In This Issue

	Hollywood’s approach to aging is looking “Up”
	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

Hollywood’s approach to aging is looking “Up”

	I never cry at the movies – not ever! That’s Joanna's domain. At the movie “Titanic”, she started crying from the moment they rolled the opening credits and didn’t stop! I cry at more “manly” things – I cried when our boys were born, when Tiger Woods limped off the green after winning the U.S. Open, and when Lance Armstrong won his first Tour de France after his cancer diagnosis. I was certainly surprised when I teared up more than once at the new animated film “Up,” a poignant story of love and loss involving a lonely widower and a forlorn young boy. Produced by Disney/Pixar who brought us Finding Nemo and The Incredibles, “Up” entertains and delights children and adults while leaving the audience with a simple positive message about growing older. “Up” shows us that you can walk with a cane, need a hearing aid and still be the hero!
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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.

Hollywood’s approach to aging is looking “Up”

Hollywood and Madison Avenue have rarely portrayed the elderly in any realistic way. We celebrate octogenarians who are more fit than men half their age, like Clint Eastwood. We rely on aliens to liberate senior citizens from their ailments and their mortality in “Cocoon, we scare the public by showing the helpless senior citizen who exclaims “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up,” or we simply laugh at those “Grumpy Old Men.” All of these portrayals are a form of “ageism.” The term ageism describes the prejudicial attitudes about old people and the aging process that perpetuate negative stereotypes. The film “Up” turns these stereotypes upside down with a realistic depiction of aging and the loss that inevitably accompanies that process. Are we entering a new era in media where the elderly are no longer caricatures of themselves? It appears that the image of elderly people in television, commercials and major Hollywood movie releases may be less negative than previously thought. Advertisers may have taken the cue from published research on ageism and have begun to reduce the number of obvious sterotypes used in product promotion. However, the effect of this has been to reduce the overall visibility of elderly characters. For instance, TV advertisers won’t break the stereotype by routinely showing older characters in positive situations, but they also seem to avoid showing older characters in negative, stereotyped situations. TV and film productions do not seem afraid of writing about elderly characters facing the issue of aging but will cast actors and actresses clearly too young to be credible in their role. This result may simply be another version of “ageism.” The reality is that in American culture, the older you are, the less value we typically place on your contributions to overall society. We enhance the status of seniors who act and behave like younger people instead of appreciating them as experienced “elders” with gifts of special wisdom. The refreshing and enchanting aspect to Disney’s recent release “Up” was its willingness to embrace and celebrate a character who looks and acts “old.” Our hero Carl (brilliantly voiced by Ed Asner) is a lonely widower with a walker and a hearing aid. The plot centers on Carl’s desire to fulfill a promise he made to his late wife. At no point in the movie does Carl develop super human powers; he is still old and can’t hear. Yet his courage, compassion and wisdom save the day. I encourage you all to enjoy this film when the opportunity arises in your life. It is my hope that it represents the beginning of the media’s acceptance of aging as part of life. “Family Business” Summer is in full swing for our family – how about yours? If you stop in the office, please welcome Michaela Hyland, our summer intern. She is a rising senior at The Lovett School, and please wish her good luck as she finishes filling out college applications. Michaela and her family are neighbors of ours and we have watched her grow into a lovely young woman with a keen interest in social work. The Hurley boys are all out of school and we are counting down the days until we take a family trip to Walt Disney World. The Houston family is busy planning a family reunion in July, and Louise is looking forward to a beach vacation!