Bruce was shocked, but he soon realized that his father had not been managing any of the couple’s finances. “We discovered that my dad hadn’t been paying my mother’s Medicare premiums since May 2010, and the medical bills were piling up,” Bruce said.

At that time, Mrs. Kraft had no reason to anticipate a diagnosis of macular degeneration and the growing difficulties it would pose for accomplishing many everyday tasks. When Mrs. Kraft lost her sight in January 2009, she remembered the program she had discovered fifteen years earlier and ordered a copy of the Storehouse Guide from that organization, Top Banana Home Delivered Groceries. While her daughter, who lives in Frederick, takes her grocery shopping every few weeks, Mrs. Kraft also uses the not-for-profit service regularly to get groceries and household products, between her daughter’s visits.

When she first telephoned the organization to place an order, she let the staff know that she was blind and would not be working from a written list. “The people who take my orders could not be nicer and caught on to my needs immediately,” she said. From that first call, she says they worked hand in hand with her, looking up items, giving her available brands, sizes and prices, and offering choices that are satisfying alternatives when needed. A new ice cream brand is now her new favorite flavor: “strawberry-strawberry.”

As with all customers, Top Banana’s drivers pleasantly offer Mrs. Kraft as much help with the groceries as she wants. She lets them bring the bags into the kitchen, but likes to shelve the items herself. Mrs. Kraft gets what she says is a “great reception from every person who works for the organization. I could not be more pleased.”

Now she tells her friends, even those who still drive: “If you’re ever sick or laid up, call Top Banana.” A very positive person by nature, Mrs. Kraft feels more confident in her ability to get groceries and continues to feel independent and in control of her life. Moreover, that is just the way she likes it.

For over 16 years, her family lived abroad, and she enjoyed traveling and sharing in the cultures of various countries. Her memories of those years are fun-filled and adventurous, and Marge often brings her stories to life with her hilarious wit. Upon her return to Northern Virginia, she continued raising her family.

Marge is the mother of three children and has seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. While raising her children, she was also involved with the Citizens for a Better City and volunteered to edit her church bulletin.

“They give lots of help to a woman in her 90s,” says Marge about the local Elder Care company that now assists her with errands and daily tasks, Buckley’s for Seniors. Driving is difficult for Marge due to health reasons. Marge’s daughter, who works full time, contacted Buckley’s for Seniors last year to lend her mom a hand.

Buckley’s for Seniors has provided many services for Marge, such as transportation to and from doctor and hairdresser appointments as wekk as trips to the pharmacy, hardware and grocery store. Buckley’s staff helps Marge put away her groceries, and they were even there to help her set up her Christmas tree.

Carey, a member of the Buckley’s for Senior’s staff, comes two mornings a week to assist Marge. Marge says, “She helps me just like my own daughter would. I don’t know what I would do without her!”

Carey is a local stay-at-home mom like many of Buckley’s staff members. The staff members are college-educated mothers or recent retirees who provide intellectual companionship, as well as a helping hand. Every time Buckley’s visits, Marge gets to choose where she needs to go and which errands she needs to run.

Now in her 90s, Marge still enjoys knitting, crocheting, gardening and bird watching. While she has had to give up some of her hobbies, she remains active. “My daughter won’t let me use the kiln for pottery-making any more,” Marge admits. She gave up pottery, but she is well aware of the importance of remaining busy.

Marge enjoys going to her regular appointments and visiting with the many merchants she has done business with throughout the years. “It’s nice to have someone help me run errands and manage things around the house,” Marge concludes.

Dolores McGutherie is one example proving just how beneficial taking advantage of these unique resources can be. Following retirement, her husband returned home one day and mentioned an organization he had heard about that could deliver groceries right into one’s kitchen and even unpacked and put the groceries away when needed.

Top Banana Home Delivered Groceries, Inc. is a nonprofit organization whose services enable individuals to live healthier and more independent lives. Knowing this reputation and having met people from the organization, the couple decided to give it a try.

“We thought we both would like it and we certainly did,” said Dolores.

Almost every week, she and her husband made a list for groceries and placed a simple phone call to Top Banana who in turn delivered those items on a consistent schedule.

When her husband passed and Dolores began experiencing her own health problems, this service became even more vital in helping her to remain within the comforts of her home.

“After he passed, I stuck with them and they’ve helped me quite a bit,” she said. “It’s hard for me to get to the store and they assist me with the products and everything that I need.”

After 15 years with Top Banana, Dolores continues to place her order almost every week knowing her groceries will arrive promptly (at her door) on Friday mornings. This convenience has enabled Dolores to engage in more activities at the church she recently joined.

As a result, she does not hesitate to mention the trusted organization to other residents of her building.

“Top Banana is very helpful and I would recommend them to anybody,” she said.

With several available resources, individuals can surely find whatever they need to achieve their immediate or long-term goals. And because she sought help from a trusted organization, Dolores has maintained her independence and ability to age in place.

“Thankfully I was raised in Buffalo, N.Y., since it was the coldest winter in 10 years!” he said.

When the war ended, there were 3.5 million U.S. Soldiers in the European Theatre that were sent home under a point system based on length of service. Bill did not have enough points to return home right away. Therefore he enrolled in a U.S. Army program at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

Bill, however, did eventually return in 1946 and went on to graduate from the University of Rochester after an accelerated schedule at Harvard Law School. He became a trial lawyer specializing in fraud at the civil division of the Justice Department. “We went after contractors who had defrauded the government, even during the war there were people doing this,” said Bill.

In Bill’s marriage he had a son and daughter. His son Jeff is now a correspondent for the Atlantic living in Moscow and his daughter Susan, lives in Washington D.C. After the marriage to his first wife ended, Bill met Mary Dent Crisp, a prominent republican politico who had also been recently divorced.

When Mary developed Parkinson’s disease and experienced several falling incidents, the couple decided to move to the Ingleside at Rock Creek. “It improved our life because of the close access to medical care,” said Bill.

He soon learned he had made the right choice after suffering a stroke and moving to the assisted living section of the community this year. Additional help, however, was soon on the way with Rebekah Phelps of Extra You, LLC, an innovative company offering personal concierge services to individuals from 4 to 40 hours per month.

“Rebekah has become a very important person in my life,” he said. Having lost some of his short-term memory, he now has help with arranging appointments, shopping, organizing his files, writing checks and going to various doctor’s appointments.

She has also organized Bill’s personal items, transitioned him out of a storage space within Ingleside and dealt with recent car issues. Though she helps him with these tasks twice a week, they are transitioning to meeting once a week following a schedule that is convenient for Bill and his needs.

As he now has Extra You, LLC that enables him to venture off campus, Bill has been extremely grateful for the help he has received. “I don’t ever have to worry, Rebekah has become invaluable to me,” he said.

Charlie is a highly decorated veteran as exemplified by his wall of medals that includes the bronze star and a purple heart. After the war, his passion for clothing design led him to train with family in the Italian tailoring business and to eventually design for Calvin Klein and Saks Fifth Avenue.

A draftsman in the Signal Corps, Claire used her love of art to create sketches of tanks and planes so that U.S. soldiers could recognize enemies. Following her service, she continued her studies in fashion and art, and that is how she met Charlie, her instructor. The rest, they say, is history as they have celebrated 60 years of marriage.

While raising their son, Claire continued painting landscapes and creating amazing mosaics out of glass as Charlie continued his impressive designs.

The couple’s faith has always been a high priority in their lives. While they read the Bible everyday, she has taught through their church in Frederick County. The Zampinos have been able to attend mass and worship regularly after settling into a beautiful home in Union Bridge located on the property of their son, Episcopal Bishop Phillip Zampino’s church. After their passing, their wish is that their home will be donated to the church.

Though it was difficult for the veterans to admit they needed help, their mind was soon changed after meeting with Carole Luber, the owner of Right at Home.

Now each of their needs including personal care, hygiene, housekeeping, meals and gardening are taken care of.

“Having someone to take me shopping has been wonderful,” says Claire, who loves that she is still able to make her own choices. “My caregiver, Nicky, takes me to the grocery store to help me read the food labels and prices that I can’t see so easily anymore.”

The couple wants others to know just how beneficial getting in-home care is. “This is the best thing for seniors — to be able to enjoy living in your own environment with your memories and treasures,” says Claire.

She loves how the caregivers really seem to enjoy coming to their home and that they have even stayed after hours to help her prepare meals. “Their company makes an effort to find employees who have a good heart and compassion for their work,” said Claire. “It’s nice to have caregivers become part of your family.”

“It is plenty of work,” she said. “You really need all kinds of skills taking care of a child and your household.”

What Dorothy eventually learned, however, was that remaining independent can also require quite a bit of work. But with Manage On My Own, LLC, a company that provides various services to help people maintain their individual lifestyles, she and her husband can remain in their apartment while receiving the extra assistance they need.

Staying in their Bethesda home at Grosvenor Tower is certainly important to the couple who have lived in the area for 45 years. Dorothy, originally from New Jersey, met her husband while working at the Pentagon as a secretary for a major general in the air force. With one daughter, they have been married for 50 years as their family has grown with three grandchildren.

To some, the extremely active Dorothy does not seem like the type who would need the help of others to remain independent.

“I go to a low-impact exercise class at my local gym and do the machines,” said Dorothy. “I do a lot of walking, if not on the treadmill, along the grounds near my apartment.”

Not just involved in physical activities, she enjoys going to the movies and engaging in social outings, a quality that eventually introduced her to Manage On My Own.

About a year ago, the company started up a program in Dorothy’s building that featured all sorts of recreational activities.

But what Dorothy realized was that they could greatly help her in other ways.

With a mission to simplify access to services for seniors and their families, the company serves as a hub for accessing the best-in-class service providers. Dorothy knew what a breakthrough this would be for herself and her family.

A couple of years ago, her husband had a stroke that left him unable to walk. Although their high-rise features a concierge service and is in a convenient location for running errands, she knew she could not take care of everything on her own.

It was those similar to Dorothy and her situation that inspired the individuals who conceptualized Manage On My Own. The vision started with a man named Jack Hansan, who in 1998 co-authored a book displaying the positive impact of bringing long-term care services into the home titled Personal Assistance: The Future of Home Care.

In 2006, Jack’s son Mark, and his fellow entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical industry, Bob Dresing, teamed up for another venture to apply their skills and utilize Jack’s ideas. This new venture was none other than Manage On My Own, which would provide seniors a single point of contact for everything they needed to continue living independently within their homes. By providing just one monthly bill for all services, the company prides itself on simplifying life for seniors and their loved ones.

Manage On My Own features Independent Living Planners who listen to the goals and desires of each individual to create a customized Independent Living Plan. They then tap into their network of pre-qualified service providers to support whatever their clients need to stay independent. Patient advocacy, housekeeping, companion care, dietary monitoring and caregiver training/assistance are just some of the many services that can be arranged for seniors and their loved ones.

Now Dorothy can rest assured that those tasks she cannot solely take care of will be accommodated. One such service she has found to be her most pertinent is transportation.

Before enlisting their help, it was difficult for her to assist her husband when traveling around to his appointments. While cabs with the capacity for his wheelchair arrived on time, it was difficult for the couple to find transportation home.

With the partnership between Manage On My Own and Transport Are Us, they can now have a ride wherever whenever. Dorothy cited one instance in which they were able to visit their daughter’s home in Mclean on a Sunday afternoon, knowing they definitely had a ride home.

“He drove us there and waited for us,” she said. “They’re always there within a short time and it’s just been wonderful having this service.”

Another way in which the company has helped Dorothy is through a personal organizer. With a large walk-in closet, she was grateful to have someone come to her home and sort through her belongings.

“Gretchen helped me get rid of things that I should’ve gotten rid of before and she just reorganizes everything.I’m thinking of calling her to help me again,” Dorothy said with a laugh.

Since her husband left the hospital, he has received in-home care from a different service. Dorothy, however, has kept in mind the services available through the company to which she has grown so accustomed.

“I know they do have caregivers, so if something were to happen, I may have to investigate Manage On My Own,” she said. “They have someone who can help with those errands that I am able to take care of now.”

With this invaluable resource, Dorothy could not be any more grateful as she has less stress and the opportunity to pursue her favorite activities.

One interest of hers is OASIS, an educational program sponsored by the Macy’s Foundation, Suburban Hospital and the OASIS Institute offering programs in the arts, humanities, wellness and volunteer services. Having joined in January, Dorothy looks forward to the various speakers including former ambassadors and the attorney general of Montgomery County.

“You just sign up for the list of activities you want and there are so many different interesting subjects to choose from,” she said.

And it is the freedom of choice that sums up Dorothy’s life right now. She can choose to go wherever she wants and do anything she enjoys knowing help is a phone call away.

“Manage On My Own has been a tremendous help for me and it’s really nice to know that they are there with their variety of services,” she said.

Although she is only using those services that primarily assist her husband right now, Dorothy looks to the future knowing who she will call in case she needs help for herself.

“Should I need something more in the future, I’m certainly going to call upon them,” she said. “I hope that they continue to flourish because I think there are a lot of people in this area that can use this kind of help.”

But it appears as though the company is definitely flourishing, as it is developing into a much more dynamic program. In partnership with IONA Services, Manage On My Own was named the service provider/manager for Kalorama Village located in D.C. in May. Serving as a core for the community’s service providers, the company remains the single point of contact, allowing those who participate in this new innovative concept for aging in place to save money.

Another successful venture for Manage On My Own has been the White Flint Mall program. They have collaborated on developing the mall’s senior programming by sponsoring the free monthly movie and providing the shopper’s concierge service. Perhaps the most beneficial aspect has been allowing seniors to meet and speak one on one with experts in the fields of law, medicine, financial services, insurance and much more.

And as the pioneering company continues to flourish, so will the lives of Dorothy and others who are extremely thankful for the convenient assistance they received to maintain their independence.

Imagine you are living in a community where you know your neighbors. Imagine that your patio needs weeding, and you prefer not to do it. In this neighborhood, a simple phone call can have someone over to take care of your weeding. Perhaps you need some home repairs, or you are returning home from the hospital after surgery and need some assistance. In this neighborhood, you can get assistance from trusted volunteers and providers with one phone call. This type of neighborhood is becoming a reality, and the Washington, D.C. region is the launching pad for several.

How it all started
Nearly 90 percent of Baby Boomers say they want to stay in their homes and close to family and friends as long as possible, according to a survey by AARP. The challenge these individuals face, however, is that if they do nothing to prepare for future needs, they may not be able to continue living in their homes as long as they would like.

Residents of Beacon Hill, a downtown Boston neighborhood, responded to the challenge of staying in their community by joining their neighbors to take control over where and how they will live in the years to come. They formed a non-profit, Beacon Hill Village, which serves those aged 50+ in central Boston, to take advantage of social, cultural and wellness activities without leaving their homes. The various services provided are designed to respond to the members’ specific needs and wants which include concierge services, comprehensive home care, home repair, house cleaning, grocery shopping, transportation and other services.

Where it is going
In 2007, Beacon Hill Village sponsored a workshop which community leaders from 27 states attended. The Village to Village Network has been formed to offer leaders the opportunity to share resources and connect. There are now dozens of groups at various stages of development in the Washington metro region and they have formed a group, Washington Area Villages (WAV), that meets regularly.

Customized to the neighborhood
The design and implementation is customized to the needs and wants of the specific neighborhood. Most of these groups have done informal and formal research to determine what the members want, and are designing their program to address those needs. Consequently, no two programs will be exactly the same.

According to Vice President of the Palisades Village Group, Alicia Juarrero, the interest stems from the bottom-up effort of these communities. “One thing we believe in is that before doing anything else, organizers must query eligible neighborhood residents on exactly what services they want and need,” she said.

DC Area Villages and Aging in Place Models        

Virginia

• Reston for a Lifetime
• At Home in Alexandria
• Glencarlyn Citizens Assn Elder Village
• Mount Vernon At Home
• Mosby Woods Village  mosbywoodsvillage@gmail.com
• Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna

• At Home Chesapeake
• Bannockburn Neighbors Assisting Neighbors
• Burning Tree Village
• Chevy Chase At Home
• Garrett Park  bonniebtyler@aol.com
• Partners in Care

• Capitol Hill Village
• Dupont Circle Village
• Georgetown Village
• Glover Park  patclark@cpcug.org
• Kalorama Village
• Northwest Neighbors Village
• Palisades Village
• Pennsylvania Avenue Village East

• Village to Village Network
• Timebanking USA
• Pioneer Network
• Advantage Initiative
• Shepherd’s Centers of America
• Cohousing
• Community Without Walls

•  ’Village’ groups help seniors remain in their homes as they grow older – Washington Post
• ‘Villages’ Help Neighbors Age At Home – NPR
• Aging Services: What You Need to Know about Villages – AAHSA
• Aging in Place — A Graceful Living Option for Seniors – Kaiser Health News

“You can either cry or you can laugh,” she recalled thinking. “Obviously one is a much better option than the other.”

Before Carmody, who is in her sixties, developed sepsis of the blood and ultimately lost part of her leg, she was very independent. She and her husband, David, traveled a lot, raised their two children and even ran their own software development company.

“Then, all of a sudden, boom,” she said of the unexpected nature of her illness.

At first Carmody was devastated, suffering a real crisis of confidence. She knew that she would need help to do the activities and errands she used to enjoy, so she sought the services of GraceFul Care Inc. The organization of women caregivers provides assistance and companionship of a non-medical nature to those in need.

“I could no longer drive or go to the store on a whim, so these wonderful women helped me,” Carmody said. “They seemed very dedicated and genuinely enjoyed their clients.” She received visits from the caregivers several times a week, and they went to shop at Tyson’s Corner, went grocery shopping and completed other errands. The caregivers helped Carmody with her mobility as she adjusted to living with prosthesis.

Slowly but surely, she has started to rebuild her independence, and has progressively scaled back the number of visits per week. However, she said she looks forward to companionship from the women immensely, and considers many of them friends.

“I have formed relationships that go beyond care giving,” said Carmody. “It’s nice for me, and I hope it is for them as well.”

Though losing a limb was obviously devastating, it taught her how to slow down and enjoy the smaller joys of life. Just the other day she sat down and emailed a friend, mentioning how she now stops to smell the roses.

“I now have time, as silly as this sounds, to look out and appreciate the deer in our backyard and the bluebirds at our bird feeder,” she wrote. “I think the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned back on.”

Of the early days with the company, she recalls, “When I started tracking telephone records, it had always been done by men. The men were still getting paid a lot more for the same job at the time. I’m proud to say that over the 43 years I was with the company, and thanks to the efforts of a lot of the other girls in Maryland, we got a lot of those things remedied.”

After such a busy career, the prospect of facing endless, idle hours did not appeal to Gutberlet. “I didn’t just want to sit around and do nothing,” she says. She turned to Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland because she wanted to “do something worthwhile” with her retirement time; she has been volunteering with the program for 17 years now. “This is such a wonderful program that affords people the opportunity to stay at home,” she notes.

Through the years, she has seen the difference that visits by Meals on Wheels make-nutritionally and emotionally. Gutberlet and other volunteers deliver two nutritionally-balanced meals a day to individuals who are unable to prepare their own food or shop for their groceries. She points out that volunteers always make sure to see the individual and check in on them. Volunteers also provide referrals to other community services as needed.

One of Katherine’s most memorable experiences as a volunteer was the 100th birthday of one of the clients in Towson. She remembers, “All the drivers and visitors threw her a birthday party to celebrate her 100th year. We had a beautiful cake, and she just beamed. It really was wonderful.”

Katherine has also served on the Meals on Wheels’ Council of Site Representatives and was a member of the board of directors for some time. She continues to deliver meals to her standard route. “Every time I go, I feel like it was two hours well spent,” she says.

Besides volunteering, Katherine enjoys participating in many of the activities available at her retirement community. She has been a resident of Oak Crest, an Erickson Retirement Community in Parkville, MD for the past eight years. She also attends classes at the Baltimore Community College Lifelong Learning Program.

“I’m continually looking for something new to do,” says Katherine. That search for exciting, new activities leaves little time for work-and makes for a great retirement.