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First CCRC in Harford County

Harford County’s first Continuing Care Retirement Community is slated to open in 2020 on a 47-acre campus in Bel Air, Md. Called Carsins Run at Eva Mar, the community is part of the nonprofit Presbyterian Home of Maryland.

Carsins Run will include independent and assisted living, as well as nursing and memory care for those over 60. There are six independent living floor plans, ranging from a 755-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, to a 1,329-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit.

Health services include a physician, nursing team and social services. There will be several dining options, including carry-out, and a clubhouse for activities and classes.

Residents pay a one-time entrance fee that is refundable to the resident or resident’s estate. Entrance fees at the standard refund option start at $232,622, and ongoing monthly fees start at $2,964.

To learn more, see http://www.carsinsrun.orgor call (443) 390-2590.

Kosher assisted living expands in Pikesville

Sterling Care Kosher Assisted Living in Pikesville will move to a new building this spring. Sterling Care is locally owned by a registered nurse and a licensed clinical social worker, who are on site daily to care for the community’s 16 residents.

The new building will include a sunroom and patio. Daily housekeeping and laundry services are provided, along with a beautician and podiatrist.

Sterling Care is located next to a wheelchair-accessible synagogue, and provides kosher meals, along with Jewish holiday celebrations, candle lighting and Torah study.

Activities include a personalized music and memory program, pet therapy, weekly live music, social activities and exercise classes.

To learn more, see http://www.sterlingassistedliving.com or call (410) 318-8999.

Many seniors still paying mortgages

About 44 percent of 60- to 70-year-olds are still paying a mortgage, according to a survey by mortgage company American Financing in its 2017 Retirement and Mortgages Survey, released late last year.

According to the findings, 32 percent of those predict that it will take them more than eight years to pay their mortgage off, and an additional 17 percent say that they will possibly never pay it off.

“Part of the American dream, and homeownership, is the expectation that after years of hard work, you can retire with financial security. But the unfortunate reality for many of today’s baby boomers is that their debt burden remains high,” said Carrie Niess, business analyst at American Financing.

“As concerning as this is, there are still many untapped options, such as refinancing and reverse mortgages, which a lot of folks could benefit from.”

Additional survey highlights include:

• A majority (64 percent) of 60- to 70-year-old homeowners plan to remain in their current home, with 62 percent of these individuals planning to leave the home to their children/estate.
• Fifty-eight percent have refinanced their loan at some point, and 72 percent of these individuals did so in order to lower their mortgage rate.
• Nineteen percent of 60- to 70-year-olds do not know what a reverse mortgage is, while 15 percent would be open to considering one.
• Seventy-one percent of 60- to 70-year-olds would be likely to make home renovations rather than move in the event that a health issue affected their mobility and/or comfort at home.

More details and key findings from the study can be found in American Financing’s full report, available at https://www.americanfinancing.net/reverse-mortgage/mortgage-options-after-retirement.

A top city for LGBT seniors

Baltimore was recently named one of the top 20 cities in the U.S. for gay older adults by SeniorAdvice.com, a senior housing referral service. Ft. Lauderdale, Austin and Atlanta were the top three cities, with Baltimore listed in 19th place.

“With 3.9 percent of Baltimore’s population identifying as LGBT, it is no surprise the area has several events and festivals supporting the gay community throughout the year,” the study states. “The annual gay pride parade draws over 30,000 visitors to the area annually. For over 35 years the GLBT Community Center of Baltimore has been catalyst for LGBT people in the city and state.”

The study also notes Maryland’s laws that prohibit anti-discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as numerous retirement communities and doctors that take Medicare as things that put Baltimore on the list.

A variety of factors were considered when ranking cities for the list, including the following: percentage of LGBT population in the area, available social activities, festivals, weather, LGBT Chamber of Commerce presence, presence of gay-friendly senior communities, quality of healthcare, number of hospitals and pharmacies, local and state legislations protecting the LGBT community and cost of living.

To read about all the cities on the list, go to http://www.senioradvice.com/articles/top-20-cities-for-lgbt-retirement-2018.