Pulse Center for Patient Safety Education & Advocacy program, How Estate Planning & Elder Law Services Protect & Keep Seniors Safe is approved for 1.0 CE in Ethics by the Patient Advocate Certification Board to satisfy the requirements for Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA).

Through April 23, 2025



About Iris Bikel, Esq. Iris Bikel, Attorney-at-Law

The law firm of Iris Bikel, Attorney at Law, specializes in the area of Estate Planning and Elder Care. In planning for life long goals, Iris strives to protect clients’ assets while first and foremost, trying to keep them safely at home. Every client has unique circumstances that deserve individual and prompt attention. When health issues require inpatient placement (hospital, nursing home or assisted living care), Iris supports their safe return home. If long term placement is necessary, Iris strives to ensure their needs are met and their assets protected, where possible.

Iris also offers clients estate planning to keep them safe while planning how to attain their life goals, often avoiding probate and minimizing the cost of long term care. To ensure clients wishes are known and implemented in a timely manner, Iris supports the completion of advance directives for all clients.  
Iris Bikel currently serves as Co-Chair of the Elder Abuse Committee of the NY State Bar Association and is a member of the Guardianship & Special Needs Committees. She also serves as Co-Chapter Leader of the New York City area of The Orion Resource Group (a Senior Care professionals group). Iris also works with various community organizations (Live-On NY Foundation, local District Attorney’s Offices, the Sheriff’s Department and Department of Aging offices to help promote local programs and stop abuse. Her personal goal is to support older New Yorkers to maintain their dignity while living safely in the community of their choosing.


About the Presentation

How Estate Planning & Elder Law Services Protect & Keep Seniors Safe



More seniors are choosing to remain at home despite significant health needs and concerns. As health care becomes more specialized and clinical options more complex, seniors and their families are coming face-to-face with the complexity of health care decision-making and the potential impact on their personal and financial health and well-being. Too often, seniors are unprepared to safely navigate the healthcare system when an urgent health condition arises or worsens.
For more than 20 years, Iris Bikel has been educating seniors and their families about the importance of planning in advance of a health emergency. Without proper planning, a health emergency can have catastrophic consequences on the individual’s personal and financial health and well-being.
At a minimum, seniors need to understand their rights and options for implementing Advance Directives, to ensure their care wishes are known and followed by their health care team, regardless of where services are provided (inpatient, outpatient or at home). Just as important, many seniors need to engage in estate planning to preserve or protect assets and financial resources for possible future needs.  
This presentation will help attendees understand the different types of advance directives, their importance, when they are needed and how to complete them. The program will also outline the importance of protecting health care decision support, authorizing access to clinical information under HIPAA and strategies to preserve assets as a protection against the rising cost of care. The presenter will also review current options for paying for care when personal resources are not available. Case Studies will be used to lead a guided dialogue with attendees to support the learning process and solidify their understanding of core concepts. The program will conclude with useful resources and helpful tips for advocates and attendees.  
Learning Objectives:
  1. Describe and differentiate the different types of advance directives needed for individuals to make their care wishes known to their medical team in various situations;
  2. Support clients’ ability to make informed decisions about their care options based on the scope of the problem impacting patients and their families;
  3. Demonstrate the importance of advance planning & documenting choices;
  4. Describe situations & circumstances that can deplete personal or financial resources which can endanger the health & future well-being of individuals;
  5. Recommend credible resources to assist seniors and their families.

Payment