If you have a client who has sustained a catastrophic injury, future health care and medical equipment needs can be very costly. A certified nurse life care planner can research and estimate these costs based on his or her injury and life expectancy. This is an individualized plan and is a living and modifiable document depending on how your client's needs change as he or she ages.
In putting the life care plan together, the nurse first reviews the client's medical records, employment records, and school records (for children). Then a visit to the injured client's home is scheduled to evaluate the family and home status. This includes gathering information on caregiver, safety, home modifications, and other home care needs. Here the client is observed during his or her daily activities. Then based on record review, observation, interview, extent of injury, and life expectancy the nurse formulates the plan.
The certified nurse life care planner collaborates with other professionals involved in the client's care such as physicians, physical/occupational therapists, speech therapists, vocational experts, caregivers, suppliers of durable medical equipment (DME), and home modification builders. Any costs associated with the DME would also include replacement and maintenance costs.
Life expectancy is determined after establishing factors such as age at the time of injury, extent of the injury, and any pre-existing conditions. All of these costs included in the life care plan are estimated from the date of injury to the predicted age of death.
Life care plans benefit those at any age with catastrophic injuries, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), major burns, amputations, toxic exposures, spinal cord damage, chronic pain, and other chronic illness.
A certified nurse life care planner is a licensed registered nurse with at least 3 years of experience, has taken an accredited education program to learn how to prepare a life care plan, and has passed the national certification examination administered by the International Commission on Health Care Certification (ICHCC).
Next time you have an injured client, put a medical professional on your team. A nurse life care planner can do the work for you of determining future care and costs associated with an injury.
No comments:
Post a Comment