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Elder Law Month: Recognizing attorneys who assist seniors

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Elder Law Month: Recognizing attorneys who assist seniors

May was Elder Law Month, an opportunity to recognize the special legal needs of seniors and to educate people on the roles elder law attorneys play.

Throughout the past year, elder law attorneys, though The Florida Bar’s Elder Law Section and the Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys (AFELA), educated senior citizens across the state on how to recognize and prevent scams through the Elder$mart$ campaign. AFELA also has an active social media campaign to educate seniors and the aging services community.

“The resolution recognizing Elder Law Month is a confirmation by the Florida Cabinet and the Governor that we, as Floridians, must be continuously focused on issues that affect our state’s senior citizens and strive to provide opportunities to improve their lives,” said Cary Moss, AFELA president and an elder law attorney in Orlando.

Moss said as the population ages, it is important to recognize that elder law attorneys have unique skills and education that allow them to stay on top of legislative changes and apply those changes to benefit seniors both as clients and within society.

In the past two years, elder law attorneys’ advocacy has resulted in stronger laws under which those who abuse elders can be prosecuted. Elder law attorneys also worked on the recent guardianship legislation that has resulted in more oversight of professional guardians, who often are the decisionmakers for incapacitated elders.

To celebrate Elder Law Month, elder law attorneys throughout Florida conducted presentations and participated in community activities aimed at meeting the legal needs of Florida’s elders.

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