MARCH 6, 2020
IT’S A QUESTION OF CARE What to do when offers of care and assistance are unwelcome.
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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
Families often reach out to us because they are frustrated with how to “force” a family member, typically an elderly loved one, into accepting more care. This can be quite a dilemma in that an adult child might have Power of Attorney for his or her elderly parent, but from a health care perspective, this is not a carte blanche avenue to force care on the elderly loved one. Often when I get a phone call from a family member in this position, I talk them through whether they think their loved one has the “capacity” to make his or her own decisions and understand the consequences, even if this means their demise. If it sounds as if the loved one has the capacity, and the person on the phone is the Power of Attorney, if they can convince Mom, Dad, or whomever they are dealing with to accept the care, or frame it in a way that will make them acquiesce, it can be positive. I give them pointers about how to frame their conversation and arguments to make
the idea of care more appealing. On the other hand, if the elderly loved one does not have the capacity to make his or her own decisions and stay safe, healthy, and secure, often I suggest to the family to seek out the counsel of an Elder Law attorney. The Elder Law attorney will walk them through the Guardianship process and discuss whether Guardianship is appropriate in this case. Guardianship, in the states of South Carolina and Georgia, is a mandate by the court stating that the person is not competent to make his or her own decisions regarding care and well-being and someone else must do so for them. Conservatorship (control over the incapacitated person’s money) is typically granted as well. This is because if he or she cannot make smart decisions with money and does not understand the consequences of making inadequate decisions, he or she must have someone protect the monies and the use of them.
Guardianship can be a very difficult, emotional, and heart-wrenching process to often save a loved one’s life. It can also be expensive, and so it must be entered into from a standpoint of education and understanding of what the person pursuing the Guardianship would like to happen for their elderly loved one. There must be an end goal of keeping him or her safe, healthy, and secure, knowing that their loved one very well may not be “happy“. This is typically not ever a black and white situation, but rather myriads of grey through the whole process. As a Social Worker and an Aging Life Care Manager, I have seen families pursue and be granted Guardianship and truly save their family member’s life and the person goes on to live a very fulfilling one. + by Amy Hane, a licensed Master Social Worker in South Carolina and Georgia, an Advanced Professional Aging Life Care Manager and a Certified Advanced Social Work Case Manager.
PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY +
ACUPUNCTURE
Dr. Eric Sherrell, DACM, LAC Augusta Acupuncture Clinic 4141 Columbia Road 706-888-0707 www.AcuClinicGA.com
ALLERGY Tesneem K. Chaudhary, MD Allergy & Asthma Center 3685 Wheeler Road, Suite 101 Augusta 30909 706-868-8555
CHIROPRACTIC Evans Chiropractic Health Center Dr. William M. Rice 108 SRP Drive, Suite A 706-860-4001 www.evanschiro.net
COUNSELING Resolution Counseling Professionals 3633 Wheeler Rd, Suite 365 Augusta 30909 706-432-6866 www.visitrcp.com
DENTISTRY
Jason H. Lee, DMD 116 Davis Road Augusta 30907 706-860-4048
IN-HOME CARE
Floss ‘em or lose ‘em!
Steven L. Wilson, DMD Family Dentistry 4059 Columbia Road Martinez 30907 706-863-9445
DERMATOLOGY
Everyday Elder Care LLC Certified Home Health/Caregiver 706-231-7001 everydayeldercare.com Zena Home Care Personal Care|Skilled Nursing|Companion 706-426-5967 www.zenahomecare.com
LONG TERM CARE
Georgia Dermatology & WOODY MERRY www.woodymerry.com Skin Cancer Center 2283 Wrightsboro Rd. (at Johns Road) Long-Term Care Planning I CAN HELP! Augusta 30904 (706) 733-3190 • 733-5525 (fax) 706-733-3373 SKIN CANCER CENTER www.GaDerm.com
DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS
PHARMACY
SLEEP MEDICINE
Sleep Institute of Augusta Bashir Chaudhary, MD 3685 Wheeler Rd, Suite 101 Augusta 30909 706-868-8555
TRANSPORTATION AMBULANCE • STRETCHER • WHEELCHAIR
706-863-9800
VEIN CARE Vein Specialists of Augusta G. Lionel Zumbro, Jr., MD, FACS, RVT, RPVI 501 Blackburn Dr, Martinez 30907 706-854-8340 www.VeinsAugusta.com
Karen L. Carter, MD Medical Center West Pharmacy 1303 D’Antignac St, Suite 2100 465 North Belair Road Augusta 30901 Evans 30809 706-396-0600 Your Practice 706-854-2424 www.augustadevelopmentalspecialists.com www.medicalcenterwestpharmacy.com And up to four additional lines of your choosing and, if desired, your logo. Parks Pharmacy Keep your contact information in this 437 Georgia Ave. ARKS convenient place seen by thousands of HARMACY N. Augusta 29841 patients every month. Steppingstones to Recovery 803-279-7450 Call (706) 860-5455 for all the details! 2610 Commons Blvd. www.parkspharmacy.com Augusta 30909 706-733-1935
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