ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL ELDER LAW FAIR

Over 500 people attended the 2004 Elder Law Fair on May 20th at the Hearthstone Manor to learn about their legal rights and obtain information about benefits and entitlements for senior citizens. Participants at this year's Fair included seniors, caregivers, and many practitioners in the field of aging and long-term care. One of the stated goals of the Fair is to provide information to attendees in a "sales free" environment in order to help them make informed choices about their health and financial well-being.

Opening the event was a skit entitled "Can We Talk" performed by the talented, local theater troupe, Theatre for Change. The skit addressed the importance of advance planning and how families can reduce conflicts that may arise over discussing personal and financial matters. After the skit, fairgoers were able to select from a menu of nine different seminar sessions that addressed a broad range of topics. This year's Fair addressed several emerging issues including Grandparent's Rights, Identity Theft, Veteran's Benefits, and the new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. In addition, over 50 people obtained information about health care proxies and had them completed with the help of attorneys that donated their time throughout the morning.

Joining the Network in Aging in co-sponsoring the Elder Law Fair were the Erie County Department of Senior Services, University at Buffalo School of Law, Legal Services for the Elderly, Erie County Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, The State of New York Unified Court System- Eighth Judicial District, AARP-NY, Living Prime Time magazine, AM 1230-WECK, and Southwest Airlines.