Stephen W. Dale, JD, LL.M., The Dale Law Firm, PC  

I have been asked a number of times what the most important tools are for planning and preparing for long term needs of a disabled family member or client.

There are many things I recommend: such as look at available benefits, weigh cost v. outcome, support local services, and designate a qualified trustee. But one of the most important steps is to plan for the future. This is no easy task...especially with so many services and programs in flux. One tool in achieving this goal is to hire a professional care manager who can help identify available options and assess current and future needs.

Yes, this service costs money - but I am convinced that in most cases such planning saves money in the long term, improves quality of life and assures life-long advocacy.

A professional care manager, can:

• Strengthen the chance of a Special Needs Trust meeting its objectives; and
• Assist the trustee, support the family and advocate for the client.

Care Managers - Giving Peace of Mind to the Family

Many of our new clients are seeking answers to tough situations. They come into our office looking for information and advice. I do not take the responsibility lightly. As wonderful as familial care is, and as important as that love and attention is, there are times that specific needs and responsibility are best served by a professional.  

Important points supporting the use of professional care managers:

• Beneficiaries can clinically improve by incorporating a care manager into the estate plan
• Certified Professional Geriatric Care Managers (PGCM) are health and human services specialists who typically help families care for older relatives; however many care managers and agencies also have experience with the needs of persons with physical and psychiatric disabilities
• The care manager acts as a guide and advocate -- identifying problems and offering solutions, while encouraging as much independence as possible

Care Managers - Helping the Management Team To Be More Effective

In many cases the utilization of the care manager is actually a cost saving device. Care managers can develop a care plan and identify long term costs and needs. Some clients may assume that planning and advocacy can be maintained by the family - but professionals can identify and avoid many problems.

This will minimize the time required by other members of the team because the report allows them to be more focused.

Let me offer a personal example. Two years ago we needed to make some decisions regarding my father's care. He was a brittle diabetic, was legally blind and had cognitive issues. His wife, who is a good and caring woman, had the added bonus of being a nurse. For many years, she was able to handle my father's needs. But Dad's dementia mixed with a little bit of Dale stubbornness was beginning to take both a mental and a physical toll on my step-mother. Though we all hated to admit it, the time had come to look at alternatives in long term care. The problem is, Dad had no long term care insurance and no means to pay for private service.

Although this example is clearly in the realm of 'geriatric care', this same situation is faced by many families caring for their disabled loved one. We knew that we needed to find help, but we didn't know what that help would look like nor how to pay for it.

We hired a professional care manager to perform an assessment of Dad's needs and options. With her help we were able to identify and obtain solutions in an organized and timely manner. We found out that Dad was qualified for MediCal and received the diagnosis and document backup needed to successfully obtain state benefits. The care manager helped identify a qualified facility where he could receive around the clock care. His health improved dramatically along with his wife's, who was quite honestly exhausted.    

For us, short term care management skills provided the information we needed to make changes and made it last few years comfortable and safe.

A professional care manager isn't the right answer for every situation, but having the advice and assistance of a trained professional can help many families to identify and address key issues in the immediate and long term needs of a loved one with disabilities. I have found professionally that care managers can be a vital member of a Special Needs Trust Advisory Committee and an important support to the family.