July 2011 Baltimore Beacon Edition

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Mind your own business, kids

I N S I D E …

PHOTO BY FRANK KLEIN

By Carol Sorgen and Stuart Rosenthal The little town has a lovely central square surrounded by shops with well-known logos above their doors. There’s a local bank, radio station, office supply, pizza shop, newspaper, insurance agency and more.

Each day, the 100 or so “employees” who arrive around 9 a.m. to run the show in all these businesses are 5th and 6th grade students from public schools throughout Baltimore.

Welcome to BizTown. An ingenious, hands-on experience r un by Junior Achievement of Central Maryland inside its Owings Mills office.

With the help of numerous volunteers, many old enough to be their grandparents, more than 24,000 elementary school students spend a day at this facility every year, emerging with a better understanding of what the work world is really like.

The local BizTown is one of only a couple dozen such facilities around the U.S. created by Junior Achievement (JA), the worldwide nonprofit dedicated to teaching students about business.

Kids who get to spend a day at BizTown have already experienced a four-week curriculum prepared by JA but taught by their regular teacher. Students learn about the different roles employees play in companies, as well as how to keep a checkbook, make a deposit, and prepare and keep a budget.

The goal is to expose them to the basics of financial literacy, work readiness and the concept of entrepreneurship — what JA calls “the economics of life.”

“As students strive to create a balanced budget, they begin to understand the value of money, and make the connection between hard work, education, and their future earnings,” said Kaitlin Bowman, JA’s Capstone Director.

In 1957, JA brought its first programs to Baltimore, in which groups of high school students spent one evening a week running their own miniature companies under the tutelage of volunteer local businesspersons.

The students raised their operating capital by selling stock, selected and made their own products, and sold them door-to-door, ending the year by paying off their “in-

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Business gurus Al Homiak and Karen Gibbs take a seat in the “park” at Junior Achievement’s BizTown, where they will help 100 fifth and sixth grade students get a taste of the work world. The kids spend a day at the simulated city, where they try their hand as employees, earn and cash a paycheck, and go shopping at stores run by their fellow students.

vestors” with any profits of the operation.

McCormick & Company, Black & Decker, BGE, First National Bank, WITH-FM and Northrop Grumman were among the program’s early supporters.

Over the years, JA dropped the yearlong high school program and focused on in-school programs with experiential components like BizTown for elementary school students and one called Finance Park for middle schoolers. Only recently has the organization revived the high school business model.

“We believe every child deserves an education in economics and finances in order to inspire and prepare them for success in a global economy,” said Bowman.

Volunteers are key The staff at JA gives much of the credit for the program’s success to the volunteers of all ages who help run BizTown and help teachers in the classroom. Some are alumni of JA from their own school days. Others are just “giving back” while they continue to work, or during retirement.

Karen Gibbs, for example, has had a lifelong passion for finance from the time she was 3 years old and ran her own cardboard “corner store.”

Gibbs’ entire career has revolved around financial literacy — from her days

See JR. ACHIEVEMENT, page 11

ARTS & STYLE

A mid-life author laments the aging of her formerly hot self; plus, live theatre abounds this summer, and Oprah surprises a local nonprofit page 16

FITNESS & HEALTH k Why we cry k Popular drugs going generic

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LAW & MONEY k Index funds gain ground k An upside to pricey gas?

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LEISURE & TRAVEL k Mystical Morocco

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Can we all come out ahead?

Most of us who have held jobs at one So I was intrigued to see a study retime or another have contributed to both leased in January by the Urban Institute, a Social Security and Medicare nonpartisan think tank in out of every paycheck. So let Washington, D.C., that estime ask you a question. mates how much typical Do you think of Social Seworkers will pay into, and get curity and Medicare as an “inout of, Social Security and vestment,” like stocks or Medicare during their lifebonds in your portfolio? That times. is, do you consider yourself to The economists who prehave invested a percentage of pared the estimates ran the your paycheck, throughout numbers for single male and your working life, in the ex- FROM THE female workers as well as for pectation that the govern- PUBLISHER one-earner and two-earner ment will pay that money By Stuart P. Rosenthal couples, all earning the averback to you — plus interest age wage.

— over the course of your retirement?

They also ran the numbers for four difNot long ago, I spoke to a group of well- ferent generations —those retiring in educated and sophisticated older adults 1960, 1980, 2010 and 2030 — to get a picand the subject came up. A number of ture of how costs and benefits changed them seemed to feel that they had proba- over time. bly paid in “two or three times as much” in They then adjusted all the numbers to Social Security taxes as they would likely present dollars (so they could be reasonreceive in benefits. ably compared), netted them of Medicare They also weren’t too happy about their premiums paid, and — this is interesting rising Medicare premiums and the cost of — calculated the total of all contributions supplemental Medigap insurance. They as if they were invested each year at an inseemed to feel they were getting the short terest rate of inflation plus 2 percent. end of the stick.

The results (based on these and other

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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 rest 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, and even with the assumed interest earnings.

Of course, you might have expected that result for people retiring back in 1960, since Medicare didn’t even begin until 1965. In most cases, those lucky enough to have retired in that year 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 businessman who 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.

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 the difference to keep the programs self-sustaining.

But there are a number of factors at present that raise the prospect of growing problems in the future. Among them are declining payroll tax collections (due to the recession), a shrinking workforce, a ballooning federal deficit, ever-lengthening life expectancies, and the pending retirement of 68 million baby boomers, which will nearly double the number of beneficiaries in the programs.

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.

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or e-mail to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

Dear Editor: As I turned 89 years old yesterday, I am especially appreciative of your concern and advocacy for our elders. While employed for 15 years with CARE (Baltimore City Commission on Aging and Retirement Education), I was involved with developing programs, conducting retirement education classes and serving as public information officer of the Commission.

Thus, I am very mindful of the Baltimore Beacon’s valuable “focus on people over 50.” I anxiously await each issue and

rely upon your publication for its wonderful, educational feature articles; the publisher’s ever insightful columns; the latest research; community activities information; travel stories to expand our horizons; and, one of my favorites, the crossword puzzles, with answers available should we falter.

You help us keep alert in mind, body and spirit, for which we older folks are eternally grateful.

Betty Samuels Seidel Baltimore

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Health Fitness &

SAVING EYESIGHT AND MONEY A cheaper drug proves just as good in treating macular degeneration SLEEP MORE TO WEIGH LESS Get seven hours of sleep or more each night to help control your weight CALCIUM CONCERNS A recent study found supplements can raise the risk of heart attacks NEVER HAD CHILDREN? UMBC researchers want to interview women over 65 without children

Why we cry: studying a most human trait We expect babies and children to cry, but U.S. House Speaker John Boehner’s well-chronicled weepiness is a reminder that adults (including menfolk) shed plenty of tears, too.

Grief, personal conflict and feelings of inadequacy are among the main reasons, but grown-ups also fill buckets at weddings, graduations and reunions because they are so happy.

Having a good cry every now and then may not be a bad idea. But crying too easily — or for no apparent reason — can be a symptom of brain damage from a neurological condition like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease) or multiple strokes.

Crying is a big topic in scientific research today. Here’s a quick rundown on three areas of investigation.

Crying and tears Other animals whimper in distress, but humans are believed to be the only species wired so that strong emotions provoke the

shedding of tears. Dr. William H. Frey II, an Alzheimer’s researcher in St. Paul, Minn., who has studied tears as a sideline, reported in the early 1980s that tears provoked by emotion contain higher levels of proteins and the mineral manganese than the normal teary fluid that protects and lubricates our eyes.

Earlier this year, Israeli researchers reported results in the journal Science that suggested tears are capable of sending chemical signals.

They conducted an experiment that involved having men sniff both women’s tears (collected from women who watched sad movies) and a saline solution.

They couldn’t distinguish between them by smell, but other tests showed that the men reacted differently to a whiff of the real tears. Their testosterone levels dipped, and brain scans showed less activity in areas associated with sexual arousal. The researchers’ theory: women’s tears may counteract men’s aggressive tendencies.

Others, including Darwin himself, have

speculated on the role of tears in evolution and natural selection. Tears, it has been said, are a clear signal of vulnerability, so they may have helped create emotional bonds that kept human communities together and therefore conferred some reproductive advantages.

Crying to feel better Strong emotions bring on crying, but crying also often seems to release built-up stress and tension. The notion that crying may have a beneficial cathartic effect goes back to the Greeks and Romans, and Freud wrote about a large part of an emotion disappearing if it’s expressed.

Numerous surveys and questionnairebased studies show people believe they feel better after crying — and not just in this country.

Half of the respondents in a large international study (4,200 young adults from 30 countries) reported that they felt better mentally after crying, compared with how they felt beforehand. About 40 percent felt

the same, and the remaining 10 percent felt worse.

However, when researchers have studied crying in a laboratory setting, using sad movies to elicit tears (they call them tearjerkers for a reason), they’ve found just the opposite: Criers feel worse, not better, than noncriers exposed to the same stimulus.

There are any number of explanations for the inconsistency. People may feel bad right after crying, when lab measurements are made, but better about the episode as time goes on, particularly if beliefs about the benefits of “having a good cry” are widely held.

But perhaps the best and most obvious explanation for the discrepancy is that crying outside a lab setting is often done in a social context, and if other people respond with comforting words and gestures, we end up with some psychological reward for our tears.

Indeed, in the international survey, See TEARS, page 5

Popular brand-name drugs going generic Dear Savvy Senior: I’ve heard that the drug Lipitor and a few other popular brand name medications will soon be available in cheaper generic form. What can you tell me? — Frugal Senior Dear Frugal: It’s true. Generics for Lipitor and a slew of other brand name drugs will soon be coming down the pipeline, and the savings to consumers will be significant. Here’s what you should know.

Over the next two years, the patents of many top-selling brand name drugs will be expiring, clearing the path for lower-cost generics to take their place. One of the biggest is the cholesterol lowering drug Lipitor, which earned the pharmaceutical company Pfizer more than $5.3 billion in U.S. sales last year.

The patent for Lipitor ends in November, so starting on Nov. 30, 2011, generic manufacturer Ranbaxy Laboratories will have the exclusive right to sell Lipitor’s generic (Atorvastatin) in the U.S. for six months. At that point, other generic drug makers can enter the market to sell it.

Antacids, blood thinners and more immediately. Pharmaceutical companies or pharmacist or look it up online at sites Some other prominent drugs whose patents expire this year include: Protonix, the popular antacid drug that went off patent in January and is now offered in the generic format Pantoprazole; Concerta, the ADD and ADHA medicine whose patent ended in May; Levaquin, the antibiotic drug whose patent expires this month; and Zyprexa, an antipsychotic drug prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, which comes off patent in October.

In 2012, some popular drugs set to lose their patents include: Plavix, the anticlot/blood thinning drug prescribed to prevent heart attack and stroke; the asthma and allergy drug Singulair; Seroquel which is used to treat a variety of mental health issues, from depression to bipolar disorder to schizophrenia; the type 2 diabetes medication Actos, and Enbrel, which is prescribed for arthritis and psoriasis.

It is, however, important to note that the expiration of some of these drug patents doesn’t guarantee that less-expensive generic drugs will become available

have methods they can employ to extend a patent and stave off generic competition.

When a brand name drug does finally come off patent, its generic substitute is usually only about 30 percent cheaper at first. But as more generic drug makers star t manufacturing it, the costs can drop by as much as 90 percent. On average, generic drugs are about 70 percent less expensive than brand name medications.

How generics differ from brands According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, generic drugs contain the same active ingredients, dosage and quality as their brand name counterparts. The differences lie in the name (generic drugs are usually called by their chemical names), shape and color (U.S. trademark laws don’t allow generics to look exactly like the brand-name drugs).

If you’re currently taking an expensive brand name drug, and aren’t sure if it’s available in generic form, ask your doctor

like destinationrx.com.

If there’s not a generic counterpart for a particular drug you take, find out if there’s a generic option available in the same class of medications that would work for you.

For example, some people who take Lipitor opt for the less-expensive Simvastatin, the generic form of Zocor. Both Lipitor and Zocor lower cholesterol.

Many chains like Walmart, Target, Costco, Kmart, CVS, Walgreens and Kroger sell hundreds of generics for as little as $4 for a 30-day supply and $10 for a 90-day supply.

Savvy Tip: If you’re having a hard time affording your medications, there are drug assistance programs offered through pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and charitable organizations that may be able to help you. See www.benefitscheckup.org to find them.

Send your questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

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Depression makes people sad, so it’s presumed that depressed people cry more than those who aren’t depressed. There’s also an abiding belief that more severe bouts with depression can have just the opposite effect and rob people of their capacity to cry.

Neither proposition seems farfetched, but researchers who have scoured the

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about 40 percent of the respondents were comforted when they cried, and as one might expect, that response was associated with a feel-good cry.

Of course, the reaction isn’t always positive. And crying can bring on shame.

Many people hold back their tears until they’re alone. In the international survey, 35 percent of the respondents reported crying alone and 31 percent with one other person present.

Several years ago, Dutch researchers reported that the heart rates of 60 study subjects increased as they watched cryeliciting movies, but then subsided after they started to cry. It seems that there’s a handoff from fight-or-flight arousal to parasympathetic calming, which is certainly how many of us experience crying.

ATTENTION!!!

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From page 4

published studies say there’s actually little evidence to support them.

A small study conducted several years ago to begin filling the void suggests, though, that the conventional wisdom may not be too far off the mark (although it is just one small study).

The 44 study subjects with mood disorders (dysthymia, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, major depressive disorder) were, in fact, more prone to crying than 132 people in a comparison group. At the same time, the researchers found that an inability to cry was associated with severe depression.

Many of the standardized questionnaires used to measure depression have questions about crying. Some researchers have raised the interesting question whether relying on crying as a sign of depression results in an underestimation of depression among men (who don’t, John Boehner notwithstanding, cry as often as women).

Rather than weep, depressed men may become aggressive and irritable. Yet, at least in this one small study, the gender imbalance seemed to even out, and men and women with mood disorders were equally prone to crying. © 2011 President and fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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Health Shorts Saving vision, saving money A much cheaper drug has proved just as good as a $2,000 monthly shot at treating a common eye disorder that can lead to blindness, a long-awaited study has found.

It also shows that patients can be treated less often, sparing them a lot of pain and expense.

The results are expected to lead many doctors and patients to turn away from the pricier Lucentis and instead use $50 shots of Avastin for an age-related condition called wet macular degeneration. The dis-

ease occurs when abnormal blood vessel growth damages the part of the retina responsible for central vision.

Vision improvement after one year was the same for those given Avastin or Lucentis, the 1,200-patient study found.

The results are a blow to Roche’s Genentech unit, which sells both medicines. Avastin (ah-VAS-tin) is a cancer drug that doctors have used for many years to treat the eye disease even though it is not approved for that purpose.

Genentech had been developing Lucentis (loo-SEN-tis) specifically for the eye disease and won approval for it in 2006. A company spokesman said that the company had no plans to seek approval to sell Avastin for eye use or to lower the price of Lucentis.

Yet the results are a boon for patients

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and insurers — mostly Medicare — because nothing prevents use of the cheaper Avastin, eye specialists said. Doctors who use it for the eye disease must get a pharmacist to prepare lower doses for injection rather than the intravenous way it’s used for cancer. “It’s always good news for patients when there are more than one option for a condition. It’s good news for the country. Now we have potential for significant savings at a time when the cost of healthcare is skyrocketing,� said Dr. Paul Sternberg, chairman of the Vanderbilt Eye Institute.

He had no role in the study, whose results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

A safer technique for angioplasty The first big study of doing balloon angioplasty to clear heart arteries through an arm instead of a leg found complications were fewer with the arm method. At hospitals that did this more often, the rate of deaths, heart attacks and other problems was lower, too.

The arm method is common in India, Israel, Europe and Canada, but less than 5 percent of U.S. cases are done this way.

The study involved more than 7,000 people in 32 countries getting an angiogram — a diagnostic test to look for blockages

— followed by angioplasty to open any clogs found.

The procedure usually involves poking a tube through a leg artery near the groin and feeding it up to the heart, inflating a tiny balloon to flatten a blockage in a heart artery and placing a mesh tube called a stent to prop the artery open.

But patients can suffer major bleeding requiring transfusions or surgery, so doctors are trying this through an artery in the wrist instead.

It’s harder for doctors to do but easier on patients, who spend just a couple hours wearing a wrist band to control bleeding afterward instead of a day or more off their feet in a hospital.

The study assigned patients to get one method or the other. Survival and success rates were similar — about 4 percent of each group died or had a heart attack, stroke or major bleeding in the following month.

But significantly fewer of these problems occurred in people treated with the arm method after major heart attacks, and in hospitals that did the arm method more often. “The more you do, the better you get,� and the better patients fare, said the study’s leader, Dr. Sanjit Jolly of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

Another recent study found that bypass See HEALTH SHORTS, page 8

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Device kills cancer cells, not healthy ones

By Matthew Perrone The Food and Drug Administration approved its first-of-a-kind treatment that fights cancerous brain tumors using electrical energy fields.

The FDA approved the device, made by Novocure, for patients with aggressive brain tumors that have returned after treatment with chemotherapy and other interventions. Patients with recurring brain cancer usually live only a few months.

Studies showed that people using the device lived about as long as those taking chemotherapy, roughly six months. However, patients using the device had significantly fewer side effects.

For decades, doctors have treated cancer with three methods: drugs, radiation or surgery. Novocure’s NovoTTF device represents a fourth approach.

ported higher quality of life and did not have the side effects of chemotherapy, such as nausea, diarrhea and infection.

“This is as effective, or better than, anything that’s ever been tried after standard treatment has failed. And while you’re on it, you don’t have any side effects from the treatment,” said Al Musella, founder of the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research and Information in Hewlett, New York. Musella’s father and sister-in-law died of brain cancer.

The FDA approved the device specifically for a tumor type known as glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer.

Five-year survival for the disease is just 2 percent for patients over 45 years old, according to the American Cancer Society.

About 19,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with brain cancer each year, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Standard treatment is six weeks of highdose radiation along with a chemotherapy pill, and then additional chemotherapy for at least six months or until the tumor stops responding.

Novocure is a privately held company

based in Portsmouth, N.H. and Haifa, Israel, where the NovoTTF device was invented. The company is testing its device in other types of cancer, including nonsmall cell lung cancer.

— AP

Disrupts tumor growth The portable device uses electric fields to disrupt the division of cancer cells that allows tumors to grow and spread. The electric fields have little effect on healthy cells because they divide at a much slower rate, if at all, compared with cancer cells.

“The reason why this is so exciting is that we now have FDA approval of a totally new type of treatment for cancer,” said Dr. Herb Engelhard, an associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Engelhard helped conduct the study of NovoTTF, but received no compensation from the company.

“All of us as investigators were skeptical at first, but I have seen the scans and I believe this is killing cancer cells in patients,” Engelhard said.

The NovoTTF is a six-pound device that patients carry with them in a small bag.

The electrical current is sent from the device to four electrodes attached to the patient’s shaved head.

A panel of outside advisers to the FDA narrowly voted 7-6 in favor of the effectiveness of the device in March. The FDA is not required to follow such recommendations, although it often does.

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Improves quality of life A 237-patient study failed to show a survival benefit for patients using the device, compared with those taking chemotherapy. Patients in both groups lived just over six months, on average.

However, those in the device group re-

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JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Get enough sleep to keep healthy weight Q: Is it true that getting more sleep hours of sleep a night is linked with greater might help me lose weight? likelihood of weight gain.

A: If you are already getting In one study, overweight adequate sleep (seven to nine people were put on a conhours a night), getting more trolled low-calorie diet during sleep will probably not affect two weeks of spending only your weight. However, if like five-and-a-half hours in bed many people, you are currentnightly. Although they lost the ly getting less sleep than that, same amount of weight as more sleep might help. when they spent eight-andStudies show that adults and-half hours in bed nightly, who get less sleep (six hours a they lost less body fat and night or less in most studies) dropped 60 percent more lean are about 55 percent more NUTRITION body tissue.

WISE likely to be obese.

Results like this are prelimiThese associations (which By Karen Collins, nary, but we do know that loss have also been shown for youth) MS, RD, CDM of lean body tissue makes maindon’t show cause and effect. tenance of weight loss more difHowever, a few studies that followed people ficult. over 10 or more years do provide some eviToo little sleep may lead to weight gain dence that getting less than six or seven by making us too tired to be physically ac-

If you’re over 50 or have osteoporosis, it’s important that you don’t ignore your back pain.

It may signal a spinal fracture. See your doctor right away if you think you may have one.

tive or more likely to turn to sweets and other foods to perk up our energy.

Additionally, spending less time sleeping leaves more time available for eating and that can mean consuming more calories than you need.

Furthermore, limited but growing research suggests that people who get less sleep tend to show changes in two hormones that can lead to increased appetite.

Q: Do older adults need extra protein to avoid losing muscle? If so, how much is enough?

A: Research suggests that older adults may need somewhat more protein than younger adults to avoid the loss of lean body tissue like muscle and bone that occur as we age. Most studies involve those over age 65, but some include adults over 55.

This does not require huge amounts of meat or protein supplements, however. The

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long-time standard protein recommendation for adults has been this formula: your body weight in pounds divided by three (thus, a 160 pound adult needs 53 grams of protein).

Quite a few studies in recent years suggest that older adults lose less muscle, and may actually gain muscle better, if along with strength-training exercise, they consume protein equal to their weight in pounds divided by two. (So a person who weighs 160 pounds may do well to target 80 grams of protein per day.)

Studies do not show any further benefit in maintaining or gaining muscle with protein consumption beyond that amount.

U.S. dietary surveys suggest that average protein consumption of adults ages 51-70 generally meets that target. However, about one in four over 70 may be getting less than the minimum, and another 25 percent of adults over 50 may be getting less than the proposed higher target.

You can reach this higher level of protein with five to six ounces a day of lean poultry, fish or meat plus three servings of dairy products or dairy alternatives as part of a balanced diet that provides smaller amounts of protein from whole grains, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, and perhaps some eggs, too.

Those who prefer to omit or minimize meat or dairy products need to include multiple servings of vegetarian sources of protein.

Some research suggests that protein may be more efficiently used when it is spread out through the day. As important as protein seems to be, research also emphasizes the vital role that resistance (strength-training) exercise has in avoiding lean tissue loss.

The American Institute for Cancer Research offers a Nutrition Hotline, 1-800843-8114, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This free service allows you to ask questions about diet, nutrition and cancer. A registered dietitian will return your call, usually within three business days.

Courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research. Questions for this column may be sent to “Nutrition Wise,” 1759 R St., N.W., Washington, DC 20009. Collins cannot respond to questions personally.

Health shorts From page 6 surgery did not improve survival for heart failure patients who already were taking medicines to control risks like high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

The study involved 1,200 heart failure patients in 22 countries, mostly men around 60 years old. Most had suffered a heart attack in the past. All were taking medicines they should for heart risks, and half were assigned to also get bypass surgery.

Doctors assumed bypass would cut deaths by 25 percent. But after nearly five years, about the same number in each group had died.

— AP

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9

Need calcium? Get it from food, not pills Dear Pharmacist: strengthen your bones and reduce your Is it safe for me to take calcium sup- risk of osteoporosis. plements? You said on If you happen to take a bisFacebook that they might phosphonate bone-building Experienced, licensed, Help with Personal increase heart problems. medication (Boniva, Actonel screened and insured aides Hygiene Why is that? or Fosamax), it can reduce Medication reminders Accompany to — N.L. blood levels of calcium. Also, Dear N.L.: if you have Celiac disease or appointments Light Housekeeping My post was based on the gluten intolerance, you may April 2011 research published have trouble absorbing calciMention the Beacon for these special offers. in the British Medical Journal um from food.

(BMJ) that found a higher risk In both cases, you may of cardiovascular events (think need more calcium to make DEAR When you contract for a minimum heart attack or stroke) in older up the difference.

Performed by our registered nurse PHARMACIST of one week of services women who took calcium supCalcium is to be appreciA $200 value

By Suzy Cohen plements. ated, not feared. But take Calcium is suggested for supplements only if you are By post-menopausal women in order to main- deficient. Refer to my Drug Mugger tain or build bone strength. book to see if you take a medicine that Recently, researchers looked at data from visit us online at www.RMGHealth.com See DEAR PHARMACIST, page 10 16,718 women who were not taking calcium supplements at the start of the famous Women’s Health Initiative trial. They pored over the data and found that women who were already taking calcium and vitamin D supplements at the start of the trial did not have any greater risk of heart attack.

In contrast, women who began taking calcium and vitamin D supplements during the trial did have an increased risk of heart attack.

The scientists suspect the trouble occurs because of the abrupt change in blood calcium levels, rather than total intake of calcium. That said, high blood levels of calcium have been linked to hardening of the arteries (calcification), which may partially explain their findings.

Data from 13 different trials (involving a total of 29,000 people) consistently points to increased risk of heart attack and stroke, uncannily associated with calcium supplements (with or without vitamin D).

This is a hot topic, as some physicians feel strongly that calcium is the master mineral of bone health. I think we need a without surgery or Lasik. good study to determine what is going on.

Wake up to clear, sharp vision all day long — with no glasses… no daily The BMJ study refers to supplements contact lenses… and no invasive surgery! Discover Precision Ortho-K. and it raises the question as to what kind of Performed exclusively by the doctors at Azman Eye Care, this technique calcium supplements are to blame? Are corrects most prescriptions, including nearsightedness, farsightedness and certain forms better than others? This was astigmatism. Now for those bifocal/progressive wearers, you can not teased out.

For the time being, if you are at risk for throw away your glasses too! cardiovascular complications or stroke, my suggestion is that you avoid calcium Precision Ortho-K is the ideal choice for anyone: supplements. Get your calcium from food • Interested in Lasik but afraid of complications because it is highly bio-available (usable • Told they’re not good candidates for Lasik or had unsuccessful surgery by your body) and has not been shown to • Involved in sports and needs freedom from contacts and glasses cause calcification.

Also, food-derived calcium improves es• Who suffers from dry eyes or allergies making contacts uncomfortable trogen balance, which protects bone mass.

• Tired of wearing bifocals or needing reading glasses with contact lenses There are many sources of high-calcium • Whose career or lifestyle requires liberation from glasses and contacts foods.

Eat lots of leafy greens, such as Swiss Chard, kale, kelp, spinach, lettuce and Call for your free consultation today broccoli. Tahini’s good too. and see tomorrow in a whole new light.

I’m not a huge fan of dairy, but this is AZMAN EYE CARE certainly another option. Don’t forget the 410-561-8050 www.ClearVisionNow.com SPECIALISTS obvious: weight-bearing exercise will also

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Health Studies Page

JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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

Studies on Aging: Johns Hopkins University Are you 70 years or older?

Investigators from the Division of Geriatric Medicine at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Campus are looking for individuals aged 70 or older to participate in a research study that is looking at the aging process.

Tests would include measurements of strength, walking speed and questions about your physical activities. We may also request a blood draw and urine sample.

You will be paid $10 for participating depending on the study and we can conduct the study in your home. No travel required. If you choose to travel to Bayview, a parking pass will be given to you.

For more information, please call our study coordinators at Bayview:

410-550-9016 or 410-550-2113

Trouble Sleeping?

We look forward to hearing from you!

Volunteer for a Sleep & Sensory Tes ng Study Researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine are looking for volunteers to par!cipate in a research study examining the associa!on between sleep and sensory abili!es.

the meaning of being childless among older women.

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 of 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 conversation-like 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 childless 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, prob-

Dear Pharmacist From page 9 depletes it.

This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your con-

lems 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 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) 4555935 or e-mail amosby@umbc.edu. dition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement.

Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To contact her, visit www.dearpharmacist.com.

Tell them you saw it in the Beacon!

Seeking Men and Women ➢ To par cipate in this study, you must be: • 50 Years of age or older • Have Trouble Staying Asleep • Be otherwise Healthy

➢ Compensa on up to $330.00

➢ This study involves: • 1 Sleep study conducted in your home • Sensory and Physical tes!ng @ Johns Hopkins • 1 Blood draw • Parking and Tests provided at no cost

Michael T. Smith, Ph.D., Principal Inves!gator Protocol: NA_00011802 Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Approved 04/5/2010

For informa on, please call (410) 550-7906

The University of Maryland & Veterans Aairs of Baltimore are conducting a research study to better understand FALLS in aging individuals.

With your participation you will receive:

• Health evaluation • CT scans of waist, hip, and leg • Balance and strength testing

410-605-7179 Mention code: FALLS You must be at least 65 years old and in good health.

You will be compensated for your time.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2011

Jr. Achievement From page 1 as a financial strategist for Dean Witter Reynolds, to her years as a television host and anchor for CNBC, Fox News Channel and PBS’s “Wall Street Week with FORTUNE.” Now she is the principal at The Gibbs Perspective, a consultancy concerned with the education of, and advocacy for, the individual investor.

“When you are financially responsible and secure, you have both freedom and peace of mind,” said Gibbs, 59.

Believing that financial responsibility begins in childhood, Gibbs proudly lends her expertise to BizTown as a regular volunteer. She also uses her celebrity status to help promote the organization, attract volunteers and generate donations.

“Taking part in a program like BizTown helps give students the tools they’ll need to be successful as they get older,” Gibbs said.

Another volunteer supported program, JA in a Day, brings both retired and active business professionals to local schools to teach interactive, age-appropriate lessons.

Volunteers follow lesson plans developed

by JA, but incorporate their real-life experiences into the curriculum.

According to Bowman, it takes more than 3,000 volunteers to help JA of Central Maryland achieve its mission, and they are always looking to add to their roster.

Numerous opportunities exist, including classroom, BizTown, special events and administrative volunteer positions.

Leaders get involved A vice president with Baltimore Life Companies, Al Homiak has not only served on the JA Board of Directors for the past four years, but has also taken a team of co-workers to BizTown and been a JA in a Day instructor in some of Balti-

more’s inner city schools.

“I learned as much — if not more — from them as they learned from me,” said the 61-year-old Westminster resident of his young students.

The role JA plays in the financial education of young people is invaluable, Homiak believes. “There are too many folks today who are in financial difficulties, often of their own making,” Homiak said.

“People don’t understand the concept of budgeting, and it’s important for young people to understand simple financial elements that will help them get by in this world.”

Bob Burdon, president and CEO of the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce, agrees. Burdon served on the JA Board in the early ‘90s when he was the publisher of the Baltimore Business Journal. He is now working with JA in Anne Arundel County to expand its offerings to schoolchildren there.

“When you bring real-life business experience into the classroom, you show kids the skills they need to succeed, not only in business, but as productive and responsible citizens,” he said.

Burdon, 56, has been impressed with how JA has evolved through the years, and points to programs such as BizTown as an indication of how innovative the organization is. “Junior Achievement is on the forefront of bringing financial education to young people,” he said.

“Whether you give financially or with your time, it’s important to pay back to the community what you have received,” Gibbs said.

JA volunteers must agree to sign and abide by the organization’s Volunteer Conduct Policy and participate in a training orientation prior to beginning their work with students.

For more information on volunteering with Junior Achievement, call (443) 3947211 or visit online at www.jamaryland.org.

BEACON BITS

June 28

WOMEN AND HEART DISEASE

Join Dr. Pamela Ouyang from Johns Hopkins Hospital for an important program on women and heart disease. Review signs, symptoms and treatment for this often misdiagnosed disease. The free program will be held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Essex Senior Center, 600 Dorsey Ave. Register by calling (410) 887-0267.

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Dulaney – 410.828.6500 Ruxton – 410.821.9600 Towson – 410.828.9494 www.manorcare.com

11

Are you aging ideally?

In the March issue of the Beacon, our health studies page featured an article on the Insight into Exceptional Aging and Longevity (IDEAL) study, sponsored by the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), the longest ongoing study of human aging supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Researchers are still seeking participants in the study, who must be age 80 and older, free of diseases, in

good physical and mental condition, and not on medications for chronic conditions.

Each year, those enrolled in the study will receive a complete physical and medical exam, as well as tests of strength, stamina and mental sharpness.

For more information or to enroll, call (410) 350-3941 or e-mail NIAStudiesRecruitment@mail.nih.gov.

Research Study Have you been told you snore? Do you need to lose weight?

Johns Hopkins Medicine is conducting a research study in persons who may snore and are not currently being treated for snoring. Eligible participants must be over 60 years of age, overweight, not smoking, and not regularly exercising.

All visits are free, including parking, at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

For more information, please call 410-550-5428 or 410-550-5429 or 410-550-6997.

Principal Investigator: Devon A. Dobrosielski, PhD IRB# NA_00040314

12

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You’re on top of your medications.

But we make a good back up.

You know it’s important to stay on your medications exactly as prescribed.

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.

Find a store near you at www.cvs.com

JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2011

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

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Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

What’s a ‘continuing care’ community?

By 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 the American Association of Housing and 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

Fg\e`e^ 8cc E\n )e[ =cffi I\j`[\eZ\j k_`j =Xcc

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 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, 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 anSee CCRCs, page B-4

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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.

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. Now 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

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.

away with any of the existing eldercare industries, 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.

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

Will be for rent or sale While there isn’t an official cost for the MedCottage yet, Cummins said the latest 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 elder care advisors to check out not only the health needs of the applicant, but the physical requirements of the proposed site as well.”

See COTTAGES, page B-5

Thegood’ole

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B-4

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CCRCs From page B-2 nually (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 oneand-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 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 construc-

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Edenwald offers an active retirement lifestyle, complemented by warm, welcoming residents, in the heart of Towson.

It’s a place where everyone knows one another, and all know they’ve planned well for their future with Edenwald’s lifecare plan.

Come experience our close-knit fellowship, excellent food and exceptional location.

Call 410-823-1341 today to schedule a tour of our apartment homes, offering a wide variety of styles and sizes for your personal taste and needs.

www.edenwald.org 800 Southerly Road, Towson, MD 21286-8403

JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

tion, 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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More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Housing Options

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2011

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 increasingly 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

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 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,”

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 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 Medi-

ators (www.eldercaremediators.com), Mediate.com (www.mediate.com) and the National Care Planning Council (www.longtermcarelink.net).

Once you have a short list 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 $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.

See MEDIATORS, page B-6

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B-6

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Advertorials

ACTIVE ADULT COMMUNITY

Alta at Regency Crest 410-753-4171 3305 Oak West Drive Ellicott City, MD 21043 www.regencyseniorapartments.com It's time to live at Alta at Regency Crest, a vibrant new place for active adults who seek a spirited lifestyle with luxury and convenience. We surround you in comfort, offer exceptional service and bring first-class amenities and entertainment to your doorstep. Controlled access buildings offer elevators to whisk you to your home, complete with gourmet kitchen, full appliance package, luxurious bathrooms with marble vanities, full-sized washers and dryers, walk-in closets, and extra storage.

Join your friends at the Club Room, with a business center, state-of-theart fitness center, wellness center featuring a heated, indoor saltwater pool and yoga room with group classes. Outdoors, enjoy the landscaped courtyard, meditation garden, koi pond and gazebo. If you are 62 or better, come see how good life can be at Alta at Regency Crest.

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Edenwald 410-823-1341 800 Southerly Road Towson, MD 21286 www.edenwald.org Extraordinary living is within easy reach at Edenwald, where gracious elegance and dynamic activities beckon. Ideally located in the heart of Towson, Edenwald is designed for those seeking an active independent lifestyle today with the assurance of assisted living and comprehensive nursing care if needed in the future. Our lifestyle amenities include a state-of-the art fitness center with an indoor pool and walking track, four dining venues, beauty and barber salon, bank, performing arts auditorium and much more.

The special combination of beautiful, distinctive apartments, a full complement of convenient services, and a host of amenities make retirement living comfortable, enjoyable and uniquely Edenwald.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Park View at Dundalk 410-288-5483 103 Center Place Dundalk, MD 21222 Park View at Dundalk offers care-free living for those Seniors 62 or better right in the heart of historic Dundalk.

Just a block from Dundalk Avenue, this community has easy access to public transportation, shopping and restaurants. East Point Mall and Johns Hopkins Bayview are just minutes away. Residents enjoy many social, recreational and educational activities, including bus trips. Our residents receive up to four dinners per week in conjunction with the Balto. Co. Eating Together Program. This controlled access elevator building offers such amenities as a community room, clothing care center, lending library and lounge with game tables and cable TV. Call 410-288-5483 or email parkviewdundalk@sheltergrp.com today to arrange for your personal visit. Come see what you’re missing!

JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Furniture that lets you stand on your own Dear Savvy Senior: I’m in the market for some seniorfriendly furniture and could use some help. My husband and I have arthritis and have gotten to the point where getting up from a seated position — especially from our living room couch and recliners — has become a real chore.

Can you recommend some good cushioned lift chairs or furniture accessories that can help us?

— Can’t Get Up Dear Can’t: The task of sitting down and/or getting up from soft cushioned furniture is a common problem for many who struggle with arthritis pain and mobility issues. Fortunately, there are a variety of home furnishing products and accessories that can help give you a boost.

Lift recliners: Having been around for nearly 30 years now “electric recliner lift chairs” are one of the most popular types of senior-friendly furniture on the market today.

While they look just like regular recliner chairs, lift recliners come with a built-in motor that actually raises and lowers the entire chair, which makes sitting down and getting up much easier.

How to choose: With literally dozens of different types and styles of lift recliners to choose from, here are some key points to help you cut through all the options and select a good fit for yourself and your husband: • Chair size: The recliner needs to fit the person sitting in it, so your body size (height and weight), or your husband’s, will actually determine the size of chair you need.

• Reclining options: Aside from the lifting system, the degree in which the chair reclines is your choice, too. Most lift recliners are sold as either two-position, three-position or infinite-position lift chairs. The two-position chairs recline only to about 45 degrees, which makes them ideal for watching TV or reading.

But if you plan to nap, you’ll probably want a three-position or infinite-position chair that reclines almost completely horizontally.

• Fabric and features: You’ll also need to choose the type of fabric and color you want the chair to be, or if you want any extra features like built-in heating or massage elements, or a wall hugging chair, which is great if you’re tight on space.

Where to shop: While there are many companies that make lift recliners — such as Med-Lift, NexIdea, Health Circle, Catnapper, Berkline, Franklin and even La-z-boy — Pride Mobility (www.pridemobility.com) and Golden Technologies (http://goldentech.com) have been around the longest and have the best reputation.

With prices typically ranging between $600 and $2,000, you can find lift recliners at many medical supply stores and online.

You should also know that Medicare provides some help in purchasing a lift chair. They cover the lift mechanism portion, which equates to around $300 towards your purchase.

If, however, lift recliners don’t appeal to you, here are several other products on the market that might: Risedale chairs: These are openlegged, wing back chairs that are very different from lift recliners because only the seat cushion lifts instead of the whole chair. Made by Uplift Technologies (http://up-lift.com, 1-800-387-0896), the Risedale retails for around $500.

Uplift also sells a variety of portable seat lifts that can work with any chair in your home, or that you can take with you when you travel.

Couch Cane: Made by Standers, this nifty tool acts as a support handle that makes sitting and standing much easier, and it works on both couches and recliners. The base fits directly under the feet of the furniture for sturdy support.

Couch Canes sell for around $100 and are sold online at medical equipment sites like medexsupply.com (1-888-433-2300) and activeforever.com (800-377-8033).

Furniture risers: Increasing the height of your existing furniture a few inches is an inexpensive way to make it more accessible.

Furniture risers typically range from 2 to 5 inches in height, are made of heavy duty plastic or wood, and are inserted on the base of the legs or supports of your furniture.

Costs range from a few dollars up to $50. These can be purchased at Walmart and Target, or online at amazon.com and mobilityhome.com.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book.

Mediators

DEResolutions (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.

From page B-5 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, “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 EL-

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Housing Options

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2011

It takes a neighborhood to raise a village

By Maureen Cavaiola [Editor’s note: Many retirees would prefer to remain in their 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 aging-in-place “villages,” where residents pool their resources to hire a concierge who can arrange various services, negotiate discounts, and organize community events.

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

In this article, Maureen Cavaiola, managing director of the only village in Anne Arundel County, At Home Chesapeake, Inc. in Severna Park, shares her experience.

In the Baltimore area, there is one village under development in Roland Park. About five others are up and running elsewhere in Maryland, with many more in development.]

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 include 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 invitations 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.

See VILLAGE, page B-8

B-7

Advertorials

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Broadmead 410-527-1900 13801 York Road Cockeysville, MD 21030 www.broadmead.org Nestled amid 94 acres in the picturesque Hunt Valley countryside, Broadmead offers garden style courtyard homes with a variety of floor plans including private patios or patio enclosures and personal gardens. Broadmead offers exceptional dining venues, a vibrant lifestyle and community amenities including a fitness and aquatic center, trips and transportation, entertainment, activities and more. We offer an all-inclusive healthcare program, including an onsite boutique medical center with physicians available 24 hours a day, pharmacy services and continuum of care for the ultimate peace of mind.

INDEPENDENT & ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY

Atrium Village 410-363-0330 4730 Atrium Ct. Owings Mills, MD 21117 www.seniorlifestyle.com Atrium Village is conveniently located just minutes from Owings Mills, Reisterstown, Randallstown and Pikesville. The caring staff are here to evaluate your needs for our Independent Care, Assisted Living or Memory Care community. Enjoy our studio, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom apartments in our intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, socially and vocationally vibrant environment.

Amenities include delicious dining prepared by our Executive Chef, exciting programming and entertainment, transportation to appointments and trips. Unique Quiet Care and emergency response system to keep you healthy and safe, and efficient and convenient laundry and housekeeping provided to all residents.

We are LIVING LIFE at Atrium Village.

62-PLUS SENIOR COMMUNITY

The Greens at Hammonds Lane 410-636-1141 602 Hammonds Lane Brooklyn Park, MD 21225 www.TheGreensAtHammondsLane.com The Greens at Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park’s newest apartment community for seniors ages 62 and over, has all the modern amenities and elegant design that our residents will enjoy. Opening in the summer of 2011, this new community will be conveniently located near shopping, hospitals, and I-695. The Greens at Hammonds Lane will have spacious one and two bedroom floor plans, as well as many community features such as fitness and internet centers, billiards room and community room. Air conditioning and heating is included in the rent! Residents will benefit from regularly scheduled and diverse activities within the community! Call today to set up your appointment to learn more about this beautiful new community!

B-8

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Advertorials

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Oaks at Liberty 410-466-9267 3501 Howard Park Avenue Baltimore, MD 21207 www.pennrose.com When you are looking for a quality home that fits your lifestyle, you don’t need to look any further than Oaks at Liberty! This historic building has been artfully restored to boast a charming and lovely setting for seniors in Baltimore.

Whether you are an active senior who loves to attend social events and exercise or a more relaxed adult who prefers to sit fireside with a great book, Oaks at Liberty was designed for YOU! From the tall ceilings and modern kitchens to the library and the community room, this elegant building will prove that it’s the only place you should call home!

HOME HEALTH AGENCY

P-B Health Home Care Agency, Inc 410-235-1060 2535 St. Paul Street Baltimore, MD 21218 www.p-bhealth.com P-B Health Home Care Agency provides in-home medical and personal care services to the elderly, disabled, infirmed and special care patients, including those who require in-home post surgical care. Using advanced technology and practices our highly trained staff deliver inhome Skilled Nursing, Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapies, Medical Social Work and Medical Home Health Aide Services.

P-B Health is accredited by the Joint Commission, is Medicare certified and accepts many private insurances. The Agency has been delivering services to the Baltimore Metropolitan Area for over 17 years.

Private Duty options are available with private pay and include personal care and chore services.

62-PLUS SENIOR COMMUNITY

Weinberg Village V 410-581-7878 3430 Associated Way Owings Mills, MD 21117 www.weinbergvillage.net Village V is the final addition to the already beautiful Weinberg Village Campus. This lovely campus offers you the opportunity to maintain your healthy and active lifestyle. While living in one of the spacious apartments, you will have access to many amenities that include a convenience store, hair salon, and community rooms that are supplied with computers, games, televisions and books. In addition, residents take part in daily activities planned by resident volunteers and staff members. Located in a quiet corner of Owings Mills, you will have easy access to many shopping, dining and entertainment businesses. Weinberg Village has a community shuttle bus that makes regular trips to many local attractions.

JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Village From page B-7

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 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 fami-

lies, hamlets and villages that provide safety 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.

A blueprint for villages Because those running and starting neighborhood villages have so many questions, the government of Montgomery County, Maryland recently published “Village Blueprint: Building a Community for All Ages” — a step-by-step guide to support communities throughout the region that want to start a village in their neighborhood.

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

The spiral-bound book discusses how to develop a working model of the village, build a budget and get the message out to 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 doc-

uments developed by Burning Tree Village in Bethesda, including its bylaws and mission statement.

To download 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 get access to discussion forums, monthly webinars, information on funding sources, news from other villages across the country and more.

For more infor mation, visit www.vtvnetwork.org or call (617) 299-9NET.

BEACON BITS

July

SIGN UP FOR SENIOR BOX OFFICE Senior Box Office is a volunteer program of the Baltimore County

Department of Aging. The program provides complimentary or reduced rate tickets to members for events in the Baltimore metropolitan area, ranging from musicals to museums. The annual membership enrollment period runs from July 1 to Aug. 30. Members must be Baltimore County residents age 60 and older. There is a yearly membership fee of $30 per household. For more information, visit online at www.seniorboxoffice.org or call (410) 887-5399.

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2011

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FREE HOUSING AND OTHER INFORMATION For free information from advertisers in this special section, check those that interest 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 the cash prize.

HOUSING COMMUNITIES: ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Alta at Regency Crest .B-3 and B-6 Atrium Village . . . .B-5 and B-7 Broadmead . . . . . . . .B-5 and B-7 Charlestown . . . . . . . . . . .B-12 Edenwald . . . . . . . .B-4 and B-6 Greens at Hammonds Lane . .B-7 Greens at Liberty Road . . . .B-11 The Maples of Towson . . . . B-11 Meadows of Reisterstown . . . .B-2 and B-10 ❑ Oak Crest . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-10 ❑ Oaks at Liberty . . . .B-5 and B-8 ❑ Park View at Dundalk B-6 and B-15

❑ Park View at Furnace Branch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-15 ❑ Park View at Randallstown . . . . . . . . . .B-15 ❑ Park View at Rosedale . . . . . .B-12 and B-15 ❑ Springwell . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-2 ❑ St. Mary’s Roland View Towers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-4 ❑ Symphony Manor . . . . . . .B-11 ❑ Timothy House . . . . . . . . .B-15 ❑ Tudor Heights . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-3 ❑ Weinberg Gardens . . . . . . .B-16 ❑ Weinberg House . . . . . . . .B-16 ❑ Weinberg Manhattan Park .B-16 ❑ Weinberg Manor East . . . .B-16

❑ Weinberg Manor West . . . .B-16 ❑ Weinberg Park Assisted Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-16 ❑ Weinberg Place . . . . . . . . .B-16 ❑ Weinberg Terrace . . . . . . . .B-16 ❑ Weinberg Village V . . . . . . . .B-8 and B-16 ❑ Weinberg Woods . . . . . . . .B-16 ❑ Woodholme Gardens . . . . .B-10

MISCELLANEOUS: ❑ Granite Transformations . . . .B-13 ❑ P-B Health Home Care Agency . . . . . . . B-8

Check the boxes you’re interested in and return this entire page 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.

One entry per household please.

Name __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________E-mail_______________________________________________ City _______________________________________________________ State ______________________ Zip ____________________

Phone (day) _______________________________________________ (eve) ________________________________________________ Please provide your telephone number or e-mail address so we may contact you promptly if you win the drawing.

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Advertorials

ACTIVE ADULT COMMUNITY

Meadows of Reisterstown Senior Apartments 410-526-3380 300 Cantata Court Reisterstown, MD 21136 www.firstcentrum.com Enjoy carefree leisure living at The Meadows—an affordable senior apartment community for seniors 62+. Each spacious one- and twobedroom apartment features a fully equipped kitchen, roomy closets and a balcony or patio. You can exercise the mind in the library and media room or the body in our fitness area. Keypad entry and the emergency response system provide peace of mind.

The atmosphere is filled with gracious living. Here, you will appreciate not having to worry about maintenance chores. At the same time, you can take advantage of nearby shops, library, banks, postal services, grocery store and convenience to I-695.

We invite you to tour The Meadows of Reistertown.

ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY

Woodholme Gardens 410-580-1400 1700 Woodholme Avenue Pikesville, MD 21208 www.woodholmegardens.com Spring is in the air! It's time for a new beginning at Woodholme Gardens!

We are a brand new Assisted Living and Memory Care community in the heart of Pikesville. Nestled among acres of natural surroundings, we provide the right combination of compassion, care, dignity and independence. Spacious apartments, with private baths and bathed in natural light, make it a luxurious place to reside.

Numerous activities, excellent cuisine, in-house physicians and a Rabbi will fill your day. You deserve the finest! Woodholme Gardens, near your family, your friends, and your memories!

Call Sherille Otto at 410.580.1400 for a personal tour!

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Oak Crest 410-665-2222 8820 Walther Boulevard Parkville, MD 21234 www.erickson.com Situated in Parkville, Oak Crest is retirement living at its best. Our beautiful gated community is 100% maintenance-free. So rather than worry about the house and the yard, you can spend more time pursing your passions: travel, volunteer, take a college class and explore some of Oak Crest’s 100-plus 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.

JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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 LONG DISTANCE, page B-11

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2011

Long distance 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; 1-877-3265991).

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.

BEACON BITS

June

RISQUÉ COMEDY FROM VAGABOND PLAYERS Abducting Diana plays at Vagabond Players weekends through Sun-

day, June 26. This ribald and risqué comedy tells the tale of a high-powered media mogul who is kidnapped, but whose incompetent abductors are quickly mired in a mess of farcical mishaps. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Vagabond Players Theater is located at 806 S. Broadway in Fells

B-11

Advertorials

ASSISTED LIVING AND MEMORY CARE

Symphony Manor 410-235-4301 4301 Roland Ave Baltimore MD 21210 www.symphony-manor.com Symphony Manor, a new assisted living and memory care community in Roland Park is now open and accepting residents. Symphony Manor provides care for residents in a living environment that reflects the historic Roland Park culture and ambiance. A variety of daily programs are offered to enrich each resident’s life based on his or her interests and desire for personal growth.

Individualized care for those who need assistance with everyday tasks, such as bathing, dressing and medication management is provided. For those who would benefit from specialized programs related to memory issues, Symphony Manor provides a secure, separate neighborhood.

ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY

The Maples of Towson 410-296-8900 7925 York Road Baltimore MD 21204 www.themaples-towson.com Upon walking through the door at The Maples one can see that it’s a superior community — beautifully decorated, impeccably maintained. “What really makes us unique is our dedication to personalized care, customized to each resident’s needs and preferences,” says owner and founder Kelly Cook Andress.

Setting their sights beyond simply “assisted living” has been the key to their success. With gourmet meals and room service, a programs calendar tailored to residents’ needs and desires, and a physician on call around the clock, The Maples continues to earn its spot as Towson’s premier senior community. Call to schedule a visit today!

62-PLUS SENIOR COMMUNITY

The Greens at Liberty Road 410-655-1100 9707 Liberty Road Randallstown, MD 21133 www.TheGreensAtLibertyRoad.com

Point. Tickets are $15 for general admission; $13 for seniors and students. Reserve online at www.vagabondplayers.org or call (410) 563-9135.

July 7

OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING PREVIEWS FALL CLASSES The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Towson University will hold a free preview of Fall 2011 classes on July 7, at Goucher Col-

lege, Merrick Lecture Hall, 1021 Dulaney Valley Rd. Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m.

The program is from 10 a.m. to noon. Open to all. For more information or to make a reservation, call (410) 704-3688.

The Greens at Liberty Road is an elegant new apartment community for seniors 62 and over, located in the lively city of Randallstown. The community has a convenient location on Liberty Road, just minutes away from shopping, dining, and entertainment. Residents enjoy many great services and amenities including: community social events, health and wellness programs, fitness center, library, and computer rooms.

With its focus on providing comfortable, affordable, and carefree living for seniors, the Greens at Liberty Road is an excellent choice for those looking for a place to call “home!” Call today to schedule your tour of this wonderful new community!

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JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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 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

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Charlestown 410-737-8830 715 Maiden Choice Lane Catonsville, MD 21228 www.erickson.com Ideally located in Catonsville, Charlestown offers maintenance-free retirement living combined with a vibrant lifestyle—all in a beautiful 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 Charlestown’s 100-plus clubs and interest groups.

Multiple campus restaurants offer a variety of delicious dining options, while 24-hour security offers protection and peace of mind. Enjoy the stability of predictable monthly expenses and look forward to a healthy future with our full continuum of health care and wellness services.

the 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 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 investment, 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,” Shuman said. “You really need to understand what you’re putting into the renovations you do.” © 2011 U.S. News and World Report

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

SINAI SEEKS VOLUNTEERS

Sinai Hospital needs customer service volunteers for the gift shop and throughout the hospital. Flexible times are available. For more information, call (410) 601-5023.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Park View at Rosedale 410-866-1886 1315 Chesaco Avenue Rosedale, MD 21237 parkviewrosedale@sheltergrp.com Park View at Rosedale offers maintenance-free living for those Seniors 62 or better. This community is nestled in a park-like setting, yet is close to Golden Ring, White Marsh Mall, Franklin Square and the Rosedale Senior Center. Residents enjoy many social, recreational and educational activities, including bus trips. This controlled access elevator building offers such amenities as a spacious community room, fitness center, hair salon, clothing care center, lending library and lounge with game tables, cable TV and computers with free Internet access. Call 410-866-1886 or email parkviewrosedale@sheltergrp.com today to arrange for your personal visit. We look forward to meeting you!

Ongoing

SENIOR CENTER VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

The Baltimore County Department of Aging Senior Center Division is seeking volunteers 55 and older with a variety of interests and skills to supplement services at their 18 senior centers. Volunteer opportunities include teaching continuing education, sports, exercise, drama, music, theater, travel and promoting community activism. Volunteers assist with office support and the Eating Together program, serve on Senior Center Councils and help with public relations and outreach tasks. Call (410) 887-2714 or visit www.service/org/baltimore_co_rsvp for more information.

Ongoing Ongoing

SUPPORT THE TROOPS Send a free, printed postcard to the troops via www.letssaythanks.com.

VOLUNTEER WITH BALTIMORE COUNTY

The Volunteer Office of the Baltimore County Department of Social Services offers numerous volunteer opportunities, including maintaining the clothing and house wares donation closets and clerical support. For more information, call (410) 853-3021 or visit www.baltimorecountymd.gov/agencies/socserv/volunteers.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2011

B-13

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

BEACON BITS

Sept. 24

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 $263 a day in Baltimore, paying for longterm 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: Anne Arundel County AAA: (410) 2224464 Baltimore City Commission on Aging and Retirement Education: (410) 396-4489 Baltimore County Dept. of Aging: (410) 887-2108 Carroll County Bureau on Aging: (410) 386-3800 Harford County Office on Aging: (410) 638-3025 Howard County Office on Aging: (410) 313-6410

Bathroom & Kitchen Makeovers

Granite Transformations

WOW! Granite that goes right over your existing surfaces Fast & easy as 1-2-3.

Beautiful and durable shower walls, countertops, backsplashes, and more.

No messy demolition, never needs sealing and comes with a lifetime warranty.

After

After

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Before “You truly transformed our kitchen.”

EASTERN HIGH SCHOOL REUNION

Eastern High class of 1961 will hold its 50th reunion on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel at Cross Keys, 5100 Falls Rd. For more information, call Lois Krupinsky at (410) 833-8269 or e-mail lois-reunion@comcast.net.

Ongoing

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 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

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AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE U.S. CAPITOL

“From Freedom Shadow: African Americans & the United States Capitol” will be on display at the Benjamin Banneker Museum through November. The free exhibit depicts the journey of African Americans from slavery to freedom and political representation in the U.S. Capitol. The museum is located at 300 Oella Ave. and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2011

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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.”

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 Bridget 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

BEACON BITS

June 25+

SCALE MODEL TRAIN SHOW

Model train displays and sales will enthrall train enthusiasts of all ages at the Maryland State Fairgrounds Exhibition Building on Saturday and Sunday, June 25 and 26.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call (410) 7301036 or visit www.gsmts.com. Admission is $9 on Saturday, $8 on Sunday.

June 26

BALTIMORE WOMEN’S CLASSIC 5K

This 5K women’s only race raises funds to aid patients affected by gynecological cancers.

Runners take off at 8 a.m. from Key Highway in front of Rash Field. For more information, visit www.baltimorewomensclassic.com.

tips on entertaining and hosting parties.

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

Help with colors and artwork 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 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

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JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Money Law &

13

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMIN CUTS Haven’t gotten your annual Social Security statement yet? Thanks to budget cuts, you won’t. And next year, unless you’re over 60, you’ll probably have to look online FOR YOUR FINANCIAL BOOKSHELF Look for these new books on money misperceptions, new post-meltdown financial rules, and how economic principles can help your marriage

Investors see upside to expensive gasoline

By Mark Jewell Think positive. The pain you’re feeling at the pump from $4-a-gallon gas may become a little easier to bear once you receive your next quarterly mutual fund statement.

Chances are your fund portfolio holds big oil names that have been reporting Texassized profits and boosting dividends paid to their investors. Exxon Mobil, for example, is the biggest component in the Standard & Poor’s 500, the most widely tracked benchmark among index funds anchoring many 401(k) plans and retirement accounts.

Exxon earned nearly $11 billion in the first quarter, its biggest profit in more than two years. Exxon and rival Chevron are increasing their quarterly dividends, boosting returns for investors. Combined, Exxon and Chevron make up about 4.6 percent of the S&P 500.

If your portfolio includes a specialized fund that focuses on energy stocks, you’ve got even more reason to consider the bright side of rising oil prices. Energy stock funds have returned an average 26 percent over the last 12 months, the thirdbest performance among Morningstar’s

21 domestic fund categories. That tops the S&P 500’s nearly 17 percent return.

What’s more, the top performer among all funds is an energy fund. Integrity Williston Basin/Mid North America Stock (ICPAX) has returned 63 percent, thanks to sizzling gains from the energy exploration and oilfield services companies it favors.

Think twice before investing Such eye-popping numbers make these funds tempting. But be careful if you’re considering a specialized fund whose returns are closely tied to swings in energy prices.

“The initial knee-jerk reaction to jump in might not be warranted, because most investors already have plenty of exposure to energy in their portfolios,” said Rob Wherry, a Morningstar analyst who tracks energy funds. “It’s important to check what you’ve got in your portfolio first.”

Energy stocks account for nearly 15 percent of the holdings in funds tracking the S&P 500, so that’s a good threshold for assessing your portfolio’s energy exposure.

Yet 15 percent may be too high for some risk-averse investors. It’s not just energy

stocks that leave an investor exposed to energy price swings. Price changes can also make or break the bottom lines of other companies, including airlines and petrochemical makers.

Also, beware any recently hot area of the market, because strong gains often precede a crash. Witness what happened in 2008.

Oil climbed to a record $147 a barrel in the summer, then tumbled below $40 in the winter as economic news worsened and the globe’s thirst for oil tailed off. Energy funds lost an average 51 percent that year, compared with the S&P 500’s 37 percent loss.

Drilling and extraction may prosper As for oil’s recent surge, managers of two top energy funds don’t expect a repeat of 2008. They’re cautious, because it’s hard to predict whether the war in Libya and Mideast political instability will continue to generate enough uncertainty over the supply of oil to prop up prices.

But they expect costly oil and expensive gas won’t go away anytime soon, based on supply-and-demand fundamentals.

“Oil is finite in quantity, and once you pull a barrel out of the ground, it’s gone

forever,” said Bob Walstad, co-manager of Integrity Williston Basin/Mid North America Stock, the fund that’s beaten all others over the past 12 months.

Amid rising oil demand, global production has been stretched for decades, Walstad said: “We’ve got years of drilling just to catch up.”

Walstad co-manages the $319 million fund from Minot, N.D., in the heart of the Williston Basin. The region, stretching across the Dakotas and Montana and into southern Canada, is experiencing a boom in exploration and production of oil extracted from shale deposits. Walstad’s fund changed its name and investment mission in 2008 to capitalize on the boom.

Many of his fund’s favorite stocks are oilfield services companies: Top holding Baker Hughes is up 52 percent in the past 12 months, and No. 3 holding Lufkin Industries has more than doubled.

Dan Rice, co-manager of BlackRock Energy & Resources (SSGRX), said the strengthening global economy makes him See ENERGY STOCKS, page 15

Managed funds losing out to index rivals

By Mark Jewell Pay a fund manager above-average fees, and it’s reasonable to expect you’ll have a better than 50-50 chance of beating the stock market.

Yet the latest numbers show a majority of managers aren’t keeping up their end of the deal. It’s a key reason why investors have been pulling cash out of managed funds at a rapid clip in recent years. It’s even happening to big mutual funds that have delivered above-market returns.

A few ugly numbers: • Over the past five years, nearly 58 percent of managed U.S. stock funds failed to beat a broad measure of the market, the Standard & Poor’s Composite 1500. That’s according to S&P’s ninth annual scorecard of managed fund-vs.-index performance.

• Investors pulled a net $323 billion from managed stock funds over the past four years, according to Morningstar. That’s about 10 percent of the assets those funds hold.

Index funds are different animals. Their investors expect to match performance of the market segment the fund tracks. Index funds typically charge less than managed funds, because they don’t have to pay investment-picking pros.

It’s an approach that continues to gain momentum, 35 years after Vanguard launched the first index fund. Investors have deposited a net $108 billion into U.S. stock index funds over the past four years.

Index funds still trail managed funds.

Only $1 of every $4 that individuals invest in U.S. stock funds is in index funds. That suggests most investors continue to believe managers are more likely than not to earn their higher fees.

That puzzles Srikant Dash, a managing director at S&P, who said plenty of managers can beat the market for two or three years. But their numbers drop off sharply over five years.

Dash said that five-year dropoff is the only thing that’s consistent from S&P’s analysis of

more than a decade of fund returns.

Better returns with index funds In S&P’s latest scorecard, managed funds trailed nearly across the board, regardless of the types of stocks they invest in. In 16 of 17 fund categories, average fiveyear returns trailed those of comparable S&P market indexes. The lone exception: large-cap value funds.

S&P evaluates category returns based on simple averages. Fund manager performance looks better when the returns are asset-weighted, meaning bigger funds count more toward the average than smaller ones. This method aims to reflect where investors put most of their money.

Market-beating returns, however, don’t necessarily protect a managed fund from losing investors. Here are examples of stock funds that have had investors withdraw huge sums, despite beating the S&P 500 from 2007 through 2010.

• Fidelity Blue Chip Growth (FBGRX).

This nearly $15 billion large-cap growth fund delivered an average annual return of 4.5 percent over that four-year period, versus the S&P 500’s average annual loss of 0.8 percent. Yet it suffered nearly $9 billion in net withdrawals over those years, according to Morningstar.

• Putnam Voyager (PVOYX). This $5.2 billion large-cap growth fund has seen $6 billion exit, despite returning an average 7 percent.

• Calamos Growth (CVGRX): More than $8 billion has flowed out of this $9.4 billion large-cap growth fund, despite its 2.9 percent average return.

The biggest downsizing was the nearly $25 billion pulled from American Funds Washington Mutual (AWHSX), now a $53 billion fund. It averaged an annual loss of 1.6 percent.

On the other end of the spectrum, the largest amount of new money, unsurprisingly, belongs to an index fund: Vanguard See MANAGED FUNDS, page 14

14

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JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Social Security stops mailing statements

By Mark Miller What age should you file for Social Security benefits? It’s one of the most critical decisions you’ll make that affects longterm retirement security.

One of the best decision-making tools to help with that decision is the annual benefit projection that we all receive in the mail from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

But the SSA is about to stop mailing out those statements to save money in Washington’s current budget-cutting environment.

The agency will save $30 million by suspending mailings for the remainder of the current fiscal year, which ends in September, and an additional $60 million next year by restricting mailings to workers 60 and older.

Statements for those over 60 Statements usually are sent out about three months before your birthday. The suspension started in April, which means everyone with birthdays in July and later won’t get a paper statement this year.

Next year, the SSA intends to resume sending statements to Americans over age 60; it’s working on an online download option for everyone else.

Personally, I’m OK with online access to just about everything — it’s greener and saves money. But the paper Social Security statement provides a valuable annual reminder of what you can expect and how benefits are calculated.

Most importantly, the statement in-

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cludes a projection of your benefits based on varying retirement ages. That drives home the point that you get the maximum monthly payout by waiting, if at all possible, at least until the age when your full benefits are available — the so-called full retirement age (FRA).

Monthly benefit payments are 8 percent higher for every year you wait up until age 70. That can really add up over time. If you wait until age 70 to claim benefits, your monthly income will be about 76 percent higher than it would be if you had claimed benefits at age 62, according to the National Academy of Social Insurance.

And for married couples, if the higher earner is the man, it’s especially important for him to wait to file as long as possible.

Women usually outlive men; Social Security’s survivor benefit allows a widowed spouse to receive 100 percent of her husband’s benefits.

The SSA also is shelving plans to open eight new hearing offices to handle the backlog of disability claims, which has soared during the recession. Each disabili-

ty claim is reviewed by an examiner.

Filings have jumped from 2.6 million annual claims in fiscal 2005 to 3.0 million in FY 2009 and 3.2 million FY 2010. The claims process is complex and waiting times are long, averaging 800 to 900 days in many cities and sometimes as long as 1,400 days.

The SSA had been making progress clearing the backlog early this year, but that progress likely will stop with the latest budget cuts.

SSA doesn’t expect the cuts to impact turnaround time for retirement benefit applications, which can be filed online (http://www.ssa.gov/onlineservices/), by phone (1-800-772-1213), or in person at your local Social Security office.

For now, you can get an estimate of your benefits using the SSA’s excellent online Retirement Estimator tool (www.ssa.gov/ estimator/), which pulls up your personal benefits and allows you to do what-if scenarios for filing at different ages.

Or, drop by your local Social Security office — before they decide to shut it down. © 2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Managed funds

That’s because managers like Bob Doll expect that the recent gains in the stock market will start to flatten out: “That’s when active managers tend to do better.”

Doll said managers can offer their research and analysis to help investors who want to do more than simply go along for the ride, as they would with index funds.

Dash said S&P’s findings don’t support that. Over the last decade, a majority of fund managers have lagged the market during periods when stocks meandered, as well as during stretches when they sharply rose or fell. “It doesn’t matter, if the market is going up, down or sideways,” Dash said.

— AP

From page 13 Total Stock Market (VTSMX). Some $56 billion has come in, to boost its asset total to $164 billion. Its four-year return is essentially flat, at 0.02 percent.

Will managed funds improve?

Many fund managers argue that their prospects will improve in coming months, and perhaps years. They predict the market will enter a new phase where their stock-picking expertise stands a better chance of making a difference than during the last four years of volatile markets.

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Books offer do-it-yourself financial advice Consider adding these recently released financial books to your shelf or e-reader (all are available as e-books). Look for more suggestions in upcoming issues.

Debunkery: Learn It, Do It, and Profit From It — Seeing Through Wall Street’s Money-Killing Myths Author: Ken Fisher Price: $27.95 Summary: Debunkery is the seventh book by Ken Fisher, the founder and CEO of Fisher Investments, a money management firm overseeing more than $32 billion.

In his latest work, Fisher attacks common myths and misperceptions, and shows readers how to analyze and discredit them. He divides the discussion into five sections: Basic Bunk to Make You Broke; Wall Street “Wisdom”; Everyone Knows; History Lessons; and It’s a Great Big World!

Each of the 50 chapters is dedicated to one misperception and is typically only three to five pages long. The short discussions enable you to pick and choose what’s most interesting for your financial situation.

Quote: “Once you intuitively accept that 1) lots of commonly accepted investing wisdom isn’t wise, and 2) you will still make mistakes anyway but can aim to lower your error rate and improve your results, actually doing debunkery can be easy. Simple really!”

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc. The Wall Street Journal Guide to the New Rules of Personal Finance Author: Dave Kansas Price: $16.99 (paperback) Summary: It makes sense that we should be acting differently about our money in the wake of the financial crisis. Some time-tested lessons of personal finance still hold true: saving, budgeting and avoiding over-borrowing

and overspending.

But Kansas makes a persuasive case that we need a new way of thinking to replace others that failed us, such as overreliance on the stock market and real estate.

One new rule is to really embrace thrift and abhor loading up on debt. As this veteran personal finance writer puts it, debt is deadly and credit cards are cursed objects.

Another is that diversification really matters, not just in stocks but in retirement planning — IRAs, insurance plans and savings accounts in addition to 401(k)s.

When it comes to investing, be where the action is going to be: international markets and commodities such as oil, gold, wood and other natural resources. Other chapters focus on debt reduction, spending smarter on your home, and other important topics.

If the lessons aren’t all brand new, the focus and priorities are. In plain language and Kansas offers wise advice that points out a clear path to a stable financial future for those who follow it.

Quote: “The New Rules aren’t simply quick fixes to financial problems. Instead they’re about learning how to save, invest, and plan better, and they require discipline, prudence, and taking personal responsibility for your financial future. They’re also about understanding that financial strategy is about more than money.”

Publisher: HarperCollins.

Spousonomics: Using Economics to Master Love, Marriage, and Dirty Dishes Authors: Paula Szuchman, Jenny Anderson.

Price: $26 Summary: Forget the flowers and romantic getaways. If you want a happy marriage,

Energy stocks

over 10 years. That places it in the top 4 percent of its category over that time period.

Rice currently favors coal and natural gas stocks, like Massey Energy, a coal miner that’s the fund’s current top holding.

He’s keeping more than 75 percent of his portfolio in small- to mid-sized companies, which are more likely to post stronger gains in a rising market than bigger ones. However, he acknowledges that approach invites more risk. When stocks decline, the smaller names are likely to fall harder than the big ones.

— AP

From page 13 confident that energy stocks will continue delivering strong returns.

“I think I can make 20 to 30 percent returns for a number of years,” Rice said of his $2 billion fund, one of two Morningstar analyst picks in the energy stock fund category.

His fund is up 31 percent over the past 12 months. Long-term investors have enjoyed an average 18.4 percent annualized return

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think like an economist.

That’s the premise of this new release by Wall Street Journal editor Paula Szuchman and New York Times reporter Jenny Anderson.

The authors have fun with their theory by taking 10 economic principles and explaining how they can be used to avoid the common pitfalls of marriage.

In the opening chapter, for example, the authors invoke Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations in arguing for a division of labor based on skill sets, rather than automatically splitting chores 50-50. Another chapter titled “Moral Hazard, Or the Too-Big-to-Fail Marriage” discusses how the emotional safety of marriage can lead spouses to take each other for granted and wear away at a relationship.

And in “Trade-Offs, Or the Art of Getting Over It,” Szuchman and Anderson encourage examining spats through a cost-benefit analysis rather than letting minor grievances fester.

On their own, marriage and economic theory aren’t exactly fertile ground for lighthearted reading. But by bringing them together, Spousonomics injects some levity into both.

Quote: “At its core, economics is way simpler than all that. It’s the study of how people, companies and societies allocate scarce resources. Which happens to be the same puzzle you and your spouse are perpetually trying to solve: how to spend your limited time, energy, money and libido in ways that keep you smiling and your marriage thriving.”

Publisher: Random House — AP

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JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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AP PHOTO

Style Arts &

Oprah honors local heroes. See story on page 18.

Get your fill of live theatre this summer

In our own backyard Baltimore’s Run of the Mill Theater will present BMORE 1-ACTS, a collection of four one-act plays by local authors.

Henry’s Holiday, by Julie Lewis, runs from July 1-3; Empires Fall, by Mark Scharf, also from July 1-3; A Girl Called Alice, by Kimberley Lynne, from July 7-10, and Sphere: The Thelonius Monk Story, by Max Garner, from July 7-10 as well.

Performances July 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9 are at 8 p.m., and July 3 and 10 at 7 p.m. There will also be a 3 p.m. matinee on July 2.

Tickets are $15 at the door or online at www.brownpapertickets.com. The theater is located at LOF/t (Load of Fun Theater) at 120 W. North Ave. Cockpit in Court Summer Theatre at Community College of Baltimore CountyEssex has a full slate of shows for its 2011 sea-

son: From June 17-July 3 is the family-friendly production of The Secret Garden; June 24-July 3 is Over the River and Through the Woods; July 8-17, Disney’s Camp Rock; July 22-Aug. 7, Hairspray; and July 29-Aug. 7, The Edge of Darkness. Tickets range from $24-$36.

Visit www.ccbcmd.edu/cockpit or call (443) 840-2787 for more information. The theater is located at 7201 Rossville Blvd.

At Toby’s Dinner Theatre at Best Western Hotel & Conference Center, 5625 O’Donnell St., the surprise Broadway hit Xanadu comes to town through Sept. 4.

The musical, based on the infamous Olivia Newton John film, was supposed to be a smash hit follow-up to Newton John’s star turn in the movie musical Grease.

Unfortunately, the film was vilified by critics and actually was the reason the Razzie Awards for the Worst Films of the year were created. It became a cult classic and is cherished by many film buffs for its sheer awfulness.

The Broadway production, however, won rave reviews and ran for more than 550 performances. The show was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and won the Drama Desk Award

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CHESAPEAKE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY

By Carol Sorgen While many area theaters are dark for the summer, there are still opportunities for you to get your fill of comedy, drama and musicals over the next several months.

Here are a few local and regional offerings that are worth considering.

Shakespeare’s fanciful play A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be staged at the Patapsco Female Institute (PFI) Historic Park in Ellicott City through July 24 by the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company.

for Best Book of a Musical.

Performances run Thursdays through Sundays; there are select Tuesday and Wednesday evening and Thursday matinee performances as well. Doors open at 6 p.m. for evening shows (5 p.m. on Sundays) and 10:30 a.m. for matinees. Reservations are required. For reservations or more information, call (410) 649-1660 or visit www.tobysdinnertheatre.com.

In Columbia Speaking of Toby’s, Cole Porter’s musical romp across the Atlantic in Anything Goes continues at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia through August 28.

When the S.S. American heads out to sea, etiquette and convention head out the portholes as two unlikely pairs set off on the course to true love.

But sometimes destiny needs a little help from a crew of singing sailors, an exotic disguise. and some good old-fash-

ioned blackmail. Peppering this hilariously bumpy ride are some of musical theater’s most memorable standards, including “I Get a Kick out of You,” “It’s De-lovely,” and, of course, “Anything Goes.”

Tuesday through Saturday evenings, doors open at 6 p.m. for the all-you-can-eat buffet dinner, and the show starts at 8 p.m.

On Sunday evenings, doors open at 5 p.m. for dinner, with a 7 p.m. show time. For Wednesday and Sunday matinees, doors open at 10:30 a.m. for brunch, and the show begins at 12:30 p.m. Prices, which include the meal and show (alcoholic beverages are extra), range from $47 to $52 for adults and are $33.50 for children.

The theater is located at 5900 Symphony Woods Drive, Columbia. For more information, call (410) 730-8311.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2011

17

When no longer ‘hot,’ boomers like to fret

By Carol Sorgen When did you first realize that you had suddenly morphed into someone else?

When you were walking with your daughter and noticed that she was the one getting all the looks? When your son trounced you in basketball…again and again? When your staff stopped inviting you to lunch?

For magazine writer/editor Stephanie Dolgoff, the “lightbulb moment” occurred when a man on a train asked her for the time. “Eight-forty,” she replied tersely, trying to fend off what she thought was coming next.

But then…“Nothing. Nada. Bubkes,” she writes in her amusing memoir/exploration of growing older, My Formerly Hot Life: Dispatches from Just the Other Side of Young (soon to be a television series, as well).

“He may have said, ‘Thanks.’ I don’t remember…Apparently, the sexy stubbly guy who asked me for the time simply needed to know the time. He wanted information, not to have sex with me. Imagine!”

An awakening awareness In that moment (though there had been others prior to that, she admits, but she just didn’t want to face up to them), it all became “blindingly clear.” She was no long who she always thought she was — the

young woman whose attractiveness, in both looks and personality, was an intrinsic part of how she navigated the world.

But when Sexy Train Guy turned a blind eye to her charms, Dolgoff realized she was no longer “all that.” “I didn’t feel like me anymore because I wasn’t me, at least not the me I had always been.”

That “me” included a glamorous job in New York magazine publishing, a string of romances before settling down with her husband (whom she met on the subway), and having twin daughters.

Turning her observational skills to this newfound stage in her life, Dolgoff began a blog, www.formerlyhot.com, where she and other women she calls “Formerlys” (as in “formerly hot,” a moniker that gets a bit tiresome when used throughout the book), can compare notes on who they were then, who they are now, and the plusses and minuses of both.

The book isn’t all about looks, though Dolgoff is the first to admit that her appearance still matters to her — though not quite as much as it once did.

“To shapewear or not to shapewear,” that is the question; i.e., how much discomfort are you willing to endure in exchange for looking smoother and thinner.

Dolgoff writes that, for the most part, the Spanx stay in the drawer and she has

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opted for slightly looser clothing that still looks good but also enables her to digest her food.

Careers, relationships, popular culture, aging parents and more are all tackled in the book.

Looking at the upside While Dolgoff has plenty to say about the downsides of growing older, she also sees the upsides. You no longer feel the need to be out and about till all hours of the morning (of course, you don’t really have the time or energy for it anyway, she points out).

Your friends won’t accuse you of being a stick-in-the-mud because, let’s face it, they’re stuck in the same muck you are.

Whether in your personal or professional life, your self-esteem no longer is dependent on other people’s opinions of you.

And then there’s the matter of shoes. “I now realize you need your feet to function,” writes Dolgoff. So, after years of tottering and limping on four-inch heels, it’s flats for her — “a small fashion sacrifice to make in exchange for being able to walk.”

While Dolgoff is just shy of her mid-40s and asserts that she’s not old (just older), and not even middle-aged yet (though that may be debatable), the issues she is con-

fronting will probably ring true for most baby boomers.

And while many of these issues challenge “formerly hot” men as well, the book will appeal primarily to a female audience.

Dolgoff admits that some of her older blog followers have chided her on her seeming obsession with leaving her youth behind. “All that frettin’ is terribly unattractive,” one woman in her 50s wrote on her blog.

And maybe, she says, when she has well and truly crossed the line into middle-age, and then old age, she too will look back and think how silly it all was.

On the other hand, people experience life changes in different ways — some more acutely than others — and Dolgoff thinks the shift in her life is worthy of the “magnifying glass” she has been applying to it.

But once she passes through the “Formerly” stage, Dolgoff hopes that all the positives she has come to appreciate at this time in her life — the groundedness, the confidence, the social ease and peace of mind — will outweigh some of the panic of the unknown.

My formerly Hot Life, published 2010 by Ballantine Books, is available at bookstores and online (hardback and e-book versions).

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JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Helping others brings recognition from Oprah

By Carol Sorgen When Joanie Reisfeld was pregnant more than 20 years ago, she had to endure complete bed rest for two and a half months until her son Zach was born at 30 weeks, weighing just 2 lb., 10 oz. It was a period of tremendous emotional and physical stress.

So in 1993, the veteran teacher of blind children and part–time realtor founded Better BedRest, Inc., an advocacy, public awareness and volunteer-driven nonprofit that provides support and information to pregnant women who are prescribed bed rest by their physicians or midwives.

Volunteers phone women on bed rest to offer advice and suggestions for coping as well as to tell them about available community resources. Volunteers also help with Better BedRest’s annual fundraising event, which raises money to assist those on bed rest who are in financial difficulty because they can’t work.

Elizabeth Neighoff is one of Reisfeld’s volunteers, who herself spent six months on bed rest while pregnant. After moving back to Maryland from New York, Neighoff heard about Better BedRest and knew she wanted to get involved.

“People don’t understand unless they have been through the same thing,” said Neighoff, who like Reisfeld is an Ellicott

Music & Art

City resident. “They think you’re lazy or on vacation!”

Brought to Oprah’s attention Neighoff felt so inspired by Reisfeld’s efforts on behalf of pregnant women that, when she saw a “call for heroes” on Oprah Winfrey’s website last fall, she dashed off an e-mail extolling the virtues of Reisfeld and talking about the many women Reisfeld’s organization has helped through the years.

“I promptly forgot about it,” said Neighoff of her e-mail. “I didn’t give it a second thought.”

Until this past November, that is, when a representative from the “Oprah” show emailed Neighoff asking if she and Reisfeld could come to Chicago and be in the studio audience the following week.

The two women were excited about having the opportunity to see a taping of a show during Oprah’s final season. They also hoped it would bring awareness to the issue they both feel so passionate about.

It wasn’t until Neighoff’s sister mentioned that November was usually when Oprah aired her much-anticipated “favorite things” show that the two began to think there might be more to the invitation than just being recognized for their volun-

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teer efforts.

Still, Oprah’s producers did everything they could to throw the audience off, even telling them that the morning’s earlier taping had indeed been the “favorite things” episode and apologizing that they were there to see Oprah’s “favorite people” show, featuring Dr. Oz, Suze Orman, and Dr. Phil.

“We were a bit deflated for a moment,” Neighoff recalled, “but then told ourselves that, really, the best thing was just being there and meeting Oprah. (Indeed, Neighoff said that after the birth of her child and her wedding, meeting Oprah has been the best thing that has happened in her life.)

The producers did such a good job of fooling the audience that when Oprah came out and eventually gave up the gag, “we all went wild,” said both Reisfeld and Neighoff.

Gifts galore The wild ride continued for the next hour as the studio audience — entirely made up of “heroes” and those who recommended them — were showered with gifts, ranging from iPads to Ugg boots to Coach pocketbooks, cashmere lounging outfits, jewelry, gift cards, food…and a newly designed Volkswagen Beetle, due

On stage From page 16 Historic Park in Ellicott City (3691 Sarah’s Lane), Chesapeake Shakespeare Company presents two popular plays in repertory, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) through July 24.

In The Complete Works, three of CSC’s comic actors — Scott Graham, Frank Mormon and John Miller — perform a two-hour comic version of Shakespeare’s greatest hits. Pre-show entertainment includes musicians, jugglers and stage combat demonstrations.

The gates open 90 minutes before show time for picnicking. Tickets can be purchased online at www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com or by calling (410) 313-8661. Tickets range from $15 to $36.

Further afield A perennial favorite for residents and visitors alike, Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre has two popular shows on tap for the summer.

Featuring your favorite songs from the ‘50s and ‘60s, The Marvelous Wonderettes is a trip down memory lane to the 1958 Springfield High School prom. It runs from June 30 to July 24.

The 2011 season will close with the Baltimore-based musical Hairspray, which inspired a major motion picture and won eight 2003 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It runs Aug. 4 to Sept. 4.

Curtain time for all performances is

out this September.

Because it was a special show, it continues to air on Oprah’s OWN network.

“It was a humbling and overwhelming experience,” said Reisfeld, adding that the gratitude she receives from the women helped by Better BedRest is all the thanks she ever really needed.

“What all the volunteers do is amazing in and of itself,” she added. “And what Elizabeth did [by recommending me] was both unexpected and unbelievable.”

Reisfeld, who — like Oprah — is 57 (they were born a week apart) has long been an Oprah fan. Through the years she has watched the show and read O, Oprah’s eponymous magazine. “I’m still trying to make sense of it all,” she said. “I sent Oprah a thank you note, but, what do you say to someone who gives you all this?”

Neighoff herself has been no less inspired, first by Reisfeld, and then by the entire Oprah experience.

“When something so unexpectedly joyous can happen to you,” she said, “you come away with a sense of hope and a desire to give even more than you have received.”

For more information on Better BedRest, or to volunteer, call (410) 7407662, email info@betterbedrest.org, or visit www.betterbedrest.org.

8:30 p.m. Each show has performances Thursday through Sunday. Call the box office at (410) 268-9212 for more information. Tickets are $18 each. The theater is located at 143 Compromise St. At Olney Theatre Center, Opus, by Michael Hollinger, runs on the Mainstage through July 3. In the play, a nationally televised performance at the White House looms, and a world renowned string quartet is missing its volatile fourth player.

Opus explores the intimate balance between these extraordinary individuals as their ambitions and passions are ignited by the pressure to perform.

From July 27-Aug. 21, also on the Mainstage, Grease will bring you back to the days of drive-ins, rock ‘n roll and high school romance. Tickets range from $26 to $54; patrons 65 and older receive $5 off (excludes Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees; subject to availability).

Olney Theatre Center is located at 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd. For more information, call (301) 924-3400 or visit www.olneytheatre.org.

The well-regarded Contemporar y American Theater Festival returns once again to West Virginia’s Shepherd University in Shepherdstown from July 8-31, with new works in repertory by playwrights David Mamet, Kyle Bradstreet, Sam Shepard, Tracy Thorne and Lucy Thurber.

The festival is well known for presenting thought-provoking new plays. This year’s dramas focus on sex, race, friendship and family. For more information, call 1-800-9992283 or visit www.catf.org.

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2011

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Travel

19

Leisure &

Important cards for travelers to keep in their wallets. See story on page 21.

Mystical Morocco an exotic tourist mecca

PHOTO BY SUSAN COOK

news sources about conditions in Morocco. Moroccan youth, seeking more democracy, had started a wave of protests on February 20. This resulted in 135 serious injuries, but subsequent protests have seen less violence.

The consensus in March was that Morocco, in the northwest corner of Africa, would weather this “Arab Spring” in relative calm — despite the turmoil in other Arab countries. The optimism stemmed, in part, from the popularity of Morocco’s young king, Mohammed VI, and his recent promises of new reforms.

Reassured, we flew on Royal Air Moroc from New York to Casablanca, where we were met by our tour director, Abdellatif Benharima. A walking Wikipedia, fluent in six languages, Abdel (as he is best known) informed us daily about Morocco’s mystical past and its current politics as he led us to every interesting site a tour group could pack into 14 ten-hour days.

Except for a horse and buggy ride in midtown Marrakech and a camel ride to die for in the Sahara, we traveled daily in A (relatively) safe destination the same comfortable bus driven by the Before starting our journey, we checked same excellent driver. with the State Department and copious From the airport, Adbel steered us directly to nearby Rabat, the capital city, where we saw one of Morocco’s most popular tourist sites: the Hassan Tower and the nearby Mausoleum of Mohammed V. The tower is the unfinished minaret of a mosque meant to be the largest in the Islamic world. Built in the 12th century by Almohad sultan Yacoub al Mansour, it was left unfinished at Mansour’s death.

In sharp contrast is the magnificent mausoleum next door, a white silhouette topped by a traditional green tiled roof and fronted by mounted royal guards.

The mausoleum was commissioned in 1961 by the late King Hassan II to honor his father, Mohammed V, and comAuthor Gwen Gibson (right) and friend Josephine pleted in 1971.The tombs of Sherfy, both octogenarians, explore Morocco’s western Mohammed V, King Hassan II Sahara desert on camelback. Despite uprisings in the and Prince Abdallah lie here Middle East this spring and some incidents in Morocco, they felt safe during their visit to the country in March. today.

In Rabat, we also toured the grounds of the walled, 17th century Palais Royal and surrounding Andalusia gardens. This is the official royal residence.

But the current king, who has distanced himself from his father, Hassan II, resides in his villa, Les Sablons, just across the river. Mohammed VI does, however, utilize the many other royal palaces that Morocco maintains for the king’s pleasure.

“M6,” as he is often called, became king in 1999, at age 36, on the death of his father. One of his first reforms was to close the palace harems and free his father’s 40 concubines. He has since granted Moroccan women the right to say “no” to marriage and “yes” to divorce — major feats in this mostly Muslim country.

In 2002, Mohammed VI A Muslim woman in a traditional burqa passes a voting married Selma Bennani, a place in Morocco with a sign in Arabic announcing elec“modern” Muslim woman, tions. schooled in the computer Once in the dazzling, snow-covered sciences, who is often compared to Princess Diana because of her charity High Atlas Mountains, as our bus parked near a precipitous cliff, Abdel teased: “I work.

Both the king and his wife, now Princess don’t think you expected this in Morocco.”

Descending the mountain, we negotiatLalla Salina, are half-Arab and half-Berber, a common heritage in Morocco where ed scores of hairpin turns on the narrow Berbers, the country’s original inhabitants, roads built by the French when they occupied Morocco. form some 40 percent of the population.

It takes a book to describe the many mosques, palaces, kasbahs, souks and Desert to snow-capped peaks Our odyssey continued from Rabat to other historical sites in this ancient counMenkes, Fez, Erfoud, Ouarzazate, Mar- try. Here are a few of the many I would put rakech and Casablanca, plus a dozen re- on a “must-see” list: • The Roman ruins of Volubilis, near mote mountain villages along the way.

Even in the poorest villages, most homes Menkes. A UNESCO world heritage site, have satellite TV. Asked what these natives this is the largest of the 17 colonies estabwatch, Abdel said with a straight face, lished by the Romans in Morocco more than 2,000 years ago.

“Desperate Housewives.”

• The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca.

Morocco embraces four high mountain ranges, part of the world’s largest desert. Commissioned by Hassan II and completand 2,200 miles of coast line along the At- ed in 1993 at a cost of more than $800 millantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. See MOROCCO, page 20 We got a taste of it all.

PHOTO BY SUSAN COOK

By Gwen Gibson From the High Atlas Mountains to the lonesome shifting sands of the Western Sahara, Morocco offers the visitor a labyrinth of stories, dreams, contrasts, mysteries and myths.

But when I talk about my recent trip to this exotic country, friends often ask the same three basic questions. One: Why did you go to North Africa when there was so much turmoil there? Two: How was the food? Three: Aren’t you too old to be riding camels?

Actually, I love the questions as they allow me to expound on the many faces of Morocco as it moves steadily toward democracy.

I travelled throughout Morocco in March with 15 congenial members of the Texas Exes Flying Longhorns, a travel group composed of University of Texas graduates and their spouses or friends.

My roommate for this glorious, but arduous, two-week trip was my good friend, Josephine Sherfy of Austin, a UT graduate. If you must know, we are both octogenarians.

20

Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Morocco From page 19 lion, this magnificent structure, designed

by French architect Michel Pinseau, dominates the Casablanca skyline.

Unusually bright and modern, the Hassan II Mosque will accommodate 26,000 worshippers inside and thousands more outside. Some 360 loudspeakers are used during services.

Part of the mosque sits on a platform

JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

over the Atlantic.

A few blocks away is one of Morocco’s largest shantytowns — a glaring reminder of the division here between the rich and poor.

• The huge, bustling medinas of Fez and Marrakech, Morocco’s largest inner cities, where residents still cling to ancient ways — and the ville nouvelles in the suburbs where the well-to-do live in modern, upscale style.

• The quiet and beautiful Jardin Majorelle in midtown Marrakech. This exotic botanical garden nurtures over 300 plant

BEACON BITS

Dec. 10

RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR

It may be hard to think of Christmas in the middle of July, but save the date now for this trip to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular on Saturday, December 10. Contact Roland Park Country School’s Kaleidoscope program to find out more details as they become available: (410) 323-5500 or www.rpcs.org.

July 11+

HEAD NORTH OF THE BORDER

Join the Fleming Senior Center for this four-night trip to Montreal and Quebec City. The cost of $569/double includes four breakfasts, three dinners, lodging, motor coach transportation, gaming at Casino de Montreal and more. For more information, call (410) 887-7225.

July 18

B-I-N-G-O

Spend the day at Bingo World with the Reisterstown Senior Center. Transportation is free; cards and lunches are purchased individually. To save a place, call (410) 887-1143.

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species. The cobalt blue walls and vases are the signature of Yves Saint Laurent who lived and worked here from 1980 until his death in 2008. His ashes are scattered in the garden.

• Ifrane, Morocco’s most atypical town.

High in the Middle Atlas Mountains, Ifrane is a quaint ski resort town with Swiss chalet style homes set amid cedar and pine groves.

It is also home to the prestigious Al Akhawayn University. Funded by the kings of Morocco and Saudi Arabia, Al Akhawayn is patterned after an American liberal arts university.

We were welcomed everywhere, especially by trades people eager to sell us everything from beads, blankets, scarves and djellabahs to cosmetics made from the oils of the argan tree and guaranteed to restore our lost youth. Josephine and I even drew hugs, smiles and V signs on the day we wore our Obama T-shirts.

Where to eat and sleep The food at the many restaurants we patronized — to answer question two above — ranged from good to great. As a vegetarian, I was impressed with the variety of vegetables and fruits served with dates, almonds, olives, succulent soups and honey cakes, and the ever present sweet mint tea.

Many dishes are prepared in a tajine, a round clay jar, with fish, meat or vegetables roasted over couscous and topped with rich sauces.

Two of the restaurants we patronized illustrate why Morocco is called a country of contrasts. One, the Dinarjet, is deep in Rabat’s medieval medina and reached through dark, narrow passageways.

But step inside the Dinarjet and you are in another world. Housed in a spacious 17th century house, the restaurant resembles an Andalusia palace with beautiful mosaics and graceful arches. Musicians play soft string instruments while an attentive staff serves you five courses of traditional Moroccan food with appropriate wines.

From an entirely different world is Rick’s Place in Casablanca. Established in 2004 by Kathy Kriger, a former counselor with the American embassy, this sevenyear-old restaurant mimics the décor and architecture of the seductive piano bar at

the heart of the 1942 movie Casablanca.

Ironically, the movie was filmed almost exclusively on the Warner Brothers Studios lot in Burbank, Calif., and neither Humphrey Bogart nor Ingrid Bergman nor “Sam,” the pianist, ever set foot in Morocco. But here it sits, Casablanca’s first ever Rick’s Place, serving fresh fish from the Atlantic and — as we can personally attest — packin’ them in.

Accommodations in the six hotels we used were first rate. At the Sofitel Palais Jamai in Fez, where the halls are perfumed daily, we were greeted with roses.

At the Kasbah Hotel Xaluca in Erfoud, we were greeted with belly dancers and a local band playing Morocco jazz.

At all six hotels we were greeted with sweet mint tea and warm wash rags. All had swimming pools, television and internet access.

To answer question three: No, I am not too old to ride a camel, nor is Josephine.

We proved this by joining our group on a Lawrence of Arabia-type safari across the golden sands of the Sahara.

This wasn’t easy. The African camels (dromedaries) we rode didn’t come with saddles or stirrups — only a blanket and a small bar that served as a rein. Clinging to this we rode into the dunes, stopping at a high point to watch the sunset.

Coming down, I thought one of us would surely somersault over the camel’s nose.

But we made it, and thanks to Susan Cook of Houston, a fellow traveler and excellent photographer, we have pictures to prove it.

A fourth question friends frequently ask is: “Would you go back?” My answer is: Yes, in a Morocco minute. I want to visit the places we missed; revisit some of the special sites we did see, and yes — just maybe — ride that camel again.

[Editor’s Note: Scattered incidents of violence have occurred in Morocco since this story was written. Check with the U.S. State Department for any travel advisories before going to Morocco, and consider purchasing trip insurance that allows you to cancel “for any reason” before paying for airfare or a package tour.]

Gwen Gibson, a former Washington journalist whose articles frequently appeared in the early years of the Beacon, is a freelance writer living in Texas.

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21

Cards for travelers to keep in their wallet Although you see lots of “don’t leave Beyond that, however, transit and comhome without them” lists of things you need muter systems in around half of the major U.S. cities offer significant on a trip, only a few are truly essenior discounts, and most sential. When you’re outfitting accept a Medicare card as your wallet or purse for your upID. Many senior transit discoming trip, you need to carry counts are 50 percent; public no more than six cards. transit is free to seniors in ATM card for cash. Don’t Pennsylvania, except during run the risk of carrying a lot of rush hours. cash or the hassle of getting Medicare doesn’t work and signing endless travelers’ outside the U.S., so if you’re checks. Plan on using an ATM traveling abroad, take your (debit) card for whatever cash supplement card. Even betyou need along the way.

TRAVEL TIPS ter, buy travel insurance with If you normally use a nation- By Ed Perkins medical benefits, and go for a wide bank, use that card in its branches for no-fee withdrawals. If your policy with primary benefits. bank doesn’t operate where you’re headAmerica the beautiful senior pass. ing, open a small account — enough to This pass, which replaces the Golden Age cover your trip — at a bank that does.

Passport, is arguably the world’s best travIf you’re heading out of the country, con- el value. sider an account with Bank of America, For travelers age 62 or over, the pass which allows no-fee withdrawals from provides no-fee entrance to more than ATMs operated by Scotiabank in Canada, 2,000 federally-managed recreation sites, Santander Serfin Bank in Mexico, Barclay’s including all U.S. national parks, monuBank in Britain, BNP Paribas in France, ments, historic sites, recreation areas, and Deutsche Bank in Germany, Westpac in the wildlife refuges, as well as sites managed South Pacific, ABSA in South Africa, and by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife China Construction Bank in China.

For other countries, seek out a small Service, Forest Service, and some Corps bank credit union that doesn’t assess of Engineers and TVA sites.

Where admissions are based on vehicharges for foreign cash withdrawals.

Medicare card and supplement card cles, the pass covers the holder plus any (or other medical insurance card if others in the car. Where admission is peryou’re under 65). Obviously, you’ll need person, it covers the card holder plus up to ID if you should need medical attention three others. while you’re traveling.

The price? A one-time fee of $10, and

See useful links and resources at www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com

that’s for a lifetime. Without it, you pay far more than that for just a single entry to such blockbuster parks as Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. The pass also provides discounts on a lot of in-park facilities and activities.

Buy it at any participating federal location.

If you’re under 62, check out the America the Beautiful Annual Pass, which provides essentially the same features to travelers of any age for $80 per year.

AARP card. As I’ve noted, AARP hotel discounts, for the most part, are underwhelming; you can often do better through a range of other discount programs.

Still, sometimes AARP is as good as you can get — especially at low-cost accommo-

dations along the interstates and major highways. Although no hotel has ever asked me to show an AARP card, you never know when someone will.

Roadside assistance card. If you plan any driving — in your own car or a rental — you need a roadside assistance program. Although AAA is probably the biggest program, these days you can enjoy roadside benefits through lots of programs. I still like AAA because of its hotel discounts, directories and maps, but you can benefit from any good program.

Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. © 2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD R A P S

N E I L S C A P A L E T E N

M O R G A N

A B R A

A M O E B A

J I T N E Y

K S E T V A T R O C E N T A I R T E T O R O R R T S I M E R A T T E S

S W E D E N U S E P L O T

L I M A N E P R O P E W E S G K A N G A H O Y T A W I J N O V A G R A C I N K H O S P O L O T E T

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

From page 22.

serving those who

served and their eligible non-vet spouses

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Visit our all-new website: www.theBeaconNewspapers.com You’ll find topical articles, as well as blogs, recipes, useful links, reader forums, games, puzzles and event listings.

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800-522-VETS www.charhall.org

skilled nursing // assisted living // rehabilitation // alzheimer's care // respite care

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Puzzle Page

JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Crossword Puzzle Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus An Army of One Across

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Answer: How he tried to sell the instrument BY "TRUMPETING" IT Jumbles: MANGY AFIRE PURITY GIMLET

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1. This puzzle’s theme 6. Thin cigarette 10. The Santa Maria, for example 14. Minimal requirement to make borscht 15. Decline 16. Female lobsters 17. Words on an unwelcoming sign 20. Gal, portrayed by Rita Hayworth 21. Staff 22. Ram’s ma’am 23. “What’s up ___?”

24. Public shouting matches 27. “Pride ___ ...”

29. His theme song was “Puffin’ Billy” from 1955 to 1974 33. Attentive 34. Sailers’ greetings 35. Toe total, typically 36. Camden Yards’ homerun street 38. Run up a tab 41. Many mannequins 43. Extra on L.A. Law 45. A new kitchen, perhaps 50. Leaves out 51. “Say good night, ___” 52. Go bad 53. Rascal 56. Printer’s expense 57. Pwr. plant regulator 60. Its 10,000th episode was broadcast April 17, 2002 64. Drive the getaway car 65. Needle-nose pliers, for example 66. Mozart specialty 67. Senate votes 68. Rock ending (in NYC) 69. Before midnight

Down 1. Criminal charges 2. Start of a magic word 3. It is used to write “Diamond” for autograph collectors

4. Actor Costner, briefly 5. Ogle 6. Nation with five Gold Medals at the 2010 Winter Olympics 7. Seatbelt location 8. Pertaining to, briefly 9. Persian pronouncement 10. Pronoun for 10 and 22 Across 11. Sheepdog 12. Completely 13. From 1960, the American Film Institute’s #1 thriller 18. Author Morrison 19. Sue or Lee 25. Midpt.

26. Participating in a roller derby 28. Grp. with members from Canada to Chile 29. Heathcliff or Garfield 30. Barley brew 31. Solver’s shout 32. “Act ___!”

36. Act human 37. Take advantage of 38. Provided guidance to a newcomer 39. Court 40. West end 41. Viewer of 29 Across 42. “Dear Madam ___” 43. Bonanza 44. Urologist’s diagnosis (abbrev.)

45. Arthurian sorceress 46. It’s magnified on a slide 47. Small bus 48. American League bird 49. FedEx vehicles 54. Sock’s partner 55. Storyline 58. ___ avis 59. Ali, once 61. Aliens, for short 62. All the rage 63. Wall St. debut

Answers on page 21.

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2011

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

CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either.

Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment.

EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS: We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

Business & Employment Opportunities ** ABLE TO TRAVEL ** Hiring 10 people, Free to travel all states, resort areas No experience necessary. Paid training & Transportation.

OVER 18. Start ASAP. 1-888-853-8411.

ACTORS/MOVIE EXTRAS Needed immediately for upcoming roles $150-$300 per day depending on job requirements. No experience, All looks needed. 1-800-561-1762 Ext A-104, for casting times/locations.

AIRLINES ARE HIRING – Train for high paying Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified – Housing available. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance (888) 686-1704.

BLUE JEAN JOB!! Hiring Sharp/Fun People!

Free to travel entire United States. Company paid Lodging/Transportation. Great pay + Bonuses. Get Hired Today. Work Tomorrow! 1888-853-8411.

FRAC SAND HAULERS with complete bulk pneumatic rigs only. Relocate to Texas for Tons of work. Great company/pay. Gas cards/Quick Pay available. 817-926-3535.

FREE PROGRAM on How to Get Rich. Go to www.YourWishisYourCommand.com for FREE offer. It’s the Secret Behind The Secret, today’s Think and Grow Rich!

HANDS ON CAREER – Train for a high paying Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified – Job placement assistance. Call AIM today (866)854-6156.

Caregivers NURSING GRAD (MSN) student & licensed, experienced CNA seeks full-time overnight caregiving position. Pet-friendly with stellar references. If interested, call 301-787-3555.

Financial Services CASH NOW! Cash for your structured settlement or annuity payments. Call J.G. Wentworth. 1-866-SETTLEMENT(1-866-738-8536) Rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau.

FIX YOUR CREDIT FAST! SUMMER Special – ONLY $99 Revolutionary Credit Fix! Remove Collections, Foreclosures, Bankruptcies, etc. Fix your Credit AND Earn Income. Visit TODAY: www.NewCreditForYou.com 1-800-506-0790.

LAWSUIT CASH Auto Accident? Worker Compensation? Get CASH before your case settles!

Fast Approval. Low Fees (866) 709-1100 www.glofin.com.

REVOLUTIONARY CREDIT FIX! JUNE Special – ONLY $99 Fix Your Credit QUICKLY. Remove Collections, Foreclosures, Bankruptcies, Charge Offs, Judgments, etc. Fix your credit in no time! www.NewCreditForYou.com 1-800-506-0790.

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23

Financial Services

Miscellaneous

Vacation Opportunities

SETTLEMENT CASH ADVANCES All Personal Injury Cases Qualify! Cash now, before your case settles! Low Fees. Fast Approval.

(866) 709-1100 www.glofin.com.

REACH OVER 28 MILLION HOMES WITH ONE AD BUY! Only $2,795 per week! For more information, contact Roger at 410-249-9101.

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.sellatimeshare.com Call 1-800-6406886.

USE OPM PRIVATE MONEY To Keep Properties, Buy or Flip Real Estate. Share The Profits, Bad Economy Irrelevant. 100% Funding Guarantee, 1-800-705-7179 24/7 Msg; www.ReoHomeCoachFundingCourse.com.

For Rent/Sale: Real Estate 2-4 BEDROOM HOMES No Money Down No Credit Check Available Now Take Over Payments Call Now 1-866-343-4134.

AVAILABLE NOW 2-4 Bedroom Homes Take Over Payments No Money Down No Credit Check Call Now 1-866-343-4134.

LAND LIQUIDATION- 20Acres $0/Down, $99/mo. ONLY $12,900. Near Growing El Paso, Texas (2nd safest U.S. CITY) Owner Financing, NO CREDIT CHECKS! Money Back Guarantee. 1-800-755-8953.

LAND SALE in Florida, 1/4 Acre & Up. Guaranteed Financing! Foreclosures Starting at $4,900, $100 Down, $100 Per Month. Call For Free Brochure! 1877-983-6600 www.FloridaLotsUSA.com.

STOP RENTING NOW! Lease option to buy.

Rent to own. No Money Down. No Credit Check Homes available in your area. CALL NOW 1877-395-1292.

USE PRIVATE MONEY: OPM. Find, Buy, Flip or Keep Properties, 100% Funding Guarantee, Share in the profits, Bad Economy Irrelevant. 1-800-705-7179 24/7 Msg; www.ReoHomeCoachFundingCourse.com.

For Sale GOLF CLUBS – Callaway, Big Bertha – Complete set including bag. $250.00. 410-235-6072.

DISH Network’s LOWEST ALL-DIGITAL PRICE! As low as $24.99/mo plus FREE HD FOR LIFE! Call for limited time BONUS! Call Now. 1-877-466-2959. *FACTORY DIRECT SATELLITE TV! Why pay retail when you can buy factory DIRECT pricing! Lowest monthly service plans available. New Callers get FREE setup! Call NOW 1-800-935-8195.

FREE High Speed Internet Satellite installation & Equipment + Ultra Fast $39.95 Monthly Valid in underserved American Reinvestment rural areas only call 866-216-3741 to qualify *REDUCE YOUR SATELLITE or CABLE BILL! Confused by all these other ads, buy DIRECT at FACTORY DIRECT Pricing. Lowest monthly prices guaranteed. FREE to new callers! CALL NOW. 1-800-795-1315.

MEMORY FOAM THERAPEUTIC NASA VISCO MATTRESSES WHOLESALE! T-$299 F-$349 Q-$399 K-$499 ADJUSTABLES - $799 FREE DELIVERY 25 YEAR WARRANTY 90 NIGHT TRIAL 1-800-ATSLEEP 1-800-2875337 WWW.MATTRESSDR.COM. DISHTV is more affordable than ever! Ask how to get a Free HD from Satellite Country. Plans starting at $29.95 with NO installation Fees.

Call 877-700-5819.

LOWEST ALL-DIGITAL PRICE – DISH Network – FREE HD FOR LIFE plus As low as $24.99/mo! Limited time BONUS! Call Now. 1888-601-3327.

Health CASH PAID for unexpired, sealed DIABETIC TEST STRIPS- up to $17/Box! Most brands.

Shipping Prepaid. FAST payment. Ask for Emma 1-888-776-7771 www.cash4diabeticsupplies.com.

LOW TESTOSTERONE? Free 30 Day Supply! Try PROGENE and Restore power, performance, and confidence…naturally. Progene Daily Complex CALL FOR FREE SUPPLY Pay only S&P 800-908-2214.

TAKE VIAGRA/CIALIS? SAVE $500.00! Get 40 100mg/20mg Pills, for only $99! Call now and Get 4 BONUS Pills FREE! Your Satisfaction or Money Refunded! 1-888-757-8646.

VIAGRA 100MG AND CIALIS 20mg!! 40 Pills+ 4 FREE for only $99. #1 Male Enhancement, Discreet Shipping. Only $2.25/pill. The Blue Pill Now! 1-888-796-8870.

CARS/TRUCKS WANTED! Top $$$$$ PAID! Running or Not, All Years, Makes, Models. Free Towing! We’re Local! 7 Days/Week. Call Toll Free: 1-888-779-6495.

AAAA** DONATION. Donate Your Car Boat or Real Estate, IRS Tax Deductible. Free PickUp/Tow Any Model/Condition Help Under Privileged Children. Outreach Center. 1-800-928-7566.

ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from Home. *Medical, *Business, *Paralegal, *Accounting, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance.

Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified.

Call 800-510-0784 www.CenturaOnline.com.

DONATE A CAR – Free Next Day Pick-Up – Help Disabled Kids. Best Tax Deduction. Receive 3 Free Vacation Certificates. Call Special Kids Fund 7 days/week 1-866-448-3865.

BOOST TESTOSTERONE! Free 30 Day Supply! Progene for Men! All Natural, Herbal Supplement Higher Energy! More Strength Call For Free Month’s Supply! Pay only S&P 800-908-2214.

GET YOUR DEGREE ONLINE *Medical, *Business, *Paralegal, *Accounting, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. Call 800510-0784 www.CenturaOnline.com.

DONATE A CAR – HELP CHILDREN FIGHTING DIABETES. Fast, Free Towing.

Call 7 days/week. Non-runners OK. Tax Deductable. Call Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation 1-800-578-0408.

INVESTORS – Outstanding and immediate returns in equipment leasing for frac industry.

Immediate lease out. Tax benefits and high returns. We need more equipment! 817-926-3535.

DONATE A CAR To Help Children and Their Families Suffering From Cancer. Free Towing.

Tax Deductible. Children’s Cancer Fund Of America, Inc. www.ccfoa.org 1-800-469-8593.

SUNNY SPRING SPECIALS At Florida’s Best Beach – New Smyrna Beach Stay a week or longer Plan a beach wedding or family reunion. www.NSBFLA.com or 1-800-541-9621.

DONATE YOUR CAR! Breast Cancer Research foundation! Most highly rated breast cancer charity in America! Tax Deductible/Fast Free Pick Up. 800771-9551 www.cardonationsforbreastcancer.org.

WANT TO SAVE $500.00 ON VIAGRA/CIALIS? Get 40 100mg/20mg Pills, for only $99! No office visit. Money Back Guarantee.

4 BONUS Pills FREE! CALL 1-888-757-8646.

DONATE YOUR CAR… To The Cancer Fund of America. Help Those Suffering With Cancer Today. Free Towing and Tax deductible. 1-800835-9372 www.cfoa.org.

Personal Services LEARN ENGLISH – SPANISH – ITALIAN – FRENCH – PORTUGUESE Conversational.

Grammatical. Private lessons. Reasonable Rates. Tutoring students. 443-352-8200.

Vacation Opportunities SIZZLING SUMMER SPECIALS! At Florida’s Best Beach – New Smyrna Beach Stay a week or longer Plan a beach wedding or family reunion. www.NSBFLA.com or 1-800-541-9621.

Wanted STAMPS! U.S. only. Small collector buying singles, sets or collections. Best price paid. Southwest Stamp Club meets Friday, July 15th, 2011, 1PM, Arbutus. 410-247-4169.

LOOKING FOR GOLD and silver coins. Father and son from Howard County will pay cash for your coins. Please call Mac 443-285-2774.

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.

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.

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.

CASH BUYER SEEKING WATCH MAKER’S TOOLS & PARTS, wrist & pocket watches (any condition), costume jewelry and antiques, coins.

410-655-0412.

BUYING NUMISMATIC COINS and most gold or silver items including coins, sterling, jewelry, etc. Will come to you with best cash offer. Call Paul: 410-756-1906.

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 rungs 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. **OLD GUITARS WANTED!** Fender, Gibson, Martin, Gretsch, Prairie State, Euphonon, Larson, D’Angelico, Stromberg, Rickenbacker, and Mosrite. Gibson Mandolins/Banjos. 1930’s thru 1970’s TOP CASH PAID! 1-800-401-0440.

CASH FOR CARS: All Cars/Trucks Wanted.

Running or Not! Top Dollar Paid. We Come To You! Any Make/Model. Call For Instant Offer: 1888-525-8492.

DONATE A CAR – Help Disabled Kids. Free Next Day Pick-Up – Receive 3 Free Vacation Certificates. Tax Deductible. Call Special Kids Fund 7 days/week 1-866-448-3865.

FAST PAYMENT for sealed, unexpired DIABETIC TEST STRIPS-up to $17/Box! Most brands.

Shipping Prepaid. Call today & ask for Emma 1-888-776-7771 www.cash4diabeticsupplies.com.

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED

Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 5th of each month.

Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards.

Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, offer a personal service, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $10 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 $25 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word.

Note: Each real estate listing counts as one commercial ad.

Send your classified ad with check or money order, payable to the Beacon, to:

The Beacon, Classified Dept.

P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227

24

JULY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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