The National Outlook: Elder Justice, Adult Protective Services, and Congressional Action Important to Guardians
Numerous federal policy developments are presently underway which are directly relevant to guardians, protected persons, and the programs and services available to them. Earlier this year, the first-ever federal funding dedicated to Adult Protective Services (APS) was made available under the Elder Justice Act (EJA) to states. Legislation was just introduced in the House and Senate to reauthorize the EJA including significant APS provisions, along with other proposals related to court reform concerning guardianships, establishing medical-legal partnerships, and other purposes. The Biden Administration and congressional Democrats are preparing an extraordinary $3.4 trillion “human infrastructure” package that if enacted is expected to contain dramatic improvements in and expansions of services for older adults, people with disabilities, and their families, addressing Medicare, Medicaid, long-term services and supports, caregiving, and affordable housing. This legislation is expected to be introduced as early as September. The webinar will give participants an up-to-date overview of these new developments.
Participants will be informed about various aspects of the recently amended Older Americans Act, funding for state and local APS under the Elder Justice Act (EJA), and the pending EJA reauthorization, which includes provisions related to APS, the LTC Ombudsman Program, nursing homes, and innovative amendments addressing the Medical-Legal Partnership model and guardianship reform. Participants will also learn the most current information about the pending $3.4 trillion “human infrastructure” legislation and its prospects for enactment during this Congress. CAVEAT: Many aspects of Congressional action and the resulting legislation are unpredictable. This presentation will be a report on the current state of affairs, not a guarantee of desired outcomes.
Intended Audience: Professional guardians, their advisors, and other people involved with aging and disability services.
The webinar is eligible for one hour of continuing education credit from the Center for Guardianship Certification.
About the Presenter: Bill Benson
Bill Benson has been actively involved in state and federal policies, programs, and legislation affecting the aging population for more than four decades. He is National Policy Advisor to the National Adult Protective Services Association. He is co-founder and president of the International Association for Indigenous Aging and past board president of the National Citizens Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (now Consumer Voice). From 1993 to 1997, Mr. Benson was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging at the Administration on Aging (AoA) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and was the Acting Assistant Secretary for Aging in 1997. Benson previously spent eight years working for several Congressional Committees on federal legislation affecting the aging population. Since 2000 he been host of First Person, a weekly series of interviews with Holocaust survivors for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
