Why Guardians Matter

By Attorney David Engler

At our affiliated company, eGuardianship.com, our clients who are guardians are people who take care of other people. There is no higher calling. The genesis of this profession can be found in the founding principle of every religion. And as our world moves us faster and faster and with greater and greater distance between us – technology can be part of the fabric that holds us together. It can be the means of communication that allows us to make sure our mother is getting the best care or that a veteran is sure to have a home. Reporting on visits or reporting to a court are all done with binary precision.

I have had this debate over many years with friends. Some believe that as the world ages we grow apart. They see the world as tribal warfare, disconnected crimes and people simply tuned out. I believe the opposite. If we can find more common languages, our world shrinks. Math is universal. It is the basis for technology. It allows the foundation of the explosion of social networking. It allows a guardian in Alaska to check the medical records of her ward in a flash who was treated in Texas. It allows this blog. Technology is a unifying force. And the people who are engaged in the most noble of professions will use it to bring their care closer to those who need it.

Attorney David Engler
Phone: 330-729-9777
http://www.DavidEngler.com Attorney Engler’s website
Areas of Practice: Family Law, Elder Law, Domestic Relations, Bankruptcy, Criminal

Let Grandma Facebook

By Attorney David Engler

Five years ago at this time Facebook had 12 million users. At the beginning of 2009 it had 150 million users. Today, Facebook has over 750 million users. The fastest growing demographic is users over 35. It’s time to put grandma and grandpa on Facebook.

We need to teach them the skills and create applications for ease of use. At first they might not understand what a Wall might be and perplexed if someone asks them to accept ‘chickens for their farm’. But the one thing Facebook can do for seniors is allow them to socialize.

There is nothing more important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle than continuing to socialize. Too many of our wards, our parents, aunts and uncles become isolated by physical immobility and the loss of friends to death and the movement of families from home communities.

The lack of socialization can slowly give way to earlier onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Studies have shown that the healthiest seniors are those that continue to lead busy and interacted lives. It’s not on Facebook yet but we can create social groups built around military units or ships or graduating nursing classes from the 40’s and 50’s.

A welcome expenditure is to buy your mom a laptop and set her up on Facebook, Also if the grandkids accept her as a friend, then maybe they will be less likely to post compromising pictures of themselves that they would regret later.

Attorney David Engler
Phone: 330-729-9777
http://www.DavidEngler.com Attorney Engler’s website
Areas of Practice: Family Law, Elder Law, Domestic Relations, Bankruptcy, Criminal

The World’s First Commencement Address Delivered by Twitter!

On Monday, June 6, 2011, I had the privilege of delivering the Commencement Address for the 2011 Graduating Class of The Mahoning County Career and Technical Center.

I wanted to do something that would be remembered by the graduates, have significance to them and keep their attention. I chose to deliver my comments by Twitter! While I spoke, the live feed from my Twitter account was projected using an overhead projector so they and the audience could see my words as they were delivered.

As I thought about this event, it occured to me that it might actually be the first time such a speech was delivered by Twitter. So I checked on Bing! and Google and could not find a prior event of this sort. My public relations people wrote up the press release below:

June 7, 2011

For Immediate Release

The World’s First Commencement Speech delivered on Twitter!
In what may be the world’s first commencement speech delivered using the online social media Twitter.com, Attorney David L. Engler, President of Mahoning County Career and Technical Center’s Board, gave several pieces of advice to the Center’s 285 graduates in 20 separate tweets. Using twitter-speak abbreviations, his speech was simultaneously delivered to the assembled audience through overhead projection of his live Twitter feed, as he spoke.

Using current and topical humor, mixed with typical graduation speech wisdom, Attorney Engler captured the graduating audience’s attention while making it a speech that will probably be remembered as much for its brevity as its unique delivery. The graduation ceremony was held at the Center this past Monday.

Attorney Engler, who practices in Elder Law and Domestic/Family Law, is also a board member of the Mahoning County Educational Service Center as well as being a board member of Unlimited Classrooms, a public online charter school in Ohio.

He may be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/legalfight. His Twitter user name is Legalfight.

The text of his speech follows, each individual bullet point was a separate tweet.

Attorney David L. Engler’s speech delivered on the occasion of the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center’s 2011 Commencement:
• My job 2mrw as Pres of MCCTC bd is 2 offer a few remarks that mean something to 285 18 yr olds…not easy
• If I do it in 20 tweets it is guaranteed to be short and to the point
• Maybe this will be the first grad speech given entirely in tweets…it will not be the last.
• R grads are given an opportunity to use the best technology available 2 help them learn mechanics, health care, law, trades & multi media
• We hope the tools delivered by teachers make u leaders whether it’s college, military, fixing a car, caring 4 people or wiring a bldg
• Your world will be shaped by social media and the ability to quickly get exactly the information u want when u need it.
• Tweets, FB friends, angry birds, YouTube, and texting more than u talk isn’t a fad but the future. Those who master these tools will excel.
• Don’t text while u drive , it is at least as dangerous as drinking while driving
• As we grow more connected by the electrons we move learn all our actions virtual or real have consequences
• I have represented people accused of murder because of My Space and have seen marriages end because of Facebook.
• Words sting even more after hitting the send button. Live with humility but strive to be extraordinary
• Never tweet pictures of yourself in underwear …it’s always a bad idea. Employers and your future wife might not be so keen to see you.
• U r born in remarkable times. There’s a fine line between success & failure. Ignore the barrage of messages u get thru media. Its not real.
• Do listen 2 your parents and grandparents. Time grants wisdom learned through failure and triumph. Do as I say & not as I do
• Never fail to take an extra trip from the car to house. You’ll be happy when you don’t break things.
• The ability to tweet and FB came about because people need to connect.
• Teach grandma to FB. When you continue to socialize u continue to thrive.
• most important lesson learned in 10 years on board is that students don’t fail… we fail the students. We can do better.
• We need to be more transparent in everything we do. We cannot be harmed by truthful data. Our students r watching
• I said 20 and meant it. We r proud of u. Go be extraordinary, do good, hug the people you love and connect everything.

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For further information please contact Attorney David L. Engler directly at 330-402-9290 or by email at DavidEngler@DavidEngler.com

Attorney David Engler
Phone: 330-729-9777
http://www.DavidEngler.com Attorney Engler’s website
Areas of Practice: Family Law, Elder Law, Domestic Relations, Bankruptcy, Criminal