Merrill and Judy Skolnik were overwhelmed by the thought of moving until they enlisted the help of a moving coordinator.

The Skolniks began looking at continuing care retirement communities (CCRC), and after a lengthy search, they selected Roland Park Place in Baltimore, Md. The two native Baltimoreans have a long history in the area and were relieved to find a place in the city and close to their children.

After raising their four children, Judy launched a career as an advisor at Towson University. An electrical engineer, Merrill earned his degree from Johns Hopkins University and worked for nearly 40 years for the U.S. government. When he retired, he was the Superintendent of the Radar Division of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., and a widely renowned author and expert in radar technology.

After living in the same home for decades, the Skolniks were overwhelmed by the thought of moving. Even after finding the right retirement community, they had no idea of where or how to start the transition.

The staff at Roland Park Place suggested that the Skolniks enlist the help of Senior Transitions, Inc., a moving coordinating company owned and operated by Charna Kinneberg, RN, MBA. Senior Transitions assists seniors and their families with every aspect of the moving process from planning and downsizing to packing and unpacking.

“We are not a one-size-fits-all company. Each client is unique,” Charna explained. “Our services are tailored to relieve the stress of moving, and our first goal is to determine the exact needs of the client.”

When Charna started helping the Skolniks, relocating began to seem manageable. “She just took the whole burden off; she was in charge,” recalled Judy. “Thank goodness for Charna.”

Instead of worrying about home maintenance or feeling isolated, the Skolniks now enjoy a wide range of activities with new friends and
neighbors.

Charna helped Judy and Merrill make key decisions about what to take with them and what to leave behind. “She’s very decisive,” Judy recalled of Charna. “She knows what should be done and just does it.” She also enlisted help to do the packing and unpacking, so the couple did not have to worry about the physical tasks of the move.

“They were just wonderful,” Judy said of Senior Transitions. “They pack you up, and they bring you here, and they unpack you. They even make up your bed, and you’re ready to begin your new life.”

In addition to being efficient and professional, Charna and her staff also formed a personal relationship with the Skolniks. It was almost a year after they moved that Judy recalled seeing some of Senior Transitions’ staff members in the lobby of Roland Park Place. “A new resident was moving in upstairs with Charna’s help. I recognized the movers, and, to my surprise, they greeted me by name. They remembered everything about us. I couldn’t believe it,” she said.

Since moving, the Skolniks have enjoyed a much-improved lifestyle. Merrill stopped driving and Judy only drives during the day, so the couple rarely ventured out in the evenings while living in their house. Now, they take the community bus to the opera, theater, concerts and dinners. “There’s something to do here all the time,” Judy said. “I try to take advantage of everything, and it’s been very stimulating.”

Finding a community close to home and the professionals to help them make the move has helped the Skolniks transition to their ideal retirement. From living an isolated life in their increasingly burdensome house to enjoying activities and events with new friends and neighbors, the Skolniks have certainly made a move in the right direction.

Dr. Russell Tearney and his wife, Katherine, met while attending Virginia Union University in Richmond. The couple has spent their whole lives in education-either as students or as teachers. Dr. Tearney obtained a Ph.D. from Howard University and went on to teach cardiovascular physiology at the University until his retirement. Mrs. Tearney received a degree in elementary education and taught in the D.C. public school system for 43 years. After so many years in the same school, Mrs. Tearney had the pleasure of teaching parents and their children

Being a part of the D.C. school system’s Embassy Adoption Program was one of the highlights of Mrs. Tearney’s long career. She recalls, “I worked with children from France, Germany, China, and Thailand.” Throughout the course of the program, Mrs. Tearney’s students were “adopted” by a country. They studied the country’s history and culture in detail and received student visitors who spoke about their native land. The program, which continues today, culminated with a visit to the respective embassy.

The Tearneys had been living in their family home in Silver Spring for 30 years when Dr. Tearney got ill. His illness resulted in a long hospitalization and recovery process. The couple realized that their house was quickly becoming more than they could manage. After a visit to nearby Riderwood, a continuing care retirement community, they decided it was time for a move.

However, moving seemed like a daunting task to Dr. and Mrs. Tearney. She recalls, “I thought, ‘How in the world are we going to do this?’” When their Long & Foster Realtor, Brad Brown, recommended the services of Scott Swingler with Executor Assistance to help with moving and downsizing, the Tearneys were hopeful. Scott and his staff came over and went through the house with the couple. “They told us that all we would have to do was say “Yeah” or “Nah” for whether or not we wanted to take something, and they would help with everything else,” says Mrs. Tearney.

Executor Assistance associates, Peggy and Daphne, helped the Tearneys through every step of the moving process. They helped them decide what items to donate to charity and what to throw away. The couple composed a diagram of how they wanted their furniture placed, and they set up the new home to those specifications.

“It really was a lifesaver,” Mrs. Tearney says. Just a few months after moving in, the couple is completely settled. She says, “Since we moved, I have talked to people who have been living here for two years and haven’t finished unpacking. We are really lucky in that all we really had to do was walk in on moving day and almost everything was already done.”

Without stacks of boxes to contend with, the Tearneys are focusing on enjoying all the amenities at their new community. Mrs. Tearney lists the activities they are considering participating in: “My husband is interested in wood modeling, and he wants to go fishing in the pond. We are both going to take physical fitness classes, and I’m thinking about taking a computer class.”