In This Issue

	The Alzheimer’s Project
	If you answer yes to any of these questions, Hurley Elder Care Law can help
	Life Care Planning Goals
	The Nuts and Bolts Guide to VA Benefits

The Alzheimer’s Project

	For those of us who are active in the Elder Care community as professionals providing services, caregivers or recipients of care, the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease are a daily part of our lives. Beginning May 10, 2009, HBO networks will air a four-part landmark documentary series titled “The Alzheimer’s Project.” On three consecutive nights, HBO’s award winning filmmakers will bring us inside the world of Alzheimer’s disease and examine its impact from multiple angles. All cable subscribers, even those without HBO, should be able to view the series on the HBO channel for their cable company.
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To attend our monthly Professionals’ Luncheon please call Louise Morris at 404-843-0121 or email her at lmorris@HurleyECLaw.com

If you answer yes to any of these questions, Hurley Elder Care Law can help.

		Has the elder been diagnosed with a mentally or physically debilitating disorder such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, stroke or a decline in functional capacity?
		Is the elder isolated due to the recent death of a spouse, or have family that either lives too far away or is too busy to provide adequate care?
		Is the elder soon to be discharged into a care facility or currently receiving in-home care?
		Does the elder have a variety of healthcare providers and need coordination and advocacy for quality care?
		Does the elder seem unusually concerned about costs of medication and services, indicating he or she may be having financial troubles?
		Does the elder have assets that fall between $50,000 and $400,000 – enough to finance a short stay in a care facility but not enough for an extended stay?
		Does the elder have a spouse whose financial needs must be considered in light of the elder’s medical condition?

Life Care Planning Goals

1. Meeting the elders’ immediate health care and long-term care needs.
2. Making sure the elder/family is making good health care and long-term care decisions.
3. Helping the elder/family sort through the maze of their long-term care options including residential options.
4. Identifying and accessing public benefits and resources to pay for care should the elder meet the qualifying criteria.
5. Help with asset management, including the burden of home ownership and personal property.
6. Providing the entire family the peace of mind that comes from knowing their loved one is monitored by a team that combines legal and financial expertise with specialized knowledge of the elder’s physical, mental and emotional health.
7. Ensuring the highest level of independence the elder can achieve, while ensuring safety.

The Alzheimer’s Project

May 10th – 9:00 pm EDT – The Memory Loss Tapes This poignant film profiles seven individuals living with the disease, each in an advancing state of dementia. The filmmaker’s intent was to educate and show viewers the impact of each stage of the disease. Along the way they themselves became students as their cameras documented how clearly the course of the disease is so very different from person to person. May 11th – 7:30 pm EDT – Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am? This film tells the story of five children who are coping with a grandfather or grandmother suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Narrated by Maria Shriver, whose own father Sargent Shriver suffers from the disease, “Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?” views Alzheimer’s through a child’s eye and delivers valuable lessons for kids as they cope with their own feelings of guilt and loss. May 11th – 8:00 pm EDT – Momentum in Science, Part 1 May 12th – 8:00 pm EDT – Momentum in Science, Part 2 This film brings us all a reason for hope. This two-hour, two-part documentary takes us inside the laboratories and offices of the world’s leading research scientists and physicians who are working daily to better detect the disease, delay memory loss symptoms and ultimately prevent the disease. It looks at potential causes and cures of the disease and examines revolutionary approaches to treating Alzheimer’s disease. May 12th – 7:00 pm EDT – The Alzheimer’s Project Caregivers examine sacrifices and successes of families who are caring for loved ones in various stages of the disease. It looks at the physical, emotional and financial toll paid by those caring for a loved one with dementia. In addition to the remarkable documentary series, HBO in partnership with Fidelity Investments has commissioned a survey examining the impact of Alzheimer’s disease in America. The findings will not surprise those of us working at ground zero in the Elder Care community but to many Americans, they are startling. Over half the population has been touched by Alzheimer’s, it is the second most feared disease (cancer being the first) and the basic lack of knowledge the general population has about the cost of treating an Alzheimer’s patient are some of the findings in this ground breaking survey. The full survey is available for download online at www.HBO.com/alzheimers. I have had the privilege of seeing a partial advanced screening of “The Memory Loss Tapes” and can attest to the quality of this production. In addition to the documentary series, a companion viewer’s guide will also be available along with a wealth of information on the HBO website for families coping with Alzheimer’s. I am encouraged by the media attention surrounding this event. It can possibly raise the profile of this terrible disease and begin a true dialogue regarding the financial and emotional cost of caring for those suffering now. HBO is available through cable television and satellite providers. The series will also be shipped immediately to video and DVD rental firms (such as Blockbuster and Netflix) and for purchase at many retail outlets. On a personal note, the next time you encounter Dawn Houston, our wonderful care coordinator; please congratulate her on the birth of her second grandchild, Lorelei Carolyn Houston. Baby and mom are all safe and sound and Aunt Theresa (our VA specialist) is thrilled that a baby girl has finally been added to the Houston clan and Sandi Nelson (our Medicaid specialist) still thinks she is too young to be a great-grandmother. On the Hurley/Morris side of our “family” you can also congratulate Louise Morris on achieving a momentous birthday.