Life care plans document every aspect of future needs for permanently disabled individuals—medical treatment, therapy, equipment, personal care, and modifications required throughout remaining life expectancy. These comprehensive documents support damage claims by projecting specific needs with associated costs. Well-prepared life care plans maximize recovery by ensuring no category of future expense is overlooked.
What Life Care Plans Include
Medical treatment projections detail anticipated physician visits, hospitalizations, surgeries, and monitoring needs. Plans specify frequency, duration, and costs for each treatment category. Chronic conditions may require different treatment intensity at different life stages.
Therapy needs including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and psychological counseling are projected over the lifespan. Rehabilitation needs often continue indefinitely for permanent disabilities, requiring maintenance therapy even after initial recovery phases end.
Medications and supplies are itemized with current costs and anticipated changes over time. Pain medications, disease-modifying drugs, and incontinence supplies all represent ongoing expenses. Drug costs should account for potential price increases and medication changes.
Durable medical equipment including wheelchairs, hospital beds, communication devices, and monitoring equipment is specified with initial costs and replacement schedules. Powered equipment requires maintenance and periodic replacement factored into projections.
Personal Care Needs
Attendant care for activities of daily living represents the largest cost category for many severe disabilities. Plans specify hours of care needed daily, level of skill required, and whether 24-hour supervision is necessary. These projections can exceed $200,000 annually for severe disabilities.
Skilled nursing care may be necessary for complex medical needs including wound care, tube feeding, and medication management. Skilled care costs more than personal care assistance, significantly affecting total projections.
Respite care provides temporary relief for family caregivers. Even when families provide primary care, periodic respite allows family members to rest and maintains caregiving quality. Plans should include realistic respite provisions.
Home and Vehicle Modifications
Accessibility modifications to homes include ramps, widened doorways, accessible bathrooms, stair lifts, and kitchen modifications. Initial modification costs can reach $100,000 or more depending on existing home configuration and disability needs.
Future housing considerations may include the need to purchase different homes as needs change. Stairs that were manageable initially may become impassable as conditions progress. Plans may project future relocation costs.
Vehicle modifications for transportation include hand controls, wheelchair lifts, and lowered floors. These modifications must be repeated with each vehicle purchase, typically every five to seven years. Accessible vehicle purchases themselves cost more than standard vehicles.
Life Care Planning Process
Certified life care planners develop plans through comprehensive assessment processes. They review medical records, interview treating physicians, evaluate the individual's function, and research applicable costs. The process requires both clinical knowledge and understanding of disability needs.
Collaboration with treating physicians ensures medical accuracy. Physicians provide input on expected treatment needs, prognosis, and complications to anticipate. Their involvement supports plan credibility and helps anticipate defense challenges.
Cost research grounds projections in actual market prices. Planners research local costs for services, equipment, and supplies. National cost data may supplement local research for specialized needs unavailable locally.
Using Life Care Plans in Litigation
Life care plans provide the foundation for future medical expense claims. Each item is documented with rationale, frequency, and cost, allowing juries to understand exactly what future needs require. Itemized plans are more credible than lump-sum estimates.
Life care planners testify as experts explaining and defending their projections. They can explain why specific items are necessary, how costs were determined, and why alternatives suggested by defendants are inadequate. Effective testimony connects plan items to the specific disability.
Defense experts typically challenge life care plans as excessive or speculative. They may argue that certain items are unnecessary, that costs are inflated, or that the person will improve beyond the plan's assumptions. Strong plans with well-documented rationale withstand these challenges.
Updating Life Care Plans
Plans should be reviewed and updated as conditions change. If disabilities progress or new needs emerge, plans should reflect current understanding. Conversely, if unexpected improvement occurs, honest reassessment maintains credibility.
Trial timing affects plan currency. Plans prepared early in litigation may need updating if significant time passes before trial. Recent plans reflecting current function and costs carry more weight than outdated documents.
Conclusion
Life care plans provide the detailed documentation necessary to recover future disability-related expenses. Comprehensive plans covering medical care, therapy, equipment, personal assistance, and modifications ensure that settlements and verdicts adequately address lifetime needs. Working with qualified life care planners ensures that permanent disability claims capture the full scope of future requirements.