Elder Law Resources

EstatePlanningLinks.com

Elder Law Topics On This Page:

Highlighted Sites

• Elder Law Firm.com - Elderlaw site by Certified Elder Law Attorney, Dennis Toman in North Carolina. Free Alzheimer's law and newsletter for elder care questions with relevant articles.
• ElderIssues.com - Caremanager John Boden lets families use Internet technology to gather key information for the health and safety of our parents as they age, as well as guiding families to ask important questions. For more information, see the article below, "Planning is Not Just About the Money."
• ElderlawAnswers.com - Fantastic Elderlaw site founded by Harry S. Margolis. Includes relevant articles, attorney search, "ask Harry" for questions about Elderlaw and much more. Well worth a visit.
• National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) - Questions and Answers when looking for an Elder Law attorney
• Friendly4Seniors Web Site - Extensive links on a variety of topics
• Senior Law - By Goldfarb & Abrandt
• Stetson Elder Law Site - includes one of the best list of links available for Elder Law and Aging sites on WWW
• Medicare Part D Prescription Drug - extensive and well organized links for the New Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program
• New York City Caregivers - information about being a caregiver and list of available resources for more help

Elder Law Legal Resources

Federal

• Firstgov for Seniors Secure, Easy Access to Government Services and Benefits for Seniors
• Administration on Aging
• Administration on Aging's Resource Directory for Older People
• Health Care Financing Administration (Medicare & Medicaid)
• Social Security Administration Home Page

State

• Missouri Division of Aging
• Missouri Elder Law
• New York State Office for the Aging

National Associations & Universities

• AARP homepage
• Cornell Law School (IIL) - Overviews on:
  • Social Security Law
  • Medicaid
  • Medicare
• The Kansas Elder Law Network (KELN) - specializing in Elder Law
  • Estate Planning and Wills
• National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) Resources Page
• The National Council on the Aging
• National Senior Citizens Law Center-- Current issues in Medicaid, Medicare, SSI, benefits and eligibility.
• Wake Forest University School of Law: Legal Clinic for the Elderly
• Internet Legal Resource Guide - University of Texas - helpful for locating attorneys, and with a brief area re Elder Law
• Health and Retirement Study U of Michigan's site about studies of aging

Gateways (Extensive Link Sites regarding Elder Law)

• CataLaw: Elder Law Sites
• New York Department of Aging's Elder Links Excellent page.
• NOCALL: Elder Law & Aging - Northern California Assoc of Law Libraries - Links to Elder Law and many more areas

Helpful Sites on Elder Law Topics

• National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Home Page
• ABA National Handbook on Laws and Programs Affecting Senior Citizens Available for download
• Aging Parents and Adult Children Together (A/PACT) - ten articles on various topics pertaining to eldercare issues. From the Federal Trade Commission and the American Association of Retired Persons .Americans with Disabilities Act Document Center - by Duncan Kinder. Also includes many links to sites about disabilities.
• Boulder Community Network: Seniors' Center - Lots of interesting links
• Social Security Disability Update from Crowe & Shanahan with lots of articles and links
• Elderlaw Legal Survival Page
• Fleming & Curti, P.C. - Elder Law Issues - a weekly newsletter of Elder Law information by Arizona lawyer Robert Fleming, searchable on a variety of topics dating back to 1993. Also available by fax or e-newsletter by subscription.
• Flying Solo: dealing with divorce and separation and matters affecting the elderly and disabled
• Emmanuel Hass, Esq. - FAQs for Elder Care and Transfers for Diabled Child
• North Carolina Alzheimers Information - From NCAlzheimers.com
• Seniors-site.com - numerous topics for seniors, including message boards on various relevant discussion topics
• National Health Law Program A national public interest law firm, seeking to improve health care for America's working and unemployed poor, minorities, the elderly and people with disabilities
• Nanny Tax Employment Taxes for Household Employers
• Quicken Retirement Planner
• ResearchWire: Discoveries in Elder Law - article about using the WWW for finding elder law resources
• SeniorLaw - articles on Medicare, Medicaid and Supplemental Needs Trust
• Severns & Bennett Law Firm articles about elder law, asset protection and nursing home rights
• Talking to Children about Death
• Kenneth Vercammen's New Jersey Elder Law Info-alphabetized listing of Wills & Probate and related articles
• WidowNet - information and self-help resource for, and by, widows and widowers.
• Yahoo! Seniors' Guide
• Veterans Pension - Veterans Pension including Aid and Attendance to help a Veteran or his/her spouse afford care in the home or in assisted living.

Medicaid Information

• Medicaid Legal Information various articles from Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. (Erie County, New York)
• Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services
• Medicaid Frequently Asked Questions from Seniorlaw.com
• HCFA's State Medicaid Manual at UKANS KELN.
• SeniorLaw: Medicare & Medicaid Recent Developments

Medicare and Social Security Information

• Official U.S. Government Web Site for Medicare Information
• HealthMetrix Research, Inc.- offers Medicare HMO cost comparisons - for HMO+Choice options
• Medicare Rights Center - includes Answers to Medicare Questions, and a publications area
• National Association of Social Security Claims Representatives NOSSCR has a good list of links to Social Security info sites.
• Medicare Part D Information - Get Medicare Part D information about the new Medicare Drug Plan that starts in 2006.

Nursing Home Law

• Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Information Center
• California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR)
• Nursing Home Compare: Information on every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country

Long Term Care Insurance

• Long Term Care Insurance Article from The Alexander Law Firm
• Long Term Care Financial Services: Info on Long Term Care Insurance
• Avoiding Fraud When Buying Long-Term Care Insurance: A Guide For Consumers
• Get a Free Instant Quote and Insider's Guide to Long Term Care Insurance
• SHIPUSA.org - National Directory of each State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (usually called SHIP or SHIIP).

Elder Abuse and Neglect

• Elder Justice Act - The Elder Justice Act of 2006 is expected to pass soon, to protect those in long-term care and other older adults "at risk".
• Administration on Aging of the Department of Health & Human Services:
• Elder Abuse Prevention Page
• ElderCare Locator.
• Protecting the Rights of Older Americans
• American Bar Association:
• Commission on Law and Aging
• Commission on Domestic Violence
• Beasley Allen Law Firm - Description of types of abuse from Alabama law firm
• Elder Abuse Law (Michael Schwartz)
• Elder Abuse Prevention - What is elder abuse and how to prevent it
• Family Violence Prevention Fund
• National Center on Elder Abuse: Excellent site for families fighting against or learning about elder abuse. Includes information about basics of elder abuse, and clearinghouse for publications, statistics, and how to get help
• National Center for Victims of Crime - help for crime victims, including elder abuse
• Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Information Center - Bauman & Rasor Group, Inc.
• U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime: Resources for Elderly Crime Victims
• U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice: Justice Information Center

Advance Directives & Health Care Proxies

• Advance Directives & Health Care Proxies from Partnership for Caring
• More Forms - on EstatePlanningLinks.com's Form's page

ElderCare, Aging & Related Related Resources on the Web

• Age of Reason - Home to Seniors On-Line
• Aging Parents and Adult Children Together (A/PACT): Series of 10 articles produced by the Federal Trade Commission in partnership with AARP
• CareGuide - Resource for planning as we age, including information on Assisted Living Residences and Nursing Homes
• ElderWeb - Full of great information for and about elders.
• The Merck Manual of Geriatrics. Manual On-line
• Reverse Mortgages Explained: Financial Freedom Senior Funding Corporation
• Reverse Mortgages- Consumer Info: National Center for Home Equity Conversion (NCHEC)
• Bob Gayle's Reverse Mortgage Website
• Senior.com - informational and commercial site geared toward seniors (note: site currently unavailable while being reworked)
• Senior Citizen Resources - broad listing of elder care related links, from health to pets to politics
• SeniorNet - providing older adults education for and access to computer technology.
• ThirdAge - A Web community of active older adults. Features chat, free stuff, discounts, health care, computers, retirement, investing, caregiving, travel, etc.
• WebSite for Seniors - Listings for financial planning, health, and more.

Health: Alzheimer's Disease

• Alzheimer's Association - The oldest and largest national voluntary health organization dedicated to research for the causes, cure, and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and to providing education and support services to Alzheimer's patients, their families and caregivers.
• Alzheimer's Disease Website - Education and Referral, from the National Institute on Aging
• Caring for a Patient with Dementia - This site includes many articles on various aspects of Alzheimer's Disease. The articles "are a series on dementia-related diseases prepared by Kenneth Hepburn" of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN. Topics include: what Alzheimer's is; what each of the behaviors are; financial and legal aspects of care; finding a nursing home, etc.
• Coping with Alzheimer's Disease -- A journal and resources from a woman who provides ongoing care to her mother.
• Yahoo! Alzheimer's Links - listing links to Alzheimer's pages on WWW

State Related Resources

• CareGuide - State Page
• Medi-Cal information from the Medi-Cal Policy Institute
• New York Medicaid Article from Goldfarb & Abrandt

Living Arrangements

• Senior Alternatives - Checklists for Living Arrangements - Assisted Living, Nursing Home, Retirement Communities
• Senior Resource: housing and lifestyle choices and how to plan and pay for them

Planning is NOT just about the money -- ElderIssues.com

The National Council on Aging reports “People do not anticipate caring for a parent. They state, `We will cross that bridge when we get to it.’ But when adult children suddenly have to cross that bridge they look frantically for answers and options.”

Many of us who are moving into retirement years find that an elder parent or other family member may require significant attention. The old and frail elderly encounter difficulties managing their lives, yet insist on maintaining independence and self-sufficiency. To help them maintain maximum independence, yet provide a sense of safety, we must begin an honest and open communication. Keep the elder as involved as possible and learn their needs and desires. You can then be an affective advocate. To assist them in managing for themselves, you most take the time to learn about their health, doctors, medications, spiritual needs, home maintenance, and much more. The time spent in this preparation will reward you handsomely later.

You do not need to reinvent the wheel when beginning this process. Geriatric Care Managers are the experts who navigate the elders and their families through these numerous challenges. A Nationally Certified Care Manager’s fees will be $75 to $150 per hour and often save families both money and wasted time and effort. You can start your own planning by talking with the elder in your life today. To save money and get help and direction with this process, take a free tour of the LifeLedger™ system at www.elderissues.com