Elder Law Unit
Elder Law Unit
Housing
We can assist seniors with issues, such as:
- Adult homes and senior living communities;
- Illegal lock out of your apartment;
- Illegal utility shut-off ~ No heat or hot water in apartment;
- Retrieval of personal property from your apartment;
- Your apartment needs repairs to make it safe and habitable;
- Harassment by your landlord over unpaid rent;
- Landlord is illegally trying to raise the rent;
- Landlord/building is in foreclosure.
Future Planning
- Power of Attorney – A power of attorney (POA) is a legal document giving one person (the agent or attorney-in-fact) the power to act for another person (the principal). The agent can have broad legal authority or limited authority to make legal decisions about the principal's property, finances or medical care.
- Advanced Directives – Advanced Directives are legal documents detailing the wishes of an individual in regard to medical treatment and procedures, i.e., which treatments and procedures he/she wishes to accept or refuse.
- Health Care Proxies – A health care proxy is a legal document through which an individual appoints an agent, e.g., a family member or close friend, who is authorized to make medical decisions for him/her when he/she is incapable of making or executing the decisions stipulated in the proxy. Doctors, other healthcare providers and hospitals must follow the agent’s decisions as if they were the individual’s.
- Living Wills – A living will is a legal document that tells others what your personal choices are about end-of-life medical treatment. It lays out the procedures or medications you want—or don't want—to prolong your life if you can't talk with the doctors yourself.
- Pooled Trusts – A Pooled Trust is a special type of fund that allows individuals aged 65 and over – and also individuals who have disabilities that are recognized by the Social Security Administration – to become financially eligible for federal and state benefits, e.g., Medicaid-funded home care, while preserving their resources in trust for supplemental needs. These trusts are created and held by LSHV, often through a family member of the individual who will benefit.
- Simple Wills and Estates
Public Benefits / Health Insurance
- Medicare
- Medicaid (Institutional and Community)
Public Benefits / Basic Needs
- Social Security
- Unemployment Insurance
Home Health Care / Independent Consumer Advocacy Network (ICAN Program)
Many seniors experience a decline in their health, but prefer to remain in their homes, rather than in assisted living facilities or nursing homes. LSHV advocates with social service agencies to obtain assistance for them from home healthcare workers and homemaker programs.
Through the Independent Consumers Advocacy Network (ICAN Program), we also provide information, assistance, and civil legal services to people with Medicaid who need long-term services such as home attendant, adult day care, or nursing home accommodations.
Consumer Law Issues
If you are experiencing financial difficulty because you are out of work, or have had a health emergency, LSHV can help you to settle and negotiate with debt collectors, or represent you in cases involving abusive practices of unscrupulous lenders and creditors or in filing for bankruptcy protection. We can also assist in cases of financial scam/fraud, e.g., identity theft, telemarketing, sweepstakes, home improvement and, increasingly, online scams.
Family Law
Elder Abuse – Unfortunately, some seniors are taken advantage of financially, emotionally, psychologically and/or physically, often by family members or others they trust. We are committed to preserving the dignity and rights of seniors by applying the law on their behalf, and assisting seniors in obtaining Orders of Protection, if needed.
