Kathi Racinski is the director of client services at the Legacy Law Center and joined us on our radio show this weekend. Legacy Law is a life care planning law firm helping seniors and their families negotiate what Kathi calls the “long-term care maze.”

Kathi is a social worker, helping clients with long-term care planning and supporting families in finding those services. She has recently become a Certified Elder Care Coordinator, and is well qualified to help families learn about available resources, and navigate through the system and get the care they need.

Kathi stressed how with good planning, families can protect their assets and not spend every cent on elder care. Legacy Law is presently adding to its staff with a new public benefits coordinator. The person who fills this position will assist clients and families, identifying available benefits and helping clients apply for them.

Legacy Law holds monthly workshops and conducts regular speaking engagements to help educate those in the community. Pre-planning is the key, developing a plan before there is a crisis situation. Every family is different, and each needs an appropriate plan. Expert legal assistance is not costly; what gets expensive is when families haven’t planned.

To listen to the 12-minute discussion with Kathi click the audio link:

To get in touch with Kathi or the Legacy Law Center, you may call 734-995-2383, or visit the website legacypllc.com.

We next welcomed Joanne Grosh, the director of senior services for the St. Joseph Mercy Health System and Chelsea Community Hospital, and Karen Hutcheon, a registered nurse with the Senior Emergency Room at Chelsea Community Hospital.

The St Joseph Mercy Health System is the first in the state to offer senior emergency rooms, with eight in southeast Michigan, including at Chelsea Community Hospital. Joanne talked about the three aspects of the senior ER model of care — physical, cultural and operational.

Physically, the changes include different lighting, new mattresses, available visual and hearing aids, non-skid flooring and improved call lights.

Culturally, they have spent a lot of time educating their staff. Recognizing stereotypes is the biggest thing. There is a cultural bias against older people, and aging is not valued in our society. St. Joe’s is educating staff to fully appreciate this issue and change mindsets.

From an operational standpoint, the emergency ERs use evidence-based assessment tools. They “assess for risk,” asking about nutrition, resources, mobility, living situation, medications and recent falls.

The senior ERs have been really well received by their patients and staff. They are identifying concerns that were previously not addressed. Karen talked about how it has encouraged the staff to slow down and take care of the patient, giving them permission to be caregivers, improving the overall level of care.

To listen to the 12-minute talk with Joanne and Karen please click the audio link:

To get in touch with Joanne or Karen or Chelsea Community Hospital, call their Senior Health Connection Resource Line at 734-475-4023, or access the website cch.org.

Alan Caldwell and Sheila Doeden co-host Everything Elderly every Saturday morning at 8:30 on 1290 WLBY. In their day jobs, Alan and Sheila co-own and co-manage Senior Helpers, providing in-home care services, primarily to the elderly. Both can be contacted at homecareexcellence@seniorhelpers.com, or at 734-927-3111.