Caregiver Conversations

Eisode 19: Guest: Laurie Lutomski, Chief Operating Officer, Synod Community Services and a founding member of the Hoarding Task Force of Washtenaw County. She has been able to collaborate with the other agencies and individuals represented to develop and implement the harm reduction model of treatment and has helped mentor the formation of Task Forces to address Hoarding Disorder throughout Michigan. This podcast covers an overview of hoarding disorder and how a caregiver can recognize it. It will also cover the issues that arise from hoarding disorder and the resources that are available to address it.

Guest: Zena Zumeta, Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, is internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training and Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She received her juris doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. Zena is a former board member and president of the Academy of Family Mediators (AFM), now merged into the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR); past president of the Michigan Council for Family and Divorce Mediation; and past regional vice president of the Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution.

Podcast covers Elder Mediation and other conflict resolution options including conflict coaching, restorative practices and Eldercaring Coordination.
 

Sue Bronson, M.S., LCSW, Co-Chair of the Association for Conflict Resolution Elder Justice Initiative on Eldercaring Coordination, and lead trainer. Ms. Bronson is a mediator, trainer, and retired psychotherapist in Milwaukee, WI. Since 1983 she has been mediating family, elder, and workplace disputes and helping people engage in quality conversations. Ms. Bronson teaches mediation at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and is the lead author of Self-Assessment Tool for Mediators translated into three languages. Sue has served many national leadership roles in ACR, Elder Abuse, and currently, a discussion group “Implicit Bias and White Supremacy in the Conflict Resolution Field.”

Linda Fieldstone, M.Ed., Co-Chair of the Association for Conflict Resolution Elder Justice Initiative on Eldercaring Coordination, is former president of AFCC and its Florida Chapter, was Secretary for the AFCC Task Force creating Guidelines for Parenting Coordination (2005) and Co-Recorder for the Task Force revising those guidelines (2019). Ms. Fieldstone was honored with the Sharon Press Excellence in ADR Award from the Florida Supreme Court (2018) for her “visionary leadership, professional integrity, and unwavering devotion to ADR.” She is involved in research, training, and consultation internationally and written articles on high conflict families, court services, parenting coordination and Eldercaring coordination.

Kristie King, MSW, Executive Director for the Senior Regional Collaborative, is a social worker and community advocate with nearly 20 years of experience in the Nephrology (kidney) field which includes providing direct clinical services as a Nephrology Social Worker and developing various community-based initiatives. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Wayne State University along with a Master of Social Work. Her leadership experience has included both the non-profit and government sectors, strategically focused on building community-based health and well-being, often with special attention to the aging population and issues of equity.

Podcast covers an overview of Eldercaring Coordination, the benefits and differences between elder mediation. We also discuss the new Eldercaring Coordination program in Michigan.

Podcast covers the best practices for a care recipient’s oral health.
Guest: Dr. Saranna Berger graduated from the University of Michigan undergrad with a Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology and from the University of Michigan Dental School with a Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree. She is a general dentist and dental practice owner along with her husband, Dr. Dexter Flemming. They are the owners of Michigan Center for Oral Surgery. Dr. Berger is also the founder of Practice Nest, a referral management service for dental practices offering them dental group discounts, continuing education and temporary staffing service. She is also a fellow with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, Vice President for the Detroit District Dental Society. a member of the American Dental association, the Michigan Dental Association, and a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners.

Podcast explores Caregiver Support Groups and  which caregivers are the perfect candidates and how to find the right group for them. We also discuss the information needed from a caregiver to join a support group and how these groups assist in finding much needed resources.  

Guest: Marilyn Lawson is the founder of Eldercare & Caregiver Solutions, a company she established in 2016 to educate families about the various sources of support for caregivers and the elderly family members for whom they care. After a 29-year career in banking, having achieved the position of Second Vice President & Operations Officer, Mrs. Lawson took time off from the workforce to pursue a long-held goal to return to school. During that time, she volunteered for thirteen years with the Detroit Area Agency on Aging as an Advisory Council member; and in 2012, she was appointed to a two-year term as Chair of the forty-member Council. Later Mrs. Lawson became the first Executive Director for her church’s non-profit community out-reach center where she served for three years. Following this career change, she spent seven years as primary caregiver to her mother, and she shared in the care of her aunt; both living well into their nineties. 

Mrs. Lawson holds Bachelor of Science Degrees in Marketing and Long-Term Care Administration from Madonna University, Livonia, Michigan. In 1998, she was inducted into the Kappa Gamma Phi, National Catholic College Graduate Honor Society. She holds Certificates in Eldercare Practice and Nursing Home Administration. In 2019, Mrs. Lawson was the recipient of The Hannon Foundation’s Seventy over Seventy Impact Award for Life Long Learning. 

Through her business, Eldercare and Caregiver Solutions, Mrs. Lawson provides members of her caregiver support groups and patrons of her private consulting practice with information, tools and guidance on how to systematically approach the management of their loved one’s custodial care and business needs while being transparent about their own circumstances as well. Mrs. Lawson is passionate about helping seniors and family caregivers find solutions to challenging issues in order to effectively and successfully navigate this phase of life. 

Podcast provides an overview of the guardianship and conservatorship process and when it may become necessary. 

Tracey Rowens is a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Art and the Wayne State University Law School. She is currently a staff Attorney at Elder Law and Advocacy Center at Neighborhood Legal Services Michigan, providing advice, services and representation to older adults, and their caregivers in a wide range of poverty law matters focusing on housing, consumer/finance, public benefits, disability, employment, guardianship and probate issues. She has participated in coordinating and providing law-related education and community outreach services.

Ms. Rowens is a member of State Bar of Michigan’s Elder Law and Disability Rights Section’s Council and the State Bar of Michigan. 

Podcast covers the role of Adult Protective Services, an overview of their process and how they can help caregivers if they suspect abuse of their older loved one. 

Guest: Cynthia Farrell is the State Administrative Manager for the Supportive Adult Services Section (SASS) within the Aging and Adult Services Agency. She has oversight and administration of policies and procedures for two adult services programs: Adult Community Placement and Adult Protective Services. Ms. Farrell now oversees the following programs under Aging which include the legal services developer program, state long term care ombudsman program and the PREVENT elder abuse prevention grants. Cynthia G. Farrell has extensive knowledge about adult service issues, having worked in various roles with progressive responsibilities involving the adult services programs. Ms. Farrell has a total of 28 years with the State of Michigan with 27 of those years in Adult Services. In 1990, Ms. Farrell earned her a bachelor’s degree in human development with a concentration in gerontology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. 

Podcast covers Peet’s personal story about taking care of her parents, how she was charged to deal with their finances, how important it is for a caregiver to seek assistance and other lessons learned. 

Guest: Erin Peets earned her bachelor’s degree at Eastern Michigan University and Juris Doctorate at Wayne State University Law School. Admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 2003, Erin is currently the Grant Manager at the Elder Law & Advocacy Center. Erin is also an Informal caregiver for both of her parents and young child (and sometimes husband). 

Podcast covers the important documents care recipients need to give caregivers legal authority, the importance of power of attorney, types of trusts, essential agreements, wills and other vital documents, including how to avoid court proceedings.

Guest: Katy Graham is a graduate of the University of Windsor and University of Detroit School of Law. She is currently retired from Neighborhood Legal Services, Michigan. She is the former program director and managing attorney, Elder Law and Advocacy Center. Graham is former chair and current member of the Elder Law and Disability Rights Section of the State Bar of Michigan. She is a member of the Hannon Foundation, and is a member and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Advisory Council for the Detroit Area Agency on Aging. 

Podcast focuses on asset building and financial stability programs serving vulnerable populations.

Guest: LaToya Hall, MSW, is currently a research assistant and program coordinator at Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology (IOG). LaToya earned dual bachelor’s degrees at Wayne State University. She completed the Master of Social Work program at Washington University in St. Louis. Throughout her graduate career and early professional MSW experience, LaToya dedicated her focus to asset building and financial stability programs serving vulnerable populations. In LaToya's current position she directs the Successful Aging through Financial Empowerment (SAFE) program.