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The American Bar Association (ABA) Legal Guide for Older Americans: The Law Every American over Fifty Needs to Know

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Compared with the many competing books on the legal needs of the elderly, this handy guide's most compelling virtue is its brevity. In a volume about the size of a short paperback novel, the authors manage to concisely review the legal rights of older persons under the major government programs and federal statutes. In clear, jargon-free prose, the book steers readers through the ins and outs of the Big Three federal programs-Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The authors also explain other legal areas of frequent concern to older Americans, including age discrimination laws, retirement income rights, consumer protection statutes, estate planning tools, grandparents' rights, reverse mortgages, and the rights of the disabled.

On all these topics, the guide gives readers just enough information to make an informed decision on what to do or where to turn next. Frequent checklists, boxes, and lists of contacts help break up the text and provide useful reference tools. This area of the law is constantly evolving, so it's no surprise that a few things have changed since the book was published in 1998. Nevertheless, the guide will give seniors and their families a solid grounding in the areas that concern them the most without taking up much space in a briefcase or handbag.