Mrs. Mary Afrookteh (center) receives flowers from her caregiver, Kelly Berge (right), and Stephanie Nilson, Community Relations Director for Right-at- Home, In-Home Care & Assistance.

Mary was born in Lossiemouth, Scotland (home of the Loch Ness Monster). While her Mom was visiting her grandmother, Mary was born. Six weeks later, they returned to their home in Brooklyn, NY. Since Mary was born in Scotland, she has dual citizenship. She has enjoyed going back to visit her homeland over the years.

Mary met her husband while interning as a dietician at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, where he worked as an Associate Professor of Surgery. Following her internship, she got a job at the Waldorf Astoria on Park Avenue. “I got to meet all kinds of people,” said Mary. “I remember meeting Dodge MacArthur and Ronald Reagan, who was governor of California at the time.”

After marrying, Mary and Dr. Afrookteh went on to have four children and now have five grandchildren. The couple moved to Catonsville, Md., in 1962 when Dr. Afrookteh was offered a heart surgeon position at the University of MD. Years later, Dr. Afrookteh opened his own practice in Catonsville.

When Mary and her family realized she needed some extra help to remain in her home, they turned to Right at Home. Mary chose the company based largely on the recommendation of her trusted financial advisor, Carol Chaney. Carol has known and worked with the owner of Right at Home, Carole Luber, for many years and knows the importance of referring clients to trustworthy providers.

“Carol said they were top-notch and very involved with all of their clients,” explained Mary. “My daughter, also Carol, an attorney, felt comfortable after interviewing the owner, and my son, Ali, a doctor, was also familiar with the company.”

After over a year of using Right at Home, Mary has only positive feedback. “My caregiver, Kelly, has been like my daughter. We are joined at the hip, and I couldn’t get along without her,” Mary said. “She knows all my likes and dislikes.”

Ultimately, Mary is thrilled that she has been able to remain in her family home. She explained, “I don’t want to live with strangers. I have everything I want right here, including my kitties, Mo and Garfield”.

While they consider themselves best friends, the two also refer to one another as ‘pioneers’ in reference to the day that cemented their friendship. Jerry and Lillian are avid walkers and on that particular afternoon, they decided to disregard the sign that warns individuals about crossing the highway.

“We decided we felt like pioneers and were going to brave the traffic,” says Jerry. And they did just that…a number of times.

Although they walk the same road together today, the one that led each of them to Atrium Village is quite unique.

Jerry, a Cincinnati native, had just graduated from high school when the country was on the eve of World War II. After enlisting in the Army Air Force, Jerry had met his wife and spent a good portion of his time overseas in England. With the birth of their first child following the war, Jerry returned to school and received his degrees to become a lawyer.

They eventually settled in Baltimore where they enjoyed the perks of a convenient location. When his wife passed in 1981, Jerry remained busy with his work as a military reservist.

“The Air Force was happy with my work and I retired as a colonel in the Department of HHS ATW as a supervisory attorney, but my greatest accomplishment was receiving the Distinguished Service Award,” he says.

But there was another great accomplishment in store for Jerry when his son approached him about making the transition to a retirement community that could provide the services he needed. At the time, Jerry had been experiencing cardiac problems and was living with his daughter, who had her own health concerns, and her family.

Having lived in military communities for most of his life, he was apprehensive about the move, but had heard nothing but great comments about Atrium Village. What he discovered was that Atrium Village complemented his lifestyle perfectly.

“I wanted enough space to relieve myself of housekeeping duties and I don’t like cooking because I think eating is a social experience, and this community fit perfectly into that,” says Jerry.

Surrounded by similarly active individuals and different opportunities, he has immersed himself in the social environment by helping with the Veterans’ Group and attending public affairs meetings at Atrium Village. He also plans to volunteer in a read-aloud group for residents with vision problems. Fortunately, it was this on-the-go lifestyle that led Jerry to Lillian.

“To find a soul mate is a bonus,” says Jerry, “Because we shared the same feelings and thoughts, it developed into a great friendship.”

Lillian was born in Brooklyn, NY, and since her parents were from Europe, she spoke Yiddish and Polish until she went to school.

“I fell in love with school. I wanted to be a psychiatrist; I was going to teach people how to live the most wonderful life,” she says.

Following her studies, however, Lillian became a teacher, a profession she enjoyed that enabled her to be with her two children more. Over the years, she was able to utilize her psychology background in other part-time jobs, including working with children and adults with special needs in hospitals.

When her husband passed away, Lillian was not quite sure what to do having lived in their Long Island home for 47 years. Although she continued to work, her sons had moved to Baltimore and discussed the next step.

“I was not unhappy, but I was not in the world I had lived in – that was disappearing,” she says. “They said, ‘We found a place that we think you can afford that could work out for you.’”

It was two years ago that Lillian made the move to her apartment in Atrium Village. To this day, she enjoys the freedom of no home-maintenance and constantly being surrounded by others. In fact, she is known by Jerry and her peers as one who can remember the lyrics to any song written since the ’20s and for her knowledge of literary classics.

“I’ve found a home here, I’ve met many welcoming people and I’m very happy,” she says.

And this attitude is exactly what the staff at Atrium Village strives for on a daily basis, especially its newly appointed executive director, Arnold Eppel, who came to the community after having served a storied career as the executive director of the Baltimore County Area Agency on Aging.

This government agency is the largest area agency in the State of Maryland, and under Arnold’s leadership, it created and managed countless programs that have garnered local and national attention. The most well-known program is the annual Baltimore County Senior and Baby Boomer Expo. The Expo attracts thousands of Baltimore County residents and put Arnold front and center to meet and better understand the region’s issues, offerings and challenges.

After completing his graduate studies in the innovative Erickson School of Aging Studies at University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), Arnold was inspired to transfer his experience, training and education to a different venue, which led him to Atrium Village.

The position has allowed him to focus his talents and energies on the needs of a tight-knit community as opposed to the massive geographic reach of Baltimore County. Arnold himself is a resident of Owings Mills and lives just a few minutes from the community which only enhances his connection to the surrounding neighborhoods and his ability to serve as a leader.

Arnold’s enthusiasm and drive to make Atrium Village “the best retirement community in the state” are unwavering. He is a fixture in all parts of the community soliciting feedback from the residents, talking to staff and focusing on ways to improve and innovate. His enthusiasm and expertise lends itself to Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Legacy Court, or Memory care.

The constant aspirations of the staff and the offerings of the community further prove to residents like Lillian and Jerry, and their families, that they made the right decision.

“At the time, people told me I should have moved in with my children,” says Lillian, “I thought, they have their own families and homes, and I’m part of that family, but I want my own place.”

And with her budding friendship and a retirement community that strives to meet individualized needs, Lillian certainly found the right place. At Atrium Village, whether it’s simply stretching the boundaries of a walk or exceeding expectations in retirement living, there is no question that there are several “pioneers” among its residents and staff.

Perhaps Jan said it best as he stated with a smile, “I don’t live here…I’m on vacation here.”

That means a great deal coming from this world-rounded individual who was born in Indonesia and speaks Dutch, German and Malaysian. After serving in the Army, Jan eventually became a bank president and active stock investor.

With three children, Jan was married for 50 years before his wife’s passing. When he suffered a stroke, it was his son Elmer who helped move him from Florida to the nearby community.

Elmer’s wife, Mary Jo, said, “I set out on this mission to go to five assisted living facilities having never been to one. I stopped in Sunrise at Fox Hill first and immediately thought ‘I found it!’”

Although they did not look anywhere else, Mary Jo and Elmer are reminded of why it was the perfect decision as they have watched Jan thrive. The community’s focus on “life enrichment” consists of great programs, social connections and a well-trained staff that learns about each resident and what is best for him/her. This support has proven to have a positive effect on residents and is certainly evident in Jan’s situation.

“The people are the big difference with the level of attention and care they give,” said Elmer. “They actually thought they couldn’t have him here, but with the care he received, they got him back within weeks from a wheelchair to walking.”

Norman and Shirley Levin’s daughter, Faye, would have to agree saying her parents look the best they have in the past few years. Both Connecticut natives, the Levins moved to Brooklyn after Norman received his PhD and was offered a position at The City University of New York.

They eventually retired to Florida, but at their granddaughter’s graduation, Norman became ill and was hospitalized with his condition only worsening in a local nursing home.

“We knew then that I was no longer able to take care of him and that we had to make some choices for the future,” said Shirley.

In stepped Faye, who lived only two miles from Sunrise at Fox Hill. As a lawyer, she knew what details she needed to hear regarding the care of her father, so she proceeded to speak with staff, residents and families.

“This place is beautiful, but you don’t want to be taken in by that because it’s really only as good as the people who take care of you,” said Faye. “I sat here many days and watched the aides with the residents, and they were patient and sweet and answered my questions.”

As the community accommodated a quick move for Norman, Faye successfully moved her dad into Sunrise at Fox Hill and her mom into a nearby apartment over an eight-week period with the help of Transitional Assistance & Design, and it has all been uphill from there.

With the community’s comfortable atmosphere, Faye and her family are able to constantly visit as are Elmer and Mary Jo whose children will often come by with friends or to study. Though the roads that led Norman and Jan to Sunrise at Fox Hill are unique, their families can say with the excellent care and amenities of the community that it is exactly the right home for each of these men.

Having raised three brilliant and caring children, Joan has certainly led a fascinating life and it is only getting better at her current home, BayWoods of Annapolis, a Continuing Care Retirement Community nestled along the Chesapeake.

“It’s been wonderful here and I feel truly fortunate,” she said.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Joan came to Washington D.C. at the age of two and eventually met her husband Aaron Epstein while working at the Office of Naval Research. Through his career, they were stationed in various locations, including Paris where Kathie was born.

The couple raised Kathie, their son David, and youngest daughter Michelle (Michie) in Bowie, Md., where they lived for 30 years. While Aaron served as a Chief Petty Officer, Joan took pride in tending to her home and stayed active through her community and by becoming a speaker for Christian Women Clubs and churches.

“I found all kinds of creativity in my own life,” she said. “I traveled around Canada for these wonderful opportunities to express myself and share what I believed in and cared about.”

Over the years, her children’s own creativity and talents emerged. Especially evident was Joan’s gift as a Soprano which had passed onto her daughters. From skits Kathie would put on with the help of her siblings to Michie’s early natural vocal abilities, Joan had already known her children were destined for great things with their unique qualities and most importantly, their kindness towards others.

“We always encouraged them to be active and involved,” said Joan. “It was an interesting life with such bright children who were good children. They had a very balanced life because we raised them to care about their neighbors.”

Today, this upbringing is certainly evident as David is the Senior Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in New York City, Kathie is a known author and entertainer, and Michie, who has sung backup for Kathie, has followed in her mother’s footsteps as a homemaker.

It is also evident in the concern of Aaron and Joan’s children that their parents settled at a home where they could maintain their active lifestyles and receive the utmost care later in life. There was no question that the Epsteins wanted to find a community located in the heart of Annapolis, and with the help of their son-in-law, Craig Mader of Craig Mader Insurance, the couple learned about BayWoods.

“It was still being built at the time, but my daughter and I came to look at a model,” said Joan. “It was five years later that we would be able to move in.”

One of the aspects that had appealed to Joan was the assisted living care the community could offer for any potential future health needs. What it has offered her, however, has been so much more. Unfortunately in 2002, just a few months prior to their move, Joan’s husband of over 53 years passed away.

“I can’t say enough good things about BayWoods as someone who didn’t think she was going to live here after her husband died, but it was part of the healing for me,” she said. “You could either be alone or be surrounded by people, and here there is a wonderful group of people.”

Surrounded by supportive individuals and taking advantage of a variety of activities, Joan could not be happier at BayWoods and in her apartment which she has decorated beautifully. Through the community’s unique Cooperative Ownership Program, Joan and her fellow residents have all been offered an equity position and the benefits associated with home ownership.

From the potential to collectively own the land to covered garage parking, there are many ways in which this pet-friendly community feels like a tight-knit neighborhood with additional perks.

“It’s a very nice community and there are only about 200 of us, so we get to know each other pretty well,” she said. “The people here are loving and really there for you.”

Of course, with her creativity and core values, Joan has contributed to this environment as she teaches a Bible Study with about 20 women. Their goal is to arrange for a non-denominational Sunday service for those in the community that are unable to attend local churches. She also often visits the assisted living unit, The Arbor at BayWoods, where she enjoys lunch and a stroll through the grounds with different residents. Offering a full continuum of care from assisted living and dementia care to hospice and comprehensive care, The Arbor ensures its residents receive the assistance they need.

There is never a dull moment for individuals at BayWoods due to its extensive array of amenities. With a fitness center, heated indoor swimming pool, putting green, Billiards room, cocktail lounge, fishing and crabbing pier and more, there are endless opportunities to mingle and stay active. Although there is a great deal available onsite, Joan and her peers cannot help but also take advantage of the community’s location in scenic Annapolis.

“I’m a small town person so I get out and enjoy Annapolis a lot,” she said. “It’s just charming and we’re so fortunate to have everything here.”

Along with this quaint area, residents also have the opportunity to take daytrips to nearby cities such as Washington D.C. and Baltimore. For Joan, the flexibility and freedom to spend her days as she pleases has been tremendous since it is not always easy to see her family with a daughter constantly on the go. With Michie nearby, Joan is happy to see her quite often and feels fortunate when she is able to see her other two children together in New York.

“I’m kind of spoiled,” she said with a smile. “I will get driven up to the city to visit Kathie as well as David and his family.”

As Joan enjoys her vacations and visits, she feels blessed to be returning to a fabulous home. With a spacious apartment complete with a spectacular view of the Chesapeake Bay and a fully equipped kitchen, anything Joan could need from a bank to convenience store is practically right outside of her door.

“I have a funny joke where I say ‘I need to get off this cruise ship!’” she said with a laugh. “I feel like I’m on one because I’m entertained, I’m fed, and I sometimes need to come up for air. I can’t keep up with everything and I say that in a good way.”

From raising her three children, one being a well-known celebrity, to ‘smooth sailing’ at the perfect home, one may infer as to Joan’s secret to success. For this humble individual, however, it seems it is all about family and meaningful relationships.

“I sit in disbelief with my children,” she said. “It’s a very rewarding life to raise human beings that go back into the world and don’t take but rather give.”

As she glances at the collection of family portraits adorning her apartment that includes her six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, she sees her most important accomplishments. As she sees the everyday smiles of her fellow residents and staff at BayWoods of Annapolis, however, she can see all that lies in store for her future.

Jay Furman was raised in Brooklyn and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied engineering. He became a mechanical engineer and operated Claremont Engineering on Delaware Avenue in Philadelphia. He worked with recycling paper pulps and goods and with developing filter systems for processing plants. After retiring in 1986, he began consulting for the Ceco and Clermont company, whom he sold his own business to. Mr. Furman continued consulting work until 1994. Jay and his wife lived in Lafayette Hill for many years and raised three children there. His wife passed away in 1987 from cancer.

After his wife died, Mr. Furman chose to remain in their family home for several years. He began to consider a move to a retirement community because he felt it was the right thing to do. Mr. Furman chose Sterling Glen of Center City, a supportive living residence which offers both independent and assisted living options in Philadelphia, because of the community’s location and amenities. Since the move, Mr. Furman has continued to pursue his cultural and social interests with the comfort of knowing that his meals will always be prepared and any assistance he may need in the future will be provided. Of the community, Mr. Furman says, “This is the right place for me at this age.”

Mr. Furman remains very active and keeps his car, which he uses daily, parked in the community garage. In addition to his work with Recording for the Blind and his synagogue, Mr. Furman volunteers at the Curator’s Office at the Franklin Institute, plays bridge several days a week, and attends sculpting classes. He has been doing woodworking for many years and several of his beautiful pieces are displayed in the main lobby at Sterling Glen.

Quite the Renaissance man, Mr. Furman also leads a folk dancing class for his fellow residents. For the residents in wheelchairs, he teaches square dance moves that they can do while seated. Mr. Furman also enjoys Shabbat dinners and trips to the opera with his lady friend, who lives in a nearby apartment. Mr. Furman was recently honored by the Germantown Jewish Centre as a vice chair of the original Construction Committee of the synagogue. Both he and his brother were original charter members.

With such a busy schedule, Mr. Furman is happy to be comfortable settled in at Sterling Glen-where he knows he will always come home to a hot meal and friendly faces.

“I always knew I was going to be in some kind of helping profession.” This is how Mrs. Hofstein explains her work as the administrator of the first apartment house for mentally ill adults on Long Island. The aptly named Hofstein House is still in operation today. Hofstein House provides independent apartments to 50 mentally ill adults, allowing them to retain their independence while providing them with the convenience of a social worker on-site, who offers counseling and assistance with locating a job.

Establishing and operating this facility wasn’t Mrs. Hofstein’s first stint with serving the needy though; she left her home in London to become a part of a Jewish relief unit in Europe during WW II. After a training program, she spent two years in Europe: “We were sent to Europe where we went through Holland. We got to Rotterdam the day it was liberated and we worked in Rotterdam for a while and then we went to Bergen-Belsoen when it was liberated. I was the child welfare officer in charge of all the children in the camp. This involved taking care of 83 children from the concentrations camps, who were all orphans.” While her work in Europe was emotionally challenging, it was certainly rewarding to help these children who so desperately needed her. However, one of the most unexpected rewards of her time in Europe was the opportunity to meet her future husband, an American solider from New York.

At the end of the war, Mrs. Hofstein returned to the states with her husband and started a daycare center in Brooklyn, where she worked until she became the Mental Health Association Director in Nassau, a job she held for 25 years. She retired from the position, and left her work at Hofstein house 3 years ago at the age of 77, but she still visits frequently and is continually involved in the operation of the facility. Of the challenging nature of her work, Mrs. Hofstein relates, “We were responsible for several hundred mentally ill adults, which can certainly be stressful. But it’s work that needs to be done, so you do it; at the time you don’t think about the stress of it. I loved my work, and I missed it for a time when I retired.”

Mrs. Hofstein quickly learned that retirement would offer much-deserved opportunities to relax and enjoy herself. After initially looking into a facility in Long Island, Mrs. Hofstein really began to enjoy the idea of living in a retirement community: “I got caught up in the idea of not having to cook and clean. If you’re still able-bodied, and my husband and I were at the time, it’s easy to want to stay in your own home, but I think it’s important for people to look ahead and realize there’s going to come a time when they don’t want to cook anymore. The idea of going shopping or making dinner every night absolutely appalls me now.”

When Sadie and her husband discussed their potential move with their son, he suggested that they move to a life-care community in the Philadelphia area, so they would be closer to him. Although the couple initially resisted the idea, they visited communities in Philadelphia and liked Martins Run so much that they decided to make the move. For the Hofsteins, Martins Run really met all their criteria: “We wanted to be in a Jewish community, and this is, but it was really the sense of warmth we got from the people that convinced us this was the right place. There’s no question that the people who work here are warm and friendly, but it is essentially the other residents, who were so welcoming.”

In fact, the “O.K.” sign outside her door is a program that was devised by, and is entirely operated by, residents. Mrs. Hofstein explains, “You put out the sign anytime after 4 o’clock in the morning and one person on each corridor is responsible for picking up those signs and putting them back on your door. If they don’t see the signs, they call you or knock on your door. If there’s no reply, they will call the central office. They’ve found people who have fallen in the middle of the night. It’s a very useful system.” It also is a clear demonstration of the compassionate, communal atmosphere at Martins Run.

It is the benevolent conduct of the other residents that has helped Mrs. Hofstein through the past year. Unfortunately, a short time after their move, Mrs. Hofstein’s husband became ill and died suddenly. Throughout this challenging time, Mrs. Hofstein has managed to keep a positive attitude, partially due to the support she receives from other community members: “Considering my husband died relatively suddenly, it should have been a terrible year, but it hasn’t been. I mean, I have made friends here. The environment is conducive to making friends; there’s no question about that.”

Mrs. Hofstein and the other residents are able to easily make new friends because of the variety of programs offered at the community. She relates that she has always been a “participator:” “I go to many things. I like the music programs here, as well as the writing class. I also go line dancing. Of course, there are always community outings too-to the opera or the theater. This is an active place.” For a woman who has worked so hard, this stress-free lifestyle is still a novelty. “I only have to get up in the morning and say, ‘what shall I do today to amuse myself?,’ relates Mrs. Hofstein. Secure in the fact that she will be provided for should a need for care arise, Mrs. Hofstein is free to fully enjoy herself.

After providing for so many others in need, Sadie has finally settled into the new-found role of care recipient, one which she fits her quite nicely. In fact, she strongly recommends that others follow in her footsteps: “I’ve talked to a number of would-be residents who are my age and older and they’re always not ready. The truth is most of them are over-ripe. I often think people do leave their homes too late. It’s best if you come to a facility when you’re still able to enjoy what all it has to offer.” Not only did her move prove to be terrific decision for herself but also for her children. She admits, “Martins Run is great because I am not totally dependent on my son. That works for him too. I like that aspect of it. There’s a good feeling about not having to be dependent on your children.”

After devoting so much of her life to social and volunteer work, Mrs. Hofstein has been thrilled with the opportunity to make new friends and expand her busy social schedule at Martins Run. “You will find that the folks my age who live on the outside often have limited social lives. Once people make the move, very few of them are sorry. The bottom line for most people is: will they make friends here? The rest of it’s all garbage. It doesn’t matter really–the food, the housekeeping, etc. — it’s are you able to form relationships here. For most, the answer is ‘yes.’” Mrs. Hofstein has certainly developed strong bonds with her fellow residents and her social calendar is booked for weeks in advance, with classes, outings, discussion groups, and card games.

As the sign outside her door relates Mrs. Hofstein is certainly ‘o.k.,’ in fact she is flourishing in her new home, which has become a place to relax and reward herself for a lifetime of hard work and good deeds, a legacy which is represented by the nearby Hofstein House plaque.