Caregiving can be a time-consuming and emotionally taxing task that often leaves people overwhelmed and discouraged. Needing to lift the burden off your family’s shoulders can sometimes be crucial to everyone’s mental health, and having a plan for the legal, medical, and financial challenges of old age can alleviate everyone’s anxiety. A life care plan sets out, prioritizes, and organizes every aspect of elderly care.
The ultimate goal of elderly care planning is to enhance and maintain the safety, well-being, health, and quality of life of the elderly. With a life care plan, you and your loved ones will have less stress and easily overcome the challenges of old age.
Life care plans are prepared by the client, their family and their care team, along with guidance from our attorneys and Elder Care Coordinators. Life care plans may involve reviewing an individual’s medical and financial records as well as assistance with estate planning, asset preservation and access to benefits.
Elders have complete access to options and guidance from advisors who help make the best decisions about their well-being in the future. At Applegate & Dillman Elder Law, we will help you navigate the legal, financial, and medical issues that may come with old age. Our Elder Care Coordinators will offer a personalized solution to accommodate all your current and future needs.
What Services Does Life Care Planning Include?
Life care plans should be personalized for an individual’s current and future needs. A Life Care Planning client has access to the following services:
- Legal Services
The legal complications brought about by old age can be intimidating. Some of the issues you might have to deal with include long-term care, age discrimination, family disagreements, property disputes, power of attorney, and elder abuse.
A life care plan is a mix of legal services developed to safeguard one’s interests and provide support to dependents and their families in the future. You and your loved ones can now rest assured that all elderly law issues are handled by attorneys who understand your situation.
- Client Advocacy
An Elder Care Coordinator can be a valuable resource when advocating for issues affecting you or your loved one. Client advocacy services can come in handy when demanding safe and effective hospital healthcare or seeking professional testimony in court. Our Indianapolis Elder Care Coordinators attorneys will provide advocacy services to protect you or your loved one’s quality of life.
- Asset Preservation
Our clients work their whole lives to build and acquire assets that they may want to pass down to their loved ones. Unfortunately, in-home care, assistive devices, medications, and other long-term care expenses can take their toll on a person’s financial resources. This is why, at the start of your Life Care Planning journey, builds a plan for how best to preserve your assets.
- Care Coordination
When it comes to chronic diseases, illnesses, and sudden injuries, you need the help of long-term care professionals to help you with decision making. Care coordination may involve assisting clients in accessing and affording quality healthcare, whether in a community or at home. Our care coordination services can help you handle the frustrating and overwhelming continuum of care.
- Public Assistance Support
Medicaid is one of the largest provider of financial assistance in the United States. However, the application process can be tedious, confusing, and time-consuming. Our team can find the benefits that align with your specific circumstances and help you apply.
When to Create a Life Care Plan
It is essential to consider creating a life care plan immediately after an event that may leave you concerned about your future. Life care plans are appropriate for individuals with chronic conditions or injuries requiring long-term healthcare management and intervention. Some of the trigger events for life care planning include:
- Any life-altering diagnoses, such as Parkinson’s, Cancer or Dementia/Alzheimer’s.
- An accident, fall, catastrophic event, car wreck, or a medical mishap.
- Stroke, heart attack, aneurysm, or other underlying medical conditions.
- Malnutrition, dehydration, or other functional limitations.
- Care is limited due to time, financial, and geographical constraints.
The Benefits of Life Care Planning
You can wait until your loved one needs immediate long-term care to create a life care plan. However, the delay can leave you and your family members disadvantaged. In this case, pre-crisis life care planning can come in handy. Early life care planning can benefit you and your loved ones in different ways:
- You will have a chance to put financial and legal matters in order.
- You can get the care you need for your loved one.
- It preserves dignity and independence since it increases the chances of growing old at home.
- You can access a wide range of community resources and services.
- Family members no longer have to deal with costly and time-consuming asset protection crises.
- You can get the support you need to deal with any health care, legal, or long-term care issues that may come with old age.
Get in Touch with an Indianapolis Life Care Planning Attorney
If you feel stressed or overwhelmed with medical, financial, or legal aspects of growing old, an Indianapolis life care planning attorney from Applegate & Dillman can offer a solution. We will evaluate your situation, discuss your options, and provide a customized solution to ensure that your current and future legal, financial, and medical needs are consistently met.
Contact us today to discover more and schedule a consultation with our legal team.