July 2011 DC Beacon Edition

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If it’s so much fun, is it work?

Older workers valued McDonald is one of 78 Six Flags seasonal employees who are over age 50 this year. That’s just a drop in the bucket of a workforce made up of 2,000 workers primarily in their teens and 20s.

“The over-50 demographic is definitely one we’d like to add to,” said Cutter Matlock, Six Flags America’s director of administration. “Their knowledge, their breadth of experience, their maturity, their work ethic — that’s huge.

JULY 2011

I N S I D E …

PHOTO BY FRANK KLEIN

By Barbara Ruben Imagine spending half the year with roller coasters on the horizon, the smell of funnel cakes in the air, and Bugs Bunny as one of your closest friends.

Ruth McDonald enjoys just that as a seasonal employee at Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, Md. At age 84 she is the park’s oldest employee, showing workers one-fifth her age the ropes each year as the summer season swings into high gear.

Most mornings, McDonald, known to staff as Miss Ruth, can be found at the park’s front gate scanning visitors’ tickets. Some days she fills bins throughout the park with maps that guide visitors from the Early American-themed shopping area called Main Street 1776, to the sedate carousel and antique cars in the Olde Boston area, before the park gives up all historic pretense and plunges into thrill rides in Gotham City and the Hurricane Harbor water park.

“It’s just so much fun coming here every day,” McDonald said, gesturing toward costumed Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny characters just inside Six Flags’ gates.

McDonald, who retired from a career at Safeway nearly 20 years ago, spent the first decade of her retirement traveling the world. But the Harwood, Md., resident missed the camaraderie of the workplace — and the salary.

So when a recruiter for Six Flags came to a local senior center 10 years ago, she decided to give a whirl to working at the theme park.

“I put my rocking chair away and have enjoyed working again so much,” she said.

“People can’t believe I do all that I do — although I did stop riding the roller coaster when I turned 80.”

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Charles Reed, security supervisor at Six Flags America, is one of dozens of the theme park’s employees over 50. Older workers are actively recruited for a variety of seasonal positions. Vacancies still exist for the current season.

“I think our attendance issues are far fewer with our seasoned employees [than young adults]. They understand you can’t get away with showing up randomly or late to work.”

Older workers are also particularly valued when issues arise with park guests, Matlock said. “Their age and maturity carries a little bit of weight itself if there’s a heated situation. They’ve been around the block. They know what they’re doing.”

Matlock said Six Flags targets older adults for employment in radio advertisements and recruits at senior centers and groups for older adults, such as the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE).

Pay starts at minimum wage, but can climb quickly, Matlock said. Most seasonal workers are paid by the hour. They generally work five days a week during the summer months, and on weekends in the spring and fall — seasons in which the park isn’t fully open.

Charles Reed, 50, took the job of security supervisor at Six Flags three years ago after working as a manager at Sears.

“My favorite thing about the job is the people. Everyone is so friendly,” he said.

“If you’re going to be shy, you’re not going to last very long at a theme park.”

See SIX FLAGS, page 20

Betty White’s new book; plus, witches weave a wickedly good spell at the Kennedy Center, and Bob Levey comes around to healthy eating page 32 FITNESS & HEALTH k Hospitals face drug shortage k Do you need testosterone?

VOLUNTEERS & CAREERS

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LAW & MONEY 21 k Billions waiting to be claimed kMedicare costs jump for some SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

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LEISURE & TRAVEL

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Can we all come out ahead?

Most of us who have held jobs at one them seemed to feel that they had probatime or another have contributed to both bly paid in “two or three times as much” in Social Security taxes as they Social Security and Medicare would likely receive in beneout of every paycheck. So let fits. me ask you a question.

They also weren’t too Do you think of Social Sehappy about their rising curity and Medicare as an “inMedicare premiums and the vestment,” like stocks or cost of supplemental Medibonds in your portfolio? That gap insurance. They seemed is, do you consider yourself to feel they were getting the to have invested a percentage short end of the stick. of your paycheck, throughout your working life, in the ex- FROM THE So I was intrigued to see a study released in January by pectation that the govern- PUBLISHER ment will pay that money By Stuart P. Rosenthal the Urban Institute, a nonparback to you — plus interest tisan think tank in Washington, D.C., that estimates how much typical — over the course of your retirement?

Of course, the two programs were not set workers will pay into, and get out of, Social up to work this way. Instead, current benefi- Security and Medicare during their lifeciaries receive benefits paid for by current times.

The economists who prepared the estiworkers. And as I’ve written about before (see my May 2011 column), even when So- mates ran the numbers for single male and cial Security collects more money from female workers as well as for one-earner workers than it needs to pay current bene- and two-earner couples, all earning the avfits, the excess is not saved for future years. erage wage.

They also ran the numbers for four difBut that doesn’t stop people from thinking about it as an investment — and from ferent generations —those retiring in 1960, 1980, 2010 and 2030 — to get a picbeing disappointed in their “return.”

Not long ago, I spoke to a group of well- ture of how costs and benefits changed educated and sophisticated older adults over time. and the subject came up. A number of They then adjusted all the numbers to

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present dollars (so they could be reasonably compared), netted them of Medicare premiums paid, and — this is interesting — calculated the total of all taxes paid by workers as if they were invested each year at an interest rate of inflation plus 2 percent.

The results (based on these and other assumptions that, of course, are merely an approximation of reality) tell us: a) how much money the average worker would have if he or she had been able to keep all their payroll taxes and invest them, and b) how much money it would take, invested in an interest-bearing account, to produce the Social Security and Medicare benefits they will actually receive over the course of their lives.

I was amazed to see that — in every single case — workers came out receiving more in benefits than they paid in taxes, often several times more, even when measured against their payments with assumed interest earnings.

Of course, you might have expected such a result for people retiring back in 1960 (since Medicare didn’t even begin until 1965). In most cases, those lucky enough to have retired then received from 7 to 14 times as much in benefits as they paid in taxes.

Those retiring in 1980 were not quite as fortunate, but still to be envied. They received from 2 to 5 times as much in benefits as they paid in.

Folks retiring in 2010 or 2030 all came out with anywhere from 1.25 to 2.25 times as much.

It reminds me of the old joke about the business that lost money on every sale “but made it up on volume.” It makes you wonder how the system has survived as long as it has without going broke.

I assume part of the explanation is that

Social Security is purposely set up to return more to low- and average-income workers than to high-income earners. Presumably, the additional taxes collected from those in higher brackets make up part of the difference to keep the programs self-sustaining.

Also, the huge baby boom generation was comfortably able to finance the smaller generations that preceded it, since for the past 20 years there were a number of workers supporting each retiree.

But that is all about to change as the boomers retire, adding 68 million people to the Social Security and Medicare rolls even as the number of workers relative to retirees declines.

Other factors that raise the prospect of growing problems in the future include declining payroll tax collections due to the recession and high unemployment, everlengthening life expectancies, and rapidly rising costs for healthcare, due in part to new discoveries of costly, but life-saving treatments.

In a recent national survey, 54 percent of Americans said they didn’t think spending on Medicare would need to be cut to balance the federal budget. And 59 percent felt the same way about Social Security.

The survey suggests that most Americans aren’t buying the argument that these national entitlement programs — which even before the retirement of the boomers account for about a third of all government spending — need to be reined in to insure their long-term survival.

I have a feeling they have another think coming.

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• 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 • Graphic Designer ..............................Kyle Gregory • Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King • Advertising Representatives ........Doug Hallock, ............................................Ron Manno, Cheryl Watts • Interns ..............Emily Hatton, Jacob Schaperow

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Dear Editor: A recent incident that occurred should be a warning to anyone who has been approached at their doorstep by individuals representing normally reliable and ethical concerns.

Several days ago, representatives from one of the telephone companies came to our door and stated that our current telephone billing system was being phased out and instead of our normal charges of about $70, the company was offering a reduced rate of $50 with both local and long distance calls free.

Being naturally cautious, I requested that the offer be put in writing and gave them my e-mail address, while not signing anything. One hour later there was a mes-

sage on my computer welcoming me to FIOS at a base introductory rate of $90 with no ability to reply and say that I had neither discussed nor agreed to it.

It took two days and four hours on the phone to cancel the unrequested service (I hope!). The individuals whom I spoke to on the phone were not surprised, and I got the impression that this was not unusual for their house-to-house representatives.

The moral to the story is to reject anyone soliciting house to house, no matter how reliable their company may be.

Nelson Marans Silver Spring, Md. See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 36

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

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Get Ready to

TAKE CONTROL of Your Energy Use. To serve you better, Pepco is installing digital electric meters, commonly known as smart meters, in homes and businesses throughout their service territory. Smart meters are the foundation of the smart grid, a modernized electric system that will enhance customer service and reliability, and in the future facilitate the use of renewable power and electric vehicles.

Most importantly, your home’s new smart meter can help you take control of your energy use and help you save money today. That’s because your home’s smart meter records your daily energy consumption, and then that information is made available to you online through My Account. Armed with this detailed data and the tools on My Account, you will be well on your way to taking control of your energy use and energy dollars.

in your usual pattern. The new smart meter will provide you with detailed information and comparison reports to help you identify when you are using more or less energy during the day, the week or the month. This information will also help you make changes that let you take control of your energy bills.

WHY AM I GETTING ONE? WHAT IS A SMART METER? A smart meter is an electronic meter that allows for twoway communication between your home or small business and Pepco. Your new smart meter actually “reads” the energy used periodically throughout the day and provides that data to you online through My Account.

WHAT IS SMART METER DATA? What happens today when you receive a lower or higher than expected energy bill? You might wonder what changed

Pepco is working together with residents and businesses to help meet energy efficiency goals, and smart meters are a critical part of that effort. Information provided by smart meters helps Pepco customers take control of their energy use by identifying ways to be more energy efficient. Saving energy helps the environment, especially on hot, muggy days, precisely when the environment needs it most.

WHEN WILL I BE RECEIVING ONE? Pepco will be installing meters in Washington, D.C., and Maryland throughout 2012, and we look forward to working closely with our customers to help them leverage the benefits of this new technology.

WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE? To learn more about smart meters, visit bit.ly/pepcosmartmeters or call (202) 833-7500 and speak with one of our Energy Advisors.

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Health Fitness &

MALE MENOPAUSE? Low testosterone can bring on menopause-like symptoms for some GO FOR THE GOLD Now’s the time to sign up for Senior Olympics in both N. Va. and Md. A SHOT IN THE ARM You may need up to nine vaccines to keep you healthy as you age NEVER HAD CHILDREN? University researchers want to interview women over 65 without children

Hospitals face acute shortages of drugs

By Lauran Neergaard A growing shortage of medications for a host of illnesses — from cancer to cystic fibrosis to cardiac arrest — has hospitals scrambling for substitutes to avoid patient harm, and sometimes even delaying treatment.

“It’s just a matter of time now before we call for a drug that we need to save a patient’s life and we find out there isn’t any,” said Dr. Eric Lavonas of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

The problem of scarce supplies or even completely unavailable medications isn’t a new one, but it’s getting markedly worse.

The number listed in short supply has tripled over the past five years to a record 211 medications last year.

While some of those shortages have been resolved, another 89 have occurred in the first three months of this year, according to the University of Utah’s Drug Information Service. It tracks shortages for the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

The vast majority involve injectable medications used mostly by medical centers — in emergency rooms, ICUs and cancer wards. Particular shortages can last for weeks or for many months, and there aren’t always good alternatives. Nor is it just a U.S. problem, as other countries report some of the same supply disruptions.

Health at risk At Miami Children’s Hospital, doctors had to postpone for a month the last round of chemotherapy for 14-year-old Caroline Pallidine because of a months-long nationwide shortage of cytarabine, a drug considered key to curing a type of leukemia.

“There’s always a fear, if she’s going so long without chemo, is there a chance this cancer’s going to come back?” said her mother, Marta Pallidine, who said she’ll be nervous until Caroline finishes her final treatments.

“In this day and age, we really shouldn’t be having this kind of problem and putting our children’s lives at risk,” she added.

There are lots of causes for the shortages — from recalls of contaminated vials, to trouble importing raw ingredients, to spikes in demand, to factories that temporarily shut down for quality upgrades.

Some experts pointedly note that pricier brand-name drugs seldom are in short supply. The Food and Drug Administration agrees that the overarching problem is that fewer and fewer manufacturers produce older, cheaper generic drugs, especially the harder-to-make injectable ones.

So if one company has trouble — or decides to quit making a particular drug — there are few others able to ramp up their own production to fill the gap, said Valerie Jensen, who heads FDA’s shortage office.

Which drugs are in short supply?

The shortage that’s made the most headlines is a sedative used on death row.

But on the healthcare front, shortages are wide-ranging, including: • Thiotepa, used with bone marrow transplants,

• A whole list of electrolytes — injectable nutrients crucial for certain premature infants and tube-feeding of the critically ill, • Norepinephrine injections for septic shock, • A cystic fibrosis drug named acetylcysteine, • Injections used in the ER for certain types of cardiac arrest, • Certain versions of pills for ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and • Some leuprolide hormone injections used in fertility treatment.

No one is tracking patient harm. But last fall, the nonprofit Institute for Safe Medication Practices said it had two reports of people who died from the wrong dose of a substitute painkiller during a morphine shortage.

“Every pharmacist in every hospital across the country is working to make sure those things don’t happen, but shortSee DRUG SHORTAGES, page 5

New healthcare trend: Group checkups

By Lauran Neergaard Wait a minute, Doc. You want me to share my appointment with 10 other patients?

Group appointments aren’t just for psychotherapy anymore. Put diabetes, high blood pressure and maybe even Parkinson’s disease on the list.

Shared checkups aim to help patients who are battling certain chronic diseases, and they’re far from the typical 15-minute office visit. They’re stretched over 90 minutes or even two hours, offering more time to quiz the doctor about concerns, learn about managing the disease, and get tips from fellow patients.

What’s in it for the doctor? A neurologist found he learned more about how his Parkinson’s patients were faring by watching them interact with others than when he had them one-on-one.

“I can see if you’re getting worse over the course of the visit, your ability to eat, to walk, to converse and to think,’’ said Dr. Ray Dorsey, who led a pilot study of group checkups for Parkinson’s patients at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

“This is a new way of delivering health-

care,’’ added Dorsey, now at Johns Hopkins University. “People are thirsting for better ways.’’

A growing practice It’s a small but slowly growing trend that promises to get more attention with the tight supply of primary care physicians, who find it hard to squeeze in time to teach their patients how to deal with complex chronic illnesses like diabetes.

An American Academy of Family Physicians survey found more doctors trying the group approach — about 10 percent of its active members in 2009, up from fewer than 6 percent in 2005.

Peer pressure among patients helps, said family physician Dr. George Whiddon of Quincy, Fla. He has about 40 diabetic patients divided into groups for shared checkups at Tallahassee Memorial Family Medicine Quincy, and he wants to add more.

One woman with uncontrolled diabetes for years confessed to fellow patients that she’d ignored Whiddon’s “eat better, take your meds” advice for too long.

“Now I only have one toe left. I should

have listened,’’ Whiddon recalled her saying. “That had more impact [on the others] than anything I said all day.’’

Group appointments don’t replace the patient’s annual in-depth physical. But many people with chronic illnesses, especially if they’re not well-controlled, are supposed to have additional follow-up visits about every three months — an opportunity for shared checkups that stress patient education.

As good as, or better than, 1-on-1 But how well do these group visits work?

An Italian study published last year found that diabetics who took part in them lowered their blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol more than similar patients who got regular individual office visits.

A separate study at two Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, in North Carolina and Virginia, tracked people with poorly controlled diabetes and blood pressure and also concluded shared appointments can improve care for some people.

Those in group visits significantly im-

proved their blood pressure and needed less emergency care, but there was no difference in diabetes improvement between patients who had shared checkups or regular ones.

Parkinson’s marks the newest attempt.

Dorsey recruited 30 Parkinson’s patients and assigned half of them to 90-minute group checkups, and the rest to regular private visits that lasted a generous half-hour.

During group visits, everyone got a few minutes for private discussion with the doctor.

Then Dorsey gave an educational talk about a Parkinson’s topic the patients had previously requested — from the newest research, to why symptoms vary so widely, to how patients cope at work — and took group questions.

Medically, both sets of patients fared equally well during the year-long study, showing that group visits are feasible, Dorsey reported in the journal Neurology.

What the study couldn’t measure, Dorsey said, was how he watched patients’ interactions for subtle signs that they needed prescriptions adjusted, things like See CHECKUPS, page 6

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BEACON BITS

July 16

FEELING STRESSED?

Dr. Joan Vernikos, former director of life sciences at NASA, leads a discussion on the problems commonly faced by those over 50 and offers an effective tool kit to achieve a stress-free lifestyle. The free program takes place on Saturday, July 16 at 10 a.m. at Culpepper Garden Senior Center, 4435 N. Pershing Dr., Arlington, Va. Call (703) 228-4403 to register.

July 13+

FREE DIABETES PREVENTION PROGRAM

Get nutrition guidance, exercise classes and ongoing support to help prevent or delay diabetes. If you have pre-diabetes or higher than normal blood sugar, you may qualify to attend these classes sponsored by Holy Cross Hospital. The classes are offered Wednesdays, July 13 to Sept. 28.

Choose either 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 7 to 9 p.m. The classes will be held at Holy Cross Hospital Professional and Community Education Center, 1500 Forest Glen Rd., Silver Spring, Md. Call (301) 754-8800 to register.

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You may return this form together with the reader reply form on page B-9, which will also enter you into a random drawing for $100

Learn more about the area’s housing options Check the boxes of communities from whom you would like to receive information and mail or fax this form.

Washington D.C. ❏Forest Side (See ads on pages B-10 and B-15) ❏Friendship Terrace (See ad on page B-12) ❏Knollwood (See ad on page B-2) ❏Methodist Home of D.C. (See ads on pages B-3 and B-8) ❏St. Mary’s Court (See ad on page B-5)

Maryland ❏Asbury Methodist Village (See ads on pages 10 and B-6) ❏Brooke Grove (See ads on pages B-7 and B-16) ❏Charter House (See ad on page 25) ❏Churchill Senior Living (See ad on page 15) ❏Covenant Village (See ad on page B-13) ❏Emerson House (See ad on page B-13) ❏Hampshire Village (See ad on page B-10) ❏Homecrest House (See ads on pages B-2 and B-6) ❏Mrs. Philippines Home (See ad on page B-13) ❏Park View at Bladensburg (See ad on page B-4) ❏Park View at Columbia (See ad on page B-4) ❏Park View at Ellicott City (See ad on page B-4) ❏Park View at Laurel (See ads on pages B-4 and B-10) ❏Renaissance Gardens Riderwood (See ad on page 17) ❏Revitz House (See ad on page B-6) ❏Riderwood Village (See ads on pages B-6 and 14) ❏Ring House (See ad on page B-12) ❏Shriner Court (See ad on page B-13) ❏Springvale Terrace (See ad on page B-5) ❏Victory Terrace (See ad on page 17) ❏Victory Woods (See ads on pages B-5 and B-11) ❏The Village at Rockville (See ads on pages B-7 and B-14)

Virginia ❏Ashby Ponds (See ads on pages B-11 and 14) ❏Chesterbrook Residences (See ad on page B-2) ❏Culpepper Garden (See ad on page 22) ❏Greenspring Village (See ads on pages B-8 and 14) ❏Olley Glen Retirement Community (See ad on page 6) ❏Quantum Affordable Apts. (See ad on page B-13) ❏Renaissance Gardens Greenspring (See ad on page 17) ❏Sommerset (See ad on page B-11) ❏The Virginian (See ad on back page) ❏The Woodlands (See ad on page B-7) Name________________________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________________ City______________________________________State______Zip________________ Phone (day)__________________________(evening)_________________________ E-mail_________________________________________________________________

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ages create the perfect storm for a medication error,” said University of Utah pharmacist Erin Fox, who oversees the shortage-tracking program.

What can be done?

The FDA has taken an unusual step, asking some foreign companies to temporarily ship to the U.S. their own versions of some scarce drugs that aren’t normally sold here. That eased shortages of propofol, a key anesthesia drug, and the transplant drug thiotepa.

Affected companies say they’re working hard to eliminate backlogs. For instance, Hospira Inc., the largest maker of those injectable drugs, said it is increasing production capacity and working with FDA “to address shortage situations as quickly as possible and to help prevent recurrence.”

But the Generic Pharmaceutical Association said some shortages are beyond industry control, such as those caused by FDA inspections or stockpiling that can

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From page 4

exacerbate a shortage.

“Drug shortages of any kind are a complex problem that require broad-based solutions from all stakeholders,” added the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, a fellow trade group.

Lawmakers are getting involved. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., is urging the Federal Trade Commission to consider if any pending drug-company mergers would create or exacerbate shortages.

Also, pending legislation would require manufacturers to give FDA advance notice of problems such as manufacturing delays that might trigger a shortage.

The FDA cannot force a company to make a drug, but was able to prevent 38 close calls from turning into shortages last year by speeding approval of manufacturing changes or urging competing companies to get ready to meet a shortfall.

“No patient’s life should have to be at risk when there is a drug somewhere” that could be used, said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who introduced the bill.

— AP

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Drug shortages

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

Do men go through a ‘male menopause’?

By Dr. J. Taylor Hays, M.D. Menopause refers to the end of menstruation and fertility in women. It’s caused by a dramatic drop in production of the female hormone estrogen by a woman’s ovaries.

There’s no equivalent in men.

But men do experience a hormonal change as they get older. Clear evidence indicates that they gradually produce less testosterone, the primary male hormone, throughout adulthood.

Even taking this age-related decline into consideration, the testosterone level of most men stays within what’s considered a normal range, and they don’t experience signs or symptoms.

However, if a man’s testosterone production clearly drops below normal levels,

say, as the result of using medicine to treat prostate cancer, he may experience symptoms akin to menopause in women.

These might include hot flashes, fatigue, trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating, and reduced sexual drive and performance. Erectile function may or may not be affected.

The underproduction of testosterone is called hypogonadism. In addition to prostate cancer treatment inducing this condition, hypogonadism can be inherited or result from a past injury or infection of the testicles. It also can occur simply with aging.

Hormone replacement therapy Men who suspect they’re suffering from a low testosterone level should see their doc-

Ride up and down your stairway Home Stairway Lifts

Checkups

cessfully, to continue group visits when the study ended: “It’s not that I don’t get good care. I do. But I still think I learned more and I think the process was better doing it in a group format.’’

More research is needed to determine which patients fare better with group visits, plus they take a lot of doctor preparation, cautioned study co-author Dr. Kevin Biglan of the University of Rochester.

Medicare will reimburse the doctor for each patient in a shared checkup with proper documentation that the visit includes certain elements, said Florida’s Whiddon. For his office, that means breaking even, as long as at least six people show up for his two-hour diabetes groups.

— AP

cognitive problems or if medications wore off too quickly. One meeting even devoted 45 minutes to the pros and cons of implanted brain stimulators to curb tremors.

“Many heads are better than one. They think of questions you wouldn’t normally think of by yourself,’’ said Jim Euken, a re tired judge and Parkinson’s patient from Belmont, NY. He began exercising on a bicycle after one of Dorsey’s group visits discussed research showing some patients still can bike when they can barely walk, for unknown reasons.

Euken joined some fellow study participants who petitioned the hospital, unsuc-

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produce other unwanted side effects, however, including the development of obstructive sleep apnea and the overproduction of red blood cells in some men.

Because of these risks, those considering the therapy should be sure their doctor evaluates their symptoms, measures their blood cell count, examines their prostate, and checks their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood level.

In men whose testosterone still registers in the normal range, there is no evidence indicating that supplemental testosterone therapy is helpful. Also, research does not tell us if testosterone therapy improves muscle strength, muscle mass, or physical performance measurements.

A doctor can diagnose underproduction of testosterone with a simple blood test. A sample is usually taken in the morning after fasting and, typically, is measured on more than one occasion, because testos-

From page 4

Abbot Stair-Climbers, Inc.

I ies

tor. In addition to the symptoms described above, the condition can cause a decrease in muscle mass and loss of bone mass (osteoporosis), similar to postmenopausal women.

Some men who are diagnosed with hypogonadism can be helped with testosterone replacement therapy, which slows the loss of muscle and improves bone density.

Some people worry about the treatment’s potential side effects. They think of anabolic steroid use in athletes, for example, which can cause liver problems and male infertility.

But our primary concern with testosterone replacement therapy in older men is prostate growth and prostate cancer, because the prostate gland grows under the influence of testosterone.

While there’s not a great deal of evidence that patients who receive testosterone replacement therapy are at increased risk of prostate cancer, this possibility is an unresolved issue.

Testosterone replacement therapy can

See MALE MENOPAUSE, page 7

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7

Register now for local Senior Olympics Church, counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William.

Maryland events start in August Though Montgomery County has cut the Senior Olympics from its Recreation Dept. budget, many of the Maryland Senior Olympics events will be held once again this year in the county. But the games will be looking for a new home starting in 2012, said Ted Wroth, who directs the games.

More than 100 events will be held for 21 different sports from August 13 through Nov. 6. Badminton, billiards, lawn bowling, softball, tennis and swimming will all take place at various venues in Montgomery County. Track and field, archery, basketball and volleyball will be held in Howard County locations.

Dates vary. For example, track and field events will take place on August 14 and 15,

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Male menopause From page 6 terone production can vary slightly from day to day.

A diagnosis of hypogonadism is based on the presence of symptoms suggesting low testosterone, and at least two or three abnormally low testosterone blood tests.

Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. To submit a question, write to: medicaledge@mayo.edu, or Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic, c/o TMS, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY, 14207. For health information, visit www.mayoclinic.com. © 2011 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

while swimming will be held on Sept. 17 and running on Nov. 6.

Maryland Senior Olympics events are open to all Maryland residents 50 and older. Cost to participate in one event is $25; each additional event costs $5. (Golf and bowling have additional fees.) The

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By Barbara Ruben Bernie Stamm spent his childhood skiing in the Alps and moved on to become a ski instructor as an adult. A lifelong athlete, the 72-year-old resident of Ashburn, Va., also plays singles tennis and competes in numerous track and field events in the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics.

One of his favorite events is the javelin throw. In fact, Stamm has a photo of himself taken in 1958 at age 19, just as he released a javelin in an athletic event. He looks virtually unchanged — except for his silver hair — in a very similar photo of Stamm throwing a javelin at the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics last year.

Stamm lives by the motto of the Virginia state Senior Olympics, which he attended in May: “You don’t stop playing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop playing.”

Of course, Stamm admits some things have changed since he started competing as a young man. “The biggest difference is the recovery time. When you’re a teen, you’re as good as new the next day. Now it takes me longer to bounce back,” he said.

Stamm will participate again in this year’s Northern Virginia Senior Olympics, which will be held Sept. 17 to 28.

Registration forms for the more than 25 events are available at senior centers and senior communities or by calling (703) 228-3600, ext. 9996. They can also be downloaded at www.nvso.us. The registration deadline is Sept. 1.

Registration costs $10 plus $1 per event, which include, among others, basketball, swimming, miniature golf, bowling and fencing. New sports this year include volleyball, badminton and table tennis.

For those who prefer mental gymnastics, there are also competitions in chess, bridge, backgammon and other games.

The events take place at various venues throughout Northern Virginia. Participants must be 50 years old by Dec. 31 and live in one of the sponsoring jurisdictions: cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls

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

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Beware free trials of anti-aging products

By Arlene Weintraub Kathleen Cole was browsing an Internet drugstore when an ad popped up too tantalizing to resist. A company called Syndero was featuring a 14-day free trial of Dermitage, a cream that promised to fade wrinkles and restore youthful-looking skin.

Cole, 70, was happy with how she looked, but what, she wondered, did she have to lose? So she handed over her credit card number with the understanding that it wouldn’t be charged unless she was sold on Dermitage at the end of the trial.

What Cole didn’t realize was that she’d actually just agreed to pay $99 a month for monthly shipments, and that the free-trial clock would start ticking the day the product shipped.

Only because she suffered an allergic reaction and called to ask how to return the cream did Cole find out about these details — and that she had just five days left to send the product back in order to avoid the charges.

“It was so hidden within the jargon of the fine print that I missed it, and I have a master’s degree,” said Cole, a freelance book editor in Denver, Colo. She did have to shell out $50 to ship the cream back to the company’s Canadian warehouse, and to be safe, she put a block on her credit card to ensure that there’d be no chance of surprises later.

A flood of cosmetics and other elixirs advertised as magic against old age is pulling in consumers on the Internet these days, often to their later dismay.

Complaints from consumers like Cole about tactics often used to sell the products — the so-called free trials, the monthly commitment, an often complicated and difficult cancellation process — have caught the attention of federal lawmakers, who are looking into the problem.

“When an anti-aging company said ‘free trial, give us your credit card,’ it’s almost always a ‘gotcha,’” said Joe Stanganelli, a lawyer in Boston, Mass.

Little evidence of benefit Often, the companies that sell the cosmetic concoctions, colon cleansers and supplements make anti-aging claims backed by little or no scientific evidence.

In some cases, the pitches even come with phony celebrity endorsements. Last year, Oprah Winfrey and physician Mehmet Oz sued more than 50 Internet vendors for improperly using their names and likenesses, and in some cases, clips from “The Oprah Winfrey show” to sell products.

While both stars have discussed the likes of Brazilian acai berry and resveratrol on air, they’ve never endorsed any particular product.

Barbara Summers was persuaded by the come-ons twice. The retired court reporter from Morgantown, W.Va., ordered a free trial of an acai supplement promising

not only to keep her young but also to help her lose weight. She didn’t realize she’d signed up for regular shipments until she found two months’ worth of charges on her credit card.

Later, Summers was offered a free trial of a wrinkle cream in return for filling out a survey from an online retailer. “I used it for two weeks, but I couldn’t tell the difference. My kids couldn’t tell the difference,” said Summers, 53. She was able to get through to customer service and cancel before monthly charges started, though she did get slapped with the return shipping costs.

in discussions with Congress about requiring online retailers to clearly disclose what the deals involve, according to Leonard Gordon, director of the FTC’s northeast regional office.

At the moment, retailers can impose

See FREE TRIALS, page 11

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

Nine vaccines you may need as you age You know you should be vaccinated against the flu every year because the viruses that cause influenza — and the vaccines that protect you from those viruses — change from year to year. But there’s more to staying current with your vaccinations than that.

For one thing, you can’t assume that the vaccines you received as a child will protect you for the rest of your life. Some childhood immunizations require a periodic booster shot. Work, travel, and changing personal circumstances can expose you to unusual infectious diseases.

In addition, overall immunity can fade with age, increasing your susceptibility to serious disease caused by common infections. Moreover, from time to time, there are new vaccines — and new recommendations for receiving older vaccines.

The following list summarizes the Cen-

ter for Disease Control’s 2011 Adult Immunization Schedule for people 50 and over: 1. Seasonal influenza vaccine: one dose per year. Only inactivated influenza vaccine for adults 50 and over; a high-dose version called Fluzone is available (and recommended) for those 65 and over.

Who should get it: Everyone should be vaccinated annually in the fall or winter.

This year’s flu shot will be a duplicate of last year’s because the same flu strains are still circulating. But that doesn’t mean you can skip it just because you got vaccinated last year. CDC officials believe that antibody levels can fall by two-thirds or more after a year has passed.

If you’re sick with a fever, wait until you recover before getting your flu shot. Talk to your clinician before getting the vaccine if you’ve ever had a severe allergic reaction to eggs or to a previous flu shot, or if you have

a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome that occurred after receiving a flu shot.

2. Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Td/Tdap): three-dose series and a booster every 10 years; one-time Tdap given earlier to people in contact with infants.

Who should get it: Unvaccinated adults under 65 should receive an initial three-dose series with two doses of Td and one of Tdap, then regular Td boosters every 10 years, including one with Tdap. A one-time dose of Tdap should be given as soon as possible to healthcare providers and anyone in close contact with infants (such as grandparents and childcare providers).

Adults 65 and over who’ve never received Tdap and who have close contact with infants should also be vaccinated with Tdap, no matter when they last received a Td-containing vaccine.

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Talk to your clinician before getting the vaccine if you’ve ever had Guillain-Barre syndrome. Don’t get Td or Tdap if you’ve ever had a severe allergic reaction to any vaccine.

3. Varicella (chickenpox): one or two doses Who should get it: If you’ve never had chickenpox, or you were vaccinated but received only one of the two recommended doses of varicella vaccine, talk to your clinician about whether you need the vaccine. Don’t get this vaccine if you’ve ever had a severe allergic reaction to it, or to gelatin or the antibiotic neomycin.

4. Zoster (shingles): one dose Who should get it: The shingles vaccine is recommended for adults 60 and over, whether or not they’ve had shingles before. In March, the FDA approved the vaccine for those 50 and up, but many clinicians still recommend waiting until 60 because they don’t know how long immunity will last, and your chance of shingles goes up as you age.

Tell your clinician if you have severe allergies. Don’t get this vaccine if you’ve ever had a severe allergic reaction to gelatin or the antibiotic neomycin, or if you have a weakened immune system.

5. Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR): one or two doses Who should get it: Anyone born after 1956 who hasn’t been vaccinated needs at least one dose of MMR. You may need a second dose if you’re a healthcare worker or plan to travel internationally. Don’t get this vaccine if you’ve ever had a severe reaction to gelatin, the antibiotic neomycin or a previous dose of MMR. 6. Pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPSV): one or two doses Who should get it: Adults 65 and over who’ve never been vaccinated against pneumonia should receive one dose. Others who should be vaccinated (with one or two doses) include adults who smoke cigarettes, live in long-term care facilities, have a cochlear implant, or have certain medical conditions, including lung disease, cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Don’t get this vaccine if you’ve had a severe allergic reaction to any vaccine.

7. Meningococcal: one or two doses Who should get it: Adults without a working spleen and those with HIV or complement component deficiencies should receive two doses. People 65 and over and anyone exposed to meningococcal disease through work or travel should receive one dose. Don’t get this vaccine if you’ve had a severe allergic reaction to any vaccine.

8. Hepatitis A: two-dose series Who should get it: Adults who should be vaccinated include anyone who is exposed to hepatitis A through work, lifestyle or travel, and anyone with chronic liver disease or a clotting factor disorder.

Don’t get this vaccine if you’ve had a severe allergic reaction to any vaccine.

9. Hepatitis B: three-dose series See VACCINES, page 13

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

Free trials From page 9 Northern California BBB office has fielded more than 300 complaints about San Francisco-based Syndero, said Lori Wilson, vice president of operations for that branch.

Andrea O’Brien, Syndero’s vice president of customer service, stated in an email that “The information regarding the terms and conditions associated with all Dermitage products and offers are clearly stated and provided in full to every consumer.” She also said that Dermitage cream got a thumbs-up from 86 percent of a test group of more than 250 women, “who told us their skin looked younger after using our products for 21 days.”

Research company and conditions Anyone tempted to buy from an unfamiliar Internet retailer should first check the

websites of the local BBB and the state attorney general’s office to ensure there are no complaints on record. Even if not, it’s never a good idea to hand over your credit card information without reading the terms and conditions page to make sure you’re not agreeing to any automatic charges.

If it indicates that the free trial period starts the day the company ships the product, be aware that there’s a risk you won’t get it in time to return it. Typical return deadlines are just two weeks from the date shipped.

Also be wary if the company’s return address is overseas, as you might have to pay a large postage bill to return the goods.

Still feel compelled to take a chance on a product? Consider protecting yourself against a run-up in charges by using a card with a low credit limit. Also, it’s wise to check with your card issuer to make sure you’re allowed to block companies from charging the card.

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EyeCare America, a public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, provides eye exams at no out-of-pocket cost to people 65 and older and offers free educational materials. To qualify, you must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. You cannot have seen an ophthalmologist in three or more years, and you cannot belong to an HMO or receive eye care benefits through the VA. To find out if you’re eligible, visit www.eyecareamerica.org.

Many people who file complaints about online retailers report that when they call customer service, they always get busy signals or full voicemail boxes. John Breyault, vice president of public policy for the National Consumers League, suggests testing a company’s customer service de-

11

partment before you place an order. “You shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to cancel,” he said.

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Everyone, especially adults over 55, should have an electronic hearing test once a year. If there is a hearing problem, hearing tests may reveal that newly developed methods of correction will help, even for those who have been told in the past that a hearing aid would not help them.

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Health Studies Page

J U L Y 2 0 1 1 — 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

Women without children needed for study

By Carol Sorgen Although older people are often portrayed in popular culture as grandparents, as many as 15 to 20 percent of people over the age of 65 in the United States have never had children of their own. By 2030, the percentage of adults between the ages of 70 and 85 without children is expected to exceed 30 percent.

Social scientists are particularly interested in studying women without children because of the notable changes that have occurred in the social lives of both women and elders. The advent of the women’s

movement, general improvements in the lives and health of older adults, changes in the forms and meanings of family, access to new forms of support, and an increased sense of independence and power for many women have been some markers of these changes.

Given the growing percentage of older adults who don’t have children, researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) have launched a multi-year study focused specifically on the meaning of being childless among older women.

DO YOU OR YOUR LOVED ONE SUFFER FROM

PARKINSON’S DISEASE? Have you or your loved one developed unusual behaviors, like seeing, feeling or hearing things that are not really there?

If so, those eligible may qualify for a clinical research study with an investigational medication for this condition.

Investigational drug and study related procedures and assessments are provided at no cost to you.

For further information, please call

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Sponsored by the National Institute on Aging, the purpose of the study is to gather the perspectives of women who don’t have children on a variety of issues, including their life story, their views on older age, and events and people that have been important in their lives.

Join the conversation The UMBC research team is looking for volunteers throughout the Baltimore/ Washington region to participate in this research. To be eligible, you must be 65 or older, female and have no biological children of your own.

Participants complete three conversationlike interviews in their home, or a location of their choice. Participants receive a $100 honorarium upon completing the third interview. All information is kept confidential.

To date, 140 women have participated.

Researchers are hoping to enroll a total of 200 women.

Although the parent-child relationship has been found to be especially important in late life, little is known about how child-

less older women view and cope with the challenges of aging (e.g., health and caregiving needs, views of generativity and self-concept) without filial support.

The researchers hope that the study will make the lives of older childless women more accessible, and their issues, problems and strengths more visible, including their preferences and need for healthcare and caregiving services.

Myths about childlessness According to UMBC Principal Investigator Dr. Kate de Medeiros, there are several myths and misconceptions about people who do not have children.

“In the first place, many people wrongly assume that those who do not have children — especially women — are somehow unhappy or unfulfilled,” said de Medeiros.

To the contrary, she reports, there is a growing body of scientific literature that indicates the opposite, depending on whether childlessness was by choice or by See OLDER WOMEN, page 13

BEACON BITS

July 13

Diabetes can be unpredictable.

ASK AN EXPERT ABOUT DEMENTIA Caregivers and family members can ask experts from the

Alzheimer’s Association, Easter Seals Intergenerational Center and others questions about dementia in a panel discussion on Wednesday, July 13 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The event will be held at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 10401 Armory Ave., Kensington, Md. To register, call Linda Williams from the Alzheimer’s Association at (703) 766-9021 or e-mail Linda.williams2@alz.org.

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A clinical research study may help people with type 2 diabetes better manage blood glucose levels.

Those who have type 2 diabetes, and are currently taking a daily dose of metformin (or metformin and pioglitazone), are invited to find out if they may qualify for a clinical research study to determine the safety and effectiveness of an investigational medication to manage diabetes. Among other criteria, those who have previously taken insulin as a treatment option are not eligible. To find out if you may qualify, call the area physician below: Contact: Dr. Nashwa Gabra, Burke Internal Medicine and Research 9243 Old Keene Mill Road, Burke, VA 22015 703-455-9711 No insurance required.

Compensation for time and travel may be available.

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ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT ALZHEIMER’S?

Georgetown University is participating in an NIH-sponsored research study to help stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in future generations. The goal of the study is to determine whether imaging of the brain can help predict the onset and monitor the progression of cognitive change.

We are looking for people who: • Are between 70 and 90 years of age • Are in good general health with no memory problems or concerns • Are fluent in English • Are willing and able to undergo all test procedures (MRI and PET scans, lumbar puncture) • Have a study partner (friend or relative with whom you are in contact at least 10 hours/week and who can accompany you to all study visits) Participants will be paid up to $1200 for completion of all study visits.

For more information, please contact:

Kelly Behan (202) 687-0413 keb53@georgetown.edu

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

Older women From page 12 circumstance.

Another misperception is that inability to conceive a child is the major reason for childlessness in women. While this may be true for some women, marital status, career choices and personal decisions to not have a family are cited as other reasons for childlessness.

Of special interest in the study are women’s views on “generativity,” or the many ways that people invest their time and energies into the well-being of future generations through activities such as volunteering, keeping a family history, teaching a skill to others, or other actions meant to help guide younger people.

If you are interested in participating in the study, call Amanda Mosby at (410) 455-5935 or e-mail amosby@umbc.edu.

BEACON BITS

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Healthy Volunteers Concerned About Alzheimer’s (See ad, p. 12) Heart Failure Study (See ad, p. 13) Parkinson’s Drug Study (See ad, p. 12) Type 2 Diabetes & Heart Problem Study (See ad, p. 13) Type 2 Diabetes Metformin Users Study (See ad, p. 12) Women Without Children (Interviews) (See article, p. 12) Name_________________________________________________________________ Address________________________________________________________________ City______________________________________State______Zip________________ Phone (day)________________________ (eve)___________________________

WB7/11

Clip and return to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 or fax to (301) 949-8966

• H EALTH STU DY I N FO • H EALTH STU DY I N FO • H EALTH STU DY I N FO •

Ongoing

Check off the health studies you’d like to receive FREE information about.

CANCER RESOURCES FOR D.C. RESIDENTS

Newly diagnosed cancer patients, those living with the disease and their caregivers can call the new D.C. Cancer Answers phone line at (202) 585-3210 for resources and assistance. The phone help is sponsored by the D.C. Cancer Consortium (DCCC) for residents of the District of Columbia. The consortium has also published a new English/Spanish guide to transportation resources for cancer patients and caregivers. The guide is available for download or hard copy orders at the consortium website, www.dccancerconsortium.org/publications/index.html. Printed copies of the guide are being distributed to community clinics, oncologists, hospitals, cancer support organizations and community-based organizations. For more information on the guide, call (202) 821-1920.

Do You Have

Heart Failure?

Symptoms can include: Shortness of breath Swelling in your legs Inability to sleep flat at night If you have been told you have heart failure, you may be eligible to participate in a 24-month outpatient study at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. This research study uses non-invasive imaging to measure the strength of your heart muscle and your heart’s ability to pump blood through the body.

You may qualify if you: • Have been given a diagnosis of heart failure from a physician • Are able to undergo an MRI and CT Scan You may not qualify if you: • Have implantable devices such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, or heart pump • Have had a heart attack (myocardial infarction)

Research is conducted at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. There is no cost to participate. Study participation may be compensated. The Clinical Center, America’s research hospital, is located on the Metro red line.

For more information, please call: 1-800-411-1222 (TTY: 1-866-411-1010) se habla español

Or go online, clinicaltrials.gov Search for study: 10-CC-0153

If you or a loved one has type 2 diabetes and has recently experienced a heart-related event, you may want to learn more about this medical research study, called the EXAMINE trial.

Researchers are conducting this study to learn more about any connections between type 2 diabetes (T2D) management and serious cardiovascular events like a heart attack or stroke.

To pre-qualify for this study, an individual must:

• Be an adult diagnosed and receiving treatment for type 2 diabetes AND • Have had acute coronary syndrome (heart attack or unstable angina) requiring hospitalization within the past 15 to 90 days.

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• H EALTH STU DY I N FO • H EALTH STU DY I N FO • H EALTH STU DY I N FO • H E A L T H S T U D Y I N F O • H E A LT H S T U D Y I N F O

From page 10

stage renal disease, chronic liver disease or HIV infection. Don’t get this vaccine if you’ve had a severe allergic reaction to any vaccine. © 2011 President and fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

H E A L T H S T U D Y I N F O • H E A LT H S T U D Y I N F O

Vaccines

13

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

Unproven cancer-fighting supplements duces acid, which some say could have beneficial effects in the gut. Limited laboratory studies show that at least some of these cultures can inhibit growth of certain illness-producing bacteria.

However, yeast and bacteria cultures vary from one batch of Kombucha to another, as do preparation methods.

Some Kombucha tea may contain contaminants such as molds and fungi, which can actually cause illness, particularly in people whose immune systems are weakened by ill-

Q: Is it true Kombucha tea fights cancer by boosting the immune system?

A: Proponents suggest that Kombucha tea (considered a dietary supplement) can stimulate the immune system to provide wide-ranging benefits. But we don’t have any human studies that show such effects, and for people with weakened immune systems, this could be a risky beverage.

Kombucha is made by fermenting sweetened tea with a mixed culture of yeasts and bacteria. The fermentation pro-

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below the safe upper limit of 1100 mcg. daily. ness or certain types of cancer treatment.

Iodine intake may decrease as people The Natural Medicines Comprehensive work on reducing sodium conDatabase concludes “there is sumption by adding less salt to no scientific evidence to suptheir food, since iodized salt is port any therapeutic claims” an important source. for Kombucha tea.

However, two cups of milk And Memorial Sloan-Ketteror yogurt each day supply ing Cancer Center’s Integranearly the complete recomtive Medicine center warns, mended iodine target. Fish “Patients with suppressed imand enriched grain products mune systems should not conare also important sources. sume Kombucha beverages And for those who eat seaproduced in an uncontrolled NUTRITION weed, though content varies environment.” widely, it is the most concenQ: Should I boost the io- WISE By Karen Collins, trated source in our food supdine in my diet to reduce MS, RD, CDM ply. Federal surveys continue risk of thyroid cancer? to monitor markers of iodine A: Iodine is essential for normal thyroid hormone production, but status, and pregnant women are the only there is no evidence that consuming io- ones raising concern.

The bottom line: unless you are in a dine above adequate levels would protect group at specific risk of inadequate iodine against thyroid cancer.

We still have much to learn about thy- consumption, such as vegans (vegetarians roid cancer, but so far this does not seem who consume no animal products) or to be a cancer affected as much by diet as pregnant women (whose needs increase), you are more than likely getting enough some other cancers.

Those at increased risk include people iodine in your diet.

There is no evidence it will change your who received radiation treatment during childhood (cancer and other abnormalities risk of thyroid cancer, and too much iodine of the thyroid gland can occur many years can cause thyroid damage the same as getafterward), a history of goiter, or a family ting too little.

The American Institute for Cancer Rehistory of thyroid disease.

Studies from certain countries where search offers a Nutrition Hotline, 1-800children were exposed to nuclear fallout 843-8114, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday (and were therefore at increased risk for through Friday. This free service allows you thyroid cancer) showed that those chil- to ask questions about diet, nutrition and dren with adequate iodine status seem to cancer. A registered dietitian will return your call, usually within three business days. have reduced thyroid cancer risk.

Courtesy of the American Institute for The recommended intake for iodine is 150 micrograms (mcg.) daily, and in the United Cancer Research. Questions for this column States average iodine consumption ranges may be sent to “Nutrition Wise,” 1759 R St., from 190 to 300 mcg. per day. That’s above NW, Washington, DC 20009. Collins cannot the level associated with deficiency, but well respond to questions personally.

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15

Cool and refreshing summer dinner salad Cantaloupe, strawberries and crisp greens combine to make this colorful, fresh and unique dish. Add chicken and yogurt for a nutritious and tasty summer dinner salad.

Cantaloupe is a member of a plant family that includes both melon and squash.

The melon size varies depending on the growing region, but a medium-sized melon contains only about 200 calories.

Some experts believe that cultivation of cantaloupes dates back to the Biblical period in Egypt and Greece, while others are convinced that they were first cultivated in Persia (present day Iran), Armenia and India.

The strawberry, a member of the rose family, is native to North America. The most common variety is a hybrid from the wild Virginia strawberry. The plant produces its succulent red, conical berries from tiny white flowers and sends out runners to spread and propagate.

They have been around thousands of years, but early Americans did not bother to cultivate them because wild strawber-

ries were so abundant. They are a good source of vitamin C. White, salty, crumbly feta cheese is traditionally made from sheep or goat’s milk, though now it’s also made with cow’s milk.

Although it is considered the model Greek brined cheese, it may have originally been Italian. The word “feta” did not even exist in classical Greek.

The New Greek word, originally tyripheta, means “cheese slice,” but “feta” comes from the Italian word fette, meaning a slice of food.

This is a simple, summer meal salad great for weekend brunch or for your workday lunchbox entrée.

Freshly ground pepper to taste 1/4 tsp. sea salt 8 cups salad greens 2 cups cooked skinless chicken breasts, cubed 2 cups cantaloupe, cubed 1 cup strawberries, halved 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled In small skillet, toast walnuts over medium heat for two to three minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine sour cream, yogurt, vinegar, poppy seeds, salt and pepper in large mix-

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ing bowl and whisk until smooth. Reserve 1/4 cup of dressing in separate bowl. Add the greens to dressing in large bowl and toss to coat.

Divide coated greens among 4 salad plates and top with chicken, melon, strawberries, feta and walnuts. Drizzle each serving with 1 tablespoon of the reserved dressing and serve.

Per serving: 295 calories,12 g. total fat (4 g. saturated fat),15 g. carbohydrate, 32 g. protein, 4 g. dietary fiber, 320 mg. sodium.

— Courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research

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Supplements & meds that raise cholesterol Dear Pharmacist: I started two new medications a few months ago, and suddenly my cholesterol is too high. It’s so bizarre because I had perfect numbers all my life, and I eat well and exercise. Can drugs raise cholesterol?

— J.G. Dear J.G.: Yes, hundreds of them can. Nowadays, people are quick to take statins (like Zocor) and fibrate medications (like Tricor) to lower their cholesterol, but you are spot on. Something you take every day for one condition can cause your cholesterol to creep up.

People are always shocked when they find out they are causing their own cholesterol problems — either with low carb

diets, or with medications — but it’s true.

Some dietary supplements can raise it, too.

The type of reaction is very individual and can take weeks or months to occur. If you think that your medication is causing high cholesterol, talk to your doctor about discontinuing it or switching to something that doesn’t elevate your numbers quite so badly.

But do not stop taking any medicine without first obtaining your doctor’s approval.

Here are some popular items that cause hypercholesterolemia. Some cause slight increases, while others really spike it.

Rosaglitazone (Avandia). Once upon a time a blockbuster diabetes treatment, this drug can raise cholesterol. That’s the least of its problems, as consistent reports of life-threatening reactions have led both

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the United Kingdom and South Africa to episodes; it may reduce iron and potassiwithdraw this drug from use. It is still um (sparking cardiac arrhythmias).

FDA-approved for U.S. citiCreatine. A dietary supzens. Hmm. plement used primarily by Vitamin D. I love this ansports enthusiasts, bodytioxidant, but some people are builders and people with musoverdoing it. Excessive D can cle disorders and Lou cause excessive calcium in the Gehrig’s disease. It may blood, and this can cause hycause a slight elevation in percholesterolemia. cholesterol if you take large doses.

Diuretics. These ‘water pills’ Prednisone. This anti-inhelp reduce blood pressure. The flammatory drug and its “thiazide” and “loop” diuretics cousins in the “corticosteroid” are known to elevate total choles- DEAR PHARMACIST class can cause high cholesterol, LDL and blood glucose.

By Suzy Cohen terol with chronic use; it doesHydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) n’t matter if you take the is sold on its own and also found in dozens of combo drugs under various steroid orally, inject it or inhale it.

Olanzapine (Zyprexa). Used to treat brand names, usually ending in “HCT.” And furosemide (brand name Lasix) is quite pos- schizophrenia, it has caused severe elevasibly the world’s most popular loop diuretic. tions in triglycerides (greater than 500 Any med that contains HCTZ or furosemide mg/dL) in some individuals. may contribute to high cholesterol.

This information is opinion only. It is not Escitalopram (Lexapro). A popular intended to treat, cure or diagnose your conantidepressant, related to Celexa. A slight dition. Consult with your doctor before using elevation in cholesterol levels was shown any new drug or supplement.

Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist in post-marketing studies.

Fluoxetine (Prozac). Another popular and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist antidepressant that may raise cholesterol, and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To cause hypoglycemia and trigger gout contact her, visit www.dearpharmacist.com.

BEACON BITS

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ACUPUNCTURE FOR CANCER PATIENTS

Licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, and practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Molly B. Shapiro will explain how acupuncture can help with the side effects of cancer treatment, pain, stress management and emotional disturbances. The program is sponsored by the Wellness Community – Greater Washington, D.C. It will be held on Monday, July 11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at 5430 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 100, Bethesda, Md. To register, call (301) 493-5002 or e-mail twcdc@wellnesscommunitydc.org

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Is remembering wallowing in the past?

Dear Solutions: Try to understand that your wife is livI’m married for the second time. I ing in the home that was yours and your had a good marriage beformer wife’s, and she’s strugfore, but my wife died. I’ve gling to make it hers. You kept pictures of her with don’t have to forget your past, the children and with me but you have to live in the taken at different places. present, and that’s what your My present wife and I wife is trying to do. Help her. are living in my home, and Dear Solutions: she has collected all the What to do about an old pictures of my former wife friend of mine who used to and asked me to get rid of have a lot of money but them. I want this marriage lost most of it in one of to work, but I don’t see SOLUTIONS those horrible schemes? I why I have to throw away By Helen Oxenberg, feel bad for him, but no MSW, ACSW my past. Should I? matter how much time — Second Time Around Dear Second Time: Don’t throw away your past — give it away. Give the pictures to your children.

They will probably want them for their family history.

passes, he never stops complaining and whining about it.

It isn’t even as though he made all that money himself. It came to him suddenly through a stroke of luck from some distant relative, and he didn’t

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that he was cheated, set a time limit. Take him out to dinner, where he can whine and dine one more time.

After that, make it clear that you will now only listen to his plans for the future, not his regrets for the past. © Helen Oxenberg, 2011. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also e-mail the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

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even have it that long before he lost it.

He’s acting as though he never lived any other way, and now he’s completely lost.

— The Friend Dear Friend: Once he was nouveaux riche, and now he’s nouveaux poor. Nouveaux riche is better, so you can’t blame him for moaning and groaning and mourning its loss.

After sympathizing with him and expressing your empathy and understanding

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You’re on top of your medications.

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However, if you miss a dose, want a lower-cost alternative, or experience any side effects, we can answer any questions. Speak to your local CVS Pharmacist to learn more.

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J U L Y 2 0 1 1 — 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 — J U L Y 2 0 1 1

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Does your organization use senior volunteers or do you employ a number of seniors?

Careers Volunteers &

If so and you’d like to be considered for a story in our Volunteers & Careers section, please send an e-mail to info@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

Volunteers and food donors avert crisis kits with shelf-stable items for residents to eat during the week. Each kit included crackers, peanut butter, tuna, instant oatmeal, cereal, soup, juice, fruit cups or applesauce, and extra items.

“There were enough regulars that we could show the new folks how to get it done,” said Wheeler, who lives in McLean, Va. “We managed to deliver the food, and it only took an hour longer than usual.”

A huge success Iona volunteers typically distribute weekend food supplies to 100 seniors every Saturday, said Lylie Fisher, Iona’s director of community engagement. But on June 11, they added the emergency food kits to last through the week and expanded deliveries to additional residents affected by the closing of Nutrition Inc. Iona is unusual in that it has a cadre of volunteers who regularly deliver food on Saturdays. Most other lead agencies have paid contractors that deliver on weekends.

So when residents of Ward 5 approached their lead agency for help, Seabury Aging Services reached into its own emergency food pantry to hand out food. It also helped residents locate other resources, from churches to food banks, to make up the shortfall, said Dawn Quattlebaum, the agency’s director.

Altogether, seven lead agencies worked to provide food for seniors across the District, according to Dr. John Thompson, DCOA executive director. The Home Delivered Meal Program that had been serviced by Nutrition Inc. served 520 people on weekends.

“Based on feedback, it appears that this effort was a huge success,” Thompson said in a written statement. He noted that

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By Emily Hatton On many Saturdays, Amie Wheeler and her mother, Michelle Melita, can be found loading up the trunk of their car with grocery bags filled with food they deliver to homebound seniors in Washington, D.C. But one Saturday last month they had so much to deliver they had to split the route with a friend.

Wheeler and other volunteers with Iona Senior Services were trying to make up for a shortfall caused by the sudden closing of Nutrition Inc., a company that delivered meals to more than 3,000 seniors across the city for more than 25 years under contract with the D.C. Office on Aging (DCOA).

The company gave the DCOA only four days’ notice of its impending closure. Iona stepped in to assist within days of word getting out. The nonprofit group addresses needs of older residents in Northwest Washington and serves as the DCOA lead agency for Ward 3 and part of Ward 2.

“We sent out the first notice [for volunteers] Wednesday evening,” said Sally White, executive director. “By Thursday morning, we already had a huge commitment of people to bring in food.”

The e-mail included a list of specific items recommended by Iona’s nutritionist.

Members of the Iona listserv not only responded themselves, but forwarded the message to their social clubs, churches and even a motorcycle group, according to White.

More than 30 people volunteered that Saturday, many bringing family or other community service teams with them. Volunteer clubs arrived to help, even though it was not their scheduled weekend.

Participants created emergency food

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Amie Wheeler loads her car with donated groceries to deliver to homebound Washington residents. She and several dozen fellow volunteers stepped in to help Iona Senior Services deliver emergency food supplies when a vendor suddenly closed its doors in June.

there are now several temporary vendors in place to provide food to homebound seniors throughout the District.

ley said the agency recorded donations from 120 people, but many donors dropped off food anonymously. She estimated 175 people brought in food for more

Community generosity Iona’s director of development Meg Art-

See IONA, page 20

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20

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Six Flags From page 1 Reed also said that older workers bring maturity to the job “and they’re good at thinking on their feet.”

Perks of the park Employees get free passes, and all three of his kids — ages 19, 4 and 2 — enjoy visiting the park with their dad, said Reed, who lives in Landover Hills, Md. Depending on their seniority, employees also get passes to bring guests.

For Lauretta Pridgen, a clerk in Six Flags’ warehouse, loop de loop roller coasters with daunting names like the Mind Eraser and scary rides like the Tower of Doom are a thing of the distant past. But she and her husband still enjoy visiting the park on her days off.

“I love the park when I’m not working.

Fourth of July last year, I felt we were like little kids in the park. I like the shows, especially,” said Pridgen, who is 63 and lives in Landover, Md. Pridgen worked as a systems accountant at the State Dept. for 33 years, before

Iona From page 19 than 400 emergency kits.

“We always want to do more, and this allowed us to really reach out in a big way

retiring in 2004 to care for her mother.

“I always said when I retired I never wanted to sit at home. I wanted to do something I liked,” Pridgen said. So she looked into working at Six Flags, which is close to where she lives.

Pridgen, who has worked at Six Flags for two years, started out in the parking lot toll booths and scanning tickets at the park entrance.

“My love was being a greeter, talking to kids,” she said. But standing all day “was a little taxing on my knees,” not to mention the relentless heat and humidity of Washington in the summer. “Some days we’d pray for rain,” she said.

So Pridgen applied for the warehouse opening when it came up. In that job she handles merchandise sold in the park’s stores and does data entry.

Mentoring young employees She also enjoys working with the park’s younger employees.

“When I first started I thought, ‘Mothers and grandmothers are taking these kids’ jobs!’ But [the young workers] really need us here as mentors. They don’t know through this crisis,” said White.

In addition to all the individual volunteers, the Whole Foods Market near Iona donated fresh food, including fruit and sandwiches, as well as more than 100 units of shelf-safe milk, said Fisher.

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

what to do in a work environment. I encourage them to stick to the rules,” she said.

At the same time, Pridgen said that “the people I work with are unusually nice, unusually helpful. You wouldn’t really expect that from a lot of younger people.”

Marcia Reid, 53, a food supervisor agrees. “The kids look up to me,” she said.

At the same time, Reid said, she learns from them as well. “Every day I learn more. It’s a challenge. I love it.”

Reid, who is a hair stylist in the off season, also enjoys the job because her daughter works at the park in retail.

Frances Steburg worked in the federal government for 40 years, retiring from the Social Security Administration. She heard about jobs at Six Flags at a NARFE meeting.

“I said, ‘Oh what the heck? Let’s see.’

This was stepping outside of my box,” Steburg recalled. That was in 2006, and she is still working at the park.

Steburg, who lives in Bowie, works in cash control, handing out till bags to the various concessions each day. She also likes to think of herself as kind of an ambassador for Six Flags.

“Some people have the image that it’s kind of a rough and tumble park, and I say, ‘Get that image out of your mind.’ This is a beautiful place that gets international visitors. I’ve met people from France, Germany, Russia, all over.”

She also enjoys her younger coworkers.

“They don’t believe I’m 62,” she said.

“When I first started here I worked with 17- and 18-year-olds and they’d say, ‘Miss Frances, we’re going to stay afterwards when we get off work. Come on, we’ll do the rides.’ I’m like, ‘I’m sorry, honey, I can’t do the rides anymore’,” she said.

But Steburg credits them with helping her return season after season. “Like everyone else, you have your little aches and pains, but working kind of makes you forget,” she said. “Working with young people keeps me young.”

Six Flags is still hiring seasonal workers, who will be needed both this summer and in the fall as students head back to school, according to Matlock.

To find openings and apply for jobs, you’ll need to use the Internet. Six Flags does not accept paper applications. Go to www.sixflagsjobs.com.

Iona staff and volunteers will continue to deliver food and check on meal recipients, said White.

Normally, completing each Saturday’s delivery route takes one to two hours, said Wheeler, and stops vary from individuals living in private homes, to group homes, to senior citizen apartment buildings.

“For some of them, it’s the only visitor that they’re going to get. So they appreciate the visit and, you know, just a little chitty chat. But we can’t talk long because we’ve got to keep going,” said Wheeler.

“There are people in their own neighborhoods that can go hungry if we’re not watching out for them,” said White. “We are one city and we really need to work together.”

Without charities and the D.C. Office on Aging, people would be going hungry, said White. “We’re a safety net, a lifeline to a lot of these people….Volunteers are essential to our work.”

To volunteer at Iona Senior Services or make a donation, e-mail Fisher at lfisher@iona.org or call her at (202) 895-9425.

BEACON BITS

July 28

WHERE ARE THE JOBS?

You may be looking for jobs in all the wrong places. Thinking outside the box may be a better way to achieve job hunting success.

Meet with employment counselor Jack Dunne for free guidance on Thursday, July 28, at 1 p.m. at the Walter Reed Senior Center, 2909 S. 16th St., Arlington, Va. Call (703) 228-0955 to register.

Ongoing

ELECTION DAY JUDGES NEEDED

The Montgomery County Board of Elections is currently seeking registered voters to serve as volunteer election judges in the upcoming 2012 elections. Volunteers may be of any party affiliation; however, the need is greatest for Republicans and Spanish-speakers. Sign up now for training early next year. Visit www.777vote.org to get more information regarding the election judge program. You may also e-mail election.judge@montgomerycountymd.gov or call (240) 777-8533.

Ongoing

HELP SHOP FOR GROCERIES

The Senior Connection’s Shoppers Program needs volunteers who will shop either for or with a low-income, disabled senior. Application forms and a brochure describing the program are available by calling (301) 942-1049 or by e-mailing greg.muncill@seniorconnectionmc.org.

Ongoing

COMMISSIONERS NEEDED IN ARLINGTON

Enhance the quality of care and life in long-term care residences, advise public officials, and support access, availability and affordability in long-term care residences by joining the Arlington Commission on Long-Term Care Residences. Members are appointed by the County Board and must live or work in Arlington. For information, find a commission link at www.arlingtonva.us/aging, or contact Carolyn Ferguson at (703) 228-1700, TTY 703-228-1788, or e-mail Arlaaa@arlingtonva.us.

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

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

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

What’s a ‘continuing care’ community? wBy Jane Bennett Clark It’s an intriguing but tricky sell: Leave your home and neighborhood while you’re still relatively healthy and move to a retirement community that offers a range of housing, country-club-style amenities and access to future care.

To pay for your new setting, called a continuing care retirement community (or CCRC), you fork over a hefty entrance fee, stiff monthly fees or both. Many people use the proceeds from the sale of their house to finance the price of admission.

When the real estate market and the stock market went south simultaneously, the pitch became more problematic. People who might

have made the leap held off, either because they couldn’t sell their house or because their retirement savings had taken a hit.

Occupancy in these communities dropped, construction slowed, and a few major companies, such as Erickson Retirement Communities (now Erickson Living), filed for bankruptcy.

A good time to move?

You’d think that such circumstances would make this a bad time to consider a move to a CCRC. In fact, the industry may emerge from the downturn in better shape, said Steve Maag, of Leading Age, (formerly the American Association of Homes and

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Services for the Aging).

“The recession forced CCRCs to be more efficient and pay more attention to the bottom line,” said Maag.

Meanwhile, to get you in the door, the communities are offering everything from real estate services to bridge loans to a few hours of free packing. Some will even arrange to have a relocation company buy your house if you can’t sell it.

You wouldn’t jump in just for a deal, of course. But if you are ready to move anyway, “now’s the time to chase those bargains,” said Michael Hargrave, of NIC MAP, which tracks the industry.

Sue and Bill Vitale started shopping for retirement communities three years ago.

“At my age, it wasn’t fun taking care of landscaping and a 4,000-square-foot house anymore,” said Bill, 82. The Erickson communities appealed in part for their relative affordability — entrance fees range from $110,000 to $580,000, depending on apartment size, plus monthly fees of $1,550 to $2,600 — and the promise of a refund, contingent on the resale of the apartment. The couple decided on Ashby Ponds, an Erickson community being built near their home in North Hill, Va. In October 2009, a month before they moved in, Erickson filed for bankruptcy protection. The news didn’t bother the Vitales, whose apartment was already built and whose deposits had been placed in escrow as part of the bankruptcy proceedings.

It did, however, rattle earlier waves of residents, whose deposits had no such protection, and it tarnished Erickson’s long-standing reputation as an industry leader.

By the spring of 2010, Erickson had emerged from bankruptcy. It sold most of the properties still under development to Redwood Capital Investments but continues to manage them.

The right fit Most people wouldn’t consider the drone of low-flying planes a reason to choose a community, but for the Vitales, that was part of Ashby Ponds’ appeal. Bill Vitale was once the director of Dulles International Airport, a five-minute drive away.

Not only do the couple like being close to Bill’s former workplace, they also like being able to hop on a plane: Their daughter and her family live in Dallas.

Finding a community that appeals to you is key to the process, said Brad Breeding, of Carolina Continuing Care Consultants, Garner, N.C. “It’s about where you want to be — the location, the type of place, the feel you get.” Still, don’t let a nice dining room or a nearby shopping mall distract you from the caregiving component.

“If you have Alzheimer’s in the family, for instance, you want to make sure it has a good Alzheimer’s unit,” said Breeding.

Some CCRCs contract with assisted-living or nursing-care units off-campus to deliver care. Better to investigate those arrangements now than find out later that you have to leave the community to receive care.

Financing options The Vitales opted for a fee-for-service arrangement, in which you pay less upfront but more down the road if you need care later. Some fee-for-service communities require that you buy long-term-care insurance to cover your bases.

Contracts that include care in the upfront fee — essentially a form of long-termcare insurance — are more expensive.

Many of them require deposits of $200,000 or more, along with monthly fees.

In older CCRCs, you had little choice but to kiss your deposit goodbye when you See CCRCs, page B-4

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

B-3

Cottages bring caregiving to the backyard

By Anne Ball Virginia minister Ken Dupin heard the worries over and over again from parishioners. There were older church members wondering how they could remain independent when their daily living needs increased with age, and younger members concerned about frail loved ones living on their own.

So he envisioned a high-tech, fully-furnished diminutive modular home that could be placed in a caregiver’s backyard for an aging loved one. After years of planning and work with innovative thinkers at Virginia Tech University, the first 12 by 25-foot prefab MedCottage was unveiled in May.

Protects residents and privacy The MedCottage features three distinct spaces: A kitchen — with a small refrigerator, microwave, washer-dryer combination and medication dispenser; a bedroom — with what the company terms “an attractive hospital-caliber bed” and additional accommodation for a caregiver’s visit, and a wheelchair-accessible bathroom.

The standard cottage features innovative flooring designed to absorb about 40 percent of the impact from a fall. A video system can be placed to monitor the floor at ankle level permitting privacy for the resident, but allowing the caregiver to see if their loved one has fallen.

The MedCottage also includes a “virtual companion” computer that reminds the resident when it’s time to take medications and reports to the caregiver’s cell phone or computer if a dosage is missed.

Additional customized features can be added as needed, including a lift to transport a patient from bed to bathroom, and a high-tech toilet that measures and analyzes urine.

Dupin, 56, formerly led a congregation in Falls Church, Va. He is now pastor of Salem Wesleyan Church in Salem, Va. He developed the MedCottage concept after spending years abroad on humanitarian missions and more recently while working toward a doctorate in international business development that included courses at schools in Paris and Tokyo.

“I was struck how other cultures in the world were taking care of their elderly relatives within their own families,” Dupin recalled. “We used to do that in this country, too, but we have moved away from that.”

During visits to congregation members over the years, he noted, “I have seen firsthand how people fear the isolation that comes with growing older. All of my energy comes out of that reality. My passion is to keep the family involved as its members age, especially if they need medical assistance.

“The MedCottage is not designed to do away with any of the existing eldercare in-

dustries, but to offer another option,” he said.

The company, N2Care, with Dupin as CEO, was formed to produce and market the MedCottage. Based in Salem, Va., N2Care has helped pass a Virginia state law to ease the zoning requirements for placing a MedCottage in a yard. It has also opened several distributorships in Virginia.

Maryland is on the short list for future distribution centers as well, but right now the closest one to the Baltimore area is the MedCare Systems distributorship that Chris Cummins recently opened in Mechanicsville, north of Richmond, Va.

Will be for rent or sale While there isn’t an official cost for the MedCottage yet, Cummins said the latest

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estimates indicate the MedCottage could be marketed in the neighborhood of $85,000 as a sale with a buy back option, or leased monthly for around $1,600. But he cautions that nothing is set in stone yet.

“There are just so many considerations — utilities hookup with the main house, the character of the terrain at the location,” he said. “That’s why we plan to send our eldercare advisers to check out not only the health needs of the applicant, but the physical requirements of the proposed site as well.”

Cummins has been active for many years in the assisted living field. He is executive vice president of Haven Assisted Living,

B-4

Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

CCRCs From page B-2 walked through the door. Now, more communities are offering a range of options, including full, partial or declining refunds to you or your estate, should you move out or pass away.

A full refund generally entails a higher entrance deposit and is often contingent on the resale of your housing unit. With a partial refund, you get back a fixed percentage (say, 50 percent), and with a declining refund, the amount you are eligible to receive drops 1 percent or so each month until it disappears.

Because part of your payments may go to cover healthcare costs, a percentage of your nonrefundable entrance fee, or monthly fees that the facility allocates to medical expenses, may be tax-deductible.

(Only those medical expenses that exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income are deductible.)

Despite all the payment-plan options,

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

the decision usually boils down to your ability to cover current and future costs, including long-term care. Currently, the average cost of a year in a nursing home runs about $80,000 (more in this area), and assisted living costs about $37,600 annually (also typically higher here).

If you have plenty of home equity but only a modest monthly income, choose a community that guarantees paid-up care in exchange for a big upfront amount.

But if you have reliable and sufficient monthly income, you might be better off choosing a community with a smaller entrance fee and pay-as-you-go care, particularly if you already own a long-term care insurance policy.

While crunching the numbers, keep in mind that many of your current expenses, such as home maintenance and groceries, will be covered after you move.

Communities usually check out your finances while you’re checking out theirs, said Breeding. In general, they suggest that your monthly income be at least one-and-a-half to

two times as much as their monthly fee.

Once you’ve winnowed the choices, look at the sponsoring organizations and their track records. Generally, companies that run several communities give you more to go on than a single-site community, said Maag. “That doesn’t necessarily mean the single-site community is not as safe, but you would have to look harder at its financial status.”

Even with the recession, average CCRC occupancy hovers around 90 percent. Occupancy that falls much below that benchmark could reflect a problem that will presumably mend itself (such as a depressed real estate market or overbuilt construction), or it could be indicative of poor management.

If a community has been around for seven or more years and has yet to top 85 percent, “I’d raise tough questions,” said Robert Kramer, of the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing and Care Industry.

Before you sign anything, have a lawyer or a geriatric care manager (find one

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through www.caremanager.org) help you review the community’s financial statements, annual report and contract.

Ask how much the community relies on entrance fees to finance future construction, how many new residents move in each year, and what percentage of the deposits (if any) is held in reserve for refunds.

If you’re being guaranteed care at no extra cost, look at the actuarial analysis, which will indicate whether the community is capable of delivering care 10 or 20 years hence.

Many CCRCs promise to cover your costs if you run out of money. Be sure the one you choose has the wherewithal to keep that commitment.

Negotiate what you can With occupancy flat and waiting lists short, you have the leverage to negotiate a unit with a spiffier view or in a more convenient location, maybe with a few upgrades, such as better cabinets or carpeting.

ACTS Retirement-Life Communities, based in West Point, Pa., has gone a step further, offering three-bedroom units for the two-bedroom price and two-bedrooms for the one-bedroom price in its Florida communities. It now offers prospective residents a mini-vacation, including airfare, to check out the Sunshine State locations.

Can’t sell your house? ElderLife Financial Services arranges for lines of credit of up to $50,000 for participating rental-style communities. The money covers your rent in the community while you wait for your house to sell at the right price.

A second program provides financing for entrance fees: “We have done loans for as little as $50,000, as much as $1.1 million and everywhere in between,” said chief executive Elias Papasavvas. Many communities will pick up the interest on the secured loans; variable rates range from 2.75 percent to 6.25 percent.

The Vitales had no qualms about moving to Ashby Ponds, but the move itself was daunting after living in their four-bedroom home for 24 years.

They took advantage of Erickson’s new moving services, which put them in touch with a real estate agent, as well as a team that included a property stager to ready their house for sale, a downsizer to help them weed out their stuff, and an interior designer to plan their new apartment.

When they finally put their house on the market, it sold in a week, for more than $700,000.

The Vitales spent about $5,000 on the staging and move-in services and another $4,000 for the movers. Erickson sent them a $2,000 rebate afterward for using a recommended moving company, halving the moving cost. It also covered the cost of up to 12 hours of unpacking; and threw in a $5,000 allowance for apartment upgrades, including bathroom improvements.

The couple considers the deal more than a bargain. Said Sue, “When we first came in and sat down, we said to each other, ‘We’re home.’” © Kiplinger. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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

B-5

Mediators help families settle care disputes

By Erin Peterson In 2007, John and Ginger Price knew that it was time to move John’s mother, Mayna, from an assisted-living facility in South Carolina to a nursing home near their home in Seven Hills, Ohio. John’s sister, who lived in South Carolina, could no longer shoulder the increasing caregiving responsibilities.

But Mayna was having none of it.

“She didn’t want to move,” said Ginger, 65. “If anything, she wanted us to move down to South Carolina.”

As tensions escalated, the Prices realized they might need outside help. They called John Bertschler, an elder mediator and co-owner of Northcoast Conflict Solutions (www.ncsmediation.com). The four family members met with Bertschler in his Cleveland office to discuss possible solutions to the impasse.

Just 90 minutes after the meeting began, Mayna decided that she was ready to make the move to Ohio.

“Dr. Bertschler was able to approach the issue in a way that helped her understand that the move would be good for her,” Ginger said.

As society ages, it’s become increasing-

ly common for adult children to provide assistance to their elderly parents. But making sure that everyone, including the parent, agrees on a care plan can often be a challenge.

A new type of go-between, known as an elder mediator, can guide squabbling siblings and elderly parents to solutions before conflicts tear a family apart.

Cottages

late additional structures on a property.

Veterans groups, hospice organizations and nursing homes are showing interest in adapting the concept to their constituents as well, perhaps creating MedCottage mini-villages, with several units linked electronically to a central care supervisor.

“Everyone needs their own space and privacy,” N2Care Director of Operations Susan Conn said. “With the cottage, family can get together for meals and happy times. And then have their separate lives so the cottager doesn’t have to witness or get involved in parent/kids arguments,” she added with a laugh.

For more information on the MedCottage, visit www.medcottage.com or call 1888-797-5818.

MedCare Systems, which sells the cottages, can be reached at (804) 516-3291 or www.medcaresystemsva.com.

From page B-3 Inc., with 14 licensed facilities in central Virginia, and serves on the board of directors of the Virginia Assisted Living Association.

Initially there will be a “controlled release” of 10 cottages near the manufacturing headquarters in Virginia, Cummins said, so that technicians can quickly assess and complete any adjustments needed by the cottage users.

However, the cottage still remains very much a work in progress. N2Care is now discussing the possibility of a similar unit without all the medical equipment.

There is also talk of adapting the basic design of the unit to fit in a garage rather than requiring yard space, accommodating families who have smaller yards or live in jurisdictions where zoning laws regu-

Issues include money and caregivers A decision to see a mediator is usually prompted by disputes over at least one of three issues, said Carolyn Rosenblatt, an elder mediator (www.agingparents.com) in San Rafael, Calif.

“The trigger points tend to be how an elder’s money will be spent, who will take care of the elder, and whether the person who wants to do the caregiving is competent to do it,” she said.

According to Patti Bertschler, who coowns Northcoast Conflict Solutions with her husband, one common scenario is when “an out-of-town sibling will swoop into town, upset with the level of care that the primary caregiver is providing, with little recognition of how backbreaking it can

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www.stmaryscourt.org 725-24th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037

be to take care of Mom or Dad,” she said.

Or Dad could be near death, and the kids can’t agree on whether he should be kept alive by artificial means.

How to find a family referee You’ll need to do research to find a good elder mediator. There’s no national credentialing agency, but you can find lists of mediators at sites such as Eldercare Mediators (www.eldercaremediators.com), Mediate.com (www.mediate.com) and the National Care Planning Council

(www.longtermcarelink.net).

Once you have a shortlist of mediators in your area, ask about their credentials and their work with older adults.

“I would provide a one- or two-sentence description of what your dispute is about,” said Rosenblatt. “If the mediator says ‘Yes, I handle cases like that regularly,’ that should give you confidence.”

Mediators typically charge by the hour.

Hourly costs range from $100 to more than See MEDIATORS, page B-7

Personal Care Services When a little help is all you need.

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CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Asbury Methodist Village 301-216-4001 201 Russell Avenue Gaithersburg, MD 20877 www.asburymethodistvillage.org Ever dreamed of having your own wildlife preserve? Becoming a television reporter? Entertaining guests from all over the world?

Seeing your work displayed in a gallery? Maybe it’s just living without worries and with a secure plan for the future? At Asbury Methodist Village, your only limit is your imagination. Explore our 130-acre campus in the heart of Montgomery County, and you’ll see how easy it is to live life the way you want.

With eight different neighborhoods, including the brand-new Courtyard Homes, there’s something for every taste and budget.

Learn more by scheduling a tour any day of the week, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday - Saturday, or Sunday by appointment.

INDEPENDENT & PERSONAL CARE COMMUNITIES

B’nai B’rith Homecrest House 301-598-4000 14508 Homecrest Road Silver Spring, MD 20906 www.homecresthouse.org Homecrest is a non-profit community that offers rent and service subsidies so that you pay only what you can afford. Nestled in a beautiful, wooded ten-acre park setting with its own pond, Homecrest House features two communities, independent living and personal care services.

Homecrest offers a full array of activities both in-house and around the metro area via our courtesy van. Our computer lab, beauty shop, exercise room, library and social halls are just a few of the amenities our residents enjoy at Homecrest House.

Call today for a personalized tour or visit us on the web at www.homecresthouse.org.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

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

Villages help older homeowners stay put

By Barbara Ruben According to many surveys, most retirees would prefer to remain in their present home in a familiar, intergenerational neighborhood rather than move to a retirement community.

But what about all the chores? And how can homeowners obtain qualified healthcare and transportation when needed?

One solution can be to form supportive neighborhood “villages,” where residents pool their resources to hire a concierge who can arrange various services, negotiate discounts and organize community events.

The concept took root nearly a decade ago in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood and has since spread throughout the United States.

While each village is different, most help their homeowners find vetted handymen, housekeepers, plumbers and other service providers, or have a network of volunteers who can perform needed tasks.

Some offer social activities for members and provide transportation to doctor appointments and shopping.

Residents in the Washington area seem particularly attracted to the village movement, as it is flourishing here.

“In the sheer number of villages, we probably have more than any other metro area in the country,” said Andrew Mollison, 72, who is both president of Palisades Village in the District and co-chair of Washington Area Villages, a coalition of local villages.

“I think it correlates with the high proportion of college graduates. It takes a fairly high skill level to start a village.”

Both urban and suburban The District of Columbia has six villages up and running in Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle, Glover Park, upper North-

A blueprint for villages Because those running and starting villages have so many questions of this sort, Montgomery County recently commisSee VILLAGES, page B-7

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Riderwood 301-495-5700

Revitz House 301-770-8450

3140 Gracefield Road Silver Spring, MD 20904

6111 Montrose Road Rockville, MD 20852 www.revitzhouse.org www.smithlifecommunities.org

Ideally located in Silver Spring, Riderwood offers maintenance-free retirement living combined with a vibrant lifestyle — all in a beautiful, private community.

Without the worries of a house and yard, you can spend more time pursuing your passions. Travel, volunteer, take a college class, and explore some of Riderwood’s many clubs and interest groups. Multiple campus restaurants offer a variety of delicious dining options, while 24-hour security offers protection and peace of mind. Enjoy the stability of predictable monthly expenses and look forward to a healthy future with our full continuum of health care and wellness services.

west, Palisades and Pennsylvania Avenue east of the Anacostia River. Another four are in the planning stages.

In Washington’s Maryland suburbs, six villages are under development. Villages in the Bannockburn and Burning Tree neighborhoods of Bethesda and Chevy Chase are already well underway.

In Northern Virginia, there are villages in Alexandria and the Mount Vernon area of Fairfax County, while two others are in the planning stages.

“Some people find [neighborhood] kids bug them. They say, ‘I don’t want the noise or the bother’ and move to an age-restricted community,” Mollison said.

“Villages are exactly the opposite.

We’re for people who like to see tricycles on the sidewalk. The sound of the bounce of a basketball reminds me of my youth.”

At the same time, running a village is like running a business, Mollison said.

Perhaps the most pressing issue he faces is whether the 98 current members of Palisades Village will renew each year.

Dues are based on income, and range from zero for those making less than $34,000 annually to $750 a year for a household with an income above $50,000.

Mollison also needs to determine the best way to obtain additional contributions, as dues cover only about one-third of his village’s costs, which include a parttime staff person. Among other questions he faces is, when does a needed service need to be performed by a trained caregiver rather than a neighborhood volunteer?

Revitz House is independent living in an exceptionally welcoming, friendly community — the ideal choice for those who want to set their own schedule, be part of a lively and supportive neighborhood, and do it all in an affordable manner.

Revitz House is unique in its price range for the supportive services at your fingertips, from complimentary bus transportation to shopping and cultural outings, to a bountiful dinner, personal security system, social work services, extensive programs, fitness, access to Hirsh Health Center, and more.

Find the key to successful retirement right here in Rockville.

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

Mediators From page B-5 $300, depending on your location. While minor disagreements may be wrapped up in less than two hours, some complicated cases can drag on for weeks.

Ideally, all of the involved parties will agree to meet in person at the mediator’s office.

Large groups could appoint two or three family members to represent the group.

Mediators will guide the conversation to get input. And while mediators can share ideas that have worked for other families if there is a deadlock, said Patti Bertschler,

Villages From page B-6 sioned and published a “Village Blueprint” — a step-by-step guide to support communities throughout the region that want to start a village in their neighborhood.

The blueprint was produced with support from Family & Nursing Care, a Silver Spring company that has provided private duty home care since 1968.

The Village Blueprint project was spearheaded by Ken Hartman, director of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, and was written by Leslie Marks, co-chair of Montgomery County’s Vital Living Committee.

“Partnering with the county to help produce the Village Blueprint was a no-brainer for us. For the past 43 years, Family & Nursing Care has been helping Montgomery County residents remain independent and age in the comfort of their own homes,” said Neil Kursban, the company’s president.

“Supporting the county’s efforts to encourage aging in place and to help so many older adults fulfill their wishes to continue to live independently in their own homes is a natural extension of what we do.”

The spiral-bound book discusses how to

“the parties themselves make the decision.”

Elder mediators can help family members hammer out a process for solving problems, said Debbie Reinberg, a partner at ELDEResolutions (www.elderesolutions.com), in Denver.

For example, once the family decides Mom will move, she said, “an elder mediator will help the family determine what kind of place she needs to move to, who’s going to do the research on those places, and how that information will be communicated so that decisions can be made.” © 2011, Kiplinger. All Rights Reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

develop a working model of the village, build a budget, and get the message out to neighborhood residents about the village that is forming.

It also looks at how to recruit and retain volunteers and run a nonprofit organization. It includes sample documents developed by Burning Tree Village, including its bylaws and mission statement.

Print copies are available in all Montgomery County Libraries. For an electronic copy, go to http://1.usa.gov/villageblueprint. For more information, call the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center at (240) 777-8200.

Another resource is the national Village to Village Network, which helps communities establish and manage their own villages. For a $350 membership fee, members can get matched with peers from an established village for mentoring and advice as well as access discussion forums, monthly webinars, information on funding sources, news from other villages across the country and more.

For more information about the network, visit www.vtvnetwork.org or call (617)-299-9NET. For an insider’s account of what it’s like to establish and run a village, see “Lessons learned from a nearby village” on page B-8.

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CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

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

With accommodations of spacious one and two bedroom apartments in Independent, Assisted, and Enhanced Assisted Living, The Virginian also offers Long Term Nursing, Rehabilitation, and now, Home Health Services. Residents are encouraged to take advantage of the many amenities offered.

Call today to schedule a tour and enjoy a complimentary lunch.

The Virginian offers surprisingly affordable luxury living in the heart of Fairfax. Come see why our residents are proud to call The Virginian home.

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RESIDENTIAL LIVING & NURSING CARE

The Village at Rockville 301-424-9560 9701 Veirs Drive Rockville, MD 20850-3462 www.thevillageatrockville.org The Village at Rockville excels in short-stay rehabilitative, respite and hospice care, as well as longer-term 24-hour skilled nursing services.

For residents with higher care needs, we also offer dementia/ Alzheimer’s care, post-surgical wound care, and TPN. For over 120 years we have been the flagship quality senior care community in Maryland, attested to by the 98% of residents and families who would recommend us to others. Residential living cottages are also available on our campus. Open to people of all faiths, we accept Medicare/Medicaid, private pay and private insurances.

Stop by or visit our website at www.thevillageatrockville.org.

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

The Woodlands 703-667-9801 4320 Forest Hill Drive Fairfax, VA 22030 www.thewoodlandsccrc.com The Woodlands — a boutique luxury residence where you’ll know everyone by first name — offers 102 spacious Independent Living apartments, and features an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, business center, theater, several dining venues, and a wooded site with walking paths.

We offer our residents a fee-for-service Continuing Care contract, and a choice of two residency options: a 100% Refundable Entrance Fee or a Rental Lease Program. We are owned and managed by The Bainum Healthcare Family, owners of Fairfax Nursing Center and The Gardens Assisted Living. For more information, call or visit us Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Brooke Grove Retirement Village 301-260-2320 18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 www.bgf.org Situated amid the natural beauty of a 220-acre campus just down the road from historic Sandy Spring, Maryland, Brooke Grove Retirement Village has been an innovator in continuing care for seniors for more than 60 years.

With the ongoing growth of our independent living community, The Cottages, Brooke Grove Retirement Village adds to decades of expertise in assisted living, nursing and rehabilitation, respite care, and specialized support for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of memory loss. Call for a personalized tour or visit us on the Web at www.bgf.org.

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CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

The Methodist Home of DC 202-966-7623 4901 Connecticut Ave Washington, DC 20008-2094 www.methodisthomeofdc.org The Methodist Home of D.C., a non-profit community, offers independent living, assisted living, rehabilitation and nursing care. We have been serving seniors since 1889. Our new community, Forest Side, a 33 apartment Alzheimer’s Assisted Living, is now open! Forest Side provides secure indoor and outdoor spaces, programming both day and night, and smaller neighborhoods of studio and one bedroom apartments. While Forest Side is part of the Methodist Home family, it is located just minutes away from our Connecticut Avenue location at 2701 Military Road, NW, Washington, DC 20015. The Independent and Assisted Living offers studio, one-bedroom, one bedroom/den, and two-bedroom apartments.

Rental fees include three meals daily, housekeeping, social and exercise programs, and much more.

IN-HOME CARE

Comfort Keepers 703-591-7117 Serving Northern Virginia www.comfortkeepers.com Bringing Care Home…

YES, YOU CAN live at home and receive the same services that you can in an assisted living facility. We provide comprehensive personal care and assistance to people who want choice and independence.

Comfort Keepers offers a customized plan of care which begins with a Registered Nurse conducting a complimentary assessment to determine each client’s individual needs. Each Comfort Keeper employee completes a Criminal Background Check, monthly National Background Check, Motor Vehicle Record Check, Reference Check, Certification and License Verification. If you want to remain independent in your home, please call Comfort Keepers to schedule your free long-term quality of life plan.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Greenspring 703-913-1200 7410 Spring Village Drive Springfield, VA 22150 Situated in beautiful Springfield, Va., Greenspring is retirement living at its best. Every apartment home in this 108-acre gated community is 100% maintenance-free. So rather than worrying about the house and the yard, you can spend more time pursuing your passions.

Travel, volunteer, take a college class and explore some of Greenspring’s many clubs and interest groups. Multiple campus restaurants offer a variety of delicious dining options, while 24-hour security offers protection and peace of mind. Enjoy the stability of predictable monthly expenses and look forward to a healthy future with our full continuum of health care and wellness services.

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

Lessons learned from a nearby village

By Maureen Cavaiola [Editor’s note: The Beacon asked Maureen Cavaiola, managing director of At Home Chesapeake, Inc. — the only village in Anne Arundel County, located in Severna Park — to share her experiences in helping establish and run that village.]

At Home Chesapeake is one of 50 plus virtual villages that are incorporated and open across the country to offer a new voice, choice and civic responsibility to an aging but actively engaged society. There are more than 100 others in formation.

Villages are potentially a powerful answer for those who decide to stay in their homes and live in the communities they love. Every village is unique and reflects the wishes of the members and the communities where the members reside.

At Home Chesapeake is now three years young. Starting a village is a bit like being a mother, from the fragile “idea” of conception to the incorporation of “birth” and through the growing pains of “adolescence.”

Our village has taken the time to grow organically with thoughtful participation from the members. The hallmarks of our village are peer-to-peer support, reciprocal exchanges of skills and services, and a holistic approach to aging in community.

All members join knowing the importance of educating themselves about issues associated with aging — medical, legal and cultural — and planning for the kind of future they envision for themselves and their families in their communities.

The keystone approach we use is called a Master Aging Plan (MAP), which members develop for themselves based on village guidelines while sharing what they are learning with other members.

What members give and get Yearly household dues are $500, which is about average nationally.

Our members, like children, are unique and diverse. Ages range from 50 to 95.

Some are married, single, living in large homes or condos, suburbs or the city.

Many are healthy; most have had a simple or major “bump in the road” along life’s path. Unlike children, though, members have lived a rich and varied life, with talents, time and wisdom to share.

Members join for a variety of reasons.

Some just want “to help,” some want to learn about how to age well or find good resources for their homes or themselves, others need help with their parents’ aging.

All want to share a social network of care with other like-minded individuals.

No one is required to do anything. But almost all choose to participate somehow.

As a result, members offer a variety of skills and talents to each other and the organization.

This help is offered as a peer, not as a professional or a volunteer, and can in-

clude such areas as marketing, information technology, administration, cooking, event planning and resource sharing.

Specific tasks requested by members might be finding a landscaper for yard work, helping a member sign up for Medicare on that special 65th birthday, or getting resources for a terminally sick relative. Finding resources through the member-trusted network is a huge benefit.

At Home Chesapeake also provides a learning curriculum on those issues of most importance to its members, attracting experts in related fields to teach and counsel us in ways that increase our ability to deal with issues or crises as they arise.

At AHC we have a website that allows members to ask questions and communicate. We have software that tracks the exchanges that the members make with each other. Everyone who is a member also gets many e-mails about what is going on and invitation to participate.

We have advisory meetings twice a month in our office that are open to all members (not all come, but they can). We have “social glue” events (boat rides, pot lucks, etc.), where members talk to each other and learn what each other’s skill sets are. I am in the office three or four times a week and facilitate the communications.

We try to have as few rules as possible, low bureaucracy and consensus building.

We have no formal board of directors, but instead an advisory board. We may have to add a layer eventually, but right now we are small enough, with around 35 members, for this level of governance.

The best recruitment is through public educational events on topics of interest, as well as open houses and Coffee-and-Chat events open to the public. Word of mouth from satisfied members is always the top reason most members join.

Why some don’t join The biggest obstacle to membership is the denial of aging or vulnerability.

Potential members have come to meetings with walkers and long stories about medical woes, or with emergent issues with spouses, families or themselves. Yet they will often conclude by saying, “I don’t need this just yet, but will call you when I do.”

This echo is heard across the nation with many other villages. Many think that independence means “going it alone” until there is a crisis.

Why am I mothering a village? It has been suggested, and I believe, that the village concept is the first movement for comprehensive aging in community in the 21st century.

We know that there are never going to be enough services and resources for the age wave that is now washing ashore right See LESSONS, page B-14

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FREE HOUSING AND OTHER INFORMATION For free information — at no obligation — from the following advertisers, just check off the items of interest to you and mail the entire page to the Beacon.

Please do not request info if you are not interested. All replies will have an equal chance to win.

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Asbury Methodist Village B-6 Brooke Grove B-7 & B-16 Covenant Village B-13 Emerson House B-11 & B-13 Hampshire Village B-10 Homecrest House B-2 & B-6 Mrs. Philippines Home B-13 Park View at Bladensburg B-4 Park View at Columbia B-4 Park View at Ellicott City B-4 Park View at Emerson B-4 Park View at Furnace Branch B-4 Park View at Laurel B-4 & B-10 Park View at Rosedale B-4 Park View at Snowden River B-4

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Revitz House B-6 Riderwood B-6 Ring House B-12 Shriner Court B-13 Springvale Terrace B-5 Victory Woods B-5 & B-11 Village at Rockville B-7 & B-14

VIRGINIA HOUSING ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Ashby Ponds B-11 Chesterbrook Residences B-2 Greenspring B-8 Gum Springs Glen B-13 Herndon Harbor House B-13 Lockwood House B-13 Morris Glen B-13

❑ Sommerset B-11 ❑ The Virginian B-7 ❑ The Woodlands B-7

WASHINGTON, DC HOUSING ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Forest Side B-10 & B-15 Friendship Terrace B-12 Knollwood B-2 Methodist Home of D.C. B-3 & B-8 ❑ St. Mary’s Court B-5

MISCELLANEOUS ❑ Comfort Keepers B-8 ❑ LeBoeuf Construction B-13 ❑ Weichert Realtors B-3

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 housing info coupon on page 5 of the Beacon.

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AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS FOR SENIORS 62+

Hampshire Village 301-924-6565 3210 Norbeck Road Silver Spring, MD 20906 At Hampshire Village, you can enjoy active independent living without sacrificing affordability.

Located in the heart of Montgomery County, near public transportation, Hampshire Village offers more living space and amenities than other area communities. Each of our 2-bedroom apartment homes features a fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher, wall-to-wall carpeting, and large energy-efficient windows.

Enjoy weekly socials in our coffee café, a game of pool, a walk with our exercise team, or a film in our movie theatre.

When needed, visit our onsite health suite for a check-up.

At Hampshire Village, our experienced, on-site team of residential management specialists ensures an unmatched level of personal attention.

ALZHEIMER’S/DEMENTIA CARE

Forest Side 202-966-7623 2701 Military Rd. NW Washington, DC 20015 www.methodisthomeofdc.org/forest-side Forest Side is a highly specialized care program for residents with Alzheimer's or dementia. This 33 apartment assisted living facility is in a welcoming forest-like setting, nestled in the Chevy Chase neighborhood in the District. The focus is to engage the residents in all aspects of their day, fostering a level of friendship and understanding.

Each resident's interests are respected and taken into consideration regardless of their cognitive ability. Trained staff understands the challenges of memory loss and have great sensitivity and compassion for their residents and families.

Everything we do is with the purpose of supporting and celebrating the life of each and every resident.

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Park View at Laurel 301-490-1526 9000 Briarcroft Lane Laurel, MD 20708 parkviewlaurel@sheltergrp.com Your new lifestyle begins at Park View at Laurel! This controlled access elevator building is conveniently located close to Laurel Town Center and Phelps Senior Center. Movie theaters, restaurants and shopping are nearby to encourage the active lifestyle of Seniors 62 or better.

The community features a community room with kitchen, game room, lending library, and computer center. Residents can also enjoy the exercise room and wellness suite, as well as beauty and barber services. Call 301-490-1526 or email parkviewlaurel@sheltergrp.com today to arrange for your personal visit.

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

Caregiving from a distance? Plan ahead

By Christopher J. Gearon Visiting her mother a little more than a year ago, Ann Hofkin confronted a harsh reality: The 84-year-old was slipping.

Checks weren’t cashed, the cat’s litter box was dirty, and there wasn’t much food in the refrigerator. The usually tidy home was in disarray.

Hofkin’s mother also seemed depressed. She had little interest in eating. “I was concerned that she was taking very poor care of herself,” Hofkin, 65, said.

The situation was complicated by the fact that Hofkin lives in Long Lake, Minn., while her mother resides in a continuing care retirement community outside Boston.

Hofkin is one of seven million long-distance caregivers. These are adult children who care for aging parents who live an average of 450 miles away, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving and the MetLife Mature Market Institute.

Adult children often first realize that Mom or Dad needs help when there’s a sudden hospitalization or a frantic call from an overwhelmed parent. In many instances, a child will discover evidence of a parent’s deterioration during a visit.

Having to move quickly, family members who live far away are unable to easily navigate the labyrinth of medical, social and financial resources that aging parents may need to live safely in their own home.

“It is very difficult for a layperson to manage the different aspects of the fragmented delivery system,” said Penny Hollander Feldman, director of the Center for Home Care Policy and Research at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, located in New York City.

If you’re too far away to monitor a parent, you have a couple of options. You can hire a professional to oversee your parent.

Or you can coordinate the care yourself by assembling a network of neighbors, medical specialists, drivers, housekeepers and other helpers.

1116). Or contact the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (www.caremanager.org; 520-881-8008).

Once you get the assessment, you’ll need to decide how to proceed. Hofkin, a photographer, decided to hire a geriatric care manager. A physician friend referred her to Suzanne Modigliani, a clinical social worker in Brookline, Mass.

Geriatric care managers assess and address the complex needs of the elderly.

They’ll arrange for transportation to doctor’s offices and make sure a parent’s house is fall-proof. If a parent’s health deteriorates, a care manager can decide if assisted living or a nursing home is the best option and then find a suitable facility.

After conducting an evaluation, Modigliani presented Hofkin and her siblings with a plan to help Mom remain at home. She found a personal organizer, who set up a system for bill-paying, closed some bank accounts and sorted through clothing.

Modigliani also found a psychiatrist for Hofkin’s mother, who suffers from depression, anxiety and mild dementia. She hired a driver and a home-care aide, and monitors these service providers.

When Hofkin’s mother needed to be hospitalized last summer, Modigliani arranged for a private aide to stay in the hospital room. She helped the elderly woman address some issues, such as the amount of attention she was getting from the doctor.

Hofkin’s family pays Modigliani $140 an hour. Care managers charge hourly rates running from $75 to $150, said Deborah Newquist, a care manager and past president of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers.

Geriatric care management is not a licensed field, so it’s important to get references. A care manager should be a licensed or certified nurse, social worker or therapist. Find out if the manager is a member of the association of geriatric care managers.

Get a geriatric assessment In either case, you first should get a geriatric assessment, in which a professional identifies problems and suggests a care plan. An assessment ranges from $100 to $500, said Feldman.

Such an assessment would cover a range of issues: Is your parent showing signs of depression or dementia? Does a parent need help preparing meals? Are bills getting paid?

Ask your parent’s doctor or a hospital discharge planner for the name of someone who performs geriatric assessments.

You can also get a recommendation from the local Visiting Nurse Associations of America (www.vnaa.org; 202-384-1420) or the local Area Agency on Aging (use the Eldercare Locator at www.eldercare.gov to find the nearest agency or call 1-800-677-

Coordinating care yourself If you don’t want to use a care manager, you can put together the care pieces yourself. That’s what Michelle Baker of Bethesda, Md., did seven years ago when her mother, Ann McLeod, of Asheville, N.C., began suffering the effects of dementia and cardiovascular disease while she was in her late fifties.

Baker cobbled together a network of family friends, neighbors and professionals to help her mother, who lived alone.

An Asheville hospital social worker suggested that Baker get her mother a Philips Lifeline medical alert system. Baker put three friends and neighbors on the contact list. If McLeod fell or had an emergency, See CAREGIVING, page B-11

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

Caregiving From page B-10 she could press a button to notify her support system.

These three friends, plus five others, agreed to check on her mother, pick up groceries and get her to doctor appointments. In addition, Baker stayed in touch with her mother’s physicians and parttime home-care workers.

“It was a complicated care network,” Baker said. She had the system in place for nearly two years before McLeod moved in with her. McLeod later moved to an assisted living facility.

Baker advises that obtaining durable powers of attorney will give caregivers the right to make legal, financial and healthcare decisions. Doing this early on, she said, “saves you a lot of time and frustration later.”

At the first signs of a problem, contact your parent’s primary-care doctor to determine if there is a medical cause. For instance, drug interactions are common among those taking multiple medicines and could be the cause of dizzy spells, lethargy or lack of appetite.

To make a long-distance care plan work, it’s essential to assemble a network of friends and neighbors, as Baker did. Set up a schedule for regular check-ins. Baker advises that you don’t depend too heavily on any particular person in the network.

Finding services You’ll also need to find services in your parent’s community. Your network can help with this. Your parent’s place of worship may also know of resources or even deliver services.

The local Area Agency on Aging is a free resource for providing names of home health aides, homemakers, transportation services, senior centers, adult daycare and home-repair contractors. The agencies can also help you assess the types of services you will need.

If your parent suffers from cancer,

Alzheimer’s or any other condition, look to patient-advocacy organizations for help. The Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org; 1-800-272-3900) and CancerCare (www.cancercare.org; 1-800-8134673) provide local information and resources for both patients and caregivers.

When you hire a home aide, prepare a schedule of duties. Call the aide regularly, and ask one of your parent’s friends to drop by occasionally while the aide is there to make sure that nothing seems amiss.

If you need to hire a personal organizer, as Hofkin did, ask an accountant or elderlaw attorney for a referral. Or find one at the American Association of Daily Money Managers (www.aadmm.com; 1-877-326-5991).

For many seniors, cooking or grocery shopping is an issue. The local aging agency can recommend nutritionists and food-delivery services. Meals on Wheels (www.mowaa.org; 703-548-5558) could be an option, and some programs offer additional services.

Consider your parent’s social life. Put a plan in place to help your parent pursue favorite activities. Perhaps that could take the form of regularly scheduled outings to a senior center, which can offer everything from theater trips to a game of bridge.

Also, gather important information, such as a medication list, bank and brokerage account details, Social Security numbers, and contact information for doctors, health insurers and pharmacists. Know where a parent keeps important documents, such as birth certificates and insurance policies.

It’s wise to plan ahead, said Carol Levine, director of the Families and Health Care Project at New York City’s United Hospital Fund. Levine said adult children should talk with their parents while they’re still healthy about their wishes regarding living at home or moving in with adult children, powers of attorney, and end-of-life decisions.

“It’s preferable not to have to do this in a crisis,” she said. © Kiplinger. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

INDEPENDENT LIVING

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Sommerset Retirement Community 703-450-6411 22355 Providence Village Drive Sterling, VA 20164 www.sommersetretirement.com Your Search is Over for Premier Independent Living!

Sommerset Retirement Community is a unique rental community, offering spacious 1 and 2 bedroom apartment homes for active adults 55 or better. Each apartment has a full kitchen, wall to wall carpet, ample closet space and a private balcony.

Our floor plans range from 620 to 1000 square feet. There are Absolutely NO Buy-ins or community fees!

We are conveniently located in Sterling , VA , minutes from shopping, restaurants, hospitals, doctors, entertainment and much more which are accessible via our private chauffeured transportation.

Enjoy independent & maintenance-free living. We invite you to take a tour and have lunch on us. Call (703) 450-6411.

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Ashby Ponds 703-723-1999 21170 Ashby Ponds Boulevard Ashburn, VA 20147 www.EricksonLiving.com Announcing Red Robin View, our newest and final building in our current neighborhood to open Spring 2012. Ashby Ponds offers maintenance-free retirement living combined with a vibrant lifestyle―all in a beautiful, private and gated community. Without the worries of a house and yard, you can spend more time pursuing your passions. Travel, volunteer, take a college class and explore some of Ashby Ponds many clubs and interest groups. Campus restaurants offer a variety of delicious dining options, while security offers protection and peace of mind. Enjoy the stability of predictable monthly expenses and look forward to a healthy future with our health care and wellness services. Whatever your passions in life, you’ll find the freedom and opportunity to follow them at Ashby Ponds.

AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS FOR SENIORS 62+

Emerson House 301-779-6196

Victory Woods 301-866-9191

5999 Emerson Street Bladensburg, MD 20710

22611 FDR Blvd Lexington Park, MD 20653 www.VictoryWoods.com

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

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

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

B-11

Welcome to Victory Woods, Lexington Park’s newest affordable apartment community exclusively for seniors! Our community offers comfortable apartment living, with numerous features designed for your lifestyle and comfort. Located within walking distance to Lexington Village shopping center, you have easy access to banking, stores and restaurants.

As a resident of Victory Woods, you could begin your day with a workout in our fitness center or a stroll around the walking path.

Come downstairs for coffee - socialize with neighbors or browse the internet in our business center/library.

Among new friends and comfortable surroundings, you will be happy to call Victory Woods your new home!

B-12

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

Remodel or renovate to stay in your home

By Meg Handley This spring, when Travis Slocum and his partner contemplated selling their home in Washington, D.C., they had high hopes of upgrading to a larger place. After all, in recent months, nationwide news has underscored falling home prices and historically low mortgage rates, both boons for would-be home buyers.

But Slocum found the selection disappointing. “We really didn’t find anything on the market that ‘wowed’ us,” he said. “[Some] might have had more space, but

they weren’t as updated, or they were well out of our price range.”

Despite what some housing experts say is the best buyer’s market in years, house hunters like Slocum are finding themselves discouraged by tighter lending standards and the challenge of selling existing properties.

Rather than purchasing a new home, some would-be buyers are considering other options. For example, Slocum and his partner, who own a two-bedroom, twobathroom home, are considering adding

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on to their existing property, remodeling, or even finishing their basement to create a separate rental unit and another source of income.

Give your house a facelift Instead of moving, Jay and Stephanie Herbert opted to refresh the exterior of their home in Alpharetta, Ga., adding Craftsman-style touches like stacked stone columns and shaker shingles.

“That’s really what’s making us stay in this house,” said Stephanie, a homemaker. “If we could stay here and have our house paid off when our kids hit high school, it would be great to not have to worry about the burden if my husband were to lose his job.”

“People don’t want to sell now because the market is so depressed,” said Mitch Hochberg, principal at New York Citybased Madden Real Estate Ventures.

“They feel the smarter investment would be to put money into their current house that they will hopefully be able to recover when the market turns around.”

If you’re a discouraged house hunter looking for alternatives, here are a few ways you can adapt your current home to meet your needs: Room conversions. Whether you’re converting a bedroom into a home office or morphing a recreation room into an inlaw suite, simply re-purposing your living

space can be one of the most affordable ways to adapt your home to a change in lifestyle needs.

Remodels. High-traffic areas such as kitchens and bathrooms take a beating over the years. The good news is that on average, homeowners recoup 73 percent of their investment for a minor kitchen remodel and 64 percent for a bathroom remodel, according to the most recent Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report. On average, minor kitchen remodels cost about $22,000, while bathroom remodels will set homeowners back about $16,000.

“People are absolutely spending more in renovating and expanding their existing homes rather than making the more significant investment of buying a new home,” Hochberg said. “Someone may be living in an older house and may want to put in a new kitchen or bathroom because that was one of the main drivers for moving.”

Finishing basements. Although this is one of the more pricey upgrades — on average, finishing a basement costs almost $65,000 — finished basements can add extra living space for families feeling cramped in their current homes. “It’s a fairly easy one to do,” said Hochberg. “You don’t have to deal with foundations and the roof.”

Exterior facelifts. Some homeowners See REMODEL, page B-13

Ring House announces something new.

Everything.

The independent living apartments at Ring House are putting on a fresh new face. Granite counters in the kitchens with sparkling stainless appliances, including individual washer/dryers. Redesigned bathrooms with walk-in showers. New carpeting, brighter lighting, Internet access, and more. What’s not new? The comprehensive array of services and amenities — and the personal dedication of Ring House’s attentive staff. Make it a point to check out the handsome new renovations at Ring House. How could a residence with such a long, loving history look so new?

301.816.5012

www.ringhouse.org

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Housing Options

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

Cell phone apps offer new decorating tools

By Melissa Kossler Dutton Home improvement and design enthusiasts can add a versatile tool to their toolbox: a phone.

Software programs available for cell phones can help homeowners with everything from selecting paint colors, to finding artwork, to determining their favorite decorating style.

Mark English, a San Francisco architect, uses an application on his cell phone to help clients visualize projects and plans.

English creates “idea books,” or files of images, for his clients to review with Houzz (www.houzz.com), a free phone app that contains more than 70,000 photos of rooms, homes and landscape projects.

Having the images to refer to helps clients articulate more clearly their likes and dislikes, he said. “We can develop a language where we all know what these

adjectives mean,” he said. “We get to that point where we know what the goal is much more quickly.”

Remodel

vestment, on average.

Popular additions include sunrooms and outdoor living spaces, such as decks and pergolas, according to Jannis Vann, a residence designer in the Atlanta metro area. Clients are also expanding in-law suites, she said.

But while some renovation choices might be right for certain markets, the same upgrades might not fetch the same return on investment in other markets.

“Really know what kind of neighborhood you’re in. If only 1 in 10 homes have granite counters, you don’t need to install granite counters,” Trulia spokesman Ken Shuman said. “You really need to understand what you’re putting into the renovations you do.” © 2011 U.S. News and World Report

From page B-12 are choosing to improve the curb appeal of their homes. While the Herberts undertook a more complex project to refresh the exterior of their home, simply replacing the front door or even a garage door can spruce up a tired-looking façade.

A new garage door costs about $1,300, on average, but homeowners can expect an almost 84 percent return on their investment. Entry doors return a whopping 102 percent, on average.

Additions. Major construction projects can be pricey, but if homeowners plan on remaining in their house for awhile, they can recoup almost two-thirds of their in-

Get décor ideas Many apps are meant to provide inspiration for people looking to redecorate.

The Dream Home app (http:// itunes.apple.com/us/app/dream-home/ id367030133?mt=8) allows users to search thousands of photos sorted by style, room and color.

The app, which ranges in price from $1.99 to $4.99, is like having thousands of design magazines at your fingertips, said Peter Melnikov, vice president of Apalon, the company that created it.

Apps mean users can carry their inspirations and ideas wherever they go, said BridSee CELL PHONE, page B-14

B-13

Affordable Senior Communities Discover how great senior living is at one of our affordable apartment communities. Many of our communities feature brand-new apartment homes, 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 these communities: 550 Shriner Court Union Bridge, MD 21791

410-775-2940 Rent $470 income restrictions 7010 Schoonmaker Court Alexandria, VA 22310

703-719-7268 From $711 873 Grace Street Herndon, VA 20170

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Lockwood House 600 North Madison Street, Arlington, VA 22203 7837 Richmond Highway Alexandria, VA 22306

703-538-6000 Rent based on income

703-780-9072 From $855

We Make Your Home Safer & More Accessible • Wheelchair Ramps • Doorways Widened • Stair Lifts • Cabinets Lowered

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B-14

Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Lessons From page B-8 along our Chesapeake Bay, in our country and throughout many parts of the world.

We are going to have to go back to basics and take care of each other, to share what we know and do to create new families, hamlets and villages that provide safe-

Cell phone From page B-13 get Sandquist, editorial director for holidays and entertaining at BHG.com, Better Homes and Gardens’ website. The magazine released an app, which costs $3.99, over the holidays last winter that offered tips on entertaining and hosting parties.

The app is available at www.bhg .com/holidays/christmas/planning/celeb rate-the-holidays-new-ipad-app.

ty nets and resources for our members.

The last couple of generations have been increasingly mobile, and families are often separated by distance, divorce and dysfunction.

The concept of the village has the potential to bring back what village living must have meant to people in olden times….where the residents watched out for and took care of

families and neighbors, including its children and elders — the most vulnerable. The wisdom of elders used to be honored and actively used for their entire lifespan.

Once a mother, always a mother. I hope that by nurturing a village, I will leave a legacy for my children and grandchildren that says, “We took responsibility for ourselves, cared for others, lived well and left

adequate resources for the future.”

Only time will tell the whole story, but we all have only our own lifetime to get to the task of creating a village of our own choosing.

For more information about At Home Chesapeake, call (410) 647-1997 or see www.athome-chesapeake.org.

Maureen Cavaiola is the managing director of At Home Chesapeake, Inc.

Help with colors and artwork

can determine what to hang on them with an app from Art.com. The free program lets users upload photos of their wall and digitally fill it with various pieces of artwork. The resulting images can be sent to friends and family to get their opinions, too.

Get this app at http://itunes.apple.com/ us/app/art-com/id348423904?mt(equals)8.

Once the perfect piece of art is located, a level app can help you hang it straight.

Stanley Bostitch offers a free app that turns iPhones into picture levelers (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stanleybostitch-level/id308725991?mt (equals)8).

The Good Housekeeping app offers advice on a variety of issues, ranging from “how to remove mustard stains” to “inspiration for a bathroom renovation,” said Sara Lyle, the magazine’s lifestyle director.

Good Housekeeping launched its free app last year with the intention of putting lots of advice and articles in readers’ hands at once, she said.

The app also includes step-by-step instructions for many home improvement and craft projects. It is available at www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-testing/from-the-lab-blog/new-good-housekeeping-home-iphone-app.

The portability of an app means do-ityourselfers can take their phone with them to the store when shopping for materials for a project, Lyle said.

After looking through photos on the Houzz app, Sharon Glazer of Baltimore decided her style lies somewhere between contemporary and modern, with a touch of Mediterranean flair.

Glazer, who is house hunting, uses the app to organize her ideas for decorating her next home. She has even created files to share with a designer once she buys a house.

“We’re trying to design out what we’re going to do and how the rooms will look and flow before we physically move,” she said.

— AP

Decorating a room and looking for just the right colors? Sherwin-Williams’ free ColorSnap application lets you take a photo of an item and then find the name of the paint hue that is closest to it.

You can fine-tune the color by making it brighter or lighter, and also find complementary colors. Find the app at www.sherwinwilliams.com/do_it_yourself/paint_colo rs/paint_color_palette/colorsnap.

Homeowners with freshly painted walls

BEACON BITS

July 12+

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

ASSISTED LIVING TOWN HALL MEETINGS

Maryland’s Office of Health Care Quality and Department of Aging are hosting public meetings to discuss proposed changes to the state’s assisted living regulations. Meetings will be held on July 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Bowie Senior Center, 14900 Health Center Dr., Bowie, Md., on July 19 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Harriett Hunger Center, 6420 Allentown Rd., Camp Springs, Md., and on July 21 at the Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Wheaton, Md., from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. To reserve your seat, call (410) 402-8804 or email lmbrown@dhmh.state.md.us.

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

B-15

Considerations when choosing a nursing home

By Jim Miller Choosing a nursing home for a loved one that provides quality care is an important and difficult decision that requires some homework. Here are some steps that can help you find a good nursing home and avoid a bad one.

Make a list: Start by contacting your Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for a list of local nursing home facilities. Numbers for local AAAs appear below. For agencies elsewhere in the country, call the national Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 or visit www.eldercare.gov.

Ideally, the facilities should be close to some family members and friends who can visit often. Residents with frequent visitors usually get better care.

Do some research: Every year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services collect data on more than 15,000 nursing homes throughout the country. Health inspection data, staffing and quality measures are combined to come up with an overall ranking system of one to five stars.

To research the nursing homes in your area, go to www.medicare.gov and click on “Facilities and Doctors,” then on “Compare Nursing Homes.”

Call your ombudsman: This is a government official who investigates nursing home complaints and advocates for residents and their families. This person can help you find the latest health inspection reports, which are public information, on specific nursing homes, and can tell you which ones have had complaints or other problems.

To find your local ombudsman, call your area aging agency or see www. ltcombudsman.org.

Call the facilities: Once you’ve narrowed your search, call the nursing homes you’re interested in to find out if they have any vacancies, what they charge, and if they accept Medicaid — most do.

If they have a family council, ask for the name and number of a representative. You can learn a lot about how the facility interacts with residents and family members from such a group.

Visit your top choices: Be sure to visit more than once and at different times of the day and different days of the week.

While you’re there, notice the cleanness and smell of the facility. Is it homey and inviting? Does the staff seem responsive and kind to its residents? Also be sure to

Save for future reference or share with a friend.

taste the food, and talk to the residents and their family members, if available.

Upon arrival, ask for the nursing home administrator or other person of authority to give you a tour. Find out about staff screening (do they do background checks) and training procedures.

Also ask what percentage of their staff leaves each year. Less than 30 percent annually is considered good. More than 50 percent is a red flag. To help you rate your visit, Medicare offers a handy checklist at www.medicare.gov/nursing/checklist.pdf.

Paying for care With nursing home costs now averaging $290 a day in Washington, D.C., paying for long-term care is another area you may have questions about or need assistance with.

Medicare only helps pay up to 100 days of “medically necessary” nursing home care, which must occur after a hospital stay.

Most nursing home residents pay from personal money, long-term care insurance policies or, if they qualify, through Medicaid.

Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is a good resource for longterm care financial counseling. To find a local SHIP counselor, visit www.shiptalk.org, or call 1-800-677-1116.

For more information, get Medicare’s booklet “Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home.” To receive a free copy via mail, call 1-800-633-4227, or you can read it online at www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pd f/02174.pdf.

Local Area Agency on Aging numbers: District of Columbia: D.C. Office on Aging: (202) 724-5622 Maryland:

Montgomery County Aging and Disability Information and Assistance: (240) 777-3000 Prince George’s County Aging Information Referral and Assistance: (301) 265-8450 N. Virginia: Alexandria Alexandria Office of Aging and Adult Services: (703) 838-0920 Arlington Arlington Agency on Aging: (703) 2281700 Fairfax County Fairfax Area Agency on Aging: (703) 324-5411 Loudoun County Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging: (703) 777-0257 Prince William County Prince William Area Agency on Aging: (703) 792-6400

THE METHODIST HOME OF DC ANNOUNCES

FOREST SIDE ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY NOW OPEN! Call for a tour

Forest Side, a 33 apartment Alzheimer’s dementia care community, is dedicated to continuing the 120 years of caring service to seniors that has earned The Methodist Home of D.C. its distinguished position in the Senior Living Industry.

Forest Side offers programming based on the Six Components of Wellness: 1. Physical 2. Emotional 3. Mental

4. Social 5. Spiritual 6. Environmental

Also offering: Three meals per day • All utilities Full housekeeping & laundry Full social & spiritual programs Basic assistance with daily activities

FOREST SIDE Please call for more information and to schedule a visit

202-966-7623

Take a virtual tour of Forest Side at:

www.MethodistHomeOfDC.org

B-16

Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

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

Stay Connected to the Life You Love to The Cottages at Brooke Grove, an W elcome independent living community in the heart of suburban Montgomery County. Join our active, vital residents who share a variety of interests and look to grow in health of mind, body and spirit. At Brooke Grove, you won’t be starting over. You’ll be getting a fresh start on the life you already enjoy.

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More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Money Law &

21

PAYING MORE FOR MEDICARE Steep Medicare surcharges affect individuals making over $85,000 LOWER YOUR PREMIUMS Stay on the job longer and comparison shop to save on Medicare BALANCING ACT Voters believe Medicare and Social Security needn’t be cut back FINANCIAL ADVISER CHECK UP A new government database allows you to review your adviser’s record

Are there funds waiting for you to claim?

By Elliot Raphaelson According to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA), assets worth over $32 billion are held by various states just waiting to be claimed by their rightful owners.

You may be entitled to some of these assets. I will explain how this property ends up with the states, and how you can determine whether you have unclaimed property you don’t know about.

Unclaimed assets can come from any number of sources: uncashed dividends, refunds or payroll checks, savings and checking accounts, common stocks, traveler’s checks, trust distributions, uncashed money orders, life insurance proceeds, annuities, certificates of deposit, security deposits or safe-deposit contents.

State laws stipulate that under certain circumstances, financial institutions and other companies must turn over unclaimed assets to the state.

For example, you may have a savings account that has been dormant for three years (the limits will vary by state). The financial institution might be required to make a public notice identifying your name and the institution holding your assets.

If you do not see the notice and notify the financial institution, the bank will then have to turn the asset over to the state.

After the assets are turned over to the state, no further interest will accrue.

Free access to databases Meanwhile, the funds in the dormant account are listed in a database under your name. Periodically, states update their databases, which are available on the Internet. Anyone can access the state’s database, at no cost, and determine if there are assets being held in his name.

Let’s say you check your state’s database and see that the funds from your old bank account are sitting there, unclaimed.

All you have to do is contact the department in charge (usually the state department of treasury) and supply the proof they ask for to claim the funds.

Several years ago, I was the executor of my aunt’s estate. I filed her will with the state’s probate office. She had detailed records, and I thought I had complete knowledge of her assets and beneficiaries.

I distributed all the assets I was aware of.

Apparently, however, she purchased one certificate of deposit for $3,000 but did

not name a beneficiary, and I was not aware of its existence. Her will stated that assets in her name would be shared equally by me and my two children.

A few years after she passed away, my son, Mark, did a search on Florida’s abandoned property website and found the unclaimed assets in her name.

We supplied the state with the information they required — a copy of the will, and the names and addresses of all the beneficiaries, with signatures. Within 30 days, the state sent us our checks. (Mark and I “invested” in the Kentucky Derby. Debra, the conservative one, is saving for early retirement.)

Claim at any time There is no statute of limitation for claiming assets held by the state.

There are many ways for you to determine whether a state is holding assets that belong to you. You can go to a search engine on the Internet and type in your state’s name and “unclaimed property,” and the results will likely show the website for the relevant department in your state.

When you find your state’s website, there is no cost for you to enter your name and the names of your family members to find

possible unclaimed assets. You may want to use different spellings of your name just in case errors were made in record keeping.

If you have lived in more than one state, you can use another free website: missingmoney.com, which contains information for multiple states.

NAUPA has its own website, www. unclaimed.org, which contains a great deal of important information regarding unclaimed property, the consumer-protection laws that benefit you, and links to state websites.

If you have been named as a beneficiary in a will or trust agreement by a relative or anyone else, you should enter his or her name on these websites to determine if there are any assets under that name that now belong to you.

With so many assets going unclaimed, it would hardly be surprising that some might belong to you. Next time you’re surfing the net, visit the websites I mentioned above and see. You certainly have nothing to lose.

Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at elliotraph@gmail.com. © 2011 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Get insured despite pre-existing conditions

By Mark Miller Over age 50 but under 65? If so, you’re at risk of falling into the pre-existing condition healthcare gap.

In the current health insurance marketplace, it’s very difficult for people with preexisting conditions to buy a quality policy at an affordable price. The problem disproportionately affects older people in this age group; they’re too young to quality for Medicare yet very likely to have at least one chronic condition that leads health insurance companies to turn them down.

The problem impacted 15 percent of all Americans age 50-64 in 2009, according to a recent report by the Commonwealth Fund — 8.6 million people. Meanwhile, another 9.7 million in this age group had coverage with such high deductibles that they were considered “effectively underinsured.”

Starting in 2014, the new healthcare reform law will get these folks covered through expansion of Medicaid and the cre-

ation of new private insurance exchanges.

In the meantime, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) put a Band-Aid on the problem by setting aside $5 billion to fund a pre-existing insurance program (PCIP) that operates until the end of 2013, when enrollees will shift to coverage via the new exchanges.

This bridge initiative got off to a slow start in 2010, but significant improvements are being made this year that are worth knowing about if you’re struggling to find health insurance coverage.

The ACA gave states the option of using federal dollars to administer their own PCIP programs, or to offer a plan run by the federal government. Twenty-seven states are offering their own plans. But last year, only 8,000 people enrolled nationwide in these plans.

The weak start was due partly to the short ramp-up time available after the ACA became law, according to Jean Hall, an associate research professor at the University of Kansas who specializes in healthcare.

Cheaper plans now available But in many cases, the plans just weren’t very good deals. Premiums sometimes exceeded $1,000 per month, with annual deductibles as high as $5,000. Finally, enrollees must be uninsured for six months prior to coverage in order to be eligible, a rule that further reduced sign-ups.

The plans that did get relatively strong enrollment were in a handful of big states, including Pennsylvania, California, Illinois and Ohio.

The plans in these states also decided to set their premiums at very affordable rates — which they had discretion to do under the ACA. For example, Pennsylvania’s program last year had a flat monthly rate of $283 per enrollee — for a person of any age — with an annual $5,000 in-network, out-of-pocket limit.

Meanwhile, noteworthy improvements are being rolled out to PCIPs this year that will make them worth checking out for those struggling to find insurance.

Premiums will be reduced in many states.

Moreover, the federal program will offer three plan options, two of which feature lower deductibles for prescription coverage.

New child-only premium options also are being offered to reduce the cost of covering children with pre-existing conditions.

“I do believe the new federal options represent a significant change for consumers,” Hall said. “People can get prescription costs covered sooner, which is potentially very important for many people with chronic conditions. Also, adding the child-only premiums creates a significant savings for families who have children with chronic conditions.”

The PCIPs cover a broad range of health benefits, including primary and specialty care, hospital care and prescription drugs. The law requires that they cover, on average, no less than 65 percent of medical costs and limit out-of-pocket See GET INSURED, page 22

22

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

Medicare becomes costly for high earners

By Mark Miller The new healthcare reform law aims to cover nearly all Americans and to get our exploding national healthcare tab under control. But reform also calls for some upfront investment, and someone needs to foot the bill. Wealthy retirees — it’s time to grab your wallets.

Starting this year, the most affluent seniors are shouldering steep increases in Medicare premiums mandated under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This year, the surcharges affect individuals with $85,000 or more in annual income, and joint filers with income over $170,000.

While $85,000 may not sound stratospheric, keep in mind that income typically falls in retirement after paychecks stop arriving. Social Security, pensions and retirement account withdrawals are the usual income sources.

The most affluent seniors have been paying higher Medicare Part B premiums

(for doctor visits and outpatient services) since 2007. But until now, the income levels at which the higher costs applied were indexed to inflation each year to keep the same percentage of beneficiaries subject to the surcharge. The ACA freezes the threshold at 2010 levels through 2019, starting this year.

Drug plans means-tested, too And the ACA also extends the income formulas to Part D prescription drug enrollees for the first time. The changes will affect just 5 percent of Medicare enrollees this year, although that figure will rise to 14 percent by 2019 as more seniors jump past the frozen income threshold levels, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

High-income seniors who pay both Part B and Part D premiums could see their combined premiums rise anywhere from $300 to $700 per month by the end of the

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decade, according to Juliette Cubanski, associate director of Kaiser’s Medicare Policy Project. “That’s a considerable sum, considering that the base Part B premium for most people this year is $96.40,” she said.

The new income thresholds also affect people who choose a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), which often covers prescription drugs.

Advantage enrollees typically pay the monthly Part B premium plus a supplemental premium to the Medicare Advantage plan; now, these premiums are being adjusted to factor in the higher-income amounts for Part B and Part D coverage, where applicable.

The policy aims to help offset the cost of healthcare reform by reducing taxpayer subsidies on Medicare services for seniors who don’t really need the help. The standard Part B premium is set annually to cover 25 percent of program costs; taxpayers foot 75 percent.

Seniors subject to the new income thresholds will see that subsidy fall by the end of the decade to just 20 percent. “The examples everyone mentions are Bill Gates and Warren Buffett,” said Cubanski.

“Why subsidize rich Medicare beneficiaries?”

Kaiser estimates that the higher premiums will save taxpayers $25 billion for Part B from 2010 to 2019, and $10.7 billion for Part D.

No more doughnut hole in 2020 The ACA does provide important new benefits to retirees that should at least take the edge off the higher expenses over time.

The Medicare Part D prescription drug doughnut hole will be closed. That’s the coverage gap that starts when a beneficiary’s annual drug spending hits $2,830, and resumes at the catastrophic level ($4,550).

This year, pharmaceutical companies are providing a discount of 50 percent on brand-name drugs to low- and middle-income beneficiaries who find themselves in the gap. Then, the doughnut hole itself will shrink a bit every year, ultimately disappearing entirely in 2020.

The law also contains some important improvements to traditional Medicare aimed at boosting preventive care.

Medicare patients now receive an annual wellness visit — with no co-payment or deductible — that includes a comprehensive health risk assessment and a long-term personalized prevention plan. Deductibles and co-payments also were eliminated for most preventive care services.

But the new income-based premiums arrive at a time when rising out-of-pocket health insurance costs pose a growing threat to retirement security for all retirees — affluent or not.

Cubanski said the median out-of-pocket See COSTLY MEDICARE, page 23

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Get insured From page 21 spending to $5,950 for individuals. They also cannot impose pre-existing condition exclusions or waiting periods.

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Local plans The federal website for the ACA has a page that describes the state plans and lists contact information where consumers can get current information on 2011 insurance options. Visit http://1.usa.gov/pre existingconditions to learn more.

In Maryland, the program is run by the Maryland Health Insurance Plan. To qualify, you must be a citizen or legal resident of the United States and have been uninsured for the past six months. Rates range from $141 to $354 per month. There is a $1,500 annual deductible.

To learn more about this program, call 1-888-444-9016 or visit www.maryland healthinsuranceplan.state.md.us.

The District of Columbia and Virginia take part in the federal government’s PreExisting Condition Insurance Plan.

Monthly fees for those age 55 and over in the District range from $551 to $742 per month, depending on the level of service selected. In Virginia, the fees range from $498 to $671.

To learn more about the federal government plan for residents of D.C. and Virginia, visit www.pcip.gov or call 1-866-717-5826.

Mark Miller is the author of The Hard Times Guide to Retirement Security: Practical Strategies for Money, Work and Living (John Wiley & Sons/Bloomberg Press, 2010).

Contact: mark@retirementrevised.com. © 2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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

Ways to cope with higher Medicare premiums Here are four strategies to consider that can help you control premiums, and also hold down overall out-of-pocket healthcare costs in retirement: 1. Avoid the surcharge. “The surcharges on Medicare premiums starting in 2011 can be steep,” said Christine Fahlund, senior financial planner at T. Rowe Price. “It’s important for retirees to work with their tax advisers to try to avoid them each year, or as often as possible.”

One possible strategy is to take portfolio withdrawals from a Roth IRA, which are not counted in Social Security’s definition of taxable income. Or, alternate withdrawals from taxable accounts so you don’t have to pay the surcharge every year.

2. Challenge the surcharge. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will determine if you must pay the premium surcharge using your most recent tax return — in most cases, 2010. Eligibility is determined using your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI), which is the total of your adjusted gross income and tax-exempt interest income.

If your MAGI is higher than the income threshold in any given year, you’ll get a letter from the SSA indicating your premium.

If your income has fallen since your tax return was filed, you may be able to appeal under certain circumstances. For more information, download a free guide to the income thresholds at the SSA’s website: http://1.usa.gov/incomethresholds.

3. Work longer. Staying on the job even a few years longer than planned is one of the best overall ways to improve

retirement security — and health insurance is one of the key reasons, because it means more years of employer-sponsored health insurance and delayed Medicare enrollment. If full-time work isn’t possible, try to stay on part-time if that will allow you to stay insured.

4. Shop the plans annually. Unfortunately, seniors need to re-shop prescription drug or Medicare Advantage plans each year to ensure that they’re getting the best price and appropriate coverage. Insurance companies often change their offerings year-to-year in ways that can increase premiums by thousands of dollars, or make it difficult to get certain drugs. And your health needs may change, too.

The annual enrollment window runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, and with dozens of plans available in most parts of the country, shopping can be a complex chore.

For the computer-savvy, the Medicare website offers an excellent Plan Finder tool (http://1.usa.gov/PlanFinder); more personalized help is available from your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program, a network of nonprofit Medicare counseling services (http:// bit.ly/SHIPNetwork). The Medicare Rights Center also offers free counseling by phone (1-800-333-4114).

If you’re willing to pay to get advice and help with paperwork, hire an independent, fee-based counseling service such as Allsup. For $200 to $300, Allsup assigns an adviser who will provide a written personalized plan analysis and offer phone consultations.

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Costly Medicare From page 22 premium expense for Medicare beneficiaries as a share of income rose from 11.9 percent to 16.2 percent between 1997 and 2006 (the most recent year for which data is available).

While Medicare provides strong financial protection for basic services, coverage

23

gaps force beneficiaries to pay relatively high out-of-pocket costs.

Kaiser reports that Medicare covered just 48 percent of total per capita medical and long-term care expenses, which averaged $17,231 in 2006. The out-of-pocket expenses are distributed between premiums, long-term care, prescription drugs and other costs. © 2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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LONG TERM CARE PLANNING Heather Purcell and Patty Heberling, representatives from uFinan-

cial financial services, will discuss long-term care funding options at a free seminar on Wednesday, July 13 at 2 p.m. at Aurora Hills Senior Center, 735 S. 18th St., Arlington, Va. Call (703) 228-5722 to register.

Make Your Own Decisions As You Age Take charge of your own healthcare and financial decisions by becoming informed about your options.

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

Voters say don’t make cuts to Medicare

By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Stephen Ohlemacher Combined, Social Security and Medicare account for about a third of all government spending, a share that will only grow as the baby boom generation retires.

But most Americans say they don’t believe Medicare has to be cut to balance the federal budget, and ditto for Social Security, a new poll shows.

The Associated Press-GfK poll suggests that arguments for overhauling the massive benefit programs to pare government debt have failed to sway the public. The debate is unlikely to be resolved before next year’s elections for president and Congress.

Americans worry about the future of the retirement safety net, the poll found, and 3

out of 5 say the two programs are vital to their basic financial security as they age.

That helps explain why the Republican Medicare privatization plan flopped, and why President Barack Obama’s Medicare cuts to finance his healthcare law contributed to Democrats losing control of the House in last year’s elections.

A serious budget problem Economic experts say the cost of retirement programs for an aging society is the most serious budget problem facing the nation. The trustees who oversee Social Security and Medicare recently warned the programs are “not sustainable’’ over the long run under current financing.

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If it’s so much fun, is it work?

By Barbara Ruben Imagine spending half the year with roller coasters on the horizon, the smell of funnel cakes in the air, and Bugs Bunny as one of your closest friends.

Ruth McDonald enjoys just that as a seasonal employee at Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, Md. At age 84 she is the park’s oldest employee, showing workers one-fifth her age the ropes each year as the summer season swings into high gear.

Most mornings, McDonald, known to staff as Miss Ruth, can be found at the park’s front gate scanning visitors’ tickets. Some days she fills bins throughout the park with maps that guide visitors from the Early American-themed shopping area called Main Street 1776, to the sedate carousel and antique cars in the Olde Boston area, before the park gives up all historic pretense and plunges into thrill rides in Gotham City and the Hurricane Harbor water park.

“It’s just so much fun coming here every day,” McDonald said, gesturing toward costumed Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny characters just inside Six Flags’ gates.

McDonald, who retired from a career at Safeway nearly 20 years ago, spent the first decade of her retirement traveling the world. But the Harwood, Md., resident missed the camaraderie of the workplace — and the salary.

So when a recruiter for Six Flags came to a local senior center 10 years ago, she decided to give a whirl to working at the theme park.

Charles Reed, security supervisor at Six Flags “I put my rocking chair America, is one of dozens away and have theme park’s employees over 50. Older of the workers are actively enjoyed working again so of seasonal positions. recruited for a variety Vacancies still exist much,” she said. for the current season.

“People can’t believe I do all that I do — al“I think our attendance issues though I did stop riding are far fewer the roller coaster with Pay starts at minimum our seasoned employees when I turned 80.” wage, but can [than young climb quickly, Matlock said. Most seasonadults]. They understand you can’t get away al workers are paid by the hour. They with showing up randomly or Older workers valued genlate to work.” erally work five days a Older workers are also week during the McDonald is one of 78 Six particularly val- summer Flags season- ued months, and when on weekends in the issues arise with park al employees who are guests, spring and fall over age 50 this Matlock — seasons in which the said. “Their age and maturity year. That’s just a drop in the bucket of a car- park isn’t fully open. ries a little bit of weight workforce made up of itself if there’s a 2,000 workers priCharles Reed, 50, took the heated situation. They’ve marily in their teens and job of securibeen around the ty supervisor 20s. at Six Flags three years block. They know what “The over-50 demographic ago they’re doing.” is definitely after working as a manager Matlock said Six Flags one we’d like to add to,” at Sears. targets older said Cutter Mat- adults “My favorite thing about for employment in radio lock, Six Flags America’s the job is the advertise- people. Everyone director of ad- ments is so friendly,” he said. and recruits at senior ministration. “Their centers and “If you’re knowledge, their going to be shy, you’re not groups for older adults, breadth of experience, their going such as the Na- to last maturity, their tional very long at a theme park.”

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Employees Association (NARFE).

(301) 949-9766.

Rising costs may force change Numbers tell the story. As healthcare goes up, the value of Medicare benefits is catching up to Social Security’s. A twoearner couple with average wages retiring in 1980 would have expected to receive healthcare worth $132,000 through Medicare over their remaining lifetimes, and $446,000, or about three times more, in Social Security payments.

For a similar couple who retired last year, the Medicare benefit will be worth $343,000, compared to Social Security payments totaling $539,000, less than twice as much.

These numbers, from economists at the nonpartisan Urban Institute, are adjusted for inflation to allow direct comparison. For low-income single retirees and some couples, the value of expected Medicare benefits already exceeds that of Social Security.

The poll found a deep current of pessimism about the future of Social Security and Medicare. As much as Americans say the programs are indispensable, only 35 percent say it’s extremely or very likely that Social Security will be there to pay benefits through their entire retirement.

For Medicare, it was 36 percent.

Again, there’s a sharp difference between what the public believes and what experts say. Most experts say the programs will be there for generations to come. But they may look very different than they do today, and Americans should take note.

“Do they have a basis for worrying that these programs are going to pay them much less than they’re currently promising?’’ asked economist Charles Blahous.

“Yes, absolutely.

“Do they have a basis for being concerned that the programs may have to be structurally changed in order to survive?

The answer to that is yes, too.’’ A trustee of Social Security and Medicare, Blahous served as an economic adviser to President George W. Bush.

The Associated Press-GfK poll was conducted in May and involved landline and cell phone interviews with 1,001 adults nationwide. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.

To see complete poll results online, go to www.ap-gfkpoll.com.

— AP

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is politically toxic, because the choices involve cutting benefits or raising taxes.

Medicare is even harder to fix because the cost of modern medicine is going up faster than the overall cost of living, outpacing economic growth as well as tax revenues.

“Medicare is an incredibly complex area,’’ said former Sen. Judd Gregg, RN.H., who used to chair the Budget Committee. “It’s a matrix that is almost incomprehensible.

“Unlike Social Security, which has four or five moving parts, Medicare has hundreds of thousands. There is no single approach to Medicare, whereas with Social Security everyone knows where the problem is.’’

That’s not what the public sees, however.

“It’s more a matter of bungling, and lack of oversight, and waste and fraud, and padding of the bureaucracy,’’ said Carolyn Rodgers, who lives near Memphis, Tenn., and is still working as a legal assistant at 74. “There is no reason why even Medicare, if it had been handled right, couldn’t have been solvent.’’

In the recent poll, 54 percent said it’s possible to balance the budget without cutting spending for Medicare, and 59 percent said the same about Social Security.

Taking both programs together, 48 percent said the government could balance the budget without cutting either one. Democrats and political independents were far more likely than Republicans to say that neither program will have to be cut.

The recession cost millions their jobs and sent retirement savings accounts into a nosedive. It may also have underscored the value of government programs. Social Security kept sending monthly benefits to 55 million recipients, like clockwork; Medicare went on paying for everything from wheelchairs to heart operations.

Overall, 70 percent in the poll said Social Security is “extremely’’ or “very’’ important to their financial security in retirement, and 72 percent said so for Medicare.

Sixty-two percent said that both programs are extremely or very important.

The sentiment was a lot stronger among those 65 and older. Eighty-four percent of those said both programs are central to their financial security. Compare that to adults under 30, just starting out. Just under half, or 46 percent, said they believed both Social Security and Medicare would be extremely or very important to

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; J U L Y 2 0 1 1

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Check out your financial adviser online Checking a financial adviserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past for errant behavior is much easier now with a new searchable database run by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which oversees U.S. securities companies.

Its Internet database allows users to perform searches by the name of a broker or investment firm. The search page is at: http://disciplinaryactions.finra.org .

Previously, details regarding disciplinary actions were available only by contacting FINRA, which would look up the information and later send summaries of documents.

The new online capabilities enable the complete documents to be viewed online, printed or downloaded immediately.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This will actually allow investors to search the database seven days a week and provide instant access to the actual underlying disciplinary action documents themselves,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; said Emily Gordy, FINRAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senior vice president for enforcement.

The database lists complaints, settlements and other documents associated with a disciplinary action.

The new search tool is linked to FINRAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BrokerCheck service, which reviews industry registration and licensing documents for background reports on 1.3 million registered brokers and 17,000 brokerage firms.

FINRAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s monthly disciplinary actions database also links to the new search tool, providing regular updates.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Any time you can give consumers and potential investors the ability to feel more confident in their decisions to turn over their life savings to somebody, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a win,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; said Robert Russell, president of Russell & Co., a financial planning firm.

FINRA is the largest non-governmental regulator for securities firms doing business in the United States.

Checking the FINRA database is a good first step to checking out an adviser, but a few other places also make sense.

The National Ethics Bureau, a membership organization of financial professionals, has a searchable database at www. ethicscheck.com/consumers/advisorck.asp .

See the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has additional databases of advisers at www.sec.gov./investor/brokers.htm.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a good idea to check with state securities regulators or state insurance boards before you make your final decision. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; AP

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

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE ON AGING

Spotlight On Aging VOLUME XXVI, ISSUE 7

A newsletter for D.C. Seniors

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE

By Dr. John M. Thompson Summer is here, and I hope that the month of July will be kinder to District’s seniors than alluded to in Stevie Wonder’s 1980 album titled Hotter than July. The District experienced record breaking conditions before the first day of summer this year and, unfortunately, many were caught off guard by the heat wave.

We have included some hot weather tips in this issue of “Spotlight” to ensure that everyone has the necessary information and resources to keep cool this summer.

Power outages during extreme conditions leave seniors in need On May 31, PEPCO experienced power outages for nearly three days around North Capitol St., N.W., affecting Sibley Towers, Tyler House, Carmel Plaza and Golden Rule Apartments. The D.C. Office on Aging staff, in concert with Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Health and the D.C. Housing Authority, were the first responders in ensuring that all residents were given the option to visit a cooling center.

Additionally, the D.C. Office on Aging, with the assistance of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Engagement, knocked on every senior’s door in the four apartment buildings

to ensure that they had sufficient water supply for hydration and had food, as the prolonged power outage led to spoilage of refrigerated items. I am pleased with the response of our office and sister agencies and glad that we were there for those in need.

Challenges to learn from and pick up the pieces As many of you are aware, our food contractor for more than 25 years informed us that it would no longer be able to prepare and deliver meals to the nearly 3,000 daily homebound and meal site clients and more than 500 weekend clients. This call was not expected and gave us only a few days to work with the Office of Contracting and Procurement to ensure that our clients, including our most vulnerable homebound clients, received meals with limited or no disruption. Currently, we have temporary vendors in place until we can execute permanent contracts.

As I reflect on this ordeal, the old adage, “Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket,” applies so eloquently here. Nutrition Inc. provided meals to each ward of the city under the contract with the government and when the business failed, we were forced to find an immediate solution.

To prevent a similar situation in See DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE, page 27

Jacqueline C. Arguelles, Chairperson, D.C. Commission on Aging; Dr. Kimberly Moore, Ms. Senior America; Dr. John M. Thompson, executive director, D.C. Office on Aging; Ms. Senior D.C. Emma P. Ward; and Tonya Jackson Smallwood, CEO, Family Matters of Greater Washington, pose after the crowning.

July 2011

Ms. Senior D.C. 2011 Chosen Elegantly dressed in gowns as light as champagne and peach and as dark as midnight blue, 10 women graced the stage with their escorts as they awaited announcement of the winner of this year’s Ms. Senior D.C. Pageant. Local broadcaster and producer Jerry Phillips announced Ms. Senior D.C. 2011 as Emma P. Ward.

Ward dazzled the crowd during the talent presentation by dancing to the song “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson. As she flung her hat across the stage, wearing one glitter glove and a sequined jacket and shirt, she danced with energy, her face set with a determined look.

Ward was also awarded Best Salesperson and Best Evening Gown for her ad and ticket sales and the complementary peach gown she wore. The retired teacher and U.S. Department of Agriculture employee is active in her community tutoring children in reading and math, as well as taking them on field trips.

First runner-up Thomasena C. Allen was awarded Best Talent for playing an excerpt from “Fire Dance” by Manuel De Falla. The classical pianist played this piece from the ballet “Love the Magician.” Second Runner up was Julie D. Anderson, who performed the classical piece “Aufschwung,” which means “soaring” or “upswing” by Robert Schumann. Diann Ellerbe, who sang Dionne Warwick’s “Alfie,” was voted Ms. Congeniality by her fellow contestants.

Ward will represent her peers in the upcoming Ms. Senior America Pageant in Atlantic City, N.J., in October. She will compete against women from across the country in the pageant that celebrates the age of elegance and the inner beauty and community service of the mature woman.

The Ms. Senior D.C. Pageant is presented by the D.C. Senior America Cameo Club, Family Matters of Greater Washington and the D.C. Office on Aging.

Ms. Senior D.C. contestants included Earnestine Wiggins, Mary Franklin-Knight, Ms. Congeniality Diann Ellerbe, Second Runner-up Julie D. Anderson, Barbara A Brown, Ms. Senior DC Emma P. Ward, Alease S. Smith, Patricia Ferguson-Smith, Janie M. Connor and First Runner-up Thomasena C. Allen.

Sheila Poole, Ms. Senior D.C. 2010, is escorted

by Major Bandy as she does her farewell walk.

Ms. Senior America Kimberly Moore performs Tina Turner's “Proud Mary” at the pageant.

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

D.C. OFFICE

ON

27

AGING NEWSLETTER

Community Calendar July 15th • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Join in the festivities at the Barney Neighborhood House and the Mason’s Summer Senior Festival at Colony House Nutrition Site, 930 Farragut St., N.W. For more information, call James Thompson at 202939-9031.

fulness, all led by Liz Nichols, expert story teller and yoga instructor. Register by contacting Patricia Dubroof at 202-895-9407 or by e-mail at events@iona.org. Iona is located at 4125 Albemarle St., N.W.

July 26th • 5 to 8 p.m.

July 19th • 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Have fun and get fit with Iona’s laughter yoga, part of its lunch and learn program. Bring your lunch and eat while chatting about yoga. Lunch will be followed by a half hour of safe and easy breathing, stretching and laughter exercises that cultivate child-like play-

Attend a book signing with the authors of Fourth Sunday: The Journey of a Book Club, in which six women share their journey toward friendship by way of a reallife book club. These remarkable women will share not only their love of books but their life experience as well.

Learn more on their website, www.bwread.com. RSVP

to Patricia Dubroof at 202-895-9407 or by e-mail at events@iona.org. Iona is located at 4125 Albemarle St., N.W.

August 22nd to 26th Get away from it all at Senior Fun Camp at Camp Riverview in Scotland, Md. Activities include dance and exercise, arts and crafts, fishing, games and entertainment. Participants will also learn how to prepare healthy meals, how to check their own blood pressure and how to manage their diabetes. For more information, call 202-664-7153 or e-mail Jennifer.Hamilton@dc.gov.

Important numbers for heat emergencies Once a heat advisory or alert has been given, seniors are urged to listen to the broadcast media about the weather conditions. Seniors are urged to follow certain protective measures including: staying indoors or in cool places, wearing light clothing, reducing strenuous activities, rescheduling appointments if possible, taking a cold or lukewarm bath or shower, and drinking plenty of non-alcoholic liquids. In addition, seniors should keep the air conditioner and/or fan on, even if it is at a low level.

The following are helpful community resources to be utilized during a heat alert or advisory:

IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE • Emergency Assistance 911 In a life-threatening situation, contact 911 for police, fire and ambulance services.

There is a charge for D.C. ambulance transportation to heathcare facilities. Medicare Part A recipients can be reimbursed.

• Hyperthermia/Shelter Hotline 202-399-7093 or 1-800-535-7252 The hotline offers assistance to persons in need of overnight shelter and support for those living in the streets. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE • D.C. Consumer and Regulator y Affairs 202-442-9557 If the cooling system is not working in your rental apartment building, notify the property management. If you do not receive a response, you can call the Housing Inspections Office for assistance during business hours. Call the Office of Emergency Management at 202-727-6161 after office hours and weekends.

• D.C. Call Center 311 The main number for D.C. government to report a problem or inquiry about city services.

• Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency 202-7276161 This office can give you information about public cooling centers and whom to contact for other assistance. For non-medical emergency assistance and service information after hours, holidays and weekends. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• D.C. Office on Aging 202-7245626 The Information and Assistance Office can link seniors with needed services and provide you with general information on keeping cool. It can also identify program

SPOTLIGHT ON AGING

centers that are designated as senior cooling sites.

The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

UTILITY SERVICES AND REPAIRS • D.C. Energy Office Hotline 202-673-6750 The hotline is available Monday through Friday 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and offers information and financial assistance with utilities. A limited number of free fans may be available for those who qualify.

• PEPCO 202-833-7500 To report electrical power outage in your residence. Also, let them know if there are persons in your household with health problems.

• Washington Gas 703-750-1400 To report gas leakage or outage in your residence. Also, let them know if there are persons in your household with health problems.

• D.C. Water 202-612-3400

Director’s message From page 26

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.

441 4th St., N.W., 9th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 202-724-5622 • www.dcoa.dc.gov Dr. John M. Thompson, Executive Director Darlene Nowlin, Editor Adrian R. Reed, Photographer 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.

the future, the D.C. Office on Aging will spread its risk by contracting with multiple vendors. Furthermore, our office is taking steps to implement an internal quality control mechanism to identify food vendors in a timely manner that are no longer able to meet their contractual obligation to District government.

Planning for an aging Washington The demographics of the nation and the city are gradually changing. People are living longer and are having fewer children. What strategies are necessary to address the issues of aging in the community? The District of Colum-

Call to report any water problems including bursting of pipes (24 hours a day).

• Comcast Cable 202-635-5100 To report television cable outage.

RESOURCES AND INFORMATION • Yellow Pages or 411 If your cooling system or air conditioner goes out inside your private residence, check the Yellow Pages or call directory assistance for listings of heating and cooling contractors. Check to see if they are licensed and bonded.

bia Office on Aging will be conducting a citywide comprehensive needs assessment of our senior population.

The outcomes of the needs assessment will be so valuable in numerous ways. First, it will be used to establish the agency’s short and long-term strategic plan. Second, it will shape policy concerning the health, social, transportation, employment, training and nutrition needs of seniors. Third, it will shape budgetary and resource allocation decisions.

We plan to identify a contractor that will carry out this needs assessment.

Moreover, we look forward to the community’s participation so that we can hear from many stakeholders representing all eight wards of the District.

Stay as active as physically possible this summer!

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

Travel Leisure &

Tips for growing a glorious garden in the Washington region. See story on page 30.

A smorgasbord of to-dos in Pennsylvania

More than chocolate Other attractions in the park had more appeal to us. The Hershey Story is told in a museum packed with displays, many of them interactive, that were more interesting than I had anticipated. Fyllis was intrigued by a touch-screen that allowed her to design a candy bar wrapper and e-mail it to herself (to what end I had no idea).

I preferred following the story of how Milton Hershey, after several failed attempts to found a candy company, struck pay dirt — or, rather, chocolate — when he began

coating caramels with the sweet substance in 1894. Turning out milk chocolate in bars, wafers and other shapes, and devising innovative mass production techniques to lower the cost, his company transformed what had been a luxury item for the wealthy into a treat that was affordable to all.

Every family member enjoyed the “challenge” of tasting five mini-bars with the goal of distinguishing a wine-like list of textures (from smooth to granular), scents (including woodsy and fruity) and tastes (citrus, coffee, nutty). The hardest part was fighting temptation and allowing the chocolate to melt on our tongue, as we had been instructed.

But it was an hour-long sightseeing trolley ride around the campus and little town that left the most lasting impression. Our grandchildren were delighted by the Hershey Kiss lights that line some streets, and even more so by on-board tastings of four more samples.

Their parents and grandparents paid close attention as our guide described the establishment and history of the school that continues to carry Hershey’s name.

Beginning with four orphans, whom Milton and his wife Catherine took into their home, that institution has expanded to provide free pre-kindergarten through high school education, and much more, to about 1,800 underprivileged children. Graduates who go on to college receive generous scholarship support.

Among the Amish PHOTO COURTESY OF HERSHEY ENTERTAINMENT AND RESORTS

Introductions to a very different lifestyle await those who visit the Amish area a short drive from Hershey.

About 30,000 residents make this the second largest Amish community in the country, after one in Ohio.

Amish immigrants began arriving in Pennsylvania during the late 17th century, seeking and finding religious tolerance.

They evolved into a thriving part of the local society, merging In Hershey, Pa., visitors sample chocolate at the Hershey comfortably into it Story, which recounts the history of Milton Hershey’s chocolate empire. Hersheypark nearby offers rides for kids of all ages. while maintaining

WWW.DISCOVERLANCASTERPA.COM/TERRY ROSS

By Victor Block My recent visit to the Hershey-Harrisburg area of Pennsylvania revealed a destination of pleasant surprises.

If you think of Hershey primarily as a mecca of chocolate, that’s only part of the story. The nearby Amish community offers a fascinating opportunity to experience a different culture.

And Harrisburg is home to a world-class Civil War museum equal to anything the South has to offer, plus a number of other intriguing attractions.

My wife Fyllis and I arranged our trip to the area as a three-generation family gathering. Not surprisingly, upon entering the sprawling Hershey complex, our grandchildren thought they had been transported to heaven.

At Hersheypark, they couldn’t run fast enough from ride to ride, clambering aboard as many as they could, including several of the 11 roller coasters.

An Amish community near Hershey, Pa., gathers together to construct a barn for a fellow family — a feat that is typically accomplished in a few days. The area has the second-largest Amish population in the country.

their customs and culture, with its focus on religion and family.

Among practices to which they continue to cling are using a horse and buggy rather than cars for transportation, eschewing electricity in their home, and adhering to a dress code that dictates modesty and solid colors for women and girls, and dark clothing and a black or straw hat for men and boys.

It’s not difficult to identify houses occupied by Amish families, because of the absence of electric wires leading to them, wash hanging outside to dry, and traditional green shades covering the windows.

Our introduction to the Amish way of life included an outstanding multi-media presentation called “Jacob’s Choice.” It depicts the difficult decision faced by some teenagers about whether to remain in the fold or venture into the outside world and, in effect, turn their back on their strict upbringing.

We also explored a typical Amish home, where guides provided interesting additional tidbits about day-to-day living.

Even more close up and personal was our conversation with a young, bearded Amish man named Joe, who was our driver and guide during a jaunt with Abe’s Buggy Rides.

He patiently answered the questions we fired at him about everything from why cars are forbidden (Joe explained that they

can carry Amish people too far from their family and community), to the reason that education is compulsory only through the eighth grade. (Joe replied, “That’s sufficient for our way of life,” which centers on farming and cottage industries.)

Civil War stories The peaceful life of the Amish contrasts starkly with the bloody story of the Civil War that is dramatically portrayed at one of the largest and best collections in the world devoted to that conflict.

A visit to the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg is especially timely, during this year’s 150th anniversary of the start of the fighting.

Information-packed videos and realistic life-size dioramas that tell the story of the war are reason enough to plan a visit. Even more telling to me were letters from individual soldiers and similar artifacts that put a human face on the Civil War and its terrible consequences.

Also tragically moving are displays of shackles, metal collars and other implements that were used to subjugate slaves.

Not far away stands a realistic depiction of a slave auction, with the words of the auctioneer describing men and women as so See PENNSYLVANIA, page 29

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

Pennsylvania From page 28 much property interspersed with other voices denouncing the institution of slavery as immoral.

Antique car museum A varied list of other sightseeing options also awaits visitors to the Harrisburg-Hershey area. The Antique Automobile Club of America Museum is a car-lovers fantasyland, offering a trip back through time for anyone who qualifies for a discounted senior’s ticket.

It’s packed with beautifully restored vintage cars dating back to the 19th century, plus buses, motorcycles and motorbikes, some of which were manufactured when Franklin D. Roosevelt was president.

While a re-created 1900s auto machine shop may not look familiar, visitors may identify with a 1940s gas station as well as an authentic Valentine diner, of the type that were manufactured beginning in the 1930s.

My favorites included a shiny 1895 Benton Harbor car which had a top speed of 23 miles per hour, and a spiffy 1902 Oldsmobile, packing 4.5 horsepower, that was guided by a steering stick instead of a wheel.

I also learned, and laughed, while watching a movie narrated by Groucho Marx about automobiles and their impact on the country. It skillfully combines history and humor.

If you’re lucky when you visit the compact museum on the Pennsylvania State Police Academy grounds, you may be able to watch cadets practicing at the firing range or learning crowd control techniques on horseback.

Facilities include a large swimming pool that’s used for life-saving training, and a building on the campus that houses everything from helicopters to drug-sniffing dogs.

Amateur sleuths can check their prowess at solving a murder case, using hairs left on the victim’s clothing and other evidence to decide which of three suspects is guilty of the crime.

A very different scene is a portrayal of a cell that Al Capone inhabited for a year after being convicted of a minor crime.

After he bribed prison officials, his temporary jail home was furnished with precious

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antiques, oriental rugs and oil paintings.

While lacking such man-made luxuries, Indian Echo Caverns is an underground Never Never Land of color, shapes and interesting history. At one time, Native American settlements were located along what now is called Swatara Creek, which runs by the caverns.

The series of caves is estimated to be 3 million years old, and is one of many such complexes carved out of limestone beneath the rolling Pennsylvania countryside.

Near the entrance, the names of several early visitors are carved into the stone. Farther along, guides lead tour groups into the Blue Room, so named for the hue of its walls, and the Rainbow Room, colored by areas of blue, green, purple and tan.

It takes sharp eyes and only a little imagination to identify a lion’s head, dragon, owl and other familiar shapes pointed out by the guide.

The subterranean exploration, combined with a variety of attractions above ground, combine to make a trip to nearby Pennsylvania both fascinating and fun.

lined with fire station paraphernalia, and dishes like spiced Tuscan “firebread” served with garlic dipping sauce ($6), FireHouse hamburger ($8), and FireHouse pasta with chicken and shrimp ($16). If you’re in the mood to splurge, Hook & Ladder shrimp skewers and a half-rack of

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ribs, plus two sides, costs $25. For more information, call (717) 234-6064 or log onto www.thefirehouserestaurant.com.

General information about visiting the Harrisburg-Hersey area is available at its website, www.visithersheyharrisburg.org, or by calling 1-877-727-8573.

BEACON BITS

Aug. 17

CHESAPEAKE BAY SEAFOOD FEAST The Brookland-Woodridge AARP Chapter will take a trip to the

banks of the Choptank River for an all-you-can-eat seafood meal at a historic inn on the eastern side of the Chesapeake Bay. The trip also includes shopping at the Queenstown outlets and will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Payment of $85 is due by Aug. 10. The trip departs from Northeastern Presbyterian Church, located at Eastern Ave. and Varnum St., N.E., Washington, D.C. For more information, call Lillie Fitzgerald at (202) 529-0141.

If you go After searching for a hotel conveniently located to the things we wanted to see and do, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg East. It offers very large, well-furnished rooms at rates that usually begin at $119.

Amenities include both indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a restaurant that serves an excellent Sunday brunch that attracts many locals. For information or reservations, log onto hiharrisburg.com or call 1-800-637-4817.

Lunch at the Plain and Fancy Farm Restaurant enhanced our visit to the Amish area. Typical entrees include Pennsylvania Dutch pot pie ($9.95) and fried chicken ($10.95), both served with two sides. Be sure to save room for desserts like apple dumplings ($4.25), apple crumb pie ($4.50) or traditional shoe-fly pie ($3.50). For more information, call 1-800-669-3568 or log onto plainandfancyfarm.com.

The aptly named Fire House Restaurant, one of several dining establishments along North 2nd Street in Harrisburg, occupies the former home of the Harrisburg Hope Fire Company, which was built in 1871.

The theme is underscored by walls

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Highlights include: Johannesburg: Mandela’s Home in Soweto, e Apartheid Museum, Constitutional Court, Lesedi African Village, High Tea at Sun City and an aernoon Safari.

Durban: A visit to a township school (Funded by the YatesFoundation), Indian Market and Ushaka Marine World.

Cape Town: Table Mountain, Mandela’s cell on Robben Island, a Cape Peninsula tour, Seal Island & the colorful Greenmarket Square flea market.

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Optional add-on: Victoria Falls

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

How does your garden grow? Some tips

By Ruth Kling To my mind, a garden is a space — no matter how small —that lets one enjoy some greenery and a bit of the natural world.

Whether you maintain a large garden by yourself, nurture a few pots on a balcony, or pay someone else to take care of your yard, here are some basic tools that will help you

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create and keep your own green space.

There are three main areas to know about gardening: weather, soil and watering.

Weather By weather, I mean the first and last frost dates. Knowing approximately when the first and last frosts occur in your area allows you to plant at the correct time of year.

Tomato plants may be available at your local big box garden center in April, but they shouldn’t be planted until at least midMay. Contact your local Cooperative Extension for more information on frost zones and which one you live in. Most of us here in the D.C. metro area are in zone 7a.

To find the Cooperative Extension office closest to you visit the following websites: In D.C., www.csrees.usda.gov/Exten sion/index.html; in Maryland, http:// extension.umd.edu/local/index.cfm; in Virginia, www.ext.vt.edu/offices.

Soil In this area we have mostly acidic clay soil. You can get a soil test kit from your local Cooperative Extension and test for acidity and also for nutrients that may be lacking.

I resolutely intend to test my soil every year, but typically get caught up with other things, so I just use a lot of compost and manure to compensate. That seems to work for just about everything.

But do as I say, not as I do, if you want really spectacular flowers and vegetables.

For example, I think that if I knew what micronutrients I was missing for my peas, they would be in better shape. Container gardening is easier because you have complete control over the soil content.

Water It is obvious that you will need to water your plants at some point. What is not always obvious is the porosity of soil, or the draining ability of pots.

Clay soil does not drain well, and many

plants need well-drained soil. This can be achieved with compost and and/or sand.

You can tell poorly draining soil because water pools on top for a few minutes.

Good drainage is even more important for containers, where plant roots can sit in water, rot and die off in a relatively short amount of time. Make sure containers have holes in the bottom, and do not use saucers under outdoor plants. Water collects there and rots the roots.

Another hint about water is that you need easy access to water to grow plants. I have a sunny corner of my yard that I used as a vegetable garden last year. It would have been perfect, but it was very far away from the one and only water spigot. I had to drag a heavy hose out there every day.

This year, the vegetables are much closer in two smaller raised beds.

The fourth knowledge set could be the most important. Be honest with yourself.

Knowledge of yourself, your own energy level, the amount of time and patience you have for gardening, and your budget are also keys to having an enjoyable gardening experience.

Suggested reading list For any outside garden larger than a few pots, I suggest the book The Garden Primer: Second Edition by Barbara Damrosch, an excellent basic resource for gardeners.

For urban and suburban vegetable gardeners, even for small areas, read I Garden: Urban Style by Reggie Solomon and Mike Nolan.

For gardening in this area, I suggest The Virginia Gardener’s Companion by Donna Williamson. Her advice is useful for the entire D.C. metro area and up into Baltimore, since much of Virginia and Maryland share the same frost zones.

Ruth Kling blogs about gardening in the Washington area at ruthsgarden.blogspot.com.

For gardening questions, contact her at gardenruth@gmail.com.

BEACON BITS

Mar. ‘12

CRUISE THE CARIBBEAN

The Fun and Fitness Travel Club cruises from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Aruba, Curacao, St. Kitts and St. Thomas from March 4 to 11, 2012. Water aerobics, Zumba, yoga and other classes are included in the price of $669 per person, double occupancy. Make your reservation now for best cabin locations; full refunds are available if you cancel later. Call 1-800-955-9942 for more information or reservations.

July 27+

EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND TOUR

Take a boat tour on the Tred Avon River and land tours of Oxford and Easton, Maryland on this trip, sponsored by Montgomery County’s SOAR program for active adults. Go on either Wednesday, July 27 or Thursday, July 28. The trip leaves at 8 a.m. and returns at 5 p.m. The $82 fee includes a crab cake lunch in Oxford. For more information, call (240) 777-6870.

Aug. 6

GUIDED BUS TOUR OF THE BIG APPLE

The Fairfax Recreation Dept. will host a tour of Manhattan, including Rockefeller Center, the New York Stock Exchange and the Empire State Building, on Saturday, Aug. 6. The trip departs from three Fairfax County locations. The earliest departure is 6 a.m. and the latest return is 11 p.m. For more information, call (703) 324-TOURS (8687) or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/rec/classes/trips.

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Cut your losses when a trip gets canceled For obvious reasons, many Americans impacted area and will offer a choice of rewho had booked travel to Egypt or Japan booking the same trip at a later date or a refund, both without the usual earlier this year had to change cancellation or exchange fees. their plans, and others who However, the re-issue offer is hadn’t yet booked have made generally limited to the same alternative arrangements. route.

But what about trips to other • Hotels, too, generally allow areas at other times? Nobody no-fee cancellation. However, if can predict where the next revolution might break out — and your original booking was on certainly not when and where some great deal, you might not the next earthquake, tsunami, be able to duplicate the original fire or volcano will hit. price.

The question then becomes TRAVEL TIPS • Tours. The U.S. Tour Ophow best to protect yourself By Ed Perkins erators Association (USTOA) against losses if a destination states that, “most USTOA memyou decide to visit suddenly and unexpect- bers serving Japan proactively canceled edly suffers a big problem. trips.” Presumably, most other operators Clearly, in such a case, you won’t be able take the same approach in such situations. to enjoy the trip you expected — you can’t • Credit card. By now you’ve probably undo the problem. But what you can do is learned that you can get a charge-back for make sure you get all or most of any anything you’ve paid a supplier that the money back from any prepayments and supplier didn’t deliver. This process can sometimes be a hassle, but it usually deposits.

Fortunately, you have several safety works. Always — always — use a credit nets: card for such advance payments.

Even after you’ve paid — even a “nonre• Travel insurance. Trip-cancellation fundable” payment — you can usually get insurance (TCI) could be helpful, but your money back from most suppliers, al- many policies are surprisingly restrictive. though the terms may be a bit too narrow. They refund payments you can’t otherwise • Airlines. If you already have a ticket, recover, but only in the event the policy most airlines will let you cancel a trip to an specifically notes each circumstance as a

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“covered reason” or a “named peril.”

Some policies cover natural disasters, such as the earthquake/tsunami in Japan, but some do not.

And even those that accept earthquakes, hurricanes and such as covered reasons typically subject coverage to such limited situations as an airline that “ceases all service” or a destination accommodation that becomes “totally uninhabitable.” Never mind that the golf course may be under water; if the hotel is open, you’re not covered.

Several specifically exclude “nuclear radiation” or leaks as a covered reason.

Uprisings such as occurred in Egypt are typically defined as “civil disorder,” and many policies specifically exclude civil disorder as a covered reason.

All in all, given the many exclusions on standard policies, I now recommend to just about everyone that if they decide they need insurance, they should buy a “cancel for any reason” policy. It may be

more expensive, and it might not cover 100 percent of your prepayments, but the decision about whether to travel or not — and what you get back if you decide not to go — is yours, not that of some insurance company bean counter.

In related travel insurance news, On Call International just announced special “memberships” for travelers age 77 to 85.

Many travel insurance programs refuse to cover travelers of that age, so the new policies could be welcome.

They are, however, really expensive: $425 for an individual, $820 for a couple, covering a trip of up to 90 days. And that’s just medical emergency and evacuation coverage, not cancellation. Still, if you’re 77 or over, it may be your best bet.

You can reach them at 1-800-575-5014; online at www.oncallinternational.com.

Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. © 2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Please patronize our advertisers. They keep the Beacon free!

Great Excursions The Finger Lakes, NY

Sunday-Thursday, July 10-14, 2011 (5 days/4 nights) Explore one of America’s most beautiful regions—with breathtaking lakes, waterfalls, rolling hills, and canyons; charming towns and villages; and hundreds of wineries and idyllic farms. It is also a region steeped in history and culture. You’ll stay at the Ramada Geneva Lakefront on picturesque Seneca Lake. This is a perfect mid-summer trip that promises to be one of our best trips ever. $999 pp, double occ.; $1199 pp, single occ.

The Hamptons, Long Island, NY

Sunday-Wednesday, September 18-21, 2011 (4 days/3 nights) We’ll stay in quaint Sag Harbor and see the homes of the “rich and famous.” You’ll tour Sagamore Hill (Theodore Roosevelt’s home at Oyster Bay), the Montauk Lighthouse, the Whaling Museum, Palmer Vineyard, Shelter Island, Old Westbury Gardens, and much more. This is the perfect trip to end the summer. $799 pp, double occ.; $989 pp, single occ.

Christmas in Nashville , TN

Sunday-Tuesday, December 11-13, 2011 (3 days/2 nights) Christmastime is truly magical at the Gaylord Opryland Resort, with dazzling displays of over 2 million lights, the spectacular ICE! and “Treasures of the Holidays” attractions, and much more. In addition, this trip features a Country Christmas Dinner and Show with Louise Mandrell and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular with the incomparable Rockettes.

Make this a Christmas season to remember. $995 pp, double occ.; $1,157 pp, single occ.

Travel with Louise makes group travel easy and fun.

Call us for our complete schedule and more information on our trips.

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32

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

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

Style Arts &

Bob Levey takes health food fanatics to task — up to a point. See his column on page 34.

Oz witches weave a wickedly good spell

Oz’s back story Focused as we all have been on Dorothy and her companions as they traipsed their way to Oz, you likely never wondered how Glinda got to be a “good witch” or how the green-faced one got to be the “bad witch.”

You weren’t aware that WWW (Wicked

Witch of the West) was really named Elphaba, that her hue caused her much childhood angst, and that she and Glinda had been schoolgirl friends.

Based on Gregory Maguire’s best-selling novel, Wicked features music and lyrics from Stephen Schwartz, who also gave us such stage and film hits as Godspell, Pippin, Pocahantas and The Prince of Egypt.

The book is from Winnie Holzman, who has experience with teen dramas as creator of TV’s “My So-Called Life.”

Music and dialogue each explore what it means to be an outsider. Elphaba crackles with intelligence and a fierce independence, the result of being shunned because of her emerald epidermis. But the tough exterior is a shell protecting a vulnerable, lonely girl.

Galinda, who later drops the extra “a” (you have to be there), is pretty, popular and nurtures a predatory social ambition.

Improbable friends, their relationship sets in motion a chain of events that lead us, more or less behind the scenes, to the characters and the climax made familiar in the iconic Wizard of Oz film.

So, some of it’s vaguely familiar, but it’s oh-so-different. Context, it turns out, really is everything. Even flying monkeys can be less terrifying when you know their backstory. And maybe that evil cackle is really just a manifestation of social awkwardness.

Add to that a love triangle, a fall from grace, and even some pointed political and sociological commentary, and there’s plenty to hold one’s attention.

PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

By Michael Toscano Still afraid of the flying monkeys? Does the memory of Margaret Hamilton’s cackle as the Wicked Witch of the West still give you the creeps?

Here’s the chance to undo those horrors, to see the magical land of Oz in an entirely new (though still green-tinged) light.

The Kennedy Center has brought back to the Opera House the Grammy and Tony Award-winning musical Wicked, “the untold story of the witches of Oz.” The show broke box-office records when it played KenCen in 2005, and will likely do the same again this year, as the show retains all the vibrant charm of that original Broadway-cast tour.

It may also be the only musical that parents and grandparents can enjoy right along with their tween-and-teen-aged daughters. The music is a middle-of-theyellow-brick-road, pop-oriented mélange.

Yes, it’s contemporary, but while songs can be either comical or emotionally stirring, the score never really strays from comfortable pop conventions. The score is thematic, a cinematic aspect reminding us of the show’s movie pedigree.

Dee Roscioli (left) and Amanda Jane Cooper portray green-hued Elphaba and bubbly Glinda, two witches at the center of the musical Wicked, now playing at the Kennedy Center.

Oh, yes. There’s the Wizard himself, of course, a supporting role that has nevertheless attracted such luminaries as Joel Grey, Ben Vereen and Kevin Kline to the Broadway cast. (Mark Jacoby has the role here.)

The original, 2003 Broadway cast starred perky little sprite Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, and Idina Menzel won a Tony as Elphaba. Menzel played the role during the 2005 stop at the Kennedy Center and electrified audiences.

The work those performers put into the roles is still evident with the current cast, Amanda Jane Cooper as Glinda and Dee Roscioli as Elphaba. In fact, Cooper has every last physical move and vocal inflection Chenoweth used to build her portrayal, turning in a perfect replica of her performance.

A new wicked witch in town Roscioli, who also played the part on Broadway before joining the touring production, is credited as handling more performances as Elphaba than any other actress. So she has had more opportunity to shape the role to her own sensibilities.

This Elphaba is less introspective than the character we saw here in 2005, and Roscioli’s singing is more muscular than Menzel’s. But Roscioli slowly builds intensity, breezing through the early “The Wizard and I” by showing just a hint of the force she is holding in reserve.

With the unrequited-love ballad “I’m Not That Girl,” she movingly explores the bleak landscape of an empty heart. By the See WICKED, page 35

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

33

Betty White writes about life, love, career her L.A. home stacked with scripts, mail and other pending business she never whittles down. But she doesn’t need much sleep, just four hours a night, she points out.

“It gives me that many more hours to do whatever I don’t get done.’’

TV titan As everyone knows, White made her mark in television by appearing on two classic sitcoms — “The Mary Tyler Moore Show’’ in the 1970s, where she played randy TV homemaker Sue Ann Nivens, and, premiering in 1985, “The Golden Girls,’’ where she was a sweet, if chronically befuddled, Miami widow.

But White has been on the tube since TV’s infancy in the late 1940s. And it was then, she said, when she was advised to start lying about her age.

“We are so age-conscious in this country,’’ she chuckles. “It’s silly, but that’s the way we are. So I was told, ‘Knock four years off right now. You’ll be blessing yourself down the road.’

“I was born in 1922. So I thought, ‘I must always remember that I was born in 1926.’ But then I would have to do the math. Finally, I decided to heck with it.’’

By now, at 89, White has become a role model for how to grow old joyously. And more than that: for how to keep growing.

“Don’t try to be young,’’ she suggests.

“Just open your mind. Stay interested in stuff. There are so many things I won’t live long enough to find out about, but I’m still curious about them. You know [young] people who are already saying, ‘I’m going to be 30 — oh, what am I going to do?’

Well, use that decade! Use them all!’’

And, along the way, make friends with the people you meet. White does. Like her

“THE PERFECT FILM AT THE PERFECT MOMENT.” – AARP THE MAGAZINE

On the road at nearly 90 On this whirlwind publicity tour for her book, White is warm, witty and a bit apologetic for all the attention she’s commanded of late.

For example, her current TV Land sitcom, “Hot in Cleveland,’’ which begins its third season next month; her “Saturday Night Live’’ hosting gig a year ago, which brought her raves and a seventh Emmy; a hidden-camera show in the works for NBC that will turn senior citizens into pranksters punking young folks.

“I’m going to be 90 in January — I shouldn’t be working,’’ she mock-protests with a twinkle in her eye. “I should go somewhere and let people have a rest. But I can’t help it. I just enjoy it!’’

Fine. But how does she get so much done?

“Not very well, to tell you the truth,’’ said White, citing the dining-room table in

three “Hot in Cleveland’’ co-stars — Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Valerie Bertinelli — on whom she lavishes praise.

When asked if she has ever had a co-worker with whom she couldn’t get along, she replies, “I made it my business to get along with them.

AP PHOTO/CHARLES SYKES

By Frazier Moore A few Betty White turn-ons: She likes a cocktail before dinner and a weekly poker night. She has a taste for french fries and hot-dogs, and a jones for crossword puzzles. And, in service to her passion as a writer, reams of lined notebook paper really get her going.

Indeed, White has written a new book, If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t). It’s a chipper, hop-scotching meditation on her life, loves and career — with lots of photos — that reads like a chat with the beloved star.

You wouldn’t ask, but ...

Betty White loves her fans and loves performing, but despite six decades in show biz, she still gets stage fright.

She doesn’t care for red-carpet events, and though she had a blast doing summer stock, she insists she’s nixed Broadway — three times.

“If you get into a Broadway show and it doesn’t work, you’re a failure,’’ she writes.

“And if it does work, you may be stuck for who knows how long. It just doesn’t sound great to me!’’

She loves — note the present tense — her late husband, quiz-show host Allen Ludden, who died from cancer in 1981.

And as everybody knows, she loves animals. Always has.

“During the Depression,’’ she writes, “my dad made radios to sell to make extra money. Nobody had any money to buy the radios, so he would trade them for dogs.

He built kennels in the backyard, and he cared for the dogs.’’

It was certainly no get-rich-quick scheme, but those pooches — numbering at times as many as 15 — made White’s happy childhood even happier.

Are there any critters she doesn’t like?

“No,’’ White quickly answers during a recent interview. “Anything with a leg on each corner.’’

Then what about snakes?

“Ohhh, I love snakes!’’

“ENGAGING...REMARKABLY SPRY AND LIGHTHEARTED!” – THE NEW YORK TIMES

HOW TO LIVE

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BUSTER, 101 YEARS OLD

See BETTY WHITE, page 35

In her new book, Betty White shares memories of her long television career, the love of her life Allen Ludden, and her passion for animals. Nearly 90, White is perhaps more popular — and working harder — than ever.

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34

J U L Y 2 0 1 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Old enough to know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good for them Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never tire of this story. It took place fered the troops â&#x20AC;&#x201D; most of whom were nearly a decade ago, on the Mall in down- well north of 80 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; fat-free and salt-free town Washington. snacks.

The occasion was a reunion Little packets of plain celof Americans who had served ery. Little finger sandwiches as soldiers during World War spread with hummus. Little II. Many on both sides of the clusters of wheat germ. age divide billed it as â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Not a single slab of salami Final Reunion for the Greatest was to be found. Or butter. Or Generation.â&#x20AC;? cupcakes. Just healthfulness, Thousands attended. Bob as far as the eye could see.

Dole spoke. Flags flew. Hugs I thought this was monuwere shared. Tears were mentally absurd. Grandpa HOW I SEE IT shed. had stood up to the entire GerBy Bob Levey And this odd little detail man Army, and now weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re reared its head. telling him he canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be trusted with a little At tables all over the Mall, volunteers of- egg salad?

BEACON BITS

July 18+

DIAL â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hâ&#x20AC;? FOR HITCHCOCK A free summer Hitchcock film series will be held on selected

Mondays at 6:30 p.m. in the Helen Hayes Gallery of the National Theatre, 13321 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. Vertigo will screen on July 18, Strangers on a Train on July 25, The Man Who Knew Too Much on Aug. 1 and Dial M for Murder on Aug. 8. Tickets are required and distributed 30 minutes prior to show time on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, go to www.nationaltheatre.org or call (202) 783-3372.

I fully expected to see dozens of letters to the editor in the ensuing days from former sergeants who said theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d made it this far and knew what was best for their arteries, thank you very much.

But if those letters ever got written or published, I never saw any. What I did see â&#x20AC;&#x201D; make that hear â&#x20AC;&#x201D; was many, many seniors telling me that the person who was wrong was not the former soldiers, and not the event organizers, but me.

One friend, whose father had fought in the Battle of the Bulge, said that Dadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aim at age 85 was the same as it had been at age 20: To live as long as he could. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nothing will help him live forever,â&#x20AC;? my friend told me. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t he guard his heart for as long as he can? After all, good health is about the choices you make every day.â&#x20AC;?

Another friend, a doctor, straddled both sides of the fence â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and then fell to the side where I was standing.

He agreed that a little salami wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have caused grandpa to expire on the spot.

He agreed that a little celebrating â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in any way that grandpa wanted â&#x20AC;&#x201D; was not only OK for grandpaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body, but good for grandpaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mental health, too.

But then he delivered a diatribe about how poorly his older patients eat. They think they can mainline ice cream as if

they were still 16, he told me.

They think they can routinely overeat and not face the consequences, he said.

And they fail to understand what got them to their 80s in the first place. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that they have such a stout constitution,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that they took care of themselves. Good rest. Good exercise.

Careful diets.â&#x20AC;? Reaching a ripe old age is an advertisement for caution, he said, not a chance to throw it to the winds.

A third friend joined me in Absurdistan.

He thought that â&#x20AC;&#x153;babying grandpaâ&#x20AC;? that day on the Mall was â&#x20AC;&#x153;disrespectful and unnecessary.â&#x20AC;?

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the same phenomenon youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see whenever younger people are around a much-older relative, my pal said. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll raise their voices as if the older person must be hard of hearing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; even when he isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.

Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll putter and hover around him as if he canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t still lift his fork â&#x20AC;&#x201D; even when he can. And theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll suggest a â&#x20AC;&#x153;pre-emptive strikeâ&#x20AC;? visit to the bathroom â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sometimes a mere five minutes after the poor codger has just been there.

Older people know their bodies better than anyone else, this friend said. We should let them alone and get out of their way.

See BOB LEVEY, page 36

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

Wicked From page 32 time she gets to the iconic, powerful act one ender “Defying Gravity,” she is going all out and fills the Opera House with rich mezzo-soprano tones.

But it is in the middle of act two where Roscioli’s power-packed approach makes the biggest difference. In the anthem “No Good Deed,” Elphaba realizes that all her good deeds have backfired and cannot change her renown as “wicked.”

Bitterly accepting this status, reveling in it, Roscioli’s Elphaba explodes with energy which makes this song replace the more positive “Defying Gravity” as the show’s musical high point.

A bubbly good witch Cooper’s voice is not nearly as strong, but as the role is more comedic than dramatic, it’s OK. She’s positively effervescent in “Popular,” a funny song that nevertheless has a few witty barbs.

Cooper keeps Galinda/Glinda’s bubbly charm in check just enough to allow for some emotional growth, which significantly aids in reaching a soaring emotional pinnacle.

Most of the other roles are dutifully performed, with no real standouts.

Director Joe Mantello, a two-time Tony winner, allows the dramatic tension to build, while keeping his 37-member ensemble active and engaged. The cast goes easy on the political barbs that Holzman couldn’t resist (dropping a house on a witch is referred to as “regime change”).

They negotiate their way over, around and through the various intricate set pieces from designer Eugene Lee that exemplify industrial age wonders. That would seem to be homage to creator L. Frank Baum and the era in which his Wizard of Oz originally appeared.

The set, with its meshing gears motif, often appears to be much like the inner workings of machinery or time-pieces, and Wayne Cilento’s practical choreography

makes the most of the challenging spaces.

With constant set changes, special effects and dramatically dynamic lighting from Kenneth Posner, Oz and environs make wonderful eye candy indeed. Especially if green is your favorite color.

The music is a bit disappointing. On opening night, there was a 20-piece orchestra, an amalgam of a small touring core of musicians augmented by members of the Opera House Orchestra. But the sound is relatively thin, with heavy emphasis on keyboard synthesis that gives some of the music a grating artificial tone.

Loving the MGM film undoubtedly adds several layers of emotional resonance to seeing this show. Seeing a few scenes and several familiar characters in an entirely new way allows us to build on the feelings we already may hold.

But with its themes of acceptance and tolerance, powerful lead performances, a spectacular Broadway-level staging, and some engaging tunes, this trip to Oz is one that can be just as enjoyable for grandkids

35

and grandparents alike.

Wicked continues through August 21 at the Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St., NW in Washington DC. Tickets range from $37 to $250. They are on sale at the Kennedy Center Box Office, by calling Instant Charge at (202) 4674600, or online at www.kennedy-center.org/tickets. Weeknight performances offer the best availability for tickets. The Kennedy Center offers standing room only tickets for $35 at sold-out performances.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with matinee shows at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. There will be special audio-described performances Wednesday, July 6 at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 27 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, July 29 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, July 30 at 1:30 p.m. A signed and captioned performance is scheduled for Tuesday, July 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Michael Toscano is the Beacon’s theater critic.

BEACON BITS

Betty White From page 33 “Sometimes they didn’t get along with me,’’ she acknowledges, mentioning her “Golden Girls’’ co-star, the late Bea Arthur.

“I don’t know what I ever did to Bea. She

just didn’t like me. And I loved her and admired her work. But I made it my business to stay out of her way.

“I just make it my business to get along with people so I can have fun,’’ she sums up, with a dimpled smile. “It’s that simple.’’

— AP

July 22

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK

Attend a free performance of As You Like It performed by the Maryland Shakespeare Festival on Friday and Saturday, July 22 & 23 at 8 p.m. The play will be performed at City Hall Concert Pavilion, 31 S. Summit Ave., Gaithersburg, Md. For more information, call (301) 258-6350 or see www.gaithersburgmd.gov/onstage.

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

Letters to Editor

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

From page 2 [Editor’s Note: Have other readers had a poor experience with FIOS sales representatives, either door-to-door or on the phone? If so, please call the Beacon at (301) 949-9766 or e-mail us at info@thebeaconnewspapers.com and leave your name and number so we may contact you for more information.]

Dear Editor: I love your paper! I am always eagerly waiting to read the next issue, and especially the articles on money, health, Nutrition Wise, Dear Pharmacist and travel.

However, I was astounded beyond belief when I picked up the Dec. 2010 issue and saw the image of a female with all of those tattoos on her arms on the front page (“Making their mark with body art”).

Several of my lunch friends and I were outraged because most of us, your readers, are conservative (I would think), and we would appreciate articles that would reflect our personality, character, lifestyle and interests.

Please do not waste valuable space in the Beacon to write about something so tasteless and of no interest to most senior citizens.

Polly Allan Springfield, Va. Dear Editor: Recently, I came across the June issue of the Beacon, and I really enjoyed one particular article, “Don’t Let Your Clutter Boss You Around” by Fiona Morrissey. It was informative and a real riot to read.

My husband and I tried out Fiona’s “interrogation” method on one of his overstuffed closets. It worked! We managed to part with a lot of his excess clothing. I was delighted!

Avril Garland Vienna, Va.

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

s a ft! e ak gi M eat gr

Bob Levey

Beacon The

I N

F O C U S

F O R

P E O P L E

OV E R

From page 34

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NEWS & FEATURES • LAW & MONEY • FITNESS & HEALTH LEISURE & TRAVEL • ARTS & STYLE • VOLUNTEERS & CAREERS We are pleased to offer both First-Class and Third-Class subscriptions:

$36/year via First Class Mail* $12/year via Third Class Mail* Please send my subscription to:

If a guy is in his 80s, he has probably ingested more than 500 cupcakes in his life, my friend pointed out. Are we really going to saddle up the Correctness Police to prevent him from having his 501st?

That noise you just heard was my engines shifting into reverse. I have vacated Absurdistan and taken up residence in Realistic-stan.

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The right answer that day on the Mall was obviously to offer two kinds of snacks to our brave (and aging) vets: those little packets of fat-free virtue, but also all the salami that a grateful nation could find.

Give grandpa a choice. He has made many in his life — more than those of us who are younger. Don’t treat him like an invalid or a toy poodle. Give him a way to own the day — and all the rest of his days.

Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

JAZZ, SWING AND MORE The historic Henley Park Hotel presents live jazz in its Blue Bar

Lounge every Saturday from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Performances feature singer Nancy Scimone, who has entertained at the Kennedy Center, the National Zoo and the Carlyle Club. The Henley Park is located at 926 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. There is no cover charge. To learn more about the Henley Park, call (202) 638-5200 or visit www.HenleyPark.com. More on Nancy Scimone can be found at www.NancyScimone.com.

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

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

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.

Business & Employment Opportunities LICENSED MASSAGE THERAPISTS Experienced Licensed Massage Therapists; 5+ years experience; 3+ years geriatric/dementia/ Alzheimer’s/oncology massage work; licensed in Maryland or D.C. Forward resume to: jobs@legacytherapeuticmassage.com.

PUBLISHER NEAR SILVER SPRING Metro seeks phone sales staff for national news service. 15-30 weekday hours. Friendly, “older” office. $10/hour +15-25% commission. 301-588-6380 x 281. jobs@cdpublications.com.

PATIENTS SAVE 10% - 85% on prescriptions at 60,000 pharmacies nationwide pets included.

For free prescription discount card call 240-4063845 to make money passing out free pharmacy discount cards call 1-800-480-2095 then call Rob at 240-406-3845.

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Business & Employment Opportunities MYSTERY SHOPPERS! Earn up to $150 daily.

Get paid to shop pt/ft. Call now 800-690-1272.

PROCESS Mail! Pay Weekly! FREE Supplies!

Bonuses! Genuine! Helping Homeworkers since 1992! Call 1-888-302-1522 www.howtoworkfromhome.com.

LOVING HOME CARE “Care you can trust and afford.” Companionship, hygiene care, meal preparation, housekeeping, errands, shopping, doctor’s appointments. Loving, dependable caregivers for FT/PT or Live-In care. Call: 301-4901146. www.lovinghomecare.org.

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.

VERY RELIABLE, compassionate, aide, 20 years experience, available now. M-F, FT/PT, Live I/O. CNA, GNA, MedTech licensed. Very punctual and caring. Please call 410-680-6047.

FRANTZ COMMUNITY SERVICES. Providing a reliable group home for people with disabilities while enabling them to live as full members of their communities. If you are in need and want the comforts of home, call us at 240-701-4986.

CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT Licensed

by Board of Nursing. Seeking to work Monday through Friday day or night. Excellent references from top agencies. Please call 240-304-0448.

CAREGIVER would like to volunteer a few hours a week in assisted living home in Temple Hills area only. Bus line a plus. Hours Monday-TuesdayWednesday, part-time 10 to 1:30 PM. Call Patricia at 301-449-3651. Call during the hours of 9 to 5 PM only during week. Do not call on weekends.

2011 POSTAL POSITIONS $13.00-$36.50+/hr., Federal hire/full benefits. Call Today! 1-866-4774953 Ext. 150.

CARING, COMPASSIONATE, CAREGIVER, seeking to work with the elderly. 7 years experience, excellent references available on request. Contact Cheryl @ phone. 954-608-7376 or 202-635-2371.

ACTORS/MOVIE EXTRAS - $150-$300/Day depending on job. No experience. All looks needed. 1-800-281-5185-A103.

CAREGIVER SEEKS full-time or part-time position day/night or weekend. Experienced, excellent references. Please call 240-475-1951.

AIRLINES ARE HIRING - Train for high paying Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified - Housing available CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance (866)4536204.

DRS,LLC - 16 Day Company Sponsored CDL Training. No Experience Needed, Guaranteed Employment! 1-800-991-7531 www.CDLTrainingNow.com.

EARN $1000’S WEEKLY Receive $12 every envelope Stuffed with sales materials. 24-hr. Information 1-800-682-5439 code 14.

FRAC SAND HAULERS with complete rigs only.

Relocate to Texas for Tons of work 1-800-397-2338.

Computer Services COMPUTER LESSONS – Personal Computer training at your home. Email, Internet, general computer use, and more. Learn at your own pace with gentle and patient tutor.We also fix computers, setup your new computer and troubleshoot. Working with Seniors since 1996. Ask about your Senior discount.

Call David, 301-762-2570, COMPUTERTUTOR. PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. HOME. BUSINESS. Call: D. Guisset at 301-642-4526.

INVESTORS - Outstanding and immediate returns in equipment leasing for frac industry. Immediate lease out. 1-800-397-2338.

LEGITIMATE 6 FIGURE INCOME potential working from home with your computer in the video communications field,1-800-385-9626.

MAKE $1,000 WEEKLY PAID IN ADVANCE! Mailing Our Brochures From Home. 100% Legit Income. Guaranteed! No Selling! Free Postage!

Full guidance & Support. Enroll Today! www.HelpMailing.com.

Entertainment PUT THE MUSIC YOU LOVE BACK IN YOUR LIFE! Enjoy live jazz and swing on the first Friday of the month at Hollywood East Café, Westfield Wheaton Shopping Mall, 7 to 10 PM. Listen to the Night & Day Combo perform the classic standard songs of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, from Cole Porter, Gershwin, et al. Great music, great food, no cover charge! http://nightanddaymusic.com/clubpage.html.

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD I F F Y L U L U K R A M T A I T T T R I P E U R O M E E T A P O S T A L C O I D E L U N C R E P N S A

From page 38.

B E L O A N A X E R V S F T O A S T I R L E I N D R E V G R A S S I D O M O D E R I D T A S E E H A T T I S E R T T R Y S

W E R A E R O E M S A P A N T A G I F F A T

Financial Services

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate

SENIOR HOMEOWNERS — NEED CASH? Or just lower monthly Mortgage Payments? Liberty Financial Services, Inc. (locally owned & operated since 1986) can reduce your mortgage payments or get you Cash for any reason. CALL BOB TODAY @ 301-312-6593 for a fast, no obligation quote..

LEISURE WORLD® - $185,000. 2BR 2FB E” model in “Villa Cortese”. Table space kitchen, enclosed balcony with view of trees and park. Extra storage. 1350 sq ft. Stan Moffson, 301-928-3463.

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate

Caregivers

S P F E S E Z I E R P L O A S I S N I T Y D R A T A E R R S I M E S B E N M A A N Y S D D A Y E S P N

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LOOKING TO TAKE THE LEAP? I’ll take you on a tour of the community, show you floor plans, discuss campus amenities, & offer how to best coordinate your move. I will preview units & contact you with a match. I also offer exceptional service selling your home. I’m a Seniors Specialist, Buyer Broker, Top 1% of Agents Nationwide, and a Leisure World resident! You can see my current listings on page 20.

Contact me: 301-580-5556, SueHeyman@aol.com, www.SueHeyman.com, Weichert, Realtors.

LEISURE WORLD® - $119,500. 2BR 1FB “Hampton” model with access to Broadwalk. Wood floors, upgraded carpet, recent updates. 1200 sq ft.

Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $114,900. 2BR + sitting room 2FB “Warfield Deluxe” rarely available, cathedral ceilings, new paint, table space kitchen. 1136 sq ft, Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $84,900. 1BR 1-1/2FB “Elizabeth” model. Recently renovated. New appliances, custom window treatments, view of trees. 1308 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $58,500. 2BR 1FB “Carlyle” model coop. Renovated, new appliances, new windows. 1035 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $89,000. 1BR 1FB “A” in “Greens”. New paint and carpet, view of trees enclosed balcony, close to elevator. 850 sq ft.

Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $219,000. 2BR + den, 2FB “R” model in “Fairways”. Ceramic tile enclosed balcony, table space kitchen, garage parking, new carpet. 1420 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors,301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $109,000. 2BR 2FB “Riviera” model. Loaded with extras and upgrades, covered carport parking. 1273 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $113,900. 2BR 2FB “F” in “Greens”. Close to elevator, table space kitchen enclosed balcony, extra storage, golf course view. 1120sq ft, Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - RENTAL - $1150. 1BR 1FB “A” in “Fairways” with hardwood floors, golf course view, close to the elevator. 850 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $96,000 2BR 2FB “E” model in “Greens”. Garage. Close to elevator. Enclosed balcony. Garage $20,000 extra. 990 sq ft.

Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $174,471. 2BR 2FB 1HB “Berkeley Condo.” Upgraded throughout, golf course view. New windows, new HVAC. 1445 sq. ft. Stan Moffson, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $159,900. 2BR +den 2FB. “One of a Kind” with garage. Table space kitchen, close to Club House, 1264 sq ft. Stan Moffson 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $289,000. 3BR 2-1/2BA “M” in the “Greens” with Garage, Table space kitchen with window, extra storage. 1530 sq ft.

Stan Moffson 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $429,000. 3BR 2FB “JJ” model in “Overlook” with lots of extras, marble foyer, crown molding, custom closets, upgraded kitchen. Golf Course view and Garage. 1560 sq ft. Stan Moffson 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD, 800 sf beautiful one bedroom condo. Updated kitchen, bathroom and flooring. Ground level walk-out, enclosed sunroom. Great for small pet! $61,900. Barbara Michaluk 240-506-2434, Weichert.

LEISURE WORLD Turnberry Courts condo 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, indoor garage parking.

Close to elevator, 9’ ceilings, enclosed sunroom, spacious living room, separate dining room.

Kitchen with plenty of cabinets, granite and window. $182,900. Barbara Michaluk 240-5062434, Weichert.

LEISURE WORLD, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo Warfield model. Open living room and dining area. Table space kitchen, updated appliances. Enclosed sunporch. Full washer and dryer in utility room. $94,900 Barbara Michaluk 240-506-2434, Weichert.

ROOM FOR RENT in private townhome in Longmead Crossing, (Layhill/Belpre area) utilities included, private bath, w/d, Internet access, furnished, $675 per month. Female only. Contact emptynester14@yahoo.com.

LUXURY CONDO, LeisureWorld Sunny, fully furnished, 2BR, 2FB, sunporch, great view, all amenities, gated, great location, transportation.

Turnberry Courts. Available, immediately, $1395/month, utilities not included. Email: JMLtheater@aol.com. 978-810-5618.

L WORLD — GREENS #3 — Rent with option to buy. Gorgeous 1BR, modern updated kitchen & bath with walk out to wonderful outdoor patio. Perfect for pet owners & gardeners. $1,110/month. Call Fred @ 301-343-4485. ***FREE Foreclosure Listings*** OVER 400,000 properties nationwide. Low down payment. Call now 800-250-2043.

AVAILABLE NOW!!! 2-4 Bedroom homes Take Over Payments No Money Down/No Credit Check Call 1-888-269-9192 .

STOP RENTING Lease option to buy Rent to own No money down No credit check 1-877-3950321.

Classifieds cont. on p. 39.

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, offer a personal service, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $15 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word.

Commercial Party Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing commercial business enterprise. Each ad is $35 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word.

Note: Each real estate listing counts as one commercial ad.

The Beacon, Classified Dept.

P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227

Send your classified ad with check or money order, payable to the Beacon, to:

For information about display advertising, or to request a media kit, call (301) 949-9766.

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Puzzle Page

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

Crossword Puzzle Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Unnecessary Sequels

by Stephen Sherr 1

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JUMBLE ANSWERS

27

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Scrabble answers on p. 37.

10 15

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Across

Down

1. Questionable 5. Maryland, relative to the Mason-Dixon line 10. Lotion level 13. Humdinger 14. Tin Man prop 15. Dir. from Winnipeg to Montreal 16. Sequel where Dustin Hoffman moves up to a higher weight class 20. Tit tradeoff 21. Star-Spangled contraction 22. Arafat’s grp.

23. Addams Family cousin 25. Bustling 29. Desert relief spot 31. Sequel where Fred MacMurray tries for a bigger payout 34. Currency of 33 Down 35. Push down on the accelerator 36. Gloomy 37. Swimming tournament 38. Comprehend 40. Pro ___ 44. “___ was going to St. Ives...”

46. “___ deer” (octet starter) 47. Drops a pop-up 48. Sequel where Charlie Chaplin loses his objectivity 53. It can make cans 54. GI’s necklace 55. Its Big in London 56. Suffix with chlor or fluor 57. “I joined the Navy to ___ the world...”

59. Philanthropist Hogg 61. Sequel where Audrey Hepburn stays hungry 68. Gym unit 69. Mattress maker 70. June 6, 1944 71. Federal cryptologic org.

72. Rendezvous 73. WNBA broadcaster

1. Variety 2. Polar bear protection 3. Reason to call AAA 4. 3:10 to ___ (1957 film remade 50 years later) 5. Saloon 6. USPS delivery 7. Deck the Halls syllables 8. The oldest English university 9. Existed 10. “Oh yeah? ___ who?”

11. Pair of pitchfork letters 12. Experience the wind 17. Bibliography abbrev.

18. Fragrance 19. Optimistic 23. Grocery store unit 24. Like a non-fiction story 26. Director Leone 27. Stadium level 28. Attacked a nation 30. Nobel winner Sakharov 32. Tough word for Dan Quayle to spell 33. 2010 World Cup champion 39. Separate laundry into piles 41. Protesters’ labels 42. Trap a cat 43. One of the A’s in NCAA or NAACP 45. Send to smithereens 48. Beach toy 49. Archaeologist’s discovery 50. Play parts 51. The Biggest Loser contestant 52. End-of-the-week exclamation 58. Direction from Eden to Nod 60. Manufactured 62. Tax maven (abbrev.)

63. “Don’t give up!”

64. The third part of 52 Down 65. Jack Sprat’s restriction 66. Jabber on 67. Ant. antonym

Answers on page 37.

Jumble Answers Jumbles: LINGO CHAIR CUPFUL MAGNET Answer: The accountant was hired because he was CALCULATING

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

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For Sale

Personal Services

Wanted

Wanted

KING DAVID MEMORIAL GARDENS 2 plots available. Block 21, prime location. 60% less than KDMG retail price. Call Stan at: 301983-1510.

RESTLESS ROVER? We’ll be right over! Personalized, professional pet care in your home or ours. Experienced with all domestic animals.

Senior discount. PRECIOUS PALS 301-2370265.

WANTED: ANTIQUE ELECTRONICS, radio tubes, ham radios, tube HIFI amps; huge old speakers, vinyl records, scientific curiosities, antique computers, calculators. 202-527-9501.

ESTATE BUY-OUTS ESTATE CLEANOUTS Single piece or entire estate, real estate prep, trash hauling. The Attic, LLC. Licensed, Bonded, Insured. MD/DC/VA. 301-520-0755.

CASH FOR RECORDS & CDs. BEST PRICE GUARANTEED. Free appraisals. All types of music, 33, 45, 78 & CDs. Call Steve 301-6465403. Will make House Calls.

CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. We make house calls. Ask for Tom or Katherine. Call anytime 301-654-8678.

STAMP COLLECTIONS, AUTOGRAPHS purchased/appraised – U.S., worldwide, covers, paper memorabilia. Stamps are my specialty – highest price paid! Appraisals. Phone Alex, 301309-6637. Stampex1@gmail.com.

SILVER, top dollar for your old sterling flatware, bowls, candle-sticks, plates, etc. Condition unimportant. Please call Richard 301-646-0101 or 301-230-7686.

DIRECT TO HOME Satellite TV $24.99/mo.

FREE installation, FREE HD/DVR upgrade.

New customers - NO ACTIVATION FEE! Credit/Debit Card Req. Call 1-800-795-3579.

DIRECTV Lowest Price! ALL FREE: HBO|Cinemax|Starz|Showtime for 3mo + FREE NFL Sunday Ticket w/Choice Ultimate + HD/DVR Upgrade! From $29.99/mo Call by 7/7/11! 1-888-420-9466.

DISH NETWORK PACKAGES start $24.99/mo FREE HD for life! FREE BLOCKBUSTER® movies (3 months.) Call1-800-915-9514.

Miscellaneous SEEKING INFORMATION on companies interested in purchasing a Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Policy (FEGLI). Value under $50,000. E-mail: Mgeneva@aol.com.

H AT S B Y H A B E R M E N ’ S H AT S www.hatalog.com. Borsalino, Stetson, Dobbs, Biltmore felt, straw fedoras, caps, rainhats. All sizes and colors. Cleaning, blocking. Drop in: Sunday through Thursday 1 to 4 p.m. Other times and Fridays by appointment. 11226 Bybee Street, Kemp Mill, Silver Spring, MD 20902. 301649-2676. email: hathaber@gildahaber.com.

Personals *CORRECT EMAIL* WOULD LIKE TO MEET Caucasian lady, about 60-65 or so, nonsmoker, non-drinker, quiet type, low-key, easy going, not hyperactive, good quiet sense of humor.

Home person, no bars or clubs, who likes quiet moments alone with two, walking in parks, around lakes, visiting museums, some malls, historic places, and scenic places, and who lives in the Takoma Park or Silver Spring area. I am mid70’s, non-smoker, non-drinker, low-key, easy going, good quiet sense of humor, same likes as above. American, born in W.VA., retired Federal Government worker, own nice home. I am tall slim build, not handsome…but mirror only cracks about once a month while I am shaving. Love to do little things to make a lady happy and contented. One other thing, I am not Caucasian if that matters to you. Contact me at billhwv@aol.com.

TOP CASH FOR CARS, Any Car/Truck, Running or Not. Call for INSTANT offer: 1-800-454-6951 .

I’M IN SEARCH OF a strong man with soft spaces inside a warm loving and open heart — a man who travels on paths with a heart. I want love as big as an ocean in perceptual motion. I seek a man who is very attentive, affectionate, kind gentle, caring, down to earth, great cuddler, supportive, good conversationalist and good listener, best friend, honest, single, not romantically involved, emotionally stable, well groomed, easy going, funny but with a serious side, loyal, trust worthy, appreciative of my creative nature, and non-smoker. You need not be wealthy but reasonably generous and you must keep your promises, likes to do the usual dating things (movies, walks, drinks, coffee and conversation, dining out, etc). I want an exclusive relationship if chemistry is right. ME: Exceptionally attractive, (55+) female, early retired, widow. I have all the above personal characteristics. Please don’t answer this ad unless you have most or all qualities as outlined. A real plus if you give me flowers occasionally. Bobbie 301-439-0833.

Personal Services

Vacation Opportunities

ATTENTION: BEACH PEOPLE, the Casey Delivery services Maryland/Delaware/ & New England beaches, 1st week of June thru Oct. 15th, 2011. Small or large loads. Our 32nd year.

Call Paul, 301-351-3840 cell.

SELL/RENT YOUR TIMESHARE FOR CASH!!! Our Guaranteed Services will Sell/ Rent Your Unused Timeshare for CASH! Over $95 Million Dollars offered in 2010! www.BuyATimeshare.com Call (888) 879-6312.

ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from home.

Medical, Business, Paralegal, Accounting, Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial aid if qualified. Call 800494-3586 www.CenturaOnline.com.

DONATE YOUR CAR. FREE TOWING. “Cars for Kids”. Any condition. Tax deductible outreachcenter.com, 1-800-597-9411.

PREGNANT? CONSIDERING ADOPTION? You choose from families nationwide. LIVING EXPENSES PAID. Abby’s One True Gift Adoptions. 866-413-6292, 24/7 Void/Illinois.

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, GUITARS, BANJOS, MANDOLINS, ETC. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack (301) 279-2158.

P.F. CASEY’S TRANSPORTATION CO, frequent trips to N.Y.C. Moving work, Harvard Square, Maine, N.H. Small loads welcome, chandeliers, Tiffany, Remington, 12/20 PC. Settings.

Call 301-351-3850 Paul for details.

WE PAY CASH for antique furniture, quality used furniture, early American art, pottery, silver, glassware, paintings, etc. Single items to entire estates. Call Reggie or Phyllis at DC 202726-4427, MD 301-332-4697.

WILL TYPE YOUR MEMOIRS, manuscripts, etc. For info and rates, call 703-671-1854.

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.

EASY BUSINESS RÉSUMÉS Short résumés, cover letters, typed references. 16 years experience. Marty – mfixman@aol.com 703-768-5254, 9a.m. – 10p.m.

PARALEGAL: Experienced in trusts, estates and will preparation and other paperwork. Call 301-565-2917.

VAN MAN – For your driving needs. Shopping, appointments, pick-up and deliver – airport van. Call Mike 301-565-4051.

MOTHER WILL DRIVE YOU to your appointments, do your shopping, clean your house, cooking, personal assistant. Do you need to plan an event? Also does Elder Care. Honest, reasonable rate, and references provided. 240-595-7467.

MOVING SERVICES Local – Long distance – Hauling. $80.00 per hour for two men. Big jobs – Small jobs. Insured-bonded-licensed. www.continentalmovers.net. 202-438-1489 / 301-340-0602. Cmora53607@msn.com.

HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES. Compare my price before you sell! Serving entire metro area. Call for a free consultation, and professional service. I will purchase one piece or your entire estate. Including Furniture, Artwork, Glassware, Jewelry, Rugs, Costume, Gold and Silver, Watches, Sterling Items, Flatware, Lladro & Hummel Figurines, All Military Items, Guns, Swords, Helmets, Bayonets, Medals, Scout Items, Clocks, Music Boxes, Toys, Baseball Memorabilia, Trains, All String Instruments, Including Guitars, Banjos, Mandolins, Fishing Rods and Reels, Lures, Historical Items, American tools, Posters, Outside Iron Furniture. I am a very reputable dealer with two locations in Silver Spring and Bowie, MD. Please call Christopher Keller 301-408-4751 or 301-262-1299. Thank you.

HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUES, ESTATES. FREE evaluations and house calls.

We pay the most for your valuable treasures because we get the most money on eBay – the worldwide Internet. Serving entire metro area – Maryland, Washington, DC, Northern Virginia.

Buying the following items – furniture, art, paintings, silver, gold, old coins, jewelry, vintage wristwatches, military items, including guns, rifles, swords, daggers, knives, musical instruments, guitars, violins, banjos, old toys, dolls, trains, old golf clubs, baseball, football, tennis equipment and memorabilia, old fishing, tools, books, photographs, comic books. I am a resident of Silver Spring. 20 years experience.

Please call Tom 240-476-3441. Thank you.

CASH PAID FOR ARTWORK including paintings, prints and sculpture before 1980 including Chinese and African-American artwork.

301-891-0979, capandbells1@yahoo.com.

HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES– Old and good quality furniture, glass, pottery, china, paintings, art, toys, advertising, costume and high-grade jewelry, gold, silver, silver flatware, wind-up watches, clocks, dolls, musical instruments, music boxes, sports & paper memorabilia, sterling, fishing, hunting, rugs, lamps, Hummels, political, rock & roll memorabilia, posters, military items, helmets, guns, swords, bayonets, medals, weapons, guitars, banjos, prints, art, sculptures, Lladro, bronzes, trains, fishing rod reels & lures, cast iron outdoor furniture, hi-grade American made tools, presentation and other unusual items.

Purchasing one piece or entire estates. I have over 30 years experience and I am a very ethical dealer located in Bowie, Md. Also a permanent vendor at Eastern Market in Southeast Washington, DC on Sundays. Please call Mike Keller, (301) 731-0982 or (301) 742-5031.

CASH PAID for unexpired, sealed DIABETIC TEST STRIPS - up to $17/Box! Shipping paid. Sara 1-800-371-1136. www.cash4diabeticsupplies.com .

WANTED JAPANESE MOTORCYCLES KAWASAKI 1970-1980 Z1-900, KZ900, KZ 1000, H2-750, H1-500, S1-250, S2-250, S2-350, S3-400 CASH. 1-800-772-1142, 1-310-721-0726 usa@classicrunners.com.

WANTED DIABETES TEST STRIPS Any kind/brand. Unexpired up to $18.00. Shipping Paid Hablamos espanol 1-800-266-0702 www.selldiabeticstrips.com.

Thanks for reading!

BEACON BITS

DO YOU HAVE A NOVEL IN YOU? Award winning writer with 25 years experience will help you write, edit, and help find agents and publishers for your work of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or your memoir. Hourly rate reduced for senior citizens. Phone Jack Ryan at 703-5601015, or email to jryan12558@aol.com.

WOW! GREAT HAIRCUT at a great price!

Professional family hair salon conveniently located in Bethesda, MD. State board certified.

Call 240-432-7211.

VINYL RECORDS WANTED from the 20s through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections preferred. Please call John, 301-596-6201.

Wanted

OLD HIFI, STEREO EQUIPMENT PreAmps, Amplifiers, Tuners, Large Old Speakers, James B Lancing, Altec, Tannoy, Quad, Basement-Garage-Attic. Honest Pricing. Please Call Alan 240-478-1100.

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

July 12

CAREGIVER SWEEPSTAKES

Home Instead Senior Care is sponsoring a family caregiver sweepstakes. Prizes include a cruise to the Caribbean and a laptop computer. Caregivers, as well as their friends and families, can visit the sweepstakes webpage before the July 14 deadline to enter or nominate someone for the drawing, which will take place July 22. To enter, visit http://cruise.caregiverstress.com.

July 8+

A STORIED SHOW

Maryland storyteller Ellouise Schoettler celebrates her 75th year with a new one-woman show that tells the story of a multi-generational family. In Finding Gus, Schoettler blends genealogy research, oral history, family folklore and storytelling into an intriguing spoken-word collage as part of the Capital Fringe Festival. Performances are Friday, July 8 at 6 p.m., Saturday, July 9 at 2:15 p.m., Wednesday, July 20 at 6 p.m., Friday, July 22 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, July 24 at 4 p.m. at the Goethe Institute, 812 7th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. Tickets are $17. For more information, see www.capitalfringe.org or call 1866-811-4111.

July 9+

RESTON FESTIVAL

This year the annual Reston Festival focuses on “Reston Through the Decades,” with separate areas for the 1960s, ‘70s, ‘80s and the ‘90s and beyond. The festival will take place on Saturday, July 9 from 11 a.m. to midnight and Sunday, July 10 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, see www.restonfestival.com, e-mail info@restonfestival.com or call (703) 435-7989.

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