Mitchell Hamline is now offering a certificate in Elder Law and Chronic Care as part of its Professional Legal Education programs. The certificate will give those who work in the elder care industry —and practicing attorneys—the skills to navigate the complex legal and policy issues that surround the aging population.
As the number of older Americans increases, there’s a growing likelihood that a greater variety of professionals will need to respond to elder abuse, whether physical, emotional, or financial in nature.
“I really think it’s a great course for social workers, health care providers, financial workers, lawyers, state agency workers, and those who work in law enforcement. They’re all encountering something that has to do with elder law,” said course instructor Suzy Scheller ’08, a Twin Cities attorney whose firm, Scheller Legal Solutions, handles a wide range of elder abuse cases.
Scheller will teach the course with Iris Freeman, the founding chair of the Minnesota Elder Justice Center.
The classes, which start April 3, will be flexible and delivered through Mitchell Hamline’s online learning management system. Participants will have opportunities to interact and collaborate with each other, and faculty, in discussions and hands-on exercises.
Students will take four online courses during the 12-week program:
- Overview of Aging and Elder Law
- Government Benefits and Long-Term Care Regulation
- Assisted Decision Making and End-of-Life Considerations
- Harm and Remedies
Approval for 16 CLE credits is pending. Social work continuing education credits are available.
Registration and program information can be found at mitchellhamline.edu/elder-law-chronic-care/.
Professional Legal Education at Mitchell Hamline started in 2016 as a way to provide online certificate programs for professionals seeking legal training outside the boundaries of a traditional J.D. Elder Law and Chronic Care is the fourth PLE certificate program. The others are Cybersecurity and Privacy Law, Human Resources Compliance, and Law and Leadership in Healthcare Administration.
- The Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Human Services receive 400 reports of abuse, neglect or financial exploitation of elderly or vulnerable Minnesotans every week.
- The National Council on Aging reports that 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 60 has experienced some form of elder abuse.
- A 2015 report by True Link Financial found that financial exploitation costs older Americans $36.4 billion a year.