General Course Description:
This course provides a basic foundation for legal practice with older persons at the intersection of law, aging and medicine. It addresses both legal issues which typically confront the older persons in our society as well as legal issues that often confront not just the elderly but the general population. Substantive topics to be covered include aging, demographics, the Older Americans Act, the Delivery of Legal Services to the Elderly, Mental Capacity, Ethical Considerations, Consumer Protection, Discrimination, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income; Medicare, Medicaid, Capacity Issues, Guardianship and Alternatives to Guardianship; Elder Abuse and Neglect, Adult Protective Services, Nursing Homes, Long Term Care, Housing, Health-care and End-of-life Decisions; Estate Planning, and Grandparents’ Rights. The course expands the original elder law course by integrating certain healthcare issues and will utilize a traditional elder law casebook with supplemental healthcare materials.
Course Objectives:
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To explore the general areas of law that affect older persons.
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To understand unique practice issues involved in providing legal
services to this age group.
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To understand legal issues related to the provision of healthcare
which face the general population, including the elderly.
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To understand the role of the lawyer in the context of a multidisciplinary professional approach to health and social services for the elderly.
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To recognize the ethical issues faced by lawyers serving vulnerable clients and their families and to understand how the rules of professional responsibility apply.
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