Did Restaurateur B. Smith Have Advance Directives in Place?

Renowned restaurateur and former model, B. Smith, announced alongside her husband in 2014 that she was suffering from the early-onset symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. As Ms. Smith’s disease progressed, her husband began an extra-marital affair to cope with the deterioration of his wife’s memory. After going public with the relationship, Smith’s husband received considerable backlash from the online community who condemned his behavior on the assumption that if Smith’s mental state were better off, she would not approve. It is unknown whether B. Smith executed any advanced directives or end-of-life care instructions before her condition worsened.
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What is a Reverse Mortgage?

As Americans grow older and with a majority of the older population now entering retirement, the need for income sufficient to cover expenses becomes greater. While there are programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and Supplemental Security Income, that help seniors with income and healthcare, those programs may not be enough for some individuals to pay for their monthly expenses or healthcare costs. There is another option that is available to many Americans over the age of 62, such as a reverse mortgage.
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Protecting Against Caregiver Theft

Over the past decade, the home health care industry has expanded dramatically with more than 200,000 New Yorkers reporting paid caregivers as their primary occupation. According to a study conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, home health careers are expected to see the most rapid growth than other technical fields by 2026 and that by 2040, New York City will have an estimated 1.4 million seniors; approximately 70-percent of which will be in-need of long-term care services.
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Guildnet Closes Its Doors

On August 21, 2018, Guildnet CEO, Alan R. Morse, notified employees that the company will be closing its doors as of December 1, 2018, leaving New Yorkers in need of managed long-term care (MLTC) services at a disadvantage. The Guildnet program was designed to offer therapeutic/medical care, home healthcare services, case management, and medical equipment to those who qualify and will be in need of the provided services for a minimum of 120 days. Guildnet announced that by January 1st of 2019, all medical services to their 8,211 managed long-term care members will be terminated. United Healthcare, who until recently offered a partial MLTC plan, will also be pulling out of several counties in up-state New York by February of 2019, affecting nearly 1,500 enrollees who are said to be notified of these changes by November.
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Eliminating Major Capital Improvements

New York State Senator Michael Gianaris and New York State Assemblyman Brian Barnwell have introduced legislation that would do away with Major Capital Improvements (MCI) for apartments in an effort to protect tenants’ rights. According to an article from Crain’s New York Business, the MCI program began in the 1970’s which allowed landlords to make capital improvements to their buildings and pass the costs onto the tenants by raising their rents.
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Understanding Rental Increases

Landlord-tenant disputes can occur for numerous reasons with the most common issues arising due to the non-payment of rent.

According to the New York State Attorney General, the rental units are described as follows:

  • Regulated Housing (rent controlled and rent stabilized);
  • Unregulated Housing (private ownership);
  • Special Housing (mobile homes, residential hotels, lofts); and
  • Government-Financed Housing (section 8, public housing).

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Nursing Home Concerns: Identifying Elder Abuse

Many wonder about the overall safety and well-being of their loved ones after admittance to a long-term care facility. This puts added pressure on the family should the facility be found insufficient. To better understand the risk factors involved with assisted living and nursing facilities, the care experts at HelpGuide.org have categorized elder abuse in the following ways:

  • Sexual Abuse;
  • Physical Abuse;
  • Financial Exploitation;
  • Elder Neglect; and
  • Emotional Abuse.

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Importance of Advanced Directives

As the seasons begin to turn, it is important to stress the need to have your advanced directives in place. Advanced directives include:

  • A health care proxy;
  • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) release form;
  • A living will; and
  • Power of attorney.

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Fair Hearings – Medicaid

Applying for Medicaid or any other government benefits can be challenging. If an application for Medicaid or other government benefits is denied, it is important to understand that you have the right to appeal the denial to the State in an administrative proceeding called a Fair Hearing. (NOTE_- You must also request an internal appeal of an adverse decision with your healthcare provider in addition to requesting a NYS Fair Hearing)
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“Queen of Soul” Leaves Behind a Legacy, But No Will

When Aretha Franklin died on August 16, 2018, she left behind a litany of musical memories for her fans. But one thing she forgot to leave behind was a Will.

Variety reported that the “Queen of Soul” — who died at the age of 76 of pancreatic cancer — had no Will designating who will benefit from her estate. In her home state of Michigan, if an unmarried person with children dies intestate, each surviving child receives an equal amount of the decedent’s assets. In this case, Ms. Franklin’s four sons filed documents in court listing themselves as interested parties and acknowledged the absence of a Will, while their cousin requested to be the personal representative of Ms. Franklin’s estate.
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Testimonials

“I want to take this time to thank Tanya and Keith for their professionalism and their ability to keep me calm during this process. Tanya was very helpful in explaining the whole guardianship process and my next steps. Despite my numerous emails, I never felt ignored or that they were growing weary of me. Even after being granted guardianship when I had an issue with the bank releasing money Tanya stayed calm and found a way to get what I was entitled to. I hope I never need to do this again but if I do, I will definitely come back to Tanya and her team. Thank you Thank you Thank you. Love from Bermuda.”

-K. Durham.
(An attorney in Bermuda transferring a Bermudian guardianship to NY)

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