John J. Ford has been the Director of the Elder Law Project at Neighborhood Legal Services in Lynn, Massachusetts, since May of 1997. He began his career with Neighborhood Legal Services as a law student in 1968, and has specialized in elder law issues for the last 27 years. During that time, he has written and lectured extensively on topics such as medicare, medicaid, guardianship, elder protective services and nursing home residents’ rights. He has served on numerous boards, including the Alzheimer’s Association of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the South Boston Community Health Center. He has received numerous awards for his efforts on behalf of elders.