LIFE CARE PLANNING

Nurse life care planners draw upon their years of rehabilitation and case management experience. They apply nursing knowledge, expertise and intuition to promote holistic care in a treatment system often characterized by fragmentation. The nurse life care planner assesses each individual on all realms affecting health, well-being, safety and security, home and community influences and individual and family needs to promote optimal independence.

Nurse life care planners promote the delivery of holistic care and optimal health and function throughout the lifespan and across the health-illness continuum.

 

The specialty practice considers culture, ethics, law, public policy, economics, access to individual and community healthcare and competing priorities. Nurse life care planners advocate for social and environmental responsibility, community engagement, and access to high-quality and equitable healthcare to maximize health outcomes and minimize health disparities between groups. Nurse life care planners advocate for the well-being, comfort, dignity, and humanity of all individuals, families, groups and communities.

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During the life care planning process, the nurse life care planner:

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• Assess and diagnoses the individual's current response to the disability or illness

• Anticipates the effects of disability or illness and future needs as the individual ages

• Collaborates with healthcare providers when possible and applicable

• Considers risk minimization and the promotion of function over the lifetime

• Researches and documents the cost necessary to implement the care plan

• Identifies desired outcomes of plan elements

• Incorporates information and opinions from other providers

• May identify available community, public and insurance funding and how to access those resources

• May initiate aspects of the life care plan during its development, educate the consumer and family/guardian on plan initiatives, or provide for the plan to be implemented by a nurse case manager (choice depends on jurisdiction)

• Updates the life care plan based on the evaluation process

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Source: AANLCP Scope and Standards of Practice