This month we are kicking off a new series of articles on services you may or may not know we offer. Because estate planning is all we do, we are focused on protecting not only our clients’ estates and finances, but also their physical and emotional well-being.

This month we look at our Elder Care Planning Department. This specialized department consists of Elder law attorneys, paralegals, nurses, social workers, and other support staff who provide not only Medicaid (ALTCS) planning, but also Life Care Planning. We will discuss Medicaid planning next time - this month we focus on Life Care Planning.

A Life Care Plan describes how your loved one's long-term care, legal, financial, physical, and psychological needs will be met. Our Elder Care team will be there while the client navigates through the decisions and confusion while dealing with illness or disability. Your Life Care Plan is a life contract which means our team of professionals will be providing complete care coordination until the end.

Our services are dynamic in that we provide legal, advocacy, and care coordination. Just a sampling of our coordination services include:

• Creation of asset protection documents (may include Trust, POA, MPOA, all other legal components necessary)
• Provide necessary advocacy when dealing with health care professionals
• Suggest options to help prevent crisis situations
• Provide resources to keep the individual at home
• Provide options for placement in the community
• Navigate payment choices
• Set up a plan to make sure assets are preserved and protected from long-term care expenses
• Recommend specialists
• Communicate with Doctors and family
• Speak up for client in any other way
• Provide care coordination for the client as they age on the elder care continuum

We know that many people are confused and overwhelmed when faced with illness or disability. Sifting through the maze of in-home care or facilities, with their different levels of care, cleanliness, price, complaints/citations, accommodations, and privacy can be overwhelming during normal circumstances.  However, when one is generally tasked with the job, one is usually experiencing an extremely emotional and stressful time their lives. There are more than 3,500 facilities of various care levels and specialties in Arizona. A recent study of US elder care facilities identified as many as one-third of facilities as having received a citation for some sort of elder abuse and suggested that up to 50% of care homes are understaffed.

With a Life Care Plan from MHK, you and your family will be relieved of the stress and frustration that comes with searching for the appropriate care and may save you the heartache of abuse. In researching facilities that fit your unique criteria, we will utilize every resource at our disposal to ensure the very best care. We will ask the questions that you don’t know to ask. Our team of professionals will provide expert advice and through our huge database of contacts, we are able to get the care plan put into place quickly. The complete services offered by MHK combines all the preparation and follow through to allow the family peace of mind in knowing their loved one is taken care of. The focus then can be turned to where it should be, in cherishing and rejoicing in every day together.

To see an example of how MHK's Life Care Planning can change a life, read Ms. Jones's story.

If you know or care for someone who has been diagnosed with some type of early onset disease/disability (Alzheimer’s, dementia, MS, Parkinson, etc), we may be able to help. You and/or their family may be confused and are not sure how to navigate through all the issues and concerns. We will be there with you every step of the way to provide complete and total care coordination.  You can request a consultation to start learning if a Life Care Plan is right for you or your family.