Crisis Care Planning
Crisis Planning is for aging or disabled individuals who have immediate health and safety needs with a focus on getting proper, appropriate, and affordable care.
Medical crises events happen every day to healthy, unhealthy, young, and aging individuals, but for aging and disabled individuals, we must be even more aware of “what’s next” when things such as falls, broken hips, strokes, and many other unexpected medical crisis events occur.
Proactive planning makes dealing with these situations much easier, so a designated decision maker doesn’t make an incorrect reactive choice when crucial medical and financial decisions must be made for an aging and/or disabled individual.
Below is an example situation:
Grandmother Sarah has been living by herself for years and one day she suffers a stroke and has a fall that results in a broken hip. Luckily, her daughter comes by each day to check on her, and Grandmother Sarah was found just after she suffered her stroke and fall, and medical assistance was rushed to her as fast as possible.
Fast forward to post surgery for her broken hip a few days later, Grandmother Sarah is dealing with post stroke symptoms and recovery from her hip surgery, and her doctor states that she believes Grandmother Sarah should spend some time in a Long-Term Care Facility to receive rehabilitation for her stroke and broken hip.
When Grandmother Sarah is moved to the Long-Term Care Facility, her family is asked to provide a copy of her Financial and Health Care Powers of Attorney. Unfortunately, Grandmother Sarah never executed these documents, and after her current medical crisis, she is not competent to sign any legal documents. The facility has a mountain of paperwork that they need signed to admit Grandmother Sarah, but no one has the legal ability to make decisions for her. Additionally, the Long-Term Care Facility wants to know how they will be paid, but Grandmother Sarah’s family knows nothing about her finances and has no current legal means to find out about her financial situation.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
Early discussions with an Elder Law Attorney can avoid situations like the one that Grandmother Sarah and her family face. Proper estate and long-term care planning allows Grandmother Sarah and her family to control almost every aspect of the situation from a legal, financial, and care standpoint. Proper planning allows the focus to be on appropriate and affordable care during a crisis situation.
If you or someone you know is experiencing or has experienced a situation like this, let them know that it’s never too late to put proper planning in place. Also, the earlier you plan the better off you will be, because a proactive plan is always best.
Contact Kane & Crowell, PLLC immediately at (615) 784-4800 if you or a family member are facing long-term care and health issues. It is our goal to make sure our clients have the quality of life they want and deserve that isn’t based on what it cost.
