Scam alert! Nigerian global scam in full flowerBy Lee BenezeElder Law, May 2002Over the past months, what certainly must be tens, if not hundreds of thousands of letters purporting to be from Nigeria, or elsewhere in West Africa, have been e-mailed to Americans.
The Senior Health Insurance Program—SHIPBy Bryan PadgetElder Law, May 2002The Senior Health Insurance Program, or SHIP, is a free insurance counseling service for Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers.
Do not resuscitate and the Orange FormBy Frank NagorkaElder Law, January 2002Emergency medical services respond to calls for assistance and respond immediately.
Identity theft and the elderlyBy John W. FoltzElder Law, January 2002Identity theft has been with us for some time. Those of us who practice in the family law arena have encountered it when an ex-spouse uses the information they have acquired during the marriage to obtain credit in the name of their former spouses.
Recent casesBy Susan M. ChristiansenElder Law, January 2002The question of whether an individual filing an action for injuries suffered in a nursing home under the Nursing Home Care Act, 210 ILCS 45/1-101 et seq., must file an affidavit as required by the Healing Art Malpractice Act, 735 ILCS 5/2-0622(a), has been answered in the negative by the Illinois Appellate Court, Fourth District, in Eads v. Heritage Enters., Inc., 2001 WL 1145161 (Ill. App. Ct. 2001) in an opinion authored by Justice Myerscough.
Reducing unwanted junk mail, e-mail, and telemarketing callsBy Mardyth E. PollardElder Law, January 2002As an attorney, you are well aware of the many needs of your client. Some of those needs, such as dealing with telemarketers and junk mail, are of a non-legal nature.
Stops along the Information Superhighway—where to complain on (or about) the InternetElder Law, January 2002If you have e-mail and access to the Internet, you may have found some things that irritate or disturb you--unsolicited e-mail that promises (among other things) to get you out of debt, make huge amounts of money or enlarge certain body parts (these messages are known as spam), websites that take money but don't deliver the promised goods or services, and the darker side of the Net: pornography and child exploitation.
Background on Patients’ Bill of RightsElder Law, October 2001This past summer one of the biggest issues in the U.S. Congress was the passage of a Patients' Bill of Rights.
Community Medicaid cases and spousal impoverishment updateBy Steven C. PerlisElder Law, October 2001Frequently, a married couple struggles with the question of when to apply for Medicaid. Is it too soon if the disabled person is still at home, but suffering from a decline in the ability to handle activities of daily living?
Grandparents raising grandchildren updateBy Naomi H. SchusterElder Law, October 2001Earlier this year the Elder Law Section Council presented a program entitled "Introduction to Grandparents Raising Grandchildren."
Increased protection needed for institutionalized elderlyBy Marjan Peter StaniecElder Law, October 2001I hope this summary report serves to motivate bar association members, advocacy groups and legislative leaders to initiate remedial action that may help curb much of the suffering, pain, indignity and other serious abuses inflicted on thousands of elderly residents in substandard nursing homes in Illinois and other states throughout the nation.
Profile of the Elder Law SectionBy Lee BenezeElder Law, October 2001The Elder Law Section of the Illinois State Bar Association was created as a separate section on May 17, 1995.
Report on the annual meeting of the American Bar AssociationBy Stanley B. BalbachElder Law, October 2001The Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association was held in Chicago, August 2-7, and offered a variety of interesting an informative programs appealing to all branches of the profession.
The special needs of the elderly in the courtroomBy Susan Dawson-TibbitsElder Law, October 2001Most attorneys who practice in the area of elder law are aware of the unique challenges facing the older person.
Keeping things simpleBy Michael H. ErdeElder Law, June 2001I just read an article in a business publication quoting a person who thought that Fannie Mae was a funny name for a mortgage company.
List of top investment scams releasedBy Lee BenezeElder Law, June 2001The top ten list of investment scams as compiled by the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) was recently released by that organization.
National Conference on Law and Aging scheduled for OctoberBy Lee BenezeElder Law, June 2001The second annual National Conference on Law and Aging is scheduled for October 10-13, to be held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia.
Notes from the chairBy Lee BenezeElder Law, June 2001These are my final "Notes from the chair." For me, it has been quite an interesting year.
Protecting seniors from home repair fraudBy Mardyth E. PollardElder Law, June 2001Home repair fraud has consistently been one of the top consumer complaints received by the Illinois Attorney General's Office--last year the office received more than 2,500 complaints.
Stops along the information superhighwayElder Law, June 2001This is another in our continuing series of articles highlighting useful Web sites relating to elder law or issues concerning older persons.
Calling all government attorneysElder Law, May 2001The ISBA's Standing Committee on Government Lawyers wants to include you in its constituency. Historically, neither the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission nor the Illinois State Bar Association has maintained data with respect to those attorneys engaged in government practice.
The Chicago Department on Aging: A formidable resource for senior citizensBy Rhoda Davis SweeneyElder Law, May 2001The Chicago Department on Aging, under the direction of Mayor Richard M. Daley and Commissioner Anna Wills, offers Chicago's senior residents many services and opportunities of which lawyers serving Chicago residents sixty or older should be aware.
Congressional restrictions on legal services voidedBy Lee BenezeElder Law, May 2001In the United States Supreme Court case of Legal Services Corporation v. Velazquez, et al. (No. 99-603, decided February 28, 2001), the Court held that certain Congressional restrictions placed on legal aid services violated the First Amendment.