Vol. 37, Issue 6 (July - August 2016)

Key Changes of the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2016

Teresa Yao

On April 19, 2016, President Obama signed the Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act of 2016 into law to further improve access and quality of comprehensive services to older adults in our country. Originally, the Older Americans Act of 1965 was enacted by Congress during the Johnson Administration, with the goal of providing a diverse range of services for older Americans with the greatest social or economic need. Here are a few of the key changes to the OAA in the 2016 reauthorization, which will be effective from FY 2017 to FY 2019.

Edward D. Spurgeon: Key Innovator in Law and Aging

Edward D. “Ned” Spurgeon’s is the recipient of this year's American Bar Association Senior Lawyers Division's John H. Pickering Achievement Award, which honors the life and accomplishments of John H. Pickering, an outstanding lawyer who was involved in various pro bono activities and law-related societal issues affecting older people. Ned Spurgeon's unparalleled efforts in addressing the law-related needs of older persons crossed numerous domains: legal education, scholarly research, the delivery of legal services, innovative programming, and policy development.

Commission on Law & Aging Research: A Tour of State Advance Directive Registries

Preston Holmes

Health-care advance directive registries have been authorized by statute in a dozen states since Louisiana became the first state to establish a registry in 1991. The intended purpose of registries is to enable secure storage and quick access to one’s advance directive by health care providers or by anyone given access to the registry by the maker of the advance directive. The summary in this article provides thumbnail descriptions of state advance directive registries, as of July 2016, based solely on a review of state law and state registry web pages.

Free Archived CLE Webinar Now Available--Finding Options Less Restrictive Than Guardianship: A New Tool for Lawyers

A free webinar held June 28 featured the ABA’s PRACTICAL Tool; an archived version of the webinar is now available online.

Understanding the Four C’s of Elder Law Ethics

This consumer-friendly brochure explains the “Four C’s” of elder law ethics—client identification, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, and competency. It helps family members understand the relationship between a lawyer and an older client.

Commission Resource Updates

Resource and social media updates from the Commission.

CFPB and Meals on Wheels Partner to Offer Elder Fraud Avoidance Placemats

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) launched a campaign in May to celebrate Older Americans Month and help prevent elder fraud and exploitation. They created a placemat with simple tips for avoiding common predatory consumer scams. Now, the placemat is available in Spanish. And, Meals on Wheels America is helping to distribute these consumer protection placemats on meal trays nationwide.

Nationwide Victim-Service Data-Collection Efforts Underway

The National Census of Victim Service Providers (NCVSP) and the National Survey of Victim Service Providers (NSVSP) are nationwide data collection efforts designed by and to be implemented by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), in collaboration with the U.S. Office for Victims of Crime (OVC).