Decisions that Determine Your Destiny

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

The Harford County Office on Aging provides a wide variety of services for older adults and individuals with disabilities. As Harford County’s Maryland Access Point they are the primary resource for information and assistance about long-term services and supports. The Team also manages an array of resources for frail, homebound, and at risk seniors, including Senior Care programs, assisting individuals with accessing Medicaid Long Term Care services,as well as connecting individuals to home-community based service programs, and guardianship. Guardianship cases occur when the Office on Aging is appointed by the court to serve as a guardian of a person 65 and older who is no longer competent when there is no one available to make necessary decisions regarding their welfare. Guardianship requires intensive 24-7 case management. The Department’s Guardianship clients have doubled in the last five years. Many guardianship appointments occur because advanced life planning including legal documents such as a financial power of attorney and advance medical directives were not completed. Often no thought has been given as to who will be a decision maker when an individual can no longer do so. Resulting disputes among families regarding the care of a loved one may result in Guardianship. Similarly, imprudent financial powers of attorney make the elderly easy victims for financial exploitation. This is unfortunately the case in many of the guardianship cases the Office on Aging is assigned. Financial exploitation can further complicate cases, as it is nearly impossible to access long term care Medical Assistance with financial history that indicates the withdrawals large sums of money from the client’s accounts due to exploitation. In addition, case managers with the Office on Aging estimate that about 75% of the time individuals and families cannot readily find important legal and financial documents making it difficult to complete applications or assess eligibility for services. This often means a delay or denial of vital services including energy, housing, and food assistance.