tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79310182024-03-07T22:05:29.351-05:00Aging & Law in West VirginiaA weblog of news in law and aging in West Virginia, brought to you by West Virginia Senior Legal Aid.cathy mcconnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737987428001812841noreply@blogger.comBlogger434125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-73025955247533840992023-04-18T17:08:00.001-04:002023-04-18T17:08:36.772-04:00DHHR Announces LIEAP applications will be accepted April 24 through April 28, 2023WV Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) Announces Energy Assistance Program for Low-Income Residents
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) announced applications for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) will be accepted beginning Monday, April 24, 2023, and ending at the close of business on Friday, April 28, 2023, or until funds are exhausted. cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-32820752131394871622023-03-09T14:36:00.004-05:002023-03-13T13:31:21.475-04:00WV Women's HistoryIn observance of Women’s History Month, important stories are being told.
How did it happen that women started working as union coal miners in West Virginia? It wasn’t easy.
In the late 1970s, a concerted effort was made through the United Mine Workers of America and the Coal Employment Project, a non-profit organization that advocated for women’s inclusion in industrial mine workforces.
cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-64845769166766105222022-07-05T10:53:00.006-04:002022-07-05T10:53:58.408-04:00ATTENTION: Transition to 988 for National Suicide Prevention LifelineThe WV DHHR received a federal grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in order to prepare for the transition of the National Suicide Prevention Hotline to a new three digit number (988), which will be effective of July 16, 2022. These funds will contribute to WV’s National Suicide Prevention Lifeline call center which will answer calls that come into the Katie McCausleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980128158345969251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-5681859507721862812022-07-01T16:33:00.002-04:002022-07-01T16:34:03.947-04:00Mountaineers Aging with Pride: WV Grandparents of LGBTQ YouthPresident Biden issued an executive order on June 15, 2022 that promotes LGBTQ+ equality policies. The executive order addresses discriminatory legislative attacks by charging HHS with expanding healthcare for LGBTQ+ patients, creating initiatives to raise awareness about “conversion therapy” and clarifies that it cannot be supported with federal funds, supporting LGBTQ+ children and families Katie McCausleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980128158345969251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-37056920279270743362022-06-23T11:51:00.003-04:002022-06-23T11:51:49.024-04:00Mountaineers Aging with Pride: Employment & Housing Discrimination Against Transgender PeopleApproximately 14 percent of the 1.5 million Americans who are transgender are adults over age 65. Initiatives and programs that are meant to address the disparities and challenges seniors face are often forgotten and underfunded. Specifically, employment and housing discrimination take a significant toll on LGBTQ+ seniors. 70 percent of transgender adults who are over 65 have reported that their Katie McCausleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980128158345969251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-2222428905660891032022-06-17T17:29:00.001-04:002022-06-17T17:29:54.337-04:00Mountaineers Aging with Pride: Social Security Administration creates new LGBTQ+ web portalSocial Security and Medicare are two critical supports for most older Americans and older West Virginians, no matter their gender or sexual orientation. There are also some unique legal issues that LGBTQ+ seniors can face regarding eligibility for these benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has created a new web portal and some new information sheets targeting LGBTQ+ beneficiaries cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-86243679003734394492022-06-16T10:02:00.004-04:002022-06-16T10:04:33.411-04:00Mountaineers Aging with Pride: Elder Abuse Among LGBTQ+ IndividualsJune 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. June is also PRIDE Month. As we take this time to recognize all elders that have been and are currently experiencing abuse, let us also recognize specifically LGBTQ+ elders that have experienced physical, sexual, mental, emotional, financial, and other types of abuse. In a study done in 2001 by D’Augelli & Grossman, 416 LGB elders (transgender Katie McCausleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980128158345969251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-15209960090348729322022-06-13T11:26:00.001-04:002022-06-13T11:27:14.912-04:00Mountaineers Aging with Pride: LGBTQ+ Individuals Aging SoloThe United States is a country where elder care is primarily the responsibility of partners and adult children. According to SAGE, LGBTQ+ elder adults are TWICE as likely to live alone and FOUR TIMES as likely to not have children. With that being said, LGBTQ+ seniors are more likely to struggle with successfully aging into their communities. This obstacle also stems from possible years of Katie McCausleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15980128158345969251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-48620405458507100582022-04-27T14:42:00.000-04:002022-04-27T14:42:18.104-04:00Early voting for the 2022 WV primary election begins today and continues through Saturday, May 7Early voting for the 2022 West Virginia primary election begins today and continues through Saturday, May 7. All 55 counties in West Virginia offer early voting and if you have never taken advantage of the opportunity, this may be the year to try it out. Early voting is a good way to assure your vote will count if your polling place has changed because of this year’s redistricting, or if you havecathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-13670201781864838882022-04-25T13:20:00.002-04:002022-04-25T13:20:38.807-04:00National Crime Victims' Rights WeekThis week is National Crime Victims' Rights Week. If you have been the victim of a crime, you deserve justice. You can talk to a lawyer for free about your rights at WV Senior Legal Aid if you are a senior West Virginian age 60+. If you know a senior West Virginian who you think may have been victimized, please give them the number and encourage them to call for advice. WV Senior Legal Aid cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-66853048568620860892022-04-14T10:14:00.000-04:002022-04-14T10:14:14.884-04:00West Virginia Elections: Primary May 10, 2022, voter registration deadline April 19, 22We have a primary election coming up Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Since we had a substantial redistricting in our state legislature many registered West Virginia voters may find their state delegate and senate district lines have changed.
The House of Delegates now has only single-member districts, so any district that previously had multiple delegates has been changed so you will only be able to cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-20993094997818212592022-03-19T11:04:00.002-04:002022-03-19T11:08:48.204-04:00Celebrating Women's History Month In observance of Women’s History Month, West Virginia Senior Legal Aid salutes a vital historic preservation effort to commemorate feminist activist endeavors that have changed our world.
Focusing on West Virginia’s feminist activists is the purpose of a new collection of information, documents and artifacts that is growing ever larger at WVU‘s West Virginia Regional & History Center. See why cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-1020901595550452172022-02-14T13:17:00.002-05:002022-02-14T13:17:59.126-05:00Valentines Day Romance Scam ReminderSenior West Virginians are targets for romance scams. The scammers are so good at convincing you that their love is real, even when it is really just a relationship designed to get you to give them your money, or unknowingly participate in a money mule scheme.
There are a few clues that can help identify when your true love on the internet is not true at all.
They are far far away. Never close cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-78107126314578194632022-02-12T09:04:00.000-05:002022-02-12T09:04:01.464-05:00Black history is West Virginia historyIn observance of Black History Month, West Virginia Senior Legal Aid remembers those brave people who decided to challenge the many inhumanities of slavery in America.
Virginia’s population before the Civil War included the largest number of enslaved people in the country at that time. Slavery was legal in 15 states before the Civil War.
The mountainous areas that would become West Virginia also cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-19525276944552565392022-01-11T09:37:00.004-05:002022-01-11T09:37:33.809-05:00QR code and cryptocurrency scammingNew year, new scam spins. The FTC is warning that there are some fresh ways that scammers are separating you from your money this year and they are using QR codes and cryptocurrency.
First, you get a call or a message from maybe a government agency (an imposter, of course), or perhaps a romantic interest you met online. They convince you to send money for some urgent purpose. They stay on the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-61944040858262793162022-01-03T12:03:00.000-05:002022-01-03T12:03:01.236-05:00Fraud Alert: Don't click on texts about vaccine status and drivers license validationFrom the WV Department of Health and Human Resources:
"1/1/2022
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) has received reports of individuals receiving spam text messages asking them to validate their driver’s license through the state’s Division of Motor Vehicles in partnership with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
No such message has been generatedcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-51321027436263210072021-11-10T08:53:00.002-05:002021-11-10T08:53:47.595-05:00Thank you senior West Virginia veterans! WV Senior Legal Aid is open on Veterans Day to serve.West Virginia Senior Legal Aid will be open on Veterans Day 11/11/21. We thank our senior veterans for their service and are here to serve your legal needs. 1.800.229.5068 http://seniorlegalaid.org cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-76084022738668938322021-10-19T10:34:00.001-04:002021-10-19T10:34:22.252-04:00Heads Up: Medicare Annual Enrollment now through December 7, 2021>Over 439,000 West Virginians are Medicare beneficiaries. There is a lot to know about Medicare. Here are a few tips for figuring what you need to do during this annual enrollment period:
If you didn't enroll in Medicare when you were first eligible your opportunity to enroll is now.If you want to make changes or switch plans for Part D prescription drug coverage your opportunity is now.If youcathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-48264949719763540612021-07-16T14:37:00.002-04:002021-08-05T19:06:24.381-04:00Are conservatorships really that Toxic? Britney Spears is using her voice to show what a Circus it has been for her.The news about Britney Spears in court trying to take back control of her life and money has raised questions about guardianship, conservatorship, legal rights to make your own choices, and how you can take back control.
Q: What is #FreeBritney?
A: #FreeBritney is a hashtag that has been used to garner attention regarding Britney Spears and the conservatorship she is under. This movement has cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-31899515209583658922021-06-16T18:04:00.004-04:002021-06-18T12:49:12.225-04:00Juneteenth: You are not free until you know you are freeMany of us never learned in school about Juneteenth. We may have learned about General Lee's surrender at Appomattox or President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation as the end of slavery in America, but for many African Americans it would actually be two and half years that they were freed.
In Galveston, TX on June 19, 1865 federal troops arrived to take over Texas and impose General Gordon cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-45103066922087469092021-06-15T13:37:00.000-04:002021-06-15T13:37:21.823-04:00Today is World Elder Abuse Awareness DayAccording to the World Health Organization at least 1 in 6 people age 60 or older experienced abuse in the past year.
Elder abuse can take many forms, including physical violence, neglect, financial exploitation, sexual abuse, or psychological abuse.
If we truly respect our elders we cannot allow this to continue. Today is a day dedicated to raising awareness about elder abuse so we can stand up cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-19180916223326361602021-06-14T07:44:00.000-04:002021-06-14T07:44:22.296-04:00Mountaineers Aging with Pride series: LGBTQ+ and Planning for Aging
Planning for aging as an LGBTQ+ senior. According to SAGE and the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, LGBT older people are 2x as likely to be single and live alone as well as 4x less likely to have children. While this is not a bad thing, it does pose some unique considerations for LGBT persons as they age. Some of these considerations include deciding who you would like to allow in a cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-940227690227878082021-06-03T14:09:00.003-04:002021-06-03T14:09:33.785-04:00Mountaineers Aging with Pride series: Landmark US Supreme Court decision protects rights of LGBTQ employeesBostock v. Clayton County
Who went to court and what happened?
What does it mean for WV?
Landmark Supreme Court decision protects rights of LGBTQ employees. On June 15th, 2020, The Supreme Court of the United States made a landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County Board of Commissioners.The Court heard a combination of three cases regarding employees being fired; two for their sexual cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-85382267948200449082021-04-29T16:23:00.001-04:002021-04-29T16:23:31.160-04:00Federal Emergency Broadband Benefit coming soon! enrollment opens 5/15/21We'll post more info about this soon, but in the meantime you can learn more about this benefit from the FCC website here https://getemergencybroadband.org/cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7931018.post-6395387673272529942021-04-14T16:51:00.001-04:002021-04-14T16:51:25.666-04:00Federal funeral assistance benefit from FEMA for COVID-19 deathsThe Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced a program offering funeral assistance for COVID-19 deaths in the United States since January 20, 2020.
Who is eligible to apply?
Those who paid for funeral expenses since January 20, 2020 for an individual whose death in the United States was caused by or likely caused by COVID-19.
If someone else helped you pay for funeral expenses cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287798102000826109noreply@blogger.com0