Author: Tanya Hobson-Williams

Appointed to the bench by the Board of Trustees in 2008, and elected in 2009, Tanya Hobson-Williams was the first African-American Female Justice in the Incorporated Village of Hempstead. Tanya Hobson–Williams obtained her B.A. in Government and Politics from St. John's University and her law degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Tanya Hobson-Williams has an active elder law practice assisting senior citizens in obtaining Medicaid for Home Care and Nursing Home Care. She routinely lectures at senior citizen centers, assisted living facilities, law schools and counsels families on a variety of topics of concerns to families caring for the elderly.

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Nursing Home Subject of State Investigation Amid Recent Death

The Office of the New York State Attorney General and the New York State Department of Health have recently commenced an investigation into the July 20^th death of a 71-year-old female resident of a Medford nursing home.

According to sources, the deceased, who was housed in ventilator unit, suffered from acute and chronic respiratory failure and had lived on the unit for six years.

The deceased’s family alleges that the victim passed away because she was not attached to her ventilator. Specifically, they claim that the elderly victim died after her ventilator mechanically malfunctioned causing her to be unable to breath. The family further alleges that the nursing home’s employees disregarded alarms alerting them that victim was not receiving sufficient oxygen.

This is the second death at the nursing home’s 40-bed ventilator unit, which is under investigation. In June of 2014, several Medford employees were charged with various crimes ranging from patient abuse and neglect to falsifying business records in connection to the death of a different resident in 2012. Continue reading “Nursing Home Subject of State Investigation Amid Recent Death”

Senior Housing FAQS: Distinguishing the Types of Senior Housing Communities

Deciding where and how to spend the latter days of your life can be a tough decision. Many wrongly assume that the lone alternative to their current living situation is a nursing home. This is simply not true. There are several residential alternatives for seniors considering a change of scenery.

Senior housing generally refers in to 3 categories of communities: Active-adult community, assisted-living communities, and continuing care retirement communities. So what’s the difference?

Continue reading “Senior Housing FAQS: Distinguishing the Types of Senior Housing Communities”

Federal Government Introduces New Efforts to Combat Elder Abuse

In an effort to combat elder abuse in the United States, the Obama Administration recently released a program outline titled “The Elder Justice Roadmap”.

The Elder Justice Roadmap will be used to develop strategic plans and provide guidance in tackling the highest priority challenges to elder abuse prevention and prosecution.

Aiming identify the most critical priorities in elder abuse issues, The Elder Justice Roadmap derives its content from the opinions of hundreds of experts and innovators from across the country.

Using this collective data, proponents of the initiative hope to develop strategies to raise public awareness about elder abuse, conduct research about the costs of elder abuse, develop better treatment options for victims, and inspire a more active involvement from the private sector. Continue reading “Federal Government Introduces New Efforts to Combat Elder Abuse”

Buyouts as a Method of Tenant Harassment

As New York City rent prices continue to increase, the demand for housing has made rent-controlled apartments an even more precious commodity. Indeed, many landlords seeking to earn a sizeable profit in the current sellers’/renter’s market have engaged in “buying out” their tenants’ lease agreements.

In some situations, a buyout can effect a sizeable and worthwhile payout to both the landlord and the tenant. However, there has become an increasing trend of meager buyout offers to lower-income tenants. These paltry offers, if successful, have the potential to displace lower income individuals in the face of New York’s ever increasing rental prices. Furthermore, recent reports have suggested that these buyout offers have been used more as instruments of illegal tenant harassment than simple mutually-beneficial business propositions. Continue reading “Buyouts as a Method of Tenant Harassment”

Medicare Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise

A recent examination of federal data conducted by USA Today has recently revealed that the number of U.S. senior citizens receiving narcotic painkillers and anti-anxiety medications under Medicare’s prescription drug program is sharply rising. Recreational drug use can still be classified under medication-related problems (MRPs). Caregivers can play a key role in identifying and managing substance abuse issues, however, they may also be held liable if they fail to notice the signs of substance abuse.

According to the data collected between, 2007-2012, the number of senior patients receiving Medicare prescriptions for opioid-based pain medications has increased by more than 30 percent to upward of 8.5 million beneficiaries.

Specifically, the use of the most commonly abused painkillers, like hydrocodone and oxycodone, rose by more than 50 percent. The data also showed a significant increase of the personal supply of each narcotic provided to the average recipient rose about 15 percent over approximately three months. Continue reading “Medicare Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise”

Special Needs Trust Can Provide Effective Financial Relief for the Disabled Elderly.

Federal and State law provides a number of programs to help a person with disabilities. Such programs include. Security Income and Medicaid. Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, is a federal program that provides monthly cash payments to people in need. SSI is for individuals who are 65 or older, as well as for blind or disabled people of any age, including children.

However, to qualify for SSI and Medicaid an applicant must own less than $2,000 in assets. The value of your home does not count if you live in it. Usually, the value of your car does not count and the value of certain other resources, such as personal items or a burial plot, may not count either. Continue reading “Special Needs Trust Can Provide Effective Financial Relief for the Disabled Elderly.”

Bronx Landlord Accused of Race Discrimination

A Bronx landlord is accused of discriminating against prospective black tenants, telling them there are no vacancies available moments after telling white applicants that the building has open apartments. According to the lawsuit, secret recordings were made by undercover testers that allegedly revealed blatant discrimination by the landlord via hidden microphones.

The Fair Housing Justice filed the federal lawsuit against J.J.A. Holding Corp., a company accused of lying to prospective black tenants who were inquiring about two buildings in the Woodlawn section of the Bronx. In both cases, audio recordings catch rental agent Ray Brij-Raj telling the black candidates that there were no vacancies in the buildings right after he told white candidates there were, the suit alleges. Continue reading “Bronx Landlord Accused of Race Discrimination”

Elder Law Changes in 2014

While many things remain the same, the laws in the United States are constantly subject to change and revision. Elder law is no different. It is crucial to stay informed and understand the latest regulations that concern you or your loved ones. Below are a few changes made in 2014 regarding elder law (or laws that are particularly relevant for seniors and their families who are attempting to plan for the future):

Continue reading “Elder Law Changes in 2014”

Discrimination Against Tenants in Brooklyn

Tenants in Brooklyn, New York are claiming their landlord is discriminating against them and trying to force them out of their rent-controlled apartment. African American tenants of Homewood Gardens Estates in the Prospect Lefferts Garden neighborhood have filed a federal lawsuit against the complex and owner Yeshaya Wasserman. They allege the landlord failed to make repairs and seldom cashed rent checks in a scheme to evict them from their rent-controlled apartments. Residents claim white and Asian tenants don’t face the same treatment

“He fails routinely to cash rent checks and then turns around and sues plaintiffs for allegedly not paying their rent,” attorney for the residents, Pavita Krishnaswamy said. One woman who’s lived at the apartment complex for over 14 years said she’s gone without hot water for over a week and the landlord barely ever responded to her countless repair requests over the years. Continue reading “Discrimination Against Tenants in Brooklyn”

Kansas Toughens Penalties for Elder Fraud

Fraud and financial abuse of the elderly is more widespread than you may realize. It may even be on the rise due to longer life expectancy and an aging population. Sadly, elder fraud and abuse appears in many forms, affecting millions of senior citizens and their families throughout the United States. These crimes go largely unseen because many seniors do not recognize when it happens to them or may be too ashamed to speak up. The State of Kansas and its lawmakers are standing up against elder law fraud and abuse by drafting measures that create harsher punishments for future offenders.

A new law signed by Governor Brownback of Kansas, is a “first step in the right direction,” to better protect Kansas senior citizens against fraud and financial abuse, said Attorney General Derek Schmidt. The law applies when a victim of financial abuse is over the age of 70-years-old and it “substantially enhances” penalties for stealing from an elderly person. If convicted of large-scale financial abuse, an offender could face more than 40 years in prison. Additionally, the new law makes it a criminal offense to misuse a trust or power of attorney to misappropriate an elder person’s life savings. Continue reading “Kansas Toughens Penalties for Elder Fraud”