Hurley Elder Care Law Atlanta, Georgia

Granny Pods – A realistic, cost effective senior housing option?

Joanna Hurley — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:14:32 +0000

Multi generational households are nothing new. There are houses with granny flats and grandparent suites – call it what you want! A newer idea that is really taking hold is something called the granny pod. It’s a self contained, modular unit that can be placed on the property of a willing caregiver. They are designed and built with the elderly in mind so you can expect to find wheelchair accessible sinks, comfort height toilets and no visible wires! The modular units can be purchased or leased and can provide a family with an ideal environment for caring for a loved one at home without extensively remodeling the existing structure. Read more about this at http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E6D8173BF93BA35756C0A9649D8B63&pagewanted=all

Technological Advances and Elder Care: Interesting Article in the AJC

Anne McSweeney — Thu, 03 May 2012 09:48:26 +0000

Technological Advances and Elder Care: Interesting Article in the AJC

Please check out this interesting article from this past weekend in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It talks about how wireless companies are developing ways to help caregivers (and even home health companies) stay in touch with their patients and help them to age in place at home. Many new devices such as home monitoring services, cameras, lighting and motion detectors can aid in helping caregivers keep track of a loved one in the home. Another new creation is “GlowCaps” that are pill bottle tops that send out ringtones and flashing lights to remind people to take their medicine. Again, there are many new innovative devices aimed to help people stay in their homes for as long as possible. You can read the article at http://www.ajc.com/business/elder-care-enters-the-1427924.html.

Veterans Benefits: Getting the Information You Need

Michelle — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:12:22 +0000

The Veterans Administration offers its wartime veterans (and their surviving spouses) a special pension called the Aid and Attendance Benefit. This benefit is intended to help veterans (and their surviving spouses) pay for long term care. This benefit is often misunderstood or unknown. We provide information on our website and through community seminars. Here are some seminars that are coming up:

Veteran Benefits Seminar at Plantation South of Dunwoody
Event Date: Saturday, April 28th – 9:30 am – 10:30 am
Interested in learning more about the VA Aid and Attendance Benefit? A representative from Hurley Elder Care Law will be at Plantation South of Dunwoody to discuss the basics of VA Aid and Attendance Benefit. This event is open to the public. Call Scott Ulrich at Plantation South to learn more. (770) 936-9857.

Veterans Benefits Presentation at Benton House of Newnan
Event Date: Wednesday, May 16th – 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
The “Aid and Attendance” benefit is one of the VA’s best-kept secrets from our retired service men and women. Veterans over age 65 who are disabled can be eligible for as much as $2019 per month in addition to any other VA pension or service-related benefit they may receive. Surviving spouses can qualify for up to $1094 per month. Learn more about this “hidden benefit” and other non-service related benefits. Larry Robert with Vitas Hospice and Michelle Allen with Hurley Elder Care Law will be at the Benton House in Newnan to share information. This event is free and open to the public. Contact the Benton House for more information at (770) 253-8444.
Presentation at Delmar Gardens Smyrna
Event Date: Thursday, May 24th – 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Michelle Allen, LMSW, will present “The Hidden Secrets of VA Benefits” at Delmar Gardens in Smyrna. The “Aid and Attendance” benefit is one of the VA’s best-kept secrets from our retired service men and women. Learn more about this “hidden benefit” and other non-service related benefits. The community is invited, so please join us.

Remember, only someone who is accredited by the VA to be a claims representative can help with the application. Both of the attorneys in our office are accredited. You can check for accreditation here.

If you have more questions about the Aid and Attendance Benefit, please call our office for a free phone consultation (404) 843-0121.

Specialty ERs for Seniors

Joanna Hurley — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:21:45 +0000

There is a great article in the health section of msnbc.com featuring the specialty senior ER established at Mt. Sinai Medical center in New York City. The hospital created a space that was calming and specially designed to recognize the needs of seniors and has staffed it with geriatric MDs. Taking cues from pediatric ERs that are designed specifically for children, (where everything is full of bold primary colors and toys are available to distract kids while they wait) inside the Mt. Sinai geri-ER, there are skylights so the elderly can tell what time of day it is, a sharp contrast to the 24-hour brightly lit traditional ER. The article went on to say that there are plans for more than 50 geri-ERs across the country. Read the entire article at http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/22/11313904-emergency-rooms-designed-for-the-older-set?lite

Feeding Tube Decisions

Dawn — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:36:45 +0000

As one of the two care coordinators at HECL I am always interested in finding good educational resources for our clients and their families on different issues that affect them. One of the issues that comes up very frequently is feeding tubes. I have witnessed first hand the difficulty that families have in making the decision whether or not to have a feeding tube inserted into their loved one with dementia. Often times doctors do not give the family the facts or the consequences surrounding the placement of a feeding tube. Without an in-depth discussion, families often say yes to a feeding tube since they do not want to have their loved one “starve to death.” Current research has shown that feeding tubes do not improve the quality of life for people with advanced dementia. The AGS Health in Aging Foundation has an excellent handout of FAQs on tube feeding decisions for people with severe dementia.

http://eldercare.health-first.org/docs/forums/feeding_tube.pdf

Worldwide Dementia Cases Set to Double to 65.7 million by 2030

Kim Lewis — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:29:06 +0000

The U.N. health agency announced that 65.7 million people will be living with dementia by 2030 and will increase to 115.4 million in 2050. This increase will cause heavy social and financial burdens.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for greater public awareness and support programs throughout the countries in the world. Many poor and middle income and even many “rich” countries are not adequately prepared to deal with the drastic increase in dementia cases.

For more details and information see http://www.ajc.com/health/who-dementia-cases-worldwide-1413340.html?cxtype=rss_news_81963

Bed Shortage?

Kelley — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:24:07 +0000

I just read an article about the upcoming shortages of skilled nursing facilities. We see a cyclical pattern around here. At one point all the facilities have waiting lists, and a few months later clients have their pick of facility for immediate admission. As the article stated, some facilities lose money on patients with Medicaid as the primary payer. We have seen a real movement toward adding beds for patients receiving rehabilitation services. This is also helping to reduce the number of beds that are available for people who need long term care in a nursing facility.

http://money.msn.com/retirement/the-coming-nursing-home-shortage-fiscaltimes.aspx

A Parkinson’s Disease Resource

Nancy — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:32:33 +0000

If you or a loved one has Parkinson’s disease, you will want to check out www.parkison.org, the National Parkinson Foundation website. The site provides current information on the latest medical discoveries in the treatment and cure of Parkinson’s disease. They have created a program called the Aware in Care campaign designed to help you educate your health care providers on how to take good care of you during a hospital stay. In addition, they have a Parkinson’s & Hospitalization Webinar scheduled for April 5^th at 1:00 p.m., and have a kit that you can order to take with you to the hospital. It would be worth your time to check this out.

Georgia’s Dr. Denmark Dies at Age 114

Michelle — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:44:55 +0000

I just found out that Dr. Denmark is being buried today. Read what Joanne Grubbs wrote abou her:

From: Joanne Grubbs

Date: April 4, 2012

A Tribute to Leila Denmark, MD (February 1, 1898 – April 1, 2012)

Georgia has lost one of its favorite daughters, Dr. Leila Denmark, who said, “The secret of a long life is to eat right and love what you do.” She died last Sunday in Athens, GA, at the age of 114. She was the fourth oldest person in the world. Dr. Denmark graduated from Tift College, studied at Mercer University, and taught high school science before she decided to become a doctor. She was the only woman in her graduating class at the Medical College of Georgia in 1928. She moved to Atlanta after graduation and became the first resident at the new Henrietta Egleston Hospital for Children. She admitted the first patient to that hospital, now called Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She continued to practice pediatric medicine until she retired at age 103 in 2001 at which time she was the oldest practicing physician in the country.

Dr. Denmark received the prestigious Fisher Award for outstanding research in the diagnosis, treatment, and development of an immunization for whooping cough. In 2000, Emory University awarded her with an honorary doctorate to a standing ovation. At that time, there had been only three standing ovations at commencement exercises in the school’s history: for Hank Aaron, the Dalai Lama, and Dr. Denmark. She lived independently until she reached the age of 106, when she moved to Athens to live with her daughter.

Assisted Suicide

Kelley — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:31:07 +0000

We all remember all the controversy around Jack Kevorkian assisting his patients in committing suicide. Yesterday, Elizabeth Barrett was arrested in California and charged with assisted suicide. She provided crushed Oxycontin to an old friend, Jack Koency, who ate it in a successful suicide attempt. The DA stated that Mr. Koency was not terminally ill, bedridden or immobile. He did have literature about voluntary euthanasia. He suffered from depression and was estranged from his children. The link will take you to the full story.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/28/us-assisted-suicide-california-idUSBRE82R1FG20120328