Elder Law is a legal term coined to cover an area of legal practice that places an emphasis on the number of issues that affect the growing aging populous of various social communities.

The three major categories that make up elder law are:

1. Estate planning and administration, including tax questions;
2. Medicaid, disability and other long-term care issues; and
3. Guardianship, conservatorship and commitment matters, including fiduciary administration.

Other issues found under the umbrella of ELDER LAW include such areas as Estate Planning; Wills; Trusts; Guardianships; protection against Elder abuse, neglect, and fraud; end of life planning; all levels of disability and medical care; retirement planning; Social Security benefits; Medicare & Medicaid coverage; Consumer Protection; Nursing Homes & In-Home Care; Powers of Attorney; Physicians Directives; Landlord/Tennant needs; Real Estate and Mortgage assistance; various levels of advice, counseling and avocation of rights; tax issues and discrimination.

History of Elder Law

The history of the Older Americans Act (OAA), originally signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 14, 1965 (the same year the Medicare was created), claims credit for creating the Administration on Aging (AOA), a division within the Department of Health & Human Services, and authorizing grants to States for community planning and services programs, funding for research, and demonstration and training projects in the field of aging.

In 1972, Amendments to the OAA, added the national nutrition program for the elderly. The OAA of 2000 was amended on November 13, 2000 to include the National Family Caregiver Support Program, which will help hundreds of thousands of family members who are struggling to care for their older loved ones who are ill or who have disabilities. This program provides substantial grant funding for combined services between state and local agencies for such things as counseling, support groups, respite and other community based services. These services are focused on the care of the frail and aging members of society. This program also provides services geared towards the family units of grandparents and other older relatives now in the stages of care-taking for related children eighteen years of age and under.

Careers in or associated with Elder Law

Careers that are developing around the area of Elder Law include lawyers, paralegals, legal assistants, legal secretaries, guardian ad litum (GAL), various types of psychologists, care givers, financial planners, policy makers & legal advocates, benefit specialists, Better Business Bureau, Attorney General’s Office, Consumer Protection Agency, political watch-dog groups, health care providers, researchers, funeral planners, grief counselors, case workers, abuse & fraud investigators, educators, product developers, transportation providers, entertainment and tour guides, real estate agents, mortgage brokers, insurance providers, or simple elder companions.

Essentially any career field can create a benefit to the aging of modern society.

External Links

• http://www.aoa.gov/about/legbudg/oaa/legbudg_oaa.asp
• http://www.state.sd.us/social/ASA/Funding/Act/history.htm
• http://www.agingcarefl.org/aging/legal
• http://www.neln.org/sitemap.html
• http://www.virtualchase.com/resources/elderlaw.shtml
• http://www.findlaw.com/01topics/36civil/elder.html
• http://www.llrx.com/columns/elder.htm
• http://www.megalaw.com/top/elder.php
• http://law.freeadvice.com/estate_planning/elder_law/
• http://www.seniorlaw.com/resource.htm
• http://www.nelf.org/elderlaw.htm
• http://www.nclrights.org/projects/elderlaw.htm
• http://www.wsba.org/lawyers/groups/elderlaw/default1.htm
• http://www.abanet.org/aging/
• http://www.elderweb.com/?PageID=1