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Dan Bourland and John Cowan – Senior Real Estate Specialists, and Octavia Jones of Agape Hospice

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Bourland, Cowan compressedDan Bourland and John Cowan are both Texans!  Dan was born and raised in Lubbock, attended Texas Tech, and has lived in the Dallas area for 30 years.  John is from Houston, graduating from the University of Houston Business school in 1973.  Interestingly, both Dan and John had different careers before deciding to move into real estate.  Dan started his career in the Office Products business, and John in the Wholesale Materials business.  John had a second career in Outpatient Imaging.  Today, Dan and John are Realtors with Coldwell Banker Apex Realty.  Both have the designation “Senior Real Estate Specialist” (SRES).  The SRES designation is a certification demonstrating that these two gentlemen have made a commitment to serve the unique requirements of seniors in real estate.  In addition to the purchase/sale of real estate, Dan and John also provide seniors with other options, including leasing and reverse mortgages.  Dan can be reached at (469) 878-6391, or via email at dan@danbourland.com.  Visit him on the web at www.danbourland.com.  John can be reachedc at (972) 231-0363, or via email at john.cowan@coldwellbanker.com.  John’s website is www.jgowanproperties.com.

Jones Samba, Octavia CompressedGrowing up in St. Petersburg, Florida, Octavia Jones Samba got her first taste of serving seniors working at a skilled nursing community after school.  She tells us how she helped a 90 year old patient when others didn’t know how to help.  As a teenager, Octavia was already hooked on seniors!  She went to nursing school in Florida, and came to Atlanta in 1983.  Octavia first started working in hospice in 2005.  After a brief time away from hospice, she was drawn back by Agape Hospice a little over a year ago when Agape served a member of her family.  Today, Octavia is the Director of Business Development for Agape Hospice.  She tells us that Agape’s difference is in their personal touch.  Agape Hospice can be reached at (404) 763-1456.  Chances are, however, Octavia will be in the field, so reach her on her mobile phone at (678) 557 7205.  For the more technically inclined, she can be reached via email at jonesoctavia@bellsouth.net.

Special thanks to Griswold Special Care, A Tradition in Home Care Excellence since 1982, for hosting today’s show!

Cheryl Burney, Amity Care Hospice

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Burney, Cheryl compressedBorn and raised in New Jersey, Reverend Cheryl Burney arrived in Atlanta in 1974 (after 35 years, now a naturalized Southerner).  Her first job in Atlanta was teaching ballroom dancing with Fred Astaire Dance Studios.  Born and raised in the Catholic church, she was a canter for the church when she had an experience that changed her life.  Consequently, she studied to become a minister with the International Centers for Spiritual Living in Atlanta.  Cheryl also took a class to become a hospice volunteer, did that for a year, then worked in hypnotherapy for twenty years.  When she began to look for other opportunities, one of her friends suggested looking at hospice again.  Today, Cheryl is the Director of Complimentary Therapies andVolunteers at Amity Care Hospice.  Cheryl is also the founder of Lifeworks, an organization that provides alternative healing therapies and grief counseling.  Contact Cheryl at info@lifeworksinstitute.org, or visit the Lifeworks website at www.lifeworksinstitute.org.  To find out more about Amity Care Hospice, or to volunteer, call Cheryl at (678) 402-5235, email her at cburney@amitycarehospice.com or visit their website at www.amitycarehospice.com. 

Special thanks to Griswold Special Care, A Tradition in Home Care Excellence since 1982, for hosting today’s show!

Leslie Anderson, Alzheimer’s Association

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Anderson, Leslie compressedLeslie Anderson was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, and attended Mississippi State for both her Bachelors and Masters degrees.  After college, she naturally gravitated to the non-profit world, first working for Easter Seals, then spending 15 years at the Red Cross.  When the Red Cross reorganized her position moved to Chicago.  Being a true Southern belle, she did not.  Much to Atlanta’s benefit, Leslie decided to there instead.  Today, Leslie is the President and CEO of the Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, one of the largest in the country.  Leslie tells us that there are at least 200,000 diagnosed cases of Alzheimer’s Disease in the state of Georgia.  Her organization provides resources for these victims of the disease, as well as for their families.  Though many are familiar with the many MemoryWalks around the state, you might not be familiar with their newest event, Dancing Stars of Atlanta.  This year the event will be held on April 16 at the Loews Hotel.  For more information about this event, or for resources for yourself or a loved one, contact the Alzheimer’s Association at (800) 272-3900, or visit them on the web at www.alz.org/georgia.

Patti Fehlig of Longleaf Hospice, and the MDA MuscleWalk at Cowboy Stadium

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Williams, Presley compressedAngela Presley is a second time guest on Eugeria! Radio in Dallas.  Today, Angela brought Fundraising Coordinator Victoria Williams with her to promote the largest MuscleWalk in the nation.  Angela started her careers with the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Greater Dallas.  A Dallas native, Angela went off to school in Lubbock at Texas Tech, and came back.  Victoria is also a Dallas native, and went to a foreign country for school (Oklahoma)!  Angela is the Healthcare Services Coordinator, working with families primarily in a social work capacity.   The Muscular Dystrophy Association is a national voluntary health agency dedicated to conquering more than 40 muscle diseases that affect a million Americans of all ages. MDA combats neuromuscular diseases through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive medical and community services, and far-reaching professional and public health education. On March 5, the MDA will be holding their annual MuscleWalk at Cowboy Stadium.  Though you won’t see the Cowboys in the Superbowl, you might see some celebrities in the stadium at the MuscleWalk!  It will be a great opportunity for families impacted by Muscular Dystrophy, ALS, Parkinsons and other neuromuscular diseases to interact with each other, and witness the heroic effort to raise money for such a worthy cause!  To contact the Dallas Chapter of the MDA, call them at (972) 480-0011, or visit the national website at www.mda.org.  Again, mark your calendars for March 5, 2011 for the annual MuscleWalk at Cowboy Stadium!

Fehlig, Patti CompressedPatti Fehlig is from a small town in Missouri.  A really small town.  In fact, she tells us that one of her high school teachers walked down the hall where her mother was teaching first grade to tell her mother that her daughter was holding hands with a boy in class (we’re not sure if she married him or not)!  Being a somewhat rebellious child, Patti decided not to follow in her parents’ footsteps as an educator.  She attended Central Missouri State College (now University of Central Missouri) to get her Bachelors Degree in Social Work.  She never wavered from her intent, later receiving a Masters in Social Work from the University of Georgia.  Having worked as a social worker for a home health company early on (StaffBuilders), and then as an executive director for two different assisted living communities, she finally found her home working in hospice.  Two years ago, Patti joined Longleaf Hospice to work with her friend Carla Pfirman.  Today, Patti is the Community Relations Coordinator for Longleaf, and she loves her job.  She tells us that Longleaf Hospice’s focus is on provided high quality, individualized care.  To contact Patti or find out more information about Longleaf Hospice, call (770) 939-9179, or visit them on the web at www.longleafhospice.com.

Special thanks to Griswold Special Care, A Tradition in Home Care Excellence since 1982, for hosting today’s show!

Town Village North Dallas and Veterans Information Services

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Town Lake North GroupKarolyn Sorensen, like so many of our guests, was nudged into senior care by a personal experience with a family member.  She received a degree in Gerontology from the University of North Texas.  today she is the Executive Director of Town Village North Dallas, an exceptional Senior Living experience offering options for both independent living and personalized assisted living.  Karolyn is joined by her associates, Teri Lock, the Director of Sales and Marketing, and Tracey Bruce, the Business Development Coordinator.  This terrific tiro is part of what makes Town Village North such an exceptional experience!  Teri is a midwesterner, having received a Political Science degree from Northing Illinois University, and a Masters in Counseling from Indiana University.  After spending a good bit of her career in non-profit management serving families and children, she was introduced to the senior services world.  Tracey is a rare Dallas native.  She attended the University of Texas at Arlington, earning a social work degree.  She also started her career in the non-profit sector.  She’s thrilled to be working with Karolyn and Teri at Town Village.  They tell us that one of the most compelling features of Town Village is its award-winning food service, specifically designed for seniors, from both a nutrition and a taste perspective.  Find out for yourself by scheduling a tour by calling Teri at 972-866-7575.  You can also visit them on the web here.

McIntyre, Karen compressed

Though Karen McIntyre was born in Tampa, she considers herself an Atlanta native, having lived in Atlanta for 40 years!  Karen is a registered nurse, and has an Associates degree in Nursing, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Kennesaw State College.  She spent much of her career in hospital nursing and home health.  Back in the 1990s, Karen began to see that there was little care management available to patients free of charge.  She began a door to door campaign to the assisted living facilities to get them to pay a “finders fee” so that she could provide the senior placement service to her patients for free.  Since then, this industry has taken off.  Karen took her business in a slightly different direction.  She started helping veterans and spouses of veterans apply for the aid they were entitled to from the Veterans Administration.  Karen and her husband, Jay, subsequently founded Veterans Information Services, Inc.  As Karen points out in the interview, there are many programs available to veterans and their surviving spouses for both those who are service-connected and for many war-time veterans and their surviving spouses who are not service-connected, but who have a financial need.  Today Karen is a VA-accredited agent specializing in education for professionals wanting to assist eligible veterans in obtaining their benefits.  In addition to the training, she also offers a software solution that makes the application process very simple.  Karen points out that last year, there were over 23 million veterans and less than 400,000 were actually receiving non-service-connected pension benefits.  Her advice, “get some assistance from someone who knows how to navigate the application process”.  To learn more, call 866-869-2777, or visit them on the web at www.info4vets.com.

Special thanks to Griswold Special Care, A Tradition in Home Care Excellence since 1982, for hosting today’s show!

Integra Hospital CEO Greg Rogers, Cornerstone Financial Partners John Winters and Tim Thornberry

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Rogers, Greg compresssedAfter graduating from Baylor University in 1993 with a Masters of Business Administration in Management, Greg Rogers took a position with Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals working in sales, marketing and branding.  Of the 11 years Greg spent with Lilly, nine of them were in the area of neurosciences.  It was an area that spoke to his heart, and prepared him for his current position as the CEO of Integra Hospital in Plano.  Integra employs a unique model centered around neurological rehabilitation and recovery.  Most of their patients are admitted as the result of a stroke or brain injury, rather than for an orthopedic condition.  The difference is that 80% of the therapy is administered on a one on one basis, rather than in a group setting.  They have their work cut out for them as they “retrain” the brain to perform common functions.  Greg sees his work at Integra as ministry and mission, and he believes Integra’s motto, “Restoring Health, Restoring Hope”.  Visit Integra’s website at www.integrahospitalplano.com, or call them a 972-428-1740 for a tour!

Winters compressedJohn Winters was born and raised on the south side of Philadelphia.  After earning and MBA in Finance from LaSalle University, John married his wife Joan and began a career with AT&T in the area of finance, specifically mergers and acquisitions.  After spending time all over the Northeast, Europe, Saudi Arabia and South Korea, John finally found his way to Atlanta.  At the time, he became interested in financial services, and eventually started Cornerstone Financial Partners, LLC.  John has recently been appointed Planning Commissioner, District 1, for Gwinnett County.  He is also the current president of Gwinnett Council for Seniors, and a member of numerous boards, including Friends of Gwinnett County Senior Services.

 Thornberry compressedJohn’s partner at Cornerstone Financial Partners is Tim Thornberry.  Tim was a military brat, growing up doing hard time in Hawaii and Southern California!  He followed in his father’s footsteps.  After attending North Georgia College, he joined the Marine Corps Reserves.  He has served in two tours in Iraq.  He is currently the senior service officer for the American Legion in Duluth, and is the President of Sentinels of Freedom Gwinnett, working to bring “wounded warriors” home to Gwinnett County.  Tim and John’s business is committed to providing their clients conservative asset management and wealth protection.  Their business often leads them to pro bono advocacy work for Gwinnett County’s seniors.  Thanks, Tim and John for what you do in your community!  View their website at www.yourfinancialcornerstone.com, or contact them at 678-730-6100.

Special thanks to Griswold Special Care, A Tradition in Home Care Excellence since 1982, for hosting today’s show!

Life Languages Institute, Senior Focused Relocations and Elder Care Connections

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Kendall, Brown compressedThe son of a deputy sheriff, and hailing from Lincoln County, New Mexico, home of Smokey the Bear, may explain Fred Kendall’s boisterous and gregarious personality.  Or not.  Fred has attended the New Mexico Military Institute, the University of New Mexico and UC Berkeley, studying Psychology and Law.  He spent 11 years in the Marines Corps, and in his words, was “CINC” Universe (that’s Commander in Chief).  After six years of marriage, Fred was faced with a horrible, ugly divorce.  As he wrestled with this experience, he became convicted that it was he that needed to change, and that it was imperative that he save his marriage and his family.  More than 35 years later, Fred is the President and Founder of Life Languages Insitute, an organization dedicated to helping preserve and strengthen relationships by understanding the “Life Languages” of individuals in a relationship.  Fred has been recently joined by Richard Brown.  Richard is a 42 year veteran of New York Life Insurance, and an Air Force alum as well.  Richard’s role at Life Languages is to broaden the visibility of Life Languages to new markets.  Visit their website at www.lifelanguages.com, or call Richard at (972) 406-1313.

Ingels, Sherry compressedSherry Ingels is a Texas native.  She attended university at Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, a little college town in East Texas.  After working many years with her husband in a family business, Sherry branched out on her own to start helping seniors that were getting ready to either move in with their families, or into a senior living community.  A year and a half ago, Sherry joined Michele Parchman and Sandy Nauta at Senior Focused Relocations (SFR).  Sherry is currently a Marketing Representive for the company.  Senior Focused Relocations are Senior Move Managers and Professional Movers.  They work exclusively with seniors.  The advantage is that they truly understand seniors, and know that what many might consider “junk”, the senior considers a treasure, if for no other reason than the special memories attached to it.  SFR works with their clients to sort, downsize, organize, move, unpack and set up in the new residence – including making the DVD player stop blinking on 12:00!  Sherry can be reached at (972) 596-2468, or visit them on the web at www.seniorfocusedrelocations.com.

Darby, Judy compressed

A true Southern Peach, Judy Darby grew up a stone’s throw away from the Vidalia Onion Capital of the world in Lyons, Georgia.  She attended the University of Georgia and earned an undergraduate degree in Psychology, and a Masters in Counseling and Psyhiatric Services.  Like so many of our guests, Judy was largely influenced by a personal experience.  Her grandmother cared for her grandfather for the final seven years of his life.  After his death, her grandmother became one of the first “homecare” providers, staying with, and caring for, many elderly people in their final years – before the idea of a homecare agency existed.  Spending her first 20 years of her career as a disability case manager, Judy met CPA, Joe Kilpatrick about twelve years ago.  As the result of a task force on serving aging clients, Joe and Judy started ElderCare Connections, a geriatric care management firm that serves a wide variety of clients’ needs, from simple bill payment to acting as Power of Attorney and Executor of the estate, and everything in between.  Judy truly develops a special relationship with each and every one of her clients, serving them wherever and whenever they need it.  To find out more, call Judy direcdtly at (770) 455-8832.

Special thanks to Griswold Special Care, A Tradition in Home Care Excellence since 1982, for hosting today’s show!

Attorney Jim Ostenson; Katie Sitton and Darla Morford from Emeritus at Stonebridge

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Ostenson, JamesOriginally from Mississippi, Jim Ostenson began his career working for the church.  As part of his ministry, he observed how chaotic life could become when someone passed away without being prepared from a legal perspective.  With this in mind, Jim attended Pepperdine University’s School of Law, and in 1984 moved to Atlanta to become the staff attorney for the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA).  He spent a number of years helping churches observe the complexities of the law with respect to non-profit organizations.  He continued to have a passion for older adults, and finally decided to open his own law practice specializing in estate planning.  Jim encourages, “it’s never to early to start estate planning”.  He also advocates a team approach, including insurance professionals, financial planners and accountants (depending on the size of the estate).  Jim can be reached at (770) 392-3310, or on the web at www.ostensonlaw.com.

Emeritus at Stonebridge compressed

When Katie Sitton took a job at an independent living community after college graduation, she thought it would be a temporary stint in the senior living business.  After a few years, she did move on, but to an assisted living community.  She found that she really loved seniors, and was compelled to make a career serving seniors.  Today Katie is the Executive Director for Emeritus at Stonebridge, a full service Alzheimer’s Care Community in Dallas.  Darla Morford started her career similarly, working in a part time sales role for an assisted living community.  Darla is the Community Relations Director for Emeritus at Stonebridge.  One of the differentiators at Emeritus at Stonebridge is the training of the staff with respect to Alzheimer’s Disease, and how to interact with residents and family members.  All staff, from laundry assistants to executive director, receive this training.  Everything that is done in the community, from the color on the walls to the food on the plates, is done to make the most of the Emeritus experience for its residents with Alzheimers.  To schedule a tour, call Katie or Darla at (214) 691-7400, stop by their community at 9271 Whiterock Trail in Dallas, or visit them on the web at www.emeritus.com.

Special thanks to Griswold Special Care, A Tradition in Home Care Excellence since 1982, for hosting today’s show!

The Hospice Center, Aging Services of Georgia and The Center for Positive Aging

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The Hospice Center compressedRachel Pierce’s father is an entrepreneur.  After watching his father benefit from hospice services, James Pierce jumped at the opportunity to acquired The Hospice Center.  Rachel didn’t start her career in healthcare.  Growing up in a small town west of Houston, she attended the University of Texas at Austin.  Upon graduation she went into marketing with Perot Systems.  In March of 2009, she finally gave in to her father and accepted a job as the Executive Director of The Hospice Center.  The Hospice Center provides hospice and palliative care for any individual needing end of life care and counseling, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay for the services.  Today, The Hospice Center operates out of Richardson and Sherman (Texas), and in Durant, Oklahoma.

 Joining Rachel in the studio today, Meredith Biltz is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW).  She grew up a military brat, spending a good bit of her time in North and South Carolina.  After graduating from Wingate University with a Psychology degree, she got married, and spent the next several years being a full-time mom.  When she moved to Texas, she decided to pursue a graduate degree in Social Work.  After working with Katrina evacuees for a number of years, Meredith had the opportunity to join The Hospice Center two years ago.

 Our final guest from The Hospice Center this morning is Donna Talley.  Donna is the rare Dallas native!  She began working in home health nearly twenty years ago, and migrated to hospice in 2000.  Today she is the Director of Business Development with The Hospice Center.  She loves the business she’s in, and enjoys the personal touch of the Hospice Center.  To reach Rachel, Meredith of Donna, call (972) 664-0030, or visit them on the web at www.thehospicecenter.net.

Coffey, Walter compressed Joining us in Atlanta today, Walter Coffey developed an affinity for seniors by visiting nursing homes with his grandmother when he was young.  Born in Panama City, and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, Walter went to seminary and became a staff minister.  As his ministry gravitated toward seniors, Walter decided to go back to school where he earned a graduate certificate in Gerontology, and a Masters in Public Administration for Non-Profit Entities.  Today, Walter is the President and CEO of Aging Services of Georgia, a statewide association that represents the key not-for-profit and other mission-driven organizations dedicated to providing quality housing, health care and community-based services that people need, when they need them, in the places they call home.

Beauchamp, Holly editedOperating under the umbrella of Aging Services of Georgia, Holly Beauchamp is the Program Coordinator for the Center for Positive Aging.   Holly grew up in upstate New York, and went to Monmouth University in New Jersey.  After graduating with a degree in Marketing, Holly started her career with Enterprise Rent-a-Car.  After a number of years in business, Holly found herself looking to do something a bit different.  She joined Americorps Vista, which is, in her words, “a domestic version of the Peace Corps”.  Americorps Vista’s mission is to eliminate poverty.  Vista members commit to serve full-time for a year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, and strengthen community groups.  Holly’s contribution is through the Center for Positive Aging, whose mission is to educate consumers about the types of services to assist in successful, positive aging; refer consumers to quality providers; and to assist these providers in connecting with consumers in local congregations and communities.

 Walter and Holly can be reached at Aging Services of Georgia at (404) 872-9191, or on the internet at www.agingservicesga.org.  To get directly to the Center for Positive Aging, go to www.centerforpositiveaging.org.

Special thanks to Griswold Special Care, A Tradition in Home Care Excellence since 1982, for hosting today’s show!