Building a more cohesive community
Remember television’s “Cheers,” the bar where everybody knew your name? What if you lived in an entire community where everyone knew your name? That’s one of the principles behind the growing interest in a concept known as cohousing. The concept of cohousing was first pioneered in Denmark in the early 70s as a multigenerational community that would foster close ties among... READ MORE
What makes your place feel like home?
What makes a house or an apartment a home? For some of us, home is a walk-up apartment that we share with a roommate or two. For others, it might be a center-hall Colonial on a leafy suburban street, or a modern glass box overlooking the sea. The variations are endless. The only real universal feature is a roof over your head. Everything else that distinguishes a home from mere... READ MORE
Should you move abroad for healthcare?
The notion that healthcare outside the U.S. could be good as well as cheap is a foreign one to many Americans. Expat Kathleen Peddicord frequently hears from such skeptics as founder of Live and Invest Overseas, a site for people curious about living abroad. Actual expats like her, however, tell of good-quality care at a fraction of the U.S. price. Treatment for a motorbike accident... READ MORE
New program helps residents age in place
Would you like to remain in your own home as you age, but worry that it won’t be either financially or logistically feasible? If so, you’re not alone. A 2018 AARP survey reported that three out of four adults 50 and older would indeed like to continue living in their own homes and communities as they get older. Fortunately for Maryland residents, a new pilot program spearheaded by ... READ MORE
Telling your story well can improve care
When Jay Newton-Small moved her father, who had Alzheimer’s, into a senior living community, she had hesitations about the extensive intake questionnaire she had been asked to fill out. “Who was ever going to read and remember 20 pages of handwritten data points for the more than 100 residents in that particular community?” she said. Newton-Small, who was a professional writer... READ MORE
Planning ahead can save on move costs
Moving comes with a long, expensive to-do list. The average cost for a local move from a two-bedroom apartment or three-bedroom house ranges from $400 to $1,000, according to HomeAdvisor’s True Cost Guide. While you’re choosing a place to live and deciding what to pack, having a plan for expenses can ensure your budget doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. “It’s very easy to... READ MORE
Move managers can help you downsize
When his beloved 90-year-old cousin Sidney needed to move from her New Jersey home into a nearby independent living community last spring, Paul Mesard faced a dilemma. Mesard, 62, lives in Denver, and it seemed nearly impossible to take off enough time to pack up a house that Sidney had lived in for 35 years and relocate her. But Mesard came across a solution: Hire a senior move manager... READ MORE
Cohousing: a different kind of community
Remember television’s “Cheers,” the bar where everybody knew your name? What if you lived in an entire community where everyone knew your name? That’s one of the principles behind the growing interest in a concept known as cohousing. Cohousing was pioneered in Denmark in the early 70s to foster close ties among families with children who would support and connect with each other... READ MORE
The agony and ecstasy of living in a Pod
[Editor’s note: If cohousing is not for you, or you don’t want to wait for Baltimore’s proposed cohousing community to become reality, consider this more individualized option.] I have been writing about a new way of living in retirement: Pods. Why? Because according to Northwestern Mutual’ s 2018 Planning & Progress Study, 21 percent of Americans have nothing saved at all... READ MORE
Medicare to offer some in-home support
Medicare is experimenting with a new direction in healthcare. Starting this year, Medicare beneficiaries in many states will be able to get additional services — such as help with chores and respite for caregivers — through private Medicare Advantage insurance plans. There’s a growing recognition that such practical help can have a meaningful impact on patients’ well-being, and... READ MORE
