By Brian L. Miller, Esq.

Legislation was recently signed into New York State law broadening the term “greatest social need” as it pertains to the Older Americans Act of 1965 (“OAA”).

The OAA is a Federal Act established authority for the federal government to make grants to states for community planning and social services, research and development projects, and personnel training in the field of aging. The overall goal of the OAA is to provide health and human services for Americans as they grow older, giving preference to older adults with the greatest economic and social need.

This new legislation expands New York’s interpretation of the term “greatest social need” to include “the need caused by non-economic factors that restrict an individual’s ability to perform normal daily tasks or that threaten his or her capacity to live independently. These factors include, but are not limited to, physical or mental disability, language barriers, and cultural or social isolation caused by, among other things, racial and ethnic status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or HIV status.”

With members of the LGBTQ community often facing isolation and lacking traditional sources of support and caregiving, this legislation is intended to support older LGBTQ adults as they often have great social needs, allowing for increased services to improve their health and well-being.

Littman Krooks LLP regularly represents individuals and their families in the LGBTQ community in all aspects of estate planning, elder law and special needs planning. For more information on how this new legislation or any other elder law, estate planning or special needs planning laws affect you or a loved one in the LGBTQ community please contact Littman Krooks LLP to schedule a no obligation consultation.