Legal Counsel for the Elderly empowers, defends, and protects Washington’s elderly residents - the frail, poor, disabled and institutionalized, a majority of whom are low-income ethnic minorities and women. The idea is not simply to take care of legal matters but to address fundamental human needs: income, housing, long-term care, and personal autonomy. The Legal Advice Hotline ensures prompt guidance from a seasoned attorney, helping thousands of DC residents annually. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman advocates for the rights and dignity of residents in nursing homes and other facilities. The Homebound Elderly Project provides legal assistance to the elderly right where they live - even in the hospital. A Money Management Program matches volunteers with seniors who find it difficult to budget or simply pay routine bills. The Alternatives to Landlord/Tenant Court Project and its Elder Buddies volunteer de-cluttering program prevent evictions, displacements, and homelessness among low-income elder tenants. The test of a community is how it cares for its elderly. Surely this is a test we can pass.
IN THE MEDIA
For Homebound Seniors, Project's Legal Help And a Caring Voice Are a Phone Call AwayPosted Mon Apr 27 2009 by Legal Counsel for the Elderly The young attorney in jeans and black sneakers calls for everyone's attention: "We are witnessing the last will and testament of John Fizer Jr.," she intones. The retired bricklayer sits on the edge of his bed. His rubber-tipped metal cane rests between his legs. A plastic air tube attached to his nose snakes over his ears and back to a machine in the corner. The television in his spartan room is on with the volume turned down, and the clock on the wall reads 3:21 p.m. "Do you consider this your last will and testament?" the attorney asks. "I do," replies Fizer, 67, a burly man with a small moustache. He has nothing, he says, aside from a bad heart. But at this milestone in his life he has his own attorney, and she is working for him for free. She is Vanessa Buchko, 33, the solitary home-visit attorney with Project HELP, a program of Legal Counsel for the Elderly, which is supported by the city and the senior citizens' interest group AARP.
Lawyer Makes House CallsPosted Mon Aug 4 2008 by Legal Counsel for the Elderly LCE's Project HELP reaches D.C. citizens whom age has confined to their homes.
Vanessa NesSmith is the sole full-time attorney for Legal Counsel for the Elderly’s Homebound Elderly Project, otherwise known as Project HELP. The program reaches out to homebound senior citizens in the District who can’t afford lawyers and advises them on wills, powers of attorney, and other legal matters.
Project HELP, which began in April 2007, is an extension of Legal Counsel for the Elderly’s basic work. The group offers a
range of legal services to seniors age 60 and over who have an income of less than 200 percent of the federal poverty
guideline. It has 16 lawyers on staff, including NesSmith, and works with private practitioners doing pro bono.
