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Larry Haubner laughs as residents and staff members of Greenfield Assisted Living sing 'Happy Birthday.'
Peter Cihelka/THE FREE LANCE-STAR
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Ellmore
Peter Cihelka/THE FREE LANCE-STAR
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Fundraiser aims to let man, 105, stay put
A fundraising campaign aims to have Larry Haubner stay where he is at Greenfield Assisted Living
Date published: 8/10/2007
BY JIM HALL
The friends of Larry "Curly" Haubner have started a fundraising campaign to allow him to remain in the assisted-living center where he lives.
A Web site, Savelarry.org, went online last week. Organizers hope to collect $60,000, the amount needed to pay Haubner's bills for two years.
"This is simply about giving somebody the respect and dignity that they've earned and deserve in their final years," said Mark Ellmore, one of the organizers.
Haubner, 105, has lived at Greenfield Assisted Living of Fredericksburg in southern Stafford County for three years.
Prior to that, he lived alone in Fredericksburg and was a fixture downtown, riding his bicycle and singing selections from his favorite operas.
He is in good health but has no family. He has outlived his savings and may have to move to a nursing home.
Haubner pays $3,500 a month to stay in a private room at Greenfield, said Carol Ewing, president of Bridges, a Fredericksburg senior-care company that has his power of attorney.
His income totals $1,000 a month, from Social Security and a private retirement account.
Ewing has been paying the difference from a savings account that Haubner had prior to moving to Greenfield. But that account is now empty.
Ewing said she has not been able to find other funding, including veteran's benefits, so she plans to apply for Medicaid for Haubner and move him to a nursing home.
Greenfield, off White Oak Road, is a "private-pay" home and does not accept Medicaid clients.
Greenfield Senior Living, the parent company of the Stafford home, is headquartered in Falls Church and has 10 homes.
Olga Soehngen, a spokeswoman for the company, said that Greenfield supports the community effort and wants Haubner to remain at the home. She declined to guarantee that he would be able to live out his life there.
Ewing said that Haubner is happy at Greenfield and well cared for there. He does not need the skilled care of a nursing home, and she fears that he will suffer if he must move.
When Ellmore heard that Haubner might have to move, he contacted Ewing about a fundraising effort.
"Literally, this is about saving a life," Ellmore said.
Ellmore is a resident of Alexandria and a mortgage banker. He also is a Republican candidate for the 8th Congressional District seat in Northern Virginia.
Ellmore met Haubner two years ago while visiting his 89-year-old mother, Thelma Ellmore. "I see him every time I go there," Ellmore said. "He sits at the breakfast table with my mom."
Ewing said that Haubner is not aware of his financial situation. "I'm not going to be the one to bring it up," she said. "I'm always worried about worrying elderly people regarding their day-to-day living situation."
Jim Hall: 540/374-5433
Email: jhall@freelancestar.com
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For more information about Larry Haubner, contact Carol Ewing at 540/785-4512. Donations may be sent to Bridges Senior Care Solutions, Box 1310, Fredericksburg, Va., 22402. Checks should be payable to "Larry Haubner." Online donations can be made at Savelarry.org.
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Read more stories about Fredericksburg
Date published: 8/10/2007
Most recent reader comments:
Deserves to be happy
(posted by
VALADI
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
I realy hope that starting a campaign will help. When I first read about this gentleman a month or so back I e-mailed the story to everyone that I knew along with the adress and phone number of where he resides in hopes that someone could help finacialy or if they had an idea, So hopefully what these good people are doing will help, he deserves to be happy he has lived a long life and probably has many stories to tell.Good luck,love and peace Mr. Haubner.
Good for Ellmore!
(posted by
Minx
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
I am glad that someone is starting a campaign to help Mr. Haubner. However, at his age, Greenfields would be better off letting him stay for whatever his social security payment is - the goodwill and good publicity it woud generate would more than offset the cost.
Let him stay!
(posted by
john1315
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
I applaud the efforts of those trying to raise money for Mr. Haubner. Greenfield has every last penny that Mr. Haubner had to his name, so what would be the harm in accepting whatever funds were raised and let him stay there as long as he lives? Unfortunately, I predict the corporate bottom line will rule supreme, as it knows nothing of dignity, compassion, or charity.
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