Legal Counsel for the Elderly

10/23/2026

Need information to help you with Medicare Open Enrollment? Tune into The Senior Zone

We’ve got another great show coming your way! 🎙️

As we get older, there’s something I’ve come to appreciate more and more: peace of mind often begins with having the right information.

And that’s what this Monday’s edition of The Senior Zone is all about!

First, we’re talking Medicare Open Enrollment with Darnetta Bascomb of Legal Counsel for the Elderly. With the December 7 deadline approaching, we’ll discuss what you should know before making decisions about your 2027 coverage.

Then, Director Charon P.W. Hines returns from the DC Department of Aging and Community Living for our final quarterly conversation of 2026. We’ll talk accomplishments, ongoing challenges, aging in place, and what’s ahead.

And you know we can’t finish without our Birthdays of the Week, Dear Grave Woman featuring Joél Simone, and your Later Life Lowdown!

Join me Monday, October 26, from 10–11 AM Eastern.
📻 WYCB Spirit 1340am
🌐 Listen live at www.MySpiritDC.com
🎧 Podcast available after the show!

As always, family, bring your curiosity, bring your questions, and bring somebody along!

The Senior Zone — where experience is celebrated and tomorrow still matters.

10/23/2026

An 80-year-old client came to us after facing a lawsuit that threatened their housing stability. The landlord accused our client with permitting an unauthorized guest in the unit; having an unauthorized dog; and lighting a couch on fire - allegations with little to no evidence, and that our client denied.

We fought to have the case dismissed, helping our client avoid the risk of losing their home. And our support didn’t stop there.

We also helped our client find a safer place to live by acquiring a transfer voucher and obtaining utility resources to help with his finances. Today, our client has a secure home and the confidence to pay utility bills.

Since 1975, LCE has provided free legal and social work services to DC older adults most in need. If you or someone you know needs help, call the LCE Legal Hotline at 202-434-2120.

10/13/2026

When Ms. R came to a clinic hosted by our pro bono partner, Arnold & Porter, we helped her apply for $3,051 in Schedule H tax credits that would help her make ends meet. But the story didn’t end there.

At another meeting, Ms. R had left behind her favorite fun glasses. One of our summer interns, Sara, made sure they were personally returned to her. When Arnold & Porter pro bono coordinator, Rwanda, admired the glasses, Ms. R happily gifted her an extra pair.

While this story began with much-needed financial help for Ms. R, it became a reminder of something equally important: the meaningful connections that can form when people come together with compassion, respect, and a desire to help. 🤗 ❤️

Since 1975, LCE has provided free legal and social work services to DC older adults most in need. If you or someone you know needs help, call the LCE Legal Hotline at 202-434-2120.

10/08/2026

A 67-year-old man was left without electricity when his brother, whose name was on the Pepco account, moved out, leaving a $3,000 bill to pay. To complicate matters, the large bill was due to a third-party supplier's error. After he unsuccessfully tried to resolve the issue with Pepco, we placed a call with the client to Pepco to set up a new account in the client’s name, instead of trying to resolve his brother’s account.

Since 1975, LCE has provided free legal and social work services to DC older adults most in need. If you or someone you know needs help, call the LCE Legal Hotline at 202-434-2120.

10/02/2026

DC tenants living with persistent housing conditions too often face dead ends or delays in getting landlords to act. First, tenants cannot withhold rent when repairs are delayed without risking being sued for eviction, and second, weak enforcement of current laws lets landlords off the hook, sometimes for years. LCE Attorney Sarah Cho spoke to Councilmembers proposing that:
1. DC Council mandate that the Department of Buildings expand the use of Nuisance Abatement funds to correct serious and persistent conditions and recover costs from landlords through a special assessment in the form of tax liens.
2. DC Council should create a statutory right to rent escrow, where tenants would be able to sue their landlord for failing to make repairs, deposit rent into an escrow account while the case is adjudicated, and have the court determine how the escrow funds should be divided once the case is over.

Until changes are made, too many tenants are left living in unsafe conditions.

09/30/2026

We’re joining the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISBDC) to warn DC residents about an uptick in utility scams. Criminals are using spoofed caller IDs and fraudulent texts to claim your account is overdue and pressuring you to pay instantly.

Here’s what DISBDC recommends you can do to stay safe:

- Be wary of sudden calls, texts, or emails about utility disconnection.
- Don’t click links or use contact info from unsolicited messages.
- Never pay immediately to prevent shutoff.
- Verify requests for personal info.
- Contact your utility provider using the official number or website.
- Check your account through secure portals.
- Save suspicious communications.

Need to report a scam? DC residents can call the DISB Enforcement and Consumer Protection Division at 202.727.8000.

09/29/2026

A 74-year-old LCE client with asthma requested a reasonable accommodation from her landlord: replacing the carpeting in her apartment with hardwood flooring to help address her medical condition.

While the landlord agreed to install the new flooring, they refused to cover the cost of moving and storing the client's furniture, bringing the project to a standstill. An LCE pro bono attorney stepped in to advocate on the client's behalf. Through a demand letter and negotiations, the attorney secured not only a date for the hardwood floor installation, but also an agreement for the landlord to pay for furniture moving and storage, as well as the client's hotel stay during the work.

Since 1975, LCE has provided free legal and social work services to DC older adults most in need. If you or someone you know needs help, call the LCE Legal Hotline at 202-434-2120.

09/26/2026

Family, we’ve got another strong show coming your way this Monday on The Senior Zone.

We’re starting with Legal Counsel for the Elderly, where Albert Reed, Senior Ombudsman Specialist, will talk about residents’ rights as we get ready for Residents’ Rights Month in October.

Then Saunya Connelly, Tenant Empowerment Specialist, joins us to discuss third-party energy suppliers in DC and what consumers should understand before agreeing to a new energy plan or provider.

In Segment Two, I’m reconnecting with someone I’ve known for more than a decade — Shememe Williams, Founder and CEO of My Active Senior.

Some of you may remember the Senior Spa Days, MidDay Galas and other events we were involved with years ago around the DMV. We’re going to talk about how that work has grown and where My Active Senior is headed today.

And before we close, we’ll have our Birthdays of the Week, Dear Grave Woman featuring Simone, and Later Life Lowdown.

Our Weekly Vitamin this week: Never confuse getting older with becoming smaller. Your voice, your choices and your presence still matter.

Join me Monday, September 28, from 10:00–11:00 AM ET.

And if you can’t join us live, look for the episode afterward on The Senior Zone podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music and other major podcast platforms.

09/20/2026

09/18/2026

When a 65-year-old single father raising his 11-year-old son received a Washington Gas shutoff notice demanding $1,182, he didn't know where to turn.

His monthly income of $1,136 barely covered the family's basic needs, and he was also facing a past-due electric bill. Feeling alone, confused, and overwhelmed, he called LCE's Legal Hotline for help.

LCE secured public and charitable assistance to pay the family's utility bills and prevent both gas and electric shutoffs. We also helped create a more sustainable household budget by enrolling him in a billing program that spreads utility costs more evenly throughout the year and connected him with ongoing social work support.

Since 1975, LCE has provided free legal and social work services to DC older adults most in need. If you or someone you know needs help, call the LCE Legal Hotline at 202-434-2120.