Life Care Planning

What is a life care plan?

According to the agreed-upon definition, “The life care plan is a dynamic document based upon published standards of practice, comprehensive assessment, data analysis, and research, which provides an organized, concise plan for current and future needs with associated costs for individuals who have experienced catastrophic injury or have chronic health care needs.” (International Conference on Life Care Planning and the International Academy of Life Care Planners. Adopted 1998, April.) It is a way to plan for the lifetime needs of an individual with a disability.

According to life care planning methodology, topics that are considered for inclusion in a life care plan include evaluations, therapies, diagnostic testing, medical and adaptive equipment, aids for independent functioning, prescription, and nonprescription medications, home care/facility care, routine medical care, transportation, architectural modifications, potential complications, surgical intervention, and vocational services. There is a standardized procedure for gathering information to develop a life care plan, including doing an interview with the client and family members, reviewing medical records and supporting documents such as depositions, day in the life videos, school records, employment records, and tax returns, consulting with treatment providers and/or experts, and researching costs and sources for treatment.

Lifecare planners are a diverse group of rehabilitation professionals representing nurses, rehabilitation counselors, occupational therapists, physical therapists, social workers, physicians, and psychologists.   Lifecare plans are used in workers’ compensation claims, civil litigation, mediation, reserve setting for insurance companies, federal vaccine injury fund cases, discharge planning, Medicare set-asides, elder care, and other areas.   Life Care Planning is an established field with national certifications, professional organizations, research, role and function studies, and, published standards of practice. Life Care planning precertification programs are offered which provide 120 hours of specialized training to meet the educational requirements necessary to sit for the Certified Life Care Planner (CLCP)

About Life Care Planning Services

Although in recent years, medical professionals have gained popularity in performing Life Care Plans, this service was pioneered by Rehabilitation Counselors. As Dr. Kiel (non-medical doctor) has medical training but not in medical treatment. When possible, Dr. Kiel consults with the medical care team and experts to identify medical treatment needs such as surgeries, medication, and therapy. Dr. Kiel finds that medical professional life care planners with non-medical professional life care planners sometimes make methodological mistakes, vendor pricing errors, two services overlap to inflate costs, or there are a disconnect between what is supported in the medical records by treatment sources, and opinions. Some important aspects of life care planning are missed such as performing an in-home visitation when permitted, which provides invaluable information to the life care planner. Additionally, life care planning is a transdisciplinary process and a physician life care planner as like non-physician life care planners should be consulting with other medical professionals, therapists, and treatment providers. A non-surgeon physician life care planner cannot make the probable recommendation for surgery on a life care plan unless consulting with a surgeon, other specialists, or that the service is supported by the records per the treating providers. Dr. Kiel frequently consults with surgeons and other providers as a basis for providing life care plan opinions. Finally, based on treatment recommendations, Dr. Kiel researchers reasonable and customary medical costs.