The Susquehanna County Bar Association, together with Barnes Kasson County Hospital and the Area Agency on Aging, is sponsoring an Elder Law Program on Saturday, April 5, 2014 at Barnes Kasson County Hospital (Dr. Robert Shelly Pavilion) in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. The program will run from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and it is free to the general public. Over the course of the program, there will be seven different presentations involving issues that impact on the elderly.
I will lead off the morning with a presentation on Elder Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation from the view of the criminal justice system. This presentation was taken from a training program that I attended last spring conducted by Pennsylvania’s Department of Aging’s Institute on Protective Services at Temple University. We will cover all forms of elder abuse – physical and sexual abuse, caretaker neglect and financial exploitation – and the signs to look for that would help you know that an elderly person was being abuse or exploited.
There will also be a presentation by Myron DeWitt, Esquire, involving basic elder law documents such as power of attorneys, wills, living wills and health care proxies. Attorney DeWitt will also provide a separate presentation on trusts – how they are constructed, how they operate, and the potential for abuse in a trust relationship. Most people recognize the names of these documents, but oftentimes they do not know whether they need one. This seminar will provide you with an excellent opportunity to not only learn about the nuts and bolts of legal documents, but also provides a chance to ask questions to better understand whether any of these documents fits into your personal needs.
The CEO of Barnes-Kasson County Hospital, Sara Fran Adornato, will be reviewing the basic eligibility requirements for Medicaid. Judy Kelly, a licensed insurance agent, will be also providing information on understanding Medicare. Given the complexity of Medicare and Medicaid, this seminar provides a terrific opportunity for anyone with questions about either of these programs to go and learn more about them. You will also have the chance to ask questions from the presenters that may assist you or a loved one in connection with these government-run healthcare programs.
Kristin Hamilton, the Community Relations Director for the Area Agency on Aging, will be giving a presentation on Home-Based Services that are provided by her agency. If you are not aware of the different programs that are available through the Area Agency on Aging and are looking for more information, I would encourage you to attend this seminar.
Finally, and perhaps one of the hottest topics in Susquehanna County and our surrounding communities, Wilbur (Bud) Dahlgren, Esquire, will be giving a presentation on Estate Planning issues for elderly individuals with oil and gas rights, leases and royalties. From personal experience, I know some families out there that are asking each other what they should be doing in connection with estate planning in the wake of the natural gas rush – and Attorney Dahlgren will provide a basic framework for you to start thinking about what your family needs to be doing from an estate planning perspective.
This event promises to be a very informative community event – and on behalf of the Susquehanna County Bar Association, I would encourage you to come out and join us. These Elder Law issues are important for every family to identify and understand – and it is even more important to know how to handle these issues before they ever arise. I hope to see you there.
Please submit any questions, concerns, or comments to Susquehanna County District Attorney’s Office, P.O. Box 218, Montrose, Pennsylvania 18801 or at our website www.SusquehannaCounty-DA.org or discuss this and all articles at http://dadesk.blogspot.com/.