Volunteer Lawyers Project helps seniors know their rights
Preparing oneself for aging isn’t an easy or obvious process, and for certain seniors, it’s not an affordable one, either. However, the Brooklyn Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) has a program called the National Grid Foundation Senior Legal Education and Assistance Program (NGF Senior LEAP) that is designed to help inform and assist seniors to make the preparation as easy as possible.
The program sends volunteer lawyers to senior centers across the borough where they teach the elderly about medical directives and what they can do to protect themselves and their families.
“There are two main ways that we approach planning as adults, and not just for seniors — you need to plan for your financial life and your health,” said attorney Robin Goeman, who has been working with the VLP since 2006. “So I try to help them with free legal advice about documents and plans that people can put in place for themselves.”