By: Rana Goodman / On My Soapbox With the new year, we will be turning several new pages in where we see our senior advocacy going. These changes hopefully will allow seniors in need of a safer, happier place if they need assistance of any kind. I started to tell you about our Elder Hub concept in another column, let me tell you more now. With the help of some of our volunteers, we will soon begin collecting information to begin listings for our “4 Rs” - “Resources, Review, Referrals & References.” In the past, we have been contacted on a regular basis for referrals to care facilities, attorneys, assisted living communities, group homes and such. Our idea and plan is to have a team of our volunteers check out all senior facilities - including cleanliness, care, costs and treatment of residents, etc. and make up a referral directory. Since we don’t charge or accepts payment from these places, we intend to rate them much like “Consumer Reports.” We DO however have a “dog in the fight.” We want seniors treated well, not over medicated, and living in facilities they want to be in - not where they MUST be. A year ago, I wrote about my visit to a senior care facility. I was impressed by, not only the attentive care they gave their residents, but also the kind and thoughtful little things the staff did to make some of them feel they were not alone. 6 Our Advocacy Goals for 20<strong>18</strong> January 20<strong>18</strong> For example, I was told that when residents did not receive mail from anyone, the management sends them cards and notes, so they didn’t feel left out when other residents received mail from friends and family. I think everyone can agree that little kindness goes a long way, especially to a lonely, elderly person. Another initiative we are pursuing in guardianship reform is “supported decision making” (SDM) as an alternative to guardianship. This is something that was passed into law in Texas in 2015 and is being discussed by several judges with whom I served on the guardianship commission. Supported Decision Making is quite complex, but basically the court agrees to allow a person who may have some dementia, or need help with some things, to agree to having a person of THEIR choosing as a helper with important decisions. Things such as banking, buying items above a certain amount, etc. – all instead of guardianship. The person remains in their own home, runs their own life and their support person is of their choosing, not the courts. This is quite different from having a guardian and they keep their dignity! I will have more information at our Guardianship seminars and in future columns. New Guardianship Lockbox in January By: Rana Goodman / Political Editor In April 2016, after expressing my outrage with the “red tape,” Publisher Dan and I took matters into our own hands. I was beyond frustrated that a simple idea of using the Secretary of State lockbox to store and record seniors’ guardianship preferences could not be accomplished until the next Nevada legislature convened and passed the necessary legislation. We formed our own <strong>Vegas</strong> <strong>Voice</strong>/Nevada Association to Stop Guardian & Elder Abuse lockbox to make sure that no one that took the time to record their guardianship preferences would be “taken” by private guardians, or the courts. Over 1,000 people heeded our suggestion, and despite snide remarks from certain ambulance-chasing attorneys, NOT ONE person who sent in the form was ever touched by this scandal. Fast forward 19 months. The GOOD NEWS is that the Nevada legislature passed the required law (effective January 1, 20<strong>18</strong>) to use the Secretary of State lockbox protections. And there is NO CHARGE for this protection. The (semi) BAD NEWS is that you MUST prepare a new guardianship form to do this. To fully comply with the new law and avoid any complications, our temporary lockbox program will come to an end in January. All copies will be shredded and destroyed. To get everyone the latest information and to fully guarantee that you will never ever be a part of this sordid scandal, we’ll be holding our 20<strong>18</strong> guardianship seminars (see next page) in January. We hope to see everyone at one of our seminars! FOR YOUR HEALTH, WEALTH, AND GOOD TIMES GUARDIANSHIP * Sun City Aliante Tuesday, Jan. 9, @ (10 am) * Sun City MacDonald Ranch Wednesday, Jan.10, (10 am) Sponsored by NV Senate candidate Byron Brooks * Siena Thursday, Jan. 11, @ (10 am) Sponsored by NV Senator Becky Harris * Sun City Summerlin Desert Vista Center Monday, Jan. 15, (10 am) Sponsored by NV Assemblyman Jim Marchant & Congressional candidate Victoria Seaman Solera @ Anthem Wednesday, Jan. 24, (10 am) * Sun City Anthem (Independence Center) Wednesday, Jan.10, (6:30 pm) NOTE: Revised Date ** Sponsored by the SCA Havurah Club LIMITED SEATING! NEW LAWS NEW REFORMS & PROCEDURES NEW GUARDIANSHIP NOMINATION FORMS SAME PREDATORY LAWYERS & SYSTEM NOW IS THE TIME TO (FOREVER) PROTECT YOURSELF, YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS INFORMATION UPDATE! NOTARY SERVICES COURTESY OF: For more information and to RSVP, Contact The <strong>Vegas</strong> <strong>Voice</strong> at: 702/251-4441 or www.thevegasvoice.net 7