Melville Law Firm Sponsoring Free Caregiver Conference

As the population ages, so do the number of caregivers providing care for a family member or friend.  There are nearly 66 million Americans who have taken on this challenging role.  The majority of caregivers have to rearrange their schedules, decrease work hours or take unpaid leave to meet this often stressful responsibility.

To help ease the burden and provide family caregivers with practical solutions and strategies, Genser Dubow Genser & Cona (GDGC), an elder law and estate planning firm based in Melville and Hofstra University School of Law are sponsoring a free caregiver conference.  It will be held on Wednesday, April 17 from 6–9 p.m. at the law school located at 121 Hofstra University in Hempstead. 

A light dinner will be served.  Registration is required by contacting Moriah Farrell at 631-390-5000 or RSVP@genserlaw.com.

At the event, GDGC will also present an award and gift card for $100 to the Caregiver of the Year. 

“Caregivers need to know how to navigate the system on many different levels if they want to minimize their stress and have a proper plan in place,” says Jennifer Cona, Esq., managing partner at Genser Dubow Genser & Cona, a Melville based elder law and estate planning firm.  “By understanding more about the services that are available for medical care, home care, caring for the caregiver as well as asset protection strategies, the caregiver can take the necessary steps and time to make the right decisions for themselves and their loved ones before a crisis occurs.” 

 The topics to be presented include:

¨    Caring for Aging Parents: Services and Benefits

-       Community Programs for Seniors

-       Options for Financing Health Care Needs

-       Government Benefits – Medicaid and Veterans Benefits

          ♦  Preserving Assets: It’s Never Too Early or Too Late

   -  Planning in Advance with Asset Protection Trusts

   -  Exempt Assets and Transfers

   -  Crisis Planning with Promissory Notes

          ♦ The Latest Strategies in Long Term Care

-       Long Term Care Insurance: Who Needs It and How Does it Work?

-       New York State Partnership Plans: New Rules and Reciprocity

-       Combining Benefits – Life and Long Term Care Insurance for a Guaranteed Return

¨    Caring for Your Family Member With Dementia

-       The Etiology and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

-       Improving Communication, Structure and Safety in the Home

-       Creating Meaningful and Satisfying Routines

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Melissa Negrin-Wiener, elder law attorney, is a partner at Genser Dubow Genser & Cona LLP.  She manages the Government Benefits Department while concentrating her practice in the areas of Medicaid eligibility planning, Veteran’s Benefits, asset protection planning, disability matters, guardianships and estate planning.  Ms. Negrin-Wiener supervises the preparation of Medicaid Applications for nursing home care, community home care and Veterans benefits. 

Paul Hyl, estate planning attorney, is a partner at Genser Dubow Genser & Cona LLP.  He manages GDGC’s Trust and Estates Department and concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, trust and estate administration, probate, estate litigation and special needs planning.

Natalie Karp, MBA, CLTC and Rona Loshak, MBA, CLTC are co-owners of Karp Loshak LTC Insurance Solutions.  As licensed long-term care professionals, they service the "sandwich generation": those caught between aging parents who need care and their own children. They understand and appreciate the emotional and financial consequences of protracted home or nursing care. They are independent insurance brokers and represent the top rated LTC insurance companies: Genworth, Guardian/Berkshire, John Hancock, Hartford Life, Lincoln, Mass Mutual, Med America, Mutual of Omaha, National Life, Prudential, TransAmerica, UNUM.

Barbara F. Speedling, Quality of Life Specialist and owner of Innovations for Quality Living is well known as an educator in the field of psychosocial and behavioral challenges of varied populations, including individuals with dementia, brain injury, and mental illness.  She provides education and guidance in regulatory compliance and program development in all aspects of quality of life and behavior management.

In addition to GDGC and Hofstra University School of Law, the Caregiver Conference is also sponsored by:  The Bristal Assisted Living, Long Island Alzheimer’s Foundation (LIAF), Karp Loshak Insurance Solutions, United Adult Ministries and the Long Island State Veterans Home.