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9 Parts of a Great Life-Care Plan

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    Planning dominates our lives. That’s a good thing. We plan our careers and retirement. We plan our kids’ upbringing and education. We plan our weekly grocery list. We plan the family trip to Disney World. But, regrettably, most people think about building a great life-care plan too late or not at all.

    So what’s a life-care plan? It could be one of the most vital plans you ever make. Not that those mentioned (and countless others) aren’t important. But planning for later in life – for good times and bad; in sickness and in health – puts affairs in order and honors your loved one’s needs and wishes.

    We build plans that ensure your loved one maintains control or keeps the decision-making as close as possible. We emphasize being loved; meeting all care needs; having financial security; and creating a life of joy, happiness and comfort until the end … and beyond.

    What Should a Life-Care Plan Include?

    A well-made life-care plan should include these 9 basic (and not-so-basic) elements. It’s a formal document that breaks down what will be done, when, why and by whom. It factors everything that needs to happen for your loved one as they navigate the uncertainties of advancing years, health conditions, financial and legal realities, and end of life. 

    Sounds authoritarian, right? “Do this.” “Do that.” “Don’t do that.” Not exactly. It should be flexible. It should anticipate changing realities, needs and wants over time. Care partners and responsibilities may change. Unanticipated medical diagnoses may arise. Even fortunes can reverse almost overnight.

    So let’s build a foundation on these life-care planning principles and leave enough wiggle room for details to change later. 

    1. Person-Centered Language & Care

    Let’s begin here because words alone can help – or hurt. The language of your life-care plan must be what we call “person-centered” or “person-focused.” Words can empower the care recipient or relegate them to a weakened position of vulnerability and helplessness. 

    Don’t believe me? Check it out:

    • Caregiver vs. care partner – Caregiver assigns a position of authority over the individual’s care. Care partner levels the playing field, allowing the individual at the center of care to advocate for their needs and wants as an equal.
    • “Alzheimer’s in 34F” vs. Melissa – Professional care staff have too long referred to individuals by their diagnoses instead of their actual names. But she’s (insert name here) and is a person with a story beyond her medical condition.
    • Patient vs. resident – Another identification misnomer. The word “patient” carries a helpless connotation of someone dependent on a facility or another person for care. A resident simply lives in a location and directs their own care from that “home,” wherever it may be. 

    You see, it’s more than just a positive outlook or worldview. Words alone support a more effective and fulfilling person-centered care structure. Person-centered care values the individual as a full and capable member of society, honors their perspective and wishes, evolves alongside changing needs, and supports a life worth living.

    2. Care-Partner Team

    We build care-partner teams to include individuals chosen by your loved one. Members may consist of family, friends and professionals. The partnership is characterized by mutual cooperation and joint responsibilities. There are opportunities to give (and receive) care by all parties in this partnership:

    • An adult child may pay your loved one’s bills and balance the checkbook.
    • A neighbor may stop by periodically with meals.
    • A brother or sister may assist with bathing and medications.

    Your care-partner team may also include both traditional and non-traditional care methods. Some families prefer support in accordance with religion and faith, with a clergy member, lay leader or other religious/spiritual adviser serving a central role. 

    3. Patient Advocacy

    Moving ahead with the life-care plan, patient advocacy is your one-stop shop for EVERYTHING your loved one and care partners need. As a Board-certified Patient Advocate in the State of Florida, I work with care-partner teams to advise and coordinate resources needed for every step of the care journey. 

    Our loved ones face many important decisions. You need an experienced patient advocate who knows each required step for your loved one’s physical, emotional and financial well-being. 

    (Which segues nicely to our next points.) 

    4. Medical Needs

    Good health is a luxury. Some of us are very fortunate. Our loved ones may be in very good health well into their 80s or 90s, only to experience a quick-and-unexpected, life-threatening emergency. They may be diagnosed early with a terminal illness like Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia that for years deteriorates memories and cognitive abilities before your very eyes.

    No matter your loved one’s health, we must hope for the best and plan for the worst. Your life-care plan should factor anticipated health and dietary needs in both good and poor health.

    5. Financial & Legal Needs

    And then we must anticipate who will make legal and financial decisions if your loved one becomes incapacitated. Ideally, they will plan early to have official documentation prepared for “when the time comes.” It’s more than “who gets what” or who “chooses to pull the plug.”

    Needs may include:

    Get it in writing! Get it done early, when everyone has a cool head about the future.

    6. Living Situations

    OK, so we all want to age gracefully at home – at least as long as possible. But quite often, medical (and sometimes financial) realities compel us to perhaps downsize to a more manageable home or enter assisted living.

    A strong life-care plan spells out where your loved one will reside, when and why. It should have a Plan A and as many contingencies as necessary to factor both anticipated and unforeseen variables. For instance, Plan A may be that your mother and father live at home, but Plan B might include options for Mom entering a specific memory-care facility if/when her dementia takes a turn, while Plan C mobilizes home-care resources for Dad remaining at home before moving to join her in Plan Z.

    7. Community Resources

    Great care sometimes takes a village. While care begins at home, our home communities often can support our care needs in more ways than one. Community care options, including professional agencies, may perform a variety of services including 

    As part of our patient advocacy and life-care planning, we provide referrals to great resources in the Tampa and Clearwater, FL areas to relieve burdens on stressed families.

    8. End-of-Life Care

    It’s a certainty. We all face a date with the end. And while some of us will be lucky enough to pass in peace, the reality is that death for most people can be a lengthy, uncomfortable process. Even if your loved one is healthy, their body will likely shut down in the end stages. They’ll lose appetite and weight and the organs will begin to shut down – sometimes quite painfully.

    That’s why hospice care is a great resource for individuals expected to live six months or less, providing comfort and support at end of life. For those expected to live a bit longer in a debilitating condition, palliative care provides many of the same comfort services. 

    9. After Care

    And then it’s all over. Whether your loved one passed expectedly in peace and dignity or if they struggled mightily, the death experience can be jarring for everyone involved. Close family and friends understandably feel emptiness and sorrow. Sometimes only counseling can work through such strong emotions.

    But there are often other pressing matters including memorial services and other final arrangements, as well as financial and legal responsibilities to fulfill. Alongside our community partners, we provide direct after-care support and referrals for whatever you may need. 

    Let’s Build a Life-Care Plan for a Life Worth Living

    As a professional life-care planner and a Board-certified Patient Advocate, I assist individuals and their care-partner teams every day. And then I come home to fulfill our life-care plan with my life partner/care partner, Brian. If you need help, Caregiver Support and Resources, LLC can help you from beginning to end.

    Patient Advocacy

    Patient Advocacy: Your One-Stop Shop for a Life Worth Living

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      As your loved one ages or progresses through a terminal illness, the number of professionals and agencies involved in their care will only increase. Patient advocacy is your one-stop shop for EVERYTHING your loved one and their care partners will need.

      You’ll have doctor appointments — sometimes many of them spanning a range of health disciplines. You’ll have coordination along the continuum of care — from the home and in the community to potential long-term care options. You’ll have financial and legal considerations. And, all the while, you’ll require continuing education into health conditions, care options and quality-of-life factors.

      After all, each of us deserves a life worth living, right? Here’s how a Board-certified Patient Advocate can help.

      Board-Certified Patient Advocacy in the Tampa Bay Area

      A Patient Advocate helps to navigate complex health care systems, financial realities and resources for senior care, people at end of life, and those who simply wish to prepare for life’s latter stages.

      Care-Partner Team Building

      We steer clear of the term caregiver. While accurate in some cases, person-centered language prefers the term care partner. Why? Because it empowers the individual at the center of care. They’re not just care recipients. They’re people — with special needs and desires for a life well lived and thoroughly enjoyed. In many cases, they may direct their own care for many years into advancing age or a terminal diagnosis. And with a great life-care plan, they may make preparations and continue to direct their own care when they’re no longer able to make decisions.

      Where do we start? Let’s consider ALL of the individuals who may serve a role in assisting care. It’s a team effort, when possible, and this team may include loved ones, friends, neighbors and professionals with important roles in the home (family visits, cooking, cleaning, etc.) to transportation (to and from medical appointments) to respite care, assisted living or long-term nursing care (transitions and ongoing support).

      A life-care plan is a working document that can always change as needs evolve. It provides accurate and timely information that addresses all aspects of care from physical therapy, doctor visits and crisis intervention to financial responsibilities, dietary needs and community living.    

      Medical Care Coordination

      Patient advocacy helps clients understand all treatment options, whether they’re terminal illnesses like dementia and cancer or simpler needs that follow the healthy aging process. Treatment options are just that: options. Sometimes seeking second (and even third) opinions yields the best possible care. We empower care-partner teams to ask tough questions of the right professionals involved in all aspects of care.

      Some individuals see a network of doctors, clinicians, specialists and other providers to address specific needs. Complexity and confusion are common. We work alongside clients to secure care options in any setting. We will even coordinate and attend medical appointments, if appropriate. We also help care-partner teams to organize important health care, financial and legal documents (like a living will or power of attorney), as well as prescriptions and recommendations by health professionals.

      Medicaid & VA Planning

      A semi-private nursing home room costs on average $9,946 per month here in the Tampa, FL area. Folks can save their entire lives and think that they’ll have adequate funds for “that rainy day” only to suffer a stroke, major heart attack, or receive a terminal diagnosis. Almost overnight, they no longer have the means to afford critical health care needs. This expense would cause most people to enter financial hardship.

      In order to receive Medicaid and VA benefits, individuals must first be financially eligible. A Board-certified Patient Advocate, like myself, helps clients to understand financial eligibility ins and outs to protect assets for now and the future. Medicaid, unlike Medicare, will cover all long-term care costs. Once we obtain Medicaid eligibility for an individual, if they remain within the Medicaid guidelines, they will be eligible for the rest of their lives.

      Life Transitions

      Almost everyone prefers to age comfortably at home. Sometimes that’s possible. But conditions and diagnoses come that, at times, compel transitions to a more optimal, healthy and safe living space. Moving to an assisted-living facility, nursing home or hospice end-of-life care is difficult for everyone involved.

      An experienced Patient Advocate assists care-partner teams with the logistics and red tape associated with moving. In addition to financial eligibility requirements, elders and their care partners must navigate issues associated with real estate transactions, asset management and continuity of care. 

      Some moves are temporary. When a client is discharged to a rehab facility (or back home), we plan and coordinate resources for whatever that next step may be.

      Education and Referrals

      Whether you or a loved one are researching care and financial options for years in the future or immediately after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, your Patient Advocate will always educate you about processes, responsibilities and treatment options. 

      There’s so much to know. Yes, it will likely seem overwhelming. What can you do when a loved one no longer responds to treatment? How do you adjust when they wish to adjust their end-of-life plans or when circumstances change for Medicaid eligibility? When those questions (and others) arise, we will refer helpful resources from a network of partnering organizations.

      Let’s Start Planning for Patient Advocacy Today

      I am a Board-certified Patient Advocate in the State of Florida. I work with care-partner teams to advise and coordinate resources needed for every step of the care journey.

      Aging individuals and their care partners face important decisions. There are many moving parts to planning care for quality of life and financial protection. You need an expert Patient Advocate who knows each required step for your loved one’s all-around well-being.

      Contact me at info@caregiversupportandresources.com to get started today.