With Your Family in Mind

Longtime Valley Industry Association member and community volunteer Ed Masterson has been appointed to serve as the organization’s board chair for 2016.
Masterson is the head of sales and marketing for SOS Entertainment. A frequent emcee for various community events and fundraisers in the Santa Clarita Valley, he was field representative for then-Assemblyman Cameron Smyth from 2006-2010.

The William S. Hart Union High School District has a program in place to support every student’s life plan.  It’s called Pathway to My Future, and whether you are a college-bound student or ready to join the work force upon high school graduation, every single one of us is career bound in some way, shape or form.
A website dedicated to the program (www.pathwaytomyfuture.org) provides excellent information on the different careers a student may consider, plus resources for businesses and teachers as well.

At Divorce Mediation Professionals, we continuously advise clients of the benefits of mediation in divorce. More often than not, we hear, “that sounds nice but”, “I don’t want to see the other side”, “the other side will not agree to mediation”, “the other side is a control freak and I won’t get a word in”, “my case is too difficult”, etc. There are so many excuses used to avoid mediation that oftentimes I refer to an interview by Los Angeles Times writer Jessica Gelt in 2008 of former supervising Judge Marjorie Steinberg who supervised 45 family law judges and commissioners in Los Angeles County:

Have you ever thought of becoming a foster parent or wanted to adopt a child in need of permanency? Koinonia Family Services is now serving the Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valleys, and is looking for families who want to provide safe, caring, and nurturing homes for children who are in need of short-term or long-term placement. Children in need of placement range from newborns to 18-year-olds.

This article is not for you if:
• you have nothing; or
• you have no one to leave anything to; or

As an Elder Law Attorney, I handle many issues involving chronic long-term illness, dementia, and the dying process.  Some issues are very complex, while others are not. Some issues involve health crises, and asset protection from nursing home care that exceeds $8,000 per month.  Some involve pre-planning and trusts, wills, and other legal documents.  But all clients need good solid legal advice with a plan, as well as a clear explanation of the plan, and how it benefits the client and their family.  For our clients, planning and analysis generally focuses on the following:

It might be difficult for seniors with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to consider exercising when it feels as though the weight of the world is sitting on their chests, but doing so could help them breathe easier and stay healthier. While this may seem contrary, it actually makes sense when you consider how physical activity affects the body.

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease can be frustrating at times because those affected with Alzheimer’s may demonstrate behavior issues when once-simple tasks become difficult or impossible.  Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that impairs judgment, slowly destroys memory, problem-solving and thinking skills and eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.

California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) has prepared two free guides for long-term care consumers: “Visitation Rights in California Health and Long Term Care Facilities” and “Your Right to Leave”, a guide for battling forced placement in Long-Term Care Facilities.

Power:  The ability to act or produce an effect; the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. Merriam-Webster.com
Power is a factor in every relationship.  The relationship is affected by how it is distributed, balanced and expressed.  Imbalances, lack of reciprocity, or abuses are often key factors in dysfunction within a family and in a marriage.

Like any other part of our bodies, our brain receives health benefits from living an overall healthy lifestyle. The four lifestyle areas that have the most impact on our brain health include food and nutrition, physical activity and wellness, cognitive stimulation and social involvement. According to the Alzheimer’s Association recent research on brain health, “combining good nutrition with mental, social and physical activities may have a greater benefit in maintaining or improving brain health than any single activity”. 

Home Care Assistance of Santa Clarita is proud to support the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Santa Clarita on September 20 at Bridgeport Park.  We deal with the effects of the disease on a daily basis. Many of our clients exhibit varying stages of its symptoms.  My own mother suffered from Alzheimer’s for many years before finally passing away in 2005. 

The question is where do we find beauty?  Do we really appreciate seeing things that are beautiful? Every day the environment presents us with beautiful things to enjoy.
In Santa Clarita we can enjoy the sunsets, sunrises and the breathtaking full moon. 

This fall, start your weekends off with a song!  If you would like to return to singing, or have sung your entire life, join the new Santa Clarita Encore Chorale.  Enjoy weekly rehearsals of music you will learn and perform for your friends and family.  No audition is necessary.  The cost is $130 inclusive of the music, conductor, and accompanist for 13 rehearsals and a performance. 

There are warning signs. More often than not, it is gradual rather than a sudden transition from happily married to icicles in the room.  If you see divorce coming, or even the possibility of it coming, there are some very important steps you can take to protect yourself and your future.

Periodically (and unfortunately all too often) we get
calls from clients:
“Do you have our original, signed living trust documents?”
“No, I’m sorry.”

A recent move away case, In re Marriage of Winternitz, is the latest in a long line of move away cases. During the dissolution proceedings, the parties agreed to use a child custody evaluator, Dr. Frank Leek, to determine whether or not it would be in the child’s best interest to move to San Diego with mother. Dr. Leek recommended the move and the trial court permitted mother and child to move to San Diego.

Have you ever thought of becoming a foster parent or wanted to adopt a child in need of permanency? Koinonia Family Services is now serving the Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valleys, and is looking for families who want to provide safe, caring, and nurturing homes for children who are in need of short-term or long-term placement.