Legal
Background
Legal planning and advice can help them prepare for the future and protect their legal rights. The United States Congress has declared that older people are entitled to equal opportunity to freedom, independence, and the free exercise of individual initiative in planning and managing their own lives. Furthermore, the Vision Statement for an Aging Texas indicates that older people should have the opportunity to secure access to legal benefits, protection, and rights.
Among the most important legal issues affecting older adults are those concerning their independence. Older adults and their families are sometimes unprepared for the difficult and distressing decisions that must be made later in life. There are various ways older adults can plan for the future to ensure that their values, wishes, and choices are known and respected. Older adults must sometimes deal with age discrimination and other issues that threaten their legal rights, or they may fall victim to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. (Visit the Protections section of Aging Texas Well for information on elder abuse). Therefore, older adults and their families can benefit from legal planning and advice.
Updated: November 2, 2007
