老年人、健康和残疾: Protecting the rights of elders, preserving access to health care and disability benefits

老, 保健和残疾股代表老年人, people with disabilities and families to ensure that they have the income, health care and services that they need to live independently in the community. 我们的工作是为老年人提供经济适用房, 获得高质量的医疗保健, 社会保险或SSI收入. We work to keep people out of institutions and to improve the quality of life for those who live in institutions. We empower people to make decisions about their lives and support people with disabilities in their fight for accessibility. 

直接的服务

我们的主要工作重点包括:

• 为长者保留房屋 by defending against evictions from public and subsidized housing, 因为这是最后的手段. 失去住房几乎总是意味着无家可归, 以及老年人身体和情绪的衰退.
• 家庭、成年人和老年人的经济保障 through the provision of  Social Security/SSI benefits which can help lift elders, 成人和儿童摆脱贫困. We work to ensure that these clients are provided with the fundamentals of due process, 包括适当的通知, 公平听证和及时领取福利. 
• 加强获得保健的机会 对家庭来说, 成年人, and elders in order that their right to quality affordable health care becomes a reality. 我们致力于确保残疾人, children and elders have access to the coverage and services they need to maintain health.
• ——促进残疾人权利 by representation of children with psychiatric disabilities on issues related to their rights under 罗西维. and representation of youth and 成年人 who need services from state agencies for their mental health needs.
• 捍卫移民的权利 who often do not understand what programs they may be eligible for, or have been erroneously turned down for assistance and are isolated due to language or misunderstanding.
• 保护最弱势老年人的权利 including those in nursing homes and/or under guardianship by representing them in nursing home eviction cases and ensuring that their due process rights are protected in guardianship proceedings.

Read more about the beat365 老年人、健康和残疾 Unit’s direct client services.

老、医疗 & 残疾社区伙伴关系

Community partnerships are a mainstay of our elder, health and disability work.  它们使我们能够扩大我们的宣传努力. Our current collaborative initiatives include ensuring access to health care, providing economic security and preserving housing for elders.

阅读更多beat365亚洲官方网站社区伙伴关系的信息.

老、医疗 & 残疾影响宣传

The current priorities for our impact advocacy are guardianship reform, ensuring the rights of isolated nursing home residents, improving access to hospital services and transportation services for people with disabilities and ensuring access to health care services.

Read more about the 老年人、健康和残疾 Unit's impact advocacy.

防止虐待长者计划

老 abuse is a prevalent and growing problem across the Commonwealth. 每年都有数百万的美国老年人, 包括马萨诸塞州的数千人, 被虐待的, 被忽视的, 和利用.  然而, 尽管虐待老人的现象普遍存在, it is one of the most unacknowledged problems in America.  

The 防止虐待长者计划 (the “EAPP”) of Greater Boston Legal Services is dedicated to ensuring that older 成年人 in the greater Boston area live free from abuse, 忽视, 和剥削. Utilizing a community-wide model that prevents and responds to elder abuse, EAPP为护理人员提供培训, 社区成员, and seniors to increase public awareness; offers legal advice and representation to abuse victims; advocates for systemic reform; and builds local community networks that prevent and intervene in cases of abuse.

阅读更多有关防止虐待长者计划的资料.

马萨诸塞州监护政策研究所:

差不多30年了, Greater Boston Legal Services along with our client groups, has led guardianship reform advocacy campaigns to protect the fundamental liberty and autonomy of elderly and disabled people who face loss of independent decision-making through imposition of Court-ordered guardianship and/or conservatorship. With the growing elderly population living longer with incapacities, 处于危险中的人口增加了.

Our central goals include strengthening due process protections for those at risk, 包括律师的权利, as well as establishing a quality Public Guardian to prevent abuse 和剥削, 减轻贫困，稳定没有朋友的人, 谁没有家人或朋友站出来帮助.

经过20年的宣传, in 2009, we successfully passed a comprehensive guardianship reform law, including strong due process and accountability protections for those under guardianship. 

In 2014, we helped to organize the Massachusetts Guardianship Policy Institute, MGPI, 与东北司法中心合作, 以及监护社区信托. 我们的工作包括研究, education and advocacy to advance ideas and policies that improve the lives of all 成年人 who, 因为功能受损, are unable to care for themselves or manage their property, 没有帮助, especially those who lack personal and financial resources to find help privately. MGPI的网站是 http://guardianship.institute/index.php，我们欢迎新的用户. 

MGPI已经举办了四场系列讨论会, 聚集社区领袖, 政策制定者, advocates and scholars statewide to develop better policy for the unmet guardianship needs in Massachusetts. 2016年12月, 我们提交了一个法案, H 3027, S 1177, to create a much-needed Public Guardian through a public-private partnership.

The Institute is also developing policies to improve support and resources for family members and volunteers who might want to step up to serve as guardian. The Institutes promotes least restrictive alternatives to guardianship, including wider use of Health Care Proxies and Powers of Attorney to maximize personal control and self-determination.