Dianne O’Donnell, J.D. Of Counsel
Dianne O’Donnell joined Hurley Elder Care Law in 2007 as an attorney and gerontologist in the position Of Counsel. She recently earned her Master’s Degree in Gerontology from Georgia State University. She is also a summa cum laude graduate of Furman University in Greenville, SC with a degree in Mathematics and a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law.
Prior to her work in elder care, Dianne worked for 17 years in the compensation and benefits field. As a consultant with Ernst & Young and as an attorney with a boutique Atlanta firm specializing in ERISA and estate planning, Dianne designed programs, researched tax law and wrote communications materials for retirement, health benefit and stock-based compensation plans. Dianne also has held human resource management positions in two large corporations.
As an elder law attorney, Dianne assists clients with the legal and asset planning required to ensure quality long-term care services; she also specializes in public benefits eligibility, including VA Aid & Attendance and Medicaid. Much of her work with clients also involves caregiver coaching and counseling. She frequently speaks to community groups and professional organizations on elder care legal issues and other topics related to our aging population.
At the Gerontology Institute of Georgia State University, Dianne studied a variety of disciplines including elder law, social work, psychology, sociology and health care. She also worked on numerous community service and research projects, including a large field study on memory performance and memory complaints of older adults. Dianne’s master’s thesis project was a scientific program evaluation of an adult day health center in Atlanta using focus groups of participants and family caregivers. She was invited to speak about her innovative research at several national events, including the annual meeting of the National Adult Day Services Association.
Dianne attended the 2005 White House Conference on Aging in Washington, D.C. and continues to be an advocate for Georgia’s elderly population through the Georgia Council on Aging and the Atlanta-area Coalition on Aging & Mental Health. Dianne serves on several Boards, including the Southern Gerontological Society, the Culture Change Network of Georgia, the Consumer Consortium on Assisted Living, and she’s been nominated for to serve on the Advisory Board of the Center for Positive Aging (2010-2012).
A PADI-certified master diver level scuba diver, Dianne loves to travel and also regularly volunteers at the Georgia Aquarium on the Ambassador Team. Dianne has raised thousands of dollars for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by walking marathons (26.2 miles) and half-marathons. Her love of walking was helpful when she adopted her first dog ever in 2007 from the Atlanta Humane Society. Sandy, a beautiful 50-lb mix of lab, boxer, and hound is in training to be a therapy dog. Dianne and Sandy are honored to serve as a team helping older adults.