Life Care Planning Services

HOW ARE LIFE CARE PLANS USED?

Life Care Plans are used by health care professional in planning for long term care and treatment issues regarding a personal with chronic health care issues. Life care plans are used in the following situations:

• Insurance companies use life care plans in planning cost and payout time frames for insured.
• Plaintiff and defense attorneys use life care plans to assist in the education and presentation to the courts.
• Individuals use life care plans to help with their planning and money management concerning their individual health care expenses.

WHAT AREAS DOES A LIFE CARE PLAN CONSIDER?

• Projected Evaluations: Physical and/or occupational therapy evaluations; Driver’s evaluations; psychological evaluations; vocational evaluations; recreational evaluations
• Wheelchair/Mobility Accessory and Maintenance Needs
• Projected Therapies: Physical and/or occupational therapy; mental health counseling; vocational counseling
• Orthotics and/or Prosthetics: purchase, repair, maintenance, and supplies
• Home and/or Facility Care: home health care needs
• Projected Routine Future Medical Care: physiatrist, orthopedics, plastic surgeon, urologist, etc.
• Diagnostic Testing/Educational Assessment: annual blood work for medication monitoring, educational testing
• Architectural Renovation and Home Modification: bathroom modifications for safety and accessibility, entry/egress accessibility, kitchen modifications
• Leisure Time and/or Recreational Equipment: hunting and fishing adaptive equipment, card shuffler, card holder, outriggers for snow skiing, monoskis
• Aggressive Treatments, Surgeries, Treatment of Complications: decubitus ulcer closure, scar removal, tendon releases, revision surgery for boney growths
• Transportation and Vehicle Modifications: hand controls, left foot extender, wheelchair lockdowns, accessible van with wheelchair lift
• Medication and Supplies: anti-depressants, pain medication, over-the-counter medications (Advil, Tylenol), disposible gloves, diapers, crutch tips
• Vocational/Training Assessments
• Aids for Independent Function: adaptive cultery, rocker knife, one-handed keyboards, voice activated software
• Home Furnishing and Accessories: Bath bench/chair, lift chair, touch lamps, environmental control systems
• Orthopedic Equipment and/or Other Durable Medical Equipment: walkers, canes, crutches

Note: Each life care plan is individualized based on need and may not have every element of the above outline.

STEPS IN DEVELOPING A LIFE CARE PLAN

1. After being properly retained, the AAF office will request and review appropriate records regarding the client’s past and current care. We ask for a signed medical release so that, if documents are missing, the AAF staff can begin the process of gathering needed records.
2. Following a period of time involved with records review and organization the AAF will schedule an initial contact with the client and conduct a detailed intake and evaluation interview, activity assessment, and home evaluation checklist.
3. Following the records review and initial interview, AAF staff begin the process of developing a working model of the life care plan chart. This model is based on elements identified in the records and intake regarding both past and current care. Furthermore, the chart will present additional information which is needed that may not have been started.
4. Based on this working draft, AAF begins a detailed process of Internet research and telephone contact with various vendors and/or providers of good and services to gather cost of care information. This process involves calling multiple prosthetic vendors, physicians, actual care providers and others to determine the market value of recommended goods and/or services. Additionally, the AAF staff downloads hundreds of contacts for DME’s (Durable Medical Equipment) providers and manufacturers. Most of the larger companies now provide on-line ordering and clients can save a great deal of time and money ordering over the net.
5. During the research phase, a trip will be scheduled to the client’s home. This trip is generally a two day trip, however, it may take more time based on any additional objective of the onsite visit, i.e., shooting video and interview with local providers. During the site visit, the intake process will continue and the client will be given the opportunity to review document contents at that time. A detailed home and equipment evaluation will be performed involving taking photographs and measurements regarding accessibility and probable home modification recommendations. All equipment currently being used at the time of the site visit will be evaluated and photos will also be taken of those items. The client will be observed in his home setting and his use of the various aids which he uses in activities of daily living.
6. Following return from the site visit the AAF staff begin the process of refining the LCP chart and preparing this document for physician review. Once the document is completed it is faxed to one of the current treaters (ideally a Physiatrist) for their imput and recommendations. Once this process is completed and the physician grants the AAF permission, their name is added at the bottom of the chart noting that they have reviewed and approved the LCP. This final step is what makes the AAF life care planning process medically based and very unique.
7. All items are organized in one to two 3-ring binder(s) and tabbed for easy access and review. A secondary notebook is sometime used to provide articles which have been written that should be useful to the client in their rehabilitation and educational process.
8. Once the above steps have been completed the AAF life care planner is ready to present this information by deposition and/or trial testimony. The time to testimony readiness is approximately 45 to 60 working days from start to finish of the report preparation. Our time frame may be longer or shorter depending on the difficulty of the case and availability and/or access to records and treaters.