welfare cause.

• Keep focused on your daily and weekly schedules of personal and professional responsibilities, and make sure to incorporate pleasant activities for yourself into your days. • Explore self-help groups at a local animal shelter or ASPCA. Almost all schools of veterinary medicine have telephone support hotlines. There are also a number of online community forums that allow people to receive support while they grieve and process their loss. David R. Topor, Ph.D., is a contributor to Harvard Health Publications. © 2017, President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Self-defense

Vivian Colbert, 71, attends Thomas’ presentations every chance she gets. “I think it’s very nice for everybody to come out and learn self-defense and how to protect yourself, so if something happens you can think back and say [to yourself], ‘do this!, do that!,’” she said, demonstrating self-defense techniques she had learned to illustrate her words. “I always come when I find out about [such sessions] so I can update [my skills].” In turn, Thomas is glad to impart his wisdom. “I want to do things to help them and give them a chance to enjoy life,” Thomas said of the older adults in attendance. “I love my job,” he added with a smile. For information on upcoming events and classes, see www.ramblers-tkd.org or call (202) 251-1030.

From page 11

Other issues addressed Several other guest speakers discussed additional dangers facing older adults. Michael Ruggier, from the fire department, discussed the importance of smoke detectors and fire safety, and Police Chief Elliott Gibson Jr. reminded seniors of current safety concerns. Maryland State Sen. Joanne Benson gave a rousing speech about the importance of seniors, as well as examples of mistreatment and a legislative update. Pokuaa Owusu-Acheaw, who represented Senator Chris Van Hollen, discussed what the Senate is doing regarding healthcare and how it impacts older adults.

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BEACON BITS

Oct. 10+

VISION WORKSHOPS

The Low Vision Center is offering two free Vision Enrichment Workshops this month. Topics discussed will be lighting, magnification, technology, driving and more. The first is at Benjamin Gaither Senior Center, 80A Bureau Dr., Gaithersburg, Md., at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10. The second is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 12:45 p.m. at the Damascus Senior Center, 9701 Main St., Damascus, MD at 12:45 p.m. For more information, call the Low Vision Center at (301) 951-4444.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Age-Friendly Montgomery “I’m inviting you to enjoy our County’s resources and programs.” County Executive Ike Leggett

During Crime Prevention Month – Learn Some Do’s and Don’ts to Lessen Your Chance of Becoming a Victim • Don’t keep personal belongings, even spare change, in plain view in your car, even if it is locked. Theft from vehicles is the most common crime in Montgomery County. • Don’t give money to anyone who calls you on the phone, unless you know who the caller is. Telephone scams are continually taking place and seniors are frequently targeted. • Don’t immediately hire workers who randomly show up at your door offering to do odd jobs like: repave your driveway, repair your roof, or provide landscaping services. • Do let a neighbor know when you will be away and do wait until you return to post vacation photos on social media. • Do keep your wallet in your front pocket, or in a closed purse. Keep your purse in front of you at all times. An open purse is an easy target for a thief. • Do try to be aware of what is going on around you. If you think a person, vehicle or situation is suspicious, call 301-279-8000, the police nonemergency number. Call 9-1-1 if you believe that a crime is occurring.

In Case of Emergency: Check the Fridge Emergency medical personnel arrive at the home of an older adult, only to find them unconscious or confused. They have few facts to go on. Does the patient have any existing conditions? Are they taking any medications? Do they have any allergies? The medics quickly seek information by looking through the medicine cabinet, while precious seconds tick by. To enable rescue personnel to obtain an accurate medical history when a patient or family member is unable to offer one, the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service offers a program for seniors called the “File of Life.” Each red, magnetic File of Life packet contains important medical information about you and, once completed, is kept on the outside of your refrigerator. The File of Life also provides an area to list contact information for your doctor, family members and any other special circumstances that rescue personnel should know in caring for you. FREE File of Life packets are available upon request to all residents of Montgomery County, Maryland. Call 3-1-1 or 240-777-2430 for information or to have one mailed to you. Visit us at www.mcfrs.org/mcsafe

• Aging & Disability Resource Line 240-777-3000

• 3-1-1 or 240-777-0311 for County programs and services; 9-1-1 for emergency • www.montgomerycountymd.gov/senior

• “Seniors Today” airs on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. on Comcast/RCN 6, Verizon 30

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Medicare to pay for PAD treadmill therapy By Carla K. Johnson Three times a week, Rita Driscoll steps onto a treadmill at a Minnesota hospital under the eye of a rehab therapist. She walks until it hurts — pushing her limits, walking faster and adding steeper inclines. “I’m not giving up my legs,” said Driscoll, who walks as part of a study. “Hopefully it will keep me away from surgery and keep me walking and dancing.” The retired school aide has leg pain caused by clogged blood vessels. Until recently, monitored walking wasn’t an option for people with peripheral artery disease, or PAD, because most insurance doesn’t cover it.

But Medicare has now decided to start paying for supervised exercise therapy for older Americans hobbled by PAD — a serious condition linked to smoking and diabetes that puts people in danger of heart attacks, strokes and amputations. Medicare pays nearly $4 billion a year for surgeries and procedures to treat it. Research shows treadmill workouts overseen by a medical professional improve the distances patients can walk as well as their quality of life. This low-tech approach may reduce hospitalizations and help people live longer, too. But until Medicare decided to cover it, virtually no patients had been getting such exercise therapy outside of studies.

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Helps as much as surgery Drugs don’t work well for PAD, so doctors have used surgery or catheter procedures with balloons or stents to bypass or unblock blood vessels in the legs. The expensive procedures — costing thousands of dollars — do work, but experiments show treadmill walking works just as well for a fraction of the cost. About 2,600 hospital-based rehab centers are gearing up for an influx of patients following Medicare’s decision. Other insurers usually follow Medicare’s lead, so coverage for younger patients may be ahead. Peripheral artery disease affects about 8 million Americans; about 2 million of them have disabling leg pain. “It’s often described as a cramping feeling as if someone has their leg in a vice,” said Diane Treat-Jacobson of the University of Minnesota. Her research shows that walking through the pain in short sessions with rest breaks eventually improves the distances people can walk pain-free. A simple test of ankle and arm blood pressure in any doctor’s office can detect the condition. Beginning in January, Medicare will pay for 12 weeks of supervised exercise at $53 apiece with a doctor’s referral. Sessions will be about three times a week for 30 minutes to an hour. “Right now I tell all my patients with peripheral artery disease to walk. But it’s really hard for them,” said Dr. Mary McDermott of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. Without someone checking on them and encouraging them, many patients won’t keep at it, she said. Leg pain forced Chicago resident Zella Coleman to give up bowling and trips with her choir. After four months of supervised treadmill walking in a Northwestern program at a gym, her pain has eased enough

that she’s started walking with friends in her neighborhood. “I’m trying to get well so I can get back to my life,” said the 63-year-old.

Convincing Medicare The American Heart Association and other heart specialists came together to ask Medicare to cover supervised exercise therapy for people with artery disease. The government’s leading insurance program occasionally reviews the value of treatments and decides what to cover. Over the past two decades, Medicare officials have been finding ways for the program to cover things like counseling to help people stop smoking or to lose weight. Medicare already pays for supervised exercise for people recovering from heart attacks. “Now we don’t have to wait for them to have a heart attack,” said Dr. Elizabeth Ratchford of the Johns Hopkins Center for Vascular Medicine in Baltimore. The decision resulted from medical specialty groups uniting behind a low-tech intervention, said Dr. Louis Jacques. “From the patient’s point of view, nobody is cutting you open, you’re not getting anesthesia, you’re not getting hospitalized,” said Jacques, who is with the health care consulting firm ADVI. Patients need to keep walking or the pain will return. Driscoll is committed, walking several times a week at the University of Minnesota Medical Center. The 69-year-old doesn’t want to end up like her grandmother, who “couldn’t walk down the sidewalk without having to rest.” “My grandma was an old lady [when she was my age], but at the same age I’m not,” Driscoll said. “This grandma still dances.” — AP

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

New options for flu and pneumonia shots Dear Savvy Senior: What can you tell me about the flu shots made for seniors? I got sick last winter after getting a standard flu shot, and am wandering if the flu vaccine for older adults would provide me better protection this year. — Almost 70 Dear Almost: There are actually two different flu shots that are designed specifically for people age 65 and older — the Fluzone High Dose and FLUAD. You only need to get one of them. These FDA-approved vaccines are designed to offer extra protection beyond what a standard flu shot provides, which is important for older adults who have weaker immune defenses and have a great risk of developing dangerous flu complications. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the flu puts more than 200,000 people in the hospital each year and kills, on average, about 24,000 — 80 percent of whom are seniors. You also need to be aware that these senior-specific flu shots cannot guarantee that you won’t get the flu this season, but they will lower your risk. And if you happen to get sick despite having gotten the vaccine, you probably won’t get as sick as you would have without it.

Here’s more information on the two vaccines: Fluzone High-Dose: Approved for U.S. use in 2009, the Fluzone High-Dose (see www.fluzone.com) is a high-potency vaccine that contains four times the amount of antigen as a regular flu shot, which generates a stronger immune response for better protection. This vaccine, according to a 2013 clinical trial, was 24 percent more effective than the regulardose shot at preventing flu in seniors. FLUAD: Available in the U.S. since last year, the FLUAD vaccine (see www. FLUAD.com) contains an added ingredient called adjuvant MF59 that also helps create a stronger immune response. In a 2012 Canadian observational study, FLUAD was 63 percent more effective than a regular flu shot. The CDC, however, does not recommend one vaccine over the other, and to date, there have been no studies comparing the two vaccines. You should also know that both the Fluzone High-Dose and FLUAD can cause more of the mild side effects that can occur with a standard-dose flu shot, such as pain or tenderness where you got the shot, muscle aches, headache or fatigue. And neither vaccine is recommended for seniors who are allergic to chicken eggs, or those who have had a severe reac-

tion to a flu vaccine in the past. The cost of both vaccines is covered 100 percent by Medicare Part B, as long as your doctor, health clinic or pharmacy agrees not to charge you more than Medicare pays.

Pneumonia vaccines Two other important vaccinations the CDC recommends to older adults, especially this time of year, are the pneumococcal vaccines for pneumonia. Around 1 million Americans are hospitalized with pneumonia each year, and about 50,000 people die from it. The CDC is now recommending that all adults 65 or older get two vaccinations — Prevnar 13 and Pneumovax 23. Both vaccines, which are administered just once at

different times, work in different ways to provide maximum protection. If you haven’t yet received any pneumococcal vaccine, you should get the Prevnar 13 first, followed by Pneumovax 23 six to 12 months later. But if you’ve already been vaccinated with Pneumovax 23, wait at least one year before getting the Prevnar 13. Medicare Part B covers both shots, if they are taken at least one year apart. To locate a vaccination site that offers any of these shots, visit www.vaccines.gov and type in your ZIP code. Send your questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book.

Maryland

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Signs of ovarian cancer are often subtle It’s called “the whispering cancer,” and it often goes undetected until too late. “Ovarian cancer is a silent killer. It has few early warning signs, and those can be non-specific — like bloating, indigestion, nausea or weight loss. “A woman with these symptoms probably won’t think, ‘this could be ovarian cancer,’” said Dr. Jayanthi Lea, a gynecologic oncologist at Parkland Health & Hospital System, and associate professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at University of Texas

Southwestern Medical Center. Although not common — there will be only about 22,000 new cases diagnosed in the U.S. this year, the American Cancer Society estimates — ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer in the female reproductive system. It often goes undetected until it has spread within the pelvis and abdomen. At this late stage, the disease is more difficult to treat and is frequently fatal.

The ovaries, each about the size of an almond, produce eggs (ova) as well as the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Symptoms of ovarian cancer may include abdominal swelling, weight loss, discomfort in the pelvis area, changes in bowel habits, such as constipation, and a frequent need to urinate.

No screening test

said. “Pap smears test for cervical cancer, but do not detect ovarian cancer.” “Women need to be aware of changes in their bodies,” Lea said. “If a woman has pelvic pain or other symptoms associated with the disease, she should ask her healthcare provider to consider ovarian cancer and see a specialist. The earlier this cancer is found, the better chance she has for survival.” Dr. Debra Richardson, a gynecologic on-

“Unfortunately, there is currently no screening test for ovarian cancer,” Lea

See OVARIAN CANCER, page 19

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

NEW GRIEF SUPPORT GROUPS Hospice Caring, Inc. is offering several free weekly grief support

groups formerly operated by the Widowed Persons Service of Montgomery County. Two trained facilitators oversee and guide the support groups, which may have up to 12 participants. Pre-registration is required. A group meets at Holiday

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Senior Center at 1000 Forest Glen Dr., Silver Spring, Md., on Mondays from 1 to 2:30 p.m. For information and registration, contact Anne Baker, Director of Adult Bereavement Services, at (301) 990-0854 or anneb@hospicecaring.org.

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Join us for Game Day at

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Wednesday, November 8 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. 1801 East Jefferson Street | Rockville, MD 20852 Featuring Mah Jongg, Canasta, Bridge, Scrabble and more. All levels of experience welcome. Lunch, $5. Free bus transportation from Leisure World departing at 9:30 a.m.

RSVP: 301.816.5052 |

www.smithlifecommunities.org

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Prescriptions: manage more and pay less By Jim Miller Q. I’m concerned that I may be taking too many medications. I currently take 10 different drugs prescribed by three different doctors, which I think is causing me some problems. I also struggle to keep up with all the drug costs. Any suggestions? A. There’s no doubt that older Americans are taking more prescription medications than ever before. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, around 40 percent of people 65 and older take five or more medications. And the more drugs a person takes, the higher their risk for medication problems, and the more likely they are to take something they don’t need.

Do a “brown bag” review To help you get a better handle on the medications you are taking, gather up all your pill bottles — include all prescription

drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements — put them in a bag and take them to your primary doctor or pharmacist for a thorough drug check-up. This “brown-bag review” will give you a chance to check for duplicate meds, excessive doses and dangerous interactions, and for you to ask questions. Medicare Part B covers a free yearly medication review with a doctor as part of your annual wellness visit, and many Medicare Part D plans cover medication reviews with a pharmacist, too. You should also note that Oct. 21 is “National Check Your Meds Day.” A number of pharmacies — including Costco, CVS, Sam’s Club, Target, Walmart and many independents — have agreed to support the effort. Some may even have extra staff on hand to help you review your meds. Ask your local pharmacy whether it is participating.

There will also be a brown bag program at Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Wheaton, Md., on Monday, Oct. 16 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. When you have your review, go over the basics for each medication or supplement, such as what it’s for, how long you should take it, what it costs, and any side effects and potential interactions. Ask if there are any meds you can stop taking, and find out if there are any nondrug options that might be safer, and also whether you can switch to a lower dose. To help avoid future medication problems, make sure your primary doctor is aware of all the medications, over-thecounter drugs and supplements you take. You should also keep an up-dated list of everything you take and share it with every doctor you see. Try to fill all your prescriptions at the same pharmacy — and inform your pharmacist of any over-the-counter, herbal or

mail order prescriptions you take — so that there is complete oversight of your medications and possible interactions.

How to save $ To help cut your medication costs, there are a number of cost savings tips you can try. Start a habit of asking your doctor about prices whenever you get a new prescription. Bring along a copy of your Medicare Part D insurance formulary — its list of covered drugs. The list can tell your doctor how your treatment or any alternatives might be covered. Find out if there are any generic alternatives to the drugs you currently take. Switching to generics can save anywhere from 20 to 90 percent. Surprisingly, be aware that the cash price for some drugs may be cheaper than the co-pay you would incur using insurSee PRESCRIPTIONS, page 19

BEACON BITS

Oct. 4+

GRIEF GROUP

Chesapeake Life Center presents Sacred Listening, a gathering for grieving and sharing personal stories of loss. This new gathering will meet from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Oct. 4 through 25, at Chesapeake Life Center’s Prince George’s County office, 9500 Arena Dr., Suite 250 in Largo, Md. Free, but registration required. Call 1-888-501-7077 or visit www.chesapeakelifecenter.org.

Oct. 19

DRIVE MORE COMFORTABLY

Kensington Park presents Car Fit, an fit assessment for drivers on Thursday, Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn how to fit better in your vehicle, and obtain driver safety information at a 20-minute appointment at Kensington Park, located at 3620 Littledale Rd., Kensington, Md. To schedule your appointment, call (301) 946-7700 or visit www.KensingtonParkSeniorLiving.com.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Ovarian cancer From page 17 cologist at Parkland and assistant professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at UT Southwestern, said she encourages patients to participate in clinical trials testing new drugs. “I am inspired by working with ovarian cancer patients and watching them fight their battles,” Richardson said. “Our patients are very courageous and strong.

Prescriptions From page 18 ance, depending on your plan. Before you fill a prescription, ask the pharmacist what your prescription will cost both using your coverage and without coverage. You should also ask your doctors if any of the pills you take could be ordered in a higher dosage and cut in half. Pill splitting allows you to get two months’ worth of medicine for the price of one. And for any “maintenance” drugs (those you take long-term), ask for a three-month prescription, which is usually cheaper than

Many of them choose to participate in clinical trials because there’s always hope that new drugs will prolong survival rates and eventually find a cure.” “We are always trying for remission, and that is definitely possible with our current treatments,” Lea added. “Every patient should shoot for that.”

Risk factors Risk factors of the disease include hav-

buying month-to-month. Because drug prices can vary depending on where you fill your prescriptions, another way to save is by shopping around. The websites www.GoodRX.com and WeRx.org will help you compare drug prices at U.S. pharmacies. If your research turns up a lower price elsewhere, ask your pharmacist if they would match that price. Your drugstore also may offer a discount program. Find out if your insurance plan offers cheaper deals through preferred pharmacies or a mail-order service. But be aware that paying cash or using different drug-

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

ing the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, early onset of menstruation, late onset of menopause, a family history of ovarian cancer, advancing age (most patients are diagnosed at age 60), and no history of pregnancy. Protective factors that help lower risk include use of birth control pills, breastfeeding, tubal ligation, hysterectomy and pregnancy. The American Cancer Society recommends that if you have symptoms similar to those of ovarian cancer almost daily for more

than a few weeks, and they can’t be explained by other more common conditions, report them to your healthcare professional — preferably a gynecologist — right away. A Wellness Update is a magazine devoted to up-to-the minute information on health issues from physicians, major hospitals and clinics, universities and healthcare agencies across the U.S. Online at www.awellnessupdate.com. © 2017 www.awellnessupdate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

stores for the best price also means that Medicare or your regular pharmacist won’t be able to monitor your medicines to make sure they don’t cause a bad reaction. And finally, if your income is highly limited, you may be able to get help through drug assistance programs offered by phar-

maceutical companies, government agencies and charitable organizations. To find these types of programs, visit www.BenefitsCheckUp.org. Jim Miller is author of The Savvy Senior book. The Associated Press also contributed to this article.

BEACON BITS

Oct. 12

CONFERENCE ON BEREAVEMENT Widowed Persons Outreach presents a bi-annual conference called “Grieving Mindfully: A Conversation about Loss and Hope”

on Thursday, Oct. 12 at Kenwood Country Club, 5601 River Rd., Bethesda, Md. Rev. Drema McAllister-Wilson, congregational care minister of the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, will lead the discussion. Participants will learn the physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual dimensions of grief,

REMEMBER THIS Lecture Series presents

understand the difference between grief and mourning, and more. Registration opens at 9:30 a.m., and the conference will run from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by a three-course lunch. Admission is $35. Pre-registration is required by Oct. 6. For more information or to register, contact Janet at (202) 686-9777 or visit www.sibley.org/community/events.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017 How Heart Health Affects Brain Health Speaker: Rebecca

Gottesman, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Neurology, with a joint appointment in Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Wednesday, November 29, 2017 Alzheimer’s Disease: What does age have to do with it? Speaker: Marie A. Bernard, MD Deputy Director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Join us for these Free events 5:30 p.m. supper | 6 p.m. program Landow House | 1799 E. Jefferson Street, Rockville, MD RSVP: 301.816.5052

www.smithlifecommunities.org

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Health Studies Page

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — 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

Studying the brain’s role in hearing loss By Barbara Ruben Hearing difficulties in older adults are often more complex than simply sounds that aren’t loud enough. Many have a hard time hearing conversation in a loud restaurant. Understanding people who talk a mile a minute can become increasingly difficult.

University of Maryland professor Samira Anderson, who is part of the university’s Neurosciences and Cognitive Science program, is now studying how the brain interprets sound and what may trip it up as people age. “When you hear tones that are softer

BEACON BITS

Nov. 5+

FREE TRAINING FOR HOSPICE VOLUNTEERS The Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) is seeking volunteers

over the age of 18 to help enhance the quality of life of individuals and families facing life-threatening or terminal illness. JSSA offers specialized training for prospective volunteers for its Hospice and Transitions programs. Following the training, volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of two hours a week visiting patients. The next 20-hour training course is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 5 and Monday, Nov. 6; both run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Applications and interviews will be required for those interested in the volunteer training. No walk-ins accepted. For more information or to sign up for the course, contact Carrie Myatt at (301) 816-2611 or cmyatt@jssa.org, no later than 5 days prior to the start of the course.

and louder on a hearing test, that doesn’t really predict how you’re going to hear in the real world,” she said. “What I like to tell people is that in order to really understand what people are saying, the tone has to travel all the way from your ear to your brain.”

Those with normal hearing needed Anderson is now recruiting people with normal hearing, ages 55 to 70, to help her and her colleagues understand what happens to throw understanding off track. “Where is the breakdown in the brain occurring? You have the ear, auditory nerve, brain stem, cortex,” she said. The study lasts six to seven hours and is split into two days. First, participants will have a thorough hearing test to determine if they have any hearing loss. They will then have further hearing testing of sounds and words as well as cognitive testing. About half the study consists of measuring brain activity as the participants hear words. This involves putting electrodes on

the forehead, ears and head, much like an EKG uses electrodes to measure cardiac activity.

Get paid to watch movies “This is most people’s favorite part of the study,” Anderson said. “They can sit back in a recliner and watch movies” with subtitles, so that what they actually hear are just the words being tested. The information gleaned from this study will be used to help develop training strategies to help the brain better interpret what is being said. A new study will start in coming months that will test brain training techniques to help people who do have hearing loss. Anderson said better hearing aids may be one outcome, as well as strategies that train the brain itself to interpret sound better. The study pays $12 an hour and takes place at the College Park campus of the University of Maryland. To learn more, call (301) 405-8362 or email hearingbrainlab@gmail.com.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

BIBLE MUSEUM VOLUNTEERS

The Museum of the Bible is looking for volunteers for its new museum in Washington, D.C. Volunteers should be passionate and energetic. The museum is located at 409 3rd St. SW, Suite 320. For more information or to apply, visit www.museumofthebible.org/volunteer.

Oct. 22

ALL ABOUT DRIVERLESS CARS

Come learn about the groundbreaking technology behind driverless cars and the ways it may one day enhance your quality of life and economic opportunities through greater mobility and independence. On Sunday, Oct. 22 from 2 to 3:30 p.m., Beacon publisher Stuart Rosenthal will interview Gene Gurevich of Mobileye — an Israeli company recently acquired by Intel — which makes a crucial technology for driverless cars. This free event takes place at the Bender JCC, 6125 Montrose Rd., Rockville, Md., and also includes vision screenings, exhibits and refreshments. Reservations requested. Call Debbie Sokobin at (301) 348-3760 or email adults@benderjccgw.org.

Join a Nutrition Study for Weight Loss and Metabolism A no-cost 16-week research program will provide you with information and tools designed to change eating habits, help people lose weight, and improve health. We are testing whether diet changes can naturally increase metabolism and aid in weight loss. Qualified participants will receive at no cost, study-related: ! Weekly nutrition education classes ! One-on-one consultation with a registered dietitian ! Resting and post-meal metabolic rate and body composition testing

Interested? Please call 855-STUDY-18 today! Find out more at PhysiciansCommittee.org/Study or call 855-STUDY-18

5100 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20016

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

Two dementias: Alzheimer’s and Lewy body Dear Mayo Clinic: What’s the difference between Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer’s? How is Lewy body dementia diagnosed? Answer: Lewy body dementia, a brain disease that gets worse over time, is caused by an abnormal protein called synuclein, which is deposited in certain nerve cells and nerve processes. These deposits are called Lewy bodies — named after the physician who first identified them. In Lewy body dementia, Lewy bodies are found in the deep structures of the brain that control movement, as well as in the middle and outer structures involved in emotion, behavior, judgment and awareness. Doctors diagnose Lewy body dementia based on the range of symptoms a person shows. Generally, a Lewy body dementia diagnosis requires an ongoing decline in thinking skills, along with two of the following: visual hallucinations, Parkinsonism, or fluctuating alertness. In addition, people who have Lewy body dementia may experience a sleep condition known as REM sleep behavior disorder, in which people act out their dreams while they sleep. They may also have instability in their blood pressure and heart rate, and the body may have difficulty controlling body temperature and sweating.

Half also have Alzheimer’s Many patients with Lewy body dementia also have overlapping Alzheimer’s disease. About half of Lewy body dementia patients have significant Alzheimer’s disease. Thus, it is not surprising that those diagnosed with Lewy body dementia have symptoms associated with Alzheimer disease, such as memory loss and naming difficulty. However, when doctors who have expertise and experience with the disease make a Lewy body dementia diagnosis, that diagnosis is often correct — as confirmed later during an autopsy. An accurate diagnosis is important, because Lewy body dementia responds differently than Alzheimer’s disease to commonly prescribed dementia medications. Lewy body dementia usually progresses gradually over several years, but the way it progresses can vary significantly from person to person. For example, Lewy body dementia may begin with signs of dementia, and Parkinsonism appears later. Or the

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disease may start with movement difficulties, and signs of dementia don’t emerge for some time. Most people with Lewy body dementia experience the onset of Parkinsonism and dementia within one year. As Lewy body dementia progresses, all symptoms usually become more severe. Hallucinations occur early in Lewy body dementia, but only after about four years in Alzheimer’s disease. If a person acts out dreams, that is strong evidence that he or she has synuclein protein in the brain. This protein is found only in Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and a rare disease called multiple system atrophy. Acting out one’s dreams is a feature in all of these diseases.

No cure, but drugs help Lewy body dementia is a complex dis-

ease, and it can be difficult to control. Currently, there’s no cure. But when treatment is carefully managed, symptoms may be reduced so they have less effect on a person’s daily functioning and quality of life. Some people diagnosed with Lewy body dementia respond positively to medications called cholinesterase inhibitors. They boost the level of a chemical messenger in the brain called acetylcholine that’s important for memory and other cognitive functions. These drugs may help improve alertness and reduce hallucinations and signs of dementia. Other medications are available to help decrease the Parkinsonism, hallucinations and other Lewy body dementia symptoms. But these medications must be closely monitored by a healthcare provider. In people who have Lewy body dementia, medications to improve motor function

may make symptoms such as hallucinations worse, and medications used to combat dementia may increase Parkinsonism. Because Lewy body dementia treatment needs to be managed skillfully to obtain the most effective results, people who have this disease should be monitored by a physician with expertise and experience with Lewy body dementia — usually a neurologist or a neuropsychiatrist. — Neill Graff-Radford, M.D., Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A @mayo.edu. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org. © 2017 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Alzheimer’s may often be misdiagnosed There are a few words that terrify people with labels constantly, and dropped into as soon as they are uttered by a physician. the sinking ship called the “medical sysOne of them is “Alzheimer’s tem,” which is frequently too disease.” When you hear that quick to cut, poison and burn. word, it’s like time stops. There’s a difference beA new report has considtween an ailing memory and ered the fear that we have Alzheimer’s disease. It’s comwhen it comes to Alzheimer’s. mon sense. Researchers evaluated 1,641 According to preliminary adults over the age of 50 and results from a new study prefound that certain factors are sented recently in London, diknown to increase our fear of agnosing Alzheimer’s is a developing Alzheimer’s — not guessing game. Doctors evalDEAR the disease itself, but fear of getuated 4,000 Medicare patients PHARMACIST ting it. who had mild cognitive imBy Suzy Cohen What are the three factors? pairment or dementia, and dis1. Stress covered that many of them de2. Genetics finitively do not have Alzheimer’s! 3. Self-determined faulty memory Could you be one of those older adults Stewing about these factors doesn’t nec- who has reduced memory function, but essarily mean you’re going down the rab- not actually Alzheimer’s disease? The bit hole. treatment differs, you know. I worry more about you getting diagThe average retail price for a month’s nosed with Alzheimer’s when you don’t supply of a popular Alzheimer’s medicahave it! That’s the sad reality that happens tion is $497, cold hard cash. One challenge every day. we have is that well-meaning doctors don’t even think twice about prescribing Too quick to label Alzheimer’s medications. How do I know? People get smacked Adding to the challenge, pharmaceuti-

art ist. I’M NOT A SENIOR. I’M AN

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cal companies promote the glories of saiddrug, adding to the indiscriminate prescribing problem which, IMHO is already haphazard. So, unfortunately, Alzheimer’s is a guessing game. We know Alzheimer’s patients tend to have sticky clumps of betaamyloid in their brains. You can see these using PET-scans (often not reimbursed), or via painful spinal taps. So obviously most people do not endure these expensive or invasive procedures. But they are told they have Alzheimer’s anyway, without a definitive diagnosis, often based on their poor memory recall or recent personality changes. Down the rabbit hole you go.

A better way to test? Some practitioners don’t think with enough compassion, or they wouldn’t toss the name “Alzheimer’s” out so fast. I’ve been on the other side of this. Not personally, but close enough to see how families get ruined, how lives and finances become catastrophic due to one word: perhaps mold, or Lyme, or Alzheimer’s, or “insert your disease here.” What can be measured? Quinolinic acid (from the substrate L-tryptophan). It can be evaluated, and while having high levels doesn’t equate to Alzheimer’s, measur-

ing it is better than diagnosing on symptoms. We do know this compound is generated in excess in people with Alzheimer’s disease. There’s also a new blood test in development to screen for evidence of plaques. It’s not available right now, and has only been tested in a small group of people, so more testing is needed on larger groups. “Our results demonstrate that this amyloid beta blood test can detect if amyloid has begun accumulating in the brain,” said Dr. Randall J. Batemen, sharing the news in London. He continued, “This is exciting because it could be the basis for a rapid and inexpensive blood screening test to identify people at high risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.” Note, signs of amyloid would indicate that you may develop Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a clue; it’s not a certainty. If you’d like to read a more detailed version of this column, visit my website, www.SuzyCohen.com, where you can also sign up for my newsletter. This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement. Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To contact her, visit www.SuzyCohen.com.

BEACON BITS

Oct. 16+

HAND DANCE CLASS Publick Playhouse and the Hand Dance Association present a

Monday morning drop-in hand dance class for those 60 and older, starting Monday, Oct. 16 through Monday, Nov. 6 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Partners and prior experience not necessary. Tickets cost $5 per class. Publick Playhouse is located at 5445 Landover Rd. in Cheverly Md. For more information, call (301) 277-1710 (TTY 301-699-2544), email PublickPlayhouse@pgparks.com, or visit http://bit.ly/PublickPlayhouseHandDance.

Nov. 6

POETRY CAFE A free monthly poetry cafe will take place on Monday, Nov. 6 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Friendship Heights Village Center, located at 4433

South Park Ave. in Chevy Chase, Md. Poets Hiram Larew and E. Ethelbert Miller will

Barbara Bodie Buckingham’s Choice resident, crafter, painter and jewelry-maker

read from their work, and an open mic will follow. The evening starts with classical guitar by Michael C. Davis and includes refreshments. Admission is free. The Center is a five-minute walk from the Friendship Heights Metro Rail station. For more information, call (301) 656-2797.

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Getting along with your daughter-in-law Dear Solutions: everyone together. though, that she enjoyed this close-knit Dear Anna: My grandson is going to have his Bar Well, she got very angry with me group and would not have liked it any larger. They might, since politics makes Mitzvah in two months. My and was very cold and alSo out came your magic wand, erased strange bedfellows. son, his father, died four most nasty to me after your praise, and left her with only your critiHowever, you’d have to agree veheyears ago, and his mother has that. What did I do cism. mently on other vitally important marital been remarried for three wrong? After all, I did How to fix it? Use the other magic word: issues like: Is it too hot or too cold? Should years. praise her first! the window be open or closed? Is this the “Great.” I’ve been invited to the — Lil right direction, or are we lost? Should the Call her. Ignore all the rest, and just tell service and the luncheon folDear Lil: her she did a great job: You know how blanket be tucked under the mattress or lowing it. I would like them to You used the magic word: much hard work it took to put everything pulled out? Should we vacation in Maine or say something about my son “but.” “But” is a magic wand. together, and thank her for a great day! in Spain? at the affair, but my former Wave it and it immediately Dear Solutions: Short of that, I think the next time you daughter-in-law says no, erases everything that was I was going out with a man who dis- want to meet someone, you should join the SOLUTIONS that’s not part of the plan, essaid before. No matter how agreed with just about everything I be- political club of your choice. At least you By Helen Oxenberg, pecially since her husband is much you praised the work lieve in — mostly politics. Since we won’t cancel out each other’s vote! MSW, ACSW paying for the affair. she did, what she finally were both very politically opinionated, © Helen Oxenberg, 2017. Questions to be I have nothing against heard, after the “but,” was we kept arguing and finally broke up. considered for this column may be sent to: him, and my grandson seems to like criticism. Do you think people who disagree The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, him, but do you think they’re right? You mention that she’s not a good cook, vehemently politically could ever MD 20915. You may also email the author I’ve been having a little argument with so she may or may not have believed your make it work in a marriage? at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about my former daughter-in-law over this. praise to begin with. She did make it clear, — Anna reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684. Am I right? — Roz Dear Roz: Wrong, wrong, wrong — your question, ALL your arguing and your insistence. And three wrongs don’t make a right. SMOKE Be happy that you’re included, and let it FREE go at that. When you have your grandson APARTMENT HOMES FOR THOSE 62 AND BETTER over to your home, or when you take him somewhere and are alone with him, you can talk to him about his father. The host and hostess of this day are your former daughter-in-law and her husband. You are a guest — a special one of course — so play the part. Dear Solutions: I have four sons. I went to one son’s house for a holiday meal and celebration. My daughter-in-law is not a good cook, EASTERN SHORE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY but she worked hard and it was OK. Easton 410-770-3070 Furnace Branch 410-761-4150 Three of my sons were there with Severna Park 410-544-3411 their families. They all get along well HARFORD COUNTY and seem to agree with each other on BALTIMORE CITY all major issues like politics, religion, Bel Air 410-893-0064 child rearing and such. Ashland Terrace 410-276-6440 Box Hill 410-515-6115 My other son and family, who live Coldspring 410-542-4400 further away and whose opinions are HOWARD COUNTY dif ferent from the other brothers, BALTIMORE COUNTY Colonial Landing 410-796-4399 were not there. I would have loved to Catonsville 410-719-9464 Columbia 410-381-1118 see them all together, but several Dundalk 410-288-5483 Ellicott City 410-203-9501 times my daughter-in-law said it was Fullerton 410-663-0665 just the right number, she enjoyed it Ellicott City II 410-203-2096 this way, and it would be too crowded Miramar Landing 410-391-8375 Emerson 301-483-3322 with more people. Randallstown 410-655-5673 Snowden River 410-290-0384 This annoyed me. I was very careful Rosedale 410-866-1886 though. I told her how good everyPRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY Taylor 410-663-0363 thing was and how nice it was to be Bladensburg 301-699-9785 there, but that I really missed having Towson 410-828-7185

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FROM THE MAYOR By Muriel Bowser As residents of the District of Columbia, we are blessed to live in a thriving multi-generational community. More than one in 10 of our neighbors are over 65 years old, and their ranks are growing every day. Our older residents are the cornerstone of our community, and I am committed to making sure Washington, D.C. remains a place where people of every age can thrive. This is a D.C. value that drives my team, and we know that living in a safe, energetic and age-inclusive community means looking out for one another every day. One way my Administration is looking out for older residents is by demanding strong protections against financial exploitation and abuse. Seniors in Washington, D.C. have often spent a lifetime working, and deserve a peaceful and secure retirement. So recently, my Administration announced two pieces of legislation to hold accountable those who target seniors with scams and identity theft. The North American Securities Administrators Association estimates that older residents and vulnerable adults suffer annual losses of at least $3 billion because of financial exploitation and abuse. We need to stop this activity in its tracks — an effort that will require the entire community working together to identify and report instances of financial exploitation. The first piece of legislation, the Protection of Seniors and Vulnerable Adults from Financial Exploitation Act of 2017, would establish a mandatory reporting requirement in cases of suspected financial exploitation for insurance companies, securities firms and banks. The Act also allows financial

firms to temporarily delay payments related to suspicious transactions. This would halt bad actors before they can inflict permanent damage on seniors’ hard-earned savings and credit. The second piece of legislation, the Vulnerable Population and Employer Protection Amendment Act of 2017, would authorize the District’s health occupations board to take disciplinary action against health professionals who engage in the financial exploitation of patients, clients or employers. The bill would also allow my Administration to move swiftly to suspend the license of health professionals that exploit patients for financial gain. This adds long overdue teeth to current law. In addition to this legislation, my Administration will continue the Safe at Home Program, which has already installed safety adaptions in the homes of nearly 700 D.C. seniors and residents with disabilities, and we will also continue to hold workshops on financial literacy for residents of every age. For example, the District’s Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking collaborates with Adult Protective Services and other members of the D.C. Elder Abuse Prevention Committee to make financial fraud prevention presentations and to distribute financial education materials to seniors and vulnerable adults throughout the city. Over the past year, we have reached 4,817 residents through 58 senior-specific outreach events. I encourage the Council to act promptly on my legislation, and I hope all of us will continue to work together, be good neighbors and, most importantly, look out for each other.

Hattie Holmes Senior Wellness Center Celebrates 10 Years with Mayor Muriel Bowser

More than 100 participants and special guests were there to celebrate the center’s 10th anniversary. More than 100 people gathered to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Hattie Holmes Senior Wellness Center in Ward 4. The colors for the day were electric blue and silver, and participants, including the Inspirational Choir, were decked out matching the event’s theme colors. The Hattie Holmes Anniversary Committee worked meticulously to set the scene for the event with vibrant decorations and strings of light. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Ward 4 Coun-

Mayor Muriel Bowser presents Teresa Moore, director Hattie Holmes Senior Wellness Center, with a congratulatory letter to celebrate 10 years.

cilmember Brandon Todd, Health and Human Services Deputy Mayor HyeSook Chung, and DCOA Executive Director Laura Newland were among the officials to bring greetings in celebration of 10 years of delivering wellness programs in Ward 4. Maria Gomez, executive director of Mary’s Center, operator of the Center, provided welcoming greetings and thanked the Center Director Teresa Moore and staff for leading the programs daily at the site to keep seniors living healthy and active lifestyles. Jean Holmes, daughter of Hattie Holmes, also spoke to the participants, reminding them of her mother’s legacy. Along with the Inspirational Choir, the MC Steppers danced in their ‘70s costumes of colorful bell bottoms and sleeves, and the talented Tammi Hayes played the keyboard and sang music for everyone to enjoy. The event also included a delicious catered meal, and all seemed to enjoy everything that was planned to celebrate the center’s milestone. A special thanks to the emcee for the occasion — Shawn Perry, host of the See WELLNESS CENTER, page 25

Spotlight on Aging

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR October events 5th • 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Department on Disability Services will hold its 2017 Community Resource Fair at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Pl. NW. To learn more, email Alonzo.brown@dc.gov.

10th • 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The D.C. Center for Independent Living 2017 Consumer Forum & Youth Summit, “Navigating Your Independence through Community Opportunities,” will take place at Gallaudet University’s Kellogg Conference Center, 800 Florida Ave. NE. For more information, see www.facebook.com/events/793024944212353.

10th and 24th • noon Join the D.C. Caregivers online chat at noon to discuss caregiving for someone with breast cancer on Oct. 10, and caregiving for someone with Down syndrome on Oct. 24. To participate, visit http://dcoa.dc.gov/page/caregiver-chat at noon or visit at your convenience and hit replay to see the chat. For more information, contact linda.irizarry@dc.gov or call 202-535-1442.

11th • 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s Clinical Resource Management Department will hold its Fall Discharge Planning Vendor Fair at the MWHC Physicians Office Building, Samet Atrium,106 Irving St. NW. Contact Hidaat.Alem@medstar.net for more information.

12th • 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

19th • 6 p.m.

There will be a hand-dance luncheon with Councilmember Vincent Gray at the Chateau Remix, 3439 Benning Rd. NE. For more information, call Latisha R. Atkins at 202-741-0898.

The Chevy Chase DC and Georgetown chapters of NARFE (National Active and Retired Federal Employees) present Jessica Klement, who will discuss the federal budget and other legislative issues affecting federal employees and retirees. The free program will take place at IONA Senior Services, 4125 Albemarle St. NW (one block west of Tenleytown/ AU Red Line Metro station). Non-NARFE members welcome. To learn more, call 202-518-2519.

15th • 3 p.m. The Washington Seniors Wellness Center CHORALEERS will perform their 31st Annual Concert at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, 4001 I St. SW. For more information, call 202581-9355.

18th • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The 6th Annual DCOA Community Health, Wellness and Resource Fair will be held at River Park Mutual Homes’ South Common Room, 1311 Delaware Ave. SW. The event includes flu shots, exercise, vision and hearing screenings, and more. A box lunch will be provided. To learn more, contact Betty Jean Tolbert Jones at bettyjeantolbertjones@yahoo.com or 202-554-0901.

19th • 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. D.C. Retired Educators Annual Business Meeting and the D.C. Office on Aging will sponsor a Community Health and Resource Fair at Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, 4606 16th St. NW. Contact Jo Ann Turner at 202-526-4953 for more information.

Wellness Center Senior Zone, which airs Mondays at 10 a.m. on WYCB, 1340 AM — for keeping the event moving.

The Inspirational Voices of Hattie Holmes sang during the milestone celebration.

500 K St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002 202-724-5626 www.dcoa.dc.gov

Executive Director Laura Newland

Editor Darlene Nowlin

Photographer Selma Dillard

DCOA and collaborating partners will hold a community workshop at the Green Valley Apartments, 2412 Franklin St. To learn more, contact Fonday Kanu at 202-526-1868.

26th • 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Mayor’s 10th Annual Disability Awareness Expo takes place at the Department of Employment Services, 4058 Minnesota Ave. NE. For more information, call 202-724-2890.

26th • 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Pepco Energy Assistance Summit will be held in the Second Floor Conference Room, Pepco Holdings, Inc., 701 9th St. NW. For more information, call 202-833-7500.

26th • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Councilmember Brandon Todd’s 3rd Annual State of Ward 4 event will be held at LaSalle Riggs Recreation Center, 501 Riggs Rd. NE. For more information, contact Sherryl Newman at 202-724-8052.

Seniors Take a Stand on Falls Prevention Awareness Day

From page 24

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.

23rd • 1 to 2 p.m.

The D.C. Office on Aging does not discriminate against anyone based on actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, familial status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, disability, source of income, and place of residence or business. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination which is prohibited by the Act. In addition, harassment based on any of the above protected categories is prohibited by the Act. Discrimination in violation of the Act will not be tolerated. Violators will be subjected to disciplinary action.

The Office on Aging is in partnership with the District of Columbia Recycling Program.

Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans. On Sept. 22, the nation commemorated the 10th anniversary of Falls Prevention Awareness Day to raise awareness about how to prevent fallrelated injuries among older adults. This year’s theme, Take a Stand to Prevent Falls, focused on uniting professionals, older adults and caregivers to learn new ways to reduce fall risks. DCOA celebrated this special day by hosting a series of fall assessment screenings at each senior wellness center. Six out of 10 falls occur in homes. The District has taken steps to address this statistic through the implementation of the Safe at Home program, which provides grant funding for income-eligible D.C. residents to modify their homes for mobility, and to limit fall risks. Contact DCOA at 202-7245626 to learn more.

How to Reduce Risk of Falls At any age, people can make changes to prevent falls. Follow these tips to lower your risk: • Increase lighting throughout the house, especially at the top and bottom of stairs. Ensure that lighting is readily available when getting up in the middle of the night. • Keep moving! Exercise to improve your balance. • Remove home hazards. Keep rooms free of clutter, especially on floors. • Have your vision checked regularly, and use corrective lenses, if prescribed • Use plastic or carpet runners and be sure rugs have skid-proof backs or are tacked to the floor • Install grab bars on bathroom walls near your tub, shower and toilet. • Use a nonskid bath mat in the shower or tub

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CCRCs update services to attract boomers By Jennifer L. Waldera Baby boomers may be aging, but they want to do it on their own terms. That includes how they think and speak about retirement communities, and the industry is taking note. “The labels and the way that we talk about our services are actually scaring our customers away,” said Steve Gurney, publisher of Guide to Retirement Living. “No one wants to buy our services because it’s all about getting old.” Enter the rebranding of what are typically called Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) and are beginning to be known as Life Plan Communities (LPCs). The change is spearheaded by LeadingAge, a national organization based in

Washington, D.C. that represents nonprofit housing and aging services providers. In surveys, they found that “across all age groups, most participants expressed a need for a name that focuses on more than care,” according to the group’s website. For many years, the term Continuing Care Retirement Community has been used to define communities offering residential services for independent older adults, as well as some form of assisted living for those needing help with daily activities, and skilled nursing care for rehabilitation and long-term care needs — all on one campus. These communities provide their residents with an apartment or villa, utilities, meals, housekeeping, transportation, and

other services and amenities, all in a secure environment. In addition to charging a monthly fee for accommodations and services, most CCRCs require a one-time entrance fee upon moving in. In part, this fee helps provide the endowment a community needs to assure it can provide a lifetime of healthcare to its residents. In many CCRCs today, the entrance fee may be refundable should a resident move away and, in some cases, it may even be passed on to heirs. Most communities offer a variety of different payment and refund options. By addressing “the continuum of care,” such communities are intended to provide all the services a person could need in the latter part of life, and as such, have the potential to be the “last move” a person need make.

Changing priorities

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LeadingAge’s CCRC members were reporting that consumer demands were changing drastically. Boomers were looking for socially responsible communities focused on the active lifestyle they wished to live. “The kinds of questions...that [marketing professionals] are getting now from prospective residents are radically different than they were 10 years ago,” said Steve Maag, LeadingAge’s Director of Residential Communities. “They’re much more knowledgeable, much more demanding, and ask a lot more questions.” Maag explained that the CCRC model was originally created for members of the WWII generation, who were primarily looking for basic needs to be met, and whose priorities were security, stability and maintenance of the status quo.

Surveying baby boomers about what they are seeking in a retirement community, LeadingAge found that while consumers still desired high-quality healthcare, they also wanted life-enhancing options that focus on wellness, choice, and the opportunity to continue an active lifestyle. According to Maag, the industry needed to adjust to these demands and respond with options that would be appealing to this new generation of prospective residents. Using that knowledge, the organization led a “namestorming” process that identified the language that most positively reflected the expectations for consumers. They ultimately determined that the label Life Plan Communities best reflected the values prospective residents associated with retirement community planning, and subsequently began to address transforming and increasing the services provided by the communities.

What is really changing? In addition to providing high-quality healthcare in the residential environment, LPCs focus on a holistic approach to meet the needs of members, according to Maag. These communities seek to provide residents with a host of other quality-of-life amenities, such as golf courses, swimming pools, banking services, convenience stores, a fitness center, walking trails, gardens, beauty/barber shops and guest accommodations. Of course, many CCRCs today also provide most or all of these amenities, so to a certain extent, the name change is more about branding than substance. According to Maag, however, communiSee CCRCs, page B-4

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Robotic companion can make life easier By Rebekah Alcalde Those who live alone and need some assistance to continue aging in place may get by with a little help from a friend — a cute white and blue robot named Rudy. INF Robotics, based in Fairfax, Virginia, has spent the last six years building Rudy specifically to assist older adults and individuals with disabilities with a range of tasks, and to serve as a sentinel in case of falls. Rudy, who can be summoned by name (and whose name can be changed, by the way), can track its owner’s movements, detect if they fall, and summon help if needed. It can also retrieve and carry light objects and, since it can speak, remind you to take medications and when you have appointments. Rudy is about the size of a 10-year-old, and is designed to look friendly and accessible. In fact — with its round head, cartoonish features, and white and bright blue colors — it almost looks like a snowman.

More than a companion The idea for the robotic companion came to CEO Anthony Nunez while he was still a teenager — when his grandmother fell and lay undiscovered for days, prompting her loss of independence and increased reliance on his mom. Seeing the difficulties on “both ends of the spectrum” is what

caused him to look for the out-of-the-box solution that became Rudy, he explained. In addition to his other functions, Rudy can also act as a medium between a person and their doctors and caregivers. In fact, doctors can operate him remotely and check in on the robot’s owner on a regular basis. “For caregivers or family members, they can take control of Rudy and see how the senior is doing,” explained Nunez. “The interface is extremely simple. We know seniors haven’t grown up using computers.” A blue video screen on its chest enables chatting between the owner, their caregivers and doctors. Through a camera, doctors can “see the senior, observe them as they move around, and talk to the senior to become informed of certain things that may be concerning them health-wise that are not visible to the doctor or the caregiver,” Nunez added. For privacy reasons, Rudy does not record information, but Nunez said this can be altered in the next model if customers decide they want it. Aside from its practical uses, Rudy can also be a major source of companionship, fun and social interaction for its owners. The video-chatting screen on its chest can be used to play games with its owner, and the robot can even dance and join in simple conversations.

Helpful in emergencies Though emergency call buttons have been popular for years, many people who have them don’t wear them or forget to put them on, according to Nunez. Enter Rudy, who both talks and understands commands, making him an invaluable companion in the event of an emergency. INF Robotics has partnered with AlertOne Services so Rudy can call for help in the event of an emergency. The robot currently requires owners to actually say “help” to acti-

vate this feature, but the INF team is working on a way to summon help in cases where a person cannot themselves utter the word. The robot was always designed primarily for older adults and their unique needs. “We have kept seniors in the loop from the very beginning,” Nunez said, “and constantly evolved the design and operation based on their feedback and needs.” According to Nunez, it was important to See ROBOT, page B-5

PURPOSEFUL LIVING Whether you’re looking for Independent Living or Assisted Living, Paul Spring is committed to taking senior living to the next level. You’ll enjoy 12 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds with gazebo, koi pond, putting green and walking path. From our diverse enrichment and social programs to our exceptional fine dining experience, we deliver valued living all in the comfort of your new picturesque home. Call (703) 768-0234 for more information, and to schedule a personal tour with lunch or dinner.

7116 FORT HUNT ROAD · ALEXANDRIA, VA 22307 · (703) 768-0234 · WWW.RUI.NET/PAUL-SPRING ·

@PAULSPRINGRETIREMENTCOMMUNITY

A RETIREMENT UNLIMITED, INC. COMMUNITY · FAMILY-OWNED & OPERATED IN VIRGINIA FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS

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INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

CCRCs From page B-2

Overture Fair Ridge 703-584-5959 3995 Fair Ridge Drive Fairfax, VA 22033 www.OvertureFairRidge.com Active adult rentals for ages 62 & up. Enjoy maintenance- free living in our one-bdrm, one-bdrm w/den and 2-bdrm floor plans. The gourmet kitchens include state-of-the-art appliances, granite countertops & backsplash. Bathrooms are spacious with walk in showers, and apartments have full size top-loading washers and dryers. Complimentary breakfast is served daily. Fun awaits with weekly happy hours, and your concierge plans trips, tours and events. Activities will include a variety of fitness classes, such as water aerobics, wellness health screenings, beauty and spa services, crafts and cooking classes, and in-person and online education courses for computers, estate/financial planning, and more will be offered. Pets welcome.

LIFE PLAN COMMUNITY

Vinson Hall Retirement Community 703-536-4344 6251 Old Dominion Drive McLean, VA 22101 www.vinsonhall.org Celebrate the tradition at Vinson Hall Retirement Community! We're located in McLean, Virginia, near Washington D.C. and its surrounding suburbs. We are an active, vibrant senior living community, offering independent living, assisted living, nursing care, and memory support residences — all located on 20 acres in a suburban setting. Residents are encouraged to live life “their way.” Visit our website to learn more: www.vinsonhall.org.

ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE

Tall Oaks Assisted Living 703 834-9800 12052 N. Shore Drive Reston, VA 20190 TallOaksAL.com For over 25 years, Tall Oaks Assisted Living has been a favorite choice of seniors in Reston, Virginia. Tall Oaks continues to excel, expanding its Wellness and Rehabilitation Center, hosting top-notch programs and support groups, and, most recently, introducing Deluxe One Bedroom Apart ments — they feature the space many want in a home you'll love! Tall Oaks offers Assisted Living, Memory Care, and short-term Respite Care, and all residents have access to licensed nurses 24 hours a day. Call today to schedule a personal tour, enjoy a meal, and sample an activity. At Tall Oaks Assisted Living, many smiling faces will be happy to greet you!

ties that adopt the Life Plan term are looking to update features and upgrade services, with a particular emphasis on more choices for residents.

Updated features Among the improvements prospective residents can expect to see in Life Plan Communities are: Customizable living areas. Residents will be able to customize their living spaces with options including colors, floor types, cabinets and countertops. Some LPCs even offer interior movable walls to adjust the shape and size of rooms. Healthcare. Access to quality healthcare remains a priority, but with a particular focus on addressing the concerns that baby boomers have regarding dementia care. Technology. To meet the needs of boomers who are, generally, technologysavvy, Life Plan Communities are ensuring that appropriate up-to-date technology is readily available. While the current focus may be as relatively simple as providing WiFi for all residents, or exploring the usage of Alexa and Skype and similar voice-recognition technology, communities are aware that they need to be prepared to implement the latest technology efficiently and effectively to meet residents’ needs. Dining choices. In traditional CCRCs, structured dining times with limited dining options have been standard and accepted. Now, LPCs are acknowledging the various dietary needs and desires of prospective residents, and are offering a variety of cuisines from sushi to Italian to Thai, as well as modifying menus to ensure options for those who follow vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free diets. Dining settings have changed as well. In addition to traditional sit-in spaces, many LPCs are offering prepared options for residents to take away and enjoy in their own units. Also, the times that food is made available have expanded. Alcohol. While some CCRCs may have chosen to provide alcohol in the past, it is now far more common for LPCs to make alcoholic beverages more readily available, not only by incorporating pubs and lounges into their communities, but offer-

ing such programs and activities as wine clubs and wine tastings. Variety of programs. Traditional retirement community activities bring to mind bingo, card-playing and the occasional group outing. Today, communities are looking to their residents for input on their pastimes and preferences, in order to create programs and spaces for them that cater to a variety of hobbies — including art studios and classes, pottery and wood shops. Storage. Baby boomers are active and expect to remain so as they age. That means having enough storage to house the materials that support their lifestyle, including equipment like kayaks, bikes, skis — and even RVs. While organizations such as LeadingAge are encouraging traditional CCRCs to consider adopting the Life Plan Community name and image, that change is not yet widespread. Very few CCRCs in the Greater Washington area, for example, have switched over to the LPC nomenclature, though many are moving to update their services and facilities. To see a map of LPCs around the U.S., go to http://lifeplancommunity.org/whywere-changing/#fndtn-panel-4. Below are some selected CCRCs and LPCs in this area. For a more complete listing, visit www.mylifesite.net/app/searchcommunities-results.cfm.

In D.C. Residences at Thomas Circle, downtown Washington, D.C., (202) 729-9702, www.meridiansenior.com/community/the -residences-at-thomas-circle

In Maryland Brooke Grove Retirement Village, Sandy Spring, Md., (301) 388-7209, www.bgf.org Riderwood, Silver Spring, Md., (301) 4955700, www.ericksonliving.com/riderwood Village at Rockville, Rockville, Md., (301) 424-9560

In Virginia Ashby Ponds, Ashburn, Va., (703) 7231999, www.ericksonliving.com/ashby-ponds Falcons Landing, Potomac Falls, Va., (703) 439-1521 Greenspring, Springfield, Va., (703) 9131200, www.ericksonliving.com/greenspring Vinson Hall, McLean, Va., (703) 536-4344, www.vinsonhall.org

BEACON BITS

Oct. 7

FIXING THE METRO SYSTEM The League of Women Voters of the National Capital Area and the

Coalition for Smarter Growth will hold a free forum for the public to learn about funding and fixing the Washington, D.C.-area Metro system on Saturday, Oct. 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. At the event, attendees will hear from regional transportation experts and concerned citizens, learn and strategize about how to fund and fix Metro, and find out how advocates can be part of the solution. The event takes place at National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, 4301 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va. Admission is free; a $10 lunch can be requested at registration. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/FundItOrFixIt.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Robot From page B-3 INF Robotics to have potential consumers test the robot to see if there were any issues that needed resolving and to see if they enjoyed it. They decided to test him in senior living communities and with home care companies, both within their target market. “With the senior community living facilities, we had seniors volunteer themselves to test with Rudy,” he said, “and we would also have the faculty recommend seniors whom they would like to see Rudy working with, to get the senior out of their rooms to move and interact more.” The robot was tested in several senior living communities around the Fairfax area, including Vinson Hall, Woodlands, Somerset and Goodwin House in Virginia, and Knollwood in Washington, D.C. It was also utilized by several home healthcare agencies, including Comfort Keepers,

SenCura and Home Health Options Group. All three will continue their partnership when it hits the market. Though primarily for seniors, Rudy is also suitable for an individual of any age with disabilities. Nunez said they are also looking to assist veterans, especially those who were wounded or now need assistance. Because of this, Rudy has been tested and approved by the Department of Veteran Affairs. The expected cost of each unit is $5,000, a hefty price for some, but with the monthly cost of non-medical home care at roughly $16 to $26 an hour, it could be worth the investment. Nunez said they are also seeking reimbursement options through Medicare and Medicaid, and hope that the robot “will be little to no cost to the user” in the near future. Rudy is just beginning to hit markets in the Washington, D.C. metro area, with national sales projected for late 2018. For more information, visit www.infrobotics.com /index.html.

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Ashby Ponds 703-723-1999 or 1-800-564-0155 21170 Ashby Ponds Boulevard Ashburn, VA 20147 EricksonLiving.com Get the facts about active retirement living at Ashby Ponds. All in one fantastic FREE brochure. The comprehensive Ashby Ponds brochure is packed with the crucial information you need — and the exciting details you want — about carefree senior living. Ashby Ponds is Ashburn’s premier continuing care retirement community, designed exclusively for seniors 62-plus who want an independent retirement lifestyle with peace of mind for the future. Don’t spend another moment without the facts about vibrant retirement living at Ashby Ponds. Call 1-877-664-5445 or visit ericksonliving.com today to request your FREE brochure today! PHOTO COURTESY OF INF ROBOTICS

Rudy the robot can help older adults age in place by issuing medication reminders, calling for help in emergencies, and even offering companionship. Its screen allows two-way communication between the resident and their doctors and family members as well. Created by INF Robotics, Rudy is soon to hit the Washington, D.C. market, and plans to expand nationwide next year.

INDEPENDENT/PERSONAL CARE/ASSISTED LIVING

Seabury at Springvale Terrace 301-587-0190 8505 Springvale Road Silver Spring, MD 20910 www.springvaleterrace.org Located in the heart of Silver Spring, Springvale Terrace blends affordability with convenience, style and quality care. Residential apartments are available, and enhanced senior living is complemented with personal care services including three meals a day, housekeeping, laundry, and medication administration. If additional care is needed, Springvale Terrace also has beautiful assisted living apartments. This range of services — combined with low monthly rates — provides just the right amount of assistance to meet your needs while allowing you to live in an apartment you’ll love. Call today to learn more, schedule your personal tour and find your new home. “Remarkable Value... Unbeatable Location.”

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ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE

Olney Assisted Living Memory Care by Design 16940 Georgia Avenue Olney, MD 20832 www.olneymemorycare.com A memory care-specific community, Olney Assisted Living offers compassionate care in an environment designed specifically for those with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. Design includes interior “neighborhoods,” a central Town Center, and outdoor courtyards. Daily life enrichment programming is provided with the goal of enhancing cognition, feelings of accomplishment, and quality of life. Licensed, on-site nursing care is provided 24 hours a day by a team of experienced professionals. Families seeking memory care will feel right at home in our community. For more information, call 301-570-0525 today.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Covenant Village 301-540-1162 18889 Waring Station Road Germantown, MD 20874 www.qpmgmt.com • Spacious 2-bedroom plans with washer/dryer in each apt. • Covenant Village shuttle bus for shopping and local trips • Fitness room, billiard room, game/crafts room, movie theatre • On-site beauty salon, garden plots It’s all about our residents, says Kathy the Property Manager. The staff ensures that the residents always have interesting and exciting activities going on. Some of the fun includes movie nights, new resident meet and greet, holiday parties, fashion shows, and community dinners. Attendance at the wine and cheese and ice cream socials is close to 100%. Covenant Village was recently awarded a trophy by the Property Management Association for being Maryland’s Best Affordable Community in their category! Please call today to make an appointment for a tour.

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INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Emerson House 301-779-6196 5999 Emerson Street Bladensburg, MD 20710 Our community features bright onebedroom apartments in a nine-story elevator building for today’s active and independent seniors who are 62 or older. Emerson House is subsidized for low- to moderate-income households. Activities are yours to choose from: gardening, Bingo, Wii bowling league, movie night, parties, bus trips, exercise classes, learning to line dance — it’s all waiting for you and more! Emerson House offers an in-house Resident Service Coordinator to assist with finding helpful resources. Please call today for an appointment to tour our community or request an application; 301-779-6196 Monday-Friday from 8:30 to 5:00.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Brooke Grove Retirement Village 301-260-2320 18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 www.bfg.org You’ll feel it as soon as you drive onto our 220-acre campus of lush pastures and hardwood forest — all that makes independent living at Brooke Grove different. Beautiful cottages in a truly picturesque setting. Maintenance-free living, with more time for what you really want to do. Personalized fitness programs, meals prepared by talented chefs, clubs and social events. Neighbors who share your interests and passions. Come for a visit and see why Brooke Grove Retirement Village is one of the most soughtafter retirement communities in the state. Living here is simply different … because what surrounds you really matters.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Riderwood 301-495-5700 3140 Gracefield Road Silver Spring, MD 20904 EricksonLiving.com Get the facts about active retirement living at Riderwood. All in one fantastic FREE brochure. The comprehensive Riderwood brochure is packed with the crucial information you need — and the exciting details you want — about carefree senior living. Riderwood is Silver Spring’s premier continuing care retirement community, designed exclusively for seniors 62-plus who want an independent retirement lifestyle with peace of mind for the future. Don’t spend another moment without the facts about vibrant retirement living at Riderwood. Call 1-877-742-4390 or visit ericksonliving.com today to request your FREE brochure today!

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

New technologies to improve your health “Connected” health technology is a godsend for people who want to grow old in their homes and retain their independence. According to an industry report by MarketResearch.com, the market for connected “smart sensors” is expected to reach $117 billion by 2020. Health tech lets users get help in an emergency with mobile medic alert-like personal emergency response systems; track health and habits via wearable devices that gather biometric cardiac, respiratory, sleep and activity data; and monitor chronic conditions. It also lets patients speak with doctors remotely in real time (known as telemedicine), partake in virtual rehab, anticipate falls and manage medication. Through GPS, sensors, chips, cameras, voice activation, cellular connectivity and smartphone monitoring apps, technology provides a way to share information, and offers peace of mind to family caregivers and loved ones. An adult child, for instance, can easily access the information by logging onto a smartphone, tablet or computer.

A smartphone EKG Health tech company AliveCor sells a $99 smartphone-connected electrocardiogram that detects abnormal heart rhythms. Called Kardia Mobile, the app on the smartphone lets the user see the results and take them to the doctor. And don’t forget mental health and wellbeing. Software such as Posit’s Brain HQ (some brain exercises are free, but full access costs $14 a month or $96 a year) and Rosetta Stone’s Fit Brains ($80 a year) may help keep the brain sharp, though there’s no proof any particular product delays or prevents dementia. Other technologies let people stay socially connected and engaged. Integrated systems combine multiple functions such as video calling, reminders and activity monitoring (including looking for unusual behavior). Two examples are the GrandCare System ($999 to $1,499, plus $99 a month) and Independa (the Independa-enabled LG smart TV ranges from $699 to $1,199). Technology can also be used to manage medication. Not taking your medicine properly, or at all, can land you in the hospital — or worse. Today, there are smartphone apps and physical devices that release pills on schedule, and provide text or phone-call reminders if you forget to take your medicine. Apps, which vary in cost, include Medminder, Reminder Rosie, e-Pill and PillPack.

Pills that track themselves And there is a new world of ingestible sensors, too. Proteus Digital Health, a health technology company, is partnering with healthcare systems to prescribe medications

with sensors for patients with heart failure, cardio metabolic risk and hepatitis-C. Here’s how it works: The medication is put into a capsule with a Federal Drug Administration-approved sensor the size of a grain of sand. Swallow the capsule and the sensor turns on when it reaches the stomach. It sends a signal to a small wearable sensor patch placed on your torso. The patch records the time you took your medication, the type of medicine and the dose. It then relays that information to your mobile device. If no information is relayed to the patch because you forgot to take your pill, the Proteus software sends you a reminder on your mobile device. The ingestible sensor passes through your body like food. The Proteus sensor is currently being used in eight large U.S. healthcare systems, which are picking up the tab while these smart pills are being tested. According to Dr. George Savage, cofounder of Proteus, fewer than half of patients take their medication correctly. “Digital medicine helps doctors make better decisions,” Savage said. Physicians can see if patients are failing to respond to the therapy, or if it’s how they are taking the medicine that is at fault, he said.

Contact lenses and more All of these technologies are just the beginning, with many more in the works. For example, smart contact lenses are being developed to monitor diabetes by measuring blood glucose from a wearer’s tears. Novartis is working with Google to create a contact lens that has a tiny antenna that sends data to the user’s smartphone if their glucose level is too high or too low. Another company, Medella Health, has the same goal. It’ll be a few years until either is tested, approved and distributed. Also on the horizon: Lighter and cheaper exoskeletons that pinpoint problem areas on the body. Let’s say as your dad grows older, he develops a gait problem. A camera captures his movements and spots his weaknesses, then algorithms analyze the pictures so an engineer can make a brace or other assistive technology. A few small exoskeletons are in use, such as ReWalk. But they aren’t particularly affordable. “Robotic prosthetic limbs cost anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000,” said Majd Alwan, executive director for LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies. But Alwan says he believes that over the next five years, prices will be halved as competition increases. With so many technological advancements under way, the future of aging looks golden. © 2017, The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

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Five tips for downsizing from the pros By Katherine Roth For empty nesters, seniors and others who find themselves moving into a smaller space, downsizing can feel emotionally and physically overwhelming. But careful planning and perspective can make it easier. It helps to keep your eyes on the prize, experts say. Envision how great it will feel to be unburdened by excess and achieve your goal of living happily with less, in a smaller but comfortable space, said Stephanie Sisco, home editor for Real Simple Magazine. It helps to think of the process as a way to put things in order now so the burden of sorting through everything doesn’t fall to your family later. Here are five suggestions to make downsizing easier.

there are many other apps out there,” said Diana Zagariello, owner and director of Caring Transitions of Long Island, based in Merrick, New York. Caring Transitions, which helps seniors downsize, has 170 offices across the country. “It’s important to know exactly what will go where, so you can make the most of the muscle available to you on moving day and aren’t stuck rearranging heavy furniture in a small space after the movers have gone home,” Zagariello said. When helping older adults move, she recommends moving everything you’ll be taking with you into the new space first. Going through the rest of your things can be too physically and emotionally overwhelming for many, and is often more efficiently accomplished once you have moved out.

rid of things as you go,” Sisco said. Make sure you have plenty of boxes, Sharpies, zippered plastic bags and other materials for quickly packing. Once you get going, you won’t want to lose momentum because you don’t have enough of the right boxes, she said. In addition, says Zagariello, “Make a nice long list of who to contact about your change of address, what services need to be disconnected or transferred, where you want to donate things or to whom you want to give them. Everything.”

Keep only what you love Begin the process of discarding your possessions by tackling the least sentimental first, so you don’t get bogged

down, Sisco said. Start with the laundry room or pantry, for instance, and work your way up to things like photos or mementos, the toughest things to get rid of. As bestselling author Marie Kondo writes in the The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (Ten Speed Press, 2014), it helps to tackle things methodically, keeping only what you truly love or need.

Get help; remember to breathe It’s important to have support making the many decisions that come up before, during and after a move. “It really helps having someone by your side, helping you stay focused,” Sisco said. See DOWNSIZING TIPS, page B-9

Don’t guess; calculate Measure your new space to determine exactly what will fit (and what won’t), and precisely where each piece of furniture should go. Draw a floor chart onto graph paper so that each square represents a foot, with furniture pieces cut out from Post-Its and placed appropriately on the grid. Or use one of many available apps that accomplish the same task, generally in greater detail. “I use the Sweet Home 3-D app, but

Pare down Start paring down by making a list of everything you don’t love or need so that you can start selling or giving it away. Add to your list as you sift through your things, Sisco said. Identify appropriate charities. “Before you start a big purge, it’s good to know where you want to donate your items like books, clothes and furniture. Do a little research, and that way you have a plan to quickly get

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Ways to use your house for extra income By Anya Kamenetz People over 65 average $150,000 in home equity, according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. That amount dwarfs the rest of their assets combined. This generation of retirees is facing the decline of traditional pensions, while the 401(k)s that replace them are less generous and more uncertain. So the case for employing oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home as a source of retirement income has never been

stronger. There are three major paths to do that, depending on what your priorities are and the details of your current situation.

Sell and downsize This is the simplest way to go. The Center for Retirement Research notes that there are a lot of advantages to choosing a home now that will allow you to age safely and happily in place. For example, you can move from a large empty nest to a single-story unit with mod-

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ern, accessible updates like grab bars in the bathroom. Pick a townhouse in a development with a gym and swimming pool so you can exercise daily. Gravitate toward a walkable neighborhood. Or move closer to adult children and grandkids â&#x20AC;&#x201D; maybe all of the above! Housing costs are the single biggest item in most retirement budgets, hovering around 30 percent. So with a cheaper home, you will save money each month. And aging homes have costly maintenance needs that grow over time. Moving, meanwhile, definitely doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get easier as you get older. The profit from your sale will be free from capital gains taxes up to $250,000 for a single homeowner and $500,000 for married couples who file jointly. You can invest the proceeds in bonds, an annuity or an index fund and draw from the income, or you can use the cash to delay applying for Social Security.

Consider a reverse mortgage For some people, leaving their longtime homes is just a nonstarter. Maybe you are already lucky enough to be near family or a â&#x20AC;&#x153;naturally occurring retirement communityâ&#x20AC;? full of old friends and neighbors. Borrowers 62 and older who have home equity and need retirement income can

apply for a home equity conversion mortgage. Essentially, this is a loan against the value of your home. You can stay in the home, spend the money now when you need it, and nothing needs to be repaid until both you and your spouse move out or pass away. In order for this to work, however, your home must be paid off or have a low remaining balance that will zero out with the proceeds from the loan. And you will still need to pay all property taxes, insurance and maintenance each month. The good news is that because the income is a loan, it is tax free and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t affect your Medicare premiums or taxes on Social Security. Reverse mortgages have had a poor reputation in the past, but a Federal Housing Authority home equity conversion mortgage is federally insured and comes with more protections. Ignore any solicitations you may get, and reach out to the National Council on Aging at 1-800-510-0301 for phone-based counseling. Or check the home equity conversion mortgage pages at Hud.gov.

Rent out a room For those who need a more flexible, See EXTRA INCOME, page B-10

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Housing Notes By Rebekah Alcalde

Waltonwood to open its first local community Waltonwood Ashburn, a multi-level care community that broke ground in 2015, will open its independent living apartments soon. Assisted living and Montessori-based memor y care facilities will open next spring. Waltonwood Ashburn is the 11th senior community developed under the Waltonwood name by Singh Development, which also develops luxury apartments, singlefamily homes and commercial properties. Residents sign a year-long lease to live in the 99-unit community. Large one- and two-bedroom units (up to 1,361 s.f.) feature kitchens with full-size stainless steel appliances and side-by-side washers and dryers. Community features include a monitored entry system, multipurpose room with theater, café, library, fitness room, billiards and game room, salon, massage therapy and a saltwater therapy pool. There is also plenty of outdoor space, including courtyards with ponds, gazebos and a walking trail. Waltonwood Ashburn is located at 44141 Russell Branch Pkwy. in Ashburn, Va. For more information, see http://bit.ly/waltonwood or call (571) 982-6318.

Welcome center opens for Lorton assisted living The Crossings at Spring Hill, an assisted living community slated to open later

Downsizing tips From page B-7 It could be someone from a moving company, a professional re-locator, a friend, a neighbor or family member. Give yourself a 5- or 10-minute break every 45 minutes or so, Sisco added. And if it’s all too much, hire a relocating expert to do part or all of the job. In many cases, estate sales can help cover the cost of their services.

this fall, has opened a welcome center in Springfield, Va., where prospective residents can ask questions and meet the staff. The new community will offer both assisted living and memory care, with 74 rooms dedicated to assisted living and 34 rooms dedicated to memory care. Community amenities include restaurant-style dining, an Internet café, fitness center, movie theatre, library, bistro, beauty parlor and barber shop. There is also an arts and crafts studio for classes. Meal plans including three meals a day are available. Residents will enjoy health and wellness programs as well as social and recreational ones, weekly laundry and housekeeping, apartment maintenance, and free scheduled transportation. Also, onsite rehab and medication management are available if need be. The Crossings will be located on a site in the Spring Hill Community — an age-re-

stricted graduated care community, developed by Pulte, situated near retailers and high-end residences. The entire campus was created in the mid-2000s and has 362 residential units overall, with 181 single-family attached and detached units for active adults, 125 multi-family units for active adults, and 56 units for independent living. Crossings residents will have access to the community pool, fitness center and community center. The Crossings was designed so that residents will be able to successfully age in place and not have to leave the campus if their needs grow. The assisted living community is located at 8350 Mountain Larkspur Dr. in Lorton, Va. The welcome center is at 7405 Alvan Station Court, Suite B-201, in Springfield, Va. It is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All other hours are by appointment.

For more information, call (571) 348-4970 or call www.thecrossingsatspringhill.com.

Affordable Rainier Manor opens second building Rainier Manor is opening a second affordable senior rental community on its campus in Mount Rainier, Md. Rainier Manor II is a smoke-free and pet-friendly community serving residents 62 and over. It is managed by Humphrey Management. Residents will have access to the community’s greenhouse, fitness center, beauty salon, cyber café, arts and crafts center, multi-purpose room for socializing, laundry facilities and resident lounges that are on every floor. The building offers remote card entry and See HOUSING NOTES, page B-10

Join Us for Fall Events at Kensington Park RSVP to 301-946-7700 or HFlattery@KensingtonSL.com

Monday, October 2 • 2:30-4pm Travel through Time with Art Join Adrienne Kralick to experience 500 years of art without leaving your seat! Light refreshments will be provided. Friday, October 6 • 2-5 pm Unhacked! How Seniors Can Stay Cyber-Safe During the Holidays Retired FBI Special Agent Jeff Lanza will discuss how to stay safe in the digital age. Event will be held at the Woman’s Club of Bethesda. Light refreshments will be provided. Wednesday, October 11 • 11:15am Wellness Wednesday Discover The Alexander Technique with Antoinette Kranenburg, and explore ways to enhance your strength and balance.

Wednesday, October 18 • 3-5pm Wednesday, October 25 • noon-2pm Autumn in the Park Open House Meet and greet current Independent Living residents and see what Kensington Park is all about. Enjoy music and refreshments. Bring a friend! The more the merrier. Thursday, October 19 • 10am-4pm Car Fit Drive through the Park and find the most comfortable fit in your vehicle! Saturday, October 21 • noon-4pm Round House Theatre Attend a pre-show discussion and live performance of “I’ll Get You Back Again.”

Make it quick Resettle as quickly as possible to keep your new, smaller home from feeling cluttered. “You want to get all the boxes unpacked and out the door, and everything in place in a matter of days. Otherwise boxes can linger unpacked for far too long,” Zagariello said. “If you’ve done things right in the planning stages, the resettling part should be pretty quick and easy — and the quicker you finish up, the better.” — AP

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301-946-7700 3620 Littledale Rd, Kensington, MD 20895 • www.KensingtonParkSeniorLiving.com INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE

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Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Housing notes From page B-9 24-hour emergency maintenance. There are also landscaped grounds with walking paths, picnic areas and a gazebo for sitting. Residents have a choice between oneand two-bedroom apartments, which feature a fully-equipped kitchen with electric appliances, energy-efficient thermopane windows, wall-to-wall carpeting, individually controlled heating and air conditioning, and optional cable TV hookups. The rooms also come equipped with an emergency pull-cord system in bedrooms and bathrooms. As an affordable community, Rainier Manor II will have specific eligibility requirements, with apartments available for households earning no more than 50 or 60 percent of the median gross income.

Rainier Manor II is located at 3001 Queens Chapel Rd. in Mount Rainier, Md. For more information, visit rainiermanor.com or call (301) 699-9795.

Help for housing discrimination in D.C. Disability is the most commonly reported form of housing discrimination in the United States. Many people with disabilities face discrimination from landlords, who charge them higher fees or security deposits, or who refuse to grant reasonable requests for accommodation or modification to their units. If you have a disability, live in the District of Columbia, and believe your hous-

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301-598-6424

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

ing provider is not treating you fairly or providing the accommodations you need, contact Housing Counseling Services, Inc. at (202) 667-7337. The nonprofit organization can help you learn more about your fair housing rights and what you can do to get the treatment and services to which you are entitled.

Virginia ranks high for retirement SeniorAdvice.com recently found Virginia to be the highest-ranking state when it comes to overall quality of life for seniors, based on its SeniorScore evaluation system designed to identify and measure livability for older adults. Virginia ranks as the second-best state

Extra income From page B-8 short-term solution than the two big steps above, becoming a landlord or landlady may be right for you. Maybe you can take on a roommate who provides companionship and mutual support as well as help with the mortgage. [See “Share your home like the Golden Girls did,” July 2015 Beacon.] Or do a trade if you need household help. Are you an entrepreneurial type? Have you

for retirement finances. That rating was calculated by analyzing over 100 variables and heavily weighing financial factors — such as tax rates, cost of living expenses, average income. and senior living costs — to assess which states are best for retirement, financially speaking. Virginia residents enjoy low property and sales taxes, and household income is significantly higher than the national average of $65,000. Costs for senior living are also surprisingly low in much of the state, even with the state’s high overall general income. Assisted living, adult daycare, nursing home and home healthcare costs are all lower than the national average, some significantly so. For information on how Virginia scored overall, see www.senioradvice.com/seniorscore/senior-living-in-virginia.

already retired to your piece of paradise, or are you blessed to be in a great metropolis? Then you may want to look into a platform like Airbnb, which allows you to take in guests for as little as one night. Have you pursued one of the following paths to earn income from your home? Any tips? Let me know and I may use your response in a future column. © 2017 Anya Kamenetz. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Memory Support Residence

The Sylvestery Thinking senior living would be perfect for you or your loved one? Fall is the best time to move in! Reserve the apartment of your choice ahead of the winter rush, and enjoy the brilliance of fall in Maryland with friends and family. We are proud to offer: • Independent Living • Independence Plus, featuring additional services as you need them • Assisted Living • Outpatient Rehabilitation • Choice of private apartments, many with sunrooms or bay windows

Call 301-598-6424 today to reserve your tour and complimentary lunch or dinner.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

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FREE HOUSING AND OTHER INFORMATION For free information from advertisers in this special section, check off those that interest you and mail this entire page to the Beacon. Please do not request info if you are not interested. All replies have an equal chance to win. To be eligible for Ford’s Theatre tickets, your reply must arrive by October 31, 2017.

HOUSING COMMUNITIES: WASHINGTON, DC ❑ Friendship Terrace . . . . . .B-8 & B-14

MARYLAND ❑ Aspenwood . . . . . . . . . .B-10 & B-16 ❑ Brooke Grove Retirement Village . . . .B-6, B-14, B-16 & B-20 ❑ Covenant Village . . . . . . .B-5 & B-19 ❑ Emerson House . . . . . . . .B-6 & B-19 ❑ Homecrest House . . . . . . .B-2 & B-18 ❑ Kensington Park . . . . . . . .B-9 & B-18 ❑ Olney Assisted Living . . . .B-5 & B-17 ❑ Riderwood . . . . . . . . . . . .B-6 & B-12

❑ Springvale Terrace . . . . . . .B-5 & B-8 ❑ Sunrise Senior Living . . . . . . . . .B-13 ❑ Village at Rockville . . . . . .B-7 & B-16

❑ Vinson Hall . . . . . . . . . . .B-4 & B-10 ❑ Waltonwood . . . . . . . . . . .B-2 & B-18 ❑ Wingler House . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-19

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Ashby Ponds . . . . . . . . . .B-5 & B-12 Chesterbrook Residences . .B-14 & B-17 Falcons Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-14 Greenspring . . . . . . . . . .B-12 & B-18 Gum Springs Glen . . . . . . . . . . .B-19 Herndon Harbor House . . . . . . . .B-19 Lockwood House . . . . . . . . . . . .B-19 Morris Glen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-19 Overture Fair Ridge . . . . .B-4 & B-15 Paul Spring . . . . . . . . . . .B-3 & B-16 Tall Oaks Assisted Living . . .B-4 & B-13

HOUSING REFERRAL: ❑ Oasis Senior Advisors . . . . . . . . . .B-3

REHABILITATION: ❑ Brooke Grove Retirement Village . .B-16

REAL ESTATE: ❑ Jim Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-12 ❑ Long & Foster/Walter Johnson . . .B-8 ❑ Retiree Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . .B-7

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.

WB10/17

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Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Utilities offer free energy-saving devices Homeowners and apartment dwellers can take advantage of energy efficiency standards, policies and programs to save money on their utility bills. Several states have enacted legislation to reduce energy usage and costs. For example, the Empower Maryland Act of 2008 mandated statewide reductions of 15 percent by 2015. To help achieve this goal, Maryland also requires utility companies to offer their customers a free Quick Home Energy Checkup (QHEC). It’s available for residents of multifamily and single-family properties. After going through a dwelling and pointing out ways to save energy and cut costs, the QHEC rewards homeowners and tenants with free energy-efficient

products — including long-lasting LED light bulbs, efficient-flow showerheads, advanced power strips, and a wrap for your water heater — all installed at no cost. Whether you reside in a house, condo, townhouse or apartment, as long as you have an active utility account in the state of Maryland, you’re likely eligible for the energy and water saving upgrades. These products offer a fast, easy way to increase the energy efficiency of your home and help you start saving immediately. At the bottom of your utility bill, you can see the percentage that goes toward this program, which benefits you and your community. Inefficient apartment buildings and single family homes cost Americans billions in lost dollars and keep us from reaching

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sustainability. Programs such as the Quick Home Energy Checkup help maximize energy efficiency and minimize the environmental impact. For more information about the Quick Home Energy Checkup from Pepco, call 1866-353-5798.

Energy-saving tips for all Here are five more things you can do today to start saving energy and money. 1. Unplug when not using Do you have small appliances sitting on your kitchen counters? Whenever they’re plugged in — even when not being used — they draw power you have to pay for. Save money and energy by unplugging those appliances when they are not being used. Do the math: At a rate of 11 cents per kilowatt hour, multiply that by the 0.00308 kilowatts your small appliances are using in standby mode, and that means each of your appliances is eating about 24 cents per month just sitting on the counter. Now multiply that by how many appliances you have plugged it — your coffee maker, microwave, toaster oven, etc. Unplugging these items will save you several dollars a month and won’t be wasting energy. Even more power is being used in standby by your computers, television sets and audio equipment. An advanced power strip

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will let you cut off power to a group of devices when they aren’t being used, and will restore power to all of them the moment one of them is turned on. 2. Clean your filters On average, half your energy bill goes to heating and air conditioning your home. If your units are not running in top form, they’re wasting money and could be impacting your air quality. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the air inside the average home is up to five times more polluted than the air outside. One way to maintain healthy air is to clean your air conditioner filters and follow you HVAC compliance checklist. 3. Switch to LED lighting Now is the time to switch over to LED bulbs. They are among the best forms of light for your home or office, compared with less-efficient CFL or incandescent bulbs. LED light bulbs generate little heat and last significantly longer than other light bulbs — for approximately 50,000 hours. Also, they don’t contain mercury (like CFLs do), so they can be thrown into the trash when they burn out in 17 years! 4. Save in the shower In an average home, showers are typically the third-largest water use after toiSee ENERGY SAVING, page B-13

The comprehensive brochure is packed with the crucial information you need— and the exciting details you want—about carefree senior living at Ashby Ponds in Ashburn, Greenspring in Springfield, or Riderwood in Silver Spring.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

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Eight things that homebuyers hate to see By Pat Mertz Esswein As a home seller, you don’t want to let the small stuff sabotage your sale. These eight problems are among the biggest buyer turn-offs, and most of them are easy to fix without spending a ton of money. Take a look.

Haunted-house landscaping If your yard looks like the Addams family owns it, you need to tidy up. Otherwise, buyers may drive by but never come back. Besides mowing the lawn, your to-do list should include trimming scraggly trees and shrubs, and removing anything that’s dead or beyond resuscitation. Edge, weed and mulch garden beds. Plant annuals in a plot or pot for a splash of color. Cost to fix: Around $95 for a landscaper to prune and groom a small tree and a couple of shrubs, according to www.diyornot.com. If you’d rather be packing boxes than mowing the lawn, you’ll probably pay a lawn service $40 to $50 for up to a half-acre, but you might get a neighbor’s kid to do it for less. Of course, you can always spruce up the yard yourself.

Your personal paint palette Paint over colors that reflect your taste

Energy saving From page B-12 lets and clothes washers. The average American shower lasts for 8.2 minutes and uses 17.2 gallons of water. In addition to taking shorter showers, save water by installing an EPA WaterSense high-efficiency shower head. You’ll hardly notice the difference — except in your water use and bill. 5. Plug those leaks

but may put off potential buyers, such as a scarlet-red accent wall, a lemon-yellow child’s bedroom, or a forest-green den. “Fun colors are for living, but neutral colors are for selling,” said home stager Chrissie Sutherland, of Ready Set Stage, in Greensboro, N.C. Avoid using stark-white paint, though. Choose a warm neutral color — beige, ivory, taupe or light gray — that makes your rooms look inviting, larger and brighter. Redo painted trim in white. Cost to fix: A pro can prep and paint a 10- by 15-foot room with two coats of latex paint for anywhere from $400 to $927, according to www.homewyse.com.

Popcorn-finished ceilings Anyone who has lived with this outdated mode of room-top styling knows that it accumulates dirt, defies cleaning and is hard to paint. Worse, if your home was built prior to the mid-1980s, it may contain asbestos (it was banned in ceiling products in 1977, but existing supplies may have been used later). If you have any concerns, have the ceiling sampled and tested for asbestos by a licensed inspector. For more information, check out the EPA’s “Asbestos: Protect Your Family” fact sheets. If the test result is Plugging up small leaks can add up to big savings. Small gaps and cracks around your windows and doors, and in your basement and attic, can let the air you’re heating or cooling escape. Gaps can also let in moldy and dusty air, and even vermin! If you can feel drafts, you really have a problem. But even if you don’t, almost every home can benefit from additional caulking and weather-stripping. Information courtesy of the Montgomery County Dept. of Environmental Protection.

positive, hire an asbestos abatement contractor who is federally or state trained and accredited (not the same company that tested the ceiling) to seal it with spray paint if it’s in good shape (not peeling or crumbling) and unlikely to be disturbed, or to remove the ceiling treatment and properly dispose of it — an expensive proposition. Removal is usually a messy and laborious process, with or without asbestos. The material must be wetted down and scraped, and the underlying wallboard wiped clean. Once the popcorn is gone, the ceiling often must be repaired with joint compound and repainted. Even if there’s no asbestos, you probably should hire a drywall or painting contractor for the job. (For a glimpse of the process, visit www.ronhazleton.com.)

Cost to fix: About $100 to $150 per sample to test for asbestos (multiple samples may be required), and if it’s present, about $2 to $6 per square foot to seal it or $54 to $64 per square foot for removal, according to www.fixr.com. If you can get by with a painter, expect to pay about $1 to $3 per square foot for removal, repair and repainting, according to www.diyornot.com.

Wall-to-wall carpeting Buyers these days expect hardwood floors, even in starter homes. If carpet hides your home’s original hardwood floors, remove it, even if the wood isn’t in the best condition. See BUYER TURN-OFFS, page B-14

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*Founders Club benefits are for the first 25 depositors. Limited time only. Restrictions may apply. Financial commitment must be made before community opens, and resident must move in within 30 days of community opening in order to be eligible for the program. See community representative for full details and restrictions. ©2017 Sunrise Senior Living, Inc. **Off-site Sales Gallery address.

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LIFE PLAN COMMUNITY

Falcons Landing 703-439-1521 20522 Falcons Landing Circle Potomac Falls, VA 20165 www.FalconsLanding.org Common Bonds and Extraordinary Living is what you find when you move to Falcons Landing! Nestled near the Potomac River in scenic Loudoun County, Falcons Landing is a vibrant hub for residents who have retired from work, but not from life! Adventure, friendships, education, exquisite food and more are waiting for you. Call us today to schedule your personal visit and learn more about the Falcons Life! Falcons Landing welcomes all officers whether retired or honorably discharged, from all branches of service, as well as senior-level federal employees of GS-14 and higher, to include spouses and surviving spouses.

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Buyer turn-offs From page B-13 If you don’t have hardwood, you may want to consider having it installed in a firstfloor living area. If you must keep the carpeting, make sure it looks and smells its best by having it professionally cleaned, especially in high-traffic areas or if you have pets. Talk with your agent about the best strategy: whether to replace carpet or give buyers the option to choose what they want. Cost to fix: A pro can clean 500 square feet of carpet for about $174 to $230, according to www.homewyse.com. The cost to refinish 500 square feet of hardwood flooring runs about $2,000, including labor, while the cost to install new hardwood runs from about $3,660 to $5,762. Pre-finished laminate flooring will cost somewhat less to install.

Brass fixtures

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

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

ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY

From switch plates to chandeliers, builder-grade, shiny yellow brass is out. Replace it with chrome- or satin-nickel-finish fixtures for a contemporary look, or an oil-rubbed bronze or black finish to update a traditional room. This is a pretty straightforward do-it-yourself job. For instructions, watch these YouTube videos: How to Replace and Install a Chandelier from Build.com and Buildipedia DIY’s How to Replace a Light Fixture. Cost to fix: You could buy two chandeliers (to put, say, over the kitchen and diningroom tables) and a few flush-mounted lights for $200 to $400 at a big-box store such as Lowe’s or Home Depot. After that, it’s DIY.

Faux crystal faucet handles Acrylic knobs in the bathroom look cheap and can be hard to use by young, aged or soapy hands. Replace them with a faucet and handle set that matches the existing fixture’s configuration (centerset or widespread) and meets the standard of the Americans with Disabilities Act, with flipper- or lever-style handles. Polished-chrome finish will cost you the least and still be durable. Plus, the Nation-

al Kitchen & Bath Association says that the finish is enjoying a surge in popularity over brushed or satin finishes. Cost to fix: You’ll pay at least $26 for a centerset faucet, plus $75 to $150 for a plumber’s minimum service charge (twice that much or more if there’s corrosion or some other difficulty), according to www.costhelper.com. You can replace a tub-and-shower faucet set for about the same amount.

Vanity strips Nothing says 1970s like a Hollywoodstyle strip of bare, round lights over your bathroom mirror. Replace it with a fixture that includes a shade for each bulb or a bath bar in a style and finish that complements your faucet set. If you have a one-person mirror, you could replace the vanity strip with a wall sconce on either side of the mirror to achieve better lighting for shaving or applying make-up. Cost to fix: A three-light fixture with shades runs $28 to $100 at www.lightingdirect.com. You should be able to handle this job yourself.

Clutter and dirt Ugh. When they come through the front door, you want buyers to imagine living in your home, not to wonder “How can these people live like this?” Pack up your tchotchkes and other nonessential stuff (store the boxes neatly in your garage or other storage area). Then thoroughly clean your house and be prepared to keep it that way until you move out. If your house has unpleasant odors — say, from smoking or pets — that will turn off buyers, too. You may want to hire a specialist to help you (see www.iicrc.org). Cost to fix: Nothing but the cost of cleaning supplies if you supply the elbow grease. For pro cleaning, you can expect to pay from $188 to $234 for a 2,000-square-foot house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, according to www.homewyse.com. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE

Chesterbrook Residences 703-531-0781

Brooke Grove Retirement Village 301-260-2320

2030 Westmoreland Street Falls Church, VA www.chesterbrookres.org

18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 www.bfg.org

At Chesterbrook Residences, you will be able to live with dignity, grace and security, close to the people and places you love in a comfortable, neighborhood setting. We offer an active assisted-living lifestyle for those 62 and over. A variety of one- and two-bedroom floor plans are available. Enjoy our community living room with fireplace, beautiful views, and chef-prepared meals in our gracious main dining room. Rehab services are available 5 days a week, offering physical, occupational and speech therapy, most of which are covered by Medicare Part B. We also have an on-site wellness center with visiting physician and podiatrist. We are a mixed-income nonprofit, so our rates are affordable and all inclusive.

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

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

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As a landlord, can you ever truly retire? By Brian Evans There is a major dilemma facing many older investors today. Their successes in real estate have produced a failure in quality of life. What is the problem, and is there a solution? Let’s start with the problem: a “good problem” to have. Twenty to 40 years ago, you bought rental real estate, maybe a small apartment complex or several rental houses. This can be a great strategy to build wealth for someone in their earlier years of investing. But as I advise my own clients, owning actively managed real estate is best for a season of your life, but not for the duration of your life. For example, say you bought four rental houses long ago for $100,000 each. They are fully depreciated down to their land portion of $25,000 apiece. Today the houses would net $300,000 each. The problem is that you want to retire, but you own these now very old houses needing a lot of maintenance. You cringe when you receive a phone call. Is the roof leaking? Tenant moving out again? Midnight plumbing problem? Or did you just find out your “pet-free” tenant was hiding 12 cats from you when they moved in (true story)? You could hire a property manager, but they are expensive, and each of these maintenance problems still costs you thousands

to correct, and you still own very old houses!

A big tax bill So, you go to your CPA, and she informs you that if you sell the houses, your federal income tax alone will be over $250,000, and your state may tax you, too. Also, if you sell, your spouse and heirs will not be eligible for the step-up in basis they would otherwise get if you bequeathed them in your will. Finally, you will be eliminating a big potential source of retirement income from your portfolio, and you would now need to find a different investment. Section 1031 of the tax code allows for tax-deferred exchanges of properties where you can sell your real estate, then identify and close on replacement property within 45 and 180 days, respectively. The problem with this solution is you still would own real estate you have to manage in your later years. Can you exchange tax free into a real estate partnership, real estate LLC, publicly traded REIT or private REIT? The answer to all of these is no.

An elegant solution But there is a solution. Appreciated rental real estate can potentially be exchanged income tax free for real estate owned within a Delaware Statutory Trust (DST). The advantages of this can be dramatic.

You can diversify by property type specifically into multi-family apartments, medical office buildings, self-storage or retail. You can diversify geographically by investing into several different DSTs in different areas of the country offered by different DST providers. The income tax of $250,000 could be eliminated for now, and potentially eliminated permanently to your heirs by continuing to hold DST investments for life. The cash flow from DST real estate can be higher than it is from high-maintenance older rentals. These investments are professionally managed, and can often be placed into newer properties. Newer properties are eligible for accelerated depreciation using a methodology called “cost segregation.” What this means to you is that you could potentially shelter much of your rental cash flow from income taxes. As with any investment, there are risks, costs and benefits. For my own clients, we vet

potential DST replacement properties through more than 40 data points — including local economic indicators, expected yield after fees, loan leverage and property manager history through the 2008 real estate bust. Besides the diversification and income tax savings opportunities, you probably picked up on the real advantage: You worked hard your whole life, invested money and countless hours into your rentals, and now you want to enjoy the fruits of your labor without being tied to your “job” as a landlord of older properties. Your solution to a true retirement could be found in these three letters: DST. Brian Evans, CPA, PFS, is the portfolio manager of the Madrona Funds and owner of Madrona Financial Services and Bauer Evans CPAs. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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REHABILITATION

Brooke Grove Retirement Village 301-260-2320 18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 www.bfg.org Imagine an extraordinary staff and the best therapies and equipment — in a beautiful environment that rejuvenates and restores. Physical therapy spaces bathed in sunlight. The quiet comfort of a garden walk or relaxing massage. Imagine getting back to the activities that matter to you. Our new, state-of-the-art rehab addition at Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center offers innovative therapy services for seniors, including NeuroGym® Technologies mobility training, the Korebalance system and much more. Visit us to see why Brooke Grove Retirement Village is one of the most sought-after continuing-care retirement communities in the state. Rehab here is simply different… because what s urrounds you really matters.

INDEPENDENT/ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY

Paul Spring Retirement Community 703 768-0234 7116 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria, VA 22307 www.rui.net/paul-spring Since 1988, Paul Spring has been one of the premier retirement communities in the Mt. Vernon area located south of Old Town Alexandria. Rent includes all utilities, including basic cable & phone, resident-controlled heat and AC, weekly housekeeping, transportation to shopping & doctors, recreation and wellness program, and an optional 3 meals a day. Amenities include library, computer/internet, wifi, beauty/barber salon, medical & podiatry service, elegant dining room, movie theatre, walking trails, putting green & 24-hour nursing on site. Studio, 1- and 2-BR apartments with 5 levels of upgraded care available. Come by for your tour today!

INDEPENDENT/ASSISTED LIVING

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Why older patients resist help at home By Judith Graham The 84-year-old man who had suffered a mini-stroke was insistent as he spoke to a social worker about being discharged from the hospital: He didn’t want anyone coming into his home, and he didn’t think he needed any help. So the social worker canceled an order for home healthcare services. And the patient went back to his apartment without plans for follow-up care in place. When his daughter, Lisa Winstel, found out what had happened she was furious. She’d spent a lot of time trying to convince her father that a few weeks of help at home was a good idea. And she’d asked the social worker to be in touch if there were any problems. Similar scenarios occur surprisingly often: As many as 28 percent of patients offered home healthcare when they’re being discharged from a hospital — mostly older adults — say “no” to those services, according to a new report from the United Hospital Fund.

Understanding why this happens and what can be done about it is important — part of getting smarter about getting older. Refusing home healthcare after a hospitalization puts patients at risk of a difficult, incomplete or slower-than-anticipated recovery. Without these services, older adults’ odds of being readmitted to the hospital within 30 or 60 days double, according to one study from NIH. Why, then, do seniors resist getting this assistance? “There are a lot of misperceptions about what home healthcare is,” said Carol Levine, director of the United Hospital Fund’s Families and Health Care Project, a sponsor of the new report.

A common confusion Under Medicare, home healthcare services are available to older adults who are homebound and need intermittent skilled care from a nurse, a physical therapist or a speech therapist, among other medical providers. See RESISTING HELP, page B-17

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

FREE TECH HELP

Arlington Public Library offers free tech help in half-hour sessions by appointment. Library tech assistants can help with basic computer tasks, Microsoft software, troubleshooting issues on mobile devices, downloading eBooks and eAudiobooks, creating email accounts, and getting started on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Assistants cannot help with viruses or hardware issues. For more information, visit http://arlingtonva.libcal.com/booking/techhelp.

Nov. 4

MEN’S ACAPELLA

The Singing Capital Chorus, Washington, D.C.’s longest performing men’s acappella ensemble, presents “A Cappella Magic” on Saturday, Nov. 4, at American University’s Greenberg Theatre, 4200 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., with a matinee at 3 p.m. and evening concert at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20-$25, available at www.singingcapitalchorus.org. For more info, email carrollbb@verizon.net or call (202) 362-9989.

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Aspenwood Senior Living (301) 598-6424

The Village at Rockville 301-424-9560

14400 Homecrest Road Silver Spring, MD 20906 www.aspenwoodseniorliving.com

9701 Veirs Drive Rockville, MD 20850-3462 www.thevillageatrockville.org

Welcome to Aspenwood Senior Living, where you will find comfort, flexibility, security and choice in a delightful setting with every convenience at your fingertips. Imagine the luxury of a spacious apartment, coupled with fine dining, a full range of favorite programs, friendly neighbors and a caring staff. In addition, as your needs change, Aspenwood offers a variety of services to meet your healthcare and social desires. Since 1989 Aspenwood Senior Living has been the premier choice for Independent and Assisted Living to many seniors and their families. The wonderful rhythm of life here sets us apart from other communities, but the wealth of service options makes us a leader in the senior housing industry.

Welcome home to The Village at Rockville. Here the people within make a difference. As a staff we're always engaging, collaborating and making sure that our Life Enrichment programming is perfectly tailored to the wants and needs of those we serve, with activities such as wellness and art classes, social events, educational lectures and shopping excursions. And here, with our full continuum of care, we can meet any changes in health care needs with our short-term myPotential rehabilitation services, brand-new assisted living suites, memory support accommodations and skilled nursing care. Call today to learn more about plans for new independent living!

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Resisting help From page B-16 Typically, these services last four to six weeks after a hospitalization, with a nurse visiting several times a week. Some patients receive them for much longer. Many seniors and caregivers confuse home healthcare with “home care” delivered by aides who help people shower or get dressed or who cook, clean and serve as a companion. The two types of services are not the same: Home healthcare is delivered by medical professionals; home care is not. Nor is home care covered by Medicare, for the most part. This was the mistake Winstel’s father made. He thought he was being offered an aide who would come to his apartment every day for several hours. “I don’t want a babysitter,” he complained to Winstel, chief operating officer of the Caregiver Action Network. “Older adults are quite concerned about their independence, and they worry that this might be the first step in someone trying to take that away,” said Dr. Leslie Kernisan, a San Francisco geriatrician and creator of the website Better Health While Aging. Other reasons for refusals: Seniors see their homes as sanctums, and they don’t want strangers invading their privacy. They think they’ve been getting along just fine and have unrealistic expectations of what recovering from a hospitalization will entail.

Or there are circumstances at home — perhaps hoarding, perhaps physical neglect — that an older adult doesn’t want someone to see. Or the patient’s cognition is compromised and he doesn’t understand his needs or limitations. Or cost is a concern.

A better way to communicate Often, a breakdown in communication is responsible. Patients haven’t been told, in clear and concrete terms, which services would be provided, by whom, for how long, how much it would cost, and what the expected benefit would be. Since they don’t understand what they’re getting into, they resist, Rosati said. Kathy Bowles, director of the Center for Home Care Policy & Research at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, suggests a plainlanguage, positive way to convey this information. For example: “A nurse will check your medications and make sure they’re all in order. She’ll assess if you need physical therapy to help you regain your strength. And she’ll teach you and family members how to care for you once home care is over.” “A lot of resistance arises from pride,” said Bowles, also a professor of nursing excellence at the University of Pennsylvania. “The conversation has to change from ‘Look, we think you really need help,’ to ‘We want to help you take care of yourself.’ ” Emphasizing that a physician has recommended home healthcare can also be helpful. “In my experience, if a doctor says, ‘I’d

ASK ABOUT SPECIAL PRICING ON TWO BEDROOM APARTMENTS, AVAILABLE NOW!

all in Love with Chesterbrook “It’s hard not to fall in love with a place like this.” Those are the words of a family member whose mother recently joined the Chesterbrook Residences family. Visit us this autumn and discover for yourself all we have to offer! Call 703-531-0781.

Assisted Living Community 2030 Westmoreland Street | Falls Church, VA 22043 703-531-0781 | chesterbrookres.org Coordinated Services Management, Inc. - Professional Management of Retirement Communities since 1981

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

like a nurse to come see you and check that you’re feeling better,’ people are fairly responsive,” Kernisan said. Instead of arguing with an older adult who says, “I don’t want any assistance,” try to follow up by asking, “Tell me more. What are you concerned about?” Kernisan suggested. This isn’t to suggest that persuading an older adult to accept unwanted help is easy. It’s not. Last year, Winstel’s father had a medical device implanted in his spine to relieve pain from spinal stenosis — an outpatient procedure. Once again, he declined postoperative help. Two days later, Winstel got a phone call from her dad, who had collapsed and couldn’t get up from the floor. Winstel said she’d call 911. “No, I don’t want someone coming in and finding me like this,” her father insisted. “You have to come.” Later, at the hospital, doctors diagnosed

B-17

an adverse reaction to medication and a surgical site infection on her father’s back. “He lives alone. He can’t reach back there. He wasn’t caring for the wound properly,” Winstel explained. Extensive, heated conversations followed, during which her father insisted he was never going to change. “For him, living independently carries risks, and he’s willing to accept those risks,” Winstel said. She hopes the new report on seniors refusing home healthcare will jump-start a conversation about how to bring caregivers into the process and how recommendations should be conveyed. “As the daughter of someone who has refused care, understanding that this is something lots of people go through makes me feel a little less crazy,” Winstel said. — Kaiser Health News

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Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

INDEPENDENT/ASSISTED/MEMORY CARE

Waltonwood Ashburn 571-982-6318 44144 Russell Branch Parkway Ashburn, VA 20147 www.Waltonwood.com Social opportunities and luxury amenities await you at Waltonwood Ashburn, a community from Singh Development opening late 2017 with independent living, assisted living and memory care communities. Our broad range of amenities includes a spa, saltwater therapy pool, fitness and wellness center, movie theatre, cafe, convenience store and more. Enjoy chef prepared meals in our elegant dining room, plus personal care services and courtesy transportation. You will love our beautifully appointed studio, 1- and 2-bedroom apartment homes. Visit our on-site information center for tours 7 days a week. Visit now to get on our priority list.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Greenspring 703-913-1200 or 1-800-788-0811 7410 Spring Village Drive Springfield, VA 22150 EricksonLiving.com Get the facts about active retirement living at Greenspring. All in one fantastic FREE brochure. The comprehensive Greenspring brochure is packed with the crucial information you need — and the exciting details you want — about carefree senior living. Greenspring is Springfield’s premier continuing care retirement community, designed exclusively for seniors 62-plus who want an independent retirement lifestyle with peace of mind for the future. Don’t spend another moment without the facts about vibrant retirement living at Greenspring. Call 1-877-589-9570 or visit ericksonliving.com today to request your FREE brochure today!

INDEPENDENT/ASSISTED LIVING/MEMORY CARE

Kensington Park 301-946-7700 3620 Littledale Road Kensington, MD 20895 www.kensingtonretirement.com Friendship and fun. Activities and companionship. Family and support. You'll find it all at Kensington Park, a senior living community that features Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care on one beautiful campus. The variety of lifestyle options makes it easy for residents to live the way they want and need in an environment that reflects deep understanding of seniors. Independent Living offers a lively calendar of events, a sophisticated dining experience and cocktail hours. Assisted Living provides enhanced care programs that include a full spectrum of clinical support and end-of-life care. Three levels of Memory Care address challenges unique to each p hase of progressive change. Please call us at 301-946-7700.

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Two ways to obtain needed help at home By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior: I would like to hire a personal assistant/home helper for my mom to assist with some simple household chores, like housekeeping, errand running, driving her to the doctor, and keeping her company. But mom doesn’t require personal/physical caregiving, nor does she require any home medical care. Any tips to help us find someone? Looking for Mom Dear Looking: Getting your mom some help at home to handle some of her household chores can make a big difference keeping her independent longer. Here’s what you should know, along with some tips to help you find someone reliable for your mom.

Most home helpers can assist with any number of things, like shopping, running errands, transportation, light housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, arranging services (home maintenance, lawn care, etc.) and other household chores, along with providing companionship and support. And, if your mom gets to the point she needs personal/physical care like bathing or dressing, they can usually help with this, too. Most home helpers are part-time workers who work a few hours a day or a few days per week. You also need to know that while Medicare does cover home healthcare services if a doctor orders it, they do not cover home helper/personal assistant services. There are two ways in which you can go about hiring someone for your mom; either through a home care agency, or you can hire someone directly on your own.

Home helpers For seniors who could use some help at home — but don’t need a caregiving aide for personal care — there are a bevy of personal assistance/home helpers out there that can help make life a little easier.

Home care agencies Hiring a home helper through a nonmedical home care, or non-medical comSee HELP AT HOME, page B-19

BEACON BITS

Oct. 10+

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA IN D.C.

Folger Theatre presents Antony and Cleopatra, on stage from Tuesday, Oct. 10 through Sunday, Nov. 19. Tuesday through Thursday shows begin at 7:30 p.m.; Friday shows begin at 8 p.m.; Saturday shows begin at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday shows begin at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets cost $35 to $79, with discounts available. Folger Theatre is located at 201 East Capitol St. SE, Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.folger.edu/theatre or call (202) 544-7077.

Oct. 15

VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL

Harmony Hall Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) present “History and Symbolism of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.” with Allen McCabe on Oct. 15 from 1 to 2 p.m. in Fort Washington, Md. This is a free public event. For more information and the location site, email harmonyhalldar@gmail.com.

INDEPENDENT & PERSONAL CARE COMMUNITIES

B’nai B’rith Homecrest House 301-244-3579 14508 Homecrest Road Silver Spring, MD 20906 www.homecresthouse.org Homecrest House is a non-profit, affordable, subsidized community offering two options: Independent & Personal Care Services. PERSONAL CARE offers: assistance with bathing, daily meals, weekly housekeeping & laundry services with optional medication administration. Homecrest is nestled on 10 beautiful acres & neighbors with Leisure World. Residents may qualify approximately 30% of their adjusted income for rent & may qualify for personal care subsidies. Homecrest offers a full array of amenities, activities & scheduled weekday van service. Call Maria at 301-244-3579 for a personalized tour or visit us at www.homecresthouse.org.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Help at home From page B-18 panion care, agency is the easiest, but more expensive option of the two. Costs run anywhere from $12 to $30 an hour, depending on where you live and the qualification of the assistant/aide. How it works: You pay the company, and they handle everything including assigning appropriately trained and pre-screened staff to care for your mom, and finding a fill-in on days her helper cannot come. Some of the drawbacks, however, are that you may not have much input into the selection of the aide (though most agencies will send someone else if you don’t like the first aide), and the helpers may change or alternate, which can cause some disruption. To find a home care agency in your area, Google “non-medical home care” followed by the city and state your mom lives in, or you can use Medicare’s home health agencies search tool Medicare.gov/hhcompare. Most home health agencies offer some form of non-medical home care services, too. You can also check your local print or online yellow pages under “home healthcare services.”

Hiring directly Hiring a personal assistant/home helper on your own is the other option. Costs typically range between $10 and $20 per hour. In addition to being less expensive, hiring directly also gives you more control over who you hire, so you can choose someone who you feel is right for your mom. But be aware that if you do hire someone on your own, you become the employer so there’s no agency support to fall back on if a problem occurs, or if the assistant doesn’t show up. You’re also responsible for paying payroll taxes and for any worker-related injuries that may happen on your premises. If you choose this option, make sure you check the person’s references thoroughly, and do a criminal background check. To find someone, ask for referrals through friends, or check online job boards like CraigsList.org, or try Care.com, CareLinx.com, CareFamily.com or CareSpotter.c om. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book.

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: 600 North Madison Street, Arlington, VA 22203

Rent based on income

703-538-6000 Lockwood House 7010 Schoonmaker Court Alexandria, VA 22310

BEACON BITS

Oct. 16+

B-19

From $896

703-719-7268

DRIVING REFRESHER

AARP Driver Safety, a driving refresher course, will be offered at the Falls Church Community Center, located at 223 Little Falls St. in Falls Church, Va. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 16 and 17. Participants must attend both days. The class will be taught by certified volunteer instructor Pamela Houghtaling. Course participants will learn valuable defensive driving skills, proven safety strategies, how to stay current with the latest driving technologies, the current rules of the road, and how to manage and accommodate common age-related changes in vision, hearing and reaction time. Many participants may be eligible for a multi-year insurance discount after taking the course, which is open to drivers of all ages and costs $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-members (check or cash only). Checks should be made payable to AARP. Participants should bring a lunch and can register by calling (703) 248-5027. For more information, visit www.aarp.org/drive or call 1-888-227-7669.

873 Grace Street Herndon, VA 20170

From $950

703-904-9444

20900 Runny Meade Terrace Ashburn, VA 20147

703-858-9507

From $941

Wingler House Apartments

Best Senior Care Gets Thumbs Up

• Companionship, Meal Assistance, Medication 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

301-717-2212

www.bestseniorcare.us RSA # R 2041

7837 Richmond Highway Alexandria, VA 22306

From $1,006

703-780-9072

5999 Emerson Street Bladensburg, MD 20710

301-779-6196

18889 Waring Station Road Germantown, MD 20874

301-540-1162

Rent based on income

From $1,147 for 2 bedroom

5101 River Road, Suite 101 • Bethesda, MD 20816

Complimentary Consultation and Assessment Expires 10/31/17

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

WB 10/17

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

Housing Options

ASSISTED LIVING OPEN HOUSE

B-20

PULL OUT & KEEP THIS SECTION

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Simply

DIFFERENT

Because what surrounds you really matters.

Wednesday, October 18, 2017 10 A.m. – 12:30 p.m. The meadows assisted living 1635 hickory knoll road • Sandy Spring, MD 20860

For more than 65 years, Brooke Grove Retirement Village has built a history of excellence in Montgomery County. Explore our residential-style homes, gardens and secure walking paths. Discover our innovative approach and programs including those designed to stimulate memory. Meet our staff, trained in assisting those with Alzheimer’s and memory loss. Enjoy our 220-acre campus and our live-in pets.

Please RSVP to Toni Davis at 301-388-7209 or tdavis@bgf.org by October 16.

18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860

Independent living assisted living rehabilitation memory support long-term care 301-260-2320 or 301-924-2811 • www.bgf.org

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Money Law &

INTERSHIPS FOR ALL While students often serve as interns, more older adults are also gaining experience in new career fields as interns REAPING THE DIVIDENDS In buying dividend stocks, look for strong dividend growth coupled with a low payout ratio for long-term success PART-TIME JOBS Working part time can be personally and financially rewarding, but don’t ignore the often hidden tax costs

Find out if the Equifax hack stole your ID By Lisa Gerstner By now you’ve probably heard that Equifax — which as one of the three major U.S. credit agencies collect loads of sensitive data on consumers — suffered a massive breach, potentially affecting 143 million Americans. In the ongoing saga of rampant data breaches, it’s a stomach-churning twist, and it’s especially galling given that, as one component of its business, Equifax sells credit monitoring and other services to detect whether identity thieves have pilfered your information. Chances are high that the thieves got ahold of sensitive information on you or someone in your family: the breach touches almost half the entire U.S. population and nearly three-quarters of those who have a credit report on file, according to the National Consumer Law Center. According to Equifax, “(c)riminals exploited a website application vulnerability to gain access to certain files.” That’s putting it nicely. From mid-May through July, hackers had access to all the key information needed to steal identities: Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some

instances, driver’s license numbers. Plus, credit card numbers for about 209,000 consumers, and dispute documents containing personal information of about 182,000 people were compromised. Take these steps now to see whether you are affected, and to protect yourself in the aftermath. 1. Check with Equifax On your computer, go to www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/potential-impact/, click on “Check Potential Impact,” then enter your last name and the final six digits of your Social Security number. Equifax will supply a message noting whether it believes your personal information was compromised. Even if your information wasn’t compromised, you’ll have the option of signing up for a free year of credit monitoring and identity theft protection services from Equifax’s TrustedID Premier. (Equifax has also set up a call center, at 866-4477559, but going online is a better bet. When we tried calling the number, we got a brief busy signal, then the call disconnected.) A caveat: Equifax includes a disclaimer on its site that if you purchase or use its products, you must agree to resolve dis-

putes through arbitration, waiving your right to participate in a class-action lawsuit. You can, however, opt out of the arbitration provision by notifying Equifax in writing “within 30 days of the date that you first accept this agreement on the site (for products purchased from Equifax on the site.)” 2. Sign up for free protection Sign up for monitoring and protection. You’ll likely be notified that you must wait until a specified date within the next several days to enroll in TrustedID Premier. Starting on that day, and until November 21, you can visit www.equifaxsecurity2017.com to sign up. The service includes: • access to your Equifax credit report, • monitoring for changes (such as newly opened credit card accounts or loans) on your credit reports from all three major credit agencies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion), • the ability to freeze and unfreeze your Equifax credit report (for more, see the next section), • monitoring of your Social Security number on internet black-market sites, where crooks buy and sell stolen information, and • insurance to reimburse out-of-pocket

expenses if you become an ID theft victim. TrustedID Premier is a legit service, and in particular, monitoring of your reports from all three credit bureaus is valuable in helping spot identity theft. But if you’re wary of relying on Equifax for protection, you have other options. 3. Other ways to protect yourself Among free services, CreditKarma.com offers access to information from your TransUnion and Equifax credit reports, plus monitoring and alerts about changes in your TransUnion report. Check whether you can get free assistance from your bank, credit card issuer, insurance company, or employer, too. Discover, for example, recently began offering its cardholders free monitoring for new accounts on their Experian credit reports. Paid services from companies such as LifeLock and Identity Guard offer broader suites of identity-theft protection services, including monitoring of your reports from all three credit agencies. 4. Check your credit reports. If you haven’t obtained your free annual credit reports in the past 12 months, now is a good time to do it. At www.annualcredSee EQUIFAX, page 28

Fiduciary rule means better money advice By Ken Heise In a Harris Poll conducted in March on behalf of Personal Capital, a digital wealth management firm, 46 percent of respondents said they believed all financial professionals are legally required to always act in their clients’ best interest. Another 31 percent were unsure whether this was the case. Imagine those individuals’ surprise (and maybe yours), in the coming weeks and months as their financial professionals tell them that, uh, no, that wasn’t quite the case before — but it is now, and they can’t wait to be transparent about transactions, compensation, and conflicts of interest when discussing retirement plans. In other words, since the U.S. Dept. of Labor started implementing its new fiduciary rule this summer, you shouldn’t be getting sales pitches disguised as advice anymore. When it comes to managing your retirement accounts (those funded

with pre-tax money, such as your 401(k), SEP plans and IRAs), your financial professional will be ethically and legally bound to focus more on your success than his own.

Fiduciaries vs. salesmen This level of responsibility is nothing new — it dates back to an 1830 court ruling and the formulation of a “prudent person standard of care,” which requires someone acting as a fiduciary to do what a prudent person would do and to not take advantage of a client. Congress also has drawn distinctions between broker-dealers, who were regulated as salesmen under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (not under the fiduciary standard), and Investment Adviser representatives, who were regulated under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. And yet, somehow these distinctions have become blurred over the years.

Most financial professionals have been working under the less rigorous “suitability” standard, which requires only that they recommend products that meet a client’s financial objectives. The products they offer don’t have to be the best or least expensive option. They may be licensed to sell stocks, bonds, mutual funds or insurance products, but not to give investment advice. And their clients might never have known it. It’s kind of shocking that we’ve gone so long without exposing the difference — or raising expectations. Instead, we’ve put the burden on the individual to figure it out. But the world of finance just keeps getting more complicated. With employer pensions going away, putting retirees largely in charge of their own future financial security, people need help. And they need to be able to trust that it’s good help.

Get the most out of new rule How can you use the changes required by the fiduciary rule to your advantage? • Get a second opinion from a licensed professional who is held to the fiduciary standard. A licensed fiduciary is an adviser who has passed and acquired a Series 65 or 66 designation. Most professionals will review your assets and meet with you at least once without obligation. Make the most of that opportunity. I often find that prospective clients are unaware of the amount of risk in their portfolios. They’re also unsure about the fees they’re paying to their financial professional and for the products they recommend. We can clear all of that up pretty quickly. • Ask questions. If your guy was a suitability salesman a few weeks ago and now he’s acting as fiduciary, ask him how that See FIDUCIARY RULE, page 28

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Equifax From page 27

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itreport.com, you can get a report from each of the three credit agencies. Review each one for accounts you don’t recognize, an incorrect address, or any other red flags. If you believe that you may be a victim of identity theft, you can take steps to resolve it.

Freeze credit files The strongest measure you can take to prevent identity theft is imposing a freeze on your credit files (you must contact each bureau separately to do so). A freeze bars new creditors from accessing your credit report — and as a result, identity thieves will have a hard time opening new credit cards or loans in your name. If criminals haven’t yet used your personal information fraudulently, you’ll probably have to pay to place the freeze (fees vary by state, but often run about $5 to $10 per credit agency). If you later want to apply for a credit card or loan, you’ll have to lift the freeze during the shopping period then put it back on, which may incur additional fees. “But that bit of inconvenience doesn’t outweigh the amount of time you’d spend clean-

Fiduciary rule From page 27 will affect his recommendations and, if he’s making changes to comply with the new ruling, why he didn’t have you in the best-interests scenario from the start? • Get educated. The new rule covers retirement advice only, so make sure you know when your financial professional is acting as a fiduciary and when he isn’t. Read the disclosures you receive and pay attention to any red flags. For non-IRA assets, anyone without a Series 65 or 66 des-

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ing up an identity-theft issue,” said Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center. (As noted above, Equifax includes the ability to freeze your Equifax credit report for a year with TrustedID Premier.)

Fraud alerts As a less-cumbersome alternative, you can initiate a free 90-day fraud alert on your credit reports (when you place an alert with one credit agency, it will contact the other two companies). A fraud alert requires lenders to take extra steps to verify your identity when someone applies for credit in your name, but it doesn’t provide a full block on your reports. And unless you are already a victim of identity theft, you’ll have to renew the fraud alert every 90 days to maintain the protection. Your personal information may sit for years before a thief uses it, so you’ll need to be on guard for far longer than three months. Identity-theft victims are eligible for a free extended fraud alert, which lasts seven years. You also get two free credit reports within 12 months from each credit agency. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

ignation does not have to abide or comply by fiduciary standards. • Be flexible. A professional truly held to the fiduciary standard will tailor a plan just for you and your individual needs. Unlike, for example, a broker — who may be limited to what his firm wants him to sell — a fiduciary will go over many different products and strategies, because he can. Be vigilant — it’s your money — but keep an open mind to the suggestions you hear. © The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Internships arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just for young adults What can career hopefuls do to gain ex- experience that is both structured and relatperience, develop skills, and ed to an individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s employincrease self-confidence? Get ment goal. It can be paid or unan internship! paid, full- or part-time, and is Contrary to popular belief, an typically supervised by an exintern doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily have pert in that particular field. to be a fresh-faced, collegeMost of all, the experience bound teenager, although inshould positively impact and ternships can be extremely benenhance the individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s caeficial for this age group. Those reer path and future developof you who have seen the 2015 ment. movie The Intern, starring Internships are beneficial Robert De Niro as a 70-year-old GENERATIONS for teenagers because they intern and Anne Hathaway as TOGETHER provide them with muchhis boss, know that internships By Alexis Bentz needed work experience, can also be held by older adults. which can entice employers to Regardless of your age, internships can hire them in the future. For students who are still unsure of be a meaningful experience for all. what they would like to do when they grow Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an internship? up, an internship can also assist them with An internship can be defined as a work their choice, whether by interesting them

in a new field or by allowing them to rule a career path out. Besides enhancing their resumes, an internship can also enhance their personal lives. They are a great way to connect with mentors and form long-lasting relationships. I had my first internship in August this summer at none other than the Beacon! After partaking in this experience, I can confidently say that internships are an incredible opportunity for teens everywhere. My time at the Beacon fostered my pas-

See INTERNSHIPS, page 30

ESTATES & TRUSTS

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Nov. 9

sion for writing, and gave me the experience of being on the scene of a real newspaper. (I normally type my columns at home and email them in to the newspaper for edits and publication.) I have now learned a lot about how the newspaper is put together, and was given several assignments outside of my typical monthly column, which has increased my confidence as a writer and interest in the

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

BEACON BITS

Internships

Oct. 29

From page 29

FREE RETIREMENT AND HEALTH SEMINARS Learn more about retirement financing and transition at a free

bagel brunch, 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29. Lizabeth Wagger, wealth management advisor with First Financial Group, and Amy K. Harbison, a certified transition and retirement planning coach with Open Window Coaching, will speak at the Wasserman Residence, 6121 Montrose Rd., Rockville, Md., part of the Charles E. Smith Life Communities. Then on Wednesday, Nov. 1, there will be a free program entitled, “How Heart Health Affects Brain Health.” A light supper will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by the program. This seminar features Dr. Rebecca Gottesman, professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins Medicine. This program will take place at Landow House, 1799 East Jefferson St., Rockville. For more information about either event, call (301) 816-5052.

field of journalism. However, teens aren’t the only ones who can benefit from this kind of opportunity. The Intern is the perfect example. The characters played by De Niro and Hathaway form an unlikely friendship, and she educates him about the new ways of business, he teaches her about the old. This movie may be fictional, but the premise is 100 percent realistic. Although substantially less common than teenage internships, some companies actively seek out older interns. In fact, some companies, including MetLife and McKinsey, say they prefer senior interns. This is because older adults have already developed skills and expertise, and may also have previous connections thanks to their past experiences in the work force. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percentage of interns 55 and older

is projected to increase from 13 percent in 2002 to 25.2 percent in 2020. Senior internships can be a great way to continue following one’s passion and to learn about modern means of business. You can also take internships one step further and use them as a way to become closer with a teenage friend or grandchild. Search for employers looking to hire interns, and take the opportunity to work together doing something that interests both of you. Some places to look for internships are LinkedIn, Indeed.com (an online job search site), and the Washington Post’s jobs postings site. You can help each other to prepare for interviews, and educate each other about old and new ways of doing business. If this is not an option, you can always make some popcorn and watch The Intern together. After all, as the movie’s slogan says, “experience never gets old.” Alexis Bentz is a 10th grade student at Wootton High School in Rockville, Md.

BEACON BITS

Oct. 6

FIGHTING FRAUD — ADVICE FROM THE FBI

Kensington Park hosts a talk on preventing fraud with retired FBI Special Agent Jeff Lanza, who will share his 20 years of FBI experience and keen understanding of identity theft, cybercrime and financial fraud. The free talk will take place on Friday, Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. at the Woman’s Club of Bethesda, located at 5500 Sonoma Rd., Bethesda, Md. Limited seating. RSVP required. For more information or to register, call (301) 946-7700 or email hflattery@kensingtonretirement.com.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

A recipe for picking high dividend stocks By Eleanor Laise There are almost as many dividendstock-picking strategies as there are dividend stocks. You could go for the dividend “achievers,” which have boosted dividends for at least 10 consecutive years, or the “aristocrats,” which have raised dividends for at least 25 years. You could focus on stocks with the fastest dividend-growth rates, or simply those with today’s highest yields. But to cook up a portfolio full of healthy, sustainable and growing payouts, you need more ingredients. Recent research suggests that mixing a high dividend yield with strong dividend growth and a low “payout ratio” (the percentage of earnings paid out as dividends) is a winning recipe. Pankaj Patel, managing director at investment-research firm Cirrus Research, said a portfolio of stocks combining those three factors has beaten Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index by 6 percentage points annually over the long haul. Generous dividends are a lifeline for older adults drawing income from their portfolios — particularly when the 10-year Treasury yields 2.4 percent and the S&P 500 yields less than 2 percent. But dividend growth is slowing and payout ratios are climbing, presenting challenges for investors seeking healthy, sus-

tainable payouts.

Look at dividend growth When selecting dividend payers, “the growth of the dividend is the most powerful part of the formula,” as a rising dividend often buoys the share price, said Charlie Farrell, chief executive officer at Northstar Investment Advisors, in Denver. Yet a stretch of sluggish earnings growth has made dividend growth more elusive. In the first quarter of this year, U.S. stocks’ dividend net increases (dividend hikes minus cuts) amounted to $10.9 billion — a 39 percent decline from the first quarter of 2014, according to Standard & Poor’s. A low payout ratio provides some insurance against dividend cuts, which can weigh heavily on stock prices. Farrell generally looks for payout ratios of about 50 percent or less. But with yield-hungry investors agitating for dividends, the ratios have been rising. In the 12 months ending with the third quarter of 2016, for example, 44 companies in the S&P 500 had payout ratios over 100 percent — the second-highest count in 10 years, according to FactSet.

Some stock recommendations So which stocks still boast that powerful

BEACON BITS

Oct. 28

FINANCIAL PLANNING DAY

Celebrate Metro Washington’s Financial Planning Day on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at UVA Northern Virginia Center, 7054 Haycock Rd., Falls Church, Va. There will be free one-on-one personalized financial advice, and free financial workshops on budgeting, credit and debt, investing, retirement, taxes, homeownership, estate planning, insurance, employee benefits, education savings and small businesses. For more information or to register, visit www.FinancialPlanningDays.org/DC

combination of generous dividend yield, strong dividend growth, and low payout ratio? In its research, Cirrus didn’t set any particular thresholds for these factors — the research firm simply looked for the best combination of the three. Here are some of the names that came out on top: • Cisco Systems (CSCO). In addition to making the switches and routers that connect computers and computer networks, Cisco makes products for fastergrowing segments, such as wireless, security and data centers. The company started paying a dividend in 2011 and has boosted it every year since. • Gilead Sciences (GILD). This biotech company is known largely for drugs that treat HIV and Hepatitis C, but it is building a strong pipeline in other areas, such as inflammatory diseases. The company initiated its dividend in 2015, and its low 20 percent payout ratio leaves plenty of

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room for future growth. • Home Depot (HD). The home-improvement retailer is benefiting from a strong housing market, and it enjoys some insulation from e-commerce competition thanks to its employees’ specialized knowledge and bulky merchandise that can’t be shipped cheaply. The company has made quarterly payouts for 30 years, and in February announced a 29 percent dividend increase. • VF Corp (VFC). This apparel maker owns brands such as North Face, Timberland and Lee jeans. Although reliance on department-store sales has hurt growth in recent years, the company is working to boost its direct-to-consumer sales through its own online and brick-and-mortar stores. The company last year raised its dividend 14 percent. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Whether to work part-time in retirement By Brian Vnak Some people’s retirement dreams consist of having the time to do what they want, unencumbered by the demands of working. For others, staying in the workforce on a part-time basis, either out of necessity or by choice, is a core component of their retirement picture. Keeping a hand in the workforce is a growing trend, and for good reason: Part-time employment in retirement is a way to supplement cash flow, maintain employer benefits, and stay mentally and physically engaged.

Many financial benefits Part-time work is very healthy from a financial-planning standpoint. For instance, every year you work improves your earnings history, which can increase the amount of Social Security you receive. Further, part-time earnings may allow you to delay taking Social Security benefits, which increase by 8 percent every year past your full retirement age, up to the age of 70. Earnings from a part-time job may also mean you can delay spending down your retirement accounts, giving them more time to potentially grow. An extra three to five years — especially if it coincides with a rising market — can have a tremendously powerful impact on the sustainability of your portfolio.

Finally, part-time work may offer access to employer benefits, such as health insurance and contributing to tax-efficient employer-sponsored plans like 401(k)s — not to mention getting the employer match, which is literally free money. As an added benefit, any funds inside your current employer’s plan will escape required minimum distributions at age 70½ and later, as long as you remain actively employed. Funds in an inactive 401(k) from a former employer would be subject to required minimum distributions. But this can be avoided if the inactive accounts are consolidated with your current employer’s 401(k) account (assuming the employer accepts rollovers).

Hidden costs of working Unfortunately, working part-time in retirement can also complicate your finances. First, if you’re already taking Social Security, your benefits are taxable based on other income sources, such as wages, dividends, capital gains, retirement account distributions and, yes, 50 percent of your Social Security benefits (among other items). A part-time job means you’ll have more income, but this extra income may adversely affect your Social Security benefit.

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Your part-time income may also put you in a higher tax bracket — not just for income taxes, but for capital gains taxes, too. Many retirees capitalize on their lowerincome years by taking gains when they’re in the 0 percent capital gains tax bracket, so you may not be able to take advantage of savvy tax-planning moves like capital gains harvesting and Roth conversions. If your part-time income puts you at or above the 25 percent income tax bracket, you may find yourself subject to a 15 or 20 percent capital gains tax rate. In a worstcase scenario, the part-time earnings you make could be eclipsed by taxes you pay on capital gains. Part-time work can help you stay mentally sharp, socially engaged and physically fit. And there’s the benefit of putting a lifetime of skills to work, or finally turning your attention to a lifelong passion. Still, it’s a slippery slope. Part-time work can easily morph into full-time work, especially if you’re prone to workaholism. And for those who put their years of experience to work in consulting may find that running a business, even a tiny one-person proprietorship, more expensive and onerous than imagined.

The bottom line Whether it’s the financial cushion or because you truly love working that’s driving your decision to work part-time, it’s in your best interest to understand how this decision will change your plan for the future. Ask yourself and/or your adviser the following questions to help you evaluate the pros/cons of working part-time in retirement: • How will working part-time in retirement enhance my ability to achieve my ideal retirement lifestyle? • What “ripple effects” might working part-time in retirement bring to my financial plan? Would it put me in a higher tax bracket and/or disrupt any existing tax strategies? • How will working part-time in retirement enhance my ability to achieve my ideal retirement lifestyle? Finally: Remember that part-time work doesn’t just impact your financial bottom line. It also affects your mind, body, family and friends. Be thoughtful of how you spend your time. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Travel Leisure &

Thoreau’s Walden Pond is just a short trip from Boston. See story on page 38.

Repositioning cruises offer real bargains spend one day at sea, then hit six ports along the coast of Spain and Portugal before setting out across the Atlantic, which takes seven days. Boarding most cruises usually involves a flight to Florida or elsewhere for Washington area residents. For one-way repositioning cruises, there is the additional cost of an overseas leg — either to get to where the cruise leaves from, or to return home afterwards. Holland America was very helpful, as I imagine most cruise lines are, in finding us inexpensive flights. We paid less than $600 per person to fly from D.C. to Rome, and from Ft. Lauderdale to D.C.

PHOTO BY MAPICS

By Ann Cochran Each fall and spring, a quiet migration takes place as cruise lines move their ships from one geographical area to another. But these ships do not sail empty. They are full of passengers taking advantage of the best value in cruising. For the past few years, I’ve met people who have taken repositioning cruises and wondered what one would be like. They involve many days at sea — whether they are going from Europe to the Caribbean or Seattle to Sydney — so would there be more to do to keep passengers busy and happy? Or less, because the price was lower than a regular cruise? Would the menus be limited because of all the days far from land? My husband and I decided to try one out after he retired. We chose a late October into mid-November cruise last year from Rome to Ft. Lauderdale on a new Holland America ship, the Koningsdam, which was launched that spring. It is the largest ship in Holland America’s fleet. From Italy’s Civitavecchia Port, we’d

Excellent values

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOLLAND AMERICA

Including flights, the price was right. Our 15-day Passage to America cruise started at $1,179 per person for an interior cabin and $1,599 for an exterior balcony cabin like the one we had. Our cruise was similar to one Holland America is offering this fall on the same ship: the 14-day Jewels of the Baltic cruise starts at $2,509 for an interior cabin and $3,199 for a balcony cabin. Royal Caribbean is currently advertising a 14-night transatlantic repositioning cruise on Freedom of the Seas for $833 per person in an interior cabin and $1,434 in a balcony cabin. The ultra-luxury line Silversea has great deals as well, relatively speaking. Prices for their 16-day spring repositioning cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Dublin starts at $5,310 as opposed to $10,620 for an Australia/New Zealand voyage of the same length during the same month.

The design of the avant garde wine cellar on Holland America’s Koningsdam echoes the curved lines and art theme throughout the vessel, which holds more than 2,500 passengers. It is one of a number of ships that make transAtlantic repositioning crossings each fall and spring at steeply discounted rates for passengers.

Antonio Gaudi’s unique and ornate cathedral La Sagrada Familia soars over Barcelona, one of the ports of call on the Koningsdam’s repositioning cruise. Construction began in 1892 and is still underway.

A brand new ship The day we settled into the Koningsdam, all the surprises were good ones, as one would reasonably expect on a new ship. With music as their inspiration, designer Adam Tihany and architect Bjørn Storbraaten created an open, airy atmosphere with plenty of curved lines. Everywhere you looked, you engaged with interesting pieces of art, most of it contemporary. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors enhanced the spaciousness of our verandah cabin. Even for people like us who do not pack light, there were more than enough closets and storage spaces. The comfortable queen-sized bed was made up with crisp white linens, and there were perfectly placed bedside reading lights. The bathroom had a large shower. The TV was of-the-moment: flat screen, high-definition. Lots of channels and ondemand movies, as well as the entirety of “Downton Abbey,” provided relaxing interludes between meals and events. The music-themed ship lived up to its intention. The main World Stage, which had a three-quarter-way-around seating layout, was surrounded by walls upon which gorgeous video and photography were sometimes projected. At a cast chat, many performers praised the lighting, sound and design technology, calling it su-

perior to that of most Broadway theaters. If there’s a head on every pillow, the Koningsdam can accommodate 2,650 passengers. Cruise lines encourage loyalty with discounts and perks. At a reception, we learned that out of the approximately 2,400 passengers, only 200 (including ourselves) were first timers.

Plentiful activities onboard I needn’t have feared boredom. Besides the nightly main stage shows, there were many other options, including a classic piano bar. At B.B. King’s Blues Club, the band played current hits. A classical quintet, easily transitioning from Mozart to Sting, performed at the Lincoln Center Stage. This strategic partnership with Lincoln Center was a huge hit. With their piano, cello and three violins, these elegant musicians seemed to be the most beloved performers on a ship that was rich in talent. In addition to music and dance entertainment, a magician and two comedians were on the schedule. With freshly popped popcorn, we loved watching movies in lounge chairs around the pool. Popular films were interspersed with BBC Earth documentaries. See CRUISES, page 36

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Cruises From page 34 Before sunrise one morning, there was a stargazing opportunity with two presenters who were attending navigation school. During the day, lectures, a cooking competition and demonstrations, spa appointments, games and dance lessons given by the gorgeous shipboard dancers kept us busy. At the gym, you could stare out at the sea as you walked or jogged. The sight and smell of the sea, and its breezes, drew many passengers out to the promenade deck. I joined daily. I avoided the casino, but it was well-populated every evening. I planned spa appointments and all our meals in the specialty restaurants for days we were at sea. On all the other days, the

two main dining options — a formal restaurant and a sophisticated version of an eatery — were both good to great. At mealtimes, we got to know other passengers and found people to hang out with on the ship, and to tour with on land. We found the specialty restaurants, except the Italian one, worth the extra charges, which ranged from $15 to a la carte. Of the French bistro, Culinary Arts Center (tasting menu, demonstration kitchen), steakhouse and Asian, the Asian (Tamarind) stood out. But each had its winning dishes.

Spanish ports of call Every cruise line sells land tours, and Holland America is no exception, with classic highlights tours and many off-the-beaten-track options. They also do a great job of letting passengers know how to explore on one’s

Our Mission: To secure the well-being of Montgomery County Seniors through the shared strength of diverse organizations and individuals.

Professionals working with seniors are invited to our Monthly GROWS meetings on the first Thursday of the month at 8:15 a.m. usually at Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Wheaton, Md.

November Networking breakfast: Thursday, Nov. 2, 8 to 10 a.m. Topic: Alternative treatment therapies using Music and Art

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

own. Lectures with beautiful slide shows gave a rundown of the best of each city, restaurant recommendations, and practical information about unusual scheduling and closings. Palma de Mallorca in Spain was our first stop. Like many other ports, this island has a lot of fine museums, churches and ruins. Its beach is a quick walk from the ship. It also has a large department store, El Corte Ingles, where I was delighted to find great variety and good prices for truly local items (after confirming by checking tags) to bring to loved ones back home. Barcelona was the most alluring stop, and it required the most planning since there’s so much to do. My husband and I chose to spend most of our time at La Sagrada Familia, the masterpiece cathedral (started in 1882 and still unfinished) designed by Antoni Gaudi. I expected it to be more surreal and less spiritual, but the experience was quite the opposite. I was very moved by the structure and the guide’s story of Gaudi’s devotion to the project. Afterward, we wandered Las Ramblas, the tree-lined pedestrian mall in heart of the city, and enjoyed a great meal. (Yes, this was the site of a horrific terrorist incident this August, less than a year after our visit.) Alicante is a popular beach town graced with palm trees and a beautiful waterfront promenade, Explanada de Espana, made of 6.5 million marble tiles. This small city has one of Spain’s most important modern art collections in its Asegurada Museum. Malaga, Picasso’s hometown on the Costa del Sol, honors him with an art museum and a house museum. There are many others here, including the Museo de Malaga, with fine arts and archaeology. From 2015, and scheduled to be there for five years, a pop-up outpost of the Paris

Centre Pompidou arts complex was installed in a many-colored glass cube structure at the port. Special exhibits share the space with works from the Paris museum’s permanent collection. Home to a U.S. naval base, Cadiz is known for great golf and five miles of beach, long-rated as having the cleanest beach water in Europe. Since we’d be there on a Sunday, with few places open, we decided to take an official Holland America tour, at $80 per person for five hours. About 28 other passengers decided the same thing, and the consensus afterward was that it was worth it. Our intelligent and well informed guide toured us around the old city and a charming hilltop village called Jerez de la Frontera. At the shipboard lecture about the last stop, Madeira, I was drawn in by the slides of a stunning hotel on a hill. When we arrived, we hired a taxi driver to take us around. That is common practice for cruise passengers. Sometimes we’d share a taxi with another couple. It costs far less than an organized tour, the drivers know the main attractions, and you get to talk to a local while doing exactly what you want to do. Before heading to the Belmond Reid’s Palace for lunch, we asked our driver, Bruno, to take us to a grocery store. He looked puzzled, but we convinced him that’s what we wanted, and the three of us walked the aisles, buying chocolates for the cabin stewards and some traditional honey cake to take home. You can learn a lot about another culture in a grocery store. And at a Belmond hotel, you can treat yourself to a fine Portuguese lunch. To research repositioning cruises, visit cruise lines’ individual websites, websites such as www.repositioningcruise.com, devoted entirely to this mode of travel, or sites such as www.Cruisecritic.com.

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Lots of new airlines, not much innovation Between now and next summer, you’ll more economically than the larger jumbos see a lot of unfamiliar airplanes at U.S. air- and can fly very long-range routes. ports. At least for now, they’ll Here’s my roundup of the all be European or Asian, but most interesting developa few possible home-grown efments. forts have sprouted. The upside is a combination Daytime flight to London of more competition on existing routes and more new nonNorwegian stop routes. The downside is no (Nor wegian.com). Already real innovation in the seating — the major transatlantic upstart, the main cabins will be familiar Norwegian will continue to excattle cars. pand its relatively short The expansion is fueled by TRAVEL TIPS 737max routes from the eastnew airlines and enabled by By Ed Perkins ern U.S. — primarily New York/Stewart International, and Provinew airplanes: • New 737max and A321neo narrow- dence to Western Europe. One of its most interesting new flights, body planes have sufficient range for nonstops between eastern North America and however, uses 787s. For folks who hate redwestern Europe, they’re small enough to eye flights in cattle car economy, Norwegian operate profitably on routes with insuffi- now operates a nonstop that leaves New cient traffic to support the jumbos, and York/JFK at 11:20 in the morning and arrives London/Gatwick at 10:50 that evening. It ofthey do so at very low costs. • New 787s and A350s operate much fers conventional economy and better-than-

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Nov. 3+

SENIOR CODING COURSE

Rockville Senior Center presents “Coding for Beginners” (course 2165) on Fridays, Nov. 3, 17 and Dec. 1 at 12:30 p.m. The center is located at 1150 Carnation Dr. in Rockville, Md. For more information and a complete course catalog, visit www.rockvillemd.gov/seniorcenter.

Oct. 23+

average premium economy seats. As of late September, it was offering very low fares on this route, some as low as $110 each way in November. Level (flylevel.com). This new line, currently operated by Iberia, flies nonstops to its Barcelona base from Los Angeles and Oakland. It flies A330s with what appear to be conventional economy and premium economy seats. Primera (primeraair.com). This startup, with headquarters in Latvia, will start flying next April from Newark nonstop to Birmingham, Paris/DeGaulle, and London/Stansted with A321neos. The product mix includes what appear to be conventional economy and premium economy offerings.

Joon. I’m not making this up: “Joon” is the name Air France has given to its new subsidiary. Presumably that’s based on the French word “jeune” meaning “young.” And you wouldn’t believe the PR-babble Air France put out about tailoring its new effort to millennials — nothing about fares or the seats, just drivel. Expect service to the U.S. next summer, with A340s or A350s. Your guess is as good as mine about fares or product, but I can confidently predict it will offer a full load of first-class malarkey. Air Asia X (booking.airasia). Well-established in Asia, this Malaysian line startSee NEW AIRLINES, page 38

YULETIDE AT WINTERTHUR, Nov 21 ..................................................................................$125

Includes a guided tour of DuPont’s home with royally inspired décor, gowns from the Netflix series “The Crown” and lunch locally. BALTIMORE FOR NEW YEAR, Dec 30 – Jan 1.................................................................. $799pp Includes: 2 nights at the Lord Baltimore Hotel, New Year’s Eve dinner cruise based on dble occupancy with premium open bar, sightseeing, Toby’s Dinner Theater, 5 meals & much more! NEW ORLEANS – MEMPHIS CRUISE, Mar 25 – Apr 2 ..........................................................$2699 Includes: 8 nights cruising on the American Duchess, all meals & entertainment based on dble occupancy entertainment, pre cruise overnight hotel with breakfast, transfers to ship, wine & beer with dinner. Call for complete details.

MAKE BABY BLANKETS

The Montgomery County Chapter of Project Linus, a nonprofit organization dedicated to donating handmade blankets for newborns to 18-year-olds in need of comfort, has scheduled a monthly meeting on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 10905 Drumm Ave., Kensington, Md. This meeting coincides with Community Service Week, and the group will make blankets using yarn, quilting and fleece materials and knitting accessories. For more information, contact coordinator Carolyn Lichtenstein at projectlinus.mc@gmail.com or visit www.projectlinus.org.

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Bucolic Walden Pond and Concord, Mass. By William J. Kole Henry David Thoreau went to the woods because, as he famously put it, “I wished to live deliberately.” Two centuries after the Walden author’s birth, people are still deliberately following in Thoreau’s footsteps to discover Walden Pond, the little lake he immortalized. Whether you’re visiting Boston or the Berkshires, the pond and the bucolic Massachusetts town of Concord are Thoreau-

ly worth a side trip. Here’s why: A retreating glacier formed the pond 10,000 or so years ago, but it was Thoreau — born in Concord 200 years ago on July 12, 1817 — who really put Walden Pond on the map. He spent two years and two months in solitude and reflection on its shores, writing Walden (the book’s full title is Walden; or, Life in the Woods), about grasping at the meaning of life by living simply and coexisting with the natural environment.

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Today, Walden Pond is a popular fishing hole stocked with trout and frequented by walkers, boaters, swimmers, sunbathers and birdwatchers in warm weather. In winter, there’s snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

Wandering around Walden You can wander the shaded dirt path hugging the oblong pond. At 1.7 miles, it’s perfect for walkers and runners of all abilities, and its serenity provides a spectacular backdrop for foliage in autumn. A can’t-miss attraction on Walden Pond State Reservation is the reconstruction of the tiny wooden cabin where Thoreau lived and worked. There’s also a gleaming new solar-powered visitor center that opened last October, featuring interactive exhibits about the man considered a founder of the modern environmental movement. Officials say the pond and center draw about a halfmillion visitors from around the globe each year. Thoreau made a big splash at Walden Pond. Working at a simple green desk in the cabin he built himself, the former schoolteacher completed Walden in 1854. Now, 163 years later, it’s a classic known for lines such as, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation,” and, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” But Thoreau was many things — philosopher, naturalist, transcendentalist, abolitionist, early climate change advocate — and he wrote other acclaimed works, including “Civil Disobedience,” an 1849

New airlines From page 37 ed flying from Kuala Lumpur to Honolulu by way of Osaka earlier this year, and it plans to fly to Los Angeles sometime next year. It’s allowed to carry traffic between the U.S. and Osaka. Its A330s include a small premium section with angled-flat seats, and an economy cabin with ultra-tight nine-across economy seats. The premium product might look like a good deal, but consider economy only if it’s really cheap and you’re really broke. Hong Kong Airlines (hongkongairlines.com/en_HK/homepage). Following its entry into Vancouver earlier this year, Hong Kong Airlines plans nonstops to Los Angeles starting later this year. Flights in A330s offer what appear to be fully competitive lie-flat business class seats and conventional eight-across economy.

Few new U.S. airlines So far, the U.S. startup outlook is grim. Three possible operations have emerged,

essay in which he agitated against slavery and government overreach.

Concord and environs Nestled about 20 miles northwest of Boston, Concord is famous for Revolutionary War landmarks enshrined in Minute Man National Historical Park — a leafy spot to picnic and learn more about the first battles that led to American independence from England. Thoreau isn’t the only renowned writer who created here. Ralph Waldo Emerson sketched out his celebrated essay “Nature” in town, and it’s the hometown of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin. The Concord Museum houses some truly iconic Americana, including the lantern that hung in a church steeple during Paul Revere’s fateful 1775 ride warning that the British were coming.

If you go Learn more about Walden Pond at http://bit.ly/Walden_Pond or call (978) 369-3254. Open daily year-round; hours vary by season. Fall hours are 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Walden Pond State Reservation is most easily accessible by car. Parking is $15 for out-of-state license plates, $8 for Massachusetts plates. From Boston, you can ride the MBTA commuter rail (Fitchburg line) to the Concord stop; then take a taxi or Uber to the pond. Admission to the reservation and visitor center is free. Dogs, fires and camping aren’t allowed. Only boats with electric motors are permitted on the pond. — AP

but so far, none has anything firm: • US Global Airlines, a re-tooled version of Baltia, wants to emulate Norwegian and fly 737max or A321neos from Stewart to various points in Europe. • A group of promoters wants to revive the “iconic” Midwest Express brand, but its apparent business plan — to re-grow the former Milwaukee hub — seems problematic. • David Neeleman, who started Morris Air, WestJet, JetBlue, and Azul, reportedly registered “Azura Airways” as a U.S. corporation. Azul says there’s nothing to it, but Neeleman likes to start-up airlines and likes to name them something to do with “blue.” Currently, you can book flights on Primera, Level, Air Asia X, and Hong Kong, along with the more established Norwegian and WOW. Advance fares look good, so make sure to include them in your trip planning. Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. Also, check out Ed’s new rail travel website at www.rail-guru.com. © 2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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What do today’s employees stand for? Fifty years ago, when I showed up for walking?,” I asked him. my first day of work at my first job, the “It’s actually easier than if I were sitboss nodded to his left and ting,” said this worker bee. said: “You sit there.” “Before, I’d be fiddling with A desk and a rickety chair my coffee cup and hating how awaited me. I sat. I rolled up uncomfortable my chair was. my sleeves. I got to it. It was distracting. Now, I just The same ballet has played kind of get into a good zone. out at every job I’ve held Walk, walk, type, type. It’s all since. A desk. A chair. A boss good.” who pointed at both. I never You’ll forgive me, but I was questioned any of it. skeptical. Work was to be performed HOW I SEE IT Isn’t the work place all while sitting. No ifs, and, buts By Bob Levey about efficiency and output? or questions. How can efficiency be greater A few weeks ago, I was invited to take a if a worker is thinking about the calories tour of a spanking new work place in the he’s burning, rather than the work he’s Washington suburbs. More than 200 peo- doing? ple toil there every weekday. Matt Vargas, an architect friend who This work place is nothing like the ones specializes in work place design, enlightI have inhabited. ened me. Every office is equipped with a desk — Standing while you work might not proreally a slab of wood — that can be raised duce an annual report in fewer hours, Matt to belly-button height. This allows the acknowledged. But it will almost always worker to toil while standing. help produce a happier and healthier emAnd under each desk sits a treadmill. ployee. In the long run, he said, those two Not only can today’s wage slave work factors dwarf all others. while standing. But he or she can burn off “You ask employers what their greatest some calories at the same time by walking costs are,” Matt said, “and it’s always human or even jogging. stuff. Employees who get sick and have to I’ve come face to face with my advanc- miss work. Employees who fiddle with paper ing age many times, in many ways. Health clip chains while they’re sitting at their problems. Trouble with the latest technol- desks, and waste time. It’s much harder to ogy. An irrational love for 1950s music. fiddle with anything while you’re standing, But I don’t think I’ve ever been smacked or walking.” by the winds of change quite as sharply as There’s also the desire factor. If an emI was when I toured this new stand-while- ployee looks forward to coming to work — you-work office. especially if he or she can get more fit while “Do people really get as much work working — both employee and employer done while they’re standing?,” I asked our benefit. tour guide. “Don’t you want an employee who looks “More,” he said. “Their blood flows better. forward to coming through the front Their energy is better. Their stamina is bet- door?,” Matt asked. That’s the long-range ter. They are more productive than ever.” benefit of standing-while-you-work. He escorted our tour group into an office OK, I said to Matt, I’m about to “out” where a 30-something guy was typing away myself as an old guy. If I stood while I on a keyboard. As he labored, he was strid- worked, my knees would start to ache. ing on his treadmill at a rate of about four How do you deal with that problem? miles an hour. Matt whipped out a cell phone that “How can you concentrate while you’re looked like a space ship (don’t they all?).

BEACON BITS

Oct. 11

FALL FASHION SHOW

The Springfield Christian Women Connection will hold a luncheon and Chico’s fall fashion show on Wednesday, Oct. 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Springfield Golf & Country Club, located at 8301 Old Keene Mill Rd. in Springfield, Va. Karen Harris and her team will present the new designs for this fall, and Anne Curry will speak about “Mama said there’d be days like this,” and have copies of her book, A Journey Not By Chance, for sale. There will also be door prizes. Admission costs $20. For more information, call (703) 922 6438 or (703) 913-9844 or email SpringWmConn@yahoo.com.

Oct. 14

BIRD WALK

Green Spring Gardens presents a family-fun bird walk on Saturday, Oct. 14 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Bring your glasses for the guided walk through the autumnal gardens, and warm up with hot cider after. The walk costs $8 per person. Green Spring Gardens is located at 4603 Green Spring Rd. in Alexandria, Va. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring, using code 290 484 7101, or call (703) 642-5173.

He scrolled for a while. Then he showed me a specially conceived rubber mat for those who stand and work. “Three inches thick,” he said. “Works great.” And what if people in a work place need to hold a meeting? Matt showed me a photo of today’s conference room. Everyone stands around a central coffee table. Each person has a chest-high rack on which he or she can place a laptop. No treadmills in these meeting rooms yet,

Matt said, but that will surely come soon. Ladies and gentlemen, I have to confess that I am very set in my ways. I drink the same brand of coffee, and have for decades. I wear only button-down dress shirts, and have for decades. But I have just typed the previous 25 words while standing. Maybe old dogs really can learn new tricks. Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

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Style Arts &

Piano â&#x20AC;&#x153;campersâ&#x20AC;? learn to improvise in the jazz lab at Peabody. See cover story, continued on page 42.

Dreamgirls sparkles and shines at Tobyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of the charts. In the star-building process, lives are damaged and forever changed. The audience- and critics-pleasing play was directed and choreographed on Broadway in 1981 by Michael â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Chorus Lineâ&#x20AC;? Bennett, winning six of its 13 nominated Tonys. It was transferred to the big screen in 2006, and featured BeyoncĂŠ, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx and Rachel Hudson, who picked up an Oscar for best supporting actress. It skipped across the waters for a London premiere late last year, and that production is reportedly going to skip back to Broadway in 2018.

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By Robert Friedman Dreamgirls, the musical melodrama, is glittering again at Tobyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dinner Theater in a production that is scintillating, exhilarating and, finally, exhausting â&#x20AC;&#x201D; though not in a bad way. This is Tobyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third production of the multiple Tony Award-winning play. And the cast, both newly minted and repeat performers, puts heart, soul, guts and more soul into the almost-always singing and dancing action that storms across the dinner-theaterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stage for nearly three hours. Of course, we old-timer followers of the 1960â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s-â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;70s entertainment scene are led to think of Diana Ross and the Supremes, James Brown, Little Richard, and those offstage movers and groovers like Berry Gordy Jr. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all of whom the creators of Dreamgirls have insisted over the years are not the real-life models for the characters of the musical. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just say coincidences abound between the real-life and stage-life purveyors of the pop R&B scene who are rolled out for this show about three young women who go through lots of manipulating, mostly by scheming guys, to get to the top

Emotional story line Much emotional wrenching, shouting and tear-flowing goes on in the story line and within the wonderful songs that are sung and danced to. Romances between the young women and their managers heatedly ebb and flow, including the pairing (then breakup) of the Dreamgirls lead singer Deena Jones and the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manager, Curtis Taylor Jr. (A coincidence, of course, that this resembles the comings and goings of one-time business and romantic partners Diana Ross

Tobyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dinner Theatreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production of Dreamgirls includes 32 infectious song and dance numbers, as well as more than 25 shimmering cast members in a show that focuses on three young R&B singers and the producers who scheme to get them to the top of the charts.

and Motown chief Berry Gordy Jr.) Played down, but what perhaps should have been accented more, is how the talents

of soulful black performers had to be toned See DREAMGIRLS, page 41

N OW PLAYING G

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Dreamgirls From page 40 down for them to make the bright lights in a still mostly square white America. There are a few mentions of the big-hit â&#x20AC;&#x153;coversâ&#x20AC;? by white performers of songs first soulfully emoted by black performers. An example: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hound Dogâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; an all-time hit by Elvis Pressley â&#x20AC;&#x201D; was â&#x20AC;&#x153;borrowedâ&#x20AC;? from Big Mama Thornton, who had fashioned it as an original bluesy lament. Also just hinted at is the way many black R&B performers were short-changed by record producers in those far-off days when records were still being â&#x20AC;&#x153;cut.â&#x20AC;?

Energetic performances Anyway, in this current production, the performers are the thing. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s point out â&#x20AC;&#x201D; while feeling somewhat apologetic for not noting so many others in the top-notch cast â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the outstanding performance of Bryan Jeffrey, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly got the feelinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as he goes slippinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and slidinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; through his James Brown-Little Richard character of James Thunder Early. Crystal Freeman also excels as Effie, the former Dreamgirl who is shaken awake when she is given her walking papers by the trioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very controlling manager. She brings down Act 1â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (figurative) curtain, as well as the dinner theater house, as she emotes to the song â&#x20AC;&#x153;(And I

Am Telling You) Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Not Going.â&#x20AC;? Then thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sequina DuBose as Diana, er, Deena Jones, who sweet sings her way to night club stardom before quitting the trio to go on to something â&#x20AC;&#x153;more importantâ&#x20AC;? (like the movies and a solo act). And thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DeCarlo Raspberry, as Curtis Taylor Jr., who is as sharp and knowledgeable in the music business as he is creepy and manipulating in his personal relationships. Kevin McAllister is the director who moves it all along at an almost breathless pace, while the sequined and beautifully draped costumes by Lawrence B. Munsey sparkle and glitter. Much of the latter is due to lighting designer Lynn Joslinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flashing colored globes and cubes, which come alive along the walls to give added sparkle to the costumes and the performers on the minimal dinner theater stage. The music is directed and orchestrated by Ross Scott Rawlings, and the dancing is choreographed by Shalyce Hembey. There are 32 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; count â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;em, 32! â&#x20AC;&#x201D; musical numbers in the show, including reprises. The singing and dancing to such numbers as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cadillac Car,â&#x20AC;? an ode to making it big in the big time, and the wild and wooly â&#x20AC;&#x153;Steppinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to the Bad Side,â&#x20AC;? are performed by just about everybody in the 25-plus member cast. The solo shout-outs â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the aforementioned â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Not Going,â&#x20AC;? as well as â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Am

Changing,â&#x20AC;? by Effie, as well as the James Brown-Little Richard-James Thunder Early take on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Baby-Babyâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; had the couple hundred audience members movinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and groovinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in their seats. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too bad thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not enough room at Tobyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for dancing in the aisles.

Performances and tickets Dreamgirls continues through Nov. 12 at Tobyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dinner Theatre, located at 5900 Symphony Woods Rd. in Columbia. Doors open at 6 p.m. for dinner prior to the evening performances Tuesday through Saturday, which begin at 8 p.m. For Sunday evening performances, which begin at 7 p.m., doors open at 5 p.m. for dinner. On Wednesdays and Sundays, there are matinee performances, which open for brunch at 10:30 a.m., with shows beginning at 12:30 p.m. Reservations are required. Ticket prices

range from $45.50 (for children under 12) to $64, depending on the performance. Tickets for those 65+ are available Tuesday and Wednesday nights, as well as Wednesday matinees, for $51.85. Ticket prices include buffet dinner or brunch, tea and coffee. Specialty alcoholic drinks are priced separately. Tobyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s buffet-style meals offer something for everyone. Dinners feature roast beef, BBQ ribs, fried chicken, roast potatoes, cocktail shrimp, a variety of vegetables and salads, and more. Cake and unlimited ice cream are also included. You can also arrange to have coffee or alcohol brought to you during intermission. At Tobyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, the showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actors also wait on tables. Their tips constitute much of their pay for their performances, so be sure to tip well. For more information or to reserve tickets, call (410) 730-8311 or visit www.tobysdinnertheatre.com.

BEACON BITS

Oct. 6

PIPPIN IN ARLINGTON

The Arlington Players (TAP) present Pippin at the Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre, located at 125 S. Old Glebe Rd. in Arlington, Va. The Tony Award-winning musical follows the young prince Pippin as he encounters love, glory and war in search of the meaning of life. Performances of Pippin are set for weekends, Oct. 6 to 21. The curtain rises on Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m.; Sunday matinees begin at 2:30 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, which cost $25 for adults ($22 for seniors), visit www.thearlingtonplayers.org.

8&-$0.& $&/5&3 Now Open! AMERICAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NAVY: CELEBRATING 242 YEARS OF SERVICE THURSDAY, OCT. 5 AT 7:30 P.M. The Music Center at Strathmore

Unclaimed seats will be released 15 minutes before showtime.

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Piano camp From page 1 “You could hear music in the woods all the time,” she said, as there were practice pianos in all the cabins where people stayed. It wasn’t so good for the pianos, which suffered from the weather, but it made for an ethereal experience. Now 84, Moskowitz enjoys giving recitals to her fellow condo residents, even as she continues to take regular piano lessons. Why the lessons? “Because I want to play better. There’s music that I want to play that I need help with,” she said. Combining her years in Maine with the 18 years Peabody has been home to the program, Moskowitz is enjoying her 24th year at what she still calls “piano camp.” Several other current participants are also

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

veterans of Maine. It’s a group of “fanatics that bonded,” according to Moskowitz. When the Maine camp announced it was closing, they searched the country for a place that would maintain the tradition and give the cohesive group a new home, at least for a week each summer. At the time, the Road Scholar program (formerly Elderhostel) was offering music classes in the summers at Peabody. They agreed to host the piano camp there. But nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Road Scholar pulled out of the school entirely a few years back, leaving the piano camp group at a loss once again. Enter Steve Baddour, 70, of Washington, D.C., a nine-year veteran of Peabody at this point. He is credited with helping save the program, providing some institutional memory for the administrators at Peabody

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whom he persuaded to keep it going. Baddour, a retired English teacher, has been playing piano since he was 7. Today, he gives recitals year-round at local retirement communities, and plays solo recitals to raise funds for charities. As much as he loves music and keeps it part of his life, he noted that “the only time I didn’t enjoy music” was during the 18 months he majored in music in college. “It was a disaster!”

Jazzing it up Alice Rodgers, 76, is attending the Peabody program for the 20th time. What brings her here from Little Rock, Arkansas, every year? “It’s the people,” she said. “[Playing piano] by yourself is so solitary. I come here to get ideas and get inspired...This is totally out of my ordinary routine; like a vacation, an escape.” Rodgers is a Certified Exercise Trainer, teaching classes to, and monitoring, older adults in retirement communities three mornings a week. It’s work she loves, and it gives her the time to practice the piano. Rodgers focuses on the jazz music track at the Peabody program. With lectures by an experienced jazz musician and a daily session in the “piano lab” to practice improvisational technique, it attracts a small, but dedicated group of jazz and popular music lovers. Jazz instructor Larry Willis studied with Dizzy Gillespie and performed with the band Blood, Sweat and Tears for much of his career. Willis, who calls jazz “African American classical music,” said to learn to improvise “start tapping your feet. Listen to the rhythm of your heart. Music has to get inside you to move you to dance.”

Looking for inner peace Marie Celano, a first-time participant, is a counselor who works frequently with trauma victims. Her work “can become very heavy.” A resident of Clarkesville, Md., Celano said she played piano a little as a child. Now 54, she decided to attend Peabody this year “to have a jump-start back to piano.” So far, so good. Though she was intimidated the first day, by mid-week she was “soaking it all up, hoping it will give me something beautiful to focus on, and will be therapeutic.” She also loves the people. “Everyone’s been so generous and gracious,” despite her being a newbie. Amitabh Basu, 34, another first-timer and the youngest attendee this year, hails from India, where the music is “very different.” While his wife, also from India, finds the Western classical music he plays “a little jarring,” she still wants him to practice daily. “She says I become very calm and peaceful each day I play the piano. Every day I don’t, I’m a little more agitated. She wants me to play even more!” Basu teaches applied mathematics and

statistics at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, and his wife is a Ph.D. student in the medical school there. Though he says he’s “very nervous” to play in public, you wouldn’t have known it from the powerful performance he gave of the first movement of a difficult Beethoven sonata at one day’s master class. Gail Rudenstein comes from suburban Philadelphia each year to attend Piano at Peabody. She grew up without a piano at home, but her parents still saw to it that she got piano lessons for 10 years. Then she paid it forward, sending her own son to lessons for 10 years. When he quit in high school, she started taking lessons from his teacher herself. That was 17 years ago, and despite the fact that “he’s very demanding, and he scares me sometimes,” she’s still studying with the same teacher. While she plays mostly for herself, she also performs at area nursing homes and does a little accompanying. Why does she come to piano camp? “I come here to get some validation and to learn from other people. I also get some intense practice time, which is so hard to get at home,” with all the distractions.

Mid-year soirees About five years ago, Baddour and some of the other “fanatics” decided that waiting an entire year between meetings was far too long. So they decided to have thrice yearly gatherings in the D.C. area, where they can perform a short piece for each other, followed by a pot-luck lunch and socializing. The group, which calls itself Peabody in D.C., typically gets between 12 and 20 attendees, and meets in the homes of members who have space for a crowd of that size (and a nice piano). Moskowitz almost always comes from her home in Timonium, and is the most reliable long-distance traveler to the daytime soirees, Baddour said. Baker recalls playing at one such gathering. “You reach a point where you make a mistake [in your piece.] The group is very supportive, as we’ve all been through it. “We may think, because of our age, we shouldn’t have to crawl before we walk, or walk before we run. The hardest thing is realizing that, whether you’re 6 or 60, you have to go through all the steps.” But isn’t it a pleasure doing so among peers who feel the same way you do about music? Piano at Peabody will next meet in the summer of 2018, with dates and costs to be determined. Tuition for participants this year was $520 for the week. Room and board this year (recommended, given the long days) costs $750 single, $480 double. Private lessons with faculty members are also priced separately. For more information, email peabodyprep@jhu.edu or call (667) 208-6640.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Alcina

Angela Meade. Photo by Julio Rodriguez

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE ENCHANTRESS BECOMES THE ENCHANTED?

November 4–19 | Eisenhower Theater Music by George Frideric Handel / Libretto by Riccardo Broschi In Italian with Projected English Titles

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG | (202) 467-4600 Tickets also available at the Box Office. Groups call (202) 416-8400. For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540. Major support for WNO is provided by Jacqueline Badger Mars. David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of WNO.

WNO acknowledges the longstanding generosity of Life Chairman Mrs. Eugene B. Casey. WNO’s Presenting Sponsor

Generous support for WNO Italian Opera is provided by Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello.

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Local authors master diverse genres The National Capital region is in the anonymous structures that line the streets news as the focus of politics, diplomacy of residential Georgetown off the path of and world events. It is also the the busy thoroughfares. home of talented writers. Missy Janes, a professional Be it a guidebook to the photographer who lives in streets of Georgetown, a thriller Georgetown and Middleburg, about murder and mayhem in Va., provides color photoand around the Potomac, or a graphs of the exteriors of love story set in a suburban rethese past homes of the powtirement home, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sure to erful and famous. enjoy reading about the familiar This informative and highly locales that serve as the backreadable baedeker describes drop of these diverse books. the parties, brunches and THE Georgetown has been in the BIBILOPHILE weekly get-togethers where headlines since the Kennedy By Dinah Rokach the powerful met to exchange administration as a trendy gossip and broker political neighborhood where politics and high socie- deals over food and drinks. ty mingle. However, as A Walking Tour of In addition to the homes, the Georgetown Set attests, major players three eateries that played a in national and world politics have made part in local lore are included Georgetown their home as early as the presi- in the compilation. Book in dency of Franklin Roosevelt. hand, you can leisurely walk Rick Massimo, a resident of Washing- the eleven square blocks to ton, D.C. and a writer and editor at news see these stately residences radio station WTOP, provides a descriptive and learn the history behind chapter for each of the 30-plus former their facades. homes of politicians, statesmen, reporters, We may not get a glimpse of opinion makers and headliners who the interiors, but we do learn resided in the secluded streets of the the details of the life stories of neighborhood. those who lived there and He thoughtfully includes a map to guide their impact on history. The homes dereaders through the maze of imposing but scribed include those of Eric Sevareid,

Katharine Graham, Felix Frankfurter, Arthur Schlesinger, Drew Pearson, Ben Bradlee â&#x20AC;&#x201D; names that once carried great weight around town but have faded in the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consciousness. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good to read about them once again. A Walking Tour of the Georgetown Set by Rick Massimo, photography by Missy Janes, 168 pages, Lyons Press, hardcover, 2016. The fast paced page-turner Daingerfield Island is a spy thriller with all the elements of that genre. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a riveting read, replete with dead bodies, shootings, a terrorist plot, car chases and pileups, disgruntled exes, cover-ups, courtroom drama, police and investigatory double dealings, and a denouement at the airport with authorities in pursuit of a fleeing suspect. The plot picks up steam as the mystery deepens and the characters are fleshed out as the story unfolds. Author John Wasowicz, a resident of Fairfax County, Va., uses his familiarity with the

local geography to great effect in his storytelling. His more than three decades as a practicing attorney lend credence to the plot lines. Personal grudges, betrayals, ruthlessness and hypocrisy are described with great panache and, given the nature of recent headlines, these duplicitous dealings donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem that farfetched. The villains are more than overshadowed by the good guys and gals, at least some of whom reach the end of the book alive as well as vindicated. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have trouble putting this book down between chapters, so plan on reading it in one sitting. Time will fly by as you follow the twists and turns of the ingenious tale. Daingerfield Island by John Adam Wasowicz, 234 pages, BrickHouse Books softcover, 2017. Mollee Kruger paints in words a portrait of the assorted personalities who live in a kosher nursing home â&#x20AC;&#x201D; their interactions, foibles and pet peeves. She depicts the feisty and, at times, contentious interactions among the residents who share the See LOCAL AUTHORS, page 47

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

OCT/NOV EVENTS

More events with Gianandrea Noseda Respighi & Gershwin Gianandrea Noseda, conductor Nurit Bar-Josef, concertmaster Respighi

Bar-Josef

Chausson Gershwin Falla

Fontane di Roma (Fountains of Rome) Poème An American in Paris The Three-Cornered Hat, Suites No. 1 & 2

Thu., Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. Sat., Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. Sun., Nov. 19 at 3 p.m.

GIANANDREA NOSEDA CONDUCTS

Yuja Wang plays Prokofiev

Beethoven’s “Eroica”

Gianandrea Noseda, conductor Yuja Wang, piano

Corinne Winters, soprano

Britten

Webern Passacaglia Dallapiccola Partita Beethoven Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”

Winters

Ohlsson

Wang

Prokofiev Rachmaninoff

Matinées musicales after Rossini Piano Concerto No. 5 Symphonic Dances

Thu., Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. Sat., Nov. 11 at 8 p.m.

Thu., Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. Fri., Dec. 1 at 11:30 a.m. Sat., Dec. 2 at 8 p.m.

Brahms’s Violin Concerto

Pink Martini with China Forbes

Nathalie Stutzmann, conductor Arabella Steinbacher, violin

Emil de Cou, conductor With an eclectic, whimsical charm and a repertoire spanning from jazz to classical to retro pop, the self-described “little orchestra” and singer China Forbes return to D.C.

Lalo Brahms Dvorˇák Steinbacher

NEW THIS SEASON! SUNDAYS AT 3

Overture to Le roi d’Ys Violin Concerto Symphony No. 7

Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. Fri., Oct. 6 at 11:30 a.m. Sat., Oct. 7 at 8 p.m.

FRIDAY MORNING COFFEE CONCERT

Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. Oct. 28 at 8 p.m.

FRIDAY MORNING COFFEE CONCERT

Ohlsson plays Barber

Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring

Juanjo Mena, conductor Garrick Ohlsson, piano M. Bates Auditorium Barber Piano Concerto Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique” Thu., Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. Sat., Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. Sun., Oct. 15 at 3 p.m.

Leonard Slatkin, conductor Members of Washington National Opera’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program Bernstein Slava! A Political Overture Songfest Stravinsky Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring) Thu., Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. | Sat., Nov. 4 at 8 p.m.

Slatkin

Part of Leonard Bernstein at 100

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG (202) 467-4600 Tickets also available at the Box Office. Groups call (202) 416-8400. For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO.

New Artistic Initiatives are funded in honor of Linda and Kenneth Pollin.

The NSO Music Director Chair is generously endowed by Victoria and Roger Sant.

AARP is the Presenting Sponsor of the NSO Pops Season.

The Blue Series is sponsored by United Technologies Corporation.

FRIDAY MORNING COFFEE CONCERTS Join your friends for coffee and a la carte continental breakfast in the KC Café beginning at 10 a.m. before attending the 11:30 concert together!

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

COFFEE CONCERTS

Love Matinees? The National Symphony Orchestra’s wildly popular Coffee Concerts on select Fridays return!

COFFEE CONCERTS AT 11:30 A.M.

Steinbacher

Wang

Josefowicz

Brahms’s Violin Concerto

Brahms’s First Symphony

Nathalie Stutzmann, conductor Arabella Steinbacher, violin

Marek Janowski, conductor Stefan Jackiw, violin

Lalo Overture to Le roi d’Ys Brahms Violin Concerto Dvorˇák Symphony No. 7

Weber Overture to Euryanthe Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 Brahms Symphony No. 1

Fri., Oct. 6, 2017

Fri., Feb. 23, 2018

Yuja Wang plays Prokofiev

Noseda conducts Stravinsky and Mozart

Fri., May 11, 2018

Gianandrea Noseda, conductor Leila Josefowicz, violin

Haydn and R. Strauss

Gianandrea Noseda, conductor Yuja Wang, piano Britten Matinées musicales after Rossini Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 5 Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances Fri., Dec. 1, 2017

W.F. Bach/Mozart Adagio and Fugue in F minor Stravinsky Violin Concerto Stravinsky Symphonies of Wind Instruments Mozart Symphony No. 39, K. 543 Fri., Apr. 20, 2018

Vaughan Williams’s “Pastoral Symphony” Sir Mark Elder, conductor Butterworth A Shropshire Lad Rhapsody Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 3, “A Pastoral Symphony” Ravel Ma mère l’oye (Mother Goose) Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2

Christoph Eschenbach, conductor Abel Pereira, principal horn Mozart Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music) R. Strauss Horn Concerto No. 1 Haydn Symphony No. 92, “Oxford” Wagner Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) Fri., June 15, 2018

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Purchase breakfast the morning of your concert! Join your friends for coffee and a la carte continental breakfast in the KC Café beginning at 10 a.m. before attending the 11:30 concert together!

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO. The NSO Music Director Chair is generously endowed by Victoria and Roger Sant. The Blue Series is sponsored by United Technologies Corporation.

Local authors From page 44 last chapter of their lives together unwittingly and, in some cases, unwillingly. The Swift Seasons reminds us, however, that where there is life, there is hope. Kruger lovingly and with great sensitivity describes the infirm, the elderly surviving spouses, the lonely and the forgotten who make the SVM Retirement Home the last stop on their life’s journey. All this would make for somber reading if not for the author’s humor, and the story she expertly interweaves of the love that develops between strangers who meet there. An accomplished poet, journalist, author

and graduate of the University of Maryland, Mollee Kruger lives in a retirement home in Maryland. The characters in The Swift Seasons are most likely based on her fellow residents. One can only imagine them searching the book to find themselves portrayed among the fictional characters. Through her putting to words her keen powers of observation, we readers are fortunate and greatly enriched. We have been given an insider’s look into a world that exists in the shadows of our society, which is so obsessively focused on the culture of youth. The Swift Seasons by Mollee Kruger, 270 pages, Maryben Books, softcover, 2016.

BEACON BITS

Oct. 29

CHAMBER MUSIC — THE REAL THING The National Philharmonic Chamber Players present a performance of the works of Hugo Wolf, Gabriela Lena Frank, Hamza El

Din and Antonin Dvorák on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. at Potter Violins in the John Kendall Recital Hall, located at 7711 Eastern Ave. in Takoma Park, Md. Potter’s intimate hall seats only 90, allowing concert goers to experience chamber music as it was originally intended, up close and personal. Tickets cost $18 in advance; $20 at the door. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://bit.ly/PotterViolins.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

BEACON BITS

Oct. 7

VIOLIN CONCERT

Violinist James Buswell joins the Pressenda Chamber Players to perform the opening concert of the 2017-18 Washington Conservatory nine concert series at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7 at Westmoreland Congregational Church, at 1 Westmoreland Circle in Bethesda, Md. All concerts are free, but donations are welcome at the door. Audience members are invited to a post-concert Wine & Words in the church social hall. For more information, visit www.washingtonconservatory.org.

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 48 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

R A V E

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H O L E

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R O O F E I G H T H S

L O O S E L E A F O H I O

N O R M

R I C A

A N A P E A S E T T R A R S O T R R E K E S E E N T S

M A O T A T H U C D F C I S T H E I N N O G R

B E M A S T E R O F

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U G R N L U

A C R E

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ANSWERS TO JUMBLE Jumbles: CEASE FOCUS FUMBLE BARREL Answer: What the garbage collectors had to do when their truck was full -- REFUSE REFUSE

A E S O P S

T R E K

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Scrabble answers on p. 47.

1. Location for detoxification 6. Outdoorsy org. with an eagle, shield, and two guns in its logo 9. Outdoorsy org. with an eagle and shield, but no guns in its logo 12. Humble ___ (starter house, perhaps) 13. Cut of beef or lamb 14. Distribute justice (or just ice) 15. The V in CVS, originally 16. Jaws craft that inspired the catchphrase “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” 17. Latin lover’s word 18. First item on Dr. Franken-Veggie’s grocery list 21. Artsy town 70 miles north of Santa Fe 22. Devours 23. Make a choice 26. “Level of Effort” (written with less effort) 27. Flue symptom 28. Set back(wards) 29. Dr. Franken-Veggie’s next list entry 33. Partner 34. Our current one is the Cenozoic 35. Disable the security guard (in a heist film) 38. More items on the list 43. ___ Aviv 45. Bookkeeping notation meaning “paid in full” 46. Prefix with sects (and the cities) 47. Target of $172 million of 32 Down’s funding in 2017 48. Physical feature of Long John Silver 50. No ___ for the weary 52. Last thing Dr. F-V is searching for 58. Groan’s belly-aching buddy 59. Prayer pronoun 60. Merit a service charge 61. Ready, willing, and ___ 62. Provide a clue 63. Like war god Odin 64. Originally named 65. Clorox-owned brand of pot cleaners

Down 1. Give a five-star review 2. Internet co. originally named AuctionWeb 3. Golfer’s goal 4. “___ bunny makes a lovely Val-lint-ine” 5. Offspring of bison and cattle 6. Cheers shout 7. The end of three continents 8. Poetic rhyming unit, and an anagram of “PEASANT” 9. Rule over 10. Liberty island lady 11. ___ Fables 13. Paper, ready for easy binding 14. Actor Damon or Dillon 19. Place for solar panels 20. Island typed in block 6b of Barack Obama’s birth certificate 23. Physics unit with omega symbol 24. Green soup base 25. Young snitch 27. Where to hold an urban festival 30. Homophone for do and due 31. Drop an easy fly ball 32. Fed. health agency (seen in Atlanta, not D.C.) 36. https://crosswordcheats.com, for example 37. Another name for a wildebeest 39. Cartel founded in 1960 in Baghdad 40. Pizza portions, probably 41. Miner fortunes 42. Seeking carp, or compliments 43. Unanimously 44. Get dressed 49. TV’s Firing, Date, Front or Money 51. Male singing voice 53. The Buckeye State 54. Baseballers Griffey, Jr. and Sr. 55. 43,560 square feet 56. Tricky diversion 57. Journey with Kirk and Spock

Answers on page 47.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Letters to editor From page 2 needs and animal rescue. I also try to do things needed in my community. As you stated — we must “do what we can, on any scale, to make the world a better place. The opportunities for doing good are almost endless.” Dee Ruppenthal Glyndon, Md. Dear Editor: Thank you for dealing objectively with an issue I believe applicable to many of us [“Can you relate?” August 2017]. I feel as if your thinking has centered my own, and I hope the thinking of others. Please continue the contributions you and the Beacon Newspapers make for your community. Martin Ganderson Arlington, Va. Dear Editor: I noticed Dinah Rokach’s review of Marty Appel’s book, Stengel, (“Books about baseball beckon to readers”) in your September issue. I self-published Long Before the Miracle…the Making of the New York Mets last year, and it’s sold over 1,000 copies. Before moving to Northern Virginia in the mid-1960s, I grew up in Schenectady, NY. Most of my uncles were New York Yankees fans. I guess that’s why I fell in love with the underdog Mets as a 6-year-old kid. I interviewed 90 sources — Mets players and their relatives — detailing what life was like on a team that still holds the record for won-loss futility in a season (40120 record in 1962, their first year). The book is sold on Amazon, in the Baseball Hall of Fame Library in Cooperstown, N.Y. and at the Citi Field team store, home of the New York Mets. Bill Sullivan Alexandria, Va. Dear Editor: Marcia Todd and I, representing Arlington’s Office of Senior Adult Programs, thoroughly enjoyed the Beacon’s 50+Expo held at the Springfield Town Center, Sunday, Sept. 17. In talking with attendees, we felt they enjoyed it, too, and appreciated having an opportunity to visit with vendors

Say you saw it in the Beacon

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

all in one place at one time. The Beacon staff was most accommodating, and this annual event is a wonderful community service for seniors and their families. Judy Massabny Office of Senior Adult Programs Arlington, Va.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 3

FREE CLASSICAL CONCERT

The Apollo Orchestra presents a free concert of Gustave Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde” on Friday, Nov. 3 from 7:30 to 10 p.m. in the United Church, located at 1920 G St. NW in Washington, D.C. The orchestra will also play Mozart’s Symphony no. 38, “Prague.” Elizabeth Bishop, mezzo-soprano, and Barry Banks, tenor, will also perform. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/ApolloOrchestraNovConcert.

Oct. 7

PIANO CONCERT

Musical Arts International, Inc. presents a piano concert with Larissa Dedova and Mikhail Volchok, who will perform duets by Schubert, Debussy and Rachmaninoff. The concert will take place on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Latvian Lutheran Church, located at 400 Hurley Ave. in Rockville. Tickets cost $20; $15 for those 62+. For more information, visit www.musicalartsinternational.org, call (301) 933-3715, or email musicalartsinternational@yahoo.com.

WB 10/17

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CLASSIFIEDS The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; Volunteers and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on page 51. CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either. Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment. EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS: We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

Caregivers “A” HOME HEALTH CARE – Experienced nurses, CNA, GNA are available 24/7. Cooking, companionship, personal care, housekeeping, driving. Full/Part-time or live-in. Flat rate for live-in care. 15 years’ experience. 240-533-6599. LICENSED CAREGIVER/NURSE seeks position immediately — 25 years experience. Available for 6-8 hours per day, 5 days per week. Call Ms. Stamford. Cell, 240-351-7295. ELDERLY CARE — MALE PROVIDER, English speaking, with car. I’m experienced in caring for people with MS, Alzheimer’s and other health issues. Excellent references. 301633-1150. I WILL CARE FOR YOUR LOVED ONES night/day. Own transportation. Good references. Lots of experience. 301-502-2258. LOOKING FOR ELDERLY CARE JOB — Good references and experience. CPR and First Aid Certified. Dependable and reliable. Please call, 240-271-1011.

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Computer Services

For Sale

Wanted

PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. Call: David G at 301-642-4526.

KING DAVID CEMETERY Two adjacent gravesites located in Block 4. Below cemetery list price. $2,800 each. Out-of-town owner anxious. Call 301-947-4140.

Events

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.

BUYING MILITARY MEMORABILIA WW2, WW1, Civil War uniforms, weapons, photos and items associated with US, German, Japanese or items of other Military History. DAVE, 240-4640958.

MOUNT EPHRAIM BAPTIST CHURCH Scholarship Ministry presents a Holiday Gift Show Extravaganza and Bake Sale on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vendors welcome. Tables cost $50. Contact 301-808-1584. www.mountephraim.org. 610 Largo Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774.

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate FOR RENT: TWO-BEDROOM, 2½ BATH, two-story Leisure World townhome. New paint and carpeting. Updated kitchen, outdoor rear balcony. $1,650, includes all utilities and basic cable. 301-598-0996. FURNISHED ROOM IN NORTH POTOMAC with private bath for clean, quiet, employed female. No smoking, no pets. Includes utilities, W/D, Wi-Fi, kitchen use, free parking, in safe, convenient neighborhood. 240-506-2450. 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 set up an automated online search for you, preview units, and contact you to arrange a showing when there is a match. I also offer exceptional service selling your home. I’m a Seniors Specialist, Buyer Broker, Top 1% of Agents Nationwide, a nd a Leisure World resident! You can see my current listings in this issue. Contact me: 301-580-5556, SueHeyman@aol.com, www.SueHeyman.com, Weichert Realtors. LEISURE WORLD® — $279,000. 2BR 2FB “QQ” in Vantage Point East. Open table space kitchen, new paint, master bath with separate tub and shower. 1335 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® — $425,000. 2 BR + Den, 2FB, “Q” in Overlook. Wood floors, Golf Course view, granite and stainless TS kitchen, separate dining room, custom closets. 1520 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® — $TBD. 2 BR 1FB 2 HB “Berkeley.” End unit with window on landing, updated kitchen, SunRoom addition. 1600 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A LOVING, dependable, caring caregiver with experience and who’s English speaking? Please call, 301-4450767.

LEISURE WORLD® — $310,000. 3 BR 2 FB “L” with garage and storage room in Greens, Golf Course view, new paint and carpet. 1640 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-9283463.

COMPANION TO ELDERLY OR DISABLED — provider is a female physician and scientist, elderly care experienced, English speaking, US Citizen. Available now. 301-919-1862.

LEISURE WORLD® — $TBD. 2BR 2FB “E” model in Greens. New paint and carpet. Enclosed balcony. 990 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

ELDERLY CARE — Female care provider, English speaking with car. I cook, clean and take to appointments. I’m experienced in caring for people with MS, Alzheimer’s and other health problems. Excellent references, 301-2757283.

LEISURE WORLD® — $279,000. 3 BR 2 FB “M” with garage in Fairways. Table space kitchen, separate dining room, close to the elevator.1480 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

“CARE YOU CAN TRUST AND AFFORD.” Loving, experienced caregiver for companionship, medication reminders, hygiene care, meal preparation, housekeeping, errands, Dr. appointments. Full/part-time, flat rate for day or live-in care. One week free. Call 301-490-1146. A LOVING, CARING, COMPASSIONATE, dependable and reliable caregiver with years of experience and references for your loved ones. Has experience with MS, Alzheimer’s, diabetics and other health problems. Please call 301-9089134. CHEVY CHASE HOME CARE – reliable certified caregivers at time of illness, infirmity, loneliness. Personal assistance, ALL AGES, 4- to 24-hour shifts, homes, hospitals, nursing homes. MD, DC, No. VA. Tel.: 202-374-1240. www.ChChHomecare.com. LIVE RENT FREE — LAUREL. Physically able 91-year-old West Indian lady seeks female nursing/medical student (or caregiver) for evening/overnight chaperone/companion. Free furnished bedroom, bath, utilities, cable. No other compensation. Can work elsewhere during the day. Luxury condo, Laurel. 240-280-1238.

LEISURE WORLD® — $195,000. 2 BR, 2 1/2 BA. Berkeley Townhouse, updated kitchen and baths, wood floors, great views. 1600 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® — $269,000. 2BR 2FB “FF” in Overlook. Open kitchen, separate dining room, Golf Course view, close to the elevator, new paint, enclosed balcony. 1320 sq ft.. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® — $279,000. 3 BR 2 FB “M” with garage in the Fairways. Steps to the elevator. Golf course. Rough-in for half bath. Sold “AS IS.” 1480 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

For Sale KING DAVID CEMETERY: Two spaces in highly desirable garden area, Block 8, Lot 87. Includes burial liners, openings and closings. Asking $9,000, 60% off of current prices. Call 610-696-5345. MERCEDES-BENZ: E-320, 2001, SUNROOF. 4-door sedan. Garage kept. Candy apple red w/ beige interior. 241,000 miles. Runs very good. $4,000/obo. Call 443-896-8531.

Home/Handyman Services GARDEN ANGLE LANDSCAPING SERVICE: Lawn and yard cleanups etc. Hauling anything. For all your household needs, please give Robert a call at 240-477-2158 or 301-987-1277. Free estimate.

Personals MY NAME IS RENEE ANN CRYER. I am single, cuddly with long, blo nde hair, blue eyes, 5’7 ft. tall. I’m very attractive. I’m a nurse and have been for 11 years. I am very much about other people’s feelings. I am very loving, enjoy gardening, cinema, cozy nights in with a bottle of wine, swimming, watching some sports and good movies. I seek a serious marriage-minded, mature guy. Someone good looking, honest, and trustworthy. I am in need of tender loving and care. Write me a letter now with your contact details to PO Box 34926, 3751 Motor Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90034-9998. Let’s arrange to meet for a cup of coffee. Call/text me on 1-305-5155201. ARTISTIC, ATTRACTIVE WOMAN in early 70s seeking kind, responsible, compassionate man (late 60s, early 70s) for friendship. My interests are in the arts and spirituality. I would like to share your interests as well. My email address is caroldance62@aol.com.

Personal Services I WILL REPAIR YOUR CHIPPED GLASS and crystal in a perfect, professional way. Call Giovanni, 301-340-2624. I also restore China and porcelain. Museum quality. TURN YOUR SILVER AND OLD GOLD jewelry into cash and do something good for yourself. Gold 4 Good (8241 Georgia Ave., Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910) buys gold and silver jewelry, including broken pieces, all sterling silver, gold watches and gold and silver coins. I will come to your house and give you a free evaluation of what I can pay. If you decide to sell, I can buy your items at that time, but there is no obligation. Licensed with both Maryland and Montgomery County (lic. #2327). Call Bob, (240) 938-9694.

Volunteers VOLUNTEER: A COLLEGE TUITION ASSISTANCE nonprofit is starting and needs volunteers to serve on the board of directors. Is your background in education, legal, finance or grant applications? 240-620-6590 or VolunteerForBoard@gmail.com. SCIENTISTS, WRITERS, RECRUITERS, ARTISTS, WordPress Developers and others to volunteer virtually. Ganga Library, Nobel and Laureates Library Online. Email resume and hobbies to info@gangaLib.org or call 202-3406210, www.GangaLib.org.

Wanted TIRED OF POLISHING YOUR SILVER? Turn it into cash, which does not tarnish. I will come to your home and give you a free evaluation of what I can pay. I buy all gold and sil ver jewelry, including broken pieces, all sterling silver, gold and silver coins, gold watches, etc. I am licensed with both Maryland and Montgomery County (lic. #2327). If you decide to sell, I can buy your items at that time, but there is no obligation. Call Bob, Gold 4 Good, 8241 Georgia Ave., Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910, (240) 938-9694. MONEY, TIME TO SELL! Make the right choice. Call Greg, 717-658-7954. We buy jewelry, coins, silver, antiques, watches, gold, art, paper money, toys, bottles, etc. No middleman, no fees, no overhead means more money for your stuff. Give me a call, and let’s do business.717-6587954.

CASH FOR ESTATES: jewelry to furniture, rugs, tribal/cultural items, large range of items considered. Buy-out/cleanup. Call Gary, 301520-0755. www.atticllc.com. CASH FOR JEWELRY: gold, silver, costume, diamonds, watches, scrap gold, coins. Call Gary, 301-520-0755. www.atticllc.com. HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUES, JEWELRY, ESTATES. I have been advertising in the Beacon for 20 years. Montgomery County resident – will travel to D.C., MD, VA. Buying following items: Furniture, art, jewelry, gold, sterling silver, old coins, vintage pocket and wrist watches, old tools, books, camera, military items – guns, rifles, knives, pocket knives, swords etc. Also buying: old toys, dolls, trains, comic books, photographs, autographs, musical instruments, guitars, violins, etc. Also old sports memorabilia and equipment – baseball, golf, football, fishing etc. Please call Tom at 240-4763441. CASH FOR RECORDS, CDs, DVDs AND TAPES. 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 fro m Oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to firearms, from silver and gold to classic cars. If it is wonderful, I am interested. No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301-2798834. Thank you. STAMP COLLECTIONS, AUTOGRAPHS purchased/appraised – U.S., worldwide, covers, paper memorabilia. Stamps are my specialty – highest price paid! Appraisals. Phone Alex, 301309-3622. Stampex1@gmail.com. MILITARY ITEMS WANTED: Collector seeks to purchase military uniforms; flight jackets, patches, insignia, medals, etc. from the Civil War through Vietnam. Especially seeking U.S. Army Air Corps, USMC, Airborne, and German/Japanese/Italian items from WWII. ALSO BUYING old Boy Scout, Airline Items, Toys, Lighters. Call Dan, 202-841-3062. LADY WHO LOVES FINE CHINA and crystal would like to buy yours. Especially interested in figurines and dishes by the following makers: Herend, Johnson Brothers, Lenox, Lladro, Meissen, Rosenthal, Royal Copenhagen, Shelley, Spode, Wedgwood, Baccarat, Lalique and Waterford stemware and miscellaneous. Bone china cups and saucers, quality dog and cat figurines and sterling silver flatware and hollowware also. 301-785-1129. WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, Guitars, Banjos, Mandolins, etc. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack, 301- 2792158. BUYING VINYL RECORDS 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. 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. GOLD, SILVER, ANTIQUES — Private collector buying what you have for over 40 years! Wanted: Jewelry, Flatware, Holloware, Antiques, Men’s Magazines (pre-1971), Playboys (19531959), Comic Books, Coins, Stamps and other old stuff. Call or Text Alex Now. 571-426-5363. COLLECTOR BUYING MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, weapons, knives, swords, bayonets, web gear, uniforms, etc. from all wars and countries. Also Lionel Toy Trains, and coin operated machines. Will pay top prices for my personal collection. Discreet consultations. Call Fred, 301-910-0783.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Wanted BUYING VINTAGE TOYS AND STEREO equipment, tin wind-ups, cast iron banks, peddle cars, Lego, Disney toys, marbles, record players, amplifiers, tube amplifiers, tubes. Betty, 301-219-6201.

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Wanted 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 202-726-4427, MD 301-332-4697.

BEACON BITS

Oct. 11+

FALL BOOK FESTIVAL

George Mason University’s Fall for the Book, an independent nonprofit literary arts organization that promotes reading, presents a book festival from Wednesday, Oct. 11 through Saturday, Oct. 14. The festival will have activities for both children and adults, and will welcome a robust list of poets, historians, novelists, memoirists, children’s authors and more at George Mason University and locations around Northern Virginia. For more information and a complete list of events and locations, visit fallforthebook.org.

Ongoing

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:

SMITHSONIAN VOLUNTEERS

The D.C. Smithsonian Museums are looking for volunteers yearround, from museum guides to gallery talks and more. For a complete list of positions and more information on how to get involved, visit www.si.edu/volunteer.

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

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Studies Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine ...........20 Serene Study ............................21

Computer/ Technology Help TechMedic4u..............................5

Dental Services Cavallo, Joseph P., DDS.............9 Friedman, Stephen, DDS .........28 Oh, Judy, DDS .........................14

Events Driverless Cars...........................7 GROWS ...................................36 Montgomery County Dept of Health & Human Services ....15

Financial Services Capital Bank...............................4 Children’s National Hospital....31 Mortgage Network Solutions ...31 PENFED Credit Union ............33

Funeral Services Going Home Cremation...........42

Government Services Call-N-Ride..............................17 DC Office on Aging ...........24-25 DC Public Service Comm..........7 MC311 .....................................22 Montgomery County Aging and Disability Services ..........13, 14

Home Health Care/ Companion Services Ameristar Healthcare Services 10 Best Senior Care . . . . . . . . .B-19 Options for Senior America .....18

Housing Ashby Ponds...........B-5, B-12, 48 Aspenwood Senior Living ..........B-10, B-16 Atrium Assisted Living ............18 Bayleigh Chase ........................22 Brooke Grove Retirement Village.3, B-6, B-14, B-16, B-20 Buckingham’s Choice ..............22 Chesterbrook Residences...............B-14, B-17 Churchill Senior Living ...........10 Covenant Village ....................B-5 Crossings at Spring Hill, The .....6 Culpepper Garden ....................17 Emerson House ......................B-6 Fairhaven ..................................22 Falcons Landing ...................B-14 Friendship Terrace........B-8, B-14 Gardens of Traville, The...........19 Greenspring..........B-12, B-18, 48 Hebrew Home ..........................19 Homecrest House .........B-2, B-18 Kensington Park...........B-9, B-18 Olney Assisted Living..B-5, B-17 Overture Fair Ridge......B-4, B-15 Park View .................................23 Paul Spring Retirement Community ...............B-3, B-16 Quantum Property Mgmt........B-19 Residences at Thomas Circle, The.....................9 Riderwood..............B-6, B-12, 48 Ring House...............................17

Springvale Terrace..........B-5, B-8 Sunrise Senior Living ..........B-13 Tall Oaks ......................B-4, B-13 Victory Terrace.........................18 Village at Rockville, The ..................................B-7, B-16 Vinson Hall Retirement Community ...............B-4, B-10 Waltonwood .................B-2, B-18

Legal Services Law Firm of Evan Farr.............30 Law Offices of Paul Riekhof ...29

Restaurants Original Pancake House.............7

Retail/Pawn/Auction CIRCA .....................................29 Dan Kugler Design Center.26, 52 Healthy Back Store ....................9 Perfect Sleep Chair...................32 Quingo Scooter ........................16 Quinn’s Auction Galleries ........12

Medical/Health

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation

Low Vision Center ...................20 Medical Eye Center..................38 Silver Spring Medical Center...19

Communicare Health ...............15 Manor Care Health Services ....12 Village at Rockville, The .........11

Miscellaneous

Subscriptions

Beacon Celebration Of the Arts.............................35 Beacon Resource Guide...........42 Career Gateway ........................30 Oasis Senior Advisors ............B-3 Sales Consultant Wanted..........33 Senior Zone..............................47

Beacon Newspaper...................49 Washington Jewish Week.........38

Real Estate Jim Miller.............................B-12 Long & Foster/ Eric Stewart.....................28, 44 Long & Foster/ Inderjeet Jumani....................31 Long & Foster/ Martha Martinez ...................11 Long & Foster/ Walter Johnson ....................B-8 Retiree Real Estate.................B-7 Weichert/Sue Heyman..............14

Theatre/ Entertainment Ford’s Theatre...........................40 Kennedy Center ...........43, 45, 46 Toby’s Dinner Theatre ..............40 US Navy Band .........................41

Tour & Travel Eyre Travel ...............................36 Nexus Holidays ........................36 Shillelaghs, The Travel Club ....37 Travel West Virginia.................37 Tripper Bus ..............................37 US Navy Memorial ..................39 Vamoose...................................39

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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N