Featured Articles from ABA Commission on Law & Aging’s Bifocal
From the most recent issue (issue No. 3) of Bifocal, the electronic journal published by the ABA Commission on Law and Aging, links to several interesting feature articles:
Creating Effective Agreements for Payment of Family Caregivers
When lapses in memory or physical issues start to affect activities of a loved one’s daily living, such as cooking, eating, bathing, or paying bills, it’s time to evaluate their needs and living situation. As the affected loved one’s care needs increase, attorneys can assist with drafting caregiving/personal care agreements.
The Social Security Administration’s Representative Payee Program
To ensure that all beneficiaries can receive their payments and make proper use of funds, Congress has granted the Social Security Administration (SSA) the authority to appoint third parties, known as representative payees, to receive and manage payments when the beneficiary is unable to do so. With Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive impairments on the rise, more seniors find themselves unable to manage their own benefits. SSA is currently exploring additional ways to identify seniors who may be in need of a representative payee. When working with seniors or caring for loved ones, please be aware of the following information about the rep payee program to help identify seniors in need.
Performance Data on Emeritus Pro Bono Practice Rules
Emeritus pro bono practice rules can be effective tools for recruiting volunteer attorneys. Specifically, by reducing some of the licensing burdens for attorneys who agree to limit practice to pro bono only, these rules are designed to encourage pro bono service. Whether these rules are actually effective in encouraging pro bono service, however, is an empirical question. To answer that question, a short online survey was done in 2014 returning modest data. In 2015 the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service–in collaboration with the ABA Commission on Law and Aging–launched a project to collect more complete data on participation, the number of hours, and what recruitment methods appear to be most successful.