Have you or a loved one ever experienced a family health emergency where a decision for care needed to be made quickly and the idea of navigating the myriad of questions (Where should they go for care? How long will they need to stay at a facility? Who will manage their home and financial affairs while they’re away? What is care going to cost? Are they eligible for community resources? Can we keep them at home?) became overwhelming? Aged Care Planning and Care Management are available to help develop proactive steps to alleviate these burdens and make sure you and your loved ones are well prepared.
What is Aged Care Planning?
Aged Care Planning is the evaluation of services and options available to individuals as they relate to aged and disability care, transition, and the general aging needs of individuals. This can include; assistance with evaluating facility options or home care options, bill pay and record keeping assistance, navigating the health care system including Medicare and Medicaid options, reviewing Long-Term Care policy features and benefits, and evaluating community resources and entitlement programs that may be available for you or your loved one’s care.
Aged Care Planners
You should know that you don’t have to navigate this labyrinth on your own; there are experienced age care planners available that can offer assistance including assessments to determine the needs of a loved one in crisis, or consultations in advance of necessary care. They are experienced with plan development, implementation, advocacy with different service and benefit providers, as well as with ongoing monitoring of the plan and the care being provided to you or your loved one.
When should you reach out to an Aged Care Planner?
It’s never too early or too late to start the conversation with an experienced Age Care planner. Starting earlier rather than later usually results in better outcomes but isn’t always possible. Generally, you should reach out to a care planner if:
- You’re in need of information about community services and resources
- You or your loved one has little or no support from local family members
- You or your loved one needs an advocate to help navigate your options and address your needs
- You or your loved one needs unbiased advice from a third party due to family disagreements or simply to obtain an outside opinion
- As the caregiver you feel overwhelmed
- You or your loved one needs oversight for existing care being received
- There are concerns about abuse, neglect, or exploitation that need to be investigated
As noted above it’s better to start these conversations early and determine if any steps can be taken in advance of a crisis in order to help ensure a better outcome. These conversations provide the opportunity to build the foundation of a relationship with a professional which helps ensure a better response in times of need. The above issues should be addressed with an experienced Aged Care Planner. A review of assets and resources should also be conducted with an experienced elder care planning attorney to determine if any legal steps should be taken such as changing asset ownership, setting up trusts, or gifting in order to protect assets and take advantage of certain entitlement programs.
If you or a loved one needs any of these services, please know that we have partnered with several local experienced professionals in these areas and can help facilitate the initial conversations with them. Please don’t hesitate to contact us to obtain further information about how they may be able to help.