During his remarkable career, Frank E. Braxton, Sr., has held positions ranging from shoemaker to political appointee.
He learned several trades, pursued a few different careers and discovered a couple of passions. Frank E. Braxton, Sr.’s, lengthy resume includes positions ranging from his early work as a shoemaker to his many political appointments.

While Frank’s job titles are impressive, they don’t reveal his incredible work ethic. His lifelong commitment to service is best reflected by the wide array of awards that adorn the walls of his apartment at Atrium Village.

Atrium Village is a Senior Lifestyle Community in Owings Mills, Md., offering independent living, assisted living and memory care. Frank made the move to Atrium’s assisted living community after a series of illnesses left him hospitalized.

During his remarkable career, Frank E. Braxton, Sr., has held positions ranging from shoemaker to political appointee.

Unsatisfied with the care he had been receiving and looking for answers, his family decided to have Frank transferred to Johns Hopkins Hospital. His mysterious symptoms, including uncontrollable shaking, began to clear up in just a few days.After a brief stay in rehabilitation, Frank moved to Atrium Village and quickly became an active member of the community.For Frank, who recently celebrated his 98th birthday, getting involved has always come naturally. A native Washingtonian, he pursued many different opportunities before delving into local politics. Shortly after graduating from Armstrong Technical School in Washington, D.C., Frank became a shoemaker.

“I found out that I wasn’t a good shoemaker pretty quickly when I started working in one of those fast shoe shops,” he recalled.

After discovering that shoemaking was not his calling, Frank struggled to get another position. “Jobs were hard to find back in the 30s,” he said. “Those of us who actually lived in D.C. had very little chance of getting a good government job.”

Determined to make his own way, Frank began shining shoes at a barbershop that served an elite clientele. “One of the lawyers who came there ended up giving me a letter of recommendation to work at the post office,” Frank remembered. “Because of his letter, I got a job. It was 66 cents an hour, but that was a good job.”

After this crucial recommendation, Frank’s career really took off. He eventually got an appointment at the Government Printing Office. However, shortly after starting his new job, Frank was drafted and joined the U.S. Army. Following a brief but distinguished military career, he returned to the States and was called back to the U.S. Postal Service.
A postal worker by day, Frank also became a watchmaker. “I did anything I could to make an honest living, and I made watches for about 15 years,” he said.

During his remarkable career, Frank E. Braxton, Sr., has held positions ranging from shoemaker to political appointee.

During his tenure at the Postal Service, Frank became involved in The National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees Union. He served as the Vice President of the local chapter and later became the Financial Secretary of the chapter. His involvement with the union continued even after his retirement. “Our local president became the national union president,” Frank recalled. “By this time, I had retired, but he appointed me to serve as chair of the retirees division.”Even while working full time, Frank amassed a significant amount of experience in local politics. Through the years, he held both elected and appointed positions in the D.C. government. He is most proud of his service on the First District Citizens’ Advisory Council. The Council was responsible for advising the commander of the D.C. Police Force about the services the community wanted and needed.“While I was on that Council, we earned the confidence of the neighborhood and also of the police officers,” explained Frank. “We were able to achieve amazing reductions in crime.”

Frank’s many political positions also included an election to the Democratic State Committee and an appointment to the Civilian Complaint Review Board, among others. The Board investigated alleged abuse of power by police officers and made recommendations for punishment.

While he is immensely proud of his work in the community, Frank readily admits that it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of his wife, Geneva. Frank and Geneva met on a streetcar in D.C. Frank had a girlfriend when they first met, but he knew that something was different about this young woman. “She just struck a nerve,” he recalled fondly. “There was something there that I just really liked.”

The couple married and had two children, Frank, Jr., and Yvonne. While Frank pursued his personal and political ambitions, Geneva provided stability for the family. “I was able to do so much because I always had the backing of my wife. I think now of the many nights that she was left alone while I was out doing something for someone else. She always supported me,” he said.After Geneva passed away nearly 20 years ago, Frank continued to live alone in their home. Last year, he started to have some health issues, including episodes of uncontrollable shaking. Frank was leaving his doctor’s office after a follow-up visit when he collapsed. It was this episode that led to his eventual transfer to Johns Hopkins Hospital. While Frank was recovering, his grandson found Atrium Village, and the family has never looked back.

“I would recommend this community to anyone because of the care we receive,” said Frank. “At home, I would miss taking my medicine or run out of medicine. Since I’ve been here, I don’t have to worry about that.”

Frank also enjoys having three delicious meals prepared for him every day. Perhaps, most importantly, he loves the genuine interactions between staff and residents. “The personnel here are very attentive to all of us,” he said. “You often see them hugging the residents and giving them attention, and the residents return the affection.”

In addition to great amenities and personal relationships, Atrium Village offers a variety of spacious apartment styles, including floor plans that residents can personalize with favorite furnishings and cherished possessions. Residents also enjoy events and programs, scheduled transportation to doctors’ appointments and local shopping.

Since moving to Atrium Village, Frank has quickly adjusted and made friends. He has become an integral part of his new community and continues to give back in any way he can.

Pointing to the diverse plaques acknowledging his service as a politician and a community volunteer, Frank notes, “All the awards you see here are for things I did because I wanted to. I never wanted to be paid for the things I did. If I couldn’t do it out of the goodness of my heart, I didn’t want to do it.” Whether he was serving his customers, his constituents or his community, Frank’s commitment to service never wavered, and he always delivered his help with a smile. That, it turns out, is the key to an award-winning life.

Over the course of her career, Vera never emphasized private practice feeling it was too isolating in terms of her capacity to effect change.  Above all, she said she stressed the importance of distrusting simple answers and instead dealing with complexity in the area of human behavior.

After the passing of her husband, the nature of her work extended to a broader field as she did international consulting, establishing relationships in Europe.  “I had the great opportunity to meet some extraordinarily gifted people from whom I did learn much,” she said.

According to Vera, her profession was interrupted almost overnight when she lost the capacity to read over two years ago because of a physical change in the structure of her eye. As her eyesight continued to diminish, she found it impossible to operate independently with certain tasks such as money management.  Fortunately, she was connected to Kate Finan of Finan Financial Care, LLC, who has specialized in the daily money management needs of seniors in the area since 1993.

When Kate visits Vera, they consider the priority of items such as paying bills and making donations to charities; reconciling the checkbook; and reviewing and making decisions on how to respond to a fairly large volume of mail.  Vera has also appreciated the focus on her need for legal help as they have established a will and other important documents.  “She has been great in helping me organize the practical aspects of my life under the condition of diminished sight; she acts as an alter ego,” said Vera.

She also said she has found a connection with Kate as far as her capacity to see the complexity of what Vera has to deal with beyond simple solutions.

“In this relationship with Kate, what is paramount is the mutual recognition that the problem is not in a loss of mental capacity but rather in the capacity to deal with practical everyday problems,” said Vera.  “Without her help, I would have been stressed and unable to manage my current life.”

Following her discharge due to a bout with pneumonia, she met an American whom she married and settled with in Towson, Md.  They had three children as Christine pursued a career as a care worker.

When her husband passed away, she proceeded to live with her daughter and son-in-law.  A cancer survivor, Christine has severe arthritis and started requiring more assistance than her working loved ones could provide.  She knew she wanted to remain at home as opposed to making the transition to a senior housing option, so she looked to outside resources for making this possible.

With the help of a local veterans organization, she was referred to Linda Tomarchio with Options for Senior America, a company that provides in-home care throughout the state of Maryland as well as Washington, D.C. and Virginia.

Christine receives home care for 20 hours during the workweek.  In addition to offering assistance with daily activities, her primary caregiver, Whitney Anderson, provides Christine with her needed oxygen and colostomy bag.  Each day, Christine looks forward to the companionship and support she has found with Whitney.

“They’ve been very good to us.  My caregiver comes five days a week and she bathes me and cooks,” she said.

She also maintains her connections with the veterans organization who also offer her assistance by providing wheelchairs, walkers and stairlifts.  With all of the support she has received, she enjoys taking care of her bird Ringo, which she proudly named after the Beatle.  She also spends her time getting together with friends from church.

“I love being around people,” she said.  “I belong to the Baptist church and we have all kinds of dinners.”

Most importantly, however, Christine knows utilizing the services of a home care company has given her family peace of mind.

“Options is wonderful,” she said.  “They’ve always been there to send someone to help me.  They have been very good and have never let me down.”

Panel members included:

• Susan Newhouse from Village at Home
• Maureen Cavaiola and Betty Farrar from At Home Chesapeake
• Candace Baldwin, Village to Village Network was unable to attend due to illness, however she shared a powerpoint presentation with attendees to familiarize them with village concepts.

 Attendees included the following professionals, alpha by Organization Name:

• Rosemary Mclean A Move Matters (410) 404-3389 rbm43@comcast.net
• Heather Murphy Abilities Network (410) 828-7700, Ext 1271 hmurphy@abilitiesnetwork.org
• Vernee Ragin Active Day of Timonium (410) 560-6717 vragin@activeday.com
• Ann Murray adcieo (443) 253-5359 ann.murray@adcieo.com
• Arlene Saks-Martin Armel Inc (410) 655-6025 ajmartin37@comcast.net
• Lauren Saks Armel Inc (410) 655-6025 ajmartin37@comcast.net
• Donna DePazzo Atrium Village (410) 363-0330 ddepazzo@seniorlifestyle.com
• Beth Wiseman Baltimore County Assoc of Senior Cit. Orgs. (410) 484-6866
• Brenda Shoenig Baltimore County Dept Of Aging (410) 887-2059 bshoenig@baltimorecountymd.gov
• Lynn McCamie Baltimore County Dept Of Aging (410) 887-2002 lmccamie@baltimorecountymd.gov
• Linda Cromwell Being There Senior Care LLC (410) 971-8999 linda@beingthereseniorcare.com
• Debbie Hill BrightStar of Baltimore City County (443) 275-2796 deborah.hill@brightstarcare.com
• Lynn Berberich BrightStar of Baltimore City County (443) 275-2796 l.berberich@brightstarcare.com
• Alan Lemay Brightview Assisted Living of White Marsh (410) 668-1588 alemay@bvsl.net
• Judy Armstrong Brightview Mays Chapel Ridge (410) 628-2100 jarmstrong@mayschapelridge.com
• Diana Brown Broadmead (443) 578-8023 dbrown@broadmead.org
• Tracy Carpenter Burgee-Henss-Seitz Funeral Home (410) 889-3735 tracey.carpenter@sci-us.com
• Robin Rich Catholic Charities Caritas House (410) 646-6544 rrich@catholiccharities-md.org
• Pat France Centrol Inc (410) 828-5564 patfrance@centrol-inc.com
• Janet Jones Chesapeake Medical Staffing (410) 321-4267 jjones@cms24-7.com
• Robin Dulaney Chesapeake Medical Staffing 410-321-4267 x112 rdulaney@cms24-7.com
• Emma Barnes ComForCare of Randallstown (410) 922-6221 nwbaltimoreco@comforcare.com
• Jenette Young ComForCare of Randallstown (410) 922-6262 jyoung@comforcare.com
• Bruce Goodman Community Home Health Of MD (410) 356-1600 bgoodman@msa-corp.com
• Beth Slepian Ferretto Eldercare Consulting Inc (410) 591-7072 beth@ferrettoeldercare.com
• Mary Faith Ferretto Ferretto Eldercare Consulting Inc (410) 661-6720 MARYFAITH@FERRETTOELDERCARE.COM
• Kim High Focus on Function (410) 484-2761 khigh@foftherapyservices.com
• Fran Glushakow Franny’s Angels (443) 691-0133 frannysangels@gmail.com
• Yolanda Pitts Gilchrist Hospice Care (443) 849-8208 ypitts@gilchristhospice.org
• Barbara Snyder Guide To Retirement Living (410) 581-6873 barbara@proaging.com
• Hilla Keren Healing with Hilla (410) 456-3800 hkeren@comcast.net
• Joseph DePetris Home Instead Baltimore County (410) 337-8910 hisc131@comcast.net
• Melinda Jabbie Home Instead Senior Care (301) 588-9710 mjabbie@caregivingforseniors.com
• Bonnie Ledford Home With You Companion Care (410) 926-9229 bledford@homewithyou.net
• Mary Helen Dennis InfoDoc (410) 375-7903 mhdennis@infodocinc.com
• Lisa Shifren Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore (410) 542-4900 lshifren@jcc.org
• Judith Gregory Judith A. Gregory (410) 979-1057 thejudygregory@comcast.net
• Audrey Besmanoff Kanine Kookies (410) 992-5254 audreylee3@verizon.net
• Constance Johnson Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital (410) 601-2374 cojohnso@lifebridgehealth.org
• Candace Blosser LifeCare Advisors (443) 420-4096 cblosser@lifecarelegal.com
• Janice MacGregor Maryland State Office On Aging (410) 767-1087 jlm@ooa.state.md.us
• Gregory Fenlon mychoice (888) 705-5077 gmfenlon@verizon.net
• Hilbert Byers III Neighborcare Home Care (800) 272-4463 x7743 hilbert.byers@omnicare.com
• Jessica Umstead Paradise Assisted Living Inc (443) 742-8100 paradise.marketingdirector@gmail.com
• Fred Winer Parting With Possessions (410) 337-0085 fred@pwpusa.com
• Maureen Winter Parting With Possessions (410) 337-0085 maureen@pwpusa.com
• Anne Myers PARTNERS IN CARE (410) 544-4800 annemyers@partnersincare.org
• Marie Olo Progressive Rehab Services (443) 844-8842 marie@progressiverehabs.com
• Rachel Bernas Progressive Rehab Services (410) 356-6161 rachel@progressiverehabs.com
• Linda Tice Psa Financial Center (443) 798-7419 linda@psafinancial.com
• Regina Curran Regina Curran (410) 661-1988 reginamcurranma@verizon.net
• Jill Rosner Rosner Healthcare Consulting (410) 591-6378 jillrosnerrn@aol.com
• Susan Newhouse Senior Solutions LLC (410) 235-3171 snewhouse@seniorsolutions-baltimore.com
• Lisa Berlin Taking Care of Business (410) 730-6062 lisa@tcbinc.us
• Ellen Platt The Option Group (410) 667-0266 eplatt@theoptiongroup.net
• Dave Pyser Visiting Angels (410) 218-9506 visitingangelshomecare@comcast.net
• Racheal Dove We Care Private Duty Services Inc (410) 602-3993 rdove@wecarepds.com
• Elizabeth Ghazarian Wellaware Systems (804) 249-2128 eghazarian@wellawaresystems.com
• Anne Perry Westminster House Apartments (410) 837-0180 aperry@westminsterhouseapts.org
• Sue Millard Yerman, Witman, Gaines, Conklin Realty (410) 493-1001 smillard@ywgcrealty.com
• Tina Thompson Yerman, Witman, Gaines, Conklin Realty (410) 583-0400 tthompson@ywgcrealty.com

Dont miss the next ProAging meeting!

ProAging at the World of Possibilities DisABILITIES Expo

Date: Friday May 06, 2011

Time: 8:30 a.m.

Location: Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road, Timonium, MD 21093

Please RSVP rsvp@proaging.com

Description: Be the first in the door for the region’s major forum for disability-related resources.  The ProAging event will bring together professionals in the aging and disabilities community to network and hear Louis Tenenbaum,one of the foremost authorities on aging in place and universal design concepts. Bring business cards and brochures and be ready to network and learn about disability services for all ages.

About Louis Tenenbaum

A former carpenter and contractor, Louis Tenenbaum is now a leading thinker, speaker and consultant on Aging in Place—the idea that our homes are the most desirable and economical place for housing and care. Based in Washington, DC’s Maryland suburbs, Louis helps businesses, nonprofits and individuals formulate and refine design, strategies, marketing and programming for Aging in Place homes, products and age friendly communities.

In 2010 Louis wrote Aging in Place 2.0: Rethinking Solutions to the Home Care Challenge, published by the MetLife Mature Marketing Institute.

Please RSVP rsvp@proaging.com

“My mother is so much happier with her new best friend. It’s made all the difference,” said Juliette Lloyd, Fedora’s daughter.

According to Juliette, Fedora was a “War bride” and was living in Florence, Italy when she met her future husband. After the war, with the eventual blessing from Fedora’s father, they wed and had two children before moving to the U.S.

Continuing to visit relatives in Italy each summer, their family resided in Johnston, Pa. After selling the family home, Fedora and her husband moved to the Florida apartment where they had spent winters. Juliette, however, saw that maintaining their lifestyle was becoming difficult and hired in-home help for them. When her father passed away, Juliette and her mother agreed it would be best to move Fedora closer to her in Washington, D.C.

After a tremendous amount of research on senior living communities, Juliette felt that Sunrise on Connecticut Avenue, which offers assisted living and Alzheimer’s care, was the best. Instead of moving in permanently, Fedora did a respite stay for two years, spending summers at Sunrise and the remainder of the year in Florida.

“That gave her a chance to adjust so she didn’t have such a stark change,” said Juliette. “When we finally decided to make her full-time move up here, it was a lot easier. She knew the staff and felt comfortable.”

Fabrizio Moriconi, Jocelyne’s son, grew up in Tenleytown after his parents came to the U.S. in the 60s to pursue a dream of starting a wine business. While helping with their business, Jocelyne worked at the Belgian Embassy and enjoyed taking long trips to see her sister in her native country Belgium as well as her daughter who had moved to Italy.

When Fabrizio returned home after graduating, he noticed some changes in his mother who was soon diagnosed with dementia. He continued to live in their basement to care for her, but it was becoming harder and as a newlywed, he knew he eventually needed to move out. “We were never trained to take care of a person with this illness,” he said. “She wasn’t going out anymore; she was just watching TV all day.”

The doctor’s recommendation for an assisted living community was a challenging concept for Fabrizio. “It’s unheard of; in Italy, people take care of their parents at home,” he said. Sunrise on Connecticut Avenue, however, offered a perfect location right down the street from where she had lived many years. The family scheduled a lunch appointment, which is when Jocelyne met Fedora. Afterwards, she was filled with excitement after not only finding a friend but a future home she felt was very elegant.

Now the best friends are enjoying one another’s company in the active environment Sunrise provides. The staff at the community works with the families and residents to incorporate their backgrounds and passions into the daily activities. Fabrizio said, “A lot of times my mom’s not here and I have to look at the schedule because she’s on a boat to Baltimore, or a scenic trip to Rock Creek Park or the Art Gallery.”

Most importantly, Fabrizio and Juliette have peace of mind knowing their mothers have one another and an incredible support network. “It’s an enormous relief,” said Fabrizio. “It’s been a wonderful experience – the people here are great with my mother. You can tell when something is genuine.”

That is how Jane and Bob Angus describe their lifestyle at Ingleside at Rock Creek, the Continuing Care Retirement Community in Washington, D.C. where they have lived for almost a decade. It is a fitting description in light of Jane’s passion for photography. Her photographs are displayed prominently throughout the community, on its website and in newsletters and brochures.

Raised in a military household, Jane was used to constantly moving before meeting Bob. “I went to ten elementary schools, five high schools, Sweetbriar College and Northwestern University,” she said. “So when I married a Navy Chaplain, my moving slowed down.”

The couple raised two children as Bob served four different pastorates in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Illinois during his career as a minister in the Presbyterian Church. They each began to pursue photography when they started traveling around the world. “We have had a happy and adventurous life together,” she said.

After Bob retired, the couple eventually learned that Ingleside was expanding by building new apartments and embracing a “lifetime care” model. The news prompted the Anguses to actually consider the idea of moving to a community and to start seriously researching their options. Having conducted a “market study” of all the different retirement communities in the area, they confirmed that Ingleside was their top choice.

“This particular location and campus were ideal for us. We love being close to the park and downtown Washington,” said Jane.

The community is now gearing up for yet another expansion with the addition of 15 apartment residences, which will be some of the largest available in any retirement community, spanning 1,600 to 1,900 square feet and offering five different floor plans and many state-of-the-art features.

With these additions, the couple looks forward to having new neighbors as they cited their fellow residents and the sense of community as the most enjoyable features of their home.

“We have such a diverse, interesting and intelligent group of residents living here. We are really a family,” said Bob. “And new residents are assimilated remarkably rapidly.” He credited the hospitality committee with their efforts in ensuring a smooth transition for new members of the community.

In addition to the hospitality committee, the Residents Association manages 18 other committees centered around activities and departments in the community. Jane is currently the president of the Residents Association, a position in which Bob has also served two terms. The residents work closely with management to help make Ingleside the best possible place to live.

Although Bob still plays an active role as a volunteer in a variety of community-based services, the Anguses agree that with Ingleside’s variety of programs, from exercise classes to daytrips, they often have packed schedules. “Usually, we have to make choices,” said Jane.

When asked if they had advice for others considering a move, Bob urged others to make the move while they are healthy and can take advantage of amenities and activities. And with maintenance-free living, the couple is certainly enjoying Ingleside’s amenities, including a private dining room for entertaining guests and climate-controlled indoor parking.

“I know that some people feel as long as they’re in their own home they have their independence, but the reality is that there comes a point in the continuum of living in your own home where you don’t own it as much as it owns you,” said Jane.

Another important aspect of Ingleside for the Anguses is the assisted and nursing care available onsite.

“It is the real advantage of a continuing care community,” said Bob. “When one member of a couple is over in assisted living and the other is in the apartments, it’s not far for them to get together each day. It’s just almost too good to be true.”

With this security and upcoming changes for the future, the Anguses continue to enjoy their busy daily life which, according to the couple, includes “spoiling” their Siamese cat. However, it may be safe to say that Jane and Bob are truly living the life themselves in a “picture perfect” community.

It is a fitting home for Benjamin, who was actually born at Sibley and has remained a true Washingtonian over the years. Having grown up in Northern Virginia, he eventually graduated from Western High School in the District in 1943. He was immediately drafted into the Navy, but left in 1945 to attend Syracuse University, where he studied Business Administration and Accounting. Following his graduation in 1949, Ben attended Harvard Law School.

“I graduated and passed the bar, but after all that I decided that I didn’t want to practice law. I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” he says.

Ben then got a job with an accounting firm and passed the CPA exam, but found himself again confused with his career path. “I didn’t like that particularly either,” he says. “I was just lost.”
Eventually, he decided to return home to Virginia and work with his father who ran a small accounting firm, but according to Ben, that job also turned out to be temporary. It was then he got married, had two children and took a job with the Federal Government where he spent most of his career. He retired from his position as a budget analyst in 1986 and was awarded the Navy Department meritorious civilian service awards.

After retiring, Ben and his wife went through a series of moves from McLean to Arlington, progressively downsizing each time. Then Ben’s wife started to have a variety of health and mobility issues. She was interested in exploring the idea of moving to a retirement or assisted living community, whereas Ben says, “I didn’t want to.”

At that time, Grand Oaks was under construction, and the Nicksons’ daughter suggested that they take a look. Reluctant, Ben says he had told his wife, “Honey, we will never go there, we will never be in assisted living.”

Regardless, she decided that she wanted to continue with the move, and the couple officially became residents of Grand Oaks in 2002.

Although he had been hesitant, the transition taught Ben a valuable life lesson. “The funny thing is that sometimes you don’t look ahead; you think that everything will be the same and there will be no change,” he says. “One big lesson in life that I have learned is that changes occur, some good, some not so good.”

And through the changes of his wife’s declining health, Ben helped care for her and appreciated the great deal of support they received from the Grand Oaks staff. “If it wasn’t for the compassionate care from the staff, I don’t know what we would have done, because there is no way I could have taken care of her myself,” he says.

Ben and his wife were married for 53 years before her passing in 2008. While he misses her tremendously, Ben takes full advantage of the support system he has found in his fellow residents at Grand Oaks. “It’s a tremendous benefit – there are over 150 residents here,” he says. “I know a lot of them and they’ve given me a lot of support, and I feel better.”

He also attended a Widowed Persons Outreach Group with the Sibley Senior Association (a complementary membership for all Grand Oaks residents) which helped him cope with sadness and depression, and where he found solace and met new friends.

Aside from practicing his trumpet and performing for other residents, Ben has also occupied his time traveling and learning other languages. He was able to recently visit his son in Germany and has been studying the language along with Russian. “I have Russian tapes that I listen to and I’m trying to learn German and keep up with my son, but I’ll never catch up with him,” says Ben.

Fortunately, Ben is also able to frequently see his daughter, who lives in Chevy Chase, Md. and had initially helped him find Grand Oaks. The help of his adult child is a familiar situation to Ben, who had assisted his own father when he was challenged by aging issues.

“I loved my father a lot and I could see he was having trouble living in his house,” says Ben. As a result, he went exploring and found his father a house in Oakton, Va. where he could be cared for by a staff. “He moved into the very first Sunrise community,” he says. Since Sunrise Senior Living is the management company for Grand Oaks, Ben refers to himself as a “second generation resident of Sunrise.”

Despite coming to grips with the changes that had occurred in his life, Ben had thought he could possibly move into an apartment and live independently following his wife’s passing. It was during the recent trip to Europe, however, that he realized he needed the assistance at Grand Oaks in order to maintain an enjoyable lifestyle.

“There is always going to be change in your life, and you can’t avoid it. I always assumed that everything was going to be the same,” says Ben. “I had a good job and I never thought about retirement. I married a beautiful lady and I had a wonderful marriage and I just assumed it would go on forever and we would always live in this nice house forever. We would have these two nice kids forever. And then the kids grow up, and you grow old, you get disabilities and your health changes. You get to a point where you can’t live the way you are living and you have to change the way you are living.”

No matter what may come in life, however, there is no question for Ben that Grand Oaks will remain a constant in his life.

“My stay here has been very good, I’ve been happy and I find the staff to be very helpful and compassionate,” he says.

Guide to Retirement Living met with Phyllis and Eugene Cowen and Normand and Joan Marie Poulin over lunch at the Classic Residence by Hyatt, a rental senior living community in Chevy Chase, Md. It is a fitting meeting spot as the very place that these friends met.

Interesting Backgrounds
Eugene and Phyllis Cowen met at the ages of 16 and 15. They married after the war and moved to Syracuse where he started a career in journalism and she became an English professor. The couple had two children and moved to Washington, D.C. as Eugene transitioned to a career in politics and started working in the White House during the Nixon administration.

“I always make sure to share that I wasn’t there during Watergate,” he said with a smile. Eventually, Eugene moved on to a 21-year career with ABC News as the Vice President of the Washington Bureau.

Normand and Joan Marie Poulin met in Europe while he was in graduate school in Florence, Italy and she was fulfilling her dream of traveling to Europe, despite her friend backing out at the last minute.

“For me it was love at first sight!” said Normand. The married couple’s first home was in Saigon, but they lived all over the globe following his Foreign Service career and raising five children. Wanting their children to grow up in America, Joan Marie and Normand eventually settled in the same Potomac neighborhood that Phyllis and Eugene Cowen had.

Changing Lifestyles
Although the Cowens enjoyed their townhome in the city, Eugene began having difficulty with navigating the stairs, which prompted them to move to a one-level apartment. The steps leading to their building, however, still posed a problem “We had to get out of there before we had an accident,” said Eugene.

Phyllis learned of Classic Residence by Hyatt through her Bridge partner. “The location was perfect for us – close to the city, the culture and downtown Bethesda,” she said.

With a style comparable to a traditional Georgetown mansion, Classic Residence has picturesque views and features a beautifully sunlit winter garden lounge. While residents live independently, the community offers onsite assisted living as needed. When Phyllis and Eugene made their visit, they found a vibrant environment with unique individuals.

Joan Marie and Normand Poulin had also been experiencing difficulties themselves in maintaining their six-bedroom home of nearly 40 years, especially since Normand has Parkinson’s disease. “We started looking at communities in Texas where one of our daughters lived, but we reflected on how much we enjoyed living in the DC area,” said Joan Marie.

When the Poulins made a deposit at a local community that required an ownership investment, they soon realized it was not the right option for them. Then as they were driving down Connecticut Avenue with their daughter one day, they saw the sign for Classic Residence and decided to stop by and take a look.

“We loved the atmosphere and the ambiance,” said Normand. “When we found out it was a rental and didn’t require purchase or a large entry fee, we were very excited.”
He and Joan Marie then scheduled an appointment for the next day and ended up staying for a meal which is where they met Phyllis and Eugene. The decision was easy to make after that.

Both couples made a conscious decision to move to a community that did not have an upfront entrance fee, ownership or investment. “We had no way to predict the changes in the economy,” said Eugene. “In light of the changes, it was certainly a good financial decision to choose a rental community.”

Making the Move
One of the things that the couples discussed over their lunch was how to downsize from a larger home to a two-bedroom apartment. Phyllis and Eugene raved about the senior move management firm that visited their home and helped them figure out what items to keep.

This sounded ideal to Joan Marie and Normand, who were already imagining the challenge of downsizing from their home that held, among other things, a collection of over 2,800 books. Also ideal was the fact that Classic Residence helps cover eight hours of the move management firm’s services for its residents, including a complimentary consultation. With the help of the move managers, Joan Marie and Normand, who were on vacation with their family in Mexico at the time of the move, returned to their brand new home with everything already in place.

Getting help with the move wasn’t the only path that Phyllis and Eugene Cowen blazed for the Poulins. They liked the way the Cowens arranged their apartment so much that Joan Marie and Normand replicated the layout, most notably the beautiful cabinets that can be seen in the dens of both apartments. However, each couple has their own elegant decorating style and rave about their spacious apartments.

Settling into an Enjoyable Lifestyle
At Classic Residence, the residents play a vital role in all aspects of life and activity taking advantage of the many committees, clubs and other opportunities. In fact, Phyllis has been a vital part of the welcoming committee, a program that helps new residents make the transition.

Eugene is also a fixture in many activities, such as running the Classic Forum which brings notable speakers to the community. “One of the best things is that you have the option not to participate and enjoy your own pursuits and hobbies,” he said. This flexibility is perfect for Eugene, who has “phased his time” to work on his second book since moving to the community, a thriller titled “Taking Over the Government of the United States.”

Joan Marie and Normand participate in exercise classes and are excited to start the aquatic programs in the community’s indoor pool. Normand, who is currently fluent in four languages, said that through active conversations groups the residents have formed, he is able to continue practicing these languages. While boasting about the cultural programs, the couple emphasized how the staff really listens to residents and builds the programming to suit their needs.

In addition to the abundant offerings in the community, Classic Residence’s location makes it easy for the residents to access cultural offerings off site. A favorite destination for Phyllis and Eugene Cowen is the Roundhouse Theatre.

Most importantly, the community has provided both couples peace of mind and freedom from home maintenance. Along with a predictable monthly fee and onsite assisted living, Classic Residence offers housekeeping services and meals prepared by a classically trained chef.

“Our children can sleep well at night knowing we are here and how happy we are,” said Joan Marie. These two couples, on the other hand, never get to bed before midnight with all of their pursuits, and they would not have it any other way.

Recounting the changes in D.C. over the years, she said, “I grew up with a school right down the block, but I had to walk seven blocks to school because we were segregated. The city was definitely divided by race and class.”

Over the years, Caroline worked as a secretary at the University of the District of Columbia and has enjoyed sewing, art and music.

Now a resident of Friendship Terrace, an independent living community in Northwest D.C., she said, “I never dreamed I would live in a place like this, I grew up in the slums of Southwest D.C.”

She was already familiar with the community, having shopped at its local supermarket many times. “We used to come here because at the time it was a white neighborhood, and we figured we would get better groceries here. I remember passing by this very building and saying to myself, ‘Gee, I would like to live in that building,’” she said.

One day, Caroline noticed an Open House sign in front of the building and decided to take a look. She was invited to fill out an application, but thought she would never hear back. Within a month, however, her application was accepted. “It is one of the best things to ever happen to me,” she said.

It was especially important for Caroline, having taken care of her mother and siblings, that her two daughters did not assume the caregiver role sooner than necessary. Aside from being within walking distance of her basic needs and the Metro, the community is also near her daughters.

Having lived in Friendship Terrace for nine years now, she said everyone feels like family, including the caring staff. She has made many friendships and takes advantage of as many activities as she can, such as exercise classes, discussion groups and other social gatherings.

“It’s so interesting to sit at dinner and just listen to people’s stories,” she said. “They have done so many things that I never been privileged to do. Living here has really contributed to my growth, my confidence level is higher, and I understand the differences in people.”

After he served in the war, Bob and his brother decided to get involved in the printing business. Five years later, however, his brother decided he had had enough, so Bob bought his share and continued what was a very successful business. Eventually he sold it and pursed his passion as an antiques dealer.

Bob met his wife Mary Susan (Sue) after the war. “I saw her across the room at a party and I told the guy standing next to me, ‘I want to marry that girl,’” he said. After a brief courtship, the two married and raised four children while pursuing their love of traveling. When their house was becoming difficult to manage, their daughter Mary discovered Friendship Terrace, an independent living community in Washington, D.C. near her home.

While everyone was on board with the idea, Sue began developing health problems and needed the care of a nursing and rehabilitation center. The couple had fortunately been prepared and purchased a long-term care insurance policy which helps pay for her specialized care. “I go back and forth to see her everyday,” said Bob.

In his three years at Friendship Terrace, Bob has made several friends and also speaks very highly of its staff and management. “I was a businessman and I like being in a well-run business,” he said.

The location of the community also gives him access to everything he needs. “I walk down to the McDonalds every morning for a cup of coffee,” he said. “It’s good exercise and it keeps me going.”

While Bob often dines in the community’s dining room, he enjoys eating his lunch when exploring the galleries and museums throughout D.C.. He is also known to hop a bus to pursue a favorite pastime of collecting antique cigar boxes.

There is even more in store for Bob as the community begins its capital improvement project including apartment upgrades as well as public area and general building renovations.

From business principles to valuable antiques, Bob is full of sage advice. When it comes to making a life transition he said, “Stay loose and relax, this might be a little different from the life you were living, but take advantage of what it offers for you.”