Fear of Losing Home to Medicaid Contributed to Elder Abuse Case A California daughter and granddaughter's fear of losing their home to Medicaid may have contributed to a severe case of elder abuse. If the pair had consulted with an elder law attorney, they might have figured out a way to get their mother the care she needed and also protect their house. Amanda Havens was sentenced to 17 years in prison for elder abuse after her grandmother, Dorothy Havens, was found neglected, with bedsores [...]

Don't Wait Too Long to Purchase Long-Term Care Insurance The older you get, the harder it is to qualify for long-term care insurance. If you are interested in buying this insurance, it is better to act sooner rather than later. Many people put off purchasing long-term care insurance until they need it, but by then, it may be too late. Not only do premiums increase as you age, you also may not even qualify for insurance due to your health. The older you are, the more likely you are to have a [...]

Self Care During Divorceby Michael Osburn, Esq. For most people, a divorce is an extremely stressful life event. This is not surprising. Divorce can impact all aspects of one’s life: relationships with family members and friends, living arrangements, plans for retirement, and financial security to name just a few. In some cases, a person might not only experience stress during divorce, but also other powerful emotions such as guilt, anger, sadness and fear. Your attorney can help guide [...]

Where’s My New Medicare Card? How to Find Out the Status The federal government has begun mailing new Medicare cards to 59 million Americans. You should keep track of when your new card will arrive and contact Medicare if you don't receive it. To prevent fraud and fight identity theft, the federal government is issuing new cards to all Medicare beneficiaries that will no longer have beneficiaries' Social Security numbers on them. The government began mailing the cards in April 2018 and [...]

Domestic Violence and the Process of Getting an Order of Protection by: Michelle McCabe-Szczepanski, Esq. Domestic violence plagues many homes throughout our community.  In Broome County, law enforcement responds to 550-600 domestic incidents each month.  Domestic violence is more than physical abuse.  Verbal abuse, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, threats of future abuse, harassment, and stalking, are all forms of domestic violence.  The best way to get [...]