Westfield, New Jersey – The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) has announced that Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq., a Certified Elder Law Attorney and Accredited Veterans Attorney with offices in Westfield, NJ, has attended the 2010 NAELA UnProgram, an unstructured learning experience that emphasizes peer-to-peer education, held in Dallas, Texas, on January 22-24.

Some of the highlights of the 2010 UnProgram included sessions on:

• The Application of Medicaid Regulations
• Meeting the Requirements for Medicare
• Establishing Special Needs Trusts
• Protecting Elderly Americans From Scams
• Tax Issues Affecting Older Americans
• Estate Planning and Retirement
• Ensuring the Capacity of Caregivers
• Ethics

Mr. Vanarelli attended the program with the goal of building his knowledge in order to continue to provide high-quality service in the growing field of Elder and Special Needs Law and helping to meet the needs of older Americans and people with special needs.

ABOUT NAELA
Established in 1987, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) is a non-profit association that assists lawyers, bar organizations and others. Members of NAELA are attorneys who are experienced and trained in working with the legal problems of aging Americans and individuals of all ages with disabilities. The mission of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys is to establish NAELA members as the premier providers of legal advocacy, guidance and services to enhance the lives of people with special needs and people as they age. NAELA currently has more than 4,000 members across the United States. For more information, visit www.naela.org.

ABOUT ELDER LAW
Elder law is a specialized area of law that involves representing, counseling and assisting seniors, people with disabilities and their families in connection with a variety of legal issues, with a primary emphasis on promoting the highest quality of life for individuals. Typically, elder law addresses the convergence of legal needs with the social, psychological, medical and financial needs of individuals. The elder law practitioner handles estate planning and counsels clients about planning for incapacity with health care decision making documents. The attorney also assists clients in planning for possible long-term care needs, including at-home care, assisted living or nursing home care. Locating the appropriate type of care, coordinating public and private resources to finance the cost of care, and working to ensure the client’s right to quality care are all part of the elder law practice.