Diagnosis of a chronic illness or a health crisis presents a confusing maze of legal, health care, and financial questions which need to be addressed quickly. Long Term Care Planning addresses those issues in one place: our office. We can work with you and your family to create a plan, help you to get your affairs in order, and give you the confidence to know that you are making the best choices. Assistance from our office also frees up family members to focus on their loved one, instead of figuring out the long term care maze.
Typically, a Long Term Care Plan considers:
- Assessment of present health and safety
- How to find and pay for the health care you need now
- How to prepare for anticipated future health care needs
- Getting your legal affairs in order
- Getting your financial affairs in order
- Who will manage your health care if you cannot
- Who will manage your money and property if you cannot
- If you have dependents, how to best preserve assets and provide for them
- Public benefits’ appropriateness, including VA benefits, Medicaid, Waiver services, Medicaid Nursing Home grants, Dom Care, Medicare, Medicare Extra Help, PACE, Options, etc.
Services frequently used to implement a Long Term Care Plan include:
Legal Services
- Estate planning document drafting or updating
- Asset protection strategies: education and counseling
- Deeds
- Medicaid Nursing Home grant counseling: the “spend down,” income and asset requirements, protecting the community spouse from impoverishment
- Medicaid Nursing Home applications
- Veterans benefits counseling and applications
- Assisted living facility contract review
- Nursing home admissions document review
- Continuing care Retirement Community contract review
- Medicare counseling
- Hospice benefit counseling
- Advocacy to get the best possible care while preserving assets
Elder Care Coordination Services
- Health care planning: Assessment of present and future health care needs
- Resource identification: Where to get best quality services that match an individual’s values and preferences
- Coaching and support to get needed services in place
- Frequent communication with client, caregiver, family members, and other important care team members
- Assisted living or nursing home recommendations – if living at home no longer viable
- Transition planning and support if move becomes necessary
- Advocacy and support to get the best possible care and lighten the caregiver’s load
- Facilitated family meetings