Information for Elders

Florida statutes specifically address abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elders and disabled adults. See Chapter 415, Florida Statutes. Report elder abuse – physical, emotional, financial exploitation – to the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873 (1-800-96ABUSE)

Legal Assistance for Elders

• The Department of Elder Affairs’ Florida Senior Legal Helpline provides free legal advice and brief service by phone to eligible seniors age 60 and older. The toll-free number is 1-888-895-7873.
• Florida Law Help website provides helpful resources such as the Older Floridians Legal Handbook and other legal issue-specific brochures.
• The Department of Elder Affairs’ Elder Helpline can refer seniors to legal providers that receive funding through the Older Americans Act. The toll-free number is 1-800-963-5337 (1-800-96-ELDER).
• The Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service can assist seniors and other persons in finding an attorney, particularly those persons who are not eligible for publicly funded legal services or who have a legal need that cannot be met through legal aid.
  The toll-free number is 1-800-342-8011.
• The Florida Bar offers information and pamphlets on wills, trusts, and estates, and other legal topics.
• The Florida Bar also offers information and some forms relating to Living Wills, Health Care Surrogates, and Advanced Directives.

Reference and Referral Information

• The Florida Department of Elder Affairs is the primary state agency administering human services programs to benefit Florida’s elders.
  (For more information, visit their website).
• The Florida Attorney General’s Office provides information to assist elders and other persons in protecting themselves from consumer fraud. For more information, visit their website or
  call their toll-free Fraud Hotline at 1-866-966-7226.
• The Department of Elder Affairs’ Elder Helpline can help identify local sources of assistance, including social services, housing, and long-term care issues. The toll free number is 1-800-963-5337
• The Florida Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program utilizes volunteers to advocate for people who live in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and adult family care homes. For more information, visit their website or call their toll-free number at 1-888-831-0404.
• The Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology has an on-line library that provides self-help resource guides on a variety of disability-related laws and regulations of interest to elders, including General Resource and Self-Help Information for Older Individuals with Disabilities, Nursing Home and Health Care Resources Guide, and General Housing Resource Guide.

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