How to find and hire a reliable handyman
Dear Savvy Senior:What’s the best way to find a good handyman or tradesman to do some work around the house? I’ve had some bad luck lately with unprofessional workers who do shoddy work and charge too much.— Frustrated SeniorDear Frustrated:Hiring a good home repair handyman can be a bit of a crapshoot. How do you find someone who will return your calls, show up on time,... READ MORE
Don’t wait to check out assisted living
Late last summer, William Senior, of Reston, Va., put down $2,000 to get on a waitlist for a two-bedroom assisted-living apartment at a nearby continuing care retirement community for himself and his wife.His children had urged their parents to move into assisted living, a step between independent living and nursing-home care, ever since their 85-year-old mother, Lorraine, began requiring... READ MORE
Stand up for your rights under Medicare
Home health coverage can be a crucial benefit for Medicare beneficiaries who have just been discharged from the hospital or who struggle with a chronic condition and have difficulty leaving home. But taking advantage of this benefit can be a real challenge. Medicare covers in-home services, including skilled nursing and physical therapy. For eligible patients, there’s generally no... READ MORE
How to rent your home for fun and profit
Beth Everett and her husband, Glenn, built a cottage in their backyard in 2014 for their son Jordan to live in when he’s home from college. But while the studio sits empty, visitors to Portland, Ore., can rent the cozy space through Airbnb for $99 a night. Fox Lair, as it’s known, offers heated floors, a small sitting area decked out with guitars and bongos, and plenty of... READ MORE
Sometimes, the residents run the show
Dawn Strumsky, 70, and husband John, 76, spend much of their “spare” time hosting television talk shows at the in-house TV station at Charlestown retirement community in Catonsville, where they have lived since 2011.Betty Meyers, 91, arranges weekly Sabbath services at Weinberg Senior Living in Owings Mills, her home for 11 years.About 15 miles down the road, Phil Levin,... READ MORE
Caregivers bring help and peace of mind
Bruce Goodman is the business development manager of Genesis SelectCare, but he recently found himself in the position of needing what SelectCare provides — home care, in his case, for his mother-in-law who was injured when she fell out of bed.“We’ve had a caregiver eight hours a day, five days a week, and it has been so valuable both for my mother-in-law and for our... READ MORE
Ways to keep your home cool in summer
As summer temperatures — and utility bills — rise, there are some easy ways to keep cool that are cheaper and greener than air conditioning.Cooling curtainsPull down the shades or draw the curtains on windows facing south, east and west during the day, said Con Edison, which provides power to New York City and surrounding areas. It said 40 percent of unwanted heat comes in... READ MORE
Costs for long-term care keep climbing
Two new reports show that long-term care grew more expensive again this year, with the cost of the priciest option — a private nursing home room — edging closer to $100,000 annually (more in this area), according to a survey from Genworth Financial. Senior living costs in 2015 were up one and a half times faster than inflation — 2.7 percent year-over-year across the... READ MORE
Memory care communities address need
Last March, Pat Oliver knew it was time to find his mother, Evelyn, a new home.For the past year, Evelyn had been living in a private assisted living home that wasn’t helping her cope with her Alzheimer’s. She wasn’t engaged or active, and the family often saw the home’s residents “just sitting in front of the TV,” Oliver said. The community was also open ... READ MORE
Tiny homes can offer some big benefits
For those looking to undergo extreme downsizing, a tiny home might be the answer. The average tiny home measures just 186 square feet, and is often one single room doing double or triple duty.Tiny houses have exploded in popularity in the last decade or so, buoyed by a number of cable TV shows devoted to the Lilliputian trend, such as “Tiny House Nation” and “Tiny House... READ MORE
Housing 2024
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