Things To Do In SW Florida

Anna Claire Vollers | Stateline.org (TNS)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Help at Home employed nearly 800 caregivers scattered across every county in Alabama, helping 1,100 older and disabled clients with activities such as bathing, housework and meal preparation.

And then suddenly, it was gone.

Alabama’s largest provider of home care services said it abruptly left the state last fall because the state’s “reimbursement and regulatory environment” made it difficult to recruit and retain enough workers, according to Kristen Trenaman, the company’s vice president of public relations. Its departure sent state agencies scrambling to find new caregivers for the people who relied on it.

Help at Home’s departure from Alabama “had a significant effect,” according to Debra Davis, deputy commissioner for the Alabama Department of Senior Services. Davis said her agency worked with former Help at Home clients to find replacements on the fly.

Help at Home, owned by private equity firms Centerbridge Partners and Vistria Group, continues to provide in-home and community-based care in a dozen other states, with 49,000 caregivers and 66,000 monthly clients. It’s been aggressively expanding outside Alabama, acquiring home care companies and posting thousands of job openings on its website. Neither firm responded to Stateline’s request for comment. read more

Real estate

Mary Bruno was hired as national director of agency due diligence for JLL’s Value and Risk Advisory group. She is based in Orlando.

Rose Kemp, RE/MAX Town Centre, was appointed 2024 President of the Orlando Regional Realtor Association.

Lawrence Bellido, Keller Williams Advantage III Realty, was appointed to 2024 President Elect of Orlando Regional Realtor Association.

Christopher Atwell, Empire Network Realty, was appointed to 2024 Treasurer of Orlando Regional Realtor Association.

Deidre Graybill, Graybill Realty and Associates LLC, was appointed to 2024 First Vice President of Orlando Regional Realtor Association.

Lisa Hill, Keller Williams Realty at the Park, has been recognized as the 2024 Immediate Past President of Orlando Regional Realtor Association.

Submit professional appointments, management-level promotions and significant awards for individuals, along with photos as .jpg attachments, to peopleonmove@orlandosentinel.com.

Here’s a personal question: How long do you think you’ll live? Most people will roll their eyes, believing that only a higher power has the answer to that question. It’s an imponderable. Why bother asking, since it makes us so uncomfortable?

We know the longevity statistics, which tell us that a girl born today is predicted to live to age 90.2, and a boy is expected to live to age 87.3. An estimated 14% of boys and 19% of girls born this year are expected to reach 100. But we won’t be around to see that!

A more relevant look at longevity statistics tells us that if you are 65-year-old woman, you’re likely to live to age 87. Your male counterpart is expected to live until around age 84. (Yes, on average, women live longer — and that certainly impacts planning.)

But a recent study conducted by the TIAA Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center found that most Americans are truly in the dark about longevity — their own, and the averages. More than 65% guessed incorrectly when asked about the likely lifespan of a 65-year-old, predicting a far earlier demise. read more