Elder Law
For the past decade or more, the MBA has celebrated Law Day by organizing free educational presentations about elder law throughout the commonwealth during the month of May. The 2008 Elder Law Education Program was made possible due to the assistance and cooperation of both of the MBA's Probate Law Section Council and the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.
With the assistance of a group of volunteers from the MBA's Probate Law Section Council, the MBA has prepared a revised and expanded edition of "Taking Control of Your Future: A Legal Checkup," a resource guide that was distributed to all participating senior service related agencies and attorney volunteers last year. The guide contains information on a wide range of legal issues affecting the lives of seniors, such as:
Twenty commonly asked questions in elder law;
The rights of a nursing home resident;
2008 aid and attendance - veteran's benefit resource guide;
2008 Medicaid resource guide; and
2008 Medicare Part D resource guide.
Each year, the MBA and the Probate Law Section Council will update the resource guide and include additional pertinent legal information related to the elderly.
During the month of May, the Community Services Department responded to more than 135 requests for presentations from senior service-related agencies and over 90 attorneys made presentations to these organizations. The presentation topics included topics such as:
How to protect your home and assets;
Power of attorney and health care proxies;
Reverse mortgages;
Medicare/Medicaid changes; and
Alternatives to nursing home care.
For additional information regarding the Elder Law Education Program, please contact the Community Service Department at (617) 338-0695 or e-mail the Community Services Department.