Elder care professionals, Jennifer Kerr, President/CEO of Diversified Health Care Management Consultants, Inc., and Jim Schuster, Certified Elder Law Attorney, will present “Senior Care 911”, a two-part community forum addressing the elder care needs of Michigan’s “Baby Boomers”. Michigan’s health care, corporate and legal professionals can improve their understanding of current and future elder care trends on December 1, 2004, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m., at the Skyline Club, 2000 Town Center, Ste. 2800 Southfield, MI 48075. Family, friends and caregivers of the elderly can attend a similar forum on December 4, 2004, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., at Greater Grace Temple, 23500 W. 7 Mile Rd., Detroit, MI 48219.

Southeast Michigan residents who are 20 to 40 years of age are especially encouraged to attend. According to the Alliance for Aging, 10,000 Americans are expected to turn 65 years old each day in the year 2012. “This means a huge population of young people [potential caregivers and business professionals will need to learn how to maneuver through elder health care, legal and financial information,” says Kerr. “The goal of the forum, “ Schuster adds, “is improving the quality of life for Michigan’s seniors, family members and caregivers by addressing the challenges they will face. We hope attendees will leave the forum with a clear understanding of the resources needed to develop an elder care plan for their loved ones.”

“I’ve already had a taste of what it’s going to be like to take care of my father,” says La Nise Foster, a 36 years old Detroit-native, who is an only child. “Earlier this year, I took my father to emergency because of one of his six chronic illnesses. Even though common sense of how to handle the crisis kicked in, I was totally unprepared. Having a game plan is a must for me. It’s just a matter of time when I’ll be caring for my teenage daughter and Daddy at the same time…mostly by myself.”

Schuster and a panel of experts will address a comprehensive list of topics including senior care management; medical care; mental health; caregiver tips, guardianship vs. conservatorship; probate issues; short/long-term planning; and Medicaid-nursing home rules.

“Senior Care 911” is co-sponsored by the “Elder Care Program”, which was developed by Diversified Health Care Management Consultants, Inc. (DHCMC). Its goal is to provide its customers with the knowledge and resources to identify and secure appropriate health care management in a quality and cost effective manner. Its staff is comprised of a health care team of trained personnel that works with family members to address its elder care challenges and to suggest road maps to identify the needs and to plan, coordinate, and facilitate appropriate health care, legal resources and support services for caregivers and their loved ones.

Jim Schuster, Elder Law Attorney has been a licensed attorney since 1978. Accredited by the National Elder Law Foundation, Schuster is a former chair of the Elder Law and Advocacy Section of the Michigan State Bar; member of several elder law organizations and speakers bureaus; and has published articles for the Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Detroit Legal News, Oakland County Bar Association’s Laches, and course material for the Institute for Continuing Legal Education.