The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

Londonderry on the Tred Avon Announces COVID-19 Response Plan

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Today, Londonderry on the Tred Avon shared its response plan to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“During these uncertain times, our residents are our number one priority,” said Irma Toce, Londonderry of the Tred Avon CEO. “Our team is ‘all hands on deck’ during this constantly evolving situation, and we have made adjustments to our operations to ensure the health, wellness and safety of each and every one of our residents.”

The following measures have been put in place for the health and safety of our residents:

Residents have been asked to stay in their residences, and visitors are limited to family and caregivers, only.

All staff and visitors must have their temperature checked before being allowed on campus.

The Londonderry staff continues to work on campus to support our residents.

Healthy, fresh meals are delivered twice daily to residents in their homes.

Wellness checks are conducted daily for every resident.

Mail is being delivered directly to residents.

Included with deliveries are daily activity suggestions that residents can do safely on their own to stay active and engaged. Future Facebook Live videos and video conferences are being planned to bring the community together.

The Sales and Marketing Office remains open and is conducting virtual tours of available, move-in ready properties for prospective residents. To schedule a virtual tour and to learn more about Londonderry, please call 410-820-8732.

About Londonderry on the Tred Avon

Londonderry on the Tred Avon is a vibrant, independent living cooperative community for adults ages 62+ that promotes wellness of mind and body. Londonderry offers a variety of housing options from convenient apartments to spacious cottages among 29 acres, including 1500 feet of waterfront shoreline. For more information,visit www.londonderrytredavon.com.

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HomePorts Benefit Dinner on April 6

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Luisa’s Cucina Italiana is the host of the annual fund-raising dinner to benefit HomePorts, Inc. The event is being held on Monday, April 6, with seatings at 5:30 and 7:30 pm. Luisa’s is located at 849 Washington Ave, Chestertown.

Proceeds benefit HomePorts, greater Kent County’s non-profit aging-in-place membership organization. HomePorts assists those over 55 in providing access to a wide range of services in order to remain content, safe, and confident living in their own homes. HomePorts resources include a cadre of vetted volunteers to help members and referrals to reliable service providers in the fields of transportation; interior and exterior home maintenance; grocery & household services; personal assistance & trouble shooting; and pet care.  Additionally, HomePorts offers social and educational opportunities in cooperation with Shore Regional Health System. It also offers a subsidy for those with limited incomes.

A three-course meal will be offered with a choice of chicken, salmon, or eggplant parmigiana.  Meal includes salad, main course, dessert, and soda, coffee or tea. Tickets are $50. Call or email Karen at HomePorts, 443-380-0940 or karen@homeports.org, to purchase tickets. Space is limited.

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HomePorts Presents: Using the Mind-Body Connection to Cope with Stress

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Join our guest speaker, Dr. Regan King, licensed psychologist from High Street Psychotherapy, in exploring the biology behind our response to stress. Dr King will demonstrate and lead some relaxation strategies to help with stress

Thursday, March 5, 2019, 11:00 a.m., Chestertown Town Hall, 1st Floor, 118 N. Cross Street, Chestertown, MD  21620

The talk is free.  Please make a reservation by contacting Karen Wright at 443-480-0940 or email at Karen@homeports.org

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Mid-Shore Pro Bono Update: Community Conferencing Project and Elders

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One of the least known local nonprofit organizations is the extraordinary work that Mid-Shore Pro Bono provides for thousands of residents every year.

With the help and support of volunteer lawyers and a small team of specialists, Pro Bono has helped Eastern Shore families, and individuals navigate the sometimes daunting legal system to help with bankruptcy, child custody, divorce, and small claims, among of host of other legal matters for those who lack the resources to seeking justice.

In this recent interview with Pro Bono staff, Alicia Myers, Youth Programs Project Coordinator, and new managing attorney, Meredith Lathbury Girard, talk about how their organization is expanding those efforts with their Community Conferencing project and a variety of legal services aimed at assisting the region’s senior population.

This video is approximately four minutes in length. For more information, or to volunteer your services, please go here.

Local Seniors Lobby in Annapolis

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On January 14 representatives from Kent, Queen Anne’s. and Talbot Counties attended the annual United Seniors of Maryland Legislative Forum in Annapolis and met with state legislators to express the need for state support for services for older adults and senior-friendly state policies.  Upper Shore attendees also pressed the legislators for support in retaining the hospital in Chestertown.

Before meeting with Delegates Jacobs, Otto, Arentz, and Mautz, the group heard updates from state leaders including the new Senate President Bill Ferguson and learned about USM priorities, which include elder abuse prevention and the implementation of end-of-life options.

Eastern Shore representatives meet with State Delegates Jay Jacobs, Johnny Mautz, Charles J. Otto, and Steve Arentz at the State House in Annapolis.

Susan Eddy of Chestertown said, “I was gratified by Senate President Bill Ferguson’s remarks on ‘priorities’ for the coming legislative session. He named three–and the second was ‘a deep look into long term care issues’.  He mentioned ‘astronomical costs’ and the coming ‘senior tsunami’. He stated we are not prepared for the future numbers of seniors who will need long term care. ’We don’t have the workforce, the facilities, nor the resources….,’ he said, and noted the importance of respect for our senior residents.”

United Seniors of Maryland (USM) is a coalition of individuals and organizations that includes over two million Marylanders. USM advocates for maintaining the mental, physical, and financial well-being of all Maryland seniors. According to Elizabeth Weiglein, USM President, “We are operating among a lot of competing priorities for funds. We see the need to monitor and speak up for the resources and services needed to support seniors, a group that often is not visible. As the number of older adults increases, the amount per capita of funding at all levels is decreasing. Citizen advocacy is critical.”

United Seniors of Maryland is concerned over the deficit in State funding for senior services. “Over the past five years, there have been many cuts. The State should be paying more attention to this growing sector of our population. Instead, we have to fight just to restore prior levels of service,” said Weiglein. “Legislators need to realize that budgets reflect our values in society,” she added.

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Hogan Proposes More Than $1 Billion in Tax Cuts for Retirees

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Gov. Larry Hogan on Thursday proposed more than $1 billion in tax cuts for Maryland retirees.

“Today we’re taking a major step forward in those efforts by introducing the Retirement Tax Reduction Act of 2020, which will cut income taxes by more than $1 billion over the next five years,” he said at a news conference at the State House.

Hogan said that under the proposal, retirees who make $50,000 a year or less “will pay no state income tax whatsoever.” Retirees who make less than $100,000 a year “will see a tax reduction of no less than 50 percent — up to 100 percent,” he said.

The governor said the legislation would benefit more than 230,000 Marylanders. The proposal is “the largest tax reduction in Maryland in more than two decades,” he said.

Hogan said a major impetus for the proposal is having heard stories dating back to his first run for governor in 2014 from people who expressed affection for Maryland but said they could no longer afford to live in the state because of the tax burden.

“It will help keep tens of thousands of Maryland retirees from being forced to flee our state.”

Hogan was asked about the proposal’s chances of being passed by the General Assembly.

“If we’re having these discussions about how we have enough money to talk about fairly drastic increases in spending, I’d like at least part of the discussion to be about: ‘How do we let people keep some of their own money.’

“We actually have been successful on retirement taxes. We decided that we knew we couldn’t get the size of a bill that we’re announcing today through — but we did get targeted tax relief for retirees in several groups.”

Hogan pointed to the Hometown Heroes Act as an example. The 2017 legislation exempts law enforcement and first responders from paying state taxes on the first $15,000 of their retirement income. This year’s proposal would expand the law to eliminate state taxes on retirement income for law enforcement and first responders.

While Hogan is proposing tax relief, some Democrats have proposed modest tax increases on income that is not related to retirement or salary. On Wednesday a group of House Democrats unveiled 10 bills that would raise an estimated $2 billion for education improvements by 2030. The bills have not yet been filed.

Del. Julie Palakovich Carr, D-Montgomery, who sponsored one of the bills, spoke with MarylandReporter.com prior to Thursday’s news conference. She said her proposal would impose an additional 1 percent tax on capital gains and real estate properties. Carr said the proposal would not affect personal property taxes.

“If you look systematically at where our tax code is at a lot of Marylanders are actually paying more than their fair share at this point, for many working-class families and even upper-middle-class families. So we’re just making sure that our tax code is actually fair — that wealthy corporations and ultra-wealthy individuals are paying their fair share in terms their contributions to the state.”

MarylandReporter.com asked Hogan at the news conference how the proposal might affect the state’s economy.

“I haven’t seen the proposal and maybe I’ll let the budget secretary try to tackle that one. But I’m sure it would have some impact. But I haven’t seen any studies on that.”

Secretary of Budget and Management David Brinkley followed up on the question.

“It could be a hybridization of whatever they’ve done in the past. But we have to see how that affects corporate earnings and everything else here. We haven’t seen the details on that particular one so we can get back to you once we see all that. But it’s a repeat pattern of things that have come in the past and have been turned down by the legislature.”

By Bryan Renbaum

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Ask Irma: Home for the Holidays with Parents and Adult Children

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Senior Nation is committed to offering resources to help us deal with the challenges and opportunities of aging. To that end, we are launching a new monthly video blog called “Ask Irma” hosted by Irma Toce, C.E.O. of the Londonderry on the Tred Avon in Easton, where we will be exploring on all topics related to aging.

There is no doubt the holidays bring an extraordinary amount of joy to families all across the country. As the family gathers from distances short and long, the last two weeks in December can be a fury of reunions.

But as Irma points out in this edition of Ask Irma, these experiences and expectations can be quite different for each family member. 

This video is approximately two minutes in length. Homepage image from The Holly and the Ivy, a 1952 British drama film. For information about Londonderry on the Tred Avon please go here. 

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here. 

Homeports Presents: Getting through the Holidays with Joy and Grace

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Bob Denison

Everything you wanted to know about coping with the holidays but were afraid to ask

Please join our guest speaker, Bob Denison, LCSW-C of Chester River Behavioral Health in exploring many of the issues we face during the holidays.

Thursday, December 5, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. in the Chestertown Town Hall, 2 nd Floor, 118 N. Cross Street, Chestertown, MD 21620

There will be a time for questions and answers about expectations, traditions and relationships. All ages experience stress, but each handles it differently. Are our wishes realistic? Do we communicate our needs and reasons for our choices? These and other items will be open for discussion.

The talk is free and open to the public. Please make a reservation by contacting Karen Wright at 443-480-0940 or email at Karen@homeports.org

We hope to have you join us and to help you approach the holidays with all of our best wishes.

Homeports Educational Program: Safely Transporting Seniors

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HomePorts presents Safely Transporting Seniors – a hands-on training session for HomePorts’ Volunteers and anyone who may have to transport a senior. The event is on November 7, 11:00 a.m., at Chestertown Town Hall, 2nd Floor, 118 N. Cross Street. The guest speaker is Brooke Maier, Physical Therapist with UM Chester River Home Care.

Learn how to safely transport seniors by assisting them up and down steps, in and out of cars, and use of their walkers, cane and wheelchairs. In addition we will cover HomePorts transportation policies.

We strongly encourage all our volunteers to attend this hour-long session.

The talk is free. Please make a reservation by contacting Karen Wright at 443-480-0940 or email at Karen@homeports.org.

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