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Senior LivingTaking On the ‘Silver Tsunami’By Tim PetersonThe ConnectionThe “Silver Tsunami” iscoming, the steep increase in the 50-anduppart of the countypopulation.“It’s here,” said Supervisor PatHerrity (R-Springfield). “We’re alreadyliving in it.”Between 2005 and 2030, theBurkeSenior Livingis produced byConnection Newspaperswww.ConnectionNewspapers.comLocal Media Connection LLCFor more information,call 703-778-9431 or emailsales@connectionnewspapers.comnumber of individuals 50 andolder is projected to grow by 40percent in Fairfax County and thenumber 70 and older is projectedto grow by 80 percent. Herrity attributesthe changes to both theaging of Baby Boomers, and thegeneral increase in life expectancy.With those significant changesto community demographics alreadyunderway, the Board of Supervisorsand Fairfax Area Commissionon Aging initiallydrafted a plan back in2007 to make sure theSilver Tsunami was a factorin county planning.In 2013, Herrity andthe commission decidedthe plan needed a majorfacelift. They spent thesummer reaching out tocommunities aroundFairfax County throughpublic forums, includinggroups that speak Korean,Vietnamese, Spanishand Arabic. (Accordingto the 2011 AmericanCommunity Survey bythe U.S. Census Bureau,26.7 percent of residentsin Fairfax County speak a languagebesides English at home.)The idea was to facilitate dialogon how to make the county moreaging-friendly and to considercost-effective strategies to helppeople manage their housing andtransportation needs and age inplace.“The need is clearly there for usto take action,” said Herrity. “Wewent to the communities, heardtheir concerns. This is our attemptfor an attainable, affordable, actionableplan to address what weheard.”Now Herrity and the commissionare ready to present the newand improved 50+ CommunityAction Plan to the Board of Supervisorsat their meeting on Sept. 9,and expect the board to approvethe plan at the Sept. 23 meeting.The plan in its entirety is availablein PDF form through thecounty’s website atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults. The plan addressesaging-friendly needs in six key areas:Transportation, Housing, Safeand Healthy Community, CommunityEngagement, Services forHerrity to present 50+ Plan to Boardof Supervisors next week.Older Adults and FamilyCaregivers, and LongtermPlanning.Within each of thesecategories are a range ofcommunity-driven initiativesdesigned tofunction with little or nogovernment direction. Inmost cases, a local civicleader or “champion”would coordinate with acounty staff member ifnecessary, but otherwisework independently, andrequire a lot of engagementfrom the community.THE INITIATIVESRUN THE GAMUTfrom simply encouragingpeople to volunteerfor Meals on Wheels andmedical appointmentdriving programs, to creatingpartnerships thatwould offer low cost or free casemanagement and mental healthtreatment.In the transportation category,Courtesy photoJim LindsayCourtesy photoDr. ThomasProhaskaone facet includes supportingthe Jewish CommunityCenter of NorthernVirginia’s effort toprovide a ride schedulersystem for communitybasedorganizations,partnering with multiplenonprofits. It won’t exactlybe Uber for the elderly,but federal grantmoney will help maketheir services muchmore widely available toget seniors to doctor’sappointments, the grocerystore, etc.Home Sharing is anexperimental initiative.Many older adults live inhomes with extra bedroomsand want to remainthere as long aspossible. At the sametime, many adults withlimited income are lookingfor affordable rent.The guide will provide advice onhow to safely share a home. Theidea is to match aging adults withSee 50-Plus Page 7A healthy body starts with a healthy mouth!At Peter K. Cocolis, Jr. and Associates, we believeoptimum oral health is key to total body health andwell-being. These days, going to the dentist is notjust about taking good care of your teeth; it isabout taking good care of your health. Problemsin your mouth can be signs of trouble elsewherein your body. Your oral exam reveals importantearly warning signs for many total-body conditionsincluding diabetes, oral cancer and highblood pressure.Whether your family seeks general preventivemaintenance, cosmetic, or advanced restorative andimplant dentistry to transform your smile’s function andappearance, Drs. Cocolis and DaSilva are renowned bypeers and patients alike for exceptional personalized care in afriendly, safe and state-of-the-art-environment.Consistently named “Top Dentist” inNorthern Virginia magazine and among the“Best Dentists in the Metropolitan Area” inX-rays not included. Not valid withinsurance submission.Peter K. Cocolis, Jr., DMD& AssociatesPeter K. Cocolis, Jr., DMD, MAGDEmily A. DaSilva, DDS, FAGDWashingtonian magazine, Drs. Cocolis andDaSilva exceed industry standards in thetime they dedicate to continuing educationand service. Our skilled andcompassionate team pairs patienteducation with the latest dentaltechniques and technology, offeringan extensive array of dentalservices including digital x-rays,injection-free laser procedures,CAD-cam same-day porcelaincrowns, tooth whitening, Invisalign, andveneers. We offer a variety of sedationoptions including oral sedation and nitrous oxide(sleep dentistry) and are dedicated to easing all aspects ofyour dental experience.Visit us on the Web or give us a call to discover what ourpatients are saying and to make your appointment.Our Services:• Routine cleanings andcheck-ups• Fillings and sealants• Sedation “sleep” dentistry• Nitrous oxide• Crowns, bridges, inlays,onlays• Extractions• TMJ/TMD therapy• Endodontic (root canal) therapy• Periodontal (gum) therapyincluding scaling androot planing• Custom partial and full dentures• Custom occlusal andsport guards• Implants• Bonding and veneers• In-office professional whitening• Invisalign (clear braces without the wires)5803 Rolling Road, Suite 211Springfield, VA 22152703-912-3800 • www.smiles4va.comMonday–Thursday 8 A.M.–5 P.M.; Friday* 8 A.M.–1 P.M. *Once monthly for sedation appointments2 ❖ Burke Connection ❖ Senior Living September 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Senior LivingTime to Downsize?By Marilyn CampbellThe ConnectionPhoto courtesy of Four SaleDaniel Sanders, president and CEO of Four Sales LTD, a professionalestate sales, auctions and personal property appraisals company, helpsclear out a garage. Such services make it easier for seniors down movefrom a large home into a smaller house.modate.”When tackling the downsizing process,Sanders suggests a few guidelines: “Westrongly recommendusing anemotional yardstick to determinewhether tokeep or not keepsomething,” hesaid. “Look forthings that have amemory associatedwith them.Like, ‘Rememberwhen Mom andDad went to Rehoboth [Beach] and boughtthis Murano glass bird? It was one of thebest days of their lives.’”Those mementosgo on a list of“A personal space is like anautobiography. People arecomplex so it is oftendifficult to find just one stylethat fits every impulse.”— Susan Hergenrather, Ph.D., professor ofinterior design, Marymount UniversitySuggestions for seniors lookingfor homes to fit the next phaseof their lives.When Beverly Quinn’s fourthchild, a daughter, got married,she decided it was timeto downsize. The 69-yearoldwidow moved out of the 4,000-squarefoothome in Vienna, Va., where she andher husband raised their children and intoa 1,300-square-foot townhouse in NorthPotomac, Md., which meets her new needsperfectly.“It’s a big change,” she said. “But I guessthat is part of downsizing.”One of the most difficult parts of Quinn’stransition was boxing up more than 30 yearsof memories, and deciding which items tomove into her new home, which to give toher children and deciding which to donateor discard. It’s a familiar conundrum formany seniors: organizing, decluttering andresisting the desire to take more than theirnew, smaller homes can accommodate.“We see it all the time with our members,”said Barbara Sullivan, executive director ofMount Vernon At Home, a nonprofit thathelps senior citizens age in their ownhomes. “Our volunteers help withdownsizing by reorganizing, cleaning outclosets, and decluttering.”Downsizing is also emotional: “Movingfrom a 4,000-square-foot home into a retirementcommunity or small 800- to 1,200-square-foot apartment can be difficult,” saidDaniel Sanders, president and CEO of FourSales LTD, a professional estate sales, auctionsand personal property appraisals company.“There is often a conflict betweenwhat Mom and Dad want them to take withthem and what they can actually accomthreehour shifts, take a break and do anothertwo to three hour shift.“We want to build mild frustration becauseyou begin to make decisive decisionsthat are more precise,” he said. “And youare less likely to rethink and over-think.”When cleaning a larger home in preparationfor a downsize, Sanders suggests thatfamilies go through each room of the housein a systematic fashion, collecting familyphotos; family records like birth, death andmarriage certificates; and financial records.“You’d be surprised by how much youaccumulate over the years,” said Quinn.“The process is draining, both physically andmentally. The only bright spot was that Iwas going to be living closer to my childrenand grandchildren and I liked my new townhouse.”Once seniors have pared down their belongingsand begun the moving process,some, like Quinn, begin to look forward tostarting anew and designing their newhomes to reflect their new styles and needs.However, it’s not only important to arrangefurniture and accessories tastefully, but ina way that takes issues like safety hazardsand new lifestyle issues into consideration.“The best advice is understanding thatpersonal style is rooted in your past, placesthat you love, the present, what you lovetoday, and the future,” said SusanHergenrather, Ph.D. associate professor ofinterior design at Marymount University inArlington, Va. “A personal space is like anautobiography. People are complex, so it isoften difficult to find just one style that fitsevery impulse.”When it comes to creating a comfortableitems to considerkeeping, saidSanders. He recommendswaiting24 hours andthen trying to cutthe list in half.“Depending onthe age of theparent, it’s goodto work in two to See Downsize, Page 5Quilting Studio Adds to Dream HomeAt 72, Wanda Rogers engages in anearly American craft she first learnedfrom her grandmother.www.ConnectionNewspapers.comBy John ByrdThe ConnectionQuilting takes patience; ditto thesteps entailed in setting up aquilting studio all of one’s own.Such are the reflections of Wanda Rogers,72, who is now tapering off a 51-year professionalcareer, and increasing precioushours spent in the pursuit of a mountainstatehandicraft she learned from hermother and grandmother.“We were all quilters where I grew up inWest Virginia,” Rogers recalls. “My mother,my grandmother, my aunt. The originalityof a quilt’s pattern is the larger artistic goal,but it takes a lot of concentrated quiet timeto achieve it. Between raising children,moving frequently and then working, therejust weren’t a lot hours for quilting beforenow, much as I love it.”The particularly hectic phase of Rogers’young married life included setting up 18different households in places where husbandTed, an Air Force pilot, was stationed.In the early 1980s, the family finally settledinto a 2,533-square-foot ranch house on twoacres near Springfield.Three years ago, when Ted retired, thecouple collaborated with remodeler DavidSee Quilting Studio, Page 4Photo courtesy of Home Fronts NewsWanda and her daughter Janyce preparing fabrics at the studio’s worktable. The marble counter surface also has a role in the studio’s kitchenette.Burke Connection ❖ Senior Living September 2014 ❖ 3
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