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Home Care In Flourtown, PA

Home Care Flourtown, PA

They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.

However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Margaret Esherick House gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.

Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Flourtown, PA is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.

 In-Home Care Flourtown, PA

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The Always Best Care Difference

Since 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.

Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.

The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.

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TESTIMONIALS

“Dave and his staff go above and beyond with their care. They all take special interest with their clients. Also a very helpful resource in future planning and current ideas. Trust your parents to these people - they will not let you down.”

Bill H.
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What is Non-Medical Senior Care in Flourtown, PA?

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Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.

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When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.

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The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.

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At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.

 Senior Care Flourtown, PA

Types of Elderly Care in Flourtown, PA

To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:

Personal Care

Personal Care Services

If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.

Common personal care services include assistance with:

  • Eating
  • Mobility Issues
  • Incontinence
  • Bathing
  • Dressing
  • Grooming

Respite Care Flourtown, PA
Home Helper

Home Helper Services

Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.

Common home helper care services include assistance with:

  • Medication Reminders
  • Meal Preparation
  • Pet Care
  • Prescription Refills
  • Morning Wake-Up
  • Walking
  • Reading
 Caregivers Flourtown, PA
Companionship Services

Companionship Services

Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Fort Washington State Park - Flourtown Day Use Area with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.

Common companionship services include:

  • Grocery Shopping
  • Transportation to Appointments
  • Nutritional Assistance
  • Conversation
  • Planning Outings
  • Completing Errands
  • Transportation to Community
  • Events and Social Outings
Home Care Flourtown, PA
Respite Care

Respite Care Services

According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Scoogis Italian Kitchen & Bar or visit Springfield Township Historical Society, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.

At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.

If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.

 In-Home Care Flourtown, PA

Benefits of Home Care in Flourtown, PA

Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:

Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.

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Aging in Place: The Preferred Choice for Most Seniors

While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.

In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.

Here are just a few of the reasons why older men and women prefer to age at home:

How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?

A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.

With the help of elderly care in Flourtown, PA, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.

Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.

Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.

For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.

More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.

In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.

With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.

 Elderly Care Flourtown, PA

Affordable Care

In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.

Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.

At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.

In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:

If your loved one qualifies, Medicaid may help reduce in-home care costs. Review your PA's Medicaid program laws and benefits, and make sure your senior's financial and medical needs meet Medicaid eligibility requirements.
Attendance and aid benefits through military service can cover a portion of the costs associated with in-home care for veterans and their spouses.
Many senior care services like in-home care are included in long-term care insurance options. Research different long-term care solutions to find a plan that provides coverage for senior care.
Home care can be included as part of a senior's private insurance plan. Read over your loved one's insurance policy carefully or speak with their insurance provider to determine if in-home care is covered.
Depending on the life insurance plan, you may be able to apply your policy toward long-term care. You may be able to use long-term-care coverage to help pay for in-home elderly care.
 Senior Care Flourtown, PA

Compassionate Care. Trusted Caregivers.

When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.

Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.

At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Flourtown, PA understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.

Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.

Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.

Assisted Living Referral Services

While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.

Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.


Respite Care Flourtown, PA

At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.

Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:

  • Housekeeping
  • Laundry
  • Recreational Activities
  • Social Outings
  • Emergency Medical Response
  • Medication Monitoring
  • Family Visitation
  • Personal Care
 Caregivers Flourtown, PA

At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.

Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.

Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:

  • Complete Care at Harston Hall
  • Bethlehem Retirement Village
  • Saint Joseph Villa
  • Springfield Senior Living Community
  • The Terrace at Chestnut Hill
  • Whitemarsh House Inc
Home Care Flourtown, PA

For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.

 In-Home Care Flourtown, PA

Taking the First Step with Always Best Care

The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:

A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way

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A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive

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Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider

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Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.

If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.

At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Flourtown, PA 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.

When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.

 Elderly Care Flourtown, PA

Latest News in Flourtown, PA

Free Film Screening and Panel Discussion of Screenagers Under the Influence

Montgomery County parents are invited to a free film screening and panel discussion of Screenagers Under the Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age on Monday, October 23, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at Flourtown Movie Tavern, 1844 Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown. The film will be followed by a panel discussion with an adolescent treatment provider and educators.Screenagers Under the Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age, the third feature docu...

Montgomery County parents are invited to a free film screening and panel discussion of Screenagers Under the Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age on Monday, October 23, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at Flourtown Movie Tavern, 1844 Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown. The film will be followed by a panel discussion with an adolescent treatment provider and educators.

Screenagers Under the Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age, the third feature documentary in the Screenagers trilogy, delves into how the tech revolution has reshaped adolescence and its effects on substance use. The film debunks myths and depicts strategies parents can use to encourage healthy decision-making, support teen mental health, set limits, and create healthy home environments. Learn more about the film at https://www.screenagersmovie.com/about-screenagers-under-the-influence.

“This eye-opening film examines the impact of our digital age on teens’ decision-making in relation to substance use, including vaping, alcohol, and other drugs,” said Judy Hirsh, Director of Community Engagement, Be a Part of the Conversation. “The film is grounded in teens’ current reality of being flooded by images on social media, movies, and TV shows about vaping, drugs, and alcohol.”

This event will be held during Red Ribbon Week (October 23–31), the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation. The mission of the Red Ribbon Campaign® is to present a unified and visible commitment toward the creation of a drug-free America.

To register for this free event, visit https://conversation.zone/event/montcofilm/. Each registrant will be entered to win a $40 Target gift card. Must be present to win.

This event is presented by Be a Part of the Conversation and the Montgomery County Alliance for Prevention (MAP), with funding from the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Office of Drug & Alcohol.

About Be a Part of the Conversation

Be a Part of the Conversation equips families and communities in Pennsylvania with skills and resources to understand substance use, addiction, and related health issues. They provide community programs, foster supportive connections, highlight lived experiences, and challenge stigma. To learn more, visit https://conversation.zone/

About Montgomery County Alliance for Prevention

Rebranded in late 2023, the Montgomery County Alliance for Prevention (MAP) is a collective network of community coalitions focused on youth substance use prevention. By working together, we prevent substance abuse by collaborating to promote healthy, positive choices throughout Montgomery County. Current MAP members include the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Office of Drug & Alcohol; Family Services of Montgomery County; Cheltenham Communities That Care (CTC); Indian Valley Character Counts Coalition; Upper Merion Area Community Alliance for a Safer Tomorrow (CAST); and Upper Perk Project Live.

On the Market: Eclectic Modern Manor in Flourtown

NewsAlmost by chance, a client with a particular vision and an architect with a novel approach to modernism met each other, and this one-of-a-kind house is the product of that meeting.Is this a modern house? Absolutely. Yet it’s also traditional. But the best term to describe it is “a true original.” Come see why at 1 Wingate Ct., Flourtown, Pa. 19031 | Images: The Sivel Group, BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors; images with aste...

News

Almost by chance, a client with a particular vision and an architect with a novel approach to modernism met each other, and this one-of-a-kind house is the product of that meeting.

Is this a modern house? Absolutely. Yet it’s also traditional. But the best term to describe it is “a true original.” Come see why at 1 Wingate Ct., Flourtown, Pa. 19031 | Images: The Sivel Group, BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors; images with asterisks: Joel Levinson

I know that many people buy and build houses so they can show off their works of art.

Rarer, however, are those who build works of art to live in.

This eclectic Flourtown modern manor house for sale is one of those places. And it was also built to showcase the art the owners were buying when they built it.

“My husband had started an art collection,” says Janet Kimball, who owns this unique house with her husband Ron. He started the collection early on in his career as a physician: “When he was an intern, he had a choice: He was in an apartment by himself.” And, she says, he asked himself, “‘Do I buy a couch, or do I buy the art?’ So he bought the art.”

So, having amassed a sizable art collection since then, one of the things Ron and Janet knew they wanted in the house they planned to build in Flourtown was ample space to display artworks. And after visiting the Main Line home of their friends Bradley and Marjorie Lee (of Lee Tire fame), they knew who they wanted to provide it for them: architect Joel Levinson.

“Joel had designed their home,” she explains. “One night, they invited us over to go out to dinner. And we never did go to dinner. We just talked, going from room to room, talking about what went into everything and where they got this idea and that idea.

“And then we said, ‘Who was y0ur architect?’ And they told us it was Joel.”

They came to Levinson with a long list of elements they wanted their house to possess. Many of them were seemingly contradictory: “They wanted the house to be curvilinear and sensuous,” says Levinson. “They wanted openness, light, lots of windows. High ceilings. Variability. They wanted steps up and down to different levels. They wanted a celestial look in certain spaces. They wanted a sculptural house with form and they wanted it to be creative.”

Sitting room/playroom next to kitchen

And they wanted something that wouldn’t stick out too much in a neighborhood of mostly traditional houses. Levinson could handle that too: “My design philosophy is eclectic,” says Levinson. “I was trained at Penn as a modern architect, but I have always appreciated traditional architecture and photographed it on my travels.”

And so it came to pass that this pastiche of the medieval, the English picturesque, and modern influences ranging from Art Deco to midcentury to high modernist arose on a 1.69-acre lot in Flourtown.

Things aren’t all right here: at left, sharp angles accentuate the breakfast-room skylight, while the skylight over the main staircase is pyramidal; the breakfast room skylight appears through the arch in the photo at right*

This Flourtown modern manor house for sale checks off every item on that list the Kimballs gave their architect. Its sensuousness comes not only from its many curves but also from its many slopes and angles, which express one of his chief architectural interests: “diagonality.” The not-quite-right angle, he maintains, has been the source of delight and fascination stretching back centuries.

And certainly those angles delight and fascinate in this house. Look at how they frame the pyramidal skylight over the main staircase and add drama to the breakfast room.

And note the light that pours through both. Ample windows and many skylights flood the house with natural light as Ron wanted, and the dominant white color palette only intensifies the sense of airiness.

Living room, view towards main stairs, breakfast room and kitchen

The most dramatic curves reside in the two-story-high living room. Here, high modernism and Art Deco coexist harmoniously thanks to both the curves and the gentle coffers surrounding the oculus in its ceiling.

A similar juxtaposition can be found in the first-floor bar.

While modern at heart, the choice of stucco and stone as the chief building materials give this house some traditional heft, and the tile-clad turret adds a touch of the rustic, especially when juxtaposed with the stone facing around the entrance.

That was part of the plan, says Kimball. “We emphasized that we like our neighbors and we like them to like us. They like us, but I don’t know if they like the house.” But the stone and stucco help it fit in better with its neighbors.

So this house is a real looker. How’s it function? Very well. It manages to pull off a very neat trick: offering an open floor plan the consists of several distinct spaces. Changes in volume and angle and the use of alcoves are among the ways this house pulls off that trick.

But most of all, Kimball says, the light is what makes this place truly special. “You’re inside, but not feels like you’re outside,” she says.

Not only are the spaces enlivened by diagonality, but the basic plan of the house is as well: the main living spaces lie at an angle to the main entrance. And, Kimball says, “the acoustics are incredible.” That ought to be a big plus if you enjoy performing or listening to music. Especially in that circular living room: ”We found that out when we put surround sound in the room. It did not need it.”

Library. Can you find the secret door?

This house has a space for everything, and for everything, it has plenty of space. In addition to the curvy living room and the oval dining room, it also has a home gym next to the first-floor bar, a reading loft for the kids, and a library whose bookshelves conceal a door to a secret hideaway Ron asked for, a manifestation of his youthful fascination with Sherlock Holmes.

However, Kimball did find out that one element of the house’s design might not work so well in a world where COVID-19 has altered how we use residential space. “The second person to look at our house felt [the open design] was a problem, because they couldn’t close off the offices.

“It would have been great in today’s world, where people are working from home, if there was a way to close them off. It never bothered us, though.”

Just stick a white noise generator inside the office entryway and you should be fine.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 4

BATHS: 4 full, 2 half

SQUARE FEET: 6,895

SALE PRICE: $1,750,000

1 Wingate Ct., Flourtown, Pa. 19031 [Michael Sivel | The Sivel Group | BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors]

Flourtown couple new owners of Urban Air in East Norriton – Win a free birthday party!

Brian and Melissa Halligan of Flourtown are the new owners of Urban Air in East Norriton. The couple are not new to family entertainment, having owned and operated a local golf and swim facility for 20 years. When looking for another venue to add to their portfolio, they found Urban Air to be the perfect fit as it provides another avenue for families to make memories while having fun together.Not familiar with Urban Air? Urban Air is not...

Brian and Melissa Halligan of Flourtown are the new owners of Urban Air in East Norriton. The couple are not new to family entertainment, having owned and operated a local golf and swim facility for 20 years. When looking for another venue to add to their portfolio, they found Urban Air to be the perfect fit as it provides another avenue for families to make memories while having fun together.

Not familiar with Urban Air? Urban Air is not just a trampoline park, but bills itself as the “Ultimate Indoor Adventure Park.” It has attractions that cater to any level of adventurer, so there is something for everyone from mini warriors conquering obstacles to those who want to show gravity who is boss.

The Halligans have really enjoyed the first few months owning the indoor park. “We are often at the park greeting guests and making sure everyone is having a great time, shared Melissa. “We want Urban Air to be the top spot in the region for kids to come play, learn, and escape.”

They also want to partner with schools and local organizations. “We want schools and organizations to think of Urban Air as a partner for their fundraising events,” offered Brian. “We want to help local kids by offering them a safe venue to raise funds and awareness for the causes they care about.”

The Halligans suggest you don’t miss the Sky Rider, a zip-line course that allows kids to fly over the park. They are also excited to announce that they are re-introducing the Drop Zone in 2024. This attraction allows guests to jump from a trampoline to a huge soft airbag.

Urban Air in East Norriton is open seven days a week. The hours are Monday, through Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. For ticket information and to schedule your adventure, visit Urban Air online.

One of the most popular reasons families visit Urban Air is for birthday parties and Urban Air, MoreThanTheCurve.com, and AroundAmbler.com are partnering to give a free birthday ($450 value) to a kid in 2024. The deadline to enter is January 7, 2024.

The free birthday party includes access to ALL DAY PLAY for 10 guests (height restrictions apply), plus:

10 pairs of Urban Air SocksBottled waterTablecloth and runnerSetup and cleanup

2 hour party table rentalBalloonsT-shirt for birthday kid

Shared party hostPlates, napkins, forksScratch off party favors

Data collected through this contest will be shared with Burb Media, LLC, owner of MoreThanTheCurve.com and AroundAmbler.com, and Urban Air East Norriton.

Flourtown Bakery an 'Old Fashion Destination'

Besides a few loose drinks, the doesn’t sell anything besides baked goods. According to owner Frank Alio, it isn’t an accident.“We don’t sell candy, we don’t sell potato chips and we don’t sell anyone else’s thing,” he said. “We don’t get into anyone else’s business. We’re a bakery and that’s what we do.”The Flourtown Bakery, , has been in the area for 33 years. Alio, a fourth-generation baker, says that the shop’s appeal is in its old-fas...

Besides a few loose drinks, the doesn’t sell anything besides baked goods. According to owner Frank Alio, it isn’t an accident.

“We don’t sell candy, we don’t sell potato chips and we don’t sell anyone else’s thing,” he said. “We don’t get into anyone else’s business. We’re a bakery and that’s what we do.”

The Flourtown Bakery, , has been in the area for 33 years. Alio, a fourth-generation baker, says that the shop’s appeal is in its old-fashion methods.

“We do 99 percent of our stuff from scratch: no mixes, nothing frozen,” he said. “We’re one of the few places that still makes its own doughnuts. Our butter cookies are made with real butter. We don’t skimp.”

Alio says that the bakery’s insistence on making its goods from scratch makes it a destination for shoppers.

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“It’s worth a trip to come one time,” he said. “A nice time to come here is for Chirstmas. We make all our own gingerbread houses. We’re known for our cookies and our cakes: we sell tons and tons of cookies.”

Alio says that its old-fashion methods are how the bakery competes with hard economic times and increased competition.

“There’s not too many of us bakeries left,” he said. “We had to whether the storm with supermarkets and one-stop shopping places.”

He cites the bakery’s personal touch as a reason for its success.

“Pricewise, [supermarkets] are starting to out-price us in some things,” he says. “We can do things that they can’t. We can cater to you, make special orders and we can do that because it is what we’re all about.”

Alio runs the Flourtown Bakery as a family operation. His mother and cousin help him make the bakeries goods daily and his two college-aged daughters help out around the bakery when they can. Alio says he likes the work, but he suspects he might be the last of the family’s bakers.

“I’ve got two daughters who are on scholarship at college,” he said. “We’ll probably be it, though. It’s a good life, but it’s a lot of hours.”

Despite the work that goes into the bakery, Alio said that he wouldn’t run the shop any other way.

“It’s hard and its more work, but it pays off in the end,” he said.

No strings attached: Restoring and building great guitars in Flourtown

by Grant MoserTim Huenke, 48, owner of Superior Guitar Works in Flourtown, remembers when his parents gave him a guitar at age 12. He had just "discovered" music and was grabbed by the deep and powerful feelings it stirred. Fortunately for the world of guitars, the instrument his parents bought was not any good.Huenke’s profession today is what he calls “a restoring luthier.” (A luthier is a maker of stringed instruments.) Looking back now at that first guitar his parents gave him, h...

by Grant Moser

Tim Huenke, 48, owner of Superior Guitar Works in Flourtown, remembers when his parents gave him a guitar at age 12. He had just "discovered" music and was grabbed by the deep and powerful feelings it stirred. Fortunately for the world of guitars, the instrument his parents bought was not any good.

Huenke’s profession today is what he calls “a restoring luthier.” (A luthier is a maker of stringed instruments.) Looking back now at that first guitar his parents gave him, he knows what was wrong with it.

"It was made out of cheap materials with poor construction. The geometry was all wrong, the strings were sitting too high off the fingerboard, the notes didn’t sound cleanly, there was rattling,” he explained. “It was an instrument that a seasoned professional would have trouble getting music to come out of; it was something from Kmart or Sears.”

But back then all he knew was that he wanted a better guitar. After buying a few progressively better guitars, Tim got the idea to build his own guitar. He had grown up building model kits and was good at detailed work with his hands. His stepfather had a good woodworking shop in the garage.

“It came pretty naturally to me,” he said. It took him most of the summer to complete it. That’s when he realized he loved the technical aspects of guitars as much as playing them.

There are many technical aspects to restoring, fixing and building guitars. One of them is the action: the distance between the bottom of the string and the top of the fret board. The strings are under an enormous amount of tension, anywhere from 150 to 200 pounds. “You don’t want to stretch a wire that’s pulled that tightly down really far with just your fingertip,” Huenke said. “You want to touch that wire and pluck that string and have the note sound.”

Another aspect is the geometry of the guitar: the alignment of the neck and the bridge and the fingerboard in relation to each other. Even many seasoned guitar players don’t understand the importance of geometry.

When someone brings in a guitar for Huenke to set-up (adjusting factors, including the action, to make the guitar play its best), often he finds that the geometry is misaligned. All that tension from the strings will stretch and buckle a neck over the years, which will make the guitar sound poor.

He used his know-how to earn money in college by fixing other students' guitars. He attended Stockton State College in Pomona, New Jersey, briefly before he dropped out (“I was young and irresponsible”) and began working as a union carpenter. A car accident forced him to leave that industry, and he landed a job at Zapf’s Music Store at 5421 N. 5th St. in Olney repairing acoustic guitars, doing set-ups, refinishing, a little of everything.

After four years at Zapf’s, he decided to start his own business in 1992. Actually working on guitars for years is the only way to really learn the craft, according to Huenke. There are schools to learn how to be a luthier or to repair guitars, but “you can’t learn this in a few months.”

As an example, Huenke pointed to Martin Guitars in Nazareth, Pennsylvania; they are America’s oldest surviving guitar manufacturer. The repair department there has to know about only Martin Guitars, but that’s 175 years of history to master. When restoring a guitar, the luthier needs to take into account what types of glues were used, which types of finishing techniques were employed when the guitar was made and any manufacturing quirks particular to that guitar’s era.

Huenke has worked on Martin Guitars (one 1830s guitar he restored is in their museum), but he also works on many other makes of guitars from various eras. “I need to have an encyclopedic knowledge about every manufacturer of anything that comes across my bench in order to give it the care and attention it deserves. A lot of these guitars are antique Americana,” he explained.

While the Internet has made researching specifics much easier, not all the information is accurate. Knowing what to do and how to do it comes from looking at and studying hundreds of them. “I’ve been screwing around with this stuff since I was 16. I’m now 48. That’s a lot of guitars.”

Huenke enjoys restoration work but also will occasionally build a guitar from scratch. Many times a customer will have a neck but will want him to make the body. It’s rare for him to receive an order for a true custom-built guitar, mainly due to the cost and time that goes into that process. One such order was from a man who wanted a platform to show off his pearl inlaying skill. It has an entire coral reef and ocean ecosystem from the headstock to the bottom and is wrapped around the back in intricate handcut inlay. It was featured on the cover of the 12th edition of the Blue Book of Electric Guitars.

Tim's work, whether restoration or custom-building, doesn’t come cheaply. He just restored a 1979 Fender Precision Bass for a customer. Huenke spent 50 shop hours restoring the guitar at $90 an hour. He says the man was thrilled to see it in working order and said Huenke him a piece of his history back. “It’s worth it to some people. I love giving them back that memory.”

The guitar man grew up in the Tacony/Bridesburg area for the first seven years of his life when his family moved to southern New Jersey. He moved to Mt. Airy in 1994 and has been a resident in the area since. He is married to Cynthia, without whom he could not possibly run Superior Guitar Works.

For more information on Superior Guitar Works, please visit www.superiorguitar.com.

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