SeniorLAW Center is proud to be a part of the creation and launch of Pennsylvania’s first Elder Justice Resource Center, officially opened October 13, 2016 in Room 278 in City Hall. The center will provide direct services via volunteer attorneys and advocates experienced in senior legal issues. The center will also provide referrals for seniors, as well as educational workshops designed to inform Judges and their staff on issues of aging, capacity, elder abuse, prominent legal issues affecting seniors, and available resources for seniors. The center seeks to provide legal information which can often be difficult for the elderly to access and utilize.
In addition to legal services, resources, and education, the Elder Justice Resource Center will also facilitate access to the courts by making available equipment to aid any hearing, vision and mobility challenges of seniors who are navigating the court system. Additionally, interpreter services will be provided to address language barriers. The center will routinely examine and consider implementation of other best practices recommended by the American Bar Association’s Commission on Law and Aging.
We are grateful to First Judicial District President Judge Sheila Woods-Skipper for leading this initiative with a committee of judges, advocates, attorneys and judicial staff and to Supreme Court Justice Debra Todd for her leadership of the Court’s Elder Law Task Force, which helped spawn this initiative and the future creation of Pennsylvania’s first Elder Court. To read the full press release, click here.