Elder Law Day 2020: Summer webinar series to begin July 15

The Center for Elder Law & Justice is partnering with the Erie County Department of Senior Services to host the 20th annual Elder Law Day – with a new twist. This year’s presentations and consultations will be held virtually, over a period of two months, and recorded for future viewing. This collaboration is designed to provide information on legal issues affecting older adults to assist them (and their caregivers) in making informed choices about their health, financial well-being, and long-term health care needs.

Presentations will kick-off at 10 a.m. July 15 with “Medicaid Basics and Upcoming Changes,” by Kelly Barrett Sarama, Esq. (Center for Elder Law & Justice.) Additional presentations include:

√ July 22: “Basic Estate Planning and Advanced Directives,” by Linda Stravalaci Grear, Esq. (Pfalzgraf, Beinhauer & Menzies LLP).

√ July 29: “The Benefits of Irrevocable and Pooled Trusts”, by Jamie Smith, Esq. (Smith Vavonese LLP)

√ Aug. 5: Elder Abuse: What it is, and what is being done to stop this growing problem,” by Sarah Duval, Esq., Kathy Kanaley (Center for Elder Law & Justice), and Holly Tucker (Erie County Domestic Violence Bureau)

√ Aug. 12: "COVID-related scams,” by Sarah Galvan, Esq. (Justice in Aging)

√ Aug. 19: "Kinship Care," by Sarah Hedden, Esq. and Hon. Kevin Carter 

√ Aug. 26: “Know your rights when you enter a skilled nursing facility for short-term rehabilitation (Coronavirus edition),” by Lindsay Heckler, Esq. (Center for Elder Law & Justice)

√ Sept. 2: "Veterans Benefits," by Anthony Kuhn, Esq. (Tully Rinckey PLLC)

√ Sept. 9: “Asset Protection Planning for Long Term Care Expenses,” by Kelly Gusmano, (Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP)

√ Sept. 16: “Your Voice, Your Values – The Conversation Project at ECMC,” by Juli Chikarishi, Sandra Lauer and Dr. Kathleen Grimm (ECMC)

√ Sept. 23: "Facing Eviction? Know Your Rights (including new rules in response to the Coronavirus)” by Tatiana Robinson Esq. (Center for Elder Law & Justice)

√ Sept. 30: “Guardianship for Incapacitated Persons,” by Robert Friedman, Esq. (Freidman & Ranzenhofer PC)

Anyone interested in participating can visit https://elderjusticeny.org/elder-law-day/ for the most current schedule of presentations and link to register. Brief, free legal consultations are available to registered Elder Law Day summer series participants. After registering, email [email protected] or call 716-853-3087, ext. 267, to sign up for a time slot. One must register separately for the free consultations. The number of consultations will be limited to the first 150 people who register. 

“Every year we see a great turnout for this event, which gives older adults and caregivers an opportunity to ask questions about legal issues that they may be facing, and learn from experts within our community. The court system shut down due to the pandemic, and CELJ had to adapt to provide services to our clients. For example, we increased the hours for our senior legal advice helpline (1-844-481-0973), because we could no longer accept walk-ins. Although we had to a put a pause on in-person events, we have been able to increase our virtual trainings and we are so pleased to partner with Erie County again on this innovative approach. I’m grateful for the many attorneys and experts in our region who are taking the time to share their knowledge through these virtual sessions,” said Karen Nicolson, CEO of the Center for Elder Law & Justice.

David Shenk, Commissioner of Erie County Senior Services, said, “During this time of social distancing, and amidst the concerns surrounding the isolation of older adults, we are proud to offer this virtual series. Erie County Senior Services and the Center for Elder Law & Justice have a longstanding partnership, and we are fortunate to be able to draw on experienced presenters who will share their knowledge with the community. We hope people will register to take advantage of this great opportunity.”

CELJ (pronounced CELL-JAY) (Center for Elder Law & Justice) is a nonprofit civil legal services agency in Western New York covering 11 counties, including full representation to older adults in nine counties and a senior legal advice Helpline in two additional counties. CELJ’s main office is located in Buffalo, while it has satellite offices in Niagara and Chautauqua counties, as well as medical-legal partnerships at Erie County Medical Center and Buffalo General Medical Center.