HJNO Mar/Apr 2026

CARING TOGETHER 30 MAR / APR 2026 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS A Final Word from Both of Us From Beverly The older adults I meet remind me that what most of us long for is to be truly seen — not as an age or diagnosis, not as a room num- ber or a set of wrinkled hands — but as a whole person with worth, memory, humor, and a voice that still matters. Whether 60 or 100, they carry purpose uniquely their own. Advocacy means standing up for them when needed — but just as importantly, helping them steady their own voice, lift their eyes, and speak for themselves. When someone who has been overlooked begins to speak with clarity again, you can almost see light return to their face. That moment is why none of us should ever be spoken for when we can be supported to speak for ourselves. From Dominic Older adults experience what can be called the “triple vulnerability”: 1. High-stakes medical decisions made under pressure; 2. Complex legal and administrative systems; and 3. Diminished ability to assert preference due to illness, confusion, or institutional bias. Beverly Gianna is a gerontologist and long-term care ombudsman in Louisiana. She holds graduate degrees from Spring Hill College, Tulane University, and the University of Southern California’s LeonardDavisSchool of Gerontology, where she alsoearned theExecutiveCertificate in HomeModification. She serves as a Justice Championwith the National Center on Elder Abuse and is an advocate for positive aging and community-based solutions. She is currently leading a grassroots effort to develop an All-Age-Friendly Village in Uptown New Orleans. Beverly Gianna, MA, MAG Gerontologist, Long-Term Care Ombudsman Advocacy is powerful because it translates complexity into enforceable rights, restores the older adult’s voice, and prevents systemic bias. Robust advocacy puts life into the modern legal tools that shape elder healthcare. Effective legal advocacy is a decisive factor in deter- mining whether an older adult receives person-centered care, retains autonomy, and avoids unnecessary institutionalization. In the courtroom and in consultation, I am reminded that elder care is civil rights work. The legal system ensures accountability, but justice happens when healthcare teams, families, and advocates work together. The law sets the floor — humanity sets the standard. Together: The Older Americans Act gives thema voice . OBRA-87 gives themprotection . Olmstead gives them freedom . You give them justice! n Dominic Gianna is a nationally recognized trial attorney, educator, and advocate whose work often intersects with healthcare, safety, and accountability in matters affecting older adults. In addition to his master’s degree in chemistry and his law degree, he is a certified mediator and arbitrator, and is the founding director of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy’s (NITA) Elder Law Advocacy Training Program, which trains attorneys and professionals on the legal and practical issues shaping the lives of older adults. Dominic Gianna, MS, JD Trial Attorney, Educator, Advocate