Three decades providing assisted living
When Veena Alfred was a young girl in India, she first experienced the joy of taking care of others. Raised in her grandparents’ stately home, Alfred and her five siblings grew accustomed to welcoming her grandmother’s friends as if they were bonus grandparents. “When these elderly women came, we were assigned certain chores,” Alfred remembered in an interview with the Beacon.... READ MORE
Keys to finding the perfect place to retire
Three days after Cheryl Gremban retired in 2018, she and her husband Charlie, 67, who had retired 10 years before, sold their home near San Francisco and moved to Carlsbad, California, near San Diego. The move wasn’t impulsive. Carlsbad had been on their radar screen for a few years. Like many retirees, the Grembans wanted to live closer to family. Of their three sons, the nearest one... READ MORE
DC Housing News — October 2022
Balfour Palisades taking reservations A new community offering older adults a continuum of care will soon open in the District of Columbia’s Palisades neighborhood. With a small-town feel, Balfour Palisades will enable residents to stay engaged in the world around them while retreating to a relaxed, cozy setting. The community offers month-to-month lease options without a large... READ MORE
When family caregivers need help, too
Baltimore County resident Joanne (last name withheld for privacy) spent the last few years finding caregivers for her mother-in-law, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s. After she passed away in March, Joanne jumped in to organize care for her father-in-law. “I’m not going to say it’s a full-time job, but I spend a tremendous amount of time doing, organizing, dealing with... READ MORE
Easy home fixes with big safety impact
If it ain’t broke, maybe you should fix it anyway. That’s the message consumer advocates and insurance experts want you to hear about your home’s hidden dangers. Too often, they say, people put off relatively inexpensive repairs or improvements that could prevent significant damage, injuries or even death. While you can’t eliminate every potential hazard, some small moves can... READ MORE
Services help you downsize and relocate
Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend any businesses or services that specialize in helping people downsize and relocate? I need to find some help moving my mother from her four-bedroom home — where she’s lived for nearly 50 years — to an apartment near me. —Overwhelmed Daughter Dear Overwhelmed, online pharmacy neurontin no prescription The process of downsizing and moving ... READ MORE
Talk with neighbors who have dead trees
When a neighbor’s tree falls on your property, guess who has to file the insurance claim, pay the deductible and hope that their premiums won’t rise? That would be you. Unless you can establish that the neighbors had knowledge of the dangerous condition and ignored remedying it. “Often homeowners do not understand the importance of maintaining vegetation — primarily trees — and ... READ MORE
How to hire good, but busy, contractors
Brian Gawthrop has waited more than six months to remodel his home. The Washington state-based certified financial planner and his wife have a long enough wish list to keep a contractor busy — a kitchen remodel, new flooring, a new deck and many other upgrades. They did a cash-out refinance last summer, which lowered their mortgage rate and gave them money to use toward home... READ MORE
Many types of workers provide home care
“Home care” is a simple phrase that encompasses a wide range of health and social services. Here’s a review of the various types of workers who could be on your home support team: Assistive care providers Assistive care is non-medical supportive care. The services provided by assistive care personnel can range from helping with personal care (e.g., bathing, dressing, grooming,... READ MORE
Bill would subsidize home improvements
In May, United States Representative Charlie Crist (D-St. Petersburg), along with co-sponsors Thomas Suozzi (D-NY) and Daniel Meuser (R-PA), introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to provide tax incentives so that older adults and people with disabilities can make the modifications necessary to age in place safely in their own homes. “Given the option, the vast majority of... READ MORE
