Tips For Creating A Long-Term Care Plan

All too often, adults (and their caregivers or families) don’t create a long-term senior care plan until a crisis is at hand, such as a fall, severe illness, or dementia diagnosis. However, plans made in haste are rarely as well thought out and personally tailored as those made in a clear and spacious state of mind.

Instead, we recommend creating a long-term senior care plan when you are of sound mind, body, and spirit. Similar in intention to an advanced healthcare directive, a long-term senior care plan provides loved ones with a copy of your intentions and goals, giving them peace of mind and a trusted resource in case of an emergent incident that alters the course of daily life.

Long-Term Care Plan: The Basics

Your long-term care plan is designed to create a road map that leads from where you are today to where you’d like to end your life. It provides information on some of the leading concerns or wishes that come up in response to age-related changes in a way that is clear, organized, and well thought out.

It can take some time to complete a long-term care plan because, in addition to conducting your own deep inquiry process, you may also want to have a series of conversations with your loved ones to gather their perspectives or insights. Once completed, it’s a good idea to have a conversation with your family and loved ones so they can ask questions or share any concerns or thoughts they have. 

Of course, a long-term care plan is a living document, and like a will or estate planning documents, it should be revisited each year in case something changes. However, in the event of a sudden change in your physical or mental well-being, the plan will be a tremendous relief to your caregivers, as they will have a clear idea of what you want for yourself.

Things To Include In Your Long-Term Care Plan

Here are some things you can ask yourself and discuss with trusted loved ones and friends as you begin to create a personalized long-term care plan. These questions are not in any particular order, but there is a case to be made for starting with the end (your death) and working backwards. 

We say this because where you prefer to end your days (home, assisted living, hospice house, hospital, etc.) guides the decisions from where you are now, if and as age-related changes lead to the inevitable.

Where Would You Like To Die?

Some people want to die at home, surrounded by the familiar. Others want to be in a hospital or assisted living community, where more immediate healthcare is available at all times. We’ve had clients who want to die on their patio surrounded by nature, or those who have moved into a family member’s home to be taken care of by a more extended family/caregiver team.

Making plans about where you can help you determine the steps you outline in your long-term care plan.

• Home: First, who will be caring for you or stepping in to help out when you need it? Have you connected with local, licensed caregiving agencies to interview them and see who you want to call when you’re ready or need more support? You can also conduct early interviews with hospice agencies in the area, making it easier to make that decision if and when the time comes that their services can support your journey.
• Assisted living community. Many people feel they’ll never move into an assisted living community when they’re 50 or 55, and by 70, they do a 180-degree turn for any number of reasons. So, whether you plan on a future move or not, it’s worth exploring options in your area.
• Memory care. If you have a dementia-related diagnosis, explore memory care centers, which are typically far better at providing comprehensive, well-rounded care to their residents than general retirement or assisted living communities.

How Do You Plan To Finance Your Care?

Just as we recommend meeting with an estate planning attorney to support your legal EOL planning (see below), we recommend consulting with a fee-based financial advisor to establish whether or not you can finance your long-term care plan. 

Things to consider include:

• Retirement/savings/investment.
• Long-term health insurance policy.
• VA benefits.
• Whether a spouse or family caregiver could be paid to support your in-home care plan.
• Selling a large home to downsize into a smaller, accessible space and using the proceeds to fund your care plan.
• Reverse mortgage.

Financial planning is crucial to determining what’s possible for you over the next five, ten, fifteen, and twenty years.

Do You Have A Basic Estate Plan In Place?

If you haven’t had conversations about your preferences when it comes to:

Your advanced medical directive

The advanced medical directive is a guide for others to follow so they can support your medical decisions in a wide range of emergency and potentially end-of-life scenarios. Visit the Five Wishes website for easy, affordable action and a comprehensive, easy-to-understand, and gentle guide for moving through essential queries, like:

• Who’s making healthcare decisions for you if/when you can’t?
• What end-of-life measures do you want used, and which do you not? (How long would you want to be in a coma, or on life support, on a feeding tube, etc.)
• What events, signs, or conditions (if any) would make you want a Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) to be put in place?

Keep in mind that a spouse or close family member isn’t always the best person to serve in this role because they may not be able to emotionally support what you want when they’re in the midst of the moment. A beloved extended family member or trusted friend may be a better and more objective choice. An end-of-life (EOL) doula can also support you in this role, even if you aren’t actually at the end of your life yet.

Your power of attorney (POA)

Who do you want to make legal and financial decisions for you, which are different than the medical/EOL/life supportive decisions? This person is your power of attorney (POA). It’s a very important decision, so it can be helpful to receive guidance from a trusted estate planning lawyer.

A will or trust

Again, scheduling a consultation with an estate planning attorney is your best first step in this category. However, writing a will is a simple thing you can do to get started. If your estate is more complex than what a simple will and your financial institutions' POD beneficiaries can handle without probate intervention, a more robust estate plan - typically including a family trust - is probably the next best path to explore.

Planning for pet care

If you have pets, we recommend creating EOL documents outlining where they’ll go if you’re unable to take care of them (hospitalization, memory decline, a transition into assisted living or memory care, or death). Make sure prospective pet caregivers have agreed to help out, and consider leaving some money aside in your will/trust for future pet care expenses.

Is Your Home Safe And Accessible For Aging-In-Place?

Fall accidents, especially those resulting in a fractured hip or traumatic brain injury, are one of the most common catalysts for a rapid decline in adults 65 years and older. If you plan to stay in your home for as long as possible, now is the time to make the necessary changes to create a safe and accessible space.

This includes things like:

• Installing grab bars in the bath/shower area and near the toilet.
• Reorganizing cabinets so the things you use the most can be easily accessed without having to use a stepping stool or bend down to reach into the bottom-level cabinets/drawers.
• Installing ramps where there are stairs to main entrances and ensuring all stairs have secure railings.
• Decluttering and removing trip hazards.
• Securing area rugs around the edges to minimize trip risk.
• Ensuring there’s adequate task and safety lighting, as well as on outdoor porches, patios, and walkways.
• Etc.

Add HomeAide Home Care To Your Long-Term Senior Care Plan

When you’re ready to begin your long-term care plans, schedule a free, no-obligation assessment with HomeAide Home Care. We’ve provided compassionate, client-focused care for Bay Area seniors for more than 25 years. 

Clients may use as few or as many services as they like to help them stay at home and engaged in their community, including transportation services, errand running, meal preparation, light housekeeping, companionship, and even overnight or full-time care. Contact us to learn more about how we can support your goals.