Legal Assistance For Seniors Inc

PROVIDE FREE LEGAL ADVICE & REPRESENTATION TO LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS OF ALAMEDA COUNTY WHO GENERALLY ARE 60 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER; PROVIDES COMMUNITY EDUCATION; AND PROVIDES COUNSELING THROUGH THE HEALTH INSURANCE COUNSELING & ADVOCACY PROGRAM.

LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR SENIORS (LAS) HAS BEEN ADVOCATING FOR ALAMEDA COUNTY SENIORS FOR OVER 45 YEARS. WE PROVIDE FREE LEGAL SERVICES, INCLUDING REPRESENTATION IN COURT AND AT ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS. OUR PRACTICE AREAS INCLUDE ELDER ABUSE, PUBLIC BENEFITS, GUARDIANSHIPS OF MINOR CHILDREN, NATURALIZATION, HEALTH LAW, LIMITED CONSERVATORSHIPS AND HOUSING. IN THE HOUSING AREA, LAS ALSO PROVIDES LIMITED CASE MANAGEMENT TO CLIENTS WHO NEED SUPPORT IN OBTAINING AND STABILIZING THEIR HOUSING. WE ARE ALSO COURT APPOINTED TO REPRESENT PROPOSED CONSERVATEES. WE MAKE HOME VISITS TO OUR CLIENTS WHO BECAUSE OF THEIR HEALTH OR ECONOMIC SITUATIONS CANNOT COME TO OUR OFFICE. LAST YEAR, OUR ATTORNEYS AND ADVOCATES PROVIDED LEGAL SERVICES TO 1,238 SENIORS.

THE ALAMEDA COUNTY HICAP OF LAS PROVIDES INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING, ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION ON MEDICARE, SUPPLEMENTAL OPTIONS, MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLANS, LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE, AND SCREENING AND APPLICATION ASSISTANCE FOR LOW-INCOME PROGRAMS. THE HICAP DEPARTMENT PROVIDES THESE SERVICES THROUGH 6 PAID STAFF PERSONS AND 30 TRAINED AND STATE-REGISTERED VOLUNTEER COUNSELORS AT 30 COUNSELING SITES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. COMPLEX ISSUES ARE REFERRED TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT FOR ASSESSMENT AND ACTION. IN FY 2020/21, HICAP COUNSELED 1,638 INDIVIDUAL CLIENTS AND RECORDED 5,391 SEPARATE CONTACTS WITH THESE CLIENTS. HICAP STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED 3,113 COUNSELING HOURS AND AN ADDITIONAL 1,269 HOURS OF TRAINING, COMMUNITY EDUCATION, AND TRAVEL TIME. THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT REPRESENTED 39 CLIENTS WITH HEALTH LAW CASES.

LAS PROVIDES GROUP EDUCATION PRESENTATIONS AND AGENCY REPRESENTATION AT COMMUNITY EVENTS SUCH AS HEALTH AND SENIOR FAIRS. LEGAL PRESENTATION TOPICS INCLUDE CONSUMER PROTECTION, ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION, GUARDIANSHIP, HOUSING, SUPPORTIVE INFORMATION FOR AGING IN PLACE, NATURALIZATION AND PUBLIC BENEFITS. IN FY 2020/21, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT PROVIDED 60 PRESENTATIONS, REACHING 2,233 PEOPLE. HICAP PRESENTATION TOPICS INCLUDE MEDICARE COVERAGE AND RIGHTS, OPTIONS FOR SUPPLEMENTING MEDICARE, LOW-INCOME ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FOR HEALTH CARE, MEDICARE AND CONSUMER FRAUD, AND LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE. OUR HICAP PROGRAM PARTICIPATED IN 64 COMMUNITY EDUCATION EVENTS, REACHING 2,799 ATTENDEES. ONE PART TIME AND ONE FULL TIME STAFF PERSONS SCHEDULE AND COORDINATE ALL THE EVENTS AND DELIVER MOST PRESENTATIONS AND TRAININGS IN THE COUNTY. A PART TIME STAFF PROVIDES DATA ENTRY SUPPORT.