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, The process of downsizing and moving to a new home is a big job for anyone, but ... 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
When your kids make your home theirs
Should the hanging from Thailand stay on the living-room wall where it has lived since I was born? Should we lay out the family room as it was when I was 8, when I was 17 or in a completely new configuration? Should we leave my mother’s spice rack on the north wall of the kitchen? What about the spices? When you live in a house passed down over generations, deep-time design... READ MORE
Useful services also offer part-time jobs
Two new businesses have come to the region that might appeal to you as a potential customer — or as a potential employee. Their services are aimed at those who are seeking certain kinds of practical help to enable them to remain in their neighborhoods as they age. One of them spins off a very basic household chore: doing the laundry. Are you the kind of person who hates doing laundry?... READ MORE
Survey: How we feel about aging in place
The older you are, the less you fret about aging in your own home or community. That’s a key insight from a new Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, which found that U.S. adults ages 65 or older feel much better prepared to “age in place” than those 50 to 64, who are mostly still in the final stretches of their working years. The poll also documented... READ MORE
