Self-Help

submitted by Liam McMahon, Paralegal The Center for Elder Law & Justice (CELJ) is excited to announce the release of two new informational guides for long-term care consumers in Western New York. In October of 2019, with generous funding provided by the Odd Fellow and Rebekah Benefit Fund, CELJ began a new resident rights advocacy…

submitted by Sarah Hedden, Esq. The coronavirus pandemic is a scary and stressful time for everyone, but particularly for children. Their schools are closed, routines are disrupted, and they or their loved ones may be sick. It’s important to continue a routine for ourselves and the children we care for. Across the United States, about…

The SFST Bulletin is a monthly electronic publication written for financial professionals. Our goal is to increase awareness of legal issues faced by older adults in our community related to financial exploitation by providing these informative materials to financial professionals. Each month the SFST Bulletin will focus on new and timely topics that affect consumer…

The Center for Elder Law & Justice has partnered with Lake Shore Savings Bank to utilize the Senior Financial Safety Tool (SFST). The SFST is a web-based application that screens older adults for common warning signs of financial exploitation. Our goal is to develop a detection and referral system so that we can work collaboratively…

Grandparents (or other family members) raising grandchildren face unique challenges as they become parents a second time around, and must often navigate a dizzying array of legal, financial, and social challenges as they step in to care for their grandchildren. In addition, grandparents must often stretch their budgets when they take on the…

At Legal Services for the Elderly, we often work with caregivers who assist clients by providing physical, medical, and emotional support. We applaud the selfless work of these caregivers; taking care of an aging spouse, parent, friend, or relative can be very rewarding but is also incredibly stressful. It is important to reach out if…

Have you ever written a letter to your government representative? If not, you should consider it! Elected officials are interested in what their constituents have to say. If there is a topic important to you, consider sending a brief letter to your local representative. United State House of Representatives If you live in 26th Congressional…

Get 5-6 copies of death certificate from the funeral director. Contact Social Security to report death and apply for lump sum death benefit ($255) and possible increase in Social Security for you. You will continue to have access to all jointly-held accounts and safe-deposit boxes. There is usually no need to change those joint accounts…

Thank you for visiting the Elder Justice Blog! You will find information here organized into categories such as health care, housing, substituted decision making, and many others that correspond with our areas of legal expertise. We have also created a Self-Help section of the blog. Please share our blog posts using the social media buttons on…