What Does Care Navigation in Columbus Entail?
When a loved one is diagnosed with a debilitating condition such as ALS, stroke, COPD, MS, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, or Alzheimer’s, it can be an overwhelming experience. The sudden changes in behavior, capacity, or care needs can be jarring for everyone involved. In these crucial moments, proper planning with an elder law attorney is essential to navigate the challenges ahead.
We understand that you and your loved one may feel uncertain about the future and anxious about the implications of the diagnosis. That’s why we’ve developed a comprehensive Care Plan that addresses the unique needs of individuals with these conditions and their families. Our plan, crafted with decades of elder law experience, focuses on key areas such as:
- Estate planning to ensure your loved one’s wishes are honored
- Strategies to protect assets while planning for potential nursing home care
- Guidance on elder care options and resources
- Legal advice on healthcare decision-making and power of attorney
An experienced elder law attorney can help you navigate these complex issues, providing peace of mind as you face the road ahead. Our goal is to empower you with the knowledge and tools needed to make informed decisions about your loved one’s care and financial security.
At Jarvis Law Office, we help you navigate care planning in Columbus, ensuring your loved one experiences appropriate care, support, and dignity throughout their journey.
Care Navigation Services
- Asset Protection
- Estate Planning
- Medicaid Planning
- Memory Care Planning
- Powers of Attorney
- Special Needs Planning
- Trusts and Wills
Financial Power of Attorney: Safeguarding Your Finances
A crucial aspect of memory care planning is establishing a financial power of attorney. This legal document allows you to designate a trusted individual to manage your financial affairs if you become unable to do so yourself. Your elder law attorney will likely emphasize the importance of this tool in protecting your assets and ensuring your financial wishes are carried out.
By appointing an agent to handle your finances, you create a safety net for potential future incapacity. This designated person can either fully take over or assist you with legal and financial matters as needed. This proactive step eliminates the need for your family to seek court-appointed guardianship or conservatorship, which can be time-consuming and stressful. Moreover, it gives you control over who will make financial decisions on your behalf, rather than leaving it to chance or court appointment.
Your attorney will guide you through the process, including the importance of naming backup agents to ensure continuity of care. This foresight allows for a smoother transition and provides an opportunity to communicate your long-term financial goals and preferences to your chosen representative.
Healthcare Power of Attorney: Ensuring Your Medical Wishes Are Respected
An essential component of comprehensive memory care planning is establishing a healthcare power of attorney. Your elder law attorney can guide you through this crucial process. This legal document allows you to appoint a trusted individual to make medical decisions on your behalf if you become unable to do so yourself. This designated person, known as your healthcare proxy, will have the authority to consent to or refuse medical treatments according to your wishes.
It’s advisable to name one or two alternate agents if your primary choice is unavailable when needed. Your elder care attorney will likely recommend including a HIPAA release form with your healthcare power of attorney document. This additional form authorizes your chosen healthcare agents and any other specified individuals to access your medical information. Without this release, your agent and family members may face obstacles in obtaining a complete picture of your medical situation, potentially hampering their ability to make informed decisions.
Your Columbus care navigation attorney will discuss these documents in detail, helping you understand their significance and advising you on selecting individuals best suited for the role of your healthcare agent. This careful planning ensures that your medical care aligns with your preferences, even if you’re unable to communicate them directly.
Ensure Your Medical Wishes are Honored with a Living Will
By creating a living will, you can decide the type of medical treatment you’ll receive as you approach the end of your life. This document enables you to specify whether physicians can administer life-sustaining treatments and, if so, which types you’re willing to accept. A living will empowers you to maintain control over your medical decisions even when you can’t communicate them verbally. It also relieves your loved ones from the burden of making these difficult decisions on your behalf, providing them with peace of mind.
Ensure Your Estate Plan is Up-to-Date
Memory care planning also involves updating your estate plans. An attorney can review your existing estate plan to determine if modifications are necessary. It’s crucial to finalize your estate plan before dementia advances, as legal incapacity will prevent you from altering or revoking any documents. Taking action now, with the help of a Columbus estate planning attorney, ensures you maintain control over your assets and provide clear instructions to your future decision-makers.
Get the Care Navigation Services You Need
Navigating future care options can be overwhelming and burdensome without a clear understanding of your choices. That’s where our Care Navigators and Social Workers step in, providing essential information, presenting and explaining options, and working with our legal team to address financial considerations for the family’s chosen plans. Our Care Navigation team assists families in planning for future care needs, supports them in implementing these plans, and advocates for their loved ones’ quality of life and independence, aligning with their goals and values.
In addition to planning, our Care Navigators offer support and education to ease the impact of a loved one’s illness progression. Emphasizing caregiver self-care, a “progress not perfection” mindset, and a family or “village” approach, we believe no one should shoulder caregiving alone. Support, respite, and opportunities to recharge are important yet often overlooked. Caregiver support is key.
The Three Goals Of Care Navigation
- Focus on a loved one’s good health, safety, and well-being.
- Make dependable decisions regarding a family’s long-term care needs while keeping their goals in mind.
- Offer viable financial solutions for paying for long-term care.
For families of a loved one with special needs, care navigation and planning guide them through important considerations such as guardians, a special needs trust, a summary of our wishes, an ABLE account, SSI/SSDI, Medical Assistance for Workers with Disability (MAWD), and any additional legal tools they should be considering.
Regardless of their situation, care navigation planning offers Columbus families the resources to manage their long-term care options and expenses. From reviewing existing insurance policies to exploring Medicaid eligibility options or filing veterans benefits claims, Jarvis Law Office has the necessary knowledge and experience to help clients identify the right financial solutions. Schedule an appointment with one of our attorneys experienced with dementia, Alzheimer’s, stroke, Parkinson’s, ALS, mobility issues, and more at our firm today.
The Essentials of Care Navigation Planning
To safeguard what matters most, developing a comprehensive Memory Care or Care Navigation Plan involves identifying and addressing critical aspects of your loved one’s life that require careful consideration, including:
Preferred living arrangements: Determining the right location for your loved one, whether aging in place, transitioning to an assisted living facility, or moving into a specialized community. Jarvis Law Office offers access to an Care Navigator who acts as a liaison between the family and the care centers.
Healthcare providers: Identifying experienced healthcare providers specializing in conditions like ALS, stroke, COPD, MS, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, or Alzheimer’s care who can deliver optimal support to your loved one. Jarvis Law Office team members will help identify preferred care providers to meet your loved one’s needs and to develop a client-focused care plan to maximize quality of life for your loved one. Your care navigator will also advocate on your loved one’s behalf and coordinate communication among the care professionals involved in that care.
Legal documentation: Developing essential legal tools like advance directives, durable powers of attorney, trusts, and guardian and conservator appointments to ensure your loved one’s medical, financial, and personal decisions are always in the right hands.
Moving from Home or Assisted Living to Memory Care
Transitioning a loved one from their home or assisted living center to a specialized memory care facility can be challenging. By partnering with Jarvis Law Office, you receive the support of a dedicated social worker who provides guidance, resources, and advocacy to address crucial care planning considerations. Here are some helpful tips:
- Research care communities and facilities to identify those that meet your loved one’s needs and preferences.
- Visit potential communities, arrange a tour, meet with staff, and observe daily routines.
- Discuss the transition with your loved one or close support system, including the benefits and the importance of specialized care.
- Create a plan for the physical move, paying attention to details that can create a comfortable and familiar environment.
At Jarvis Law Office, our attorneys and care navigators can diligently guide you and your loved one through these anticipated transitions to address your needs and concerns while helping you to prepare for the steps ahead.
Care Navigation — Supporting Columbus Families
Care Navigation is essential for ensuring the health, well-being, and legacy of individuals facing challenges like ALS, COPD, MS, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s, or the effects of stroke or other neurological conditions. Recognizing that each individual and family is unique, we adopt a personalized approach to Care Navigation planning to meet your loved one’s specific needs while preserving their quality of life. Our compassionate professionals collaborate closely with families in Columbus to create a custom plan addressing various aspects, from legal and financial matters to healthcare decisions and selecting the appropriate care center.
Jarvis Law Office understands the emotional and practical challenges faced by families grappling with conditions like ALS, stroke, COPD, MS, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, or Alzheimer’s. We offer unmatched support while navigating the often-complex world of care navigation, giving families the confidence and peace of mind that their loved one’s interests are being looked after.
With a singular focus on protecting health, well-being, and legacy, Jarvis Law Office is the go-to service provider for any family seeking the experience and support needed to handle the unique challenges of Care Navigation. Fill out our online form or call us at (740) 653-3450 to schedule an appointment.
