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“You’ve Got to Live in Their World” – Georgia Gunter and Jackie Kanfer on Advocating for Caregivers

February 16, 2015 by angishields

Eugeria

"You've Got to Live in Their World" - Georgia Gunter and Jackie Kanfer on Advocating for Caregivers

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Georgia Gunter is a rare Georgia native. After graduating from Chamblee High School she attended Furman University, earning a degree in Psychology. Having already developed an interest in seniors, she returned to Atlanta and continued her education at Georgia State, where she earned a Masters in Counseling and a Certificate in Gerontology. After graduation, she got her first practical experience with seniors as an intern at Piedmont Hospital’s Sixty Plus program. Upon completion of the internship, she was introduced to the Weinstein Center’s adult day program. When the Weinstein Center announced it would be closing its doors, Prasant Desai and his partner, Chris Burd, suggested that they would like to stand in that gap, and asked Georgia if she would be interested in starting a new Adult Day Center. After extensive planning and countless hours of preparation, Adult Day of Dunwoody opened last July with Georgia serving as the Executive Director. One of the unique aspects of Adult Day of Dunwoody is that they provide services for a wide variety of individuals, with a wide variety of needs. They operate their center with a health model, meaning there are RN’s on staff to assist with issues that might prevent an individual from participating at other day centers.

Joining Georgia today is Jackie Kanfer. Jackie is a volunteer with Adult Day of Dunwoody. But more than that, she is an advocate for seniors, their families and their caregivers. A caregiver herself, Jackie realized her love for this work goes all the way back to caring for her great grandmother when she was young. Today, Jackie is the primary caregiver for her husband, who suffers from Alzheimer’s. She is well-familiar with the challenges of providing care to an individual with a progressive, incurable disease. This makes her the perfect advocate for others like her.

Jackie runs a support group for caregivers at Shallowford Road Presbyterian Church. If you are interested in contacting Jackie directly, she may be reached at (770) 559-9141. In addition, Adult Day of Dunwoody is sponsoring an educational Virtual Dementia Tour at their facility on February 25, from 1pm to 6pm in conjunction with Second Wind Dreams. Adult Day of Dunwoody is located at One Dunwoody Park, #123, in Dunwoody. To make a reservation for this tour, call them at (770) 551-2722 or visit www.adultdayofdunwoody.com.

We want to thank Griswold Home Care for sponsoring today’s show. Griswold Home Care has been a preferred provider of high quality, affordable in-home senior care in Atlanta for more than 20 years.

What’s the Number One Issue Facing Seniors? Transportation! Gwinnett County Responds, on Eugeria!

February 16, 2015 by angishields

Eugeria

What's the Number One Issue Facing Seniors? Transportation! Gwinnett County Responds, on Eugeria!

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Jamie Cramer relocated to Georgia in 1990 after graduating from Cumberland College in Kentucky and began her career with the Clayton County Aging Services. Later Jamie took a position with the State of Georgia as the Manager for Livable Communities. Today she serves as Manager of Senior Services for the Gwinnett County Department of Community Services.

Gwinnett County Senior Services (GCSS) provides a variety of programs and services to help its seniors thrive while maintaining their “independence and aging in place”. These programs and services include Care Management; In-Home Services; Home-Delivered Meals; Handy Man Services and social functions. Of the many services offered, the number one need for seniors remains transportation.

Maria Beabout, a Gwinnett County native and graduate from the University of West Georgia, is currently the Transportation Volunteer Specialist for GCSS and oversees its transportation program. There are several initiatives within the GCSS transportation program that meet a variety of seniors’ transportation needs. The Demand Response Transportation Initiative assists seniors in getting to the grocery store, the pharmacy and general shopping. Volunteers meet this need by driving seniors in their private vehicles. Because this is the most highly demanded service, GCSS is always looking for volunteers. This is a great opportunity to give back to our greatest national treasure, our seniors. If you’re interested in volunteering as a driver, please contact Maria directly (see below for contact information).

Another highly successful GCSS transportation initiative. Get in Gear, fills in the gap of existing transportation services for the disabled and seniors providing transportation to medical appointments and other essential destinations. The transportation is provided by approved transportation venders who accept vouchers from the transported. Vouchers are reimbursed by Gwinnett County.

GCSS is a resource and referral organization specializing in reaching out and assisting the seniors in their community. To contact Gwinnett County Senior Services call 678-377-4150 or you can visit their web site at www.gwinnettseniorservices.com.

Forsyth County’s Social Scene for Active Seniors – Julie Gruen on Eugeria! Radio

February 16, 2015 by angishields

Eugeria

Forsyth County’s Social Scene for Active Seniors – Julie Gruen on Eugeria! Radio

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Growing up in Southwest Florida, Julie Gruen studied English at Western Carolina University, then went on to earn a Masters in Hospitality at the University of Central Florida. After graduating, she moved to South Carolina to start her career. When her family moved to Cumming, Georgia, she started visiting, and fell in love with the area. She left her job, and moved to Georgia with no other agenda that to build her life in Forsyth County. As she began looking for a new career opportunity, she knew that she wanted to have an impact on people’s lives. Forsyth County Senior Services was a perfect fit. Today, she is the Senior Services Team Leader in charge of Special Events.

Forsyth County Senior Services is a focal point for seniors in Forsyth County that is designed to enhance their independence and develop community. In addition to 3 senior centers, Forsyth County Senior Service provides home delivered meals for more than 200 people each day. For more active seniors, a wide variety of trips and events are available at low, or no, cost.

The next big event is the 13th Annual Senior Expo scheduled on February 21, from 10a to 1p at the Forsyth Conference Center. Admission is free. Last year more than 1500 people attended this event. There will be free health screenings, free food, and more than 90 organizations that serve the Forsyth County senior community. Don’t miss this terrific event!

For more information, call Julie at 770-781-2178, or visit their website here: http://www.forsythco.com/DeptPage.asp?DeptID=19&PageID=1520

Parents Reveal Family Law Pitfalls: Dishonest Attorneys

February 15, 2015 by angishields

Pro Advocate Radio

Parents Reveal Family Law Pitfalls: Dishonest Attorneys

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Parents Tammy and Tony Reveal Family Law Pitfalls

Parents Tammy and Tony speak out to reveal for others the potential pitfalls of our Family Law system after being trapped in unnecessary litigation.

There is no easy or nice way to put this, as the pitfalls were caused by dishonest attorneys seeking to prolong the litigation, turn a divorce into an unnecessary custody fight, and to drain the family financially and emotionally.

This strategy known only to the attorneys would have left this couple without the ability to co-parent together and without the time and financial means to give their son what he really needs. He needs them available for him and peacefully working together.

There is no argument that Tammy and Tony both wanted what was best for their son, and for the purpose of this show we’ll call him “Junior.” Even though they were struggling and having a hard time communicating, they never envisioned destroying each other. What actually took place will shock you.

They never fathomed their own attorneys would give such poor advice and cause them to do harm to each other, in ways that were unnecessary and that went against their nature and what they wanted.

Fortunately, Tony was able to see the deception that was leading to increased stress and risk for them as a family, and that would likely jeopardize his rights as a father. Separately and with no knowledge of what Tony was experiencing and realizing, Tammy came to My Advocate Center through a referral from a friend. She was able to talk to an attorney for a second opinion about her situation, and realized that not only was she getting poor advice, she was being guided to make their conflict worse. As a mother struggling to overcome a painful injury and disability, this was the last thing she needed.

Please listen and share what you learn here, and ask families caught in conflict to pause, take a step back and consider alternatives to what goes on in many divorces and child custody disputes.

Identities are being shielded here for privacy and to allow this family time to heal and recover from what they were put through in this legal matter. The good news is that they were able to take a time-out long enough to compare notes, to reach a more peaceful common ground, and decided to use their experience to help others. They are not, however, out of the woods. Tammy needs a leg up to recover from the suffering caused in this case and a chance to recover financially from what appear to be unnecessary losses.

My Advocate Center invites law schools to study this case and to help students understand what fiduciary duty failures look like in real family law cases.

James O’Brien/Pro Advocate Radio

Talk Show Host

www.ProAdvocateRadio.org | Twitter (PAR) | Twitter (James)

Deb Beacham/My Advocate Center

Founder, Executive Director

We are the Game-Changers in guiding improvements that affect the Family Law community, specifically high-conflict divorce, child custody disputes & family violence matters.

We believe that it is possible to better prepare individuals and families to resolve conflict before things take a turn for the worse, and to avoid leaving the family stripped of financial resources, valuable time and their health.

Bold moves are being made to help parents understand how to better transition through & out of conflict, meaning we help reduce stress for children, and preserve family time & resources for their benefit.

Professionals who are like-minded are encouraged to connect and become a part of our Resource Directory. Please visit the Counsel for Change group page here on LinkedIn to learn more about our discussions. Our advisory panel reviews professionals to ensure certain standards are met. If you are focused on upholding ethics rules, professional duty, and are committed to helping children receive the best that both parents have to offer, let us know.

Our investigations, initiatives & strategies are also well suited to supporting government agencies in making necessary improvements to programs & services. It is important that these changes are made to better serve parents & children; but it is also possible to yield a positive economic return for each community & state.

MAC’s purpose in contributing to agencies & other organizations is to improve the divorce/child custody process in a way that leaves our communities stronger & better able to support the needs of children. We now have opportunities to lessen the impact of family violence, addiction & other dysfunction, while putting our financial resources to better use.

Connect | Inform | Empower

When it comes to guiding public policy to improve the process, and to helping parents navigate through high-conflict custody cases, no other collection of experts and resources is better positioned to give you clear and actionable insight.

MyAdvocateCenter.com | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Linkedin (Deb)

Women in Technology WIT Special

February 12, 2015 by angishields

Atlanta Tech Leaders

Women in Technology WIT Special

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Sandy Welfare / WIT

Sandy D. Welfare was recently appointed as the interim Executive Director of Women In Technology (WIT), a non-profit organization that supports women at every stage of their STEM careers – from the classroom to the boardroom. Prior to joining WIT, she was the Executive Director of Cool Girls Inc, an award-winning early intervention after school program dedicated to the empowerment of low-income girls.

Sandy’s career began in 1989 in Greenwich, Connecticut where she joined Rand Insurance as the operations controller. Six years later, she accepted a position with Lucent Technologies, an international telecommunications leader, holding a number of positions including from 1999-2000 serving as accounting and treasury manager in Singapore and then from 2000-2002 as senior operations manager in Australia and New Zealand. Sandy returned to Atlanta in 2002 as senior manager global financial services.

In 2003, Sandy accepted a position as director of operations for Xchanging, a business processing outsourcing company. In 2006, her career took her to London, England as managing director for professional services, where she managed global business processing services for bank financial transactions, insurance and retail. Two years later, Sandy returned to the Atlanta area and was asked to chair the Cool Girls’ Board of Directors. In 2009, Sandy was offered the Executive Director position which she accepted and led the organization until stepping down in October 2014.

Sandy received her undergraduate degree from St. John’s University in New York, and a Master of Business Administration from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Sandy resides in Marietta, Georgia with her husband Cliff and son Soloman.

Denise Detamore / Kids 4 Coding

Kids 4 Coding teaches Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) to students in grades K-12. Their unique learning center is designed to prepare students with 21st Century skills, which will be needed to compete for jobs of the future.

Co-Founder, Denise Detamore, is a former school teacher with 20 years of experience and a passion for innovation. Her business partner, AnnMarie Laramee, is a social entrepreneur with a background in marketing & design. Together they’re tackling the technology education gap by getting kids started early.

Troy Gautier with Alliances Progress and Carlos Michel with Gaites Language Services

February 12, 2015 by angishields

Atlanta Business Radio

Troy Gautier with Alliances Progress and Carlos Michel with Gaites Language Services

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Troy Gautier / Alliances Progress, LLC

Troy J Gautier is the Managing Director and Chief Alliance Officer of Alliances Progress, LLC.

Alliances Progress is a highly specialized boutique consulting firm which provides collaborative framework solutions for businesses worldwide: strategic alliances, commercial partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, etc.

Alliances Progress also manages a member firm organization connecting large and small businesses across multiple sectors to grow revenues and capabilities through an innovative network platform of local and international companies.

Troy has been designing and implementing business ecosystems for more than 30 years, first as a partner with a global big four consulting firm and more recently as an entrepreneur and business partner for small to mid-tier companies with strong growth ambitions.

Troy is on several advisory Boards and is the President of the southeast chapter of the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals, covering eight US States and all of Latin America. He is an accomplished writer and speaker and publishes a monthly article on the evolution of business partnerships and how collaborative networks are changing the way we work and live.

Troy is a dual national, USA and European Union, lives in Alpharetta, Georgia and works internationally.

Carlos Michel / Gaites Language Services

GeorgiaSHAPE

February 12, 2015 by angishields

Health Connect South

GeorgiaSHAPE

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GeorgiaSHAPE

The Centers for Disease Control published these striking statistics about childhood obesity in the US:

Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years.^{1, 2}
The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.^{1, 2}
In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.¹
Overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors.³ Obesity is defined as having excess body fat.⁴
Overweight and obesity are the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed—and are affected by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors.^5,6

Clearly, the trends are alarming and we must act now to reverse them or we will face enormous human and financial costs in a variety of health issues that tend to increase among obese patients. Obese persons face higher rates of developing diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, poor healing, and other challenges. In addition to the health concerns associated with obesity, research has revealed connections between physical activity and academic performance.

We sat down with several key team members from the multifaceted task force whose goal it is to tackle the problem of obesity and caloric imbalance among our youth. Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, MD, serves as the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and State Health Officer. In addition to her numerous duties, she oversees a program put forth by the governor called, “GeorgiaSHAPE“. This program, a public-private partnership, provides research-supported recommendations for Georgia schools to incorporate an additional 30 minutes of physical activity in the course of the day (often within the classroom itself during brief breaks from academic work). See: Pledge to Power Up for 30 The goal is to enroll the roughly 1300 state-wide grade schools into the program to help reduce obesity and improve academic performance. Participating schools receive funds to support the program and also gain access to grants through philanthropic organizations such as the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation.

Along with Dr. Fitzgerald we hosted experts from the Georgia Department of Education, Georgia State University’s Public Health Policy Center, HealthMPowers, the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation, and an educator and student from Carrollton Elementary Schools (one of the early adopters of the program). They shared research findings regarding the value of physical activity as it relates to brain function and, correspondingly, math, reading, and spelling performance among young students. We talked about the fact that currently, only ~1/3rd of Georgia’s schools are enrolled to participate in this important program that has clear, far-reaching benefits to our young people and our collective community health.

“You need to remember that yes, there had been an increase throughout the country [in childhood obesity]. But, Georgia, as far as childhood obesity—we were the second worst state in the entire country,” according to Dr. Fitzgerald. “. . .We now have three years of measurements from looking at Georgia’s children. . .Here are the numbers: 40% of the children in our school systems are not at a healthy weight. . .Here’s the one that scares me. We looked at a variety of things—not just weight. But also, it’s called ‘aerobic capacity’. And we looked at flexibility and we looked at muscle strength. And, the tests are not trying out for the Olympics. It’s not even trying out for the football team. It’s walking a mile and touching your toes. And only 19% of Georgia’s children were able to do all tests. . . So, clearly, this became the governor’s main interest because we knew unhealthy kids, of course, would lead to unhealthy adults.”

Panelists:

Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, MD, Commissioner of Georgia Department of Health

Dr. John Bare, PhD, Vice President of Programs, Arthur M. Blank Foundation and Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation

Dr. Emily Vall, PhD, Obesity Project Manager, GeorgiaSHAPE

Diana Keough, CEO/Founder, ShareWIK Media Group

Deborah Kibbie, Georgia State University Public Health Policy Center, Chief Evaluator of GeorgiaSHAPE

Therese McGuire, Health and Physical Education Program Specialist at Georgia Department of Education

Wendy McDowell, Educator, Carrollton County Elementary Schools

Colt Shadrix, 3rd Grade Student, Carrollton Elementary Schools

Correctional Medicine – Top Docs Radio

February 12, 2015 by angishields

Top Docs Radio

Correctional Medicine - Top Docs Radio

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Correctional Medicine

This week we continued our monthly series with Medical Association of Georgia. I sat down with MAG CEO/Executive Director, Donald Palmisano, Jr., and Director of Correctional Medicine, Clyde Maxwell. We talked about how MAG became involved with accreditation of numerous correctional medicine facilities in the state of Georgia.

MAG created its Correctional Medicine Committee in 1975 – following the prison riots in Attica, New York, and just before Georgia State Prison was placed under the jurisdiction of the federal courts for maintaining health care facilities that violated a constitutional prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The committee was charged with “studying and recommending ways to improve the delivery of health care in non-federal prisons in Georgia.”

MAG developed standards for evaluating health care in jails and prisons in the state as part of a national initiative; these evolved into the standards that are now used by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care.

In 1982, MAG developed legislation to establish an accreditation program for health care for correctional facilities in Georgia. The state began funding the program in 1983, and MAG subsequently started charging application fees for site accreditation visits.

The Medical College of Georgia assumed responsibility for the health services contract for state prisons in the 1990s.

MAG currently surveys eight county jails and 33 state prisons.

A number of major deficiencies have been corrected at jails and prisons in the state as a result of MAG’s site accreditation visits, including some that were related to…

Physician and nurse licensure
Physician and nurse CPR/ACLS certification
Expired pharmaceuticals
Needle and narcotics security
Nurse call systems
Inmate physicals
Mandatory CQI and infection control meetings

Special Guests:

Donald Palmisano, CEO, Executive Director of Medical Association of Georgia

JD Law, Loyola School of Law
Board of Directors, Physician Advocacy Institute
Medical Payment Subcommitte Member, State Board of Workers’ Compensation
Treasurer, Board of Directors, Physicians’ Institute for Excellence in Medicine
Former Director, Government Relations/General Counsel/Director, GAMPAC

Clyde Maxwell, Director of Correctional Medicine of Medical Association of Georgia

Masters, Hospital Administration, Baylor University
Certified Correctional Health Professional
Active duty in the Medical Service Corps for more than 20 years
Designed the “Quick Reaction Hospital” that is used to respond to natural disasters through much of the world