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Life Care Planning

Because the only thing constant in life, is change.

If you truly believe this old adage, then you will understand the importance of a Life Care Plan.

 

Life Care Planning is a holistic, elder-centered team approach for families struggling with the demands of an elderly loved one’s care. Often families are unprepared and overwhelmed with the unanticipated stress and demands required to care for an aging parent or relative, particularly with Alzheimer’s and Dementia cases, with no idea of where to turn for help or to find the necessary resources. Life care planning is simply the development and implementation of a plan by the Life Care Planning Elder Law Attorney and his team which brings together the necessary professionals, each with a unique specialty in geriatrics, to enhance the Elder’s quality of life and independence.

 

Most Elder lawyers assess the senior’s condition and put in place what is needed at that time at which point the representation usually ends until the senior’s situation changes and the family/client approaches the attorney for help with the change in circumstances. At Lambert Elder Care Law we understand that our aging client’s situation and needs always change, sometimes unpredictably and often rapidly. We believe that we provide the best services to our clients by being available for the client or family immediately when those changes occur.

 

We use the Elder Care Continuum–a graph that demonstrates the housing needs, functional limitations, cost of care and resources needed or available of an aging senior–to show our clients and their families how a life care plan works, and why it is the best approach to addressing all of the senior’s needs. The Elder Care Continuum helps to determine what needs the senior has and what adjustments have to be made. When you become our client, you are immediately assigned to one of our two on-staff Elder Care Coordinators (ECC)–both of whom are Registered Nurses. Your ECC will begin with a comprehensive assessment of the senior’s health and long term care needs usually within 7 to 10 days. This is followed by a scheduled meeting with the family within 2 to 3 weeks to discuss needs, options and available resources. The Elder Care Coordinator becomes actively involved with the family and implements that aspect of the life care plan chosen by the client/family. The ECC provides a wide array of services for you and helps you and your family understand all options and available resources. Most important of which is client care coordination. The ECC can also work with community resources in helping arrange for in-home health care assessments, home structure modifications when necessary, assisted living facility placement or skilled nursing facility placement.

 

The Elder lawyer will put into place all the documents and legal aspects needed for an effective estate plan, and necessary MediCAID planning and Asset Protection plan. Any changes to these documents or legal planning is included for the duration of the life care plan. All life care plans are initially for a period of 1 year with the option to renew at the end of the term.

 

The goal of a life care plan is to keep the Elderly client in their own home as long as feasible and lighten the burden considerably when the family chooses to move the Elderly into their home. The Lambert Elder Law Care team develops a plan to address the various legal, financial, health care, housing, and long-term care issues created by the aging loved one’s chronic illness, disability and functional decline.

 

Life Care Planning has been very attractive for children who live in different states or communities from their aging parents, but yet need an extra set of eyes and ears for their parents who want to remain independent. For children with busy lives, the Elder Care Coordinator can be invaluable to do the foot work and assist with communication and interaction with the long term care community.

 

If Life Care Planning sounds like an option for your family situation, please contact us today for more information at 229-292-8989.