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Lois Ricci, Geriatric Education Consultant and Chris Smith, ParkGate Active Adult Retirement Community

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Chris Smith is a fourth-generation Bostonian and a descendant of Governor William Bradford (Mayflower). After majoring in business at Boston College, she moved to Dallas and was married in 1977.   Chris worked in several start-up companies with her husband, spanning restaurants, pest control and real estate.  Chris then decided to pursue her passion for helping people.

Having looked up to her grandmother, who was a nurse and one of the finest people she had ever known, Chris endeavored to emulate her. All her life, Chris had been a caretaker and enjoyed making a difference in peoples’ lives. Being a baby boomer, Chris is very cognizant of our aging population and for a long time has had a keen interest in seniors.

A dear friend told Chris of a friend who owned a senior living community and needed help with marketing. They met and there was an instant connection. Chris has been part of ParkGate for a year and finds working with people in this industry to be one of the most gratifying experiences that she could have hoped for. The people in the elder care profession have proven to be kind-hearted, caring, attentive and selfless. Chris says “It’s so rewarding to be among people who really do care.”  For more information about ParkGate, email Chris at chris.smith@parkgatedallas.com or call the main number at 214-219-1091. You can also visit their website at www.parkgatedallas.com.

Born and raised in Boston, Lois Ricci has been a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner for 40 years.  She started her nursing career working night shifts in the ICU at a hospital in Missouri.  While there, she was asked to teach nursing assistants in a nursing home.  She quickly realized that she loved working with the elderly (and didn’t love working the night shift)!  She went on to do graduate work in Gerontology, and earned a doctorate in education.  She recently spent three years with the University of Georgia Institute of Gerontology, and now is teaching courses at Kennesaw, University of Georgia and Clayton State University.

Lois also sits on the board of the Georgia Gerontology Society.  This is an organization that provides a wide variety of educational resources to its members, and to the community.  In addition, the Georgia Gerontology Society holds two educational events each year.  On March 16, the Society is hosting its Spring workshop, entitled Palliative Care: Bringing the Pieces Together.  This event will be held at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in the Eversole Auditorium from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm.  The cost is $50, and lunch and parking are provided.  While the event will be held in Macon, it will be well worth the 75 minute drive!  In addition, Social Work CEUs will be available.  Find out more by visiting the website:  www.georgiagerontologysociety.com.  Lois can be reached via email at loisricci@bellsouth.net.

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

Jeff Smythe, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels Atlanta, and Scott Farber, Lest We Forget Video Project

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Scott Farber grew up wanting to be a professional baseball player in Chicago. After knee surgeries ended that dream, he went into broadcasting baseball games for both radio and television. After moving to Dallas 30 years ago, Scott went into advertising where he founded SF Media Consultants, and has worked closely with the record labels, the medical industry and professional sports franchises.

Recently, Scott had the opportunity to work on a World War II documentary which led him to launch www.generationslestweforget.com.  This website hosts recorded stories from our seniors to preserve them for future generations. Scott works closely with senior communities around the Dallas area to film 15-20 minute ‘mini documentaries’ of their residents (at no cost to them), and he is always looking for more stories to record. If you are interested in having your, or your loved ones’ stories captured, you can call 972-625-5419 x106 or email scott@sfmediainc.com.

A Denver native, Jeff Smythe discovered early on that he wanted to spend his life and career helping people.  While in college, he spent time with WorldTeach in Central America.  Upon return and graduation from college, Jeff moved to Atlanta for our glorious Spring and Autumn weather.  He started working with OpenHand Atlanta, and went on to earn a Masters in Public Administration from Georgia State University.

Approximately ten years ago, he accepted a position with Senior Citizen Services.  As the Executive Director of the organization, Jeff takes pride in the fact that the organization serves more than 100,000 meals per year through its Meals on Wheels program, and provides home repair for literally hundreds of Fulton County citizens each year.  In addition, Senior Citizen Services offers one of the only Adult Day Health programs for mid-stage Alzheimer’s patients and operates seven neighborhood senior centers.  Senior Citizen Services counts on YOUR assistance to continue to serve Atlanta’s elderly population.  To find out how you can help, please visit their website at www.MealsOnWheelsAtlanta.org, or call them at 404-351-3889.

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

Don Johnson, of Brentwood Hospice, and Vicka Brown of Woodstock Nursing & Rehabilitation

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Don Johnson’s path to his position at Brentwood Hospice as the Spiritual Care Coordinator has been an eclectic one. After beginning his training for the Priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church, he switched directions.  He became a Methodist Minister,  pastoring five different United Methodist Churches.  Though he loved  being a pastor, Don felt a call to work in an area that was more intimate.  In addition to working the streets of Dallas’ inner city, he also started working with the terminally ill.  Today, Don works to provide pastoral care to those dealing with imminently terminal illnesses. If you would like to contact Don or Brentwood hospice, call 877-388-2304 or visit www.brentwoodhospice.com.

Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Vicka Brown was destined to work with Seniors from an early age.  Her mother worked in healthcare with Seniors, and Vicka worked along side her as a youth.  In 1998, Vicka moved to Atlanta, and found a job with Cypress Health Group, a premier post-acute care and senior housing management company.  Though she went on hiatus twice, she kept coming back to Cypress.  Though she has held a number of positions during her tenure with Cypress, today she is the Director of Public Relations at Woodstock Nursing & Rehabilitation, and adores her job.  She is thrilled with the very capable staff, and loves the interaction she has with both current and prospective residents.

Vicka tells us that Woodstock Nursing & Rehabilitation is a family-oriented community in the heart of downtown Woodstock.  They pride themselves on serving families in a friendly and open environment, maintaining relationships with families over a period of years.  Stop by for a tour at 105 Arnold Mill Road in Woodstock.  Or visit them on the web at www.cypresshealthgroup.com, or call them at 770-926-0016.

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

APDA Chapter President Annemarie Schwarzkopf and Brentwood Home Health & Palliative Care’s Joyce Edwards

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Joyce Edwards is a Nebraska native who moved to Texas about a decade ago. After graduating from the University of Nebraska – Omaha with a degree in social work, Joyce went to work to work for a nursing home where she worked closely with patients that had Alzheimer’s and dementia. After transition into assisted living and eventually home health and hospice, Joyce became the Administrator at Brentwood Home Health and Palliative Care.

Brentwood’s Palliative Care program provides care options to patients with a life threatening illness while they pursue treatment and work on recovering. For more information regarding Brentwood’s program, email Joyce at jedwards@brentwoodhomehealth.com.

Originally from Pennsylvania, with a degree from Brown University, Annemarie Schwarzkopf, like so many of our guests, was attracted to the senior services field by a personal experience regarding care for her grandparents.  She is an Eldercare Advisor for A Place for Mom, and is the current Board President of the Georgia Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA).

A Place for Mom is a referral service for seniors and their families that helps families identify the best senior living and care options for their needs and budget.  Annemarie is one of 18 local advisors for A Place for Mom, and has been with them for six years.

The American Parkinson Disease Association was founded in 1961 to facilitate patient and family support, medical research, and education.  An estimated 1.5 million Americans have Parkinson’s disease.  To date, there is no cure.  The primary purposes of the Georgia Chapter are to raise awareness about Parkinson’s disease, educate the community, raise funds for research and for support of the Association and the local chapter.

On April 21st, the APDA will be holding its Skyline Gala at the Nelson Mullins Skydeck in Atlanta from 6pm to 10PM.  The event will consist of cocktails, dinner, dancing and a silent auction.  The event will be emceed by Monica Kaufman Pearson, Channel 2 Action News anchorwoman.  This event is the Georgia APDA’s principal fund raising event for the year.  To find out more about the event, please visit the website:  www.apdageorgia.org.  Contact Annemarie directly at (404) 290-9596, or email her at annemaries@aplaceformom.com.

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

Chris Brand, CEO of FODAC and Kevin Reitz, new owner of Griswold Special Care in Dallas

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Growing up in the great state of Idaho, Kevin Reitz was a Boise State Bronco fan before it was fashionable to be a fan.  Does that make him a hipster?  After graduating from Boise State, Kevin took a position in the Enterprise Car Rental Management Training program.  He later had an opportunity with a small software company selling crime scene and accident reconstruction software (yes, it really exists and no, I’m no making it up).  As the company launched an initiative into the private sector, Kevin was asked to relocate to the Dallas area.  About three years ago, he became aware of a sales position with a local assisted living facility.  After only 8 months, Kevin was asked to take on the Executive Director’s role at a sister community.  During this time, Kevin realized that the senior services market offered another dimension of meaning to his career.

About a year and a half ago, Kevin moved again for the opportunity to work at Griswold Special Care, a non-medical homecare provider serving the Dallas metro area.  Kevin and his wife, Shelley, recently became the owners of the Dallas North Office of Griswold Special Care.  Kevin tells us he and Shelley had often talked and dreamed of owning their own business, and now that dream has become a reality.  Griswold Special Care’s unique differentiator is its ability to focus on both high quality and affordability at the same time.  Kevin is proud of the fact that his service is several dollars per hour lower than most competitors, and at the same time, the caregivers make 10-15% more than their peers at other agencies.  To find out more, contact Kevin directly at (972) 554-0700, email him at Kevin@gscdallas.com, or visit his website at www.gscdallas.com.

A rare Atlanta native, Chris Brand has been involved in helping disabled adults and seniors for as long as he can remember.  As a young man, he had a friend of the family whose son suffered from Muscular Dystrophy.  He watched the family’s struggles until the son died at the age of 19.  This gave him a first-hand look at how difficult it can be for a family to deal with the disability of a loved one, particularly with respect to independence and mobility issues.

Interestingly, Chris began early in his career by volunteering for Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC).  He was quickly hired by the founder of the organization, and spent three years as their donations coordinator.  Moving on to broaden his experience, Chris left FODAC for a few years.  In 1999, he returned as a program manager.  He has been there ever since, and is now the President and CEO of the organization.

FODAC was founded in 1986 to assist families of disabled adults and children in accessing both equipment and services to facilitate accessibility and independence.  FODAC fills 3,600 requests, distributing over 5,000 items each year from its 65,000 square foot facility in Stone Mountain.  The retail value of all medical equipment that has been given away now totals over $60 million!  To find out more about FODAC, or learn about volunteer opportunities, call them at (770) 491-9014, or visit their website at www.fodac.org.

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

Senior Services North Fulton – Annual Gala; John McNair with an Update on Elder Law Issues

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Carrie Bellware has spent a good bit of her career working for non-profit organizations.  Shortly after moving to Atlanta in 1996, she began working with Jewish Family Services on a part time basis.  After ten years with Jewish Family Services, she took a quick hiatus away from Atlanta.  After a few short years away, she moved back to the Atlanta area, and accepted the position of Executive Director with Senior Services North Fulton (SSNF), where she’s loved her job for the last 18 months!  SSNF is a non-profit organization providing Meals on Wheels, medical transportation, senior centers and a staff of in-home care managers.

Joining Carrie this morning is SSNF board member, and returning guest, Sue Sharpe, Owner of Mobility Express.  Carrie and Sue particularly wanted to highlight SSNF’s upcoming event, Art from the Heart, their annual fundraising gala being held at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek on February 11 at 7PM.  They tell us this is a “Don’t Miss” event with dinner, music, dancing and a silent auction.  For more information, please visit their website at www.ssnorthfulton.org, or call them at (770) 993-1906.

Originally from Jonesboro, Arkansas, John McNair graduated from law school at University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.  Wanting to further his education, John came to Dallas to attend Southern Methodist University, ultimately received a Master of Tax Law degree.  He began his private practice in 1983, and spent the first decade on estate planning, probate and taxation.  Today, John is a Partner in the firm Barnett, McNair, Hall LLP.  Over the past fifteen years, John has been thrilled to see his practice start to gravitate towards Elder Law.  He takes particular satisfaction in being able to help seniors find funds to pay for their long term care, and in helping them preserve the estates they have worked so hard to build.  Contact John via email at jmcnair@barnettmcnair.com, or via phone at (214) 691-7781.  You can also visit his website at www.mcnair.elderlawanswers.com.

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

The Money Moxie, Barbara Scurry, and WWII Vet and Motivational Speaker Virgil Heidbrink

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Virgil Heidbrink is an active member of our senior community, a World War II veteran and a polished public speaker. After growing up in Iowa, Virgil was drafted into the army where he served in a medical unit. After traveling through India and spending some time in China, Virgil returned home and studied business at the University of South Dakota and later at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona. After spending 36 years in sales for paper companies, Virgil retired and now does presentations on sales, finding glee in the golden age and “Polishing the Gold of the Senior Years”.

Virgil can frequently be seen around the Dallas area at networking events and actively participating in many events. If you would like to contact Virgil, you may call him at 214-361-5300, email him at virgilheidbrink@sbcglobal.net or visit his website at www.virgilsviews.com.

Barbara Scurry grew up in the Arctic.  Well, close to the Arctic.  She grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota!  She went from there to Florida (no wonder) to pursue a career in radio.  Following her husband, and wanting to continue her education as well, she moved to Tennessee and earned a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Middle Tennessee State University.  Since 2000, she’s had a corporate career in marketing, sales, and business development. Barbara has worked in the manufacturing, financial services, and geriatric healthcare industries and prior to obtaining her degree, she worked as a Case Manager Specialist for Tennessee’s Families First Program in which she helped teach mothers who were moving off of welfare and into the workforce budgeting skills.

While doing sales and business development by calling on nursing homes and marketing for a Continuing Care Retirement Community and a private-duty home care company, she developed a passion for working with senior citizens.  This experience and passion, coupled with her knack for making complex information easy to understand. Led her to start her own business, The Money Moxie.  Barbara tells us that she is a pro at “organizing chaos”.  And chaos is often what she finds when she meets with a client the first time.  One of the specialties of her firm is simply “going through the mail”, making sure that bills are paid, that credit card statements are accurate, and her clients free of unwanted or unneeded charges for services the senior is not using.  For example, one client had three credit reporting services charging a monthly fee.

“I love helping and advocating for seniors and feeling like I’m making a difference in their lives. Seniors have so many other issues to worry about. I’m genuinely happy that I can bring them peace of mind by taking care of one aspect of their financial concerns.”

To contact Barbara, or find out more about her services, check out her website at www.themoneymoxie.com, email her at Barbara@themoneymoxie.com, or call her at (678) 278-8410.

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

Paige Joyner, CEO of Compliance Plus tells you what you need to know about HIPAA!

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Educated in Switzerland, instrument-rated pilot, PhD in Theology, Major in the Civil Air Patrol, CEO of Compliance Plus – all describe today’s guest, Paige Joyner!  Prior to 2001, Paige worked in technology and telecommunications.  When HIPAA laws began to take effect, Paige became aware of the importance of compliance to companies that work with “Protected Health Information” (PHI).  This awareness and interest eventually led her to the HIPAA Program Management Office at Medical College of Georgia Health Systems, where Ms. Joyner was responsible for the implementation of HIPAA security across the three entity healthcare organization in Augusta, GA.

Today, Ms. Joyner is the CEO of Compliance +, LLC, a healthcare product and services firm that provides organizations with cost effective solutions for compliance as well as niche products and services that enhance healthcare practices and facilities.  Ms. Joyner will be co-hosting a pair of free HIPAA seminars in February and March with Dara McMillan of MyAccessableHome.  For more information about Ms. Joyner’s services, or the upcoming seminars, please call her at (678) 570-5422, email her at pjoyner@complianceplusllc.com, or visit her website at www.complianceplusllc.com.

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

Senior Mobility with Sue Sharp and Seniors Buying Automobiles with Jason Prado

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Jason Prado has a passion for helping people make informed decisions when buying or selling vehicles. As a 27 year veteran of the automotive sales industry, Jason has intimate knowledge of how the car buying process works. When his mother-in-law had a bad experience with a new car purchase, Jason took it upon himself to use his ‘inside knowledge’ to help her. When Jason realized that this service was something that seniors and others could benefit from, he started working as an independent consultant for people who are looking at purchasing new or used vehicles.

Jason can help you or your loved ones make educated and informed decisions and can work as an advocate to make sure that you are not being taken advantage of. To learn more about Jason’s services, you can email him at jprado61@aol.com or call him at 214-725-0516.

Originally from the Florida Panhandle, Sue Sharp is a 27-year veteran of Delta Airlines.  She was repeatedly offered an early retirement plan, and eventually decided to take it and pursue other career interests.  After working as an Executive Director for several non-profit agencies, she experienced a debilitating accident that required her to acquire mobility-related medical equipment.  When she had difficulty finding what she needed, a light went on in her head.

A bit of an entrepreneur, she and her husband, Jerry, decided it was a market space that they were uniquely suited to fill.  Consequently, they purchased Mobility Express, a company dedicated to providing and installing mobility equipment from grab bars to ceiling lifts to accessible vehicles.  One of their differentiators is that Jerry spent 27 years in the construction industry.  This experience enables their company to thoughtfully design mobility systems uniquely suited to each client’s specific needs.  Another unique aspect of Sue’s business is that they have a 5,000 square foot showroom where clients and their families can see, touch and test the products they sell.  To find out more, stop by their showroom at 1580 Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell east of GA400 (next to the Home Depot), check out their website at www.wheelchairsatlanta.com, or call them at (770) 998-9984.

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

Therapeutic Horticulture at the Arboretum, and MyAccessableHome

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Susan Morgan grew up in Tennessee where her love for horticulture started early on as her father was a horticulturalist. After graduating from the University of Tennesee with a B.S. in Horticulture, she went on to receive her M.S. in Plant Sciences with an emphasis in Public Horticulture. She recently received a certificate in Horticulture Therapy from the Horticulture Therapy Institute at Colorado State University and holds an International Diploma in Botanic Garden Education from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London England.

Susan moved to Dallas when her husband’s job was relocated and has been at the Dallas Arboretum since 2007, where she is the Senior Manager of Therapeutic Horticulture. Prior to her work at the Dallas Arboretum, Susan was the assistant gardening editor for HGTV.com and Scripps Network. If you would like to contact Susan about her Horticulture Therapy programs at the Dallas Arboretum, you can reach her at 214-515-6595 or email her at smorgan@dallasarboretum.org.

Third-time guest Dara McMillan, LMSW, grew up in New York in a family of health care professionals.  She received her Masters in Social Work from Boston University, and spent more than a decade as a social worker and a geriatric care coordinator.  Dara moved to the Atlanta are in 1996.  In her work as a social worker, Dara often observed clients in less than “accessible” living situations – either from a furniture placement perspective, or from a structural perspective.  Dara and her husband Chuck are the owners of a unique company called My Accessable Home.  Though there are a few other companies in the Atlanta area that specialize in renovations for seniors and disabled adults, their business is unique in that they bring a wholistic approach to the process.  This is a great benefit to their clients as they truly understand both the physical and social needs of their clients and what will be needed to make their home safe to live in as they age.  Dara will be hosting a free workshop in February together with Paige Joyner of CompliancePlus regarding federal HIPAA compliance.  Additionally, you can see MyAccessableHome in “A Home For All Ages” at the Atlanta Home Show in March.  Dara can be reached at (404) 274-1488 or visit them on the web at www.myaccessablehome.com.

 

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