Long-Term Plan for Long-Term Care

Life Care Planning

Oct 30

October is Life Care Planning month. A long-term care plan is paramount to managing care, financial matters, and a variety of legal aspects of your future if you should be faced with a life-altering event like a medical diagnosis. If something happens regarding your own health or that of your loving spouse, what would you do? Things can happen in a flash of a moment. You or your spouse could own your home, travel with friends, and pursue hobbies, and a medical crisis could arise and shift your daily tranquility to fear of the unknown.

Projected Long-Term Care Needs for 65-Year-Olds in 2005

That’s where Elder Law of East Tennessee can help. Our firm proudly provides proactive planning strategies to keep you prepared during every step of the long-term care journey. Early planning helps get your loved one the care he or she needs today, which offers a welcomed relief for caregivers. Having a financial plan in place such as life insurance and a savings plan increases the likelihood that you or your loved one can age at home, which helps preserve independence and dignity. Long-term planning keeps decision-making in your hands and your financial affairs in order. This strategy safeguards your family and protects the assets that you’ve worked your whole life to accumulate. In addition to financial decisions, there are important documents to legalize regarding your health. Health directives should be created to make your wishes clear if you become seriously ill or disabled. Our skilled attorneys can explain and create these health directives in the event your health situation becomes precarious. We can also draft living wills and other directives that outline preferences for medical care if you are unable to make decisions for yourself. These directives guide doctors and caregivers if you can’t communicate your wishes. According to the Mayo Clinic, advance directives aren't just for older adults. Unexpected end-of-life situations can happen at any age, so it's important for all adults to have these documents prepared.By planning ahead, you can get the medical care you choose and take the burden off your family. With the proper documents as part of your Estate Plan, your choices are both legal and clear.

Amelia Crotwell, JD

Amelia Crotwell, founder and managing partner at Elder Law of East Tennessee, has guided families through long-term care and special needs challenges for nearly two decades. Specializing in Life Care Planning and special needs trusts, Amelia also collaborates across all areas of elder law, including wills, trusts, Medicare, Medicaid, probate, and veterans benefits planning. Certified as an Elder Law Attorney since 2011, she is president-elect of the Life Care Planning Law Firms Association and co-chair of their strategic planning committee. Amelia is deeply involved in the Special Needs Alliance and a prominent member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. She played a key role in founding the Tennessee chapter of NAELA, serving as its first president. A member of the Tennessee Bar Association and past chair of its Elder Law Section Executive Council, Amelia also dedicates time to pro bono work and community education. She earned her J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Tennessee College of Law and teaches Elder Law there as an adjunct professor since 2018.