Life Care Planning is a relatively new type of practice, but it is the future of elder law. This planning approach integrates long-term care coordination and elder law services into an individually tailored legal plan for each client. It provides older adults and their families with guidance for handling the inevitable challenges created by caring for an aging loved one. In a nutshell, Life Care Planning can be described as elder law combined with a look ahead to potential long-term care needs. Traditional elder law practices are primarily asset-focused. Conversely, ours is a person-centered practice in which bettering our elder-clients’ lives is the main consideration. Instead of focusing on what happens to client’s estate after death, Life Care Planning focuses on maximizing that client’s resources to promote his or her quality of care and quality of life for the rest of life.  Although preserving assets for future generations is not our primary goal, it is naturally an integral component of careful planning and resource allocation in most cases. In other words, the family benefits from a Life Care Plan in more ways than one. When we coordinate care for our elder-clients, the family gets relief from the constant worries and demands inherent to family care giving.

The Life Care Plan itself is a dynamic combination of: 1) identified present needs; 2) projected future needs; and 3) recommendations for decision-making related to good long-term care and financial prudence. Our team identifies all areas of concern for the client and/or family, many of which they were unaware. We sometimes have to reshape the Plan to adapt to changes in a client’s situation. Additionally, the Plan presents proactive solutions to help prevent the infamous final destination of improper or ignored long-term care planning: the nursing home. The heart of Life Care Planning involves the relationships created between our clients and our staff. Elders experience more unexpected “events” with serious implications than any other demographic in the U.S. So, by coordinating our client’s care, the family can be prepared for what might suddenly occur. Should a crisis arise, families armed with a Life Care Plan and a direct line to our expert staff can avoid the kind of frantic action that clouds judgement and hampers decision-making. Without help, bad decisions during a crisis can have major implications. But that’s why we’re here – as your guide and advocate during whatever phase of the aging process your loved one has entered.

In addition to legal services, a Life Care Plan typically includes the following: Assessment – Our care coordinators perform an initial evaluation of the client in his or her current setting (i.e. home, senior community, health care facility, etc.). Recommendations – After review and discussion of the assessment, our team creates an individualized Life Care Plan made up of legal, health care, and long-term care recommendations. The decisions are ultimately the client’s to make, and we put his or her wishes into action. Placement – We identify the best living arrangements, as well as community resources, for each client’s specific situation. Transition – If our client moves from one location to another (from home to assisted living, from the hospital back home, etc.), we ensure that everything is handled as it should. Advocacy – We educate the family and client about their rights, and if problems arise with a provider, we step in to advocate on your behalf.

We start with a simple, visual model to illustrate the progression of aging and its impact on an aging adult’s health, independence and financial freedom. Our team identifies where your loved one currently sits along the continuum of care – which is the visual model. Such a “reality check” allows us to uncover any gaps or potential health & long-term care concerns, as well as the possible costs and options for proactively addressing them. We then craft a customized Life Care Plan that defines, organizes and mobilizes everything our clients need to improve quality of life for the rest of life. Of course, how to pay for long-term care is generally the family’s #1 concern. Fortunately, we specialize in showing you how to cover these costs – from VA benefits available to Veterans and their survivors to emerging financial products with which we are well-versed. Should something unexpected arise, families armed with a Life Care Plan and a direct line to our expert staff avoid the kind of frantic action that clouds judgement and distorts decision-making. Without help, snap decisions during a crisis can have major implications. That’s why we’re here – as a guide and advocate at your disposal. When you call our office and speak with a member of our team, he or she may ask quite a few questions and request some specific information about your particular situation. Our mission is to help as many people as we can, but not everyone needs what we offer. The information we gather upfront allows us to make an initial determination about whether or not we are a good fit for you, and vice versa. We value your time, just as we value our time. Further, the more familiar we can become with your situation early on, the more we can maximize both your time and ours, and the more comprehensive advice and options we can give you.

The current elder care landscape is saturated with companies each vying for the business of seniors. Each of these companies provides a service that addresses one particular area of need for seniors, thus, each company competes with the others that offer similar services or products. What is the logical result? The consumer (i.e., the senior or elder) is presented with a completely subjective representation of the quality of the service or product. It epitomizes a capitalistic society and free market – both of which are crucial to the survival and success of our country. However, economics aside, is this the best environment for a daughter trying to care for her aging mother? Unless the daughter has experience in the field of elder care, she will essentially be “shopping” blind. Knowing what kind of care an elderly person requires does not come naturally; it’s not intuitive. If multiple companies offering similar services are competing against one another for the daughter’s business, she cannot be expected to know which one to choose. The need for totally objective advice has never been more pressing for the older demographic than it is now. Senior exploitation abounds, often masked by seemingly good intentions. Swindlers have discovered a market ripe for their picking. One of our chief goals as a Life Care Planning law firm is to shield our elderly clients from all types of exploitation. We don’t sell commodities – we create relationships. Our Care Coordinators (CCs) ensure that our clients receive the proper and highest quality care possible, whether they live at home or in a residential facility. Our attorneys prepare and execute the legal documents necessary to protect our clients in potential unexpected circumstances. Our other staff conduct various support operations, bolstering the work of the CCs and attorneys. Most importantly, our entire team serves as the elder-client’s advocate. Whereas most law firms deal in transactions, we deal in relationships by working with you continually to help you respond to stressful life events. The advice we offer to clients is 100% objective. There are no referral fees, commissions, or any other outside interests to influence our recommendations to clients. We simply analyze the client’s entire situation, determine the best options given his or her circumstances, and offer a comprehensive plan of care and action consisting of completely unbiased opinions.

A Life Care Plan developed early in the long-term care journey can often postpone or prevent the need for costly institutional care. While the older adult is still living at home or with family, our professional team develops a comprehensive Life Care Plan that addresses legal, financial, housing, health care and long-term care issues as he or she progresses through the stages of aging. Should the need for residential care arise, our team will have equipped the family with the knowledge of what to do next and options to pay for it. Planning ahead for likely future events allows our clients to avoid the asset protection crisis that comes with scrambling to make last-minute decisions and arrangements for unanticipated care. When an older adult is already a residential care facility, our care coordinators visit regularly as the family’s advocate to monitor living quality. If certain problems arise, one of our attorneys immediately steps in to resolve them as quickly as possible. This offers family members – near and far – reassurance that our firm is genuinely advocating for their loved one. A Life Care Plan emphasizes the value in quality of life. The earlier we can establish the Plan, the greater the chances are of ensuring a high quality of life. We accomplish this by proactively planning for future possibilities. For those who neglect to plan, good quality of life may not be a long-term option.