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Georgia State Medicaid Plan - Rules of Evidence - Scholarly Articles - Medicaid's Obligation to Respond to a Medicaid Application - Appeal Challenging

The procedure commonly referred to as a “1013” is governed by O.C.G.A. Title 37, Chapter 3 (§ 37-3-41 et seq).* The procedure applies to individuals who present a substantial risk of imminent harm to himself, herself or others, as manifested by either recent overt acts or recent expressed threats of violence which present a probability […]

Parents who are looking to protect their special needs children often begin by considering how decisions will be made. Capacity is a continuum, so every special needs child and every family is unique. Essentially there are three models where the individual needs decision-making support. Substitute decision-making, supported decision-making, and court supervised decision-making (guardianships and/or conservatorship). […]

Georgia State Medicaid Plan - Rules of Evidence - Scholarly Articles - Medicaid's Obligation to Respond to a Medicaid Application - Appeal Challenging

As Psychiatric Advance Directive allows an individual to designate who would make mental health decisions for the patient in the event the patient cannot speak for himself or herself and mental health treatment is required. Currently, 25 States have statutes recognizing the validity of psychiatric advance directives, but other States such as Georgia, are considering […]

News Sources: Covid-induced life changes leave millions of Americans worried about money IRS Continues Focus on Cryptoassets Georgia Attorney General Recognizes National Cyber Security Awareness Month Georgia Attorney General Supports Congressional Hearings Addressing Youth Social Media Use Dental coverage for Medicare recipients divides parties Federal auto-IRA program would be a big step forward in expanding […]

The Arc of the United States recently posted new videos providing an Overview of Special Needs Trusts and ABLE accounts. English versions of these videos are available on YouTube and are linked below for your convenience. Spanish versions are available at the YouTube link below. Find other Arc Videos here

Registration is open for the 2021 National Conference on Special Needs Planning and Special Needs Trusts, October 13-15, 2021. It will be held at Vinoy Renaissance Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Florida and virtually online. Always popular, a representative from CMS will join to discuss recent events. This year, Gene Coffey will describe […]

2022 Special Needs Planning Symposium We don’t always give a shout-out for symposiums sponsored by others, but we’ll make an exception here. The 2022 Special Needs Planning Symposium looks like an all-star cast for anyone on the West Coast who works with special needs individuals (especially if you can’t make it to Stetson). Two sessions […]

elder law resources - ABLE Accounts - Additional Guidance - Trust Beneficiaries -Georgia Medicaid Manual - Nursing Home Cases

Selected articles from Current Awareness in Aging Research E-Clippings: Staff Shortages Are Hammering Long-term Care Facilities, Home Care Agencies, and Families Pandemic-inspired retirement may be short-lived for many More than 41million dementia cases globally are undiagnosed – study Signs of Early Alzheimer’s May Be Spotted in Brain Stem The quality, not quantity, of cardiovascular fat […]

On September 1, 2021, the Administration for Community Living posted a guest blog titled “BE WITH: Combating Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Suicide Risk. The blog post describes “how one project is helping build capacity within the aging network to help address social isolation and loneliness and prevent suicide amongst older adults.” Contributors include Laura Shannonhouse, […]

National Institutes of Health: The Amazing Brain: A Sharper Image of the Pyramidal Tract Administration for Community Living: DOL announced an alliance with AAAED to promote people with disabilities in the national organization’s workplace equity efforts Webinars from National Paralysis Center Volunteer and Advocacy Opportunities, Wednesday, August 18 Virtual Support Groups, August 26th National Consumer […]

In In re Estate of Wertzer, 330 Ga. App. 294 (2014), the primary issue was whether the probate court had the authority to enter an order establishing a visitation schedule with the father, over the objection of the mother, who had been appointed Sierra Wetzer’s guardian and conservator. The Court held that the probate court […]

National Institutes of Health (NIH): Tips to Make Mealtimes Easier for People with Alzheimer’s Decoding Heart-Brain Talk to Prevent Sudden Cardiac Deaths Researchers identify a cellular defect common to familial and sporadic forms of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Device allows paralyzed man to communicate with words Scientists uncover how decisions about what we see are […]

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced: Reports shows that words matter. Language can reduce mental health and additional stigman. “In a perspective published in Neuropsychopharmacology, leaders from the National Institutes of Health address how using appropriate language to describe mental illness and addiction can help to reduce stigma and improve how people with these […]

Frontline posted a new podcast regarding a race-related murder in Chicago in 1955. That murder resulted in a bill named for the victim that would wind up in the halls of Congress. It was aimed at bringing justice to unsolved killings from the civil rights era. Around the same time, the Department of Justice and […]

New Interactive Tool Provides Social Determinants of Health Data on Internet Access A new online data visualization tool from AHRQ gives analysts access to social determinants of health (SDOH) data related to people’s access to the internet. Internet access is essential for obtaining home-based telemedicine and is increasingly important for healthcare needs such as making […]

Webinar on Developmental Promotion, Early Detection, Referral, and Linkage to Services Wednesday, June 16, 2021, 1:00 – 2:30 PM ET Webinar Registration The National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance presents this webinar on increasing access to developmental screenings for children and families. The early childhood community has an opportunity to work together to build […]

Cooperative federalism is not license to re-write clear federal rules (Co. App.) Ruth Koehler sued the Department after it terminated her benefits under its Medicaid Home and Community Based Services for the Elderly, Blind and Disabled (HCBS) program. Ruth, an elderly disabled woman, received HCBS as an alternative to nursing home care. Her husband resided […]

Administration for Community Living releases 2020 Profile of Older Americans. The Profile of Older Americans is an annual summary of critical statistics related to the older population in the United States. Relying primarily on data offered by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Profile illustrates the shifting demographics of Americans age 65 and older. It includes […]

estate planning

On July 29, 2016, the Elder Law Practice of David L. McGuffey hosted a Special Needs Roundtable in Dalton, Georgia. Our Key Note speaker was Hal Wright, author of the Complete Guide to Creating a Special Needs Life Plan: A Comprehensive Approach Integrating Life, Resource, Financial, and Legal Planning to Ensure a Brighter Future. The […]

On May 11, 2021, the National Institutes for Health reported that an app may help identify children with autism spectrum disorder. “The human brain is wired to pay attention to social information like facial expressions, speech, and gestures. Infants learn about the world through these social interactions. Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is a developmental […]

On April 30, 2021, Michelle Diament, writing for for Disability Scoop, reported that Biden’s plan, although not changing SSI, does: provide for up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave to workers seeks to provide two years of preschool to all children; and dramatically expands access to child care by making it affordable […]

The following is reposted from Hamilton Medical Center’s podcast site. Dr. Emily Brandt is a board-certified child development pediatrician at Anna Shaw Children’s Institute located in Dalton, Georgia. She specializes in attention disorders, autism spectrum disorders, behavioral and developmental challenges, and more. Listen here. To learn more about Anna Shaw Children’s Institute, call 706-226-8900 or […]

Georgia State Medicaid Plan - Rules of Evidence - Scholarly Articles - Medicaid's Obligation to Respond to a Medicaid Application - Appeal Challenging

Being sick or impaired is not enough to qualify for Social Security Disability. Under the Social Security Act, whether you are seeking disability or Supplemental Security Income, “disability” means you are not able to engage in any substantial gainful activity (SGA) because of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment(s) that is either: Expected to […]

We are reposting this announcement. On  May 4, 2021, Anna Shaw will host a webinar on ABA Therapy. Click here for more information.

In a press release dated 4/26/2021, the National Institutes on Health announced that a Prototype app for mobile devices could screen children at risk for autism spectrum disorder. A mobile app was successful at distinguishing toddlers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from typically developing toddlers based on their eye movements while watching videos, according […]

In Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999), the Supreme Court turned treatment for individuals with special needs on its head. Justice Ginsburg, writing for the Court framed the issue presented as follows: “Specifically, we confront the question whether the proscription of discrimination may require placement of persons with mental disabilities in community settings rather […]

EZ Elder Law is reposting a local announcement regarding the 6th Annual North Georgia Autism Conference. The Keynote speaker is Dr. Temple Grandin. An email address to get more information regarding the conference is in the image below.

7th Annual Autism Conference & Expo ~ Lessons Learned ~ The 2021 Autism Conference & Expo of Georgia will be held online using Whova and Zoom. Wednesday May 12, 2021 Science & Research 12:45 pm – 5:00 pm Thursday May 13, 2021 Practice & Implementation 9:00 am – 4:45 pm http://ga-autismplan.com/autism-conference-and-expo-of-georgia/

All parents, grandparents, guardians, and other family members of children with special needs are invited to take part in a parent-led Parent Support Group. • Children are welcome • Childcare is provided • Free Pizza Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm

DATE: Friday, March 26, 2021 MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE: Improve Administration of the Disability Programs REPORT NUMBER:  A-02-18-50357 REPORT TYPE: Audit Report OFFICE AFFILIATION: The Office of Audit Our objective was to determine whether Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients used, and the Social Security Administration (SSA) verified the values of, Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts.  View […]

Hamilton Medical Center’s Anna Shaw Children’s Institute is hosting a 6 week workshop on Social Skills from April 12 through May 17, 2021. Space is limited if you are interested.

The Special Needs Alliance (SNA) is a national organization comprised of attorneys committed to the practice of disability and public benefits law. Individuals with disabilities, their families, and their advisors rely on the SNA to connect them with nearby attorneys who focus their practices in the disability law arena. The SNA is an invitation-only organization. […]

On July 5, 2016, in Doctors Hospital of Augusta v. Alicea, 299 Ga. 315 (2016), the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed lower court decisions denying a motion for summary judgment. In doing so, the Court interpreted the Georgia Advanced Directive Act, O.C.G.A. § 31-32-1 et seq., holding that it is the will of the patient or […]

A medication error is defined as “any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the healthcare professional, patient, or consumer,” according to the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) receives […]

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