The President passed Law 352-98 for the Protection of Aging Persons. The law calls for the creation of a National Council of the Aging Person, that will work closing with the Ministry of Public Health, and the social work department of the Dominican Institute of Social Security. Elderly persons will be given an ID card, valid for five years after its issuance. Those which qualify as beneficiaries are persons that are handicapped, senile and homeless widows. The law also covers elderly jail inmates and those in old person homes. The law provides for easy access to government health services and preferential treatment regarding justice, among other benefits.
