40 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • MAY 2021
FAMILY & EDUCATION
LONG ISLAND MOTHER’S
DAY GIFT GUIDE
Here are some ideas:
PAMPER HER
Curate the perfect gift box filled with all
the things she loves through Panache
Gifts, based in Locust Valley. Panache has
everything from skincare to chocolates
to stationery to help you put together a
gift that’s perfectly customized down to
its packaging. Panache Gifts, 63 Underhill
Ave., Locust Valley, 646-341-2411,
panachegiftshop.com
AT-HOME SPA DAY
Since being a mom is a full-time 24/7
job, give her the gift of relaxation this
Mother’s Day. LocaLI Bred offers a
wide range of spa gift boxes as part of
its Mother’s Day Collection. The deluxe
spa gift box is a bundle of relaxation
that’s sure to kick-start a well-deserved
day off. localibred.com
FOR THE MOM WHO LOVES
CANDLES
What’s better than a home that smells
like your favorite place on Long Island?
Hamptons Handpoured creates handpoured
soy candles. Each candle is inspired
by a different village on the East
End. hamptonshandpoured.com
GET CRAFTY
Treat mom to a painting class with option
of making it a paint and sip. With a full
menu, signature cocktails and boozy ice
cream, Pinot’s Palette is offering a special
“Hanging with Mom” painting class at
$40 per guest. Pinot’s Palette, 2557 Hempstead
Tpke., East Meadow 516-390-8740,
pinotspalette.com/eastmeadow
QUALITY TIME
Get some fresh air and celebrate Mother’s
Day at Harbes Family Farm’s annual
Mother’s Day Festival. The 100-acre farm
will be filled with activities for younger
kids, live music and concession stands
with a variety of foods and drinks.
Harbes Family Farm, 715 Sound Ave.,
Mattituck, 631-482-7641, harbesfamilyfarm.
com
FLOWERPOTS
After you get Mom all those flowers,
where’s she going to plant them? Bubble
Boutique and Learning Center in Babylon
has flowerpot craft kits available for
pickup. They come with everything you
need to glitter up, paint and personalize
your pot, plus two annuals and dirt. 15 E
Main St., Babylon, 631-587-0050, bubblelearning.
com
FROM THE KIDS
Here to help the little ones draw up that
precious homemade card for Mom this
year is Amanda Fennell of Southampton,
AKA The Art Nanny. The former
art teacher and mother has channeled
her creative tutelage into her website,
where she sells art kits for kids that
can help them make something from
the heart — or maybe get something for
the artsy Mom herself to paint! theartnanny.
com
POWER OF YOUR ATTORNEY
NEW MEDICAID LAW:
CALL FOR EARLY ASSET
PROTECTION PLANNING
BY JENNIFER CONA, ESQ.,
CONA ELDER LAW
Susan and Jim worked hard their
entire lives to create a comfortable
nest egg that would last throughout
retirement and allow them to leave
an inheritance for their children and
grandchildren. They were well-off
but knew that the costs of long term
care, averaging close to $20,000/
month in a nursing home and $8,000/
month for home care, would wipe
out their life savings in short order.
They also knew that friends and
neighbors in their position had taken
steps to protect assets.
There are many people like Susan
and Jim: couples and families with
too much money to qualify for
Medicaid benefits now but too little
money to pay for their own longterm
care expenses for very long
without depleting the family’s assets.
Luckily, they don’t have to.
Protecting Assets to Qualify for
Medicaid Nursing Home Benefits
To avoid spending down assets
on the cost of nursing home care,
it is critical to engage in asset
protection planning by establishing
an irrevocable Asset Protection
Trust. But be aware: in order to
protect assets, the trust must be
irrevocable. A revocable trust does
not protect assets. Almost any type
of asset may be held in a trust,
such as bank accounts, title to your
home, brokerage accounts, etc. The
key is to plan ahead; currently, an
Asset Protection Trust must be
established five years in advance (the
current look-back period) in order to
protect assets for Medicaid eligibility
purposes. Since no one knows when
a health care crisis may occur, early
planning is crucial.
Susan and Jim were relieved
to learn they could qualify for
Medicaid in the future and didn’t
have to spend their life savings to
do so. They found comfort in the
fact that they would have access
to the best possible care while
still leaving an inheritance to their
children and grandchildren.
Medicaid Home
Care: The New
Look Back Period
Most of us want to live in our homes for
as long as we can. New York recently
imposed a 30 month Medicaid look
back period for home care services.
Any transfers of assets made during
or after October 1, 2020 will result in
a penalty period in the same way that
the penalty is calculated for the 5 year
look back for Institutional Medicaid
benefits. Asset Protection Trusts
can be used in the Medicaid Home
Care context to preserve assets and
secure the earliest possible Medicaid
eligibility date. Again, because of the
new law and look back period, early
planning is key.
Plan Today to Live Your Best Life
The best time to engage in Medicaid
and asset protection planning is well
before a health care crisis occurs.
Early planning allows you to keep
your options open and to receive
care where you want it, such as at
home, in an assisted living, or to
protect assets from spend-down
should you require nursing home
care. That said, it’s never too late
to protect your hard-earned assets.
Even if you’re already in a nursing
home, we can still help.
Jennifer B. Cona, Esq. is the Founder
and Managing Partner of Cona Elder
Law PLLC. Cona Elder Law is an awardwinning
law firm concentrating in the
areas of elder law, estate planning, estate
administration and litigation, and health
care law. The firm has been ranked the
#1 Elder Law Firm by Long Island
Business News for eight consecutive
years. For additional information, visit
www.conaelderlaw.com.
Join us for our May 18th Webinar:
How to Qualify for Medicaid:
Home Care & Institutional Benefits.
https://bit.ly/3nt5qE4
PARTNER CONTENT
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