The following is a brief case study exemplifying the benefits of a Geriatric Case Manager who is also a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist: A Therapeutic Case Manager.

-Drew Ross, licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Mrs. M. is a 93-year-old widow living in her own home. Her primary diagnosis is moderate to severe dementia. A conservator, who at the time I was asked to get involved was having some difficulty with the family members participating in Mrs. M’s care, is handling her estate. The primary care giver was her niece, who she was very enmeshed with. Mrs. M’s daughter was also very much involved and the family dynamic was such that while Mrs. M. was making some of her own decisions, her niece/caregiver and daughter were at extreme odds about how and who should care for Mrs. M.

After assessing the situation and spending time talking to and hearing from all of the parties involved it became clear that while the care of Mrs. M. was the primary objective, the family dynamic issues were so dysfunctional and entangled that getting to a place of calm and appropriate care would require working with this family individually and as a unit. I began to meet individually with the daughter, the niece, and of course Mrs. M. What came out of those initial sessions was a rapport and trust in me and an arena for each to express themselves in an honest and open way. I was able to provide each of them some release for some of the long-term family issues that clouded each of their ability to see what was truly in the best interest of Mrs. M. I worked with Mrs. M. to gain insight in to what her wishes were for her care and using stimulative therapies to engage Mrs. M. and maintain her current level of cognitive functioning.

Additionally I acted as mediator between Mrs. M. and her daughter, the daughter and the niece, and each of these women and the conservator. Again, we were able to uncover some deeply rooted individual and family dynamic issues that were clouding each of the family member’s ability to make good decisions. For example, Mrs. M’s daughter felt rejected and belittled by her mother and betrayed by her cousin. This caused her to react in anger to any suggestion made as she saw change as a furtherance and reinforcement of her rejection and belittlement. Through my individual work with her she was able to express herself and be heard and I was able to give her feedback and validation. This seemed to soften her stance and allow her to accept some of the changes taking place. It also paved the way for a system to be put in place that was meeting the primary goal of providing the best care possible for Mrs. M. While this new system wasn’t necessarily what the daughter or niece had in mind, they both were able to see that the care of their loved one was more important then their own individual goals and/or grievances.

The skills and training I have acquired as a Marriage and Family Therapist assisted greatly in being able to work through these very difficult family dynamic issues that were clearly getting in the way of Mrs. M’s care. I was able to provide an environment that was open, inclusive and yet clear on the goals and boundaries. The situation is such now that Mrs. M. continues to have 24-hour care, not a family member, and some healing has taken place around some of the deep seeded issues allowing this family to appreciate and enjoy each other as much as possible.

Drew Ross is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and geriatric Case Manager. He founded and operates Creative Counseling for Elders and Families, Inc. providing case management, assessment, individual, family, and group consultation, therapeutic stimulation, care-giver and staff training, and mobility assistance. (707) 239-2310 www.creativecounseling.org

You can help keep your brain healthy with these six foods — plus a dose of sunshine

The food you eat may have a lot to do with how healthy your brain stays as you age, according to the latest nutritional research.

People in their late 80s with higher blood levels of B-complex vitamins, vitamins C, D and E, as well as the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, showed less mental impairment and brain shrinkage typical of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study led by Gene Bowman, a scientist at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.

“Vitamin C is an antioxidant, essential for healthy skin and blood vessel functioning — but its benefits may run deeper. Last summer, Swedish scientists at Lund University reported that in laboratory mice, vitamin C actually dissolves toxic plaques of the kind that accumulate in the brains of human Alzheimer’s patients.”

Meanwhile, a University of Miami study of 1,091 men and women who ate a Mediterranean diet, including vegetables, fruits, small amounts of meat and fish, whole grains, nuts, olive oil and moderate amounts of alcohol, found they had less small blood-vessel damage in the brain. Studies have also highlighted the apparent dementia-fighting benefits of leafy greens and vegetables such as cabbage and cauliflower.

Read the full AARP article here.

A panel of established local trust and banking attorneys and fiduciaries will speak on identifying, examining and suggest solutions to a wide array of banking issues.

Thursday, May 17, 2012 @ 4 pm-6 pm
Mayacama Golf Club – $65 Admission, 2.0 Unites MCLE Credit

An except from the article by MATT SEDENSKY of the Associated Press

As lifespans lengthen and the number of seniors rapidly grows, more Americans find themselves in a perilous position, struggling to care for an ailing loved one from hundreds or thousands of miles away.

The National Institute on Aging estimates around 7 million Americans are long-distance caregivers. Aside from economic factors that often drive people far from their hometowns, shifting demographics in the country could exacerbate the issue: Over the next four decades, the share of people 65 and older is expected to rapidly expand while the number of people under 20 will roughly hold steady. That means there will be a far smaller share of people between 20 and 64, the age group that most often is faced with caregiving.

“You just want to be in two places at once,” said Kay Branch, who lives in Anchorage, Alaska, but helps coordinate care for her parents in Lakeland, Fla., about 3,800 miles away.

There are no easy answers.

To read the full piece on MSN click here.

In this 60 Minutes special report from October 23, reporter Leslie Stahl discusses the communication advances in autistic children who use tablet computers.  This technology has become paramount for many Special Needs Trust clients who find communicating in a regular manner difficult or impossible.

At one point, “Emma” considered living on the streets rather than remaining in a family environment she found threatening. The 70-year-old spent her life caring for others, including a husband who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and became increasingly abusive. Her home life became even more stressful when her daughter experienced financial difficulties and moved in. Emma found herself being treated as the child by her daughter, with threats of conservatorship frequently voiced…

While we all would agree that elder abuse is dreadful and should be stopped, we have failed to dedicate the necessary resources to actually combat it in an effective way. In March 2010, Congress passed the first comprehensive federal elder abuse prevention law. This was an important victory for those of us advocating on behalf of seniors, but more than a year later, the law is now pointless because no money has been dedicated to enforce it.

To this day, elder abuse remains the only form of family violence for which the federal government provides virtually no resources. What resources are dedicated come from cash-strapped cities and states. Abused dogs and cats in our society receive more attention and money.

Read Mike King’s full article here.

]]> http://californiatrustee.com/blog/2011/10/seniors-need-more-safe-havens-from-abuse/feed/ 0 http://californiatrustee.com/blog/2011/09/santa-rosa-man-accused-of-stealing-100000-from-wifes-grandfather/ http://californiatrustee.com/blog/2011/09/santa-rosa-man-accused-of-stealing-100000-from-wifes-grandfather/#comments Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:36:30 +0000 admin http://californiatrustee.com/blog/?p=534

UPDATE: Nov 15, 2011

Paul Tart, 29, from Santa Rosa who embezzled more than $100,000 from his wife’s grandfather while posing as a decorated combat veteran and Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy was sentenced Tuesday to five years in state prison.

Read the full Press Democrat article here

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UPDATE:  Sept 30, 2011

The Santa Rosa man charged with defrauding his 97 year-old grandfather-in-law rejected a plea bargain that would have offered him five years in county jail and a single count of elder financial abuse. He is also charged with impersonating a Marine Corps combat veteran.

Paul Tart, 29, did not accept the prosecution’s deal and will be heading to trail.  His charges consist of five felonies including forgery and a misdemeanor for falsely representing a military veteran.

Tart will appear for his next hearing on Monday.  If convicted he could face six years in state prison.

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The Press Democrat reports today that Santa Rosa resident Paul Tart, 29, has been arrested for stealing more than $100,000 from his wife’s 97 year-old grandfather.  Presumably an act of fraud, the grandfather reported two weeks ago to the Sheriff’s Office that his checking account had been mysteriously overdrawn.

After an initial investigation, detectives served Tart with a warrant, then arrested him at his home after finding forged documents and canceled checks. Apparently, Tart had secured a Power of Attorney over the grandfather’s assets and emptied the elderly man’s bank account to support his prescription drug habit.

In today’s digital age it is imperative the elderly take great caution in securing their finances with trusted individuals.  Working with a professional fiduciary, by setting up a trust or asset management agreement, can save families the burden of dealing with senior fraud by professional scammers or,  heaven forbid, nefarious family members.

See the full article here.