Potomac Almanac

With more than 75% of seniors desiring to stay in their homes as they age (AARP, 2021 Home and  Community Preference Survey), rates for retirement homes continue to be unaffordable for many, topping $71,000 annually for assisted living, and $156,000 annually for a nursing home (Genworth Financial 2021 Cost of Care Survey) in the DC metro area.  

Tenenbaum will share his expertise on home modifications that make seniors safer as they age. He will speak about proposed federal legislation that makes it easier for seniors to pay for these needed changes to homes, and about already existing state and county programs that offer tax credits for these changes. Tenenbaum will also guide listeners in how to implement these home modifications in a cost-efficient, smart, and effective way. 

April 28 is also the kick-off date for the “PCV Safe Home Bonus Program,” a program just for PCV members that offers a subsidy for home safety improvements, such as grab bars, railings, ramps, lighting, and no-step bathing, for up to $100 or 50% of the cost, whichever is less. 

Explains PCV President Owen Ritter, “Our goal with the PCV Safe Home Program is to be proactive, so members make their homes safer now, and prevent a future fall or other accident. It’s all part of our mission as an aging-in-place Village to keep people safe in the homes they want to continue to live in.” 

He adds, “We’re making the April 28 presentation free and open to everyone because we think it’s important for everyone in our community to be safer and healthier, even if they’re not our members.” 

Reservations are required to attend the April 28 “Unleashing Your Hidden Powers to Enhance Your Home Safety” Zoom event.  Anyone may RSVP by visiting the PCV website at www.PotomacCommunityVillage.org  and then clicking on the calendar listing for April 28 and following the instructions for registering; or may do so by calling the PCV Help Desk at 240-221-1370.  

Tenenbaum is also the founder of HomesRenewed (www.HomesRenewed.org), a coalition of businesses, consumers and nonprofits working together to increase the number of age-friendly homes.  He was named a Next Avenue “Influencer in Aging” in 2016 and is currently working with members of Congress to pass legislation that offers a refundable, lifetime tax credit to cover 100 percent of the costs of aging-in-place modifications up to $30,000.  

Montgomery County residents can currently take advantage of a county program, Design for Life, which provides tax credits of up to $2,000 per year for the cost of qualified home safety and disability modifications, and a Maryland program, an Independent Living Tax Credit, for 50% of qualified expenses up to $5,000. 

PCV will also provide information to its members about the county Design for Life program, and the state Independent Living Tax Credit, and how to file for them.     

“This new Home Safe project is a perfect time for Potomac area residents to join PCV and take advantage of the help and guidance we can offer, as well as the subsidy program,” says Ritter. “New members will find that, through the hard work of our volunteers and current members, Potomac Community Village has not only survived the pandemic, but adjusted by creating innovative programming and services to help our members cope during this difficult time and into the future.”   

Potomac Community Village (PCV) is an all-volunteer nonprofit aging-in-place Village, part of the national Village movement, and active in Potomac, Maryland for almost 10 years. PCV provides social, educational and wellness activities with a mission of enabling Potomac-area residents to remain in their homes as they age and be contributing members of the community.  Members are linked with volunteers who provide assistance when needed with transportation, computer and other technical problems, simple household chores, friendly visits and other services.