The word dance is only a metaphor in the program that The Field Library organized for the community on Friday, Mar. 27. Secure steps and confident movements in financial decisions will be the focus of the talk that the library, located at 4 Nelson Ave., will present for seniors and their families. Dance to the Beat of Elder Law 101 will begin at 1 p.m. and will last one hour.
The session, which will be held in the program room on the lower level of the library, will address a complex but necessary topic: who decides for you when you no longer can. The aim of the activity is to provide guidance for seniors with basic, practical, and free information on everyday situations that require legal direction.
The presentation will be led by Asha Paulose, an attorney practicing elder law and estate planning. Her talk will cover documents that are typically prepared at some point in life: powers of attorney, medical directives, and wills. The session promises a clear and general introduction on how to act when the moment requires it.
The first segment focuses on advanced directives. The power of attorney delegates financial decisions. The health care proxy designates the person who can make medical decisions. The living will sets preferences for treatment. Three distinct documents. Three moments that, although critical, are necessary. Without them, decisions pass to third parties or judicial processes.
Next comes estate planning. That is: what happens with a person’s assets when they are no longer present. The will provides clear instructions on how property is distributed. The trust allows for organizing and protecting those assets with more control, even before that time arrives. They are not the same. One is executed after death. The other prepares everything so the transition is more orderly. The discussion includes homes, accounts, and debts; who receives what; and who is responsible for carrying out those decisions. Taxes are also considered. How to prevent a significant portion of assets from being lost in the process. This is not theory. It is defining, in advance, the disposition of what remains.
Additionally, the program will include an introduction to Medicaid planning. The focus is on the cost of long-term care. The approach is technical: how to meet requirements without losing all assets. What options exist. What limits apply. No shortcuts are presented. Rules are explained. Eligibility is not automatic. It is constructed.
The event is part of a broader circuit of community legal education in Westchester. The talk is supported by the Senior Law Day Collaborative, whose goal is to provide information and guidance to the community while bridging the initial gap between uncertainty and action.
The program requires prior registration, which should be completed through this link. For more information about this event or other programs offered by the library for adults or seniors, call 914-737-1212.
