IDS-575: Legal Issues and Aging

Education about U.S. laws and planning for later life can ease the transitions in "old" age. This course will look at legislation that addresses the legal rights and needs of the aging population. Topics covered include: the need for and availability of legal services; the role and obligations of the lawyer; personal autonomy and voluntary and involuntary limitations on autonomy; guardianships and alternatives to guardianship; end of life decisions (advance health care planning, proxy decision-making and the "right to die"); Medicare, Medicaid, Medigap, long-term care insurance and estate planning; nursing homes and laws that regulate them; consumer protection and scams aimed at the elderly; elder abuse and protective services; discrimination in employment and against those with disabilities. 3 credits.