Report on December 12 Meeting

The December 12 meeting featured Andrea Cohen and John Smeath principals of Homeworks, a home care company based in Boston, which will be opening an office in Bethesda in March. They have done significant consulting to groups like ours and they presented their perspectives on the enthusiasm around the country for intentional communities and the variety of organizational options.

The consensus is that we need more specifics about what various groups like ours are doing by networking and gathering information. To start us out, Doug Colton volunteered to purchase the Beacon Hill Village manual. While we likely don’t want to be as structured as that organization, the meeting raised a lot of issues, among which were:

- What are the advantages of incorporating as a 501C3?
- What strategic partnerships do we want to form?
- Do we want any paid staff or do we want to maintain this as a strictly volunteer organization?

To address these and other issues, I would like to form an executive committee that could then bring back recommendations to the larger group.

Please let me know if you would like to be on the committee and I will try to set up a meeting in January.

Barbara and Nelson

From Sally Kranz - W Post Article on Aging in Place

Barbara: Don't know if you saw this article or if you know Charlotte Goldstein. She is one of my very favorite people from T Sinai. I'm so pleased that she has worked out a satifactory solution. Essie Lipman is certainly another excellent model. Although she moved from her house she is able to live independently despite severe eye problems. Maybe these are people our group should hear from.I also picked up a brochure from Suburban Hospital about the services of an organization called Lifeline that serves people who are living independently. Let me know if you want to see it and I'll put it in the mail.Happy Thanksgiving.........................Sally

Getting Ready to Stay Put:Simple Changes Can Make Homes Aging-Friendly
By Annie GroerWashington Post Staff WriterThursday, November 1, 2007; H01

When Charlotte Goldstein was in her 80s, she bought new living room furniture.
"Two very handsome love seats and two wing chairs that were easy to get in and out of" replaced pieces so low and plush she could not rise "unless somebody gave you a good pull," says Goldstein, now 90. To steady herself on two flights of stairs (she likes to climb them for exercise), she put new handrails opposite the existing banisters in her Northwest Washington home.
Those changes are part of Goldstein's plan to stay put as long as possible. About 90 percent of the 41.5 million Americans over age 60 hope to grow old at home or in their community, according to AARP.
The key to aging in place, experts say, is to embrace rather than deny the need to adapt living spaces to meet physical changes as mobility, eyesight and hearing decline.
Many people incorrectly fear that remaining at home requires extensive, expensive renovations to accommodate a wheelchair, such as replacing a bathtub with a roll-in shower or putting a bedroom and full bath on the first floor.
But there are dozens of minor ways to make homes more senior-friendly at very little cost and in just a few hours. The chief requirement is creative thinking.
Modifications can be as generic as replacing doorknobs, which can be difficult for arthritic hands to turn, with lever-style handles. Or they can be as specific as Jeanne Crockett's solution of relocating the coffee maker in her Baltimore rowhouse.
For years, she or her husband, Jeffrey Schraeder, would pad downstairs to the kitchen every morning and carry just-brewed coffee up to the second-floor library. But when Schraeder, 62, took a fall last year, Crockett, 59, had what she calls a "light bulb moment" about their morning routine.
"You haven't even had coffee yet, and here you are climbing the stairs with a hot pot and two mugs in hand every morning," she said. "It started to feel dangerous." Solution: She moved the java station up near the second-floor bedroom.
Crockett was wise to anticipate trouble. Each year, falls cause an average of 5.1 million injuries and deaths in adults older than 60, says Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council, a nonprofit research group in Washington formerly affiliated with the Lowe's home improvement chain.
Serious falls can create lasting physical problems that lead to loss of independence, Appy says, and yet "they are very preventable without spending a lot of money." Her suggestions include putting lights at the top and bottom of all stairways for better visibility.
"My drumbeat is to be proactive rather than reactive," echoes geriatric care manager Marion Somers, author of "Elder Care Made Easier." "Most people don't think about these things until something happens.''
Somers, 67, put high-wattage light bulbs throughout her Brooklyn loft and installed grab bars by the tub and toilet. And in her apartment there isn't a single throw rug -- "accidents waiting to happen" she calls them -- even the bathroom. Those who don't want to part with their small carpets should hang them on the wall, Somers says.
"We minimize risk in our financial investments. Why shouldn't we do it in our homes?" says Elinor Ginzler, 55, AARP's director of livable communities. "Look at the finish you are putting on your floor. Don't do a high-polish wax. It can be something as easy as putting a bench with a back at each exterior entrance to your home. You can sit on it, put down packages. With one hand you turn the key, with another you hold on to the bench."
A growing willingness among some baby boomers -- the oldest are now 61 -- to rid their homes of potential hazards has increased "almost the way green has taken off," says architectural historian Bill Lebovich of Chevy Chase, author of "Design for Dignity: Accessible Environments for People With Disabilities."
Moreover, he says, interior designers and decorators have begun paying more attention to a specific market niche: decor for seniors and others with physical challenges. (At 59, Lebovich has bad knees that make climbing stairs difficult.)
In fact, the American Society of Interior Designers' Web site urges members to expand their business through universal design: interiors and exteriors that work simultaneously for old and young, able and not-so-able.
Donna Ralston-Latham, owner of DRL Total Environments, an Alexandria firm specializing in kitchen and bathroom renovations, has routinely practiced universal design for more than a decade.
"We don't even ask clients if they want grab bars in the bathroom. We just do them. They are not ugly anymore, which is a nice thing," says Ralston-Latham, 60, who says her own history of arthritis, cataracts, lung ailments and neck surgery has made her especially sensitive to the needs of others.
Diplomacy has always been part of her pitch, from the time she started her career doing general interior design. Rather than tell older clients about the benefits of sofas and chairs with higher cushions, set-back arms and firm backs, "I would sit someone on a low, soft, cushy sofa and I'd sit on a firmer, higher one in the showroom and then say, 'Come sit next to me.' It's showing by example."
She also discusses the concept of "visit-ability," to shift the focus from the clients' limitations to consideration for their guests. "It's not just about you, but accommodating friends and family," Ralston-Latham tells them.
Appy uses a similar tactic. "Folks tend to be more willing to make a safety change on behalf of someone else, rather than embracing their own declining capabilities," she says. "So as a strategy, I have people think about their grandbabies or other people they love."

From Debbie Smith - Chevy Chase DC Seniors Initiative

The Chevy Chase Listserv that I just read for the first time carries a report about a group in this neighborhood that sounds similar in its aims to the group we have begun.

I don't know how to approach them -- maybe at least let our folks know about them, or maybe share ideas, resources, ?????? with them?

PS. Ed Hayes was a Lafayette dad with kids a little younger than mine. Alice Hayes carpooled for a while with me.

http://www.chevychasecitizens.org/news/meetings/community_village_for_seniors_5-5-07.htm

Another take on aging in place

Partners in Care (www.partnersincare.org)is a non-profit centered in Pasadena, MD (central Anne Arundel County) that's essentially a giant "babysitting coop" for seniors. It uses a time exchange model as the foundation for its network of support.

The brochure says: "...helps elderly and disabled adults to remain independent in their own homes. Operating since 1993 and currently embracing 2,200 members, Partners in Care links members of the community who volunteer their time to help neighbors with occasional tasks and errands. Members of the program may provide services, receive services, or both. For every hour of service donated credit is earned. That credit may be used at a later date or donated back to the program for others in need. Services are matched to individual needs and schedules and may include grocery shopping, transportation, handyman help, yard work, friendly visiting, or advoacy".

The hprogram has several components in addition to the time exchange:
Ride Partners
Repairs with Care
Just in case (emergency kits for seniors)
Warm Houses
Health Watch Emergency Response
The Boutique (resale store;a major source of operating funds)

They are in the process of expanding into Prince George's County

From Marvin Kranz - Info on "Village" Organizations

Dear Folks,

As you knew, we were in Dallas for a bar mitzvah and could not attend. Thanks for the update and will look forward to instructins for the blog, which is an alien species to us.

Of interest in the latest AARP District of Columbia Update, there is a note on "Village" models. "In the District, neighborhoods in Palisades and Kalorama have taken major steps toward establishing this service-delivery model. Capitol Hill Village opened for business on Oct.1" http://assets.aarp.org/www.aarp.org_/articles/states/updates/DC_Update.pdf

AARP has launched a discussion area on its Web site to share ideas and raise questions. The site is www.aarp.org/communityexchange. The Beacon Hill Village (Boston) site is model for many and its site is www.beaconhillvillage.org.

Hope all is well with you all.

Marvin Kranz

Information about Modifying your Home to Accommodate Aging

Thursday's Washington Post Home section included a helpful front page article about how to modify your home to accommodate aging, including names of contractors who have design and installation expertise in this area.

National Aging Workshop on Thurs 11/8/07

Gazette note in this week's paper announcing a workshop next Thursday:
National Aging Workshop, for seniors. Steve Gurney, publisher of a "A Guide to Retirement Living" magazine, moderates a panel discussion on exploring the decision to stay at home and aging in place. Emphasis of this workshop is on individual needs. Panelists include Ilene Rosenthal, Maryland Deputy Secy of Aging, Stanley Slater, gerontologist-psychologist, and Louis Tennenbaum, Independent Living Strategist sponsored by the National Aging in place Council (who knew?). This is the 2nd of 4 workshops. Noon-4 PM, F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville, Free. Registration required. 888-576-7947 toll free or emailto:Isinay@umd.edu or Fax 301-590-2828.

From Debbie Smith - Meeting Minutes of Oct 28

At our meeting Oct. 28, we worked toward a sense of purpose for our group. The following points won broad consensus, and may evolve into a mission statement:

1) We are creating a community for mutual support.
2) We are a forum to exchange information on aging and related issues.
3) The group can help us each think about aging.
4) The blog is a way to share, keep and retrieve information.
5) Group members can vet service providers for each other--sharing referrals and experience with plumbers, home health care aides, etc. etc.
6) We may be able to save money through shared services or group purchases.
7) The group can help its members remain as independent as possible.

Btw, a question was raised about whether members have a level of commitment to the group, for example to check up on each other after hospital visits, etc. We obviously have plenty more to discuss, and I look forward to hearing from some of our visiting experts. --Debbie

Testing email delivery of blog

Nelson,
I'm testing Feedblitz's email delivery to see whether it works. One problem that I just had with posting is that I could not create a post from the comments page. Can you insert a link from the view/comments page to the create a new post page?

I'll let you know whether Feedblitz works.
Marilynne

A Grass-Roots Effort to Grow Old at Home - New York Times

A number of members have pointed out today's NYTimes article on DC area groups devoted to aging in place. See the attached link. We are not alone.

Apparently, many of the groups have adopted the lexicon of Capitol Hill Village, naming themselves "xxx Village". That would make us something like Bethesda Chevy Chase Village. I personally don't like the Village metaphor -- too cutesy and/or politically correct (it takes a village!) or area-bound. But let's get some discussion going about our name as well as our mission. We have colleagues in other parts of town with whom we can discuss as well.


A Grass-Roots Effort to Grow Old at Home - New York Times

Longevity Annuity: A tool to insure that you don't outlast your money

Here's a link to an interesting article (Live Long and Prosper) in Sunday's Washington Post business section. It is about a longevity annuity that pays out at a certain (old age). It is cheaper than traditional annuities, because they are counting on you not living long enough to collect. But the advantage--for those of us worried about outliving our money--is that it can begin paying out at the age you anticipate running out of your savings. For instance, if you calculate that you have enough money to live until you are 80, you can have the annuity begin paying out at 80. It then pays till you die.
Marilynne

Organizational Meeting of DC Boomers

Meeting Notes

Organizational Meeting of the DC Boomers Mutual Aid Society

Sunday, August 5, 2007

The initial organizational meeting of the Society, featuring a pot luck dinner, was held at the home of Barbara and Nelson Rosenbaum on Sunday, August 5, 2007 at 7:00 P.M. In attendance were the following couples and individuals:

Roberta and Doug Colton

Claire and David Maklan
Margaret and Joe Chachkin

Christine and Marshall Becker

Suzan and Ron Wynne

Marilynne Rudick and Bob Sher

Nelson and Barbara Rosenbaum

Corinne and Dan Szabo

Debbie Smith

Jerry Holiber

Sam Bleicher

Barbara led off by discussing similar societies and groups that have recently formed in communities such as Capitol Hill, Boston, and Princeton, NJ. She identified the central purpose of these groups as providing mutual aid and information to assist members to “age in place” successfully. The groups vary in structure and formality, but all feature the commitment of members to assist other members with activities and issues related to aging and disability. Barbara emphasized that the inaugural meeting was designed to simply elicit ideas and interest rather than to immediately establish a formal organization. She then called for open discussion among those present on possible priorities and programs for the Society.

The major themes concerning aging in place that arose from the discussion were as follows:

1. Many in the group feel that they cannot “count on” their children to provide adequate support as they age. This may stem from the remote location of children or the demands on their children posed by career and home life. There was a lively discussion about the obligations of children.

2. Several attendees emphasized the need to plan in detail for the challenges of aging. A number of couples and individuals have bought long term care insurance as one aspect of their financial planning. Others have prepared living trusts and advance directives. But all emphasized that these planning elements are largely “defensive” against potential crises. They do not substitute for adequate community-based support for aging in place.

3. Most expressed their desire to continue living in their current living spaces as they age.

4. The loss of driving, either by losing one’s license or having children take away the car/insurance, is often the inflection point that precipitates a move out of the home and into a facility. The spouse or children may be able to make up for the loss of driving at least temporarily, but over the longer term, it is usually the critical factor in a change of residence/life style.

5. Social activities and emotional support to combat the isolation and loneliness of aging may be just as important a function of the proposed Society as more concrete assistance.

Following the general discussion, Barbara turned the meeting to the topic of possible “models” or organizational forms for the proposed Society. Attendees identified a number of potential options, ranging from 1) a formal service organization with dues and structure such as Capital Village on Capital Hill, b) a more informal mutual aid group such as the Chevy Chase baby-sitting coop with which many of the attendees were familiar, c) an information-sharing group based upon a participant blog of experiences and resources as well as links to formal resources such as Area Agencies on Aging, d) a collection of interest groups in areas such as travel, exercise, music, etc., e) a cooperative local living space with shared real estate ownership. Numerous participants pointed out that such organizational models are not mutually exclusive and that the Society would grow and evolve over time as its member’s needs changed.

In closing the meeting, Barbara proposed the formation of a working committee to formulate more concrete proposals and plans for the Society. However, it was the consensus of the group that the formation of a committee was premature. Instead, the group agreed that it would be valuable to have at least one more informal organizational meeting to share ideas as well as to expand the potential membership of the Society. Sue Wynne, a geriatric care manager, was asked to present her perspective on the factors to consider at a future meeting. Nelson agreed to write up the initial minutes of the meeting as reporter and to create a provisional name for the Society and an organizational blog. The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m.