For older adults living in skilled nursing facilities, a care conference with the facility staff is an important meeting. What are the signs that a care conference isn’t going as well as it should? We posed this question to Claire Merendino, one of the elder care coordinators at Bratton Law Group, a Life Care Planning Law Firm with offices in South Jersey, Central Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Claire has attended hundreds of care conferences over the years, and she can tell in an instant whether the care conference will be productive—or not.

By Mary Jo Johnson, MPA, CMC

During my 34 years in the long-term care industry, I have embraced the value of the care planning process, not because it is a regulation but because it is a vital tool to assure the delivery of person-centered care. 

Transcending the medical-institutional model, person-centered care calls for a more individualized, social model of care that is built around the needs of the resident (person). It is meant to eliminate (or at least reduce) the dictating demands of the care process to one more driven by a person’s voice and choice.

By Linda Anderson, CELA

When an elderly loved one is diagnosed with a chronic illness, it can bring a tremendous amount of uncertainty to your world. How will your loved one’s condition progress? Where will you find the needed care? How will you pay for it? I’ve watched thousands of people grapple with these questions.

Elder law attorneys are known for their ability to help families find ways to cope with the high cost of long-term care. Drafting legal documents like Powers of Attorney, creating strategies to protect assets, or securing public benefits like Medicaid or VA Pension Aid & Attendance are just some of the things an elder law attorney can help you do.

What if your family has more problems than just paying for care? What if you need help knowing what care and services your loved one needs, where to find those services, and how to make sure your loved one gets quality care?