The long-term health care management of a loved one can put a tremendous physical and emotional burden on a family. What happens to my elderly loved one if I get sick or leave town? Who will care for my disabled or special needs child if my spouse and I should die? Many people throughout Harris County, Texas, and surrounding counties faced with these and other questions do not wish to pass their responsibility on to other family members.

As a respected Houston, Texas, elder law and estate planning law firm, the Law Office of Christina Lesher routinely works with care managers who provide care management services to clients, offering relief and peace of mind for families with loved ones requiring extensive health care maintenance and advocacy due to age or disability.

Understanding Care Management

In a care management program, care managers are social workers or nurses with experience in helping families navigate through the long-term health care system. These professionals can be used for support, assessment, and as a resource or referral for adult disabled children, minors and older adults. A care manager acts as an advocate for your family, helping ensure that your loved one receives the services they need, monitoring health care activities, and acting as backup when your family cannot care for someone due absences and illness or other unforeseen events.

A Team Approach to Long-Term Care Management

The Law Office of Christina Lesher will work with care managers in a team approach to coordinate legal and financial planning with available community resources in order to establish a complete and holistic plan of care for your loved one. Your family comes in for an initial consultation to discuss the related financial and estate planning matters and day-to-day care concerns. We then have a joint meeting with a care manager to coordinate the estate planning and Medicaid services we provide with care management services, including the establishment of any necessary special needs trusts. Our goal is to make sure that if you die or are no longer able to care for your loved one, there will be adequate assets and public benefits to continue paying for the care of an elderly adult or special needs child.

The care manager will assess the client — whether at home or in an assisted living or nursing facility — and make recommendations to improve the quality of life for the older adult or special needs child. The care manager can also assist the family if there are concerns as to the quality of care a loved one is receiving. Frequently, care managers act as a surrogate family member and help families with difficult decisions, such as when is it time to place mom and dad into a nursing home, or what type of housing is available for a special needs child should mom or dad become incapacitated or die.

Begin Your Care Planning Today

Discuss your long-term health care needs with a Houston, Texas, care management attorney. Contact the Law Office of Christina Lesher online, or by phone at 713-529-5900, to schedule an initial consultation.