SeniorLAW Center is proud to be a member of the PA Supreme Court’s first statewide Elder Law Task Force. On November 17, we were present at the Court’s press conference in the Capital, unveiling the 284-page report with 130 recommendations to enhance the way Pennsylvania elders interact with the state court system and are protected in cases involving abuse, neglect, guardianship, and other matters.
The full report and recommendations can be found on the Court’s website HERE.
We’re delighted that access to justice and increased legal aid to older Pennsylvania is included as a recommendation. “The Task Force recommends that the General Assembly consider how to provide greater and more consistent funding and support of civil legal aid, including services specifically targeted to low-income Pennsylvania elders. See Elder Abuse and Neglect Committee Report, §III.C.4.d.”
We will be reviewing these recommendations in more detail with all of you as we move forward and are helping to represent the Task Force on November 20th in Gettysburg at the annual meeting of the PA Council on Aging and Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
Two actions were implemented by the Supreme Court prior to the release of the report. The first was the creation of an Office of Elder Justice in the Courts, staffed by the AOPC, to implement many of the recommendations in the report. The second was the formation of an Advisory Council on Elder Justice in the Courts, chaired by Superior Court Judge Paula F. Ott, to serve as the judiciary’s liaison to the executive and legislative branches.
We are proud of our role in this groundbreaking work and hope all of you are as well!