June 2012 DC Beacon Edition

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VOL.24, NO.6

Fertile area for farmers’ markets

JUNE 2012

I N S I D E …

PHOTO BY FRANK KLEIN

By Barbara Ruben Plump strawberries perfume the air next to leafy heads of romaine lettuce and spears of asparagus picked hours before at Bigg Riggs Farm in West Virginia.

The smells mix with the scent of kettle corn popped from corn picked at an Anne Arundel County farm, while a nearby vendor sells ice pops in exotic flavors — from hibiscus to cucumber chili to strawberry ginger lemonade — all made from local produce.

It may feel like a rural fairground, but this market is on a main street in downtown Washington, just a block from the White House.

For 3½ hours each Thursday, a busy block of Vermont Avenue closes to traffic for this farmers’ market — one of 11 sponsored by the nonprofit FreshFarm Markets.

Washington residents Bernadine Prince, 63, and Ann Yonkers, 70, founded the markets 15 years ago when they opened the first FreshFarm Market in Dupont Circle, catching the wave of interest in locally grown, good-for-you food.

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See special pull-out section after p. 24.

A growing niche “As soon as we founded FreshFarm Markets, we just knew we had started at the right time and place,” said Yonkers.

“We weren’t the first farmers’ markets, but we were at the point where things just started exploding.”

Their message: “There is a tremendous connection between what we eat, how we grow it, our health and the environment.

Everyone we talked to would applaud,” Yonkers said.

Their markets: today they have five in the District, two in Montgomery County, two in Northern Virginia, and ones in Annapolis and St. Michaels, Md. All sell only food grown and produced within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, about a 250mile radius around Washington, D.C. Yonkers’ and Prince’s enthusiasm for everything from peaches just plucked from the tree to artisanal cheeses has buoyed their markets’ growth. Last year, they drew 350,000 customers (workers use clickers to count patrons periodically) and 110 vendors growing food on 9,000 acres.

Nationally, there are more than 7,000 farmers’ markets, up 150 percent over the

LEISURE & TRAVEL

Bernadine Prince (left) and Ann Yonkers show off just-picked strawberries at the Penn Quarter FreshFarm Market in downtown Washington. They started the nonprofit farmers’ markets 15 years ago and now run 11 of them in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

last 10 years. There are 38 in the District of Columbia alone, said Prince, who is also the president of the national Farmers Market Coalition.

Prince grew up in Ohio eating foods from nearby farms. “My mom was a Russian immigrant, and she didn’t know anything came out of a can or a box,” she said.

As an English major at Ohio University, Prince started a food co-op, but didn’t plan a career that related to food or agriculture.

She got a master’s degree in anthropology and field archeology. “I used to dig in the dirt for other reasons, not for growing things,” she joked.

Yonkers came to farm-fresh food when she and her husband shopped at farm mar-

kets when they were Peace Corps volunteers in West Africa. Later, in 1991, she and her husband purchased a small organic farm in St. Michaels, Md. “The first year, I grew asparagus. I tasted it, and it was one of those ‘aha!’ moments. I was just blown away by the difference in flavor between this asparagus and ones from the grocery store,” Yonkers said.

Getting off the ground Prince moved to Washington with her husband Raymond in 1991 and, with her childhood memories of farms in mind, took a job as education director for the See FARMERS’ MARKETS, page 42

Exploring southeastern Wyoming’s wilds and wiles; plus, which city passes are worth the cost? page 28 FITNESS & HEALTH k 10 hotspots for longevity k How saunas help hearts

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LAW & MONEY 20 k You may already own Facebook k How to buy a landmark SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

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LIFETIMES k News from the Charles E. Smith Life Communities

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ARTS & STYLE

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Maximizing a maxim One of the aphorisms I’ve been partial to sources or stamina to keep this up for long. since childhood says a person should “live So, if the lesson of “live each day as if it each day as if it were your last.” were your last” can’t really be Though I’ve liked and reto spend every day having membered the maxim, I only the most pleasurable personrecently found myself wonderal experiences, perhaps the ing what it really means. Perphrase means something haps getting older (and attendcompletely different. ing more funerals) has started Maybe it impels us to deto make the concept more vote ourselves intensely to thought provoking to me. doing as many good deeds for On first blush, it sounds others as possible — for this something like another popu- FROM THE day could be our last chance lar saying: “Eat, drink and be PUBLISHER to (choose one or more): remerry, for tomorrow we die.” By Stuart P. Rosenthal pent, give to charity, return After all, if we know tomorrow favors, make up for all the really is our last day on Earth, we might try time we wasted, make up to all the people to see how many pleasurable experiences we’ve wronged, earn a decent epitaph, etc. we can cram into those last 24 hours.

This might well be considered a worthWhile that could be a reasonable ap- while use of one’s last day. It might indeed proach to a terminal diagnosis with a firm even be a more popular choice than the 24-hour countdown, it does raise the ques- selfish one we first contemplated. tion of how reasonable an approach it But would it be any more reasonable as would be as a plan for daily life. an approach to daily life? We might treat If each day we devoted ourselves to a each day as our last chance for “doing round-the-clock effort at fulfilling (and ex- good,” but the more days we spent in this panding) our bucket list, we’d soon be worn fashion, the more we might start to wonout and poor, out of a job, and probably der: When are we going to start “doing bereft of friends and family (unless, perhaps, well,” too? we were to invite a different friend or family How might those of us who are workamember to accompany us on each of our ad- holics interpret the precept? OMG! Only ventures). Still, very few would have the re- one day left to complete all the projects, or-

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ganize the piles, clean out the in box, file away the reports, or at very least, set things in order for those to come after.

Believe it or not, my own dear wife, the associate publisher of the Beacon, admitted sheepishly that those were some of her first thoughts when I asker her to interpret the expression.

She’s really not a workaholic. But she’s incredibly responsible (and considerably compulsive), and since she’s handled the Beacon’s billing and books for 20+ years, all the inevitable loose ends tend to weigh heavily on her.

Still, she was well aware that this would be no way to live every day while waiting for one’s last breath. In fact, she said, she’d probably be more likely to do the polar opposite of her first reaction and devote her last day to spending time with family and friends.

This might be a fine way indeed to focus attention on something both meaningful and pleasant on one’s last day — giving voice to all the deepest things we feel and think, but seldom express; drawing close those who mean the most to us; reaching out to those we’ve perhaps ignored, or scared off, or stopped speaking to.

But if there ever were a prescription for one’s last day that did not lend itself to ongoing practice, it would be this. Those we love couldn’t take this kind of perpetual closeness any more than those we once

sent packing! Following this path day after day would not only wear you out, but also everyone you ever knew!

Ironically, the one activity most people would probably never do on their last day is spend time exercising — the very thing that, doctors tell us, has the greatest chance of extending our longevity. If we really knew this would be our last day, what would be the point?

But if we made a habit of not exercising, our lives would be considerably shorter and, probably, far less pleasant given the illnesses and troubles brought on by a sedentary lifestyle.

So where does that leave us? Seems to me the underlying lesson of living each day as if it were our last is that we should live a balanced life: We should strive to be good to others, devote some concerted effort to our work, show some love to our friends and family, get some exercise, and be sure to enjoy ourselves a bit, too.

I’m glad I took some time today to think about it.

Please feel free to share with us your thoughts on this topic, or any other. Email info@thebeaconnewspapers.com or write to Letters to the Editor, The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227.

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: Thank you for your thoughtful and analytical editorial on page 2 of the May Beacon (“No patience for politics”). I suggest you send a copy of it to the politicos mentioned.

I’m a registered independent who is disgusted with the behavior of both political parties when it comes to these issues. Neither side is trying to come to a solution for the serious financial problems.

At any rate, again, thank you for a reasonable analysis of a sad situation at the conference.

Mary P. Felter Annapolis, Md. Dear Editor: Your editorial (“No patience for politics,” May) was refreshing in its wisdom and analysis. Good choice.

There are different kinds of politicians, as there are different kinds of seniors. It seems like organizations might be better off presenting political guests with a few specific topics of the organization’s interest to address, and hope that the two sides present their best ideas to consider.

The politicos might also complete their address with open questions and concerns from the members or a members’ panel.

I was surprised those two speakers were so clueless.

Ronald Pomykala Chevy Chase, Md. Dear Editor: A stack of Beacons is dropped off each month at the facility in Fairfax County where I am a resident. I was fortunate enough to snag a copy this month; there is always a race for them.

I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Katz in his April letter to the editor. If his friends can stay in their own home, they should do so and simply tell their children that it is just not time yet and to back off.

I am a resident of a chain nursing home.

I am 66 years old and in full possession of my mind. However, I have been using a wheelchair for 50+ years, caring for myself, my apartment and my cats.

I was put here by the locality in which I lived, “for your safety.” When I balked, I See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 44

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Health Fitness &

A SHOT IN THE ARM (OR KNEE) Injections of the anti-inflammatory drug cortisone often must be repeated HEART HEALTHY HEAT Frequent saunas may help patients with heart failure — and boost mood, too QUALITY OF LIFE When living long and living well conflict, decisions can be difficult BEATING EATING DISORDERS Eating disorders can develop at any age, but appropriate treatment helps

Let sunshine in for a better night’s sleep

By Sarah Korones Insomnia — a common and difficult-totreat condition — is estimated to cost the American economy $63.2 billion each year in lost productivity.

A new body of research suggests that a cure might be as simple as soaking up some sun. Blue light, a part of the visible spectrum in solar rays, keeps us perky during the day by suppressing the release of melatonin, the hormone that causes sleepiness.

But when we spend our time cooped up indoors, our eyes fail to take in the proper amount of light, and we never get an internal signal to sleep at night.

“If you don’t have a change in melatonin levels during the 24 hours of the day, your body doesn’t know when to rest and when to

stay awake,” said Line Kessel, an ophthalmologist at the University of Copenhagen.

Long hours at the office and the corresponding lack of sunlight may be to blame for the estimated 23 percent of U.S. workers afflicted with insomnia.

Problems: indoor light, aging eyes Artificial lighting is no replacement for sunshine. “You might as well be sitting in a dark room as far as your circadian clock is concerned,” said Patricia Turner, an ophthalmologist at the University of Kansas School of Medicine.

Sleep problems can be even worse in older adults. As we age, a natural yellowing of the eyes may hinder blue light from reaching the retina, according to a study in

the journal Sleep.

“If the blue light is filtered out by a yellowing lens, the daily and nightly changes in melatonin concentration are flat,” explained Kessel, the study’s author. “Your body’s biological rhythm is disturbed.”

Employers may be reluctant to let their workers outside for a sunshine break, but they might want to reconsider. Epidemiologist Ronald Kessler, of Harvard Medical School, puts it simply: “It’s hard to do anything if you don’t sleep.”

Some tips for better sleep Staring at blue light-emitting TVs and computers at night suppresses melatonin, keeping us awake when we should be getting sleepy. To reap the benefits of blue

light while avoiding its perils: 1. Take your lunch outside or walk to work, when the sun is at its brightest.

2. Read a book before bedtime rather than watching TV. Inappropriately timed blue light can lead to insomnia.

3. House hunting or remodeling? You’ll want a home with skylights, large windows and other features that let in plenty of natural light.

4. Take off your shades. While it’s never healthy to stare at the sun, Turner said that habitually wearing sunglasses may block the blue light we need.

— Psychology Today Magazine © 2012 Sussex Publishers. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

The top 10 hotspots for human longevity

By Miriam Weiner In 1513, Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon set sail in search of Bimini, a mythical land said to house a spring that restored youth to anyone who drank from it. After scouring the Caribbean and Florida, he returned empty-handed, and the Fountain of Youth remained undiscovered.

Perhaps he was just looking in the wrong place.

As part of their data collection for the World Factbook, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) combs through death certificates — recording race, gender, cause of death, and other factors to estimate the life expectancy of a nation’s entire population. Calculating the average life expectancy of the world’s total population at 67.59 years, the CIA has determined which societies live longer.

In the United States, average life expectancy is 78.49 years, well above the world’s norm. Many experts attribute this to ongoing medical developments, which have dealt with conditions that used to mow us down early.

Meanwhile, nations without advanced medical care report a much shorter life expectancy. For instance, citizens of the Republic of Chad in central Africa are only expected to live until their late 40s.

Despite the fact that the average American lives into his or her late 70s, the United States ranks 50th on the CIA’s life ex-

pectancy list. According to the World Factbook, the following 10 nations seem to have discovered the secret to longevity — no magical spring water required: 10. Italy (Average Life Expectancy: 81.86 years) Italians live an average of 3.37 years longer than Americans. Many experts draw a connection between their longevity and diet — which is more than just pasta, meat and cheese.

The Mediterranean diet is credited with lowering the risk for all sorts of diseases.

The antioxidants found in olive oil and red wine — two key features of an Italian meal — can improve cholesterol, prevent blood clots, and stave off heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.

Italians also rely on spices like basil, oregano and garlic to flavor their cuisine, while Americans depend heavily on salt.

As such, Italians improve their odds against high blood pressure and stroke.

9. Australia (Average Life Expectancy: 81.90) Australia’s long life expectancy can be attributed to several factors, including relatively low smoking and obesity rates, as well as an active lifestyle enjoyed by its citizens.

But many Australian medical experts insist that the secret to Aussies’ longevity is universal healthcare. While the ability to obtain healthcare in the United States depends heavily on employment status and

personal wealth, Australians have access to necessary care no matter how much they make.

That said, Aussies shouldn’t get too comfortable. Their obesity rate is steadily climbing, which could undercut their longevity in years ahead.

8. Hong Kong (Average Life Expectancy: 82.12) Hong Kongers can expect to live nearly four years longer than Americans. Like Italians, people from Hong Kong can partly attribute their longer lives to their diet — rice, vegetables and tofu are staples — and active lifestyle.

Hong Kong reports a much lower obesity level than the United States does, as well as fewer instances of obesity-related health conditions, like diabetes.

7. Guernsey (Average Life Expectancy: 82.24) This small island in the English Channel is not a member of the United Kingdom or the European Union, despite being a British crown dependency. Its independence means Guernsey has not been affected by its neighbors’ flailing economies.

How does this tie into the long life expectancies of Channel Islanders? One theory: Guernsey residents live longer because they are wealthy, which affords them above-average healthcare and better nutrition. Channel Islanders are well-off, thanks to Guernsey’s extremely low tax

rates and high-paying jobs.

6. Andorra (Average Life Expectancy: 82.5) Several factors may explain why Andorrans outlive residents of other countries.

First, this tiny nation, sandwiched between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains, promotes an active, outdoor lifestyle.

Its citizens spend lots of time outside, which experts say can lower stress levels and, consequently, cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure. Residents have easy access to hiking trails and ski resorts, while clean and well-maintained parks are often used for friendly games of soccer and rugby.

Secondly, the CIA states that 100 percent of Andorra’s population is educated.

High education levels account for Andorra’s extremely low unemployment rate.

This means most Andorrans can afford high-quality nutrition and healthcare.

5. San Marino (Average Life Expectancy: 83.07) Europe’s third smallest state — behind Vatican City and Monaco — and the world’s oldest republic has a life expectancy that trumps the United States by 4.5 years. Money plays a major role here, as it does in both Guernsey and Andorra, but another key ingredient could be the nation’s work environment.

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This enclave on the Italian peninsula didn’t rake in its riches through manual labor. San Marino’s primary industries are banking and tourism, with the majority of the Sammarinese working in office settings. This drastically reduces the number of work-related deaths — a big problem elsewhere.

4. Singapore (Average Life Expectancy: 83.75) A sound diet and a clean environment contribute to the longevity exhibited by the population of this fast-paced city-state, located on the southern edge of the Malay Peninsula. Like in Hong Kong, Singapore’s cuisine centers on rice and vegetables, which are rich in nutrients that help keep residents healthy and active.

Singapore’s government also enforces a strict code of cleanliness — such as heavily restricted smoking areas — to ensure that all residents live in healthy surroundings.

Interestingly, back in the 1980s, the government recognized that the nation’s population was aging steadily, and with careful planning, Singapore now features excellent healthcare facilities and programs for the elderly.

3. Japan (Average Life Expectancy: 83.91) Japan boasts an impressively low obesity rate: 3.1 percent compared with 33.9

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percent in the United States. Much of the credit is owed to the Japanese diet, which revolves around fresh vegetables, rice, and most importantly, fish.

Fresh fish is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which promote healthy blood pressure levels and reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids encourage healthy brain function, helping prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s.

The Japanese also make healthier lifestyle choices: They tend to walk more and not overeat.

2. Macau (Average Life Expectancy: 84.43) Like several other nations on this list, Macau can attribute its high life expectancy, at least somewhat, to its fruitful economy.

But why this tiny nation in the South China Sea is so prosperous might surprise you: Gambling is its main source of revenue, and 70 percent of the money generated on the casino floor is reportedly invested by the Macau government in public healthcare.

The island boasts a variety of casinos, many of which are owned by the same bigwigs who gave Las Vegas its “Sin City” reputation. In January 2012, Macau welcomed 2,461,640 visitors looking to test Lady Luck.

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Longevity

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

Repeat cortisone injections are common

By Dr. Paul Carns Dear Mayo Clinic: How do cortisone shots work to relieve pain? It appears that they provide only temporar y relief and are often given multiple times.

Is there a point at which frequent cortisone shots can be harmful to the body? How much is too much?

Answer: Injections of cortisone, or a similar corticosteroid, decrease inflammation in an injured part of the body.

BEACON BITS

June 26

DIGITAL EXPO The public is invited to attend a free Digital World Tech Expo at

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When body tissue is injured, a series of events occurs locally and within the bloodstream to promote healing. Inflammation can result from this healing process and, frequently, the inflammation causes pain.

Injecting corticosteroids into the inflamed area helps to calm the inflammation. As the inflammation subsides, the pain does, too.

Cortisone is naturally produced in the body’s adrenal glands. It was discovered in the 1940s by Mayo Clinic researchers Edward Kendall, Ph.D., and Philip Hench, M.D., who first used it to treat joint disorders.

Its powerful anti-inflammatory effect produced such dramatic results in people with rheumatoid arthritis that it was hailed as a miracle drug. In 1950, Drs. Kendall and Hench were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery of cortisone.

Helps tendinitis, gout and more In current medical practice, corticosteroids are used to treat a variety of inflammatory diseases, including bursitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, tendinitis and gout.

Corticosteroids can be given by mouth

Longevity From page 5 1. Monaco (Average Life Expectancy: 89.68) Residents of Monaco live, on average, 5.25 years longer than the second longestliving nation, Macau. That’s approximately a decade longer than the average American.

Monaco shares several aspects with other long-living nations, including an abundance of wealth and state-funded healthcare.

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or injected into affected joints, including the ankle, elbow, hip, knee, shoulder, hand and wrist. Injections near the spine are also common.

You are correct that corticosteroid injections do not provide a permanent cure.

However, pain relief from a corticosteroid injection may last from several weeks to several months, depending on the medical condition and the patient receiving it.

Ideally, the relief provided by the injection decreases or eliminates pain long enough to allow the injury to completely heal.

It is not uncommon, though, for repeat injections to be needed in patients experiencing chronic inflammatory conditions.

Side effect concerns Corticosteroids cause a number of side effects, which can be limited to the area injected or affect the entire body. Side effects increase with larger doses and repeated clinical use. For this reason, physicians may limit the number of injections and the cumulative amount of corticosteroid that is given.

See CORTISONE, page 7

Monaco residents also live on a Mediterranean diet, which is associated with a reduced risk for a variety of health problems, including cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.

But many say it’s Monaco’s relaxing atmosphere that keeps residents hanging on until a ripe old age. Its location along the Mediterranean Sea and clean environment do their part to reduce stress, which can lower immunity and contribute to cardiovascular diseases. © 2012 U.S. News and World Report

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

From page 6 Typically, corticosteroid injections are not given more often than every six weeks, and usually not more than three or four times a year. But these are only guidelines.

A patient’s situation dictates the timing and frequency of treatment.

Side effects may include weakening of the joint, increased blood pressure, elevation of blood sugar, and decreased ability to fight infection. Evidence of these side effects should be reported to the doctor monitoring the condition.

Also important to note is that, although corticosteroid injections into a joint can relieve pain and restore mobility, in many cases they are combined with other medications and physical therapy to treat the underlying medical problem or injury.

Physical therapy is particularly crucial because it can strengthen the muscles surrounding the injured area, so those muscles can provide proper joint support. This will increase the likelihood of long-term healing, as well as reduce the risk of repeat injury.

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June 27

WORKSHOP ON FORGIVENESS AND GRIEF

Montgomery Hospice will present a workshop designed to explore the need for forgiveness and how to forgive when grieving the death of a loved one. The workshop will be led

by Montgomery Hospice professional counselors from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 27. It is free and open to any Montgomery County resident at 1355 Piccard Dr., Rockville, Md. Registration required by calling (301) 921-4400.

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For most effective use, corticosteroid injections should be repeated only when they produce substantial pain relief that lasts several weeks to several months.

A physician should closely supervise an individual’s total dose of corticosteroid, monitor the patient’s benefit, and check regularly for side effects.

When used correctly, corticosteroid injections can be a useful part of therapy to treat the pain of acute and chronic inflammatory disease.

Paul Carns is an anesthesiologist a the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. To submit a question, write to: medicaledge@mayo.edu, or Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic, c/o TMS, 2010 Westridge Drive, Irving, TX 75038. For health information, visit www.mayoclinic.com. © 2012 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

E E FR

BEACON BITS WHAT’S THE HARM IN A FEW DRINKS?

June 18

Join senior adult specialist Nancy Connors in a frank discussion about what science is saying about alcohol consumption in older adults, Monday, June 18 at 2 p.m., Aurora Hills Senior Center, 735 S. 18th St., Arlington, Va. The seminar covers recovery from misuse, dependency and addiction problems. Free, but registration required. Call (703) 228-5722.

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An Educational Series for Family Caregivers Faculty, Copper Ridge Institute

Wanda Goldschmidt has been a licensed nurse for over 30 years, devoting much of that time to long-term care nursing. Wanda holds a BS in Nursing from Towson University, and a Masters in Aging from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. In addition to educating healthcare professionals, Wanda is on the Faculty of Towson University School of Nursing and the Copper Ridge Institute.

Rick J. Gow

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

Wednesday, June 20 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Caregivers Need Care, too!

This presentation, by Wanda Goldschmidt, RN, will address the importance of caregivers caring for themselves.

The well-being and preservation of the family caregiver is essential to the well-being of their loved one.

Wednesday, July 18 • 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Financial Planning for Alzheimer’s

At this presentation, Rick Gow will address legal and financial issues to consider with regard to dementia and explain how to put plans in place. Get an overview of important issues to consider and viable options to explore.

All presentations are free of charge. Refreshments will be served.

Limited Seating Available.

Reserve your place today (301) 946-7700

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

No matter how you fall, a better place to land. you...you havehave a better place to land.

The Nation’s First Seniors Emergency Center is Here for You At Holy Cross Hospital, we’ve created the first emergency center dedicated to patients age 65+. Designed by experts in seniors medicine, our innovative approach has become a national model.

Here, physicians, nurses, pharmacists and social workers are specially trained in geriatric medicine. Our environment is quiet, private and calming. And after you go home, we follow up with a call to answer questions.

To order FREE Just In Case medical information cards and a magnet, or to find a physician, call 301-754-8800 or visit holycrosshealth.org.

The Seniors Emergency Center is located inside the main Holy Cross Hospital Emergency Center at 1500 Forest Glen Road in Silver Spring.

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

9

Saunas appear to improve heart function

By Linda Geddes That warm, fuzzy feeling you get from sitting in a sauna isn’t in your imagination — and it may also help your heart.

People with chronic heart failure who took saunas five times a week for three weeks improved their heart function and the amount of exercise they could do.

Neurons that release the “happiness molecule” serotonin respond to increases in body temperature, perhaps explaining the sauna’s pleasurable effects.

Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to supply enough blood to the body, resulting in shortness of breath and difficulty exercising. Previous studies have hinted that saunas might boost health.

To investigate, Takashi Ohori at the University of Toyama in Japan and colleagues asked 41 volunteers with heart failure to take 15-minute saunas five times per week, using a blanket for 30 minutes afterwards to keep their body temperature about 1 C higher than normal.

Helps hearts pump better Sauna treatment increased the heart’s ability to pump blood, and boosted the distance participants could walk in six minutes from 337 meters to 379 meters. The team also noticed improved function of the endothelium — the membrane lining the inside of the heart that releases factors controlling the diameter of blood vessels and clotting.

The researchers also found more circulating endothelial progenitor cells — adult stem cells that can turn into endothelial cells, according to the study published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

In a separate study in AJP: Heart and Circulatory Physiology, the same group temporarily cut off blood supply to rats’ hearts to mimic a heart attack, then gave them a sauna every day for four weeks.

Later examination saw fewer of the changes to the heart’s chambers than usually occur after heart attacks in rats not exposed to a sauna.

BEACON BITS

July 25

SKIPJACK BOAT TOUR

Take a two-hour sail on the Chesapeake Bay on a skipjack that is used for dredging oysters on Wednesday, July 25 on a trip with the Montgomery County Senior Outdoor Adventures in Recreation (SOAR) Program. Learn about the bay’s ecology and culture of the watermen. Then have lunch on your own and sightsee in St. Michaels, Md. The trip leaves at 7:30 a.m. and returns at 5:30 p.m. The fee is $59. For more information, call (240) 777-6870.

July 6

KUTZTOWN FOLK FESTIVAL

Enjoy exhibits on folk life, gardening, arts and crafts and live entertainment at the Kutztown Folk Festival in Pennsylvania on this trip for those 55 and older with the Arlington Dept. of Parks and Recreation. The trip will leave at 7 a.m. and return at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 6. The cost is $48 for Arlington residents and $54 for non-residents. For more information, call (703) 228-4748.

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In addition, the sauna rats showed increases in endothelial nitric oxide synthase, an enzyme that regulates blood pressure and the growth of new blood vessels.

“We think that repeated saunas trigger pathways that produce nitric oxide and See SAUNAS, page 10

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Free Hearing Tests set for

Greater Washington Area Age 65+ Free electronic hearing tests will be given from Monday, June 18 - Friday, June 22 at select locations in Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Tests have been arranged for anyone who suspects they are losing their hearing. Such persons generally say they can hear but cannot understand words. Testing with the latest computerized equipment will indicate if you can be helped.

Everyone, especially adults over 65, should have an electronic hearing test at least once a year. If there is a hearing problem, hearing tests may reveal that newly developed methods of correction will help, even for those who have been told in the past that a hearing aid would not help them.

If you suspect you have hearing loss, call for a free hearing test appointment. Our licensed specialists are trained in the latest auditory testing methods and will be the first ones to tell you if you don’t need a hearing aid. If you do have a hearing loss, we will explain your results and provide you with a list of options.

Free hearing tests available only at a location listed below.

One week only: Monday, June 18 - Friday, June 22.

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Saunas

tario, who was not involved in the research.

From page 9 other signaling molecules that eventually reduce resistance to the pumping capacity of the heart,” said Tofy Mussivand at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute in On-

Heating also boosts mood Heating might have other benefits, said Christopher Lowry of the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has identified a

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

group of serotonin-releasing neurons in a region of the brain called the dorsal raphe nucleus, which fire in response to increases in body temperature. They seem to initiate cooling, but these neurons also project into a region of the brain that regulates mood, which may account for the pleasure of a sauna.

Intriguingly, these same neurons feed into the sympathetic nervous system. Activation of the SNS boosts blood pressure and heart rate, but “by heating up the skin you inhibit the sympathetic nervous sys-

tem, which is probably a good thing if you’ve had a heart attack,” said Lowry.

Mussivand cautions against people with heart failure rushing to the nearest spa, however. “Cardiologists currently don’t recommend that heart failure patients should be exposed to heat, so this has to be done under medical supervision,” he said. © 2012 New Scientist Magazine. Reed Business Information Ltd. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

BEACON BITS

June 25

RELAXATION FOR CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS The topic of the Pain Connection speaker series on Monday, June

Call to set up your appointment today

25 will be “Feeling Stressed? Learn How to Relax with Gentle

301-441-8632

Movement.” Yoga specialist Kim Thompson will present the workshop from 1:15

If no answer, please leave a message.

to 2:45 p.m. at Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Wheaton, Md. The session is for anyone with chronic pain, family members and/or professionals. For more information, call (301) 231-0008 or see www.painconnection.org.

June 12

END OF LIFE CARE Dr. Dan Morhaim, a Maryland state legislator and author of The Better End, will address the medical and legal maze of end-of-life

care. He details the care choices available to patients, and explains why living wills and advance directives are necessary. The free program will be held Tuesday, June 12 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Suburban Hospital Auditorium, 8600 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda, Md. Refreshments and sign-in start at 6 p.m. Advance registration required. Call (301) 896-3939.

Peace of Mind When You Need It Most

June 28

FREE MAMMOGRAMS The George Washington University Mammovan will offer free mammograms to those who are 40 or older without health insur-

ance coverage and who have not been previously treated for breast cancer. The van will be at Sheehy Ford/Nissan, 6727 Loisdale Rd., Springfield, Va. on Thursday, June 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Advance appointments are

Hospice Care for Families in Need

required and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. To schedule, or for

or families facing advanced illness or impending end-of-life of a loved one, peace of mind is in short supply. Fortunately there is hospice, where patients can live in pain-free comfort, and compassionate emotional support is extended to patients and family members.

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additional information, call (202) 741-3252.

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

AARP Update Sponsored by AARP Maryland All’s Well that Ends Well for Older Marylanders in this 2012 Legislative Season Older Marylanders achieved tomers money on their monthly some notable victories as the utility bills.

Home utility bills are 2012 session of Maryskyrocketing. Increasland’s General Assemingly too many older bly came to a close, Marylanders are havand the special sesing trouble making all sion wrapped. the ends meet. MeanWe battled phone while utility compacompanies to protect nies are raking in proflandlines, supported its. But thanks to centenarians and a speBy Tammy Bresnahan, AARP Maryland, the cial recognition of HarState Director Office of the People’s riet Tubman. We saw Associate for Advocacy, increases in funding for Counsel and the ApartAARP Maryland ment Office Building home and community based services, aging in place; Association, you will NOT find an and with partners and a team of additional charge on your natural volunteers, AARP Maryland was gas bills. able to save natural gas cusThis session, we joined forces

“Our community is the place where we... can be most effective.”

against at least a dozen lobbyists to save natural gas customers from an approximate $2 per month surcharge on their monthly bills—an estimated $48 million savings over the next five years for Marylanders age 50 and older.

AARP Maryland State President Clarence “Tiger” Davis said, “It was the people versus the vested interest; and the people won.”

Also good news, additional funding for those who wish to age in place in communities rather than in institutions was secured this year.

Governor O’Malley included $14.3 million in his budget to ex-

—Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus

For 50 years, AARP has helped the people in our community and all Americans pursue their best lives.

AARP is making a difference for families in Maryland where it is needed most — right here at home.

Together we work toward: Affordable Quality Health Care Lower Utility Costs for Americans Protecting Social Security and Medicare Ending Hunger for All Americans Comprehensive Long-term Care Services Opportunities for Older Workers Discover more of what we do for every generation at aarp.org/md.

pand and strengthen community based services and reduce the need to rely on institutions for long-term care. Maryland’s legislators sealed the deal. This funding increase is a step in the right direction in giving Marylanders a real choice in longterm care.

It’s been a great legislative season for older Marylanders. Some of what we saw this session will likely return again, and we’ll need your help again. Keep up with us at: www.aarp.org/md, www.facebook.com/aarpmd and www.twitter.com/aarpmar yland. Questions? Call us at 1- 866-542-8163 or email mdaarp@aarp.org.

11

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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

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

014331RXX11

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

13

When living long and living well conflict

By Marilynn Marchione A heart device might save your life but leave you miserable. That awful possibility is the reason for new advice urging doctors to talk more honestly with people who have very weak hearts and are considering pumps, pacemakers, new valves or procedures to open clogged arteries.

Too often, patients with advanced heart failure don’t realize what they are getting into when they agree to a treatment, and doctors assume they want everything possible done to keep them alive, says the new advice, published recently by the American Heart Association and endorsed by other medical groups.

It calls for shared decision making when patients face a chronic condition that often proves fatal and they need to figure out what they really want for their remaining days.

If they also have dementia or failing kidneys, the answer may not be a heart device to prolong their lives. “Patients may feel that the treatment was worse than the disease,� said Dr. Larry Allen of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, who helped draft the new advice.

Quality of life issues One of Allen’s former patients is an ex-

ample: a 74-year-old man too weak to go shopping or walk around his neighborhood. He was so miserable that doctors thought he would feel better with a “mini artificial heart� — a $100,000 left ventricular assist device to make his heart pump better. “Even if it goes well, people are left with an electrical cord coming out of their belly� and a higher risk of stroke and bleeding from the nose or throat, Allen said.

The man suffered bleeding problems, needed a breathing machine, and spent 10 weeks in the hospital. He and his wife hated that his device kept him tethered to a power supply or gave him only a few hours of freedom on battery power. Some models last longer. “They came to us a couple months after he went home and said his quality of life was not what he wished� and asked to have the pump turned off, Allen said. The man died about a year ago.

By contrast, former Vice President Dick Cheney, 71, said he did well with the heart assist device that was implanted in 2010 and used until his heart transplant in March. “I’ve gotten used to the various contraptions that are always with me, and I’m

working and traveling, I’ve hunted a time or two, and I have some fishing planned,� he wrote in his memoir released last year.

Staying alive at all costs More than 5 million Americans have heart failure, and the number is growing as the population ages. It occurs when a heart becomes too weak — because of a heart attack, high blood pressure or other condition — to pump enough blood. Fluid can back up into the lungs, causing shortness of breath, weight gain, fatigue and swollen ankles.

Many high-tech treatments are available to treat advanced disease. But they usually don’t slow its progression, they just keep

people from dying.

Patients often don’t understand that when they agree to gadgets like a $30,000 to $50,000 implanted defibrillator, which shocks a quivering heart back into normal rhythm, it usually means living longer with steadily worsening symptoms. “Defibrillators don’t actually make people feel better — it doesn’t treat the underlying heart failure. All it does is abort sudden death,� Allen said.

More than 100,000 defibrillators are implanted each year in the United States, and one quarter of them are replacement operations because a battery has worn out See LIVING LONG page 15

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BEACON BITS

June 14

ESTATE PLANNING TOOLS

Elder law attorney Ed Zetlin will describe key documents, such as durable power of attorney, advance medical directive and a will or trust, on Thursday, June 14 at 1 p.m. at the Walter Reed Senior Center, 2909 S. 16th St., Arlington, Va. Seniors and their adult children are welcome to attend the free seminar. Registration required by calling (703) 228-0955.

June 29

BIG-CITY AMENITIES.

INTRO TO MEDICARE

If you live in Arlington County or the City of Alexandria and are newly eligible for Medicare, or about to be, or a caregiver of a Medicare beneficiary, come to a free presentation to learn about Medicare coverage and choices on Friday, June 29 at 10 a.m. Counselors from the Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP) lead the sessions. It will be held at the Arlington County Human Services Center Sequoia Plaza, 2100 Washington Blvd., Lower Level Room A. Space is limited, and all must register. To register or for more information, call (703) 228-1700 or send email to arlaaa@arlingtonva.us.

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Health Studies Page

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

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Men sought to try new prostate treatment

By Barbara Ruben Enlargement of the prostate — a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) — causes such symptoms as frequent urination at night, a weak urine stream, and sudden urges to go to the bathroom. It’s a problem that increasingly affects men as they age.

“Fifty percent of men have symptoms of enlarged prostate by the age of 60 and about 90 percent by the age of 85,” said Sandeep Bagla, an interventional radiologist at Inova Alexandria Hospital. “So it’s

really not a question of if you’ll develop it.

If you’re a man, it’s just a matter of, if you live long enough, you will develop BPH. Unfortunately, it’s just a reality of becoming an older man.”

Medications can help men with mild symptoms. However, they do not restore normal urine flow, and most men will eventually need surgery if they want relief from their symptoms.

Regular surgery has side effects T h e t r a d i t i o n a l s u r g e r y, c a l l e d

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transurethral resection of the prostate (or TURP), involves removing pieces of the prostate through a catheter inserted through the penis.

The procedure can result in a number of complications, such as bleeding, pain, sexual dysfunction (or impotence), urinary incontinence, infections, and strictures or narrowing of the urethra.

“Unfortunately, when men hear about those side effects, they don’t necessarily undergo treatment. They just say, ‘No thank you. Let me try medicine,’” Bagla said.

While there are currently several lessinvasive alternatives to TURP, all have their drawbacks, Bagla said. Some produce similar complications, while others don’t last as long.

That’s why Bagla and other researchers at Inova Alexandria are now studying a new, less-invasive technique to shrink the prostate and minimize BPH symptoms. He said the technique does not appear to have any of the side effects of traditional surgery and causes far fewer complications.

How the new technique works The researchers are seeking men with moderate to severe BPH symptoms to volunteer to try the new minimally-invasive technique. It involves inserting a catheter the width of a strand of spaghetti into an artery in the groin. It is then threaded into the artery that supplies blood to the prostate gland.

Microscopic beads are injected through the catheter into the artery to block the flow of blood to the prostate gland. Without a blood supply, the prostate gradually shrinks.

“That shrinkage has allowed for signifant improvement,” Bagla said. “European trials have showed more than 90 percent improvement, and complications are exceedingly rare. We’re now doing first studies in the U.S. and so far have seen similar results.”

The outpatient procedure takes 45 to 90 minutes. In about 10 percent of cases, men are kept in the hospital overnight as a precaution. No pain is expected, and patients can go back to work the next day.

Some men see improvement in BPH symptoms within one week, and most will have relief in two to four weeks, Bagla said. In a recent study, 92 percent of patients said they had “extreme” improvement, 7 percent “slight” improvement, and only 1 percent had no improvement.

“Now we need to find out what are the long-term effects [of the treatment] and how long does [the improvement] last?”

Bagla said. Those are the reasons for the current study.

To be eligible, men must be 50 or older and fit certain BPH severity criteria. They cannot have active bladder or prostate cancer, though they may have had cancer in the past.

Patients will be followed for at least two years. They will return to Inova Alexandria Hospital for a checkup each month for the first three months, then at six, 12 and 24 months after the procedure.

The procedure is paid for through insurance or Medicare. While volunteers are not compensated for taking part in the study, grants are available to pay for any expenses not covered by insurance.

For more information, or to see if you qualify for the study, call (703) 504-7950.

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

Living long From page 13 (they last three to five years).

That often is done without reconsidering whether a patient’s health has deteriorated so much that the device isn’t a good idea, three Harvard Medical School doctors wrote recently in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Thinking it all through

BEACON BITS

Aug. 15

June 10

Ongoing

SENIOR EXPO

Sixty exhibitors displaying new services and technologies, free health screening clinics, cooking demonstrations, Zumba demonstrations and more will be available at the free W.H.A.R.F.F. (Wellness, Health, Aging, Retirement, and Financial Freedom) Interactive Expo.

The expo will be held Sunday, June 10 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Ami, 14330 Travilah Rd., Rockville, Md. For more information, see www.wharffexpo.org or call (301) 762-8809.

Personal Care & Hygiene Meal Preparation ◆ Light Housekeeping & Laundry ◆ Shopping ◆ Activity & Appointment Assistance ◆ Companionship ◆ Medical Reminders ◆ Exercise Assistance ◆

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SEAFOOD FEAST AND SHOPPING

Take a trip with the Brookland-Woodbridge AARP Chapter 2414 (new members welcome) to the banks of the Choptank River in Maryland for an all-you-can-eat seafood feast at a historic country inn and shopping at the Queenstown outlets. The trip will leave from the Northeastern Presbyterian Church parking lot, corner of Eastern Ave. and Varnum St. NE, Washington, D.C., at 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 15 and return at 7 p.m. The cost is $85, and payment is due by Aug. 5. For more information, call Lillie Fitzgerald at (202) 529-0141.

A

The new heart association advice takes aim at this problem. It urges: • An annual talk between heart failure patients and doctors to set treatment goals for the present and for possible emergencies such as cardiac arrest.

• “Milestone” reviews after any big change such as hospitalization, a defibrillator shock, worsening kidney problems or dementia.

• Discussing not just survival gains but also potential problems from devices or treatments — such as side effects, loss of independence, quality of life and obligations on families and caregivers.

• Considering palliative care, which does not mean stopping treatment.

The goal is “not only living long, it’s living well. People often make decisions

about the ‘long’ without even considering the ‘well,”‘ said Jessie Gruman, president of the Center for Advancing Health, a patient advocacy group.

The heart association asked Gruman, who has had several cancers and a heart problem, to review the advice from a patient’s perspective. The worst thing is to have no plan or clear goals when an emergency occurs, she said.

“The person who’s ill may not have particular cognitive clarity and the caregivers may be upset and exhausted. They just haven’t thought it through — they haven’t had a chance to think it through. They’ve never done this before,” Gruman said.

Mary Jane Eaton, 80 years old, has thought it through. Twenty years ago, she had a new heart valve put in that is leaking now. She has heart failure and chest pains, probably from clogged arteries.

After talks with her cardiologist, Dr. Jennifer Dorosz, Eaton has decided to treat her fluid buildup with higher doses of water pills and not have any more tests or surgery.

“I can’t see that I could go through that,” she said. “At my age, I just figure you know what, when the Lord’s ready for me, he’s going to take me. And I don’t want to be taken on the operating table.”

— AP

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We’re committed to providing excellent and affordable assisted living in the comfort of home.

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

Eating disorders can develop at any age Q: Can eating disorders occur even in middle age or late life?

A: Absolutely! In fact, incidence of eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, as well as disordered patterns of eating and problems with distorted body image, may be increasing among middle aged and older adults, whom many consider at low risk for these problems.

Eating disorders and disordered eating patterns often flare up at times of transition in life in an effort to feel more “in control” of something.

Clinicians treating eating disorders report that many adults seeking treatment are those who had eating disorders earlier in life, whether or not they were actually diagnosed or treated, though some may first

develop them later in life. Stress related to divorce, infidelity, job loss or change, or kids leaving the nest are possible triggers.

Women of all ages are especially targeted in cultural messages that place extremely high value on thinness. For vulnerable women, that can give an undesirable emotional impact to messages about the health benefits of limiting midlife weight gain.

Changing self-talk and avoiding restrictive diets can help steer people away from sliding into an eating disorder, but once one has developed, treatment from a multidisciplinary team of qualified professionals is essential.

Regardless of age, appropriate treatment works. The National Eating Disorders Associ-

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ation lists some questions to ask when considSoymilk is closer to cow’s milk in protein ering treatment options at www.nationaleat- content, providing 6 grams (g) in an 8-ounce ingdisorders.org/informationglass compared to the 8 grams resources/general-information. in cow’s milk. Almonds themphp#seeking-treatment. selves are packed with protein, Research is clear that overbut almond milk is really not a weight and obesity increase source, supplying 1 gram per risk of type 2 diabetes, heart 8-ounce glass (less than you disease and cancer. But reget in a slice of bread). Calorie ducing that risk does not content varies substantially. mean pushing weight to unreUnsweetened soymilk in regalistically low and unhealthy ular or “lite” form is similar in levels that require rigid rules calories to either 1% (low-fat) or NUTRITION for “perfect” eating. skim (nonfat) cow’s milk.

Most importantly, we all WISE Unsweetened almond milk conneed to be clear that excess By Karen Collins, tains less than half the calories body fat defines a health risk MS, RD, CDM of soymilk. Choosing sweet— not who you are as a person. ened versions (including vanilQ: How do almond and soy milks la) adds from 2 to 5.5 teaspoons of sugar per compare nutritionally to cow’s milk? cup, raising calories accordingly.

A: For people avoiding cow’s milk due Cow’s milk is highest in potassium, to allergy, lactose intolerance or other rea- which helps control blood pressure, folsons, almond milk and soymilk are two of lowed by soymilk; almond milk is much the most popular choices. Their popularity lower. On the other hand, almond milk is has led to many different options within lower in sodium and supplies half of the each category, so check labels since nutri- daily recommended amount of vitamin E. tional content varies substantially.

For vegans and others who have trouble The calcium-fortified versions of soy getting the heart-healthy omega-3 fats, one and almond milk provide calcium amounts type of soymilk has added the omega-3 fat similar to cow’s milk (and some may pro- DHA. Consider what nutrients you want vide fortification beyond the 30% of Daily your milk choice to provide and choose acValue found in cow’s milk). Beyond that, cordingly, reading labels among the specific they are quite different nutritionally. choices to find what best meets your needs.

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DONATE A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

Take your old musical instrument out of the attic and give it new life by donating it to the Opera Guild Northern Virginia, which gives them to students near and far, including an orphanage in Haiti. Current requests are for snare drums, clarinets, violins and recorders. Donations may be tax deductible. Contact Miriam Miller for pick up at (703) 536-7557; mcdm1@verizon.net; www.operaguildnova.org.

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Moroccan chicken salad: simple elegance

By Dana Jacobi When June graduations and weddings call for creative menu planning, the biggest challenge can be finding casual, yet elegant and attractive, dishes that please everybody without stressing the cook.

Chicken salad is a good starting place, particularly if you use store-bought roasted chicken. This version, gourmet enough to impress guests and look pretty presented on a buffet, is inspired by Moroccan bistilla (or bastila) — a dish served to honor guests and to mark special occasions.

Bistilla, an example of simple ingredients transformed into a unique dish, is a large pie built by layering minced pigeon or chicken and ground almonds between sheets of phyllo-like dough. The pie is bound together by adding eggs beaten with lemon juice.

Baking turns bistilla into an exquisite disk of golden pastry filled with creamy, savory custard studded with nubs of pigeon and nuts. It wafts the aromatic perfume of cinnamon, ginger and saffron. If your mouth is watering and you want to make bistilla, consider that it takes the better part of a day and much practice to keep the pastry layers crisp around the moist filling.

Deconstructed, bistilla becomes this

bright chicken salad, rich with North African flavors and enticing textures. To serve, spoon it into romaine lettuce leaf boats or onto a generous platter, mound it onto a slice of whole-wheat toast, or chop more finely and spread it on thinly sliced bread for tea sandwiches.

By the way, if you are determined to tackle making a bistilla, drop in on Facebook’s Moroccan Cooking group (www.facebook.com/groups/moroccanCooking/) led by Paula Wolfert, the doyenne of this exquisite cuisine, or visit your local library to browse her cookbook, The Food of Morocco.

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil Halve eggs. Place 1 yolk in small bowl and set aside; discard second yolk. Coarsely chop egg whites and place in medium mixing bowl. Add chicken, orange, almonds, raisins and 3 tablespoons parsley to egg whites. Using fork, toss to combine.

For dressing, mix orange juice with egg yolk, mashing to combine. Whisk in cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and salt until blend-

ed. Add 4-5 grinds of pepper. Whisk in oil.

Pour dressing over chicken mixture and toss with fork to combine. Let salad sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld. Garnish with remaining parsley.

Makes 4 scant 1 cup servings.

Per serving: 274 calories, 12 g. fat (2 g. sat. fat), 15 g. carbohydrates, 27 g. protein, 2 g. fiber, 319 mg. sodium.

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Moroccan Chicken Salad 2 large hard-cooked eggs 2 cups diced cooked chicken breast, in bite-size pieces 1 navel orange, peeled and chopped 1/4 cup golden raisins 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds 4 Tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley, divided

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

Osteoporosis? Try strontium supplements Dear Pharmacist: nal of Medicine concluded that strontium My wife has osteoporosis in her reduces the risk of non-vertebral fractures back pretty badly. I read by 41 percent over three an article you wrote a few years, and increases bone minyears ago about strontium eral density by 14.4 percent — being a good mineral for impressive when you compare bone health. Do you still that to standard treatments! recommend it?

You’re probably wondering — C.C. why no one has mentioned Dear C.C.: this to you. Conventional pracEverything I said four titioners educate themselves years ago, in my first column, at seminars that are not based holds. Strontium has been in “functional medicine” (my DEAR clinically proven to support educational track), so they are PHARMACIST bone health. probably not aware of stronBy Suzy Cohen I wish more physicians tium’s potential benefits. Docwould suggest over-thetors interested in scientificallycounter strontium supplements before based holistic medical seminars should prescribing bone-building bisphosphonate visit www.functionalmedicine.org. drugs like Actonel, Boniva and Fosamax, Strontium offers a one-two punch with its or even Evista or Forteo. dual mechanism of action. It prevents bone A 2004 study in the New England Jour- breakdown, while simultaneously stimulat-

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ing new bone growth. Medications typically work only one side of that equation.

Furthermore, strontium may support joint health and prevent tooth decay, in sharp contrast to certain osteoporosis medications that can lead to necrosis (destruction) of the jaw and loss of teeth. I wonder if strontium could help with cancer-related bone pain, too.

Brand new research published in the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology said, “[Strontium ranelate] can now be considered as a first-line option to treat women at risk of osteoporosis fractures, whatever their age and the severity of the disease.”

Strontium is a natural component of bone — about 100 micrograms in every gram of bone — so supplementing enhances more of what you already have (or had, in the case of osteoporosis). Strontium’s brothers include calcium and magnesium, which are all chemically similar.

In Europe, there are prescription drug versions called “Stronat” and “Protelos” because they patented a unique salt called strontium ranelate. This is the substance that was tested in the published clinical trials.

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In the US, supplements called “strontium citrate” and “strontium gluconate” are sold at health food stores, compounding pharmacies, and holistic physician’s offices.

High-quality brands include Life Extension’s “Strontium Caps,” OrthoMolecular’s “Strontium,” Nutricology’s “Strontium Osteo Complex,” Solaray’s “BioCitrate Strontium,” or Doctor’s Best “Strontium Bone Maker.” [Editor’s note: These supplement versions have not been tested in clinical trials, while strontium ranelate has not been approved for sale in the U.S. by the FDA.] You must have enough calcium in your body for strontium to work well. Most people do, but if you don’t, and you need both calcium and strontium, space them apart.

For example, take strontium first thing in the morning (on an empty stomach), then take calcium (preferably with vitamin D) at lunch.

When it comes to bone health, vitamin K2, natural progesterone hormone, silica, iodine, zinc, chromium and magnesium are important players. Also, don’t forget to do regular weight-bearing exercises.

Some experts now feel that whole grains, which contain phytates, prevent absorption of minerals essential to bone health. Finally, you should know that gluten, caffeine and carbonated beverages are all associated with crumbling bones.

[WebMD.com warns that taking excessive doses of strontium can actually weaken bones.

It also advises caution for those with kidney problems or a history of blood clots. See www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/guide/strontium-treatment-osteoporosis.]

This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement.

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

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Showing true love to your grandchildren Dear Solutions: wow! He sounds like the Pied Piper of I have a new son-in-law who has two grandpas. You don’t have to follow him, children from a former but you could march along marriage. My daughter, with him. who is a widow, also has Dear Solutions: two children a little We’re invited to a party at younger than his. They, of my sister-in-law’s house. course, are my real grandOur two-year-old grandson, children. who is staying with us, is My son-in-law’s chilalso invited. dren have started to call My sister-in-law has just my husband and me acquired a big dog. She asGrandma and Grandpa sures me the dog is very SOLUTIONS because they hear my real gentle and that I don’t have

By Helen Oxenberg, grandchildren calling me to fear for my grandchild.

MSW, ACSW that. It makes me feel unI’m not so sure. comfortable. It’s as if all My husband says his sister the children are the same. is very responsible and he trusts what My husband, though, loves it. He she says. I want to ask her if she’ll keep wants every child in the world to call the dog in a different room while we’re him Grandpa. I think he thinks it there, but my husband says I’m just makes him seem like some great, vir- being stubborn and I should trust her. ile something or other.

It’s not her I don’t trust, it’s the dog How can I ask my son-in-law to tell — especially since she’s only had him his children not to call me Grandma a week. What do you think? but maybe by my first name or some— Not Sure thing?

Dear Not Sure: — Not Their Grandma I think you should be dogged in your reDear Not: fusal to go unless the dog is restrained in What you call your “real” grandchildren some way. This could be the world’s genare your biological grandchildren. Letting tlest dog, but it’s new to this household, your son-in-law’s children into the grand- and no one knows just how it will react to a ma circle will not distance your biological house full of strangers. grandchildren from you.

Of course, you could spend the entire This should not be a biology lesson, time just holding on to your grandson so anyway, but a love lesson. Think of how that he doesn’t inadvertently annoy the much your grandchildren by marriage dog. But that wouldn’t be much fun for must like you if they want to see you as anyone — not even for the dog. their grandma, and how lucky your daugh- Dear Solutions: ter is to have a new family who all want to My friend has been having an affair be close. with a married man for a year now.

By the way, it’s not “as if” all children She says she doesn’t want any comare the same. All children are the same in mitments and never wants to get marthe one ingredient they all need to grow ried again. and thrive — love.

I can’t understand her attitude, and And that great husband of yours — I just want to know what you think.

He’s a very nice guy, but shouldn’t it bother her that he’s married?

— Sue Dear Sue: If he’s such a nice guy, shouldn’t it bother him?

Since she says she doesn’t want any commitments and she certainly has no moral conviction, his marriage is her salvation.

What do I think? I agree with you, Sue. I think extramarital affairs are wrong. The other thing I think is that you and I should both stay out of it.

Dear Solutions: I’m married to a widower for just a year now. Lately he’s started talking a

lot about his first wife.

I’ve listened and have been sympathetic about the loss, but now I’m really getting annoyed. Actually, when we were dating he told me he didn’t have a good marriage. How can I get him to stop talking about her?

— Annoyed Dear Annoyed: When he starts talking about his first wife, you start talking about your next husband. © Helen Oxenberg, 2012. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

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Money Law &

LOOMING BENEFIT CUTS Social Security and Medicare are hurtling toward insolvency faster than previously projected, though it’s not too late to avoid future benefit cuts LANDMARK INVESTMENTS Investors can own a piece of Disneyland, Madison Square Garden and other landmarks through real estate investment trusts and stocks

Are European stocks a bargain today?

By Matthew Craft It often pays to zig when everybody else zags. If you were brave enough to put cash into the stock market three years ago — and very few small investors were — you’ve doubled your money.

European stocks have lost about 15 percent since mid-March. Renewed worries about the region’s long-running debt crisis have rattled markets. So it might look like a chance to buy cheap.

The trouble, money managers say, is that nobody knows when the crisis there will end. Most of them predict it will get worse, perhaps far worse, before it gets better.

“You can’t pick the bottom,’’ said Martin Jansen, lead manager for international equities at ING Investment Management U.S. “And if things get worse in Europe, today’s cheap won’t look so cheap anymore.’’

To hear Jansen and other money managers tell it, a rule for shopping applies for investing: Not everything that goes on sale is a bargain.

If Greece drops out of the 17-country euro currency group this year, as analysts worry it will, it could spread havoc throughout the financial system. And Europe’s underlying problems — slumping economies, deep debt burdens and ever-rising interest rates — could take years to fix.

That doesn’t mean it’s time to sell everything connected to Europe. The best approach, fund managers say, is to divide the continent into struggling countries and stronger ones.

Investors who take this approach keep clear of Greek banks but favor German giants. All European markets could get hammered in a panic, but stocks in the stronger countries stand a better chance of bouncing back months, or maybe years, later.

“Put it this way: Are European markets a screaming buy?’’ Jansen said. “No, right now it’s time to be cautious, time to be selective.’’

Some questions and answers: Q: Which European countries are in better shape?

Among the 17 countries that use the euro currency, Germany is an outlier. It has the largest economy in Europe and the fourth-largest in the world.

But it’s not just Germany’s size that sets it apart. Key measures of the German economy make it look as if the country broke away from the continent.

Unemployment across the euro countries has hit 10.9 percent, with Spain and Greece above 20 percent. Eight of them are in recession. Borrowing costs for deeply indebted countries hover near what

economists consider unsustainable levels.

Spain and Italy have to pay slightly less than 6 percent to borrow for 10 years.

By contrast, Germany’s unemployment rate is 6.8 percent. Economists expect the economy to expand nearly 1 percent this year. And Germany is a bond-market darling, borrowing for 10 years at just 1.5 percent.

Q: But companies in Germany sell to customers in Portugal, Spain and other shrinking economies. Isn’t everyone on the same troubled ship here?

German companies do depend on customers elsewhere in Europe. That’s why the next step for bargain-hunters is to find those companies in stable European countries that cater to customers in faster-growing markets across Asia and Africa or even the U.S. For some money managers, German car makers fit the bill. Volkswagen, for instance, sold a record 8 million cars last year, vaulting to the No. 2 spot worldwide, behind General Motors.

Adidas, with its far-reaching customer base, sells nearly a quarter of its shoes and clothes to the U.S. and Canada, and another 10 percent each go to Latin America and China.

Q: So the idea is that you buy and hold till things clear up. When will

that be?

By the looks of it, not anytime soon. An informal poll of five money managers yielded results from “I wouldn’t try to guess’’ to “Who knows?’’ Jansen of ING said that the crisis could go on for 10 years.

Q: I’m not invested in Europe. Why should I care?

Not so. It’s safe to say that if you own a stock fund, you’re exposed to Europe.

One vehicle of choice for 401(k) investors is the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, a collection of large, publicly traded U.S. corporations. S&P estimates that the 500 companies in the index get 14 percent of their revenue from Europe. Overall, nearly half of revenue comes from abroad.

Some well-known U.S. companies lean heavily on Europe, according to data from Howard Silverblatt, S&P’s senior index analyst. McDonald’s and Kraft Foods get roughly a third of their revenue from Europe. For healthcare behemoths Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer, the region counts for a quarter.

Q: So what’s the lesson there? I’m not supposed to sell my S&P fund, right?

That’s the bad news about the troubled ship of Europe: We’re on it, too.

— AP

You may already own shares of Facebook

By Mark Jewell Ask people what they think about Facebook, the world’s largest online social network, and you’re likely to hear everything from “It’s a terrific way to connect with friends and family,” to “It’s a colossal drain on time and productivity,” and more recently, “It’s a big investment opportunity.”

Facebook stock began trading publicly in May in one of the largest IPOs (initial public offerings) ever. While the high expectations of its underwriters were not exactly met (and several lawsuits are now proceeding in connection with it), Facebook and its early shareholders sold more than 400 million shares that first day.

Market pros and average investors alike are still sizing up the company’s strengths and weaknesses. The key question: Can

Facebook parlay its vast legions of users into huge profits, as Google did following its 2004 initial public offering?

Many mutual funds hold stock While May’s IPO was the first opportunity for ordinary members of the public to buy Facebook shares, dozens of investment funds had acquired private shares of Facebook over the past 18 months.

More than 30 Fidelity Investments mutual funds recently owned private Facebook shares, including Fidelity’s largest stock fund, Contrafund (FCNTX). But Facebook made up just 0.1 percent of that $84 billion fund’s portfolio at the end of March, and other Fidelity funds holding Facebook had similarly small investments.

Another big fund company, T. Rowe Price, recently reported that 19 of its funds owned private Facebook shares, in nearly all instances making up less than 1 percent of each portfolio.

Morgan Stanley has also been active. Its $1.7 billion Focus Growth Fund (AMOAX) recently held 3.6 percent of its portfolio in Facebook shares.

Funds from smaller companies had purchased Facebook stock on secondary markets that are off-limits to average investors.

Below are comments from interviews (held prior to the IPO) with managers of two such funds: Chris Brown of Pax World Balanced (PAXWX) and Thomas Vandeventer of Tocqueville Opportunity (TOPPX). They discuss prospects for the stock:

Huge potential for rewards Facebook’s potential is undeniable because the site has more than 900 million users. There are huge profit opportunities for Facebook and its investors from advertising revenue.

Brown believes much of that is still untapped. He sees a big opportunity if Facebook can generate earnings from highlytargeted ads tailored to appeal to specific Facebook users based on their interests.

“Right now, the ads [on Facebook] are more about building brand awareness,” Brown said. “But if advertisers could specifically target a certain demographic, by age group or gender for example, that’s where the profit margins would be very beneficial.”

See FACEBOOK, page 21

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

Facebook From page 20 Vandeventer is cautious about the shortterm outlook, but optimistic in the longrun. It’s still a pretty young company, and we don’t really know how it will find a way to significantly increase the income it generates from online services, he said.

But he adds that Facebook has attracted half of all current Internet users on Earth, “so it’s a huge opportunity for a profitable business model.”

“It is not that different than if you had invested in Google back in 2004, or even LinkedIn a year ago,” he said. In both cases, the companies went public as their income-generating potential was still unclear. Yet each has proved itself.

Google’s shares debuted around at $100 apiece, and today trade at around $592.

LinkedIn shares opened at $45 last May, and now trade at around $99.

to grow this business, and that could put pressure on profit margins,” Brown said.

Other key challenges include attracting more users who access Facebook from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, and generating mobile ad revenue.

Most Facebook users are on personal computers, and Brown believes Facebook is lagging somewhat in the faster-growing mobile space. Mobile applications could be a good growth driver, but could also be a challenge for them, Brown said.

Another key issue is whether Facebook can someday expand into China. It’s shut out now. China’s government blocked Facebook as well as Twitter after the social media services were instrumental in antigovernment protests in Iran two years ago.

However, Vandeventer still sees plenty of opportunity to grow globally. Facebook has penetrated only 60 percent of the U.S. market, he said. “Then there’s India, Brazil and so on. There is still plenty of potential growth.”

Facebook has established its user base, and increasingly its prospects depend on execution. Vandeventer believes Facebook’s executives are capable of building a hugely profitable business, although founder Mark Zuckerberg isn’t a typical CEO. Just before the IPO, the 28-year-old Zuckerberg showed up at meetings with prospective investors wearing a hoodie, a

21

staple of his wardrobe.

Vandeventer attended such a meeting in New York City, and he’s comfortable with the executive team’s youthful vibe.

“Who cares what Mark Zuckerberg wears to his meetings? I don’t,” he said.

“What I care about is that he executes. The team that I saw has a pretty firm grasp of what’s going on.”

—AP

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Yet risks abound Despite its vast user base, Facebook isn’t yet generating a huge amount of revenue by Wall Street standards. Although first-quarter revenue grew 45 percent from a year earlier to $1.06 billion, it declined 6 percent from the fourth quarter.

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23

Cuts to Social Security and Medicare loom

By Stephen Ohlemacher and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar Social Security is rushing even faster toward insolvency, driven by retiring baby boomers, a weak economy and politicians’ reluctance to take painful action to fix the huge retirement and disability program.

The trust funds that support Social Security will run dry in 2033 — three years earlier than previously projected — the government said in late April.

There was no change in the year that Medicare’s hospital insurance fund is projected to run out of money. It’s still 2024.

The program’s trustees, however, said the pace of Medicare spending continues to accelerate. Congress enacted a 2 percent cut for Medicare last year, and that is the main reason the trust fund exhaustion date did not advance.

The trustees who oversee both programs say high energy prices are suppressing workers’ wages, a trend they see continuing. They also expect people to work fewer hours than previously projected, even after the economy recovers. Both trends would lead to lower payroll tax receipts, which support both programs.

Both programs face insolvency Unless Congress acts — and forcefully — payments to millions of Americans could be cut.

If the Social Security and Medicare funds ever become exhausted, the nation’s two biggest benefit programs would collect only enough money in payroll taxes to pay partial benefits. Social Security could cover about 75 percent of benefits, the trustees said in their annual report.

Medicare’s giant hospital fund could pay 87 percent of costs.

“Lawmakers should not delay addressing the long-run financial challenges facing Social Security and Medicare,” the trustees wrote. “If they take action sooner

rather than later, more options and more time will be available to phase in changes so that the public has adequate time to prepare.”

The trustees project that Social Security benefits will increase next year, though the increase could be small. They project a cost-of-living-adjustment, or COLA, of 1.8 percent for 2013; the actual amount won’t be known until October.

Beneficiaries got a 3.6 percent increase this year, the first after two years without one.

America’s aging population — increased by millions of retiring baby boomers — is straining both Social Security and Medicare. Potential options to reduce Social Security costs include raising the full retirement age, which already is being gradually increased to 67, reducing annual benefit increases, and limiting benefits for wealthier Americans.

Policymakers could also increase the amount of wages that are subject to Social Security taxes. Social Security is financed by a 6.2 percent tax on the first $110,100 in workers’ wages. It is paid by both employers and workers.

Also affecting Social Security coffers is the fact that Congress temporarily reduced the tax on workers to 4.2 percent for 2011 and 2012. The government has increased its borrowing to keep the program’s finances on track.

Medicare cuts threaten providers Medicare is even trickier to address because it has to contend with healthcare inflation, not just an aging population. Options include raising the eligibility age, cutting payments to service providers, shifting more costs to beneficiaries, or even privatizing the program.

President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law is supposed to trim Medicare expenses by $500 billion, ex-

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tending the life of the program. But some independent experts doubt the full savings will materialize, and even the administration concedes more cuts are needed.

Furthermore, alternative cost projections prepared by the trustees’ technical experts suggest the Medicare cuts in the

healthcare law would be unsustainable, driving payment rates so low that 15 percent of hospitals, nursing homes and home health providers would be in the red by 2019.

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American landmarks you can invest in

By Jeffrey R. Kosnett The owners of the Empire State Building are creating a real estate investment trust that will own the crown of Manhattan’s skyline. If you buy into Empire State Realty Trust (symbol ESB), which is due to begin trading later this year on the New York Stock Exchange, you’ll own a piece of what is arguably the world’s most famous office tower.

We wondered what other landmarks you could own through REITs or regular stocks, and it turns out there are a bunch. We identify three more investor-owned landmarks worth considering. For a longer list, visit http://kiplinger.com/links/landmarks.

track that has hosted the Kentucky Derby since 1875. Churchill Downs is the cornerstone of a gambling and racing mini empire that includes tracks in Chicago, Miami and New Orleans, a casino in Mississippi, and slot machines in Florida and Louisiana.

The stock doesn’t keep pace with the faster horses, but the Churchill Downs company did just raise its annual dividend by 20 percent, to 60 cents per share.

The company is trying to persuade the state of Kentucky to let it install a casino at its hometown horse track, which might turn a buck or two given that 150,000 people show up every May for the Derby. Churchill Downs has already installed slot machines at its tracks in Florida and Louisiana.

Churchill Downs Own it by investing in: Churchill Downs Inc. (CHDN) Price: $59 Yield: 1.0 percent The company owns the namesake race-

Disney World and Disneyland Own them by investing in: Walt Disney Co. (DIS) Price: $43

Yield: 1.4 percent The smiling visitors to Disney theme parks can get additional satisfaction by buying a piece of the whole enterprise, instead of just sweatshirts and stuffed animals.

Helped by films and other brands, such as ABC and ESPN, Disney generates solid long-term growth and lately has been raising its dividends sharply — the payout jumped 50 percent this year. (Disney, incidentally, pays dividends only once a year.)

Plus, the company has relatively little debt.

Madison Square Garden Symbol: MSG Price: $35 Yield: 0 percent The home of the New York Knicks and Rangers hasn’t been on Madison Square

Social Security From page 23 The trustees conceded that their own Medicare projections could be too rosy.

Based on current law, they assume cuts in payments to doctors that Congress routinely waives will actually take place. They also assume the healthcare law will squeeze the full amount of its cuts from the program.

“Medicare’s actual future costs are highly uncertain and are likely to exceed those shown ...in this report,” the trustees said.

Republicans, including presidential candidate Mitt Romney, are proposing to overhaul Medicare by converting it into a system that mainly relies on private health insurance plans to cover future retirees.

Beneficiaries would get a fixed payment

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since 1925, but the name clings to the world’s most famous arena (the fourth structure with the name). The present Garden, located above Pennsylvania Station, is 44 years old and about to undergo major renovations.

The arena is best known for basketball and hockey, but it also has a monumental history of concerts, boxing matches and political conventions. Madison Square Garden (the company) owns the Knicks and Rangers, and it operates Radio City Music Hall as well.

Jeffrey R. Kosnett is a senior editor at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.

Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. And for more on this and similar money topics, visit www.Kiplinger.com. © 2012 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

from the government, with low-income seniors in poor health receiving more.

Obama says he wants to preserve the existing program and its federally guaranteed benefits. But in negotiations with congressional Republicans last year, he went further than most Democrats by signaling he was willing to raise the eligibility age by two years to 67. He’s also willing to limit future increases in Medicare spending, a policy that prompts serious misgivings from groups such as AARP. The trustees who oversee the programs are Treasure Secretary Timothy Geithner, Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. There are also two public trustees, Charles Blahous and Robert Reischauer.

— AP

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

New, home-like models of long-term care

By Carol Sorgen Prior to moving into the newly opened Households at Levindale, 95-year-old Thelma Rustin lived in the more conventional nursing care area of the Northwest Baltimore long-term care facility.

Now, said her son, Walter Harris, his mother likes being able to shut the door to her own suite and relax by herself, while still being able to enjoy the company of other residents in a comfortable common area when she wants to. “My mother loves living in the Households,” said Harris. “It’s nice for her to

know that there are people around.”

Harris is also pleased with his mother’s new home. “As her son, I want her to enjoy life, and I think she does here. The staff is so nice, and they take good care of her.”

Harris especially likes the atmosphere in his mother’s “household,” which is made up of only 14 suites. “It’s calm and quiet…with a home-like quality.”

The Households are located in two new Levindale buildings that create neighborhoods of six households with 14 rooms each.

Harris is able to visit as often as he likes

Senior Living 62+

and sees his mother at least five days a week. They sometimes take short walks together to enjoy the landscaped grounds around the Households, which will soon feature a garden that residents may work in.

The recent opening of the Households is the completion of the first phase of an expansion of Levindale’s Northwest Baltimore campus, which has been renamed the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Campus.

The Households are a further development in the implementation of Levindale’s Neighborhood Model philosophy, which emphasizes resident-directed care, where the needs and desires of the residents are put first — from when they would like to get up in the morning, to what and when they would like to eat, to what activities they would like to take part in.

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“Giving the residents a lot of freedom and choice — even when it comes to when and what they have for breakfast — gives them a sense of ownership,” said Wojcik.

Among other features, the Households provide private rooms, private bathrooms, a country kitchen, home-style meal service, and “town centers” where residents can gather.

The more relaxed atmosphere also helps reduce anxiety and improve the residents’ self-confidence. Wojcik relates the story of one resident who was afraid of elevators and wouldn’t get out of her wheelchair. But since moving into the Households, she has become a “completely different person,” said Wojcik, visiting other residents, walking, and being more engaged in her daily life.

Room and board in the Households is $330 a day, and the population is made up of a mix of residents on Medicare, Medicaid, or paying privately. (Regular Levindale room rates are $285/day private and $265/day semi-private.)

Photo courtesy of GEDCO See NEW LTC MODEL, page B-4

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B-3

How you can live large in a small space

By Fiona Morrissey I live with my husband Brian and our two dogs in one of the smallest houses in Silver Spring, Md. Two bedrooms, three tiny closets, a nine by seven kitchen — you get the picture.

Yet visitors and guests don’t seem to notice it’s below average size. Warm, cheerful and welcoming are the words I hear most to describe our home.

This is not an accident. The reason my house looks good is because I am a hoarder — I hoard empty space! I am very protective of my empty space.

I am wary of bringing any object into my home that might diminish it. When I walk through my pokey little rooms, I like to be able to swing my arms without knocking things down.

As a homemaker and professional organizer, I have learned that space hoarding is all about good habits. Here are four of mine.

Habit #1: Love and let go Every year on the first of January all my Christmas cards go straight in the recycling. No exceptions. The same applies to other greetings cards I get during the year.

After a short stay, out they go.

The purpose of a card is to make me feel appreciated and loved. When it has lived in my house for a week, it’s job is done. I’ve got the message.

The trouble with things like cards is that

if they are not disposed of in a timely manner, they turn into clutter. And not just any clutter. Something much more lethel. Sentimental clutter.

There is a tendency in all of us to preserve our past, and while there’s no harm in keeping a few things, after that it gets tricky. Where do you stop? How much stuff do you need in order to prove to yourself that you lived a life?

All my sentimental clutter, 50 years’ worth, fits inside a shoebox. Its contents include a drawing I made when I was three and my mother’s diary the year I was born. I don’t need these things and I probably wouldn’t miss them, but I’m glad they are there.

Now and then I go through my box and weed stuff out. One thing is for sure. I am not starting a second shoe box. This is it for the next 50 years.

Habit #2: Just say no!

On the bottom shelf of my bedside table I keep a stack of decorating magazines.

This stack is eight inches tall. If it gets any taller, I throw out a magazine or two so the stack remains the same height.

I selected each magazine with care and paid full price for it in the store. That way I have complete control over which magazines enter my home.

Although subscriptions may seem cheaper, you pay dearly for them in the long run. Once a month they appear on

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your doormat, whether you have time for them or not. Soon, solicitations for other magazines start arriving, pleading with you to sign on at seductively low prices.

Six years ago, my unfortunate friend Susan became addicted to National Geographic in this way. Six years later it’s running wild all over her house. Susan won’t part with these magazines because she hasn’t finished them yet. Neither will she cancel her subscription because she likes getting discounts. This situation could have been avoided if Susan has practiced

Habit #2: Just say no!

Habit #3: Beware of books I have only one bookcase. It contains every book I own. If I wish to buy a new book, I have to part with one of my old ones. This is always hard because I love books. But I do it because my books belong on my bookcase, not on a chair, under the bed or on the bathroom floor.

Over time, books will drastically reduce your living space. Give them a foot and See LIVE LARGE, page B-5

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B-4

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New LTC model From page B-2

Based on Green House model Levindale based its Households on several well-known innovative programs in longterm care, including the Green House Project, the Eden Alternative, the Neighborhood Model, and the Household Model of care.

One of the most well-known of these models, the Green House Project, was founded by geriatrician Dr. William Thomas, founder and president of the Eden Alternative (www.edenalt.org), a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a more home-like atmosphere in longterm-care facilities, with such previously unheard of features as pets and gardens.

Green Houses are part of a movement called â&#x20AC;&#x153;culture changeâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;patient-centered careâ&#x20AC;? that is changing the way nursing homes look, feel and deliver care. Nationwide, there are 124 Green Houses, 30 under construction and 78 in development, according to the nonprofit Green House Projects, a division of NCB Capital Impact.

The patient-centered care movement also supports the idea of more informal interaction between residents and staff.

Rather than following a rigid daily routine designed for the convenience of the staff, patient-centered aides give residents more control over their lives, with staff members tasked with responding to residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; wishes and needs within reason.

It takes a special kind of person, as well

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

as a lot of training, to work in this type of facility, but aides seem to like it just as much as the residents, reports Wojcik.

Even facilities that canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t add on to existing buildings or build entirely new campuses are moving toward a more residentcentered, resident-directed standard of care. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting away from the uniform, institutional model,â&#x20AC;? said Wojcik.

Marylandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first Green House Also turning to this new model of care has been GEDCO (Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation) and Catholic Charities of Baltimore, which have partnered to create GEDCO Stadium Place, on the former site of Memorial Stadium. GEDCO is the owner/developer of the property, while Catholic Charities runs the operational side.

Each of the four floors has 12 individual suites, with a common kitchen, dining and living room area called a â&#x20AC;&#x153;hearth,â&#x20AC;? dens for watching TV and socializing, therapeutic spa rooms and group porches. The facility also features floor to ceiling windows offering residents views of the city skyline and the stadium fields.

At least 60 percent of the rooms in the Green House homes are reser ved for older adults who are eligible for Medicaid.

Stadium Place has also been built in an environmentally friendly manner to obtain LEED Silver certification.

According to GEDCO Stadium Place Executive Director Mitch Posner, Green House residences such as Stadium Place fill

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a need for lower-income seniors who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t function independently and need long-term care, but whose options are limited to being cared for by their families or in traditional nursing homes that accept people with private insurance in multi-patient rooms. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to create a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) for people who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford one,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Stadium Place is the first certified Green House project in Maryland. It is also the first in the U.S. to take advantage of special financing for Green House projects aimed at low-income elders under a joint initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and NCB Capital Impact.

The Stadium Place project received additional support from the Harr y and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, the state of Maryland, the city of Baltimore, and private donors, according to Posner. Before starting the project, he traveled to Michigan to see an early example of Green House living and came away thinking, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If our moms needed long-term care, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d want them in a Green House.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the Green House Residences, as in all of the programs of Catholic Charities, we work to provide the highest level of care without ever losing sight of the humanity and the fundamental dignity of all people,â&#x20AC;? said Catholic Charities of Baltimore Executive Director William J. McCarthy.

According to Stadium Place Administrator Nate Sweeney, Green House residences â&#x20AC;&#x153;look, feel, smell and work like a real home.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re totally different from institutions,â&#x20AC;? he said. That extends beyond the resident-directed approach to the staff as well. Each residence has a shabazz (a Persian word) who cares for the residents as he or she would in their own home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The relationship between the residents and the individuals who care for them is much more family-oriented,â&#x20AC;? said Sweeney. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a much more dignified, respectful way to live.â&#x20AC;?

While there are currently no Green House projects in Washington, DC, a coalition of organizations and individuals is working with the DC Office on Aging and Deputy Mayor Beatriz â&#x20AC;&#x153;BBâ&#x20AC;? Otero to develop â&#x20AC;&#x153;community integratedâ&#x20AC;? Green Houses. These would be ordinary neighborhood homes reconfigured to provide living space for 10 to 12 individuals served by a dedicated resident staff. â&#x20AC;&#x153;How far from reality is this vision? I bet within the next four years there will be several DC neighborhoods with Green Houses among their housing stock,â&#x20AC;? said Gail Kohn, the founding executive director of Capitol Hill Village.

For information about the Households at Levindale, call (410) 601-2400 or visit www.levindale.com.

For information about GEDCO Stadium Place, call Stephanie Hill at (443) 414-6218, or visit www.catholiccharities-md.org/greenhouse.

To learn more about Green Houses, see http://thegreenhouseproject.org or call (703) 647-2311.

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

B-5

Universal design for all ages and abilities

By J.W. Elphinstone When her husband Arthur underwent several spinal surgeries last year and was recuperating in the hospital, Mariam Eisenberg knew she had to make some design changes to her home before he returned.

Her wheelchair-bound husband wouldn’t be able to navigate the two sets of stairs in her house, so he would need to live on the first floor, which only offered a small half-bathroom.

With the help of a knowledgeable contractor, the 64-year-old Eisenberg converted the half-bathroom into a fully accessible bathroom by eliminating a laundry room and taking space from the garage. “I wanted something that was attractive to my husband. I didn’t want it to look like a hospital bathroom,” she said.

The finished product: an elegant bathroom that could star in an interior design magazine. It doubles as the guest bathroom, and visitors have no idea it’s universally designed, Eisenberg said.

Sean Vance, the acting director at North Carolina State University’s Center for Universal Design, explains, “Universal design is the design of products and environments to be useable by all people, taking into consideration varying physical differences and capabilities.”

A timeless concept As it relates to homes, universal design

Live large From page B-3 they’ll take not only a yard, but your entire house if you let them.

Habit #4: Surrender! I have to share my house with a packrat. But then in my opinion most people are packrats. My husband’s vices include vintage instruction manuals, broken TV sets, and anything else that is old, useless or downright ugly.

You may well wonder how Brian and I are still married, and the answer is that we don’t keep guns in the house.

Seriously, my husband and I manage to stay together because he has two areas in

creates a home with features that give independence to a wide range of people in a household, even as a family grows, Vance said.

For example, a young married couple should consider who will be coming in and out of their home as time wears on: young children, teenage children with sports injuries, grandparents and others.

Often, universal home design conjures up images of handicap bathroom handles and sterile hospital rooms. But proponents say it can improve the lives of all people regardless of age or ability.

And it can still look good.

“A lot of people think that making a house more accommodating will make the house less stylish, but there are many [universally designed] homes that are beautiful and still work well for people young or old, tall or short, or if they have any kind of limitations,” said Wendy Jordan, author of Universal Design for the Home: Great Looking, Great Living Design for All Ages, Abilities, and Circumstances.

Homeowners are starting to warm to the concept, especially baby boomers of which 10,000 are turning 65 every day.

Last year, an American Institute of Architects survey of 500 architecture firms found that nearly three-quarters said that homeowners were asking for greater accessibility within the home through wider

the house to abuse any way he pleases: the garage and the basement. The rest is mine!

If you and your spouse are unevenly yoked in this manner, and the only alternative is divorce or murder, surrender part of the house — but make sure it’s the worst part.

There are other things I do to keep my little house up and running, but if you adopt these four habits you’ll be well on your way to having a home you’re proud of and that your family and friends will love.

Fiona Morrissey is a professional organizer in Silver Spring, Md. She can be reached at (301) 593-4026. For more information, see www.happyroomsbyfiona.com.

Efficiency & One-Bedroom Units A NON-PROFIT FACILITY DESIGNED for seniors 62 years of age or older or individuals with accessibility needs. Located in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood near Metro, the Kennedy Center and GWU Hospital.

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hallways, fewer steps and single-floor design. That was up from 66 percent the year before.

The National Association of Home Builders also reported that 63 percent of upscale builders and 56 percent of average home builders believe they’ll see a growing trend toward universal design over the next decade as boomers advance in age and decline in health.

While many homeowners start taking universal design elements into consideration as retirement nears, AARP suggests making these changes as soon as possible.

“There’s no time like the present,” said Elinor Ginzler, formerly senior vice president for livable communities at AARP. “All of these changes will make your life easier starting immediately.”

yourself fixes. For example, replace all round doorknobs with lever handles ($15$70 each). Not only will this accommodate young children or those suffering from arthritis in the hands, it also will come in handy for a mom carrying too much laundry or a dad weighed down by several grocery bags.

Similarly, swap out cabinet knobs in the kitchen and bathrooms with pull handles ($2-$30 each), which are easier to grip.

Add under-cabinet lighting ($10-$50) to brighten countertops in the kitchen and office.

In general, minimize shadows that obscure vision and maximize light everywhere. Install adjustable rods and pullout shelving in closets ($100-$300 for closet systems) and cabinets ($30-$80) so persons of any height can use them.

Quick fixes A homeowner can start with quick, do-it-

See DESIGN, page B-7

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

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

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

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Emerson House 301-779-6196 5999 Emerson Street Bladensburg, MD 20710 Emerson House Apartments is conveniently located on Emerson Street, just off of Rt. 450 and 57th Ave in Bladensburg, Md. A quaint residential setting, just minutes from neighborhood shopping, the community is convenient to Prince George's Hospital, a local library, public transportation and parks.

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

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

B-6

Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

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

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

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

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Ashby Ponds 703-723-1999 21170 Ashby Ponds Boulevard Ashburn, VA 20147 Ashby Ponds in Ashburn is the ideal choice for active seniors who want to live a vibrant lifestyle in a setting that’s safe and beautiful. Every maintenance-free apartment home on our private campus is a short indoor stroll from a clubhouse full of exciting amenities, services, clubs and classes. Here, you’ll enjoy the stability of predictable monthly expenses and the convenience of on-site health and wellness services. Only six apartment homes are still available in our newest residence building, Red Robin View. Schedule your personal campus tour today before we are 100% sold out.

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Asbury Methodist Village 301-637-0344 201 Russell Avenue Gaithersburg, MD 20877 www.AsburyMethodistVillage.org Ever dreamed of having your own wildlife preserve? Becoming a television reporter? Entertaining guests from all over the world?

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

With eight different neighborhoods, including the brand-new Courtyard Homes, there’s something for every taste and budget. Learn more by scheduling a tour any day of the week, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday - Saturday, or Sunday by appointment.

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

Good reasons (and ways) to downsize

By Leanne Italie Carol Gilbert remembers well the heartache and hassle of watching her aging parents struggle to remain in their house of 45 years — the desperate, lastminute calls for help and her dad’s isolation as her mom’s health declined.

She also remembers the frustration of going through their things once they finally agreed to relocate to a senior care facility nearby.

“I must have gone up to the house every Saturday for a year helping them sort through their stuff,” Gilbert said. “I couldn’t get my mother to make decisions or really do much each visit.”

Once settled in the smaller space, surrounded by peers, her father’s burden lifted. He got his wish to remain with his wife, and began enjoying life again at 86.

Gilbert is now 72 herself and her folks long deceased, but their rocky transition in 1992 motivated her and her husband, David, to consider retirement housing at a much earlier stage. She was only 64 and he 67 when they moved into a full-amenity complex about 20 miles from the rural, ranch-style home where they had spent 35 years and raised their daughter.

There’s a chef, a pool, a fitness center, a TV lounge with surround sound, and a music room with a grand piano. There’s a housekeeping service, a balcony for a small garden, and entertainment at least once a month.

“I’ve never looked back,” Gilbert said.

“At that time we were the kids here. We certainly weren’t candidates for God’s waiting room.”

As Americans live longer, many people find themselves navigating a confusing web of interconnected services for themselves or their parents when it comes time to shed possessions and relocate. Some, like the Gilberts, use hard-won lessons from their parents’ experience to take control of their own late-life downsize while they still have time to enjoy it.

Helping seniors with transitions Others have created a new industry, becoming “senior specialists” to help make those transitions less troublesome.

Such specialists span business worlds, from real estate and financial planning to moving, home staging, personal organizing and “late-life coaching.” Roughly 25,000 have sought training and education to focus on senior logistics, said Nan Hayes, a senior relocation specialist who is also a trainer.

In addition to logistics, such third parties provide emotional breathing room between grown children and aging parents, Hayes said.

“Moving mom and dad doesn’t have to be a nightmare. If your parents feel comfortable with the process, if they feel they have some control over it, things will run

much more smoothly,” she said.

“If you have to argue to make your point or force your opinions and decisions on your parents, you will find yourself up against a roadblock. No one will feel good.”

John Buckles went through a troubling transition with his parents. Determined to enjoy their retirement and hold on to their house, they were forced by ill health into a senior care facility instead, leaving him to sort through decades of their possessions.

“I had no clue what they owned,” he said. “I remember being pissed off because there were thousands of books. I must have gotten rid of 2,000 before I realized there was stuff [hidden] inside of them, like a little story my mother wrote about me, and money.”

The experience prompted him to cofound Caring Transitions. With about 130 franchises around the country, the company provides “general contractors” who do what faraway relatives often can’t: make sure that moving companies, real estate agents, liquidators, charities, disposal companies, appraisers, cleaners and home stagers are working together with the older person’s best interest in mind.

Buckles and Hayes encourage a “sooner-rather-than-later” approach to sifting through possessions, whether the person is moving or looking to “age in place” through home modifications such as handrails and stair lifts. That approach to late-life housing doesn’t negate the value of a good home clean-out, they said.

“If you want to remain independent longer, you must start making the decisions and acting now to preserve that independence,” said Hayes, who launched a network called MoveSeniors.com that works with organizations around the country to provide reliable specialists and advice.

“I’ve witnessed too many situations where adult children are forced to make tough decisions about mom’s home and possessions because she kept putting it off,” she said.

The emotional toll on an older person can be heavy, bringing on anxiety, depression, sleeplessness and short-term memory loss, said Hayes and Tracy Greene Mintz, a social worker who specializes in a body of symptoms known as “relocation stress syndrome.”

“It’s a train, and everybody gets on the moving-mom-and-dad train, and it’s easy to focus on the logistical details because they don’t require you to address the emotional aspects of the move,” Mintz said. “Then mom and dad get to their place and they just shut down.”

How to make the move easier There’s a lot that families can do to deSee DOWNSIZING, page B-7

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

Downsizing From page B-6 stress a late-life downsize: Slow it down: Sometimes, Buckles said, resistance to shedding that grandfather clock or box of old aprons is driven by the owner’s desire to tell the stories behind them. “Once that’s done, once somebody took the time to listen, they can give it up,” he said.

Gifting possessions: Planning to pass down something once you’re gone? Don’t wait. “I’ve comforted hundreds of clients who have had to watch their possessions being donated, sold or tossed in a dump-

Design From page B-5 To avoid slip-and-falls, eliminate area rugs or secure them with double-sided rug tape ($12). Also arrange furniture and belongings so there are no obstructed pathways. Place a bench in your shower (shower bench $39-$75) and inside and outside of your entryway. It can be used as a seat, or as a spot to rest supplies or packages.

Outside, grade the yard to slope up to the house, so there’s no need for steps. If you’re a gardener, build raised flower beds so they can be reached easily.

For heavy duty renovations like building wider doorways and halls or renovating a bathroom or kitchen, call an expert.

Finding expert help The NAHB offers a searchable directory of Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists (CAPS) nationwide at www.nahb.org/directory.aspx?directoryID=1415. The list includes remodelers, builders, architects, consultants and suppliers.

When talking with your expert, consider countertops of different heights in the

ster,” Hayes said. “Take the time to decide what you really need or love, and take steps to get rid of everything else NOW.” False spin: Nobody wants to be the emotional downer, and that can lead to stiff, empty attempts to stay positive when everybody’s hurting, Mintz said. “Ask mom or dad, ‘Does any of this make you feel anxious? Does any of this make you feel a little bit sad?’ That tiny nudge goes miles toward a better outcome in the new place,” she said.

Home staging: Mom has always stored the silverware in the top drawer to the right of the fridge. Make sure that happens in her new home. Bring along her favorite

kitchen and bathroom to accommodate a person sitting or standing.

Add handle bars ($40-$60) in the bathrooms that can double as towel racks, and install toilets that are at seat height ($108$400). Swap out the regular showerhead ($10-$75) for a handheld one, so anyone regardless of age, height or ability can maneuver it.

Put railings ($11-$15) on both sides of the staircase, which will even help those suffering from a temporary injury like a dislocated shoulder. And replace old windows that require lifting to open with ones that can open with a crank or slide to the side.

“By making these changes now, if you end up with an unfortunate accident, you won’t have a problem getting around your house” Ginzler said.

“My husband told me that of all the things I’ve done for him over the last year and a half, [the remodeled bathroom] was the nicest thing I had done,” Eisenberg said. “It made him feel comfortable to come home.”

For more information on universal design, visit http://aarp.us/universaldesignbasics and www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/.

—AP

beat-up ottoman that you wanted to toss, and have her new place set up with pictures on the wall and slippers bedside when she moves in.

Spouses: Jo Magnum twice downsized her parents with the help of her three siblings. They made a pact: no spouses involved. “They weren’t allowed in on the conversations over who took what, where our parents went, who took care of the money.

They weren’t even allowed in the room,” she

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said. “We just didn’t need them there.”

Downsize the downsize: Organizer Vickie Dellaquila wrote a book, Don’t Toss My Memories in the Trash: A Step-by-Step Guide to Helping Seniors Downsize, Organize and Move. Her advice? Don’t give up everything in a set if it means that much.

Save six rather than all 12 place settings of the good china or silverware. The same goes for treasured books.

— AP

Pull out and save this special section.

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B-7

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B-8

Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

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

The ombudsman answers your questions

By Allison de Gravelles Q. I am beginning to look for a group home for my mother, who has mild memory loss but is still able to make many of her daily decisions.

She has lived alone for some time and has some strong likes and dislikes. How do we go about finding the right fit for mom, and what are her rights with regard to preferences like meal choices and bed times?

A. Of course, each group home will be unique in terms of size, layout and general atmosphere. As such, it is important that you visit a number of different facilities and ask lots of questions of the owner or manager. Consider also bringing a friend or family member along, and making a second visit at an unscheduled or off-peak time.

Concerning your mom’s likes and dislikes, we strongly advocate for her right to self-determination with regard to room decoration, dress, meal selections and other individual preferences. Irrespective of your mother’s cognitive changes, she is an adult with the right to be treated with respect and dignity. As this next residence will be her new home, your mother’s comfort and ease with her surroundings should be of paramount importance.

Once you’ve narrowed your search, you should meet with the manager and discuss your mother’s daily routine, interests, activities and food preferences. If you learn that a particular group home has an 8 p.m. “in-room” policy, for example, you should know that your mother has the right to set her own schedule and have visitors at times that work for her.

Assisted living providers are also required to try to accommodate dietary requests that are within their capabilities.

Request a copy of the facility’s resident contract and review it carefully before making a decision.

As you begin your search for the right continuing care facility for your loved one, there are a number of websites that might be helpful to you: For a list of licensed assisted living facilities in Maryland, you can visit the Maryland Health Care Commission’s website at http://mhcc.maryland.gov/. For Virginia facilities, see the Virginia Dept. of Social Services website at www.dss.virginia.gov/facility/search/alf.org.

The National Caregivers Library, at http://www.caregiverslibrary.org, offers a list of questions to ask and details to consider in your search.

For nursing home comparisons, Medicare provides a 5-star rating system at http://www.medicare.gov/NHCompare.

Q. My brother was transferred from the hospital to a nursing home following a serious car accident about three months ago. While his rehabilitation is going well, he has lost a few personal items that we fear might have been

stolen. Does he have any recourse with the nursing home?

A. Unfortunately, loss or theft of personal property is not uncommon in a nursing home, and the experience can add to a resident’s feelings of insecurity, loss of dignity and lack of control.

When an item goes missing, it is important not to immediately assume that it has been intentionally taken. Just as at home, lost items often turn up after a thorough search by the resident with the help of staff or family members. Other times, we find that another resident who may be disoriented has mistaken a cell phone or watch for his or her own.

If your brother suspects a theft, he or his representative should file a report with the administrator of the nursing home. Depending on the item’s value, he might also consider filing a police report. Even if the police investigation is inconclusive, their involvement creates a record of suspected theft at the facility and may help to deter future problems at that location.

Hopefully, your brother will have completed an inventory of personal items upon arrival at the facility and kept a copy of the inventory for his records. Wherever possible, all items (such as clothing, eyeglasses and electronic equipment) should also have been permanently marked or engraved with his name.

With regard to the missing items, your brother has a right to ask the facility to replace them or to provide reasonable monetary compensation for his loss, particularly if they appear on his inventory sheet. It is also most helpful to report the loss immediately, in writing, and with as many specifics as possible.

For example, dentures left on a tray are more likely to be recovered if the resident reports the loss quickly and can identify the time the tray was cleared.

If your brother is displeased with the outcome or would like assistance and support in resolving his complaint, the local Long Term Care Ombudsman program is a resource available to all residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities and group homes, as well as their family members.

Under the Older American’s Act, every state is required to establish and maintain an ombudsman program that provides advocacy services for residents of long-term care facilities.

In addition to helping individuals like your brother resolve his theft complaint, ombudsmen are trained and prepared to address a host of resident issues and concerns, including admission, transfer and discharge; quality of care; suspected abuse or neglect; and exercise of personal preferences and choices. All services are free and confidential.

Federal regulations require nursing See OMBUDSMAN, page B-10

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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.

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Who pays for the cost of home care?

Depending on what type of care is needed in the home, benefits programs, such as Medicare or Medicaid, may pay for services.

But often care must be paid for out of pocket by those receiving care. These questions and answers provide more details on paying for home care.

Q. What is the current cost for home care?

A. The cost depends on a number of factors, including where you live and the type of care you need. Based on the 2011 MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home, Assisted Living, Adult Day Services and Home Care Costs, the average cost in Baltimore of either a home health aide from an agency or homemaker averages $19 per hour.

Because agency rates can vary, it is best to call multiple agencies and get quotes regarding billing and rate structures, such as hourly or shift rates or minimum hourly requirements.

Q. Is there a minimum charge per visit?

A. Ask the agencies whether they provide a set fee per visit for a specific care task, such as a bath visit. A regular visit might require a four-hour minimum, but the agency may also provide bath visits.

These typically last from 45 minutes to 2 hours and might include bathing, dressing and routine daily and personal care for a set fee.

Q. Does private insurance cover home care?

A. Health insurance and managed care organizations will pay for certain home care services, but this varies from plan to plan. Services usually need to be medically necessary or skilled, sometimes need preapproval, and may or may not cover general personal care.

Q. Does Medicare pay for home care?

A. Yes, however the care being provided must be skilled and intermittent, and the individual must be homebound while receiving services under a plan of care ordered by a physician. The services must be provided by a Medicare-certified home health agency.

If the person meets all of these criteria, Medicare will pay for home healthcare services and 80 percent of pre-approved durable medical equipment needs. The home health aides who provide care under Medicare need to have specialized training to provide Medicare home care services.

Q. Does Medicaid cover home care costs?

A. Medicaid, a joint federal-state assistance program for low-income individuals, covers medically necessary care, longterm care, and some other personal and homemaking care at home depending on the situation. Each state has individual requirements. Check with your local Medicaid office.

Q. Do veterans receive home care benefits?

A. Some veterans may be eligible to apply for benefits called the Aid and Attendance (A&A) Special Pension. Veterans and surviving spouses who require assistance with eating, bathing, dressing or toileting, and who are eligible both medically and financially, can apply for this special assistance.

Q. Are there other organizations that will help defray costs?

A. Local chapters of organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Multiple Sclerosis Society, or Alzheimer’s Association may sometimes assist with funding for home care services. Some local Area Agencies on Aging may provide funding for respite services to support family caregivers.

BenefitsCheckUp.org is a free online resource developed by the National Council on Aging that can help you find federal, state, local and private programs that help pay for a variety of services at home.

Q. What does long-term care insurance cover?

A. Long-term care insurance is privatepay insurance that can assist in reimbursement for home care costs if an individual meets the eligibility criteria in the policy.

The insurance must be purchased before the care is needed, for example, before long-term care becomes necessary.

There are many different plans and it is always prudent to check with your carrier regarding eligibility criteria, deductibles and reimbursement.

Q: What can I do to prepare for having a caregiver in the home?

A. Here are some items that should be reviewed with caregivers when they begin their employment: In a notebook placed next to the phone, list the name of current doctors, pharmacies, local hospital, cell phone and work numbers for close family members, and the name, address and phone number of a neighbor or friend.

In the notebook, include a local street map and write down the phone number, street address and directions to your home.

Note the location of your home’s water shut off, breaker boxes, smoke alarms and fire extinguishers in the notebook and acquaint the caregiver with their locations.

Some items to remember as an employer are: Protect all valuables by moving them to less conspicuous places or placing them in a safe. Make an inventory list with pictures and dates for future reference.

Be sure that payroll records, which include Social Security and other taxes, are kept current and accurate. You may want to consult your attorney or tax advisor for payroll requirements.

If you are a family caregiver, be prepared to make unannounced and unexpected visits to the home when the caregiver is there. Watch for any signs of abuse or neglect, and take action immediately.

All the checklists, interviews, and resumés you can gather cannot ensure safe, quality care. Personal references from other caregivers and your own instincts are ultimately the best indicators of the appropriate person for you.

Even so, once the caregiver is in your home, it may take some time before you are able to determine whether the caregiver meets your needs, and you may have to hire a number of people before you find the perfect fit.

Excerpted from “Receiving Care at Home” by the MetLife Mature Market Institute.

Ombudsman

Montgomery County (240) 777-3369 Prince George’s County (301) 265-8483 Northern Virginia (703) 324-5415 Washington, D.C. (202) 434-2190 Allison de Gravelles is a University of Maryland graduate student in social work.

Jan Hamill, acting program manager with the Montgomery County Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, assisted with this article.

From page B-8 homes to prominently post a telephone number for the nearest Ombudsman office. You can also find contact information for your local ombudsman program online at: www.ltcombudsman.org.

Telephone numbers for the programs in the area are as follows:

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

B-11

It can be hard to admit you need more care

By Erin G. Roth & J. Kevin Eckert Aging in place — the concept of aging (and eventually dying) in one’s private home — has become an often-used catchphrase. It has come to include places like assisted living and continuing care retirement centers (CCRC) and other multilevel institutional housing.

The idea is that someone could move in to one place while still independent with the expectation that extra support would be available when or if needed in the future. The transition to an assisted living or perhaps nursing care would be made easier because they were adjacent or nearby. But adjacent or nearby still involves making a move.

The purpose of senior housing with services is to protect and care for the people who reside there. Rules and practices are put in place to guide the decision-making around when or if someone should move to a higher level of care. In this respect, safety is often the number one priority for the institutions providing care.

And so because of this, there is a certain amount of vigilance. Staff as well as fellow residents watch for signs of decline and will report changes out of concern and safety.

aware of the triggers that might cause them to be moved, and may forgo help to avoid being found out. For example, someone who is having difficulty keeping his or her balance may choose to hide the fact that they’ve fallen and not seek the help they need.

Administrators and staff know that residents hide conditions or avoid asking for help because they are afraid of being moved to a higher level of care. The staff members try to reassure residents that they simply want to help. Many have a hard time understanding why residents are so fearful of moving to the next level of care.

These staff members fail to recognize just how difficult a “short” move around the corner or to the next building can be from the resident’s perspective. For example, a move forces the residents to adjust to a new social environment and social activities.

They may be leaving behind friendships

with fellow residents and staff, and suffer a loss of independence and status.

Moving to the “dark side” Our research indicates that there is definitely a stigma attached to the places that provide a higher level of care and, by ex-

tension, to the people who live there. Residents in independent living in one setting are known to refer to assisted living as “the dark side.” Meanwhile, someone in assisted living in another setting referred to the See HARD TO ADMIT, page B-13

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Fear of being moved Our current research in several of Maryland’s multi-level senior housing settings has brought to light one of the biggest challenges to living in a place where progressive levels of care are provided — that is, the movement from one level to the next. Though a move within the same building or complex may seem insignificant to those on the outside, it is quite significant to those who have to make the move.

Residents who are struggling to maintain their current level of functioning may be fearful and anxious. They are often well

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

Long-distance caregiving is challenging

By Matt Sedensky Kristy Bryner worries her 80-year-old mom might slip and fall when she picks up the newspaper, or that she’ll get in an accident when she drives to the grocery store.

What if she has a medical emergency and no one’s there to help? What if, like her father, her mother slips into a fog of dementia?

Those questions would be hard enough if Bryner’s aging parent lived across town in Portland, Ore., but she is in Kent, Ohio.

The stress of caregiving seems magnified by each of the more than 2,000 miles that separate them.

“I feel like I’m being split in half between coasts,” said Bryner, 54. “I wish I knew what to do, but I don’t.”

A growing problem As lifespans lengthen and the number of seniors rapidly grows, more Americans find themselves in Bryner’s precarious position, struggling to care for an ailing loved one from hundreds or thousands of miles away.

The National Institute on Aging estimates around 7 million Americans are long-distance caregivers. Aside from economic factors that often drive people far from their hometowns, shifting demographics in the country could exacerbate the issue: Over the next four decades, the share of people 65 and older is expected to rapidly expand while the number of people under 20 will roughly hold steady. That means there will be a far smaller share of people between 20 and 64, the age group that most often is faced with caregiving.

“You just want to be in two places at once,” said Kay Branch, who lives in Anchorage, Alaska, but helps coordinate care for her parents in Lakeland, Fla., about 3,800 miles away.

There are no easy answers.

Hard to admit From page B-11 nursing home wing as “the loony bin.”

It is in this context that some residents choose to conceal a change in their health or memory. Families too are often complicit in the hiding — sometimes out of denial of their relative’s decline, and sometimes because of the added cost of moving to a higher level of care.

The good news is that for those residents in multi-level senior housing who are settled in the level of care best able to meet their needs, they no longer feel the need to conceal their condition. They feel safer and more settled. We have also found that residents living in the nursing care portion of a facility may be more tolerant and accepting of others.

Aging in place can mean many things. The concept deeply resonates with our culture of

Bryner first became a long-distance caregiver when, more than a decade ago, her father began suffering from dementia, which consumed him until he died in 2010.

She used to be able to count on help from her brother, who lived close to their parents, but he died of cancer a few years back. Her mother doesn’t want to leave the house she’s lived in for so long.

So Bryner talks daily with her mother via Skype, a video telephone service. She’s lucky to have a job that’s flexible enough that she’s able to visit for a couple of weeks every few months. But she fears what may happen when her mother is not as healthy as she is now.

“Someone needs to check on her, someone needs to look out for her,” she said.

“And the only someone is me, and I don’t live there.”

Many long-distance caregivers say they insist on daily phone calls or video chats to hear or see how their loved one is doing.

Oftentimes, they find another relative or a paid caregiver they can trust who is closer and able to help with some tasks.

Dealing with emergencies Yet there always is the unexpected: Medical emergencies, problems with insurance coverage, urgent financial issues.

Problems become far tougher to resolve when you need to hop on a plane or make a daylong drive.

“There are lots of things that you have to do that become these real exercises in futility,” said Ed Rose, 49, who lives in Boston but, like his sister, travels frequently to Chicago to help care for his 106-yearold grandmother, Blanche Seelmann.

Rose has rushed to his grandmother’s side for hospitalizations, and made unexpected trips to solve bureaucratic issues, See LONG-DISTANCE CARE, page B-14

independence and autonomy. Lately, more and more emphasis is on finding ways to stay put by bringing services into the home rather than moving into senior housing.

Demonstration projects through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are testing a variety of programs, with a shift in public policy likely to follow. The Affordable Care Act’s Balancing Incentive Program is one such example of new policy supporting staying in one’s home.

New senior housing models may be on the horizon that will minimize the number of moves one must make, getting us closer to the ideal of true aging in place.

Erin G. Roth is a senior ethnographer at the Center for Aging Studies at UMBC. J. Kevin Eckert is the chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at UMBC. For additional information, see http://bit.ly/centerforagingstudies or contact Roth at eroth@umbc.edu.

B-13

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Covenant Village (301) 540-1162 18889 Waring Station Road Germantown, MD 20874 www.qpmgmt.com • Spacious 2 bedroom plans with washer/dryer in each apt.

• Covenant Village shuttle bus for shopping and local trips • Fitness room, billiard room, game/crafts room, movie theatre • On-site beauty salon, garden plots It’s all about our residents, says Kathy the Property Manager. The staff ensures that the residents always have interesting and exciting activities going on. Some of the fun includes movie nights, new resident meet and greet, holiday parties, fashion shows, and community dinners. Attendance at the wine and cheese and ice cream socials is close to 100%.

Covenant Village was recently awarded a trophy by the Property Management Association for being Maryland’s Best Affordable Community in their category! Please call today to make an appointment for a tour.

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Sommerset 703-450-6411 22366 Providence Village Dr. Sterling, VA 20164 www.sommersetretirement.com Your Search is Over for Premier Retirement Living! At Sommerset Retirement Community, located in the heart of Sterling, Virginia, you’ll experience exceptional independent living at its best, with a comfortable, fulfilling, secure and active lifestyle. Our residents enjoy the privacy of home, without the burdens of home ownership. Sommerset has been the residence of choice for many senior adults. Sommerset’s unique amenities include restaurant style dining, housekeeping, 24-hour front desk personnel, private transportation, and a calendar full of exciting and fun activities.

Sommerset’s central location gives you the convenience of being just minutes from medical services, shopping, banking and entertainment. Call us or visit our website to request more information or schedule your tour and complimentary lunch.

Sommerset Retirement Community, retirement living at its best.

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Riderwood 301-495-5700 3140 Gracefield Road Silver Spring, MD 20904 Ideally located in Silver Spring, Riderwood offers maintenance-free retirement living combined with a vibrant lifestyle―all in a beautiful, private community.

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

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

BEACON BITS

Long-distance care

away,” Castillo-Bach said.

June 20

From page B-13

When a job gets in the way

such as retrieving a document from a safedeposit box in order to open a bank account.

But he said he has also managed to get most of the logistics down to a routine. He uses Skype to speak with his grandmother every day and tries to be there whenever she has a doctor’s appointment.

Aides handle many daily tasks and have access to a credit card for household expenses. They send him receipts so he can monitor spending. He has an apartment near his grandmother to make sure he’s comfortable on his frequent visits.

Even for those who live near those they care for, travel for work can frequently make it a long-distance affair. Evelyn Castillo-Bach lives in Pembroke Pines, Fla., the same town as her 84-year-old mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease. But she is on the road roughly half the year, sometimes for months at a time, both for work with her own Web company and accompanying her husband, a consultant for the United Nations.

Once, she was en route from Kosovo to Denmark when she received a call alerting her that her mother was having kidney failure and appeared as if she would die.

She needed to communicate her mother’s wishes from afar as her panicked sister tried to search their mother’s home for her living will.

Castillo-Bach didn’t think she could make it back in time to see her mother alive once more. “I won’t get to touch my mother again,” she thought.

She was wrong. Her mother pulled through. But she says it illustrates what long-distance caregivers so frequently go through. “This is one of the things that happens when you’re thousands of miles

Lynn Feinberg, a caregiving expert at AARP, said the number of long-distance caregivers is likely to grow, particularly as a sagging economy has people taking whatever job they can get, wherever it is.

Though caregiving is a major stress on anyone, distance can often magnify it, Feinberg said, and presents particular difficulty when it must be balanced with an inflexible job.

“It’s a huge stress,” she said. “It can have enormous implications not only for someone’s quality of life, but also for someone’s job.”

It can also carry a huge financial burden.

A November 2007 report by the National Alliance for Caregiving and Evercare, a division of United Health Group, found annual expenses incurred by long-distance caregivers averaged about $8,728 — far more than caregivers who lived close to their loved one. Some also had to cut back on work hours, take on debt of their own, and slash their personal spending.

Even with that in mind, though, many long-distance caregivers say they don’t regret their decision. Rita Morrow, who works in accounting and lives in Louisville, Ky., about a six-hour drive from her 90year-old mother in Memphis, Tenn., does all the juggling too.

She has to remind her mother to take her medicine, make sure rides are lined up for doctor’s appointments, rush to her aid if there’s a problem. She knows her mom wants to stay in her home, to keep going to the church she’s gone to the past 60 years, to be near her friends.

“We do what we have to do for our parents,” she said. “My mother did all kinds of things for me.”

— AP

CARE FOR CAREGIVERS

Caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients will learn about the importance of also caring for themselves in a presentation by nurse Wanda Goldschmidt on Wednesday, June 20 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Kensington Park Retirement Community, 3620 Littledale Rd., Kensington, Md. To register, call (301) 946-7700.

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To schedule your visit, call (540) 786-5000.

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

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

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

BEACON BITS

June 10

ALL ABOUT CAREGIVING

A program titled “Caring for Others, Caring for Ourselves” will feature Suzanne Mintz, president of the National Family Caregivers Association, and Rabbi Moshe Bleich, a senior social worker with the Veterans Affairs Administration. They will offer personal and Jewish perspectives on caregiving’s rewards and challenges on Sunday, June 10 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The free event includes refreshments and will be held at a private home at 411 Hermleigh Rd., Silver Spring, Md. RSVP (not required, but appreciated) to max.rudmann@verizon.net.

June 15

SAFE SENIORS DAY

Learn about financial exploitation, emergency preparedness, healthy eating, mind enhancing games, home safety and more at Safe Seniors Day on Friday, June 15 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Wheaton, Md. The event is sponsored by the Montgomery County Vulnerable Adult/Elder Abuse Task Force. For more information on this free program, contact Linnet Jordan at (240) 773-5400 or linnet.jordan@montgomerycountrymd.gov.

June 21

SELLING YOUR HOME IN TODAY’S MARKET

If you’ve lived in your home for 25+ years, this seminar will show you how to downsize, declutter and prepare your home for today’s buyers and price the home to sell in today’s market. Join realtor Debbie Miller on Thursday, June 21 at 1 p.m. at Walter Reed Senior Center, 2909 S. 16th St., Arlington, Va. The seminar is free, but registration is required by calling (703) 228-0955.

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Housing Options

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

B-15

Trying to sell? Boost your home’s appeal

By Patricia Mertz Esswein, To hook buyers and reap the highest possible price, you must clean, declutter and stage your home, inside and out.

Cotty Lowry, an agent with Keller Williams, tells his sellers that they should expect to spend two to four weeks preparing their home for sale, and be ready to spend as much as 2 to 3 percent of its list price on improvements.

As a first step, Lowry says, you should hire a home inspector for a “pre-inspection” to identify all the issues that would otherwise turn up in a buyer’s inspection.

Get a termite inspection, too. (The report would count toward any closing requirement.) Each will cost you $300 to $400.

The inspections give you the opportunity to make repairs so buyers won’t reject your home out of hand or use problems to negotiate against you.

two features will put you head and shoulders above your competition.

Ask your agent to check the features of recently closed and pending sales. You’ll know what amenities you need to match, or what you can do to sell faster, even if you can’t raise your price.

Expect to get advice about spiffing up your home from agents and their stagers. But you can begin preparing your home using the checklists in the Home Sale Maximizer Guide

by HomeGain, a home-marketing website (www.homegain.com/sellertools).

Stagers declutter if you haven’t, rearrange furniture to improve traffic flow and create a sense of spaciousness, and make sure your décor doesn’t shout your personal tastes. Home sellers spend an average of $1,800 staging a home, but the cost can be $5,000 or more. Agents may provide the service as part of their fee.

Upgrades may be mandatory

Four things buyers hate

Realtor Leigh Brown says that you may also need to invest in improvements that buyers now expect as standard features. In many markets that means granite countertops and hardwood floors, even in starter homes. All other things being equal, those

If buyers spot these things in an online listing, they may not even visit your home.

• Brass fixtures. From switchplates to chandeliers, builder-grade brass is out.

• Unique granite. Meaning granite in hard-to-live-with colors, such as green.

Share this copy with a friend.

Anticipate more...

Even black can be a turnoff.

• Vanity light strips. That is, globe bulbs above the bathroom mirror. Buyers prefer fixtures with sconces or glass shades.

• “Crystal” faucet fixtures. Replace acrylic with chrome, brushed nickel or oilrubbed bronze.

Patricia Mertz Esswein is an associate editor at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. And for more on this and similar money topics, visit www.Kiplinger.com. © 2012 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Gardens of Traville 301-762-5224 14431 Traville Garden Circle Rockville, MD 20850 www.pinnacleams.com/gardensoftraville Welcome to a new and unique apartment community created exclusively for seniors featuring spacious one and two bedroom apartment homes. The Gardens of Traville, for adults age 62 and better, combines the conveniences of premier independent living with the advantages of a rental community. Apartment homes feature fully equipped kitchens, upgraded bathrooms and emergency response systems. The community offers a hair salon, computer center, wellness center and game room, as well as large community lounges to host special events and activities. We are conveniently located in a tranquil area of Rockville adjacent to Traville Shopping Center.

Lease today and learn why our residents love to call us home!

ASSISTED LIVING

predictability A more secure and predictable future is one of the many reasons that more people are choosing Asbury Methodist Village. With all the ups and downs of today’s economy, it’s a smart way to plan ahead. At Asbury, you can be set for life.

To learn more, order your free Asbury Financial Guide today.

Call 301-637-0344.

AsburyMethodistVillage.org 201 R USSELL A VENUE G AITHERSBURG , M ARYLAND 20877

The Solana Olney (301) 570-2611 2611 Olney Sandy Spring Road Olney, MD 20832 www.brookdaleliving.com/solana-olney.aspx The Solana® Olney, now under construction in Olney, Maryland, provides Personalized Assisted Living and Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care options for seniors. Our community will open this Fall, offering residents an intellectually stimulating, physically invigorating and emotionally fulfilling life. Those who desire to retain their independence but do not require the skilled nursing care provided in nursing homes will appreciate our friendly staff’s assistance with activities of daily living. We also provide specially-designed programs and care for those with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia-related illnesses. At The Solana Olney you and your loved one will enjoy a stylish, comfortable and inviting community environment to share with neighbors and friends, along with all the features and amenities needed to enhance your personal lifestyle. We invite you to call to learn more.

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

“The grounds are beautiful [and] 9*(#:(&'+;<#&.'#91((<#0%(&<(#=<# through the seasons. We make our own nature walks. Brooke Grove 2<#&#0*+9+31&0*(1><#'(%23*94#&.'# 9*(#?21'<#&1(#*&00/#9+#0+<(@A B#C1.+%'4#2.'(0(.'(.9#%2D2.3#1(<2'(.9

Enrich Your Life at the Cottages at Brooke Grove.

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Imagine living on 220 acres of rural woodland beauty where you can explore—or relax and recharge in our casually elegant cottages in suburban Maryland. At Brooke Grove we offer an impressive list of amenities, opportunities and convenient services. There’s always something going on. Celebrate the seasons or come along to the theater, Washington DC or Baltimore. Or simply enjoy the transforming power of nature… right in your backyard.

Natural surroundings…carefree living.

E&%%#9+'&/M 301-260-2320 or 301-924-2811

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

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE ON AGING

Spotlight On Aging VOLUME XXVIII, ISSUE 6

A newsletter for D.C. Seniors

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE

June 2012

Senior District Women to Compete for Title

By Dr. John M. Thompson The theme of last month’s issue of “Spotlight on Aging” was “Never Too Old to Play.” In this month’s issue, the theme is “Never Too Old to Learn.” In this message, I will highlight the academic journey and accomplishments of Mary Goodwin, pastor of Church Without Walls Outreach Ministries and evangelist of Rhema Christian Center Church in Ward 5. Pastor Goodwin represents a growing number of seniors who know that, when it comes to education, age is just a number.

Pastor Goodwin started college immediately after graduating from high school. However, after two years at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, she got married and began focusing her attention on raising her two children, working, and being a faithful church member. As a mother with a full-time job with the District of Columbia government, she attended the District of Columbia Teacher’s College and earned continuing education units from other institutions and eventually earned a paralegal certificate from Georgetown University.

After retiring from the District of Columbia government with 25 years of service, Pastor Goodwin had a vision about her calling in life, which was to be in ministry, and she has been preparing for this path through her academic journey. Pastor Goodwin, who is a senior, com-

pleted her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2008 from the University of Maryland University College and on May 12, she earned her master’s degree in professional counseling from Liberty University. She is the second sibling in a family of 13 children to have earned her graduate degree!

Pastor Goodwin’s academic journey is not over. She is now studying to earn her licensure in counseling and will pursue her Ph.D. in psychology in the fall. In the pursuit of this ultimate degree, she plans to counsel and help those with psychological and emotional issues. She believes that many of the issues that people in our society face could be resolved through counseling focused on “redirecting people to where they want to be” so that they “can live a better life.”

Pastor Goodwin is truly a testament that seniors are never too old to learn. Her life’s experiences and major role in church have shaped her path in life. Through her academic achievements, Pastor Goodwin will be able to touch so many people’s lives through her service.

Are you retired and contemplating starting a new chapter in life? If so, here’s some information about local institutions of higher learning that may spark your interest in learning.

• University of the District of Columbia’s (UDC) Institute of Gerontology coordinates the Academy of Lifetime Learning (ALL). This academy is the university’s learning in retirement program for persons who are 50 or older. ALL offers a variety of short-term cultural, social and educational experiences, such as lectures, seminars and interactive workshops. UDC also offers seniors See DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE, page 27

Ms. Senior D.C. Emma P. Ward will crown Ms. Senior D.C. 2012 at the Ms. Senior D.C. Pageant to be held on Sunday, June 24 at 2:30 p.m., at the University of the District of Columbia, Main Auditorium, Building 46.

Nine District women age 60 and older will compete at the pageant for the title of Ms. Senior DC 2012.

Contestants will be judged by an independent panel of judges on their philosophy of life, their talent and evening gown presentations. Each of the contestants was also interviewed individually by the panel and the scores will be tallied with the scores from the competition. The judges are looking for the contestant that has inner beauty and elegance, is active in her community, and portrays her talent and style during the competition.

Ms. Senior America Debbie Carroll-Boyce will also be present at the event and perform for the audience.

She represented the state of Texas in

last year’s Ms. Senior America Pageant and competed among 33 contestants from across the country, including Ms. Senior D.C. Emma Ward.

The winner of the Ms. Senior D.C. Pageant 2012 will represent the District and her peers in the Ms. Senior America Pageant, which is planned for October in Atlantic City, NJ. Ms. Senior D.C. and her court will also represent their peers across the city at various events, senior centers and across the city.

The Ms. Senior D.C. Pageant is being presented by the D.C. Seniors Cameo Club, Family Matters of Greater Washington and the D.C. Office on Aging. A donation of $20 is requested for tickets, and they may be purchased in advance or at the door.

For more information, call 202-2891510 x1171 or 202-724-5626. Proceeds from the event will send Ms. Senior D.C. and her court to the Ms. Senior America Pageant.

2012 Ms. Senior D.C. pageant contestants, pictured from left to right: Thomasena D. Allen, Kaye D. Henson, Mary McCoy, Sharon Burch, Brenda Woodland, Juanita Miller, Nancy Berry, Janie M. Connor. Not pictured: Earnestine Wiggins.

26

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

D.C. OFFICE

ON

AGING NEWSLETTER

Don’t Fall for Foreign Lottery Scams In a foreign lottery, more than just the odds are against you. The fact is that no legitimate lottery requires you to pay fees or taxes upfront to collect winnings.

Many victims are older, live alone and may suffer from some cognitive impairment.

Criminals can use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to "spoof" caller ID, making a call appear to come from anywhere in the world, the United States, or even from a government agency.

Victims sometimes bond with the criminals who are preying on them. Criminals take an active interest in their lives and often spend hours on the phone talking to

victims. This relationship can cause victims to continue to send money even after they've been advised that they're being scammed. They may even take steps to hide these payments and resist efforts to break off contact with the criminals.

People who enjoy entering sweepstakes, lotteries and games of chance may be at a higher risk for becoming victims.

Criminals may purchase legitimate mailing lists to find victims.

Educate older relatives to the threat now. Plan how you will deal with these issues to protect them in the future.

To report foreign lottery fraud, call 1877-876-2455.

The Office on Aging has launched a new email newsletter, DCOA E*News, to keep its stakeholders and service providers informed of news, information

and calendar items between issues of the “Spotlight on Aging Newsletter,” which is included monthly in the Beacon Newspaper.

If you would like to sign up for upcoming issues or to see archived issues, visit www.dcoa.dc.gov and click on the DCOA E*News image on the website. You may also send an email to darlene.nowlin@dc.gov and request to be added to the list.

For more information, call the Office on Aging at 202-724-5622 or our Information and Assistance Unit at 202-724-5626.

National Men's Health Week National Men’s Health Week is celebrated each year during the week leading up to and including Father's Day. This year it is June 9-17.

Men's Health Week was first recognized in the United States. The National Men's Health Week Act was passed

by Congress in 1994 and signed into law by President Clinton, becoming Public Law 103-264 on May 31, 1994.

Goal of Men's Health Week The purpose of Men's Health Week is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. Recognizing and preventing men’s health problems is not just a man’s issue.

Encourage a senior male friend or relative to visit one or more of our senior wellness centers to participate in an activity or begin leading a healthy lifestyle.

Senior Wellness Centers Bernice Fonteneau Senior Wellness Center, 202-727-0338, 3531 Georgia Ave. NW (Ward 1) Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center, 202-563-7225, 3500 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE (Ward 8)

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Hattie Holmes Senior Wellness Center, 202-291-6170, 324 Kennedy St. NW (Ward 4) Hayes Senior Wellness Center, 202727-0357, 500 K St. NE Model Cities Senior Wellness Center, 202-635-1900, 1901 Evarts St., NE (Ward 5) Washington Seniors Wellness Center, 202-581-9355, 3001 Alabama Ave. SE (Ward 7)

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27

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

D.C. OFFICE

ON

AGING NEWSLETTER

Community Calendar June events

19th • 11 a.m.

7th • 11 a.m.

A seminar on men’s health will be part of the Ward 5 Senior Nutrition Centers’ lunch and learn series. Call Vivian Grayton at 202-529-8701 for locations.

7th • 1 to 4 p.m.

Listen to the cool sounds of the Todd Marcus Quintet at a “jazz on the patio” event at the Washington Seniors Wellness Center, 3001 Alabama Ave. SE. For more information, call 202-581-9355.

13th • 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The Ziva Flamenco Dance Group will perform at the Washington Seniors Wellness Center, 3001 Alabama Ave. SE. For more information, call 202-5819355.

15th • 5 to 8 p.m.

Meet Iona Senior Service’s artists in residence at a free reception featuring live music and refreshments. Artists Jenne Glover, a multimedia painter, and David Brinkman, who creates handmade woven baskets, will talk about their work. The event takes place at 4125 Albemarle St. NW. For more information, call 202-895-9448.

Director’s Message From page 25

the ability to audit classes or pay reduced tuition for continuing education.

• American University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is an association of, by, and for people in the Washington, D.C. area who wish to continue to study and learn. OLLI offers fall and spring semester classes

Edgewood Terrace Senior Nutrition Center will hold a seminar about elder abuse. The center is located at 635 Edgewood St. NE. For more information, call Vivian Grayton at 202-529-8701.

29th • 5 to 8 p.m.

21st • 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired will have an arts and crafts day at Israel Baptist Church, 1251 Saratoga Ave. NE. For more information, call Gloria Duckett at 202-269-9576.

22nd • 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The DC Office on Aging Elder Abuse Prevention Committee presents an all-day workshop on “The Financial Exploitation of our Elder and Vulnerable Populations” at the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, 3600 John McCormack Rd. NE. Registration is free, but seating is limited.

Lunch will be provided. The workshop is approved for 6 CE contact hours for social workers ($15 fee for CEU certificate). To register, email name, agency, position, telephone number and email address to fdruy@familymattersdc.org. Enter “Registration for Financial Exploitation Training” in the subject line of the email.

23rd • 1 to 5 p.m.

KEEN Seniors Program’s Sassy Sewing Seniors will host its annual fashion show and luncheon at the

that each run from 8 to 10 weeks. For a membership fee, participants may take up to three study groups that run during the day for just under two hours a week.

Please contact the Office on Aging’s Lisa Bryant at 202-741-5875 for more information about any of these programs or to learn about the Veterans Educational Assistance Program. I look forward to learning about your success story!

SPOTLIGHT ON AGING Spotlight On Aging is published by the Information Office of the D.C. Office on Aging for D.C. senior residents.

Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the D.C. Office on Aging or by the publisher.

500 K St., N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002 202-724-5622 • www.dcoa.dc.gov Dr. John M. Thompson, Executive Director Darlene Nowlin, Editor Courtney Williams, Contributing Writer Adrian R. Reed, Photographer The D.C. Office on Aging does not discriminate against anyone based on actual or perceived: race, color, religion, na-

Ward Memorial AME Church, 241 42nd St. NE. Tickets are $20 per person. For more information, contact Robin Gantt, Recreation Activity Outreach Coordinator, at 202-534-4880, ext. 110.

tional origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, familial status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, disability, source of income, and place of residence or business.

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination which is prohibited by the Act. In addition, harassment based on any of the above protected categories is prohibited by the Act. Discrimination in violation of the Act will not be tolerated. Violators will be subjected to disciplinary action.

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

During Caribbean Cultural Heritage Month, the Washington Seniors Wellness Center presents the Second Annual Celebration of Connecting Cultures.

The center is located at 3001 Alabama Ave. SE. For more information, call 202-581-9355.

Ongoing events Mondays Seniors age 60 and older who live in Ward 5 and are in need of legal advice can speak with a lawyer on Mondays through a program sponsored by Seabury Resources for Aging. Call 202-529-8701 for more information.

Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Seabury Ward 5 Aging Services Emergency Food Pantry is open to Ward 5 residents age 60 and older at 2900 Newton St. NE. Food is distributed on a case-by-case basis. For more information, call Vivian Grayton at 202-529-8701.

Aging and HIV/AIDS Meeting Held Silent Partners, Inc., a non-profit organization funded by the D.C. Department of Health, held a one-day conference to reach and empower advocates and representatives from the aging and AIDS service networks on “making the connection to seniors about HIV/AIDS.” Nearly 100 persons attended this special training for providers and advocates, representatives from the senior wellness centers, lead agencies, church ministries, advocates and HIV service providers.

The event was held at the Temple of Praise Church, located in Ward 8 of Washington, D.C., which is an area with a high HIV population that is underserved and hard to reach.

The D.C. Department of Health spoke of its partnership with the Office on Aging and others in a workgroup that has developed posters, brochures, peer to peer training curriculum and other educational materials. In the future, they plan to fund senior service providers to conduct educational training for seniors as well as peer training at senior centers,

churches and housing developments.

The facts as outlined by the Department of Health at the conference were: • The number of older adults affected/infected by the epidemic is growing. 20% of new infections were persons over 50 in the city.

• The number of persons living with HIV is approaching 50% of the total.

• There needs to be at least minimum competencies in outreach and conducting street outreach targeting seniors.

The key presenter for the event was Carmi Washington Flood, chief, Office of Faith Based and Community Partnerships, Maryland Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene Infectious Disease and Environmental Health Administration, whose session engaged the attendees in a lively discussion and a skit on the myths and realities of educating and reaching out to seniors.

For more information, contact Courtney Williams, community planner, DCOA, at 202-727-8370.

28

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

Travel Leisure &

Which all-inclusive city passes give you the most for your money in New York and Paris? See story on page 30.

Southeastern Wyoming’s wilds and wiles Home on the range The southeastern corner of Wyoming offers many adventures to satiate your inner cowboy, cowgirl and explorer. It’s a good place to come to experience the nation’s Old West heritage.

Varying from 6 to 12,000 feet, Southeastern Wyoming is shortgrass prairie and high plains, home to some of the finest ranch land in the U.S., say locals.

Summer days are “absolutely exquisite,” touts local real estate agent Caitlin Murphy.

Why visit the area? Mike Scott, manager of Laramie’s Grand Newsstand, brags that southeastern Wyoming is one of the few places on Earth where you can see more antelope than people.

And the area offers a range of ranching adventures. Mary Mountain, executive director at the Ivinson Mansion told me, “Branding cattle is still an annual spring event, and the mama cows still bawl when their calves are branded.”

Traveling with your horse? Laramie has the Cowgirl Horse Hotel for people needing an overnight stall for their equine companion.

This corner of Wyoming has seen hardy pioneers, the Union Pacific Railroad, cattle drives, sod busters and the Lincoln Highway come through. Today, Cheyenne and Laramie offer western town experiences with outdoor opportunities in every direction.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LARAMIE AREA VISITOR CENTER

By Glenda C. Booth It’s wild, stubborn, dry, harsh and grand. Nicknamed “the Cowboy State,” Wyoming has pioneer trails, gritty towns, ancient fossils, windswept prairies, broad mesas and majestic mountain peaks. As Governor Dave Freudenthal says, “People don’t visit Wyoming to go to the opera.”

With only 500,000 residents, it’s a place to savor solitude, study streaky sunsets, sniff the sagebrush and, yes, watch the antelope play. It’s easy to spot their upended white rumps as they graze near the highways.

The state symbol, the bucking bronco, is everywhere, and little girls aspire to be rodeo queens. Wyoming’s license plate features the silhouette of a world champion horse, Steamboat, “the horse who wouldn’t be rode” — fiery, free and determined.

The weather can be challenging too, at least to visitors. Wimps might say that Wyoming has only four good months of weather — May through August. But the University of Wyoming’s Anthropology Museum boasts that people there “have been thriving through frigid winters and hot summers for 13,000 years.”

Under big skies and billowing clouds, the wind never seems to stop, stirring up dust and sagebrush scraps and, in winter, shifting snow in all directions. Wind power advocates say that southeastern Wyoming has some of the most consistent wind in the U.S.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LARAMIE AREA VISITOR CENTER

A freight train pulls into downtown Laramie, Wyo. The frontier town is home to Wyoming’s only state university, as well as the Wyoming Territorial Prison, where Butch Cassidy was once incarcerated.

Rocky outcroppings punctuate the landscape of southeastern Wyoming, including this area in Albany County outside of Laramie.

Cheyenne’s millionaire cowboys Cheyenne, the state capital and the state’s largest city (56,000 people), hosts the biggest outdoor rodeo in the world, the annual, 10-day Frontier Days in late July (www.cfdrodeo.com). Started in 1897, at this “Daddy of ‘em All,” you’ll see plenty of Wild West swagger as 10,000 gutsy contestants ride bulls, wrestle steers, rope calves, race barrels and compete in a wild horse race, vying for a million-dollar purse.

There’s music, western arts and crafts, and Native American dancing.

Start your Cheyenne tour at the visitors’ center, 121 West 15th St., in the block-long Union Pacific Railroad Depot, a national historic landmark.

The State Museum documents Wyoming’s history, with displays on prehistoric creatures, wildlife and mining. No city tour would be complete without a visit to the gold-domed capitol, a Corinthian-style building of local stone completed in 1890 when Wyoming was still a territory. Don’t miss the 1,000-pound Tiffany chandelier.

The message of the Cowgirl of the West Museum is that women also helped tame the West. Locals like to boast that Wyoming was the first state to give women the right to vote, allow women to hold public office and serve on juries.

Cheyenne’s Botanic Gardens offer a ver-

dant respite amid the annuals, perennials, roses and cacti.

Twenty miles west on I-80, stop by Buford, population one, a town in the news this spring. Advertised as the smallest town in the U.S., it was sold at auction for $900,000 on April 5 to Pnam Dinh Nguyen from Vietnam.

Perched at 8,000 feet, the town consists of 10 acres, some outdoor post office boxes, a gas station and convenience store, a 1905 schoolhouse, a cabin, a garage and a three-bedroom house. The new owner said he would sell items made in Vietnam from Buford, according to the Huffington Post.

Another few miles west, amble through the otherworldly Veedauwoo rock formations, 1.4 billion years old. The more you stare at the boulders, some precariously perched, the more imaginary creatures and objects you’ll spy — maybe a seal, a turtle or a loaf of bread.

Laramie Fifty miles west of Cheyenne is Laramie, another frontier town that meshes the western imagery of horse trailers, pickup trucks and cowboy bars with the academics and culture of the University of See WYOMING, page 29

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

Wyoming From page 28 Wyoming, the state’s only university.

Named after fur trapper Jacque La Ramee, some of its first arrivals were a rowdy bunch of gamblers, land speculators and prostitutes, so rambunctious that the first mayor declared the town “ungovernable.”

At the visitors’ center, 210 East Custer St., you can get tourist brochures, including one for a self-guided walking tour. Downtown is lined with authentic frontier architecture, some buildings 150 years old.

Kick back in the Buckhorn Bar, 114 Ivinson St., the oldest Laramie saloon, dating to 1890. This joint does not sell food, but you can see the bullet hole in the mirror from a 1971 shootout, the goal of which was the demise of the bartender. Result: unsuccessful.

As you sip your Snake River beer, check out the taxidermied deer, elk, buffalo, a miniature Hereford and a two-headed horse on the walls.

The university offers an art museum with more than 7,000 objects, as well as the Geological Museum, home to fossils millions of years old — some of the best in the U.S. You can study skeletons of over 50 species of prehistoric dinosaurs from the area, like T. rex and flying dinosaurs. “Big Al” Allosaurus, from 150 million years ago, is the state’s Jurassic giant.

You’ll learn that Wyoming once had

camels, rhinoceroses and crocodiles. The Anthropology Building’s museum has exhibits on rock shelters (500 were found in Wyoming), Paleo-Indians, bison hunting, and the Human Odyssey from the heart of Africa to the ends of the Earth.

A must-see is the Victorian Ivinson Mansion for a glimpse at how the rich lived in the late 19th century. There’s an elk-foot stool, 19 pieces of furniture carved by prisoners, and a bathtub and shower purchased at the 1893 Chicago Exposition.

The third-floor Laramie Plains Museum showcases 52 types of barbed wire, cook stoves, and ranching paraphernalia. You can compare a lamb incubator with a baby incubator, which parents could borrow from the hospital to help infants survive at home. There are sheep-castrating and shearing tools, and a cabin for overnighting with cattle out on the range.

Beef up on frontier justice and Wild West scofflaws at the Wyoming Territorial Prison, 1872-1903. Butch Cassidy, a horse thief who dynamited trains, was its most famous inmate.

Around 1,000 male and 12 female outlaws served time there for crimes such as forgery, stealing, arson, murder, stage coach robbery and cattle rustling. On the selfguided tour, you can view cells and learn how prisoners made 270 brooms a day.

Get outdoors

traction, most locals would say. Wyoming claims 800 species of wildlife and seven of North America’s greatest big game animals: bighorn sheep, moose, elk, whitetailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn antelope and black bears.

Head to the Snowy Range of the Medicine Bow Mountains for hiking and worldclass fishing in clear, trout-laden lakes. At high elevations, you might see snow during the summer. Venture out to Medicine Bow Peak at 12,000 feet for hiking trails, sparkling streams, glacial lakes and spectacular mountain scenery.

For a night on the range, bed down to the lullaby of the Little Laramie River at the Vee Bar Guest Ranch (www.veebar.com, 1-800483-3227), 20 miles west of Laramie. Rates start at $150 per night for a cabin and breakfast. Try the trail rides, fishing, ranch grub

Free introductory riding lesson, Saturdays at 1:30.

and the soothing hot tub.

If you go The least expensive way to visit southeastern Wyoming is to fly into Denver International Airport and drive a rental car two hours north. The least expensive flights in mid-June from DC-area airports cost $370 roundtrip on American or Frontier.

If you want to fly to Cheyenne, United is offering an $832 roundtrip ticket from Baltimore-Washington Airport in June.

To find lodging, restaurants and other sites, try these websites: www.wyomingtourism.org, www.cheyenne.org, www.VisitLaramie.org, www.laramiemainstreet.org, and www.wyomingoutdoorsradio.com.

Glenda C. Booth is a freelance writer living in Alexandria, Va.

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

Are inclusive city passes worth the price?

You’ve seen the promotions for passes • Each pass is valid for nine days after that promise “free” admission to a handful first use. of a city’s top attractions — • Each pass typically covers mostly bypassing ticket lines. four to six one-time admissions They sell for a fixed price that from six to eight alternatives. is a lot less than you’d pay • Prices range from $39 to separately. $79, depending on the city.

I know of two major programs that sell passes for lots Where are the best values? of different cities. And some individual cities organize All in all, my take is that the their own passes. The idea is value of the passes varies intriguing — both the lower among cities: Some are great; TRAVEL TIPS total cost and bypassing some others, not so much:

By Ed Perkins • In New York, the pass lines.

CityPass (www.citypass.com) issues covers the Empire State Building, the passes for 10 cities in North America: At- American Museum of Natural History, the lanta, Boston, Chicago, Hollywood, Hous- Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum ton, New York, Philadelphia, San Francis- of Modern Art (MoMA), the Guggenheim co, Seattle and Toronto, providing no- Museum, Top of the Rock, and the Statue extra-cost admission to a mix of important of Liberty or the Circle Line Tour. The museums and major commercial tourist at- pass costs $79. Individual admission to just the three blockbuster museums would tractions.

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Leisure passes include more Leisure Pass (www.leisurepassgroup.com) issues passes for Berlin, London, New York, Paris, Philadelphia and Yorkshire. Its basic approach is quite different: Each pass covers far more attractions than CityPass, but pricing is much higher and varies by length of validity.

The New York version, for example, includes admissions to “over 70” attractions

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otherwise come to $65.50; add any of the commercial attractions, and the pass is a good deal.

• Pass deals are similarly good for a mix of museums and commercial attractions in Boston, Chicago, Houston and San Francisco. San Francisco also includes a sevenday cable car and transit pass — a big plus.

Philadelphia’s pass is weaker, and it excludes the most important museum: the Philadelphia Museum of Art. • On the other hand, the Hollywood pass, at $59, is useful only if you’re a big fan of motion picture lore. You get a Starline Tour, Madame Tussaud’s, Red Lines Behind the Scenes and the Kodak Theater or Hollywood Museum. To me, that list is very “ho, hum,” but if movies are your bag, go for it.

• Passes for Atlanta, Seattle and Toronto are also heavy on the commercial attractions.

You won’t be surprised by my overall conclusion: CityPass is a good deal if you would otherwise visit at least half of the attractions each pass covers; not so good if you don’t.

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but costs $80 for one day, $130 for two days, up to $210 for seven.

The mix includes the same blockbuster museums as CityPass plus lots of smaller ones, along with the same commercial attractions plus many more.

The Philadelphia pass ($49 for one day, up to $95 for five days) provides similar coverage, and it does include the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Berlin (about $83 for two days minimum), London (about $72 for one day), Paris (about $130 for two-day minimum) and Yorkshire (about $54 for one day) passes provide similar coverage. The London website also pitches Travelcards, but the prices are only about a half-pound less than regular prices.

All in all, Leisure Pass is a tougher proposition than CityPass. Even the oneday prices are higher, and you pay a lot more for multi-day validity.

Most of you could probably come out ahead using a Leisure Pass for a day or two of intensive museum or commercial attraction visits, but the CityPass formula is a lot better if you don’t want to cram all your museum and attractions visits into a day or two.

Keep in mind that independent city passes may also be a better deal. For example, a two-day Paris Museum pass costs about $52; a three-day Berlin Museum Pass costs about $25. Do a Google search for passes in other cities.

E-mail questions and comments to eperkins@mind.net. © 2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

The Village at Rockville presents Gilda Haber, to discuss her memoir Cockney Girl.

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

A Special Supplement to The Beacon newspaper

First-hand survivor stories make news Henry Blumenstein sailed on the S.S. St. Louis, 1939.

Arie Nabozny, (far right) with his family in a pre-war photo.

Page 4-5

June 2012/No. 25

Sager Photos by Randy

“Transitions in Care” symposium tackles a hot topic in medicine “If 20 percent of cars taken to a garage for repair came back within 30 days, and if that shop billed for the return visit, you wouldn’t be satisfied, and yet that is exactly the situation in healthcare today,” said Dr. Eric Coleman, keynote speaker at the “Transitions in Care: Perspectives for Clinicians and Caregivers” symposium in Rockville. Today, one in five Medicare patients discharged from the hospital is readmitted within 30 days, at a national cost of $17 billion.

The symposium for 200 clinicians and caregivers, presented April 20 by Charles E. Smith Life Communities, Suburban Hospital and Sibley Memorial Hospital, both members of Johns Hopkins Medicine, gathered experts in care transitions from around the country, many nationally known, to share research, best practices and practical experience in helping patients shift safely from the hospital or nursing home to other care settings.

With 24 years devoted to the field of

Dr. Robert Rothstein of Suburban Hospital participated in the program that offered perspectives for 200 clinicians and caregivers.

care transitions, Dr. Coleman described how a patient leaving the hospital is in charge of his or her care 168 hours a week.

Patients may lack the skills or confidence to be effective, may receive conflicting advice, be unable to reach the right practitioner when they have a question, or leave some tasks undone. A model transition program would meet patients where they are in terms of health literacy, encourage patients to set their own goals, provide a “road test” for their discharge plan, elevate the status of family caregivers, and improve coordination and communication across healthcare settings.

Dr. Eric Coleman, director of the Care Transitions program at the University of Colorado, Denver, delivers the keynote address at our Transitions in Care symposium. Dr. Coleman is a nationallyrecognized expert in improving quality and safety during times of care “hand-offs.”

Throughout the day, attendees had the opportunity to learn about the impact of policy and law, the risks and benefits of surgery in the older patient, and model programs that improve safety and care.

The symposium concluded with a panel discussion on end-of-life decision-making, with practical tips from five experts who addressed the patient/family perspective, emergency room care, palliative care, legal issues and the spiritual aspect. Turn to page 2 for their recommendations. ■

HEBREW HOME OF GREATER WASHINGTON • SMITH-KOGOD & WASSERMAN RESIDENCES COHEN-ROSEN HOUSE • HIRSH HEALTH CENTER • LANDOW HOUSE • REVITZ HOUSE • RING HOUSE

Decisions Decisions Page 2

Music is the best medicine

Page 6

Event news Page 7

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

It takes a community: Outstanding Rehab & Recovery................Hebrew Home ....................301.770.8476 Independent Living with a New Look........Ring House ........................301.816.5012 Affordable Independence ........................Revitz House ......................301.770.8450 Personalized Assisted Living ....................Landow House ....................301.816.5050 Respectful Long-Term Care ......................Hebrew Home ....................301.816.7705 New Memory Care Residence ..................Cohen-Rosen House ..........301.816.5052

Generation to Generation That Final Transition Transitions are an undeniable part of life. Marriages, birth of children, major career changes, relocations, death of loved ones—these and other transitions, happy or sad, present unique considerations.

This also applies to what may be termed the “final transition,” when the end of life is close at hand, and the decisions that surround it.

Dr. James E. Lett II, VP for Medical Affairs/Medical Director, moderated the panel discussion on best practices for end-of-life decisions at the Transitions in Care symposium.

A doctor’s perspective on managing emergency care In a stressful, time-sensitive setting, emergency room physicians may have only a few moments to sift through legal directives or reach the primary care physician.

Emergency room physician Richard Alcorta recommends completing the MOLST form (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) to assist in locating essential information quickly. Find Maryland’s MOLST at www.marylandmolst.org.

The form helps with:

At the April 2012 “Transitions in Care” symposium, jointly sponsored by Charles E. Smith Life Communities and Suburban Hospital and Sibley Memorial Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine, distinguished panelists with differing perspectives offered practical advice to facilitate decisions. Here are some highlights.

A family’s perspective on receiving news Howard Gleckman, author of Caring for Our Parents, says: • Be candid: give the patient permission to confront his/her condition.

• Be clear: speak in terms that families can understand.

• Don’t be late: have this conversation in time to make a difference. It’s a lot to absorb and may need to be repeated more than once.

The legal and estate-planning perspective Local attorney Steven A. Widdes outlines three steps to ensure that your affairs are in order and your wishes are clearly communicated:

• Starting the dialogue about treatment options and making informed decisions.

• Document wishes, specifying names and phone numbers of doctors, lawyers and financial advisors; tell your family the location of wills, trusts, insurance policies and advance directives. Designate one health care spokesperson – don’t make your children operate as a committee.

• Allowing care providers to respect a patient’s moral, ethical and religious preferences.

• Convey your wishes to the right people, including your doctor. Inform your agent if you choose to be an organ donor.

• Providing caregivers legal backing to meet a patient’s wishes.

• Be organized: Review medical and financial papers every four to five years, or

Page 2 | June 2012

www.smithlifecommunities.org

when a major change occurs. Resolve differences between decisions made with your attorney and papers you may have completed with a health professional.

The oncologist’s perspective Every seriously ill patient should receive palliative care along with treatment, begun early enough (three to six months out) to make a difference. Palliative care encompasses specialized care, realistic goals and open communication. Dr. Thomas Smith of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions says patients who receive palliative care derive these benefits: • Experience less depression and stress • Live longer • Have fewer trips to the emergency room A chaplain’s perspective Rabbi James Michaels of Charles E. Smith Life Communities advises all care providers to ensure that time is set aside to address three critical spiritual and religious needs: • Life review • Resolution of family conflicts or other issues • Confession/final prayers Every individual deserves to enter the next life with peace and dignity, holding firm to the faith that has sustained them throughout their years. ■ LifeTimes

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

Bring the glow of summer to a Hebrew Home resident with a gift of colorful flowers!

IS A SHINY NEW CAR IN YOUR FUTURE?

Flowers also lend a certain specialness to Shabbat and other celebrations. For information and to order an arrangement, contact the Hebrew Home’s Volunteer Department at 301.770.8333.

When a new car enters your life, consider donating your used vehicle to the Hebrew Home. Proceeds benefit our elderly residents.

For more information, please contact us at

301.770.8329.

Meet Heidi Brown

Remember This

“Every day should be a great day for my residents,” says Heidi Brown, who has joined the staff of Charles E. Smith Life Communities as administrator for Landow House, the eldercare community’s assisted living residence.

Heidi will also oversee the new CohenRosen House when it opens in Heidi Brown November.

Heidi Brown comes to Charles E. Smith Life Communities from Sunrise Senior Living, where she had a leadership role for 15 years. The Buffalo native earned her master’s degree in social work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and is a certified assisted living manager. She espouses a hands-on, customer-focused approach, and considers our long history, mission and values critical to providing person-centered care.

She is an active member of Kehilat Shalom Congregation.

Landow House recently received a deficiency-free State survey. The Cohen-Rosen House will offer a vibrant and personal approach to memory care for 18 residents. For information call 301.816.5052. ■

A series of three seminars on dementia and memory care is being presented in conjunction with the opening of the new Cohen-Rosen House this fall. The “Remember This” series provides professional and family caregivers, social workers, eldercare attorneys, admissions staff and case managers with answers to especially challenging aspects of memory care.

Jennifer Lubaczewski FitzPatrick kicks off the series on Thursday, September 6, at 5 p.m. Founder of Jenerations Health Education, Inc., adjunct instructor at Johns Hopkins University and educational consultant for the Alzheimer’s Association, she will address “Behaviors as Communication?” to guide attendees in understanding and managing the difficult behaviors that often accompany memory loss. A light supper will be served.

The series will continue in October and November with two additional topics focused on medical issues and on best practices for successfully filling the day for memory care clients. Continuing education credits have been applied for; there is no cost to attend.

For more information on this expert series, sponsored by the Hurwitz Lecture Fund at the Charles E. Smith Life Communities, contact Jill Berkman at 301.816.5052. ■

Hebrew Home residents participate in MS Walkathon Mary Vinograd, a University of Maryland social work intern who has led the Hebrew Home’s MS Support Group since last fall, noted that its members were eager to participate in a community service project. Since Multiple Sclerosis creates considerable physical limitations, Mary wanted to help residents find a project that was meaningful while allowing them to participate equally. When she heard that the Multiple Sclerosis Society of the National Capital Area, which provides invaluable support to our residents, was scheduling their annual walkathon in midApril, this activity seemed like the perfect project. The group’s decision to volunteer as “cheerleaders” for the event was unanimous. Here’s how the day went, according to Mary: The morning of the event, the Home’s nursing, kitchen and transportaLifeTimes

Hebrew Home residents in our MS Support Group cheered on walkers at the annual Multiple Sclerosis Society Walkathon.

tion staffs were pivotal in making the excursion a success. Their coordinated efforts to prepare the members and get them to Rockville safely made this outing a breeze. Once we arrived, we gladly basked in a beautiful spring day. While we waited for the participants to complete their threemile walk, children filled the park, a local radio station played popular tunes and vendors gave away prizes. Finally, we greeted all the walkathon participants with big smiles and cheers of thanks as www.smithlifecommunities.org

they crossed the finish line.

Happily for the residents, Mary joined the Home’s social work staff following her May graduation. “The more I learn about MS and discuss the impact of the illness with residents, the more awed I am by their courage and grace,” said Mary recently. “I have been honored to work with the MS Support Group this year, and my learning experience at the Hebrew Home has been richer for it.” ■

June 2012 | Page 3

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Planning Your Legacy: A Guide to Planning Your Estate offers a four-step plan to help you provide for your heirs and protect your intentions. The booklet includes worksheets to record assets and to designate the key people you’ve selected to serve on your behalf. Click on “Wills Guide” at www.hhgwgift.org to download this essential resource.

FirstPerson Sharing Holocaust Recollections Central to the mission of Charles E. Smith Life Communities is a longstanding dedication to providing compassionate care and opportunities for safe and supportive independent living to survivors of the Holocaust. It has always been a privilege to Warren R. Slavin, address the needs of those President/CEO individuals who endured so much yet found the determination to reconstruct their lives, raise loving families, and despite harrowing memories of tragedy and loss, renew pathways to an appreciation of life’s blessings.

In April, the Progress Club Foundation generously hosted a brunch at Ring House to honor the nearly 50 survivors who reside on our campus today. The Washington Post, Gazette, and Rockville Patch interviewed several of the residents who participated in the brunch, and you may have seen these stories in the papers or online.

Our goal here is to present vignettes so our own readers can learn how this tragic period indelibly impacted so many of our residents, who are our friends and neighbors today. Their complete stories, additional photos and the recent media coverage are all posted on our website, www.hebrew-home.org.

Blanche Juris Born in 1914, Blanche Juris is the oldest living survivor of Eishishok, a small shtetl that once existed in what is now Lithuania. Many of her family photos are included in the “Tower of Faces” at the U.S. Holocaust Museum.

After Blanche and her now deceased husband Isaac succeeded in escaping the 1941 Eishishok massacre, they were thrust into the horrors of a labor camp in Archangelsk, Russia, close to the Arctic Circle. A son was born there, Yankele.

Released following Germany’s 1941 invasion of Russia, Blanche and her family set off by train for Kazakhstan, but tragically Yankele died en route. During their struggles to survive the remaining war years, another son, Ken (then called Kiva) was born. At the war’s conclusion, the three spent time in the Schlactensee Displaced Persons Camp prior to leaving in 1946 for America.

Blanche Juris, with her son Ken Juris.

Martha Strauss Martha Strauss, born in 1913, grew up in the picturesque German town of Speyer. Her father, an intellectual, musician and WWI veteran, owned a prominent musical instruments store, A. Hildesheimer, one of a number of Jewish-owned retail stores centrally located along Speyer’s main street.

Hitler’s 1933 seizure of power immediately disrupted life for Speyer’s Jewish population, including Martha’s family. Customers ceased coming to their store, acquaintances avoided the family, and relatives lost jobs. Martha left for the U.S. in September 1938; her younger sister Elsbeth departed for Australia in early 1939 following the Kristallnacht destruction of Speyer’s 100-year-old synagogue.

When her parents learned that they themselves would be denied exit visas, her father was forced to sell his store, fell into a depression and died just before the war’s outbreak; Martha’s mother was taken to Gurs, a French internment camp. Miraculously she escaped and rejoined Martha in the U.S. in early 1941.

The Strauss family store in Speyer.

Warren R. Slavin, President/CEO Charles E. Smith Life Communities

Blanche appears, second from left, in a pre-war photo with her sisters.

Page 4 | June 2012

www.smithlifecommunities.org

LifeTimes

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

Residents’ Holocaust stories in the news Feature articles in the Washington Post, Gazette, and Rockville Patch about Holocaust survivors living at Charles E. Smith Life Communities have helped renew attention to one of history’s most chilling passages. There are 50 Holocaust survivors living on our campus today.

Gisella Simon Gisella Simon, born in Romania in 1924, was sent with her family to Transylvania’s Szatmar ghetto in 1940. The ghetto was liquidated in Gisella, today. late spring 1944, and its 18,863 Jews were deported to Auschwitz. Separated at once from her mother, a sister, and niece, Gisella and three sisters were marched to a barrack where they withstood erratic brutality.

Shortly thereafter, Gisella and just two sisters were transported to Praust concentration camp, a female sub-camp of Stuffhof concentration camp, where they were tasked with mixing sand and stones to construct an airport runway.

At the new camp, Gisella befriended Sara Weich; the two slept cramped side by side on a lice-infested straw-covered plank.

At daybreak, Gisella, her sisters, and Sara stumbled outside for the daily appel, or counting lineup, where they would stand stiffly, often for hours. At dusk, they returned from work to a meal of thin soup and bread. Memories of exhaustion, near starvation, disease, random beatings and ever-present death still haunt her.

Today, Gisella and Sara live a floor apart at Revitz House.

Arie Nabozny Arie Nabozny was 17 and studying in Vilnius when war broke out. After rushing home to Krasnosielc, Poland, he commenced a perilous month-long flight with his father and a brother deep into Russia, reaching Kazakhstan. A second brother, escaping the Polish army, later joined them.

Following catastrophic events, the brothers, now without their father, were arrested and sent via locked cattle cars to a forced labor camp located in the freezing, snow-filled Ural Mountains, near Ezhevsk. Faced with imminent death, they began plotting an escape — one complicated by the fact that they had no idea where they were or where to find trains.

After one failed attempt, the young men tried again, this time leaping single file onto a slow-moving locomotive and clinging to the rooftop until reaching a city where they were promptly taken into police custody. Asked recently how he managed to withstand this and other brushes with death, Arie says, “During that time people took chances. There was no other way to survive.”

Arie, with his wife Ida, at Ring House.

Gisella Simon (right) with her two sisters after the war.

Henry with his mother Elsa in 1939.

Henry Blumenstein “My story begins with Kristallnacht, November 9, 1938, when my father was arrested, his store destroyed, and he was deported to Dachau concentration camp,” says Henry Blumenstein, reflecting upon this period when, as a four-year-old, he lived with his parents Franz and Elsa in Vienna. His mother succeeded in bribing guards for his release, with the provision that he immediately leave Austria.

Hoping to join him in Cuba, she along with Franz’s mother and Henry set sail on May 13, 1939 aboard the ill-fated S.S. St. Louis. Amid roughly 930 Jewish refugees, they arrived in Havana’s harbor, were denied entry and compelled to return to Europe, reaching Rotterdam in June.

Hidden by a Dutch farm family, Henry survived the war and was later reunited with his father in New York. His mother and grandmother both perished in concentration camps.

The S.S. St. Louis was denied entry to Havana harbor.

Emily Tipermas interviewed and photographed residents for this article.

LifeTimes

www.smithlifecommunities.org

June 2012 | Page 5

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

Music is the best medicine!

When brilliant performers visit Charles E. Smith Life Communities like acclaimed guitarist Vladimir Fridman and famed composer & interpreter of Jewish music Sam Glaser, the joy they bring to our residents is boundless. Equally boundless is our gratitude to these artists who so generously share their talents with our elderly population.

Revving up for summer… and summer interns

LifeLines In Our Mailbox Dear Mr. Slavin, I want to express my deep appreciation for the care provided to my mother, Pearl Bloom, during her 5-year stay at the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington and for the warm and caring environment she lived in. It is always difficult to place a loved one in a nursing home, but it was comforting that the staff on 4 North treated her and all the residents in their care with respect and showed genuine concern for their welfare. The patience they brought to the job was inspiring as was their kind and gentle manner.

My mother always seemed content and comfortable and had no complaints. Though over the last 2 years she had difficulty communicating, the nurses and aides paid enough attention to recognize her wants and needs and did their best to meet them.

In addition to the unit staff, I’d like to point out some other individuals who added quality to my mother’s last years. Rabbi Michaels made her feel special, personally escorting her to services on a number of occasions to ensure that she could take part in something that remained important to her. Dr. Patel was sensitive to her needs as well as to our family’s request that she not be sent to the hospital unless absolutely necessary. That allowed her to receive care without the disruption and disorientation that was inevitable with a move to another environment.

Aside from attending services, the one other activity that continued to engage my mother, despite her loss of interest in most other things, was music.

She truly seemed to enjoy Music With Liz, not only because of her love of music & singing, but because Liz does such a good job of choosing songs that the residents can remember and identify with. She makes every effort to involve as many residents as are able to sing and accompany with musical instruments. Added to that is the energy and enthusiasm always displayed by Vicky Bach from Recreational Therapy department. Her exuberant presence always seemed to bring joy to the unit.

Thank you and your organization for seeing to it that my mother was so well cared for.

Marylin Schwartz ■

Page 6 | June 2012

Gloria Sieradzki, helped celebrate Hadassah’s 100th birthday at Ring House. Mrs. Sieradzki joined Hadassah when Israel fought in the Six Day War and became president of her chapter.

Rabbi James Michaels, an ardent National Symphony concert-goer with second-row season seats, persuaded one of the orchestra’s first violinists, Holly Hamilton, to bring her violin, her talents and accompanist Carol Barth to perform for Hebrew Home residents. Bravo!

We depend on and welcome the many high school, college and graduate students who volunteer to serve as interns during the summer months on our campus. Students can do virtually anything adult volunteers do, except drive residents. Many students volunteer to fulfill community service requirements; others belong to clubs or groups that volunteer. What’s most important is to be highly motivated, respectful of other cultures, and caring. Bottom line: they all gain fantastic experience.

• Age: At least 14 years old. Those over 16 must have a social security number for a background check.

• Time commitment: 50 hours • Community Service forms: Completed after a minimum of 20 hours of service.

• What do volunteers do? Escort and visit residents, assist with activities or run programs. A select few may serve as “Patient Service Representatives.”

• Languages: English required; another language is an asset as residents have varied backgrounds.

• To apply: Contact Director of Volunteers Hedy Peyser at 301.770.8332 or e-mail peyser@hebrew-home.org. ■

Thanks to the generosity of the Washington Ratner Family, sophisticated updates to our beauty salons in the Wasserman and SmithKogod Residences are complete. Resident Issie Lustig receives the first trim, with barber Arthur Candido doing the honors.

LifeTimes is published quarterly by the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, Inc. The Hebrew Home is registered in Maryland as a charitable organization. Documents and information filed under the Maryland Charitable Solicitation Act may be obtained from the Maryland Secretary of State, 410.974.5534. We are an equal opportunity employer and we provide access to community programs without regard to race, age, national origin, familial status, religion, sex or disability.

Our services and programs are open to all in the community.

www.smithlifecommunities.org

Andrew S. Friedlander, Chair Warren R. Slavin, President/CEO Marilyn Feldman, Editor Nicholas Simmonds, Vice President, Development and Public Affairs © 2012 by The Hebrew Home of Greater Washington 6121 Montrose Road, Rockville, MD 20852-4856, 301.881.0300

LifeTimes

37

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

Aunt Minnie Goldsmith Award Natalie West (center) received the Aunt Minnie Goldsmith Award for outstanding community service at the May 16 Aunt Minnie “Auntiques” Dinner. Chairs Remy Freeman and Alisa Rulnick created a totally new format for the event. Guests enjoyed meeting eight professional appraisers and finding out if they indeed had hidden treasures. The appraisers also entertained attendees after dinner with stories of items they have appraised over the years…including some great success stories. See event photos at www.hebrew-home.org.

EventMakers Registration is now open for the annual Home Run 10k/5k and fun run, Sunday morning, September 30 at Federal Plaza on East Jefferson Street in Rockville, MD. What are we most proud about our race?

We have great shirts for all registered runners, lots of free parking, delicious food for you and your family at our post-race party. New this year – we are teaming up with Fleet Feet Sports, Kentlands. Packet pick up will take place at their store on Kentlands Blvd. Check www.fleetfeetgaithersburg.com for their summer training program which will get you in peak shape for the Home Run. The event is chaired by Marc Schlesinger.

Prizes are awarded for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place male and female finishers in the 10k and 5k, 1st place male and female masters finishers in the 10k, and age group awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers in the 5k and 10k. All fun run participants receive a finisher medal. Register online now and find more details at www.hebrew-home.org/homerun ■

Centennial Campaign exceeds goal Marc and Audrey Solomon have been leaders at the Hebrew Home for more than 25 years, most recently as co-chairs for the Centennial Campaign. Beginning in 2008 through May 2012, this comprehensive campaign raised $33.5 million for the following three areas of need: • To provide unrestricted support for resident care • To transform both care delivery and the care environment • To secure our future by adding to our endowment Join us on Thursday evening, December 13, at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel for Starlight 2012, as we honor Audrey and Marc Solomon with the 2012 Guardian Leadership Award. Carolyn and David Ruben, who were honored last year with the Guardian Leadership Award, chair this special evening.

Starlight 2012 benefits the residents of the Hebrew Home and Charles E. Smith Life Communities. The evening is a thank you to donors to the Centennial Campaign and the Guardian Campaign.

A minimum gift of $750 ($500 for first time attendees or under 40) entitles donors to two tickets to the event, which includes dinner.

For more information, check our website at www.hebrew-home.org or call 301.770.8329 and watch your mail. ■

LifeTimes

Photo by Brian Katz

Need an excuse to buy new running gear?

Accepting a check to support the Park Naturalist program for our residents is Merritt Navazio, Recreation Therapy. Students Michelle Sandler and Richard Cohn were two of the 17 high school students who participated in this year’s H2YP class.

Teens award charitable grants The Harold and Shirley Robinson H2YP Youth Philanthropy Program awarded five grants to support programs at the Charles E. Smith Life Communities at their closing ceremony on Sunday, May 6.

This innovative program at the Hebrew Home, led by Rabbi Sarah Meytin, gives students the opportunity to act as a foundation board, reviewing proposed programs and coming to a consensus on how charitable dollars should be allocated.

The 17 students had $9,750 to distribute. The students contributed funds, and a generous donation from Bruce and Paula Robinson enhanced their gifts. They have been meeting since January to learn about our Home and evaluate proposals.

Participant Matt Smagin spoke about an afternoon spent with residents at a music program. “It made me realize that the old and the new have very much in common. It just takes time to see that…that was my highlight of this year.”

Participating this year were: Allison Belkowitz, Becca Benson, Richard Cohn, Rachel Ellinport, Jeremy Friedlander, Kayla Friedlander, Stephanie Gans, Deborah Gross, Jessica Lindenberg, Harrison McCabe, Allyson Meltzer, Brandon Robinson, Andrew Ross, Michelle Sandler, Matthew Smagin, Leah Sorcher, and Daniel Tomares.

With allocations ranging from $550 to $3,000, they chose to fund Park Naturalist and “Shakespeare for Seniors” programs and adaptive equipment for Recreation Therapy, electronic media for Revitz House and a geriatric training arm for clinical staff training. ■

www.smithlifecommunities.org

June 2012 | Page 7

38

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

Save the dates Thursday, September 6

Sophie Blum celebrates winning “Best Speller” at the Annual Spelling Bee in the Wasserman Residence.

Residents, family members and cheerleaders loved the competition and look forward to next year’s event.

Behaviors as Communication?

This is the first in the “Remember This” series of three seminars on dementia and memory care 5 – 6:30 pm Call 301.816.5052

ay, Sund er 30 mb Fun Run e t p e S /5k/ n 10k

Ru Home

l Plaza

Meet our All-Star team

Federa

These lively, active seniors of Ring House were featured in the Charles E. Smith Life Communities Annual Report — Game On: Bringing Our Plans to Life. The report was introduced at the May 30th meeting. Left to right our sports stars are Marilyn Simon, Tillie Goldstein, Harry Erinoff, Dorothy Goldman, Don Cutler and Jerry Norris.

Ivan B. Silverman received the Hymen Goldman Award at the annual meeting; Jeffrey S. Distenfeld chaired the evening.

sday, 3 r u h T ber 1 m e c De 2012

ht Starlig thesda e B h t Nor arriott

M

Our Other Special Events Live Smart, Plan Smart Seminars Topics include downsizing, Veterans’ Benefits, selling your home in today’s market. Call 301.816.5052 for more information about these free seminars.

First Sunday of each month Jewish War Veterans, 10:30 am, at Ring House.

Veterans and interested persons welcome.

For more information about community events, resident programs and family support groups, visit www.hebrew-home.org and www.smithlifecommunities.org

✓ check 8111 or for CFC ■ ✓ check 49705.

Support the Hebrew Home through your gift to United Way ■ While the Hebrew Home partners with the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington on community issues, we are not a beneficiary agency and do not receive any of its funding.

How to reach us...

■

Hebrew Home 301.770.8476, Rehab 301.816.7705, Long Term www.hebrew-home.org

Page 8 | June 2012

■

Cohen-Rosen House 301.816.5052 www.cohen-rosen.org

■

Hirsh Health Center 301.816.5004

■

Landow House 301.816.5050 www.landowhouse.org

www.smithlifecommunities.org

■

Revitz House 301.770.8450 www.revitzhouse.org

■

Ring House 301.816.5012 www.ringhouse.org

LifeTimes

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

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

PHOTO COURTESY 1ST STAGE

Style Arts &

39

Dani Stoller (left) stars in Flora and the Red Menace, with Joshua Dick as Harry, her love interest, in 1st Stage’s production of this early Kander & Ebb musical.

Kander & Ebb revival has ups, downs

By Michael Toscano Flora the Red Menace, now being performed at 1st Stage, offers several opportunities for exploration.

First, it’s a chance to see this rarely-performed early work of Kander & Ebb, the legendary Broadway musical and film duo.

This is the show that launched the career of Liza Minnelli as a 19-year-old in 1965.

It’s also a chance to step off the wellbeaten theatre path and venture out to see what a young company you may not be familiar with is up to.

Think of it this way: What you spend on gas motoring out to McLean, Va., is more than compensated for in the fact that 1st Stage (like many of the smaller, plucky groups hard at work in the shadows of the Big Houses of Theater) offers seats at prices that don’t require taking out a second mortgage. Go ahead, give in to your inner explorer!

1st Stage started out a few years ago by building a beautiful little theater, a comfortable and eye-pleasing venue in an otherwise gritty industrial space just off the Dulles Toll Road in McLean. (It used to be called 1st Stage Spring Hill, but the company now uses the better known McLean

designation in its name.)

The theater rapidly built a following by concentrating on smaller-scale comedies and dramas, and has consistently turned out fine work.

I was curious how it might handle an oldfashioned Broadway musical, and, being a Kander & Ebb fan, this certainly seemed like a good time to re-visit 1st Stage.

Was I disappointed? Um, no, not disappointed. But the fact that Flora the Red Menace was an early collaboration by John Kander (music) and Fred Ebb (lyrics) is quite evident. The show creaks and groans with age, many of the seams evident.

You can discern Kander & Ebb’s promise, which would later bloom with Cabaret (their very next show) and a decades-spanning string of shows, hits and misses alike, including Chicago and Kiss of the Spider Woman.

But Flora is no Cabaret. And 1st Stage is not Signature Theatre or Arena Stage, the mighty area theater companies that have spectacularly staged Kander & Ebb’s best work. At least not yet.

Dynamic leading lady Flora the Red Menace is, above all, a

showcase for the talents of the leading lady. The role of Flora, an idealistic and irrepressible young lady trying to make a career and a life in Depression-ravaged New York City in 1935, is plum.

The character deals with the grinding hopelessness of the Depression, the joy of success, a budding love affair, the conflict between art and commerce, and the seeming attractions to a desperate population of the Communist party. (Relax. This is a comedy.)

Despite the fact that the show originally ran only 87 performances in its first Broadway run, Minnelli won the coveted Tony Award for “Best Actress in a Musical.”

(Her later work in Kander & Ebb’s Cabaret won her an Oscar, one of eight the film version Cabaret achieved in 1972.)

Flora calls for an actress who can project a larger-than-life personality while retaining the vulnerability required to make

us care about her, not to mention open the doors to romance.

1st Stage has just the leading lady here, in the person of Dani Stoller, a dynamic and personable performer who manages to be both brassy and emotionally accessible. It’s a role that requires lots of energy, and she has it.

In fact, at times, it is Stoller’s comic timing and vigor that keep the show from slowing down. Director Susan Devine’s pacing is occasionally fitful, and structural weaknesses in the story line create opportunities for momentum to droop. There’s a lot of pressure weighing down on Stoller’s shoulders, and she usually delivers.

Can you hear me now?

It’s always a treat when a musical proSee RED MENACE page 40

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Red Menace From page 39 duction can get by without having to amplify the performers’ voices. It was a tradition at Signature Theatre when they were in their old, smaller space that actors did not

wear mics, and it helped burnish a national reputation for them.

With its intimate space, 1st Stage has tried to do that here, but the balance is not right, and the live, seven-piece band snuggled behind the set (and visible through building “windows”) often overpowers the

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

human voices.

Because of this, we sometimes lose Stoller’s voice during the up-tempo numbers, especially when she is joined by others. At some point a decision has to be made: lose the naturalness of unamplified voices, or lose the audience to muddled sound and missed lyrics.

However, in the genuinely pretty tune “A Quiet Thing” — as Flora marvels at finally landing a job despite long odds, and savors the feeling that her long-held dreams may finally start to come true — Stoller can be heard clearly. And it’s sublime.

What’s truly interesting is that the writers explore joy by taking the energy level down a few notches. Flora doesn’t lead the ensemble marching about the stage. She savors her happiness as a “quiet thing.”

That’s why it’s almost jarring that no sooner does this sparkling gem end than the ensemble is marching about the stage with the exuberant production number “The Flame,” which introduces the formidable character of Charlotte (Sherry Berg). She’s the Communist Party chapter boss who wants to get comradely with Flora’s love interest, the idealistic Party organizer Harry (Joshua Dick).

Berg overplays the role perfectly — officious and domineering to comically battleship proportions, with her political zealotry blinding her to everything except Harry’s charms.

As Harry, Dick is uneven: diffident as Flora’s love interest, but occasionally providing delicious energy in scenes requiring split-second comic timing. He strong voice soars in the solo number “Sign Here,” and he effectively leads the ensemble in a couple of big numbers.

Excellent dancing, uneven singing Act Two opens with a tap-dance effort called “Keepin’ It Hot,” with Kenny (Sam Edgerly) and Maggie (Kelsey Meiklejohn) as a dance team in residence at the rundown studio Flora maintains for her ragtag assortment of artsy friends. Choreographer Stefan Sittig has crafted fairly complex movements for the duo here, and they execute the dance superbly.

Unfortunately, Edgerly’s voice is not up to the rigors of competing with the band, and his lyrics were completely obliterated.

Meiklejohn, with a gamine presence and bright smile, fares better and stands out in several scenes and in the big number “One Good Break.”

Oddly, considering that their energetic playing sometimes drowns out the singers, the seven-piece band conducted by Paul Nasto sounds thin at times, signaling chal-

lenges with reducing a 1965-era, full orchestra Broadway score down to 2012 recession size.

Other production elements are also uneven. Mark Kristan’s gritty scenic design cleverly uses massive packing crates and a grimy industrial-type building exterior to stand in as a variety of interior and outdoor locations.

Unfortunately, the effect is undermined considerably by an extremely unimaginative, almost non-existent lighting design from Andrew Jorgensen. Jorgenson seems to have turned on the venue’s flat work lighting, and decided that was good enough. So much for the magic of the theater!

I was bothered by uneven pacing, and irritated when director Devine purposely undercut one of the strongest moments in the show. Maybe it’s in the stage directions from the writers, but a critical moment, when Flora and Harry are grappling with possibly crossing a picket line, is ruined by bad timing.

There’s a lot riding on their decision: jobs many people desperately need hang in the balance, not to mention the future of the relationship. There’s also the issue of ideology versus practicality.

At the moment when Flora has a major personal breakthrough and tells Harry that blind allegiance to ideology makes one weak rather than strong, a picket line explodes into action and obliterates the message. I would have enjoyed a moment or two to let that message resonate and give the show some depth.

Unusual for a Kander & Ebb show, there are no classic tunes here, no songs that were made standards by Minnelli or Sinatra and familiar to everyone with ears.

So should you see Flora the Red Menace?

I say give it a try. They may not be famous, but some of the songs are pretty good, and much of the cast is excellent. Maybe the sound has been re-balanced by now.

And if you love Kander & Ebb, you’ll enjoy enough of this early work to make it a generally enjoyable experience.

Flora the Red Menace continues through June 17 at 1st Stage, 1524 Spring Hill Road, McLean, Va. Performances are Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 ($25 for seniors, $15 for students), all general seating admission. For tickets and information, call (703) 854-1856 or visit www.1ststagespringhill.org.

There is free, on-site parking, and the theater is wheelchair-accessible.

Michael Toscano is the Beacon’s theater critic.

BEACON BITS

June 27

FREE GUITAR CONCERT French-born guitarist and composer for Woody Allen’s Midnight in

Paris, Stephane Wrembel, will perform a free outdoor concert on Wednesday, June 27 at 7 p.m. at the Gudelsky Concert Gazebo in front of the Strathmore Mansion, 10701 Rockville Pike, N. Bethesda, Md. For more information, call (301) 5815100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

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

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Arts & Style

41

When kids can’t spell and refuse to learn My crankiness credentials are well-es- the counterman: “You know, you’ve got the tablished. I hate it when doors creak and wrong word in your sign there. It should squeak. I go into semi-orbit be ‘diluted,’ not ‘deluded.’” over waiters who hover-hoverThe counterman said he hover when they shouldn’t — knew it was wrong, but “it and then disappear when they would be too much trouble to shouldn’t. fix it.”

As for machines that don’t Oh, really? We’re talking work, umbrellas that don’t about a dry-erase board here, open and soda that goes preon which the offending word maturely flat — well, don’t get was written in Magic Marker. me started.

To have changed it would have But the other day, I had a required about four seconds. double dose of my most reli- HOW I SEE IT Still muttering, I paid for my able crazy-maker: People who By Bob Levey espresso-deluded-with-hotnot only can’t spell properly, but who glory in their inability.

There I was, in one of those ubiquitous coffee places on a downtown street. I looked at the menu board on the wall.

Here’s what it said: “Our coffee is espresso deluded with hot water.”

I give the sign-scrawler big points for getting “espresso” right. Too often, it’s written as “expresso” — as if it were a speedy Italian subway.

But I take away all those points for getting “diluted” hilariously wrong and for obstinately refusing to correct the error.

I swear I was nice about it, ladies and gentlemen of the jury. I smiled and said to

water and marched off down the street…where I encountered a sign in the front window of a delivery van that was parked illegally in front of a hydrant.

“On delivery,” it said. “Back sune.”

Just as I finished chuckling-cluckinggasping, the van driver returned. I pointed out the error in his sign.

“Thanks, man,” he said. “But I don’t really care. People know what I mean.”

I’m not going to argue that the sky is suddenly falling. Proper spelling has been in trouble for centuries.

But here’s what’s happening in Century Number 21: Older Americans care in great numbers and great amounts, and younger Americans don’t care as often or as much.

Scratch someone of A Certain Age, and you are odds-on to hear the story of a sainted English teacher of long ago.

Maybe that teacher read aloud to the class from Silas Marner. Maybe he/she burned the midnight oil correcting term papers in longhand. Maybe he/she rapped offending knuckles with a ruler. Maybe all of the above.

But the lessons weren’t lost. English teachers knew that pubescent students would have to make their marks as highperformance adults some fine day.

Spelling was one passport. Teachers made sure that students possessed it.

However, Silas Marner has given way to online lesson plans that are nothing but

bullet points. Misspellings are everywhere. If automatic spell-check programs don’t catch these errors — and they often don’t — no one seems to mind very much.

Student papers still get corrected, but often the comments are as full of errors as the paper itself.

As for rapping knuckles with a ruler, that would get today’s teacher a dressing down from principals and parents, and maybe a lawsuit. Besides, fewer and fewer school districts can afford rulers in the first place.

What has caused this erosion of spelling standards? I lay much of the blame at one door and one door only: a curse called See BOB LEVEY, page 43

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Farmers’ markets From page 1 American Farmland Trust, a nonprofit group.

Friends introduced her to Yonkers, who had a background as a chef and culinary instructor as well as academic degrees in government and policy. Yonkers was hoping to start producer-only farmers’ markets in Washington.

“I’m a very wonky kind of person,” Yonkers said. “So I thought with all the hot air generated in Washington, it sure would be nice to have some fresh vegetables to eat,” she joked.

Prince felt the same way. While farmers’ markets were taking off with a small segment of the population, she wanted to make them more accessible to those who

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

weren’t familiar with their benefits or might not have enough money to purchase fresh produce on their own.

“People were saying, ‘Why should I come to a farmers’ market when it’s cheaper at the grocery store?’ And we said, ‘You’re going to find varieties that won’t make it to the grocery store because this food is grown for flavor and not for transport. And it’s going to be as fresh as you can get it and very delicious.”

Prince used this argument with her bosses at the American Farmland Trust in trying to persuade the organization to sponsor the first markets. Although she said that “the policy guys there thought it was a dumb idea,” the organization agreed to open the first markets.

Five years later, however, American Farmland Trust had had enough of the

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farmers’ market business, and Prince and Yonkers began to operate the burgeoning business on their own.

Not only did they continuously add new markets, they lengthened the season for them. Most run from early April through late November. The Silver Spring and Dupont Circle markets are open yearround, offering canned fruits, cheeses, meats and other foods once the growing season is over.

FarmFresh’s newest market opens this summer in the Ballston area of Arlington, Va. FreshFarm Markets now has 20 seasonal employees and nine full-time office staff, in addition to the producers who sell at the markets.

Fresh, local food for all The markets make an effort to attract low-income residents and seniors, and to do so will match the amount of federal and state food benefits for which customers qualify.

Six of the markets accept SNAP benefits (also known as food stamps), as well as special farmers’ market benefits offered through the Women, Infants and Children’s (WIC) program.

Shoppers 60 and older who qualify for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) can also receive coupons for a small amount of farmers’ market benefits ($25 in Washington, D.C. and $30 in Maryland). For more information, call (202) 442-9397 in D.C.; (410) 841-5770 in Maryland. [See more details in this month’s Spotlight on Aging, on page 26.]

Leftover produce from the markets and fields is donated to local homeless shelters and food banks. FreshFarm Market farmers have donated more than 100 tons of food to D.C. Central Kitchen alone over the years.

Local chefs also do cooking demonstra-

tions at the markets. “Chefs are the natural partners with the food. They need to help showcase and show people how to cook with fresh food,” Prince said.

“It helps people take a little fear out of seeing 10 different varieties of squash and saying ‘what do I do with that besides have it as a centerpiece on my table?’”

In another teaching venture, FreshFarm Markets created a garden and food education program at Watkins Elementary School in Southeast Washington. Teachers integrate the garden into their classroom lessons — everything from art to science, math, social studies, physical education and writing.

But some of the biggest beneficiaries of the work of the markets are the farmers themselves.

“I know we’ve made a difference for farmers,” Prince said. “I think if you’d go around and ask the farmers, especially those that started with us early, these markets have been the economic engine that has helped them survive.

“We have also nurtured young farmers and helped them go into agriculture because they’ve seen the advantage of being able to sell directly to customers in the city and make a decent living by doing that,” Prince said. “To me that’s the most rewarding thing.”

A penchant for produce Yonkers and Prince often bring their work home with them — literally. Prince said she buys from the markets almost all the food she and her husband eat.

Even in 1998, when the couple turned their large Capitol Hill row house into a bed-and-breakfast inn, the breakfast ingredients were gleaned from the farmers’ markets. After about eight years, though, See FARMERS’ MARKETS, page 43

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

Bob Levey From page 41 “magic spelling.”

Today’s elementary school children are celebrated for their creativity, even when they might not possess very much. At young ages, they are asked to write “stories.” But no teacher will ever insist that the stories contain correctly spelled words. Oh, heavens, no. That might stifle the poor darling’s imagination.

In fact, it will sharpen it.

The proof of the pudding is we older

Farmers’ markets From page 42 they closed the B&B. “We just got a little burned out, scaled down and got a smaller place. But we still live on Capitol Hill,” she said. “And we grow flowers instead of vegetables because I don’t like to feed the squirrels and raccoons.”

The Princes have three grown daughters; two live in Maryland and one in Montana.

Yonkers hosted guests of another kind at her Northwest Washington house for a while: The staff of FreshFarm Markets worked on the top floor of the large Queen Anne-style house until the company grew too large and moved to a Dupont Circle office building. Yonkers and her husband Charles now live in an apartment near the National Zoo. They spend about a third of their time at

folk. When we write precisely — and spell accurately — we acquire the greatest gift any writer can ever hope to find: A reader who gets us and likes us. We know this and count on this.

But when younger spellers are not held to account, they acquire a deadly habit — writing mush.

Perhaps this shouldn’t surprise. After all, today’s young routinely try to bail out when they need to express a complicated thought verbally. A classic formulation: “I’m, like, uh, you know…. you see what I’m saying?”

My reply: “No, I don’t see what you’re say-

ing, because you haven’t said anything yet.”

Their written work is no better, and often worse. Ask them to grapple with the difference between “principle” and “principal,” and eyes go dull with boredom. Ask them to explain the difference between “effect” and “affect,” and they start clicking their smartphones.

Ask them what a mnemonic device is — and how to spell mnemonic — and you might get the reply I once got in a college class: “I think a mnemonic device is something you use to hang pictures. You know, like, a drill or something.”

I’m well aware that generalizations are hazardous. Not all young ‘uns are butchers. Not all oldies are saints. The truth, as usual, is somewhere in the middle.

But standards exist for a reason. They have stood the test of time. So have we seniors.

We respect standards for the best of reasons — they work. It’s high time that we, like, you know, insist that the young respect these standards, too.

You see what I’m saying?

Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

their St. Michaels Pot Pie Farm, named back in the 17th century because the farm sold pot pies to itinerant peddlers. Today, the organic farm has 100 free-range pasture hens that feed on grass, as well as a large garden with garlic, onions, tomatoes, spinach, herbs and flowers, as well as fig trees.

The Yonkers have a grown son and daughter, who were toddlers when the family lived in West Africa, during their Peace Corp stint.

Today the Yonkers have four grandsons, three of whom live only seven minutes away with their daughter and her husband. Their son and his family live in Palo Alto, Calif., but they all plan a big family reunion at Pot Pie Farm this July.

Like Prince, Yonkers primarily shops for food at her markets.

She recently had plans to stay at a bed and breakfast in Rappahannock County.

Shortly before leaving town, she had pur-

chased some morels, the honeycomb-patterned mushrooms prized by gourmet chefs, and couldn’t bring herself to leave them behind. So she packed them up and convinced the B&B owner to add them to

the guests’ breakfast omelet the next morning.

“That’s totally characteristic of me,” she said. “If there’s something fresh and delicious, I will never let it go to waste.”

Going Home Cremation Service Beverly L. Heckrotte, P.A. Personalized

Professional

Dignified

Affordable

• 24 hour service specializing in direct cremation • Arrangements made in the convenience of your home or office • Return of the urn and memorial merchandise to your home • Serving Maryland and Washington, D.C. • Serving Md. & Washington D.C. since 2000 without any increase in prices!

(301) 854-9038 or 1 (866) 728-4663 (toll free) call for your FREE information package Visit us at www.GoingHomeCremation.com

VOTE for SUE as your LEISURE WORLD REAL ESTATE CANDIDATE IN 2012!

BEACON BITS

June 19+

43

Elect to go with a winner!

Experience counts in this difficult market.

Cast your ballot for the best service, whether it be to buy or sell!

HELP TUTOR YOUNG STUDENTS Through the OASIS Intergenerational Tutoring program, volunteers

help children build reading skills, self-esteem and positive attitudes toward learn-

Sue Heyman

ing. Training, materials, follow up workshops and resources are provided at no charge; no teaching experience is needed. To find out more, attend one of the

Top 1% of Agents Nationwide. Leisure World Resident.

free information sessions: Tuesday, June 19, 2 to 3 p.m.; Thursday, July 12, 11

301-580-5556

a.m. to noon or 2 to 3 p.m.; or Wednesday, Aug. 15, 11 a.m. to noon or 2 to 3 p.m. All sessions are held at OASIS in Macy’s Home Store at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, Md. For more information or to sign up for an information session,

I WANT YOU!

call (301) 469-6800, press 1, then 211.

TO GET THE BEST DEAL!

Office: 301-681-0550 x115 • www.SueHeyman.com She’s got 25 years experience, the floor plans, and the community know how!

Former Montgomery County Teacher.

BUYING OR SELLING, CALL FOR THE LATEST SALES DATA

Farmers Markets in the City of Fairfax Community Farmers Market Starting May 5, Saturdays, 8 AM–1 PM West Street Parking Lot (West & Main Streets behind the Wells Fargo Bank)

www.FairfaxSaturdayMarket.com

Sunday Farmers Market Starting May 6, Sundays, 10 AM–2 PM West Street Parking Lot (West & Main Streets behind the Wells Fargo Bank)

www.FairfaxSaturdayMarket.com Find out more at: www.visitfairfax.com

ALMOST A GIVE AWAY – Sherwood Garden Cooperative Bright 1BR, 1FB efficiency, plus, patio, to be renovated up sale, wonderful view, centrally located, all utilities, most repairs included, 635 sf, $31,000 NEW LISTING – Folkestone Court Home Condo No steps, shopping center close, freshly painted, new carpets, hardwds in DR, huge eat-in kitchen, large laundry rm, patio w shed, 1335 sf, $120,000 REDUCED – Marlboro Condo Rambler Prestigious North End location, stone front, 2BR, 2FB, sunroom w/private view, one car gar, close to the Norbeck Gate, 1155 sf, $264,000 RENTAL – High Rise Condo Rental 2BR, 2FB, table space kit, large dining rm, over-sized owner's suite, spectacular golf course views, large enclosed balcony, garage parking for extra $100 per month, 1225sf, $1550/per mo.

The pace of property sales is FAST....Inventory and Interest Rates are LOW Look at my listings under contract in MAY: Raleigh Garden Cooperative 1BR, 1FB Villa Cortese Mid Rise Condominium 2BR, 2FB Greens High Rise "F" 2BD, 2FB Berkley Co-op Townhouse 2BR, 1FB, 2HB Blair Garden Co-op 1BR-1FB

Call for a free market analysis - Call for a free community booklet Call to learn about NEW CONSTRUCTION in Leisure World!

You can also meet her by appointment at either the Leisure World Plaza Weichert Office or the 2nd Office inside the community.

Office: 301-681-0550 x 115 Email: sueheyman@aol.com

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

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

s a ft! e ak gi M eat gr

Letters to editor

Beacon The

I N

F O C U S

F O R

P E O P L E

OV E R

From page 2

5 0

NEWS & FEATURES • LAW & MONEY • FITNESS & HEALTH LEISURE & TRAVEL • ARTS & STYLE • VOLUNTEERS & CAREERS We are pleased to offer both First-Class and Third-Class subscriptions:

$36/year via First Class Mail* $12/year via Third Class Mail* Please send my subscription to: Name:____________________________________________ Address:___________________________________________ City:_________________________State:_____Zip:___________ WB 6/12

❐ ONE YEAR First-Class rate ($36 in VA and out of the area; $38.16 in D.C.; $38.16 in MD)

❐ ONE YEAR Third-Class rate ($12 in VA and out of the area; $12.72 in D.C.; $12.72 in MD) ❐ Check here if this is a gift subscription. A gift card will be sent in your name: _________________ Return form with check made payable to The Beacon, to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227 *D.C. residents: add 6% for sales tax; Maryland residents: add 6% for sales tax.

was threatened with being dragged before a judge. This happened at a weak moment, and I should have told them to go ahead.

(And this is America?)

I have been here for four years. We are now on our fourth administrator, our third director of nursing (a position yet to be filled), our third engineer, our fifth activities director, and our third social worker.

The LPNs (licensed practical nurses) and CNAs (certified nursing assistants) who have the actual hands-on patient contact come and go. They are mainly from other countries; salt-of-the earth, kind and compassionate. Their jobs are filled with stress.

This is a depressing place. If people are

not depressed when they come through the door, they soon will be. There is pretty much NOTHING to do, although the activities director and her assistant try hard.

(Boredom is the killer.)

It is a relatively small place; fewer than a hundred patients. The food is usually cooked to death; flat and tasteless. Some patients scream all day/night, stressing staff and patients alike. Paint is shabby and dirty; wallpaper torn.

Some patients wander into others’ rooms. I was physically attacked by three different wandering older ladies in varying degrees of dementia. I woke up one morning to find a male patient sitting in his wheelchair at the foot of my bed.

After two years of reading almost every book in the place, I begged for my computer. My first email went to the president of the company. Some things have changed, but most have not.

The day after arriving, I begged the doctor who admitted me to order therapy for me so I could work on getting from the bed to my wheelchair under my own steam to enable me to resume my life. It is scheduled to begin this coming Thursday.

I read in USA Today some time ago of a federal program called “Money Follows the Person” which helps unhappy people in nursing homes transition into their own homes: a stipulation being an ability to do the bed/chair transfer. I have since learned that I am too old for the program, and with my limited disability funds, there does not seem to be any place for me and my cat to call home.

My advice to Mr. Katz’ friends is to stay as far away as possible from a place like this until absolutely necessary. As for me, if I ever get out of here, I’m never coming back.

Mimi Zwerling Alexandria, Va. [Editor’s Note: Thank you for your moving, and troubling, depiction of your situation. You have touched on many of the problems that have long concerned senior advocates about institutionalization.

We suggest you contact your local longterm care ombudsman, who may be able to advocate for you with your residence.

Also, we direct readers to the cover story of this month’s Housing & Homecare Options magazine (a pull-out starting after page 24 of this month’s Beacon), which addresses some of the new, resident-centered models being developed for those requiring long-term care.

More and more attention is being paid to these problems, as is evidenced by movements for “culture change” in nursing homes and a “rebalancing” of resources toward community-based care and away from institutions such as yours.]

Pull out and save (or share) the Housing & Homecare Options magazine after page 24.

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

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

A national trade association we belong to has placed some of the classifieds below. Determining the value of an advertised service or product is advised by this publication.

Some advertisers do not offer employment but rather supply manuals, directories and other materials designed to help their clients establish mail order selling and other businesses at home. Under NO circumstance should you send any money in advance or provide your checking, license ID, or credit card numbers.

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 SENIORS! SELL YOUR UNWANTED LIFE INSURANCE! State licensed. Call Toll Free: 877-282-4360 or visit www.AtAge60.com for a FREE evaluation.

Caregivers CHEVY CHASE HOME CARE – reliable certified caregivers at time of illness, infirmity, loneliness. Personal assistance, ALL AGES, 4- to 24-hour shifts, homes, hospitals, nursing homes.

MD, DC, No. VA. Tel.: 202-374-1240. www.ChChHomecare.com.

GHA/HH AIDE AVAILABLE NOW Live-in or out day or night. With excellent references. Very reliable and punctual. Own transportation.

Please call 240-550-2584.

UCARE AGENCY - A LICENSED HOME HEALTH CARE AGENCY Providing certified and qualified caregivers: home health aides, homemakers, personal care attendants, companions. 4 to 24 hour shifts. Call 240-632-9420.

DIVINE TOUCH CARE Care for your loved ones, care you can trust with excellent care givers. Hours: 4–24 hour live-in or live-out. 301332-8636 (office). 240-475-0824.

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

45

Caregivers

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate

Personal Services

COMPANION – Looking for part-time position.

Have Experience and references. Please call 301-984-4422.

LEISURE WORLD® – $249,000. 3BR 2FB CABOT patio home on a quiet cul-de-sac, 2 car garage, updated kitchen, new paint and carpet.

Move in ready. 1193 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

FOR ALL OF YOUR MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS. Dialysis Center, Non-Emergency Hospital Trips, Hospital Discharge, Doctor Appointments, Rehabilitation & More. We have 4x4 SUVs for Winter Trips. Med Choice Transportation. 703-839-9999. www.MedChoiceTransportation.com.

CERTIFIED GERIATRIC NURSING ASSISTANT Licensed by Board of Nursing, CPR certified. Seeking to work Monday through Friday, Days or Nights. Excellent references from top agencies. 8 years experience. Call 240-3040448 HEALTH AIDE/Companion Available Now. Will work day or night, six years experience with references, has good work ethic. Own transportation. Call Cheryl 954-608-7376.

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

Computer Services PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. Call: D. Guisset at 301-6424526.

COMPUTER IT SERVICES HELP – transfer pictures to CD, download music and books, set up email, Apps, and accounts. Contact Wilson, 301-830-2344; email Personal_IT@aol.com COMPUTER LESSONS – Personal Computer training at your home. Email, Internet, general computer use, and more. Learn at your own pace with gentle and patient tutor. We also fix computers, set up your new computer and troubleshoot. Working with Seniors since 1996. Ask about your Senior discount. Call David, 301762-2570, COMPUTERTUTOR.

Entertainment PUT THE MUSIC YOU LOVE BACK IN YOUR LIFE! Enjoy live jazz and swing on the first Friday of the month at Hollywood East Café, Westfield Wheaton Shopping Mall, 7 to 10 p.m. Listen to the Night & Day Combo perform the classic standard songs of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, from Cole Porter, Gershwin, et al. Great music, great food, no cover charge! http://nightanddaymusic.com/clubpage.html.

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate LOOKING TO TAKE THE LEAP? I’ll take you on a tour of the community, show you floor plans, discuss campus amenities, & offer how to best coordinate your move. I will preview units & contact you with a match. I also offer exceptional service selling your home. I’m a Seniors Specialist, Buyer Broker, Top 1% of Agents Nationwide, and a Leisure World resident! You can see my current listings on page 43. Contact me: 301-580-5556, SueHeyman@aol.com, www.SueHeyman.com, Weichert, Realtors.

LEISURE WORLD® – $119,000. 2BR 2FB “F” in “Fairways”. Great view from 10th Floor, enclosed balcony, new paint and carpet. 1115 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $114,500. 2 BR 2FB 1HB BERKELEY townhouse. Updated kitchen, main level laundry. 1600 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD P R A D R E L O O F F W S A N F O O L S

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From page 46.

A C H O S L L E E O N T O E N M I S E M A S E R T L L E S A

S K I T U A N N A E T W A W E S U Y S E N P A

A P E S N O I S E F U S S

C E R P U M A A R U S S I E C U R C A R G E L F O I L S P N H E S P O R T B R E A R A E O T A P N N Y S I U P E G T E A S

O V A L

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LEISURE WORLD® – $61,900. 2BR 1FB “Hampton” model, Rarely available, new paint and carpet, ceramic tile baths, enclosed balcony.

1200 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $159,000. 3BR 2FB “CAPRI” villa. Updated kitchen, open balcony, huge space, covered parking. 1415 sq. ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $117,000. 2BR 2FB “E” in the Greens. New paint and carpet, enclosed balcony, recent HVAC, 990 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $134,500. 3BR 2FB “Ellicott” with updated table space kitchen, separate dining room, ground level with enclosed patio backing to green space. 1340 sq ft.

Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-9283463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $229,000. 2BR 2FB “F” in Turnberry Courts. Table space kitchen with window, huge enclosed balcony. Great views.

1301 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – RENTAL – $1400. 2BR 2FB “E” in the Greens. New paint and carpet, updated appliances. Move in condition. 990 Sq Ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-9283463.

COMING SOON – 2BR 1FB “Carlisle” garden apt with new paint and carpet, 1035 sq ft. 2BR + Den 2FB “S” in Fairways. GARAGE parking, new paint and carpet, 1460 sq ft. 1BR 1FB “A” in The Overlook. New paint, wood floors. 930 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-9283463.

WILL TYPE YOUR MEMOIRS, manuscripts, etc. For info and rates, call 703-671-1854.

WOW! GREAT HAIRCUT at a great price!

Professional family hair salon conveniently located in Bethesda, MD. State board certified.

Call 240-432-7211.

VAN MAN – For your driving needs. Shopping, appointments, pick-up and deliver – airport van.

Call Mike 301-565-4051.

VETS AT WORK TELECOM technicians provide high quality Telephone, Data, and video wiring services. Flat Screen TV Installation, Cellular and Wi-Fi reception enhancements. All available at reasonable prices. Licensed, bonded and Insured. Email vetsatwork@gmail.com or call for free estimates. 703-232-5233.

VERY CARING, COMPASSIONATE, good cook, honest, organized, and with cheerful disposition. Filipina Christian Aide seeks position to care for sick & elderly. Will always give TLC and dedication to the patient. Available now. Monday thru Thursday. Kindly call at 240-477-0622.

God bless and thank you.

Personals VIVACIOUS SWF seeks non-smoking travel companion to share expenses on world travel.

Send recent photo and travel plans to Boxholder, P.O. Box 16, Vienna, VA 22183.

OLD FASHIONED WHITE MALE 64 years old, 5’10”, 250 lbs. Looking for old fashioned female 65 to 100 for fun times, movies, walks, TV, cuddling. 703-751-1037.

CEMETERY LOTS King David Memorial Gardens, choice location, choice lots. Current value $6,350 each. Sale price $3,850 each. 301-6547116.

LADY, RETIRED, 5’7” Slim, well groomed, considered attractive, (professional). Interested in all kinds of dancing, walking, theatre, etc. looking for a male companion for social outings and enjoy each other’s company, age 70 plus. (must like dancing) call Maria on phone 202746-7899.

VINTAGE ITEMS: China, glassware, small collectibles, 33’s, 78’s from 1930’s – 80’s, mahogany bedroom sets very good condition. Cash only.

Call 202-441-2171.

RETIRED WHITE MALE 66 years old. 5’6”, 170 lbs. Hoping to meet a woman 64 to 70 for day trips, dining, movies and more. 301-3904879.

For Sale

TWO POWER LIFT RECLINER CHAIRS. Purchased from the Healthy Back Store. Champagne in color. Two years old and in perfect condition. Call 301-657-8322.

2 SALVADORE DALI woodblock prints from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Signed and framed.

Asking $900 for the pair. Can email pictures if desired. Call Steve 410-913-1653.

Health BREAKING NEWS FOR DIABETICS, prediabetics and weight challenged people! Revolutionary plant-based product can change your life by reducing medication and insulin requirements. Recommended by physicians and pharmacists. Request a free sample! 240-461-0519. www.prevention.myunicity.net.

Volunteer Opportunities HOSPICE VOLUNTEERS WANTED Heartland Hospice, Northern Virginia is seeking volunteers to help with administrative duties and patient visits in homes and facilities. You will serve by offering support, companionship and a friendly presence. In return you will receive selfsatisfaction from enriching someone’s life. Application process and training will be offered on weekends or by appointment for your needs. For more information call Gail Cooper at (703) 2738693.

cont. on p. 47

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 20th of each month.

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

Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $15 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word.

Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $35 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word.

Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad.

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

E D E G S E T

The Beacon, D.C. Classified Dept.

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

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Puzzle Page

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

Crossword Puzzle Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Food Subtractives

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ACROSS 1. Ritzy handbags 7. Blazing tennis server 11. 2001 craft 14. Close the vault for the night 15. Mountain cat 16. Madison ___ 17. Watered-down cocktail 20. Not loco 21. Employ 22. Stooge from 1932 - 1946 23. The start of two NL West teams 25. 39 Across, for example 26. Impure dessert 35. Common soccer score 36. Salad dressing ingredient 37. Warm up for a take down 38. Not deceived by 39. ___ Lizzie 40. Roll call response 41. Property claim 42. Nationals is; Senators ___ 43. Future fungi 45. Adulterated appetizer 48. Letters in nine state postal abbreviations 49. Sally Field character, Norma ___ 50. Wipe out 53. ET carrier 55. Watergate artifact 59. Diluted breakfast (with 65 Across) 63. The end of “Life Magazine” as we know it 64. Light converger 65. See 59 Across 66. We apologize, but the real clue for this org. has been classified 67. Relaxation locations 68. The Mad Hatter’s collection DOWN 1. Golf expert 2. Disinterested striped group 3. NATO communication is as easy as ___, Bravo, Charlie 4. In the dumps 5. “But you are ___ people ... a holy nation”: 1 Peter 2:9

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6. Come back down the mountain 7. Mimics 8. NIH researcher’s goal 9. Big bird 10. Buckwheat, for one 11. Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner, for two 12. Secretariat’s path 13. Approve alternative 18. ___ salad 19. Waterproof footware 24. The first purchase request on Wheel, often 25. Animation collectible 26. Defrauds 27. Hall, of fame 28. “___ In” (Entry point to Wings’ fifth album) 29. Most like Daffy 30. Unpleasant music 31. Pink Lady ingredient 32. Musical story 33. Paddled 34. Bridesmaid’s uniform 39. Menlo Park monogram 42. Intl. conflicts 43. Fed. org. for entrepreneurs 44. Create an e-mail today to send tomorrow 46. Checks out a new bakery 47. Disney sci-fi film 50. Monumental 51. Indian queen 52. One half base times height (for a triangle) 53. Annapolis inst.

54. Ado 56. Launched 57. Gluttons 58. Location of “E PLURIBUS UNUM” on a Presidential dollar coin 60. “You betcha” 61. Trail mix bit 62. Superlative suffix

Answers on page 45.

Answer: He changed the oil in his wife's car to avoid this — "FRICTION" Jumbles: TIGER FENCE PICNIC FELONY

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

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47

Volunteer Opportunities

Wanted

Wanted

Wanted

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

WE PAY CASH for antique furniture, quality used furniture, early American art, pottery, silver, glassware, paintings, etc. Single items to entire estates. Call Reggie or Phyllis at DC 202726-4427, MD 301-332-4697.

HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUES, ESTATES. FREE evaluations and house calls. We pay the most for your valuable treasures because we get the most money on eBay – the worldwide Internet. Serving entire metro area – Maryland, Washington, DC, Northern Virginia. Buying the following items – furniture, art, paintings, silver, gold, old coins, jewelry, vintage wristwatches, military items, including guns, rifles, swords, daggers, knives, musical instruments, guitars, violins, banjos, old toys, dolls, trains, old golf clubs, baseball, football, tennis equipment and memorabilia, old fishing, tools, books, photographs, comic books. I am a resident of Silver Spring. 20 years experience. Please call Tom 240-476-3441. Thank you.

CASH FOR RECORDS & CDs. BEST PRICE GUARANTEED. Free appraisals. All types of music, 33, 45, 78 & CDs. Call Steve 301-6465403. Will make House Calls.

Wanted WANTED: ELECTRONICS, radio tubes, ham radios, huge old loud speakers, tube HiFi, stereo amps, earliest computers ever made, vinyl records, professional musical instruments, scientific curiosities, early electronic books, magazines, engineers, physicists, scientist, accumulations. 202-527-9501, vcvdc@msn.com.

FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree] knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation.

If you have a special item, collection or important estate I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from Oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to firearms, from silver and gold to classic cars. If it is wonderful, I am interested. No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan 301-279-8834. Thank you.

CASH FOR ESTATES, Gold, Silver, Coins, Costume Jewelry, Antiques/Collectibles, Etc. Will travel 301-520-0755.

MILITARY ITEMS WANTED: Collector seeks to purchase military uniforms; flight jackets, patches, insignia, medals, etc. from the Civil War through Vietnam. Especially seeking U.S. Army Air Corps, USMC, Airborne, and German/Japanese/Italian items from WWII. ALSO BUYING old Boy Scout, Airline Items, Toys, Lighters. Call Dan (202) 841-3062.

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.

ALWAYS BUYING STERLING SILVERWARE, flatware, holloware, jewelry (including old costume), old baseball-football cards, magazines (pre-1970), other old items. Call Richard today: 571-426-5363. DC/Balt. Area.

BEST PRICE FOR YOUR Diamonds – Gold – Silver – Antiques and modern furniture. Appointments 703-314-9233, Edith. Well Established Dealer.

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, GUITARS, BANJOS, MANDOLINS, ETC. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments.

Jack (301) 279-2158.

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.

Phrase of the month The curious origins of our words and rituals

CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. We make house calls. Ask for Tom. Call anytime 301-654-8678 or 301-654-0838.

Thanks for reading!

BEACON BITS

June 15

IN THE SWING OF THINGS

Hear the Mount Vernon Swing band in concert on Friday, June 15 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Rd., Alexandria, Va. The cost is $4 at the door. Call (703) 765-4573 for more information and directions.

Sept. 7

TRIP TO NEW BARNES FOUNDATION MUSEUM

The Barnes Foundation Museum in Philadelphia is home to one of the world’s leading collections of French Impressionist and PostImpressionist paintings. The collection features 181 Renoirs, 69 Cezannes, and 59 Matisses, along with works by Manet, Degas, Seurat, Prendergrast, Titian and Picasso. Immerse yourself in the art on this trip sponsored by the Sibley Senior Association on Wednesday, Sept. 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Lunch is included in the $116 cost. Call Kim Grizzel at Eyre Tour and Travel for trip availability and to make your reservation: 1-800-321-3973, extension 3224.

Make money selling ads for the Beacon!

Flag Day: Old Glory and National Anthem June 14 is Flag Day – a day we recognize Old Glory or the Stars and Stripes as the symbol of the United States of America. June 14 was picked to celebrate the flag because, on this day in 1777, Congress passed a resolution: “Resolved, that the Flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation.” The flag was commissioned by then General George Washington and supposedly first sewn by Philadelphia’s Betsy Ross. As each state entered the union, a new star was added,

United We Rock!

culminating in the current 50. The white

We’re looking for a hard-working, detail-oriented people person.

Must be outgoing, love selling, be comfortable with computers, e-mail and contact management software (such as ACT!), and be willing to follow direction, complete required paperwork, and work from our office in Kensington, MD. Inside sales or telemarketing experience a plus.

If you love the Beacon — and would be excited to call potential advertisers — send your resume and cover letter to Alan Spiegel, Director of Sales, at: alan@theBeaconNewspapers.com.

stripes represent courage and the red signify bloodshed.

Prepared for The Beacon Newspapers by Wizard Communications©.

All rights reserved. Want to have a word/ phrase or ritual/custom researched?

Contact jpozga@verizon.net.

This full-time, inside sales position pays a base salary plus commissions and benefits.

www.originalrock.org DJs available for your senior centers

The Beacon Newspapers, Inc. • 3720 Farragut Ave., #105 • Kensington, MD 20895

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