Hispanic Elderly Legal Project

SeniorLAW Center - 030109

Abstract Number: 030109

June 2003

In 1998, SeniorLAW Center (SLC) created the Hispanic Elderly Legal Project to provide legal services to the limited English proficient (LEP) Hispanic elderly population living in Philadelphia. SLC hired a bilingual/bicultural attorney from Spain to coordinate this project. SLC provides legal services to the elderly population in housing issues, consumer issues, elder abuse, kinship care, and advance planning issues. Recognizing that seniors often have special needs, SLC makes a conscious effort through their community-based legal intake clinics to ensure they maintain a presence in community locations frequented by the elderly Hispanic community. In addition to direct representation, advice, information and referral services, SLC also offers community legal education events held in churches as well as in community and senior centers on topics tailed to the needs of the elderly Hispanic population. SLC has translated almost all of its legal brochures into Spanish.

To ensure the public is aware of SLC's services, SLC launched an outreach campaign that included appearances on Hispanic radio and television stations in addition to meeting with leaders in the Hispanic community. SLC also provides trainings for professionals who work with Hispanic clients to provide them with tools to recognize legal issues encountered by SLC's clients. These professionals can then make referrals to SLC to address these legal problems.

Philadelphia's elderly Hispanic population faces formidable barriers to accessing legal services due to the high rates of poverty coupled with a widespread lack of English speaking skills among elderly Hispanics. Due to the success of this project, SLC replicated it for implementation in the elderly Asian community in Philadelphia. Click on the following text to learn more about the SeniorLAW Center's Asian Elderly Legal Project. To learn more about this project, access the materials below and visit SLC's website at: http://www.seniorlawcenter.org/.

Contact Information:

Karen Buck
SeniorLAW Center
Land Title Building
100 S. Broad Street, Suite 1810
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19110
Phone: (215) 988-1244
Fax: (215) 988-1243
kbuck@seniorlawcenter.org

Additional Materials:

• Project Flyer in Spanish ( 236k)

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