Elder Law
Law & Aging
       Assignments       

Updated: 6/16/00
How to Post to Assignments

Instructions: Many of the below assignments requires you to do or contact certain people, agencies, etc. Once you have completed your activity, please post your work below. A number of these assignments were found in the "instructor's manual" of Law and Aging, Essentials of Elder Law by the author of your book, Ronalk J. Schwartz, J.D.

All Students need to complete Assignments # 2,6, and 7, and then select two additional assignments from below for a total of five (5) assignments.


Assignment # 1

Do you have any aging parent or relatives? Have they done estate planning? If so, in general language (not specifics) describe what planning, and what goals/objectives, and problems they encountered. Do you have any relatives in nursing homes? If so, try to find out their case history, and problems they, and their immediate family encountered. How could they have solved some or avoided some of these problems. Post your answers here

Assignment #2

Conduct an interview of an elderly client. Here is the interview sheet. Post your interview and responses to the questions here.

Contact an elder care attorney, and see if you can visit the office and possibly sit in on an interview with a client. Study the physical surroundings of the office. Report here about the interview and your observations

Assignment #3

Visit your local hospital or nursing home and ask them for copies of heathcare proxies that they provide their patients Post your review of these proxies, and how you might change them.

Assignment #4

Go to your local probate court and examine several files containing wills that have been probate. Read the will and any pleadings that have been filed in connection with the proceeding. You may also ask the probate clerk to select several contested will proceedings and read these files. Post your analysis and report of your court file review.

In the alternative, visit your local probate court and sit in on a probate hearing. Post your observations here

Assignment #5

Review the Guardianship Intake Questionnaire, and post your interview here

Assignment #6

Review the contents and requirements of a will, and the standard simple will, and draft you own Last Will & Testament Post your own will here


Assignment #7

Review information on Intervivos Trusts, look at a sample of an intervivos
trust (Peter Pan Living Trust) and then post your own "living or intervivos trust" and also review the contents of a "pour over will", and then post your own "pour over will"

Assignment #8

Visit an independent living facility, an assisted living facility, life care community and a skilled nursing facility. Discuss your observations and differences noted among the various types of facilities.


Assignment # 9

Visit a local Social Security office and obtain their publications regarding entitlement benefits and read them Review and Discuss the entitlement benefits

Assignment #10

Contact your local family physician to obtain his/her opinion on physician-assisted suicide Discuss his/her opinion