Life care planning is a program where experienced and knowledgeable elder law attorneys and care coordinators (social workers) work together with you and your family to meet your medical, long-term care, legal and emotional needs – now and in the future. The focus of a life care plan is to strive for your best quality of life, good health, safety and well-being in the least restrictive environment. Many healthy seniors question why life care planning would be a program they would be interested in exploring without a present need for assistance with current care needs. As the owner of a life care planning law firm, I can admit it wasn’t until recently that I had a good, compelling answer to give.
A little over a month ago, my dad, a healthy 81 year old, had a stroke. It was completely unexpected. As we were sitting in his hospital room, uncertain of the long term effects of the stroke and his future care needs, all I kept thinking to myself is that I should know what questions to ask and the next steps to take. I guide clients through the steps and questions to ask to best advocate for their loved ones in similar situations. The difference in this situation was that it was happening to my family and we were scared, emotionally and physically exhausted, and having a difficult time making sense of the different and often conflicting reports by the doctors. There was talk about rehabilitation at a facility, if my dad was able to come home for therapy, and if he was, how we were going to ensure that both he and my mom (the primary caregiver) had the supports they needed to be successful and be safe.
I was the daughter in this situation not the certified elder law attorney. I didn’t have the capacity to put on the attorney hat except to know it was time for us to ask for help. I called one of our elder care coordinators, explained the situation to her and she immediately went to work. She helped us to decipher the medical lingo, advised us on the questions to ask the doctors and assisted us in getting the needed care in place. Our elder care coordinator (ECC) provided support and assistance to make sure we were advocating for the best possible solutions for my dad’s care and safety. With her help, and the condition my dad was in, my dad was able to come home, received his therapy at the house and has since been discharged. Our ECC coordinator communicated with all the people and agencies necessary to make that happen – it was a great result all around.
This made me think about people who experience these situations and don’t have that elder care coordinator on speed dial. A life care plan is capable of providing the assurance that an advocate is ready, willing and able to step in and guide families through these unexpected, traumatic events. During a scary and overwhelming time, it was a relief for someone to step in and direct us on our next steps. The assistance of our ECC gave my family and me the ability to keep our focus on my dad rather than trying to navigate the complexities of long-term care and how to pay for it.
In addition to the emotional and social support, life care planning enables you to make sure you have your legal documentation in good order, develop a relationship with a team of individuals whose goals are for you and your loved ones to remain as independent as possible and work together to advocate and assist you when life throws you a curveball. In essence, it’s an insurance policy in case you find yourself or a family member in a similar situation; you can simply pick up the phone and call in your team.
This article was written by Marianne Kreisher, Certified Elder Law Attorney and Managing Member of Kreisher Marshall & Associates, LLC.
