A Life Care Plan is a road map for care, describing anticipated medical and non-medical needs, with associated costs, of a person with a catastrophic injury or chronic illness over an estimated life span. It is based on published standards of practice, comprehensive professional assessment, collaboration, and analysis.
A Life Care Plan may include medical and therapy treatment, future projections, architectural modifications, anticipated change in level of care, equipment/transportation/furnishings, vocational assessment, and anything else that will incur costs related to the related injury or illness. Many clients are unaware of the extent of these needs, particularly in complex cases, so I make it a point to describe complications of the injury, underlying conditions, and medication and treatment side effects to clarify my Life Care Plan rationales.
Life Care Planning may be comprehensive or modified, depending on specific client needs. Many Life Care Plans involve plaintiff or defense worker’s compensation or liability claims with people suffering such catastrophic conditions as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, major trauma, burns, chronic pain, or a combination of conditions. I may also see children with birth injury or other developmental condition, like cerebral palsy or mental disability, or elders whose care needs fall to family or a trust fund and may not involve litigation.
I am a Certified Nurse Life Care Planner, a professional registered nurse with education and expertise in preparing and reviewing Life Care Plans, including medical record review, research, legal aspects, and particular course content on catastrophic or chronic conditions. I hold two national certifications in Nurse Life Care Planning; I also hold national certification in rehabilitation nursing and two national certifications in case management. As a registered nurse, I base my independent practice on nursing process and nursing diagnosis. My professional licensure, certification, experience, education, standards of practice, and ethics are backed by the nurse practice act. As a Certified Nurse Life Care Planner, therefore, I am within my scope of practice to prescribe the evaluations, equipment, consultations, and other interventions of my Life Care Plans.
Whether your case involves litigation or not, a Life Care Plan can help you travel the road regarding long-term conditions. Let us meet your Life Care Planning needs to help you reach your destination.
You will find a referral list for Certified Nurse Life Care Planners at www.aanlcp.org
Click here to listen to Wendie Howland’s radio show on Life Care Planning.
Wendie Howland, MN RN-BC CRRN CCM CNLCP LNCP-C, is owner and principal of Howland Health Consulting, offering life care planning, case management, and legal nurse consulting services nationwide, primarily for persons with catastrophic or chronic injury or illness. Contact information: 508-564-9556 or 866-604-9055 toll-free.
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