This course will provide a basic foundation for legal practice with older persons. Substantive topics to be covered include the Older Americans Act, the delivery of legal services to the elderly, 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 decisions, end-of-life decisions, estate planning, and grand parents' rights.

Course Objectives:

            The objective of this course is to expose students to the general areas of law that affect older persons and to some of the practice issues involved in providing legal services to this age group.   Students should come away from the course with an awareness of the special issues involved in delivering legal services to older persons and of the various roles that other professionals serve in providing services to this group.

Grades:

            Grades will be based primarily on the final examination, which will be a closed book examination. The instructor reserves the right to adjust grades on the basis of class participation. Class participation includes attendance, analysis of assigned material, and identification and discussion of issues presented by problem situations developed in class. Outstanding class participation may result in an adjustment of half a grade upward. Poor participation may result in an adjustment of half a grade downward.

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