Community - Elder Abuse - Elder Abuse Awareness - Kasem Cares - Kerri Kasem - Keynote Speaker - What you should know
Kerri Speaks with Dr. Bonnie Olsen – Beyond the Dementia Diagnosis: Capacity and Competency to Make Decisions
Deciding whether someone is legally competent to make decisions regarding their estate plan is an issue many practitioners face with elderly clients. The assessed capacity required for legal competence increases with the seriousness of what is at stake. The usual explanation is that patient autonomy is being balanced against best interests. In many instances a family member may subject their loved one to abusive situations. This session will present four concepts critical to understanding abuse: autonomy, vulnerability, capacity and undue influence. Dr. Bonnie Olsen will be sharing this information with you. Following Dr. Olsen, Kerri Kasem will share her real life story –
As an entertainer and the daughter of a renowned celebrity, Kerri Kasem has lived more of her life in the spotlight than most of us. Unfortunately, recent circumstances put her private and very personal family tragedy on the front pages of the news this year. Her legal battle regarding the visitation and medical care of her father, radio icon Casey Kasem, has brought awareness and attention to a cause that many of us may face one day in today’s world of blended families.
SPEAKERS:
Bonnie Olsen, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Colorado State University and her Masters and Ph.D. in Psychology from California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego. She served as the medical psychologist for the UCIrvine/Orange County Elder Abuse Forensic Center for over 7 years where she evaluated alleged victims of financial, sexual or physical abuse. In addition, Dr. Olsen conducted cognitive and mental health assessments of frail elderly patients at the UCI Program in Geriatrics Health Assessment Program for Seniors’ for over 15 years. In the research domain, Dr. Olsen is the program director for an Administration on Aging grant to develop strategies for prevention of elder abuse in persons with dementia, is the principal investigator on a grant from the Archstone Foundation to develop educational materials for caregivers of dementia patients to prevent elder abuse and works with the team of professionals at the National Center of Elder Abuse currently located at USC. Dr. Olsen maintained a private practice in neuropsychological assessment, forensic assessment, cognitive rehabilitation, and psychotherapy for more than 10 years before becoming a full-time faculty member.
Kerri Kasem is a multimedia personality, producer, and writer who has anchored numerous music, talk and entertainment programs for both radio and television. Kerri is the daughter of the late radio host and icon Casey Kasem. Since 1997, Kerri has followed in her father’s footsteps, hosting many radio programs. Kasem was co-host of the internationally syndicated Sixx Sense with Nikki Sixx for four years, but left the show to fight for her father, and to lobby for the “Visitation Bill” AB2034 in California – a vision which in less than six months has seen legislation in four other states. She founded the Kasem Cares Foundation to establish and fight for the rights to have visitation and reasonable access to an ailing parent, especially when under the care and control of an uncooperative spouse or sibling.
