How to get your legal affairs in order during a pandemic

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ORLANDO, Fla. — WESH 2 News spoke with Heidi Isenhart, a Guardianship, Elder Law, & Estate Planning specialist, to talk about how to properly carry out your legal affairs during a situation such as a pandemic.

Isenhart said some documents require a notary, and some do not.

In a crisis situation, she said people need to be able to name someone who they trust to carry out their wishes in case they get extremely sick.

People are advised to contact an attorney to finalize their important documents and establish a last will and testament and other details.

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How to get your legal affairs in order during a pandemic

More than 2,200 coronavirus deaths in nursing homes, but federal government isn't tracking them

NBC News
Suzy Khimm, Laura Strickler, Andrew Blankstein and Peter Georgiev

Nearly 2,500 long-term care facilities in 36 states are battling coronavirus cases, according to data gathered by NBC News from state agencies, an explosive increase of 522 percent compared to a federal tally just 10 days ago.

The total dwarfs the last federal estimate on March 30 — based on “informal outreach” to state health departments — that more than 400 nursing homes had at least one case of the virus.

The full scale of the virus’ impact is even greater than NBC News’ tally, as key states including Florida did not provide data, and nursing homes across the United States are still struggling for access to testing.

The toll of these outbreaks is growing. NBC News tallied 2,246 deaths associated with long-term care facilities, based on responses from 24 states. This, too, is an undercount; about half of all states said they could not provide data on nursing home deaths, or declined to do so. Some states said they do not track these deaths at all.

Nursing home residents are among those most likely to die from the coronavirus, given their advanced age and the prevalence of other health conditions. But the federal government does not keep a formal tally of the number of coronavirus deaths in nursing homes or the number of facilities with infections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Experts say more comprehensive data is critical to battling the virus and understanding why it is spreading faster in some nursing homes than others.

“It’s impossible to fight and contain this virus if we don’t know where it’s located,” said David Grabowski, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, who added that more information-gathering and transparency could help protect against future outbreaks. “You could see where it could be headed next,” he said.

Toby Edelman, senior policy attorney at the Center for Medicare Advocacy, a nonpartisan legal advocacy organization, agreed.

“It’s critical to have accurate information about which nursing homes have residents with confirmed cases of COVID-19,” she said, referring to the disease caused by the coronavirus, “and which facilities need more staff and personal protective equipment, so that states can target additional resources where the need is greatest.”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — the division of the federal government that oversees long-term care facilities — said states must comply with state and local reporting requirements for coronavirus cases. The agency referred questions to the CDC, which declined to comment.

Absent federal reporting requirements, there is large variation in state efforts to gather information on coronavirus infections in nursing homes and their willingness to disclose it.

Nearly 60 percent of the deaths tallied by NBC News occurred in New York, where more than 1,300 residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities have died, according to the state health department. In Washington state, which had the country’s first nursing home outbreak, there are 221 deaths associated with long-term care facilities. Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey and Connecticut all reported more than 100 deaths.

The death tolls in most states include only nursing home residents. But a few states, such as Washington, include staff members.

Some states with the largest coronavirus outbreaks — including California, Michigan and Pennsylvania — did not provide the total number of deaths in long-term care facilities.

Sixteen states released the names of the nursing homes with infections. Some states have only published such details after public pressure for greater disclosure. Two Democratic senators sent a letter to federal health officials last week demanding a complete list of affected U.S. facilities.

Maryland and Ohio declined to release the names of affected facilities or the total number of nursing home deaths because of state privacy laws, state officials said, despite an outbreak that has killed 18 residents in a single Maryland nursing home and at least 40 nursing home deaths in Ohio.

Georgia provided a list naming the facilities with infections, but declined to specify the numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths in nursing homes because the figures were “too dynamic,” according to Nancy Nydam, a state health department spokeswoman.

Other states say they are actively working to bring such information to light: In Massachusetts, officials say they aim to include nursing home deaths as part of the state’s daily report on the virus, published online, as Connecticut already does. Colorado, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Virginia also said they were working to provide more detailed information.

Some states, however, said they lacked the technology and resources to gather basic information on nursing home infections and deaths.

“This is not information consistently entered into the Michigan Disease Surveillance System reporting system by local health departments, and we don’t currently have the infrastructure within that system to collect the information and report it out,” said Lynn Sutfin, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Kansas, South Dakota, Alaska and Washington, D.C., did not respond to requests for data.

Even numbers provided by state health departments are likely to significantly undercount the total, given the limited access to testing and other constraints, state officials and public health experts say.

Nevada, for example, reported 20 long-term care facilities with COVID-19 infections, but said the data only reflected facilities “that proactively reported symptomatic staff and residents and have had laboratory-confirmed cases or suspect cases with laboratory testing in process,” according to a document provided by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health.

“Universal testing for COVID-19 is not available for all staff and residents,” the Nevada document added.

The same obstacles also mean that many coronavirus deaths are not being counted nationwide.

Meanwhile, the virus has continued to rage through nursing homes across the country, many of which lack adequate equipment to protect their residents and staff.

A leading industry group said that more data would not affect nursing homes’ response to the crisis.
“We are suggesting that providers act as if COVID is already in their building, even if there are not confirmed cases,” the American Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes, said in a statement. “While more data is helpful, knowing the number of infections will not change the way our providers are reacting to prevent and contain the spread of the virus.”

In the Atlanta area, coronavirus cases are quickly rising, and eight nursing home residents have died as of Friday, according to the Fulton County Board of Health.

“At first, it was just a trickle, and it seems like it just multiplied dramatically over the last week or so,” Dr. S. Elizabeth Ford, the county’s interim district health director, said. “We need to know where the clusters are so we can direct those resources.”

Full Article & Source:
More than 2,200 coronavirus deaths in nursing homes, but federal government isn't tracking them

Coronavirus: 44 staff agree to live in locked-down Licking County nursing homes to keep residents safe

By Abbey Roy

“We’re kind of just like a big family, so the residents are as supportive of us as we are of them,” said Miranda Lazar, director of nursing at The Inn at Chapel Grove in Heath. It and its sister facility in Newark have been under lockdown since March 12, requiring big sacrifices from employees.

At noon on March 12, two Licking County assisted-living facilities closed their doors to the outside world for the sake of the 225 vulnerable residents within.

They had been preparing for that day for three weeks, enlisting staff members who would be willing to commit to 24/7 service for as long as the COVID-19 period of isolation would last. No one knew how long that would be.

They still don’t.

But life on the inside of The Inn at Chapel Grove in Heath and The Inn at SharonBrooke in Newark continues largely the way it did before, thanks to the 44 staff members who have agreed to live in their workplace — and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

'Packed and ready’
 
Amy Twyman, executive director of Chapel Grove and SharonBrooke, and her staff made detailed plans before the arrival of COVID-19 for how to prevent the virus — which has proven deadlier to older people — from entering their facilities.

Twyman determined that each facility would need 22 staff members present in order to run the building and allow for breaks to eat, sleep and catch up with loved ones.

In addition to the 22, additional staff “on the outside” would have to agree to self-isolate for three weeks and be available to come in for relief.

Twyman knew she was asking for a big-time commitment, but she received it.

″(The staff) all had the opportunity to sign up to do this. They just didn’t know the exact day, but they were all packed and ready,” Twyman said. “So when I made the decision, it happened.”

The buildings’ administrative offices have been turned into sleeping quarters featuring inflatable mattresses; the conference rooms and copier room also have been converted.

“Anywhere that there was a room, we made it a bedroom,” Twyman said.

The facilities also took numerous other steps to ensure the safety of their residents. For example, food is delivered by people wearing masks and gloves. Incoming mail and packages are sprayed with disinfectant and left to sit for a period of time in a designated place outside the building before they’re opened.

And before the lockdown, staff members at the two facilities even pumped 25 gallons of gas into cans for their vehicles so they wouldn’t have to stop at a gas station and risk picking up germs.

“A lot of people, I’m sure, think we’re overreacting, but when you’re in our field and these families have become our family ... with me, I have 225 grandparents,” Twyman said. “I’m going to do everything to keep the virus from coming in any of our walls.”

‘This is the time’

Alisha Disbennett, 29, of Newark, became a nurse because she wanted to help people.

When she heard Chapel Grove was in need of staff members to help during the lockdown, the mother of two boys — Timothy, 9, and Bryson, who will celebrate his first birthday on Saturday — knew she had to follow her calling.

“I never thought in my whole nursing career that this would even happen, but I came to realize that in my entire nursing career, this is the time that they’re going to need me the most,” Disbennett said. “So, of course, I signed up.”

In Disbennett’s absence, Timothy is living with his father while Bryson stays with Disbennett’s fiance, whom she had planned to marry next month.

When she explained to Timothy what she was about to do, Disbennett said, he understood.

“He knows that I’m a nurse. He’s actually bragged to other people about what I’m doing, so he’s pretty proud,” she said.

They haven’t talked much about Bryson’s birthday celebration: “At home, they’re doing cake and gifts for him ... but as far as me being here, I’m not really sure,” Disbennett said. “We’re just kind of taking it day by day.”

‘This, too, shall pass’

As the days since the lockdown have rolled into weeks, each facility’s 22 new full-time residents are falling into as much of a pattern as possible, Twyman said.

Staff members take turns in the shower each night — “kind of like living in a dorm,” she said — and have made themselves as comfortable as possible in close quarters.

One night someone brought them food from Raising Cane’s for dinner, and “it was like winning the lottery,” Twyman said, laughing.

In the evenings, during shift change, the staff gathers in the on-site “pub” to catch up and listen to music — a whole new level of “bonding with co-workers.”

“We were sitting last night, talking, and we said we never would have imagined that you would come this close with your staff,” Twyman said.

In their downtime, staff members use their cellphones to video chat with loved ones and catch up on the world beyond their windows.

“One of my cooks at Chapel Grove, her first grandchild was born while she was here, and she got to be on FaceTime with them while the baby was born. She hasn’t gotten a chance to see that baby,” Twyman said.

It’s just one of 44 stories of self-sacrifice.

Miranda Lazar, director of nursing at Chapel Grove, is among the staff members who have taken up residence in her workplace.

“We’re kind of just like a big family, so the residents are as supportive of us as we are of them,” Lazar said. “While we’re checking in on them, they’re asking us, ‘Did you sleep well last night? Did you eat breakfast this morning?’”

Though morale is high, watching families come visit residents through the windows is “a little heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time,” she said. “You can just see how much they love their family. It’s hard for them to not have those visitors every day.”

Families come and hold signs for residents to see or hang bird feeders to brighten their days. On one resident’s 80th birthday recently, her family decorated her window from the outside and gathered to sing “Happy Birthday.”

While it hasn’t been easy, Twyman said, everyone is making the best of it.

“I think (the residents) feel very safe right now knowing they’re not going to come in contact with anybody,” Twyman said. “They do miss their families, horribly, but they understand that this is what’s best for them.” 

Full Article & Source:
Coronavirus: 44 staff agree to live in locked-down Licking County nursing homes to keep residents safe

Love in the Time of the Corona Virus Basic Estate Planning Considerations – Part II

Overview

The worst thing about the unknown is the unknown itself! Who could have predicted the Corona virus pandemic and the economic fallout? Not even storytellers of Zombie tales could have predicted the timing of the Corona virus pandemic. I was impressed to discover that even my alma mater West Point studies Zombies. You are probably asking yourself, the same thing that I asked myself. Why would a military academy study Zombies? What happens when all of the social fabric and societal framework of our Society collapses. Makes sense! Things can be fine on Monday and totally upside down on Tuesday.

The only thing that is certain is that our days are numbered with only two things certain – death and taxes. Very sorrowful accounts continue to emerge. Among the difficult stories that has impacted me is a news account of a young couple. The husband passed died from Corona virus recently while his wife who also has Corona virus is seven and a half months pregnant with their first child. The New York Post reported the story of a New Jersey family where seven members became infected and four family members died with Corona virus. How about the CCP throwing Chinese senior citizens afflicted with Corona virus into the crematorium while they were still alive?

This is the second installment of articles on basic estate planning. If you do not have the following basic estate planning documents –(1) Last Will and Testament; (2) Living Will; (3) Durable Power of Attorney; (4) Pre-Need Designation of Guardian; (5) Guardianship Provisions for Children;(6) Healthcare Power of Attorney, what are you waiting for?

This article focuses on the pre-need designation of guardian or standby guardian designation. The failure of making these arrangements or revisiting existing arrangements can have draconian consequences. Now is the time to do something about the problem.

Overview of the Standby Guardianship

A standby guardianship designation allows a person who suffers from a progressively chronic or terminal illness during his lifetime to ensure the current appointment of a guardian of the person as well as guardianship of the incapacitated person’s property. A standby designation allows a parent to designate a guardian to be appointed for the care of the children as well as designate a guardian to manage property left for the benefit of the minor children’s care.

The need for standby guardianship designations in modern times has proliferated as degenerative diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, multiple types of cancer, multiple sclerosis, and muscular dystrophy afflict so many families. The need is critical for single parents caring for minor children. Standby guardianship provisions allow a parent to plan for their certain disability, incapacity or death. The only unanswered question is “when.”

Traditionally, an individual’s last will and testament designates guardians for minor children after death. This designation does nothing for an incapacitated parent. The need for lifetime guardianship can be seen in every direction the reader looks. Single parents have a significant need. A single parent may not have a reliable second parent to assume guardianship of a minor child in the event of incapacity. A mother may have children by different fathers; after her death, each father or their relatives may try to reclaim that father’s child, thus separating a sibling group, to the detriment of the children.

The rising number of non-traditional single-parent households creates a minefield of planning scenarios where this situation arises - (1) Single parent does not remarry after a spouse dies; (2) Single parent remarries after a spouse dies but the stepparent does not adopt the child; (3) Single person adopts a child as a single parent; (4) Single person adopts a child and the parent’s companion, same sex or otherwise, is unable to adopt the child because the parent and the companion are not married; (5) Single person bears a child as a single parent through artificial insemination from an anonymous donor; (6) Single person bears a child and the identity of the father is unknown;(7) Single person bears a child and the father’s whereabouts are unknown or the father refuses to acknowledge paternity of the child.

The uniqueness of standby guardianship is the fact it may be brought during a person’s lifetime. The activation of the guardianship occurs at a future point in time prior to death, at the occurrence of a triggering event. For parents, parental rights for a living parent are not terminated or suspended following the time that a guardianship begins. Even if a person nominates a guardian for minor children in his last will and testament, a designation of a standby guardian should be executed during lifetime.

In some states, the guardianship of a minor child may not occur until the Will is probated. As a result, the guardianship is not effective until the probate process is completed. An estate plan that only provides for a testamentary designation for nomination of a guardian is a real problem. Probate even in a small estate can last for many months. The lifetime designation procedure preserves the reasoning of the why the chosen guardian is the most appropriate and can be appointed following the triggering event.

The declarant designating the standby guardian needs to file the standby guardianship with the superior or circuit court where the declarant lives once the document is executed. When a triggering event occurs, and a petition for incapacity is filed with the Court, the Court clerk produces the previously filed standby guardian declaration. The Declarant’s family petitions for the appointment of a guardian and the Court appoints a Guardian. The standby guardian assumes the duties of guardian unless the Court determines that the standby guardian is unqualified based upon a demonstration of evidence. The Court’s presumption favors the designation of the Declarant’s selection of guardian.

The standby guardian petitions the Court within a specified period of time (say 20 days) depending upon the rules of the jurisdiction for confirmation of the appointment as guardian. The Court may require the standby guardian to post a bond with the Court. Alternatively, the Court may waive any bond requirement. Here’s a catch. The credit worthiness requirements for bonding are relatively difficult if a bond is required.

Summary 

Even in the best of times, actuarily, the likelihood of incapacity is many times greater than the likelihood of premature death. Add a global pandemic and some friends and family members, sick or dying, and suddenly you have someone’s attention. The designation of a standby guardian for a person and his property, is relatively simple legally to prepare and execute.

In the current pandemic, it might be hard or impossible to drive down the road to the local attorney’s office for a consultation. If you have any questions or would like a consultation on these basic estate planning needs, consider a virtual meeting with a lawyer. Be well and stay well!

Full Article & Source:
Love in the Time of the Corona Virus Basic Estate Planning Considerations – Part II

Latest Episode #46: Awareness of Guardian Abuse

This is a show about integration bringing people with disabilities and people that don’t have a disability together enjoying life together here in Milwaukee.

We welcome guests to our show ideally in person at the studio. If folks want to join us, they can do so either to be on-air or to be our live in-studio audience. If folks don’t find it convenient or of interest to be with us at the station, they can call in to join the conversation with their remarks. If being live on-air is not of interest or conducive to your schedule, you can request to do a recording with us or provide one.

This show dives into the importance and sadness of the reality of Guardianship Abuse. Older adults and people with disabilities are at greater risk. Special guests and National Association to Stop Guardianship Abuse (NASGA) advocates, Coz Skaife and Kathy Intravaia share their experiences and expertise along with some practical resources and advice. Know your State Laws. Know your Civil Rights AND your Rights in the event you become a Ward. Learn what you can do to help avoid guardianship. Complete your Advance Directives, especially your Power of Attorney for Health Care, a legal document that allows you to appoint the person(s) of your choice to make decisions for you if you are found unable to make decisions yourself. Advance Directives and planning is NOT just an Elder issue; it is an issue FOR ALL ADULTS,18 and over. Many factors may contribute to incapacitation (tramatic brain injury, dementia, alcohol, medications, etc!). Incapacitation can result in being found incompetent with a court appointed guardian who is appointed to make decisions in your best interest. Unfortunately, you may find your self in the web of Guardianship Abuse. “Medicate (Incapacitate), Isolate, Take Estate” is often their pattern! Our guests, Kathy and Coz, are representing NASGA to help you be aware of this silent epidemic across our nation that is taking over the lives of many people and isolating them from their family and friends. Our guests are not attorneys and refer you to the disclaimer on the NASGA website. We urge you to learn more! Protect Yourself and Inform Others!

Source:
Latest Episode

#46: Awareness of Guardian Abuse

Judge finds probable cause in veteran molestation case

BECKLEY – A federal magistrate ruled Tuesday that there was probable cause in the case of a doctor who formerly worked for the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Beckley and was charged in a criminal complaint which included sexually molesting a veteran.

Dr. Jonathan Yates, 51, of Bluefield, Va., appeared via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Omar Aboulhosn for a preliminary hearing. After hearing arguments from the federal government’s attorney and defense attorney Ward Morgan, who is representing Yates, Aboulhosn ruled that there was probable cause.

According to the criminal complaint, while working at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in February 2019, Yates examined a male patient identified as Veteran 1, and during the examination, Yates sexually molested the veteran. Yates caused Veteran 1 severe pain and numbness, and temporarily incapacitated him by cracking his neck, after Veteran 1 had explicitly requested Yates not to crack his neck.

While Veteran 1 was incapacitated, Yates sexually molested Veteran 1, according to the complaint. This conduct, performed while Yates was acting under color of law in his capacity as a federal employee at the VAMC, deprived Veteran 1 of his constitutional right to bodily integrity.
Deprivation of rights under color of law, as charged in the complaint, is punishable by up to life in prison.

Special Agent Georgia Marshall of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who is assigned to the Huntington resident agency out of the bureau’s Pittsburgh division, testified at Tuesday’s hearing that the nature of the complaint was “inappropriate contact of a sexual nature during a medical appointment.”

Veteran 1 had sought a referral for massage therapy to address complaints including chronic back pain and pains in his hips, fingers and toes. Marshall said the veteran told Yates not to touch his neck because it was particularly sensitive. The incident took place in an examination room, and Yates and Veteran 1 were the only people there at that time.

Marshall said that the veteran told FBI investigators that Yates started by massaging his chest hair, but then commented about the amount of hair on his chest and called him “a real man.” She also testified that the Veteran said that Yates stated that it was normal to get “sexual arousal” during such appointments, and that Yates did not stop when Veteran 1 asked him to do so. During the examination, Yates touched Veteran 1’s genitalia, she stated.

During the incident, Yates performed a “neck crack” on Veteran 1 without warning him that he was about to do it, she told the court.

“He said that he experienced pain and numbness throughout his body and could not move,” Marshall testified. Yates then rolled the veteran onto his stomach without permission. At one point, Yates slapped Veteran 1’s backside.

Marshall said investigators consulted another osteopathic physician who said it is possible to immobilize a person with a neck crack if that person’s neck is particularly sensitive. The doctor the FBI consulted also stated there was “no medical reason” to touch Veteran 1’s genitalia.

“It ended with Dr.Yates hugging the veteran,” Marshall said.

Attorney Ward Morgan, who is representing Yates, asked if his client had made any statement during the FBI’s investigation. Marshall replied that to the best of her knowledge, he had not.

In the complaint, Veteran 1 said the examination room’s door was locked. Morgan asked Agent Marshall if she had ever visited the room and knew what sort of lock was on the door. She replied that she had not been there.

“The only proof you have that the door was locked comes from Veteran 1,” Morgan said.

“Yes, sir,” Marshall replied.

Morgan then asked Marshall what specific constitutional or statutory right investigators contend that Dr. Yates deprived Veteran 1 of. Marshall said it was “freedom of movement,” because he was unable to move and could not stop Dr. Yates from turning him over.

In his summation, Morgan argued that touching Veteran 1’s genitalia during the examination was “incidental” and that there was no evidence that he was incapacitated, and that he could have left at any point. He also argues that his client’s actions had not been shown to be a “willful deprivation of any right.”

Aboulhosn ruled that the case had probable cause. Yates is currently free on a $10,000 unsecured bond, but is under home confinement.

The hearing was conducted via teleconference due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has called for a congressional hearing about the case.

“I am absolutely disgusted to learn new details about a medical professional abusing Veterans at the Beckley VA Medical Center,” Manchin said. “It is unthinkable that someone in a position of power would exploit our brave veterans and I am glad the FBI acted to remove this former doctor and deliver justice for those who were abused. Our Veterans Affairs facilities should be places of comfort and world-class care. As a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, I am going to demand a hearing to uncover how this abuse went undetected for so long.”

Full Article & Source: 
Judge finds probable cause in veteran molestation case

AARP Louisiana: 6 questions to ask if your loved one lives in a nursing home amid COVID-19 pandemic

AARP is providing information and resources about COVID-19 to help older Louisianans and their families protect themselves from the virus and prevent it from spreading to others.

 

If you have a spouse, sibling, parent, or other loved one in a nursing home, you may be worried about their safety and well-being because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

 

AARP Louisiana has consulted with leading nursing home experts to provide you with some key questions to ask the nursing home:

 

1. Has anyone in the nursing home tested positive for COVID-19? 

 

‒ This includes residents as well as staff or other vendors who may have been in the nursing home.

 

2. What is the nursing home doing to prevent infections?

 

‒ How are nursing home staff being screened for COVID-19, especially when they leave and reenter the home?

 

‒ What precautions are in place for residents who are not in private rooms? 

 

3. Does nursing home staff have the personal protective equipment (PPE)—like masks, face shields, gowns, gloves—that they need to stay safe, and keep their patients safe? 

 

‒ Have nursing home staff been given specific training on how to use this personal protective equipment?

 

‒ If no, what is the plan to obtain personal protective equipment?

 

4. What is the nursing home doing to help residents stay connected with their families or other loved ones during this time? 

 

‒ Does the nursing home help residents call their loved ones by phone or video call? 

 

‒ Will the nursing home set up a regular schedule for you to speak with your loved one?

 

5. What is the plan for the nursing home to communicate important information to both residents and families on a regular basis?

 

‒ Will the nursing home be contacting you by phone or email, and when?

 

6. Is the nursing home currently at full staffing levels for nurses, aides, and other workers?

 

‒ What is the plan to make sure the needs of nursing home residents are met—like bathing, feeding, medication management, social engagement—if the nursing home has staffing shortages? 

 

AARP recommends that individuals who are concerned about the safety and well-being of a spouse, parent, or other loved one who lives in a nursing home, they should contact the Louisiana State Long-term Care Ombudsman Program at 866-632-0922. Reports of abuse can also be made to Louisiana Elderly Protective Services at 1.800.898.4910. For incidents of abuse, neglect, and exploitation involving adults 60 and over call 1-833-577-6532 or 224-342-0144.

Full Article & Source:
AARP Louisiana: 6 questions to ask if your loved one lives in a nursing home amid COVID-19 pandemic

Happy Easter

Daily Kos series named as a finalist for Chicago Lisagor Journalism Awards.

by GretchRHammond

I was already proud of the work my team accomplished last year investigating the alleged abuse and exploitation of Michigan’s most vulnerable by probate judges and attorneys.

I’m even prouder of them today.

The five-part series “The Fortress”, published in the Daily Kos on August 23, 2019, was today named as one of three finalists for a Chicago Headline Club Peter Lisagor Award for Best Investigative/Public Service Reporting in the Online category.

This was a story that no one wanted.

As one national editor told me when I pitched the idea, “no one wants to read about the elderly.”

It was a story that I eventually self-funded, at the cost of my savings and my apartment. But I believed in it, as did each member of my amazing team.

For Ellen Chamberlain, Slone Terranella and Hope Winkles; each at the time journalism students at Wayne State University and Tim Mulholland, a Chicago-based CPA, this nomination has been earned ten times over.

For myself, after struggling with depression after the story’s publication, it has gone a long way towards showing me something I refused to believe: that what my team and I accomplished and that all the sacrifices it took to do so, were worthwhile.

I am pretty sure this is a first for the Daily Kos in Chicago. Regardless, it means the world that we were able to find a home for the story here and that it has been honored alongside the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Suntimes.

Especially in times like these, for those of you who feel as I did in the fall of last year, please know there is always hope and that there are still ideas and dreams worth chasing. 

Full Article & Source:
Daily Kos series named as a finalist for Chicago Lisagor Journalism Awards.