Recognized and celebrated every November, National Family Caregivers Month (NFCM) is an opportunity to honor family caregivers as well as raise awareness of caregiving issues and increase support for caregivers.
Read moreNational Senior Citizens Day
Image by Dewald Van Rensburg from Pixabay
Today is National Senior Citizens Day. First proclaimed a holiday in 1988, National Senior Citizens Day seeks to recognize the achievements and contributions of the older members of our country and to demonstrate our gratitude for all they have done, not just for our country, but for our local communities and families. Here, at the Harris County Law Library, we thought we’d celebrate the day by compiling a list of resources that can help seniors with their legal needs and can point them to some community partners that might be able to assist them with any additional needs, such as meal programs and other social services.
Legal Information & Resources
Elder Law Handbook - Prepared by the Houston Bar Association
Seniors & the Law: A Guide for Maturing Texans - Prepared by the Texas Young Lawyers Association
Senior Citizen Rights : Nursing Homes and More - Available on TexasLawHelp.org
Old Age Benefits - Toolkits and related articles available on TexasLawHelp.org
Retirement & Pensions - Related articles available on TexasLawHelp.org
Facts for Consumers: Long-Term Health Care: Is Private Insurance Right for You? - Available on TexasLawHelp.org
Wills & Estate Planning - Toolkits and related articles available on TexasLawHelp.org
Senior Scams - Attorney General of Texas
Legal Aid and Hotlines
Legal Hotline for Texans (age 60 or older) - A project from the Texas Legal Services Center
Lone Star Legal Aid (Houston)
Advocate Legal Senior Center (Houston)
Community Resources
Harris County Protective Services for Children and Adults - Services for seniors and disabled adults, including guardianship programs and the Senior Justice Assessment Center.
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services - Report abuse, neglect or exploitation.
Harris County Community Services Department - Information on transit services, social services, and more.
Harris County Area Agency on Aging - Provides federally-funded social services for the elderly, including benefits counseling and meal programs.
Texas Health and Human Services - Provides a variety of services for eligible older Texans, such as long-term care options and caregiver services.
Interfaith Ministries - Provides home-delivered meals to homebound seniors through its Meals on Wheels for Greater Houston and Galveston County program.
Latest & Greatest – Elder Law in a Nutshell
By Lawrence A. Frolik and Richard L. Kaplan
Published by West Academic Publishing
KF 390 .A4 A423
If you are looking for a succinct guide to the issues that arise and the laws that affect older persons, then Elder Law in a Nutshell may be just the book for you. Part of West Academic Publishing’s popular Nutshell series, Elder Law in a Nutshell addresses the unique challenges faced by those who advise and represent the aging members of our community and guides the reader through the myriad issues that pop up in the elder law field. Pertinent topics include: health care decision making, Medicare, Medigap, and Medicaid, long-term care insurance, housing and housing alternatives, guardianship and its alternatives, social security benefits, veterans’ benefits, pensions, age discrimination in employment, and elder abuse and neglect.
Health care and the related costs involved with obtaining medical coverage could be the highest and most significant concern of the elder community. In a similar vein, the authors explain the doctrine of informed consent and the patient’s right to control medical treatment and terminate life-sustaining treatment. There is a discussion of living wills, the creation and execution requirements, and their validity. The authors guide the reader through the Medicare maze and explain the eligibility requirements, enrollment procedures, and coverage, including the dreaded “donut hole” for drug expenditures. Later chapters address the nature of long-term care insurance and housing options, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The authors look at the Federal Nursing Home Reform Act (NHRA) and the protections it offers to nursing home residents, such as the freedom from abuse and restraints and the right of access to entities providing health, social, or legal services. The authors also examine the eligibility requirements and the tax issues involved with perhaps the single most provider of retirement income: social security benefits. For those seniors who seek employment to supplement their retirement income, there is a discussion of age discrimination and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Lastly, the authors address the sad reality of elder abuse and neglect and the legislative responses to this terrible form of domestic violence.
You can find this and other titles from the Nutshell series in our Self-Help Collection here at the Harris County Law Library.
Latest & Greatest – The Law of Later-Life Healthcare and Decision Making
By Lawrence A. Frolik
Published by American Bar Association. Senior Lawyers Division.
KF 3608 .A4 F76 2017
Photo Credit: Helen Hartman
Healthcare is a concern at any stage of life, but as one ages, decisions regarding healthcare take on greater significance, not only because of the concern for and consequences of choices made on behalf of those of diminished capacity but also because of the very nature of end-of-life decisions. The author, a national expert on legal issues affecting older individuals, has written a book, The Law of Later-Life Healthcare and Decision Making, to help answer questions people may have about healthcare decision making and the laws surrounding and regulating this area. Divided into five chapters, this book covers paying for healthcare, long-term care housing options, paying for long-term care, the legal implications of mental incapacity, and end of life decision making. Within each chapter, you will find discussions of significant case law developments and statutory changes and explanations of important topics, such as Medicare and Medicaid, aging in place, nursing homes, long-term care insurance, reverse mortgages, guardianships, living wills, health care powers of attorney, DNR orders, and hospice care.
Latest & Greatest - Don’t Let Dementia Steal Everything: Avoid Mistakes, Save Money, and Take Control
By Kerry Peck and Rick L. Law
Published by American Bar Association. Senior Lawyers Division.
KF 3803 .D46 P43 2018
Photo Credit: Helen Hartman
Alzheimer’s disease is downright terrifying. Sadly, millions (yes, millions) of people are dealing with the physical and mental consequences of this disease every day. Because much of the focus surrounding this illness is on the physical symptoms that ravage its victims, there is a tendency to overlook the legal consequences that are all too real. To assist with an understanding of some of the legal issues faced by those suffering from dementia, attorneys Kerry Peck and Rick L. Law have written Don’t Let Dementia Steal Everything: Avoid Mistakes, Save Money, and Take Control, a guide to help one understand the issues associated with the diagnosis and find some answers and the right legal advice.
The preliminary chapters describe briefly some of the issues to consider when someone receives a diagnosis of dementia. There is a general discussion of Alzheimer’s disease and its course and progression and a discussion of how to find an attorney who understands the specific issues of dementia. The succeeding chapters focus on some of those specific issues, such as advance directives, Medicare and nursing home Medicaid, nursing home contracts, guardianship, and at-home caregiving. The authors have also included a chapter addressing financial exploitation from scammers and family members. The to-do checklists in the chapters are especially useful.
Don’t Let Dementia Steal Everything: Avoid Mistakes, Save Money, and Take Control is a great resource for those seeking assistance and guidance with taking care of the legal issues for those suffering from dementia.
