LAWS150 Elder Law

Department of Business Studies: Paralegal/Law

  1. Course Number and Title

    LAWS150 Elder Law (Experimental)

  2. Number of Credits

    3 credits

  3. Minimum Number of Instructional Minutes Per Semester

    2250 minutes

  4. Prerequisites

    LAWS100 or LAWS110

    Corequisites

    None

  5. Other Pertinent Information

    None

  6. Catalog Course Description

    This course covers ethical considerations and the paralegal’s role as a member of the law team preparing documents, such as advance directives, wills and guardianships. Attention is focused on patients’ rights in health care decision making, Medicare and Medicaid, managed care, long term care insurance, living facilities, and financial planning.

  7. Required Course Content and Direction

    1. Learning Goals:

      1. Understand the special nature of the elder client and the ethical considerations.
      2. Understand the legal status, limitations and uses of advanced directives.
      3. Understand the uses, special issues, and limitations of the different estate and live planning documents.
      4. Understand the relationship, availability, and limitation of the federal and state program for the elderly.
      5. Understand the insurance issues of the elderly, including health, long-term, and life insurance.
      6. Understand the reasons behind and the nature of elder abuse.
      7. Understand the living arrangement issues of the elderly.

    2. Planned Sequence of Topics and/or Learning Activities:

      1. Introduction to Elder Law and Elder Care, Ethnical Considerations in Elder Law
      2. Living Wills - Advanced Directives
      3. Wills
      4. Trusts - Living Trusts
      5. Power of Attorney and Guardianship
      6. Managed Care Long Term Care Insurance
      7. Living facilities for the Elderly
      8. Financial Planning - Estate Planning and Taxation
      9. Social Security
      10. Health care and the elder client
      11. Probate issues
      12. Insurance
      13. Elder Abuse
      14. Elder Law Resources

    3. Assessment Methods for Core Learning Goals:

    4. Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Students:

      1. See course outline for required textbook and other supplements, such as textbooks, publisher’s student study guide, and computer software
      2. Selected readings from periodicals and newspapers

  8. Teaching Methods Employed

    METHOD OF EVALUATING STUDENT PERFORMANCE:
    1. Major exams
    2. Written homework assignments
    3. Class participation
    4. Preparation of written portfolio items including advanced medical directive.

    INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS:
    1. Reading assignments
    2. Classroom lectures
    3. Discussion of questions, exercises and problems, cases and projects.
    4. Audiovisual aids
    5. Computer exercises including use of government web sites.

Review/Approval Date - Unavailable