Elder Law & Advocacy’s Senior Shield

Elder Law & Advocacy (EL&A), 2008 SDSVP Investee, has been working on behalf of low-income seniors for thirty years, providing basic pro-bono legal services while at the same time responding to specific needs when they are identified. For example, increasing abuse and neglect of seniors in nursing homes led to the Nursing Home Rights Enforcement Project. Now EL&A hopes to respond to current threats to the well-being of unsuspecting seniors – scams and Medicare fraud – through an ambitious education and prevention initiative, Senior Shield…thanks to co-funding generated through the help of SDSVP!

Senior Shield addresses a critical need for information that alerts seniors, families and caregivers about scams and the potential for Medicare fraud. Seniors are lured into situations that jeopardize their health and financial well-being – sometimes forcing them out of their homes or negatively impacting their health – because they are either too trusting or simply unaware.

The result of scams and fraud victimizing seniors can be devastating. Senior Shield has three primary goals. The first is to increase public awareness about financial scams and Medicare fraud, with a focus on reaching seniors and the people who care for them. The second is to advocate for seniors by educating lawmakers about predatory schemes and trends in San Diego and Imperial Counties and throughout California. As a result of this work, EL&A will help seniors preserve their assets, decreasing the risk of displacement from their homes and helping them to maintain their health and achieve the best quality of life possible.