When a medical error leads to a permanent disability, a life care plan can help project the current and future compensation needed to care for your child.

How a Life Care Plan Can Help Identify the Costs Associated with Raising a Disabled Child

Finding out that your child has been permanently disabled as a result of a medical error or mistake is probably one of the worst things that you can discover as a parent.  In addition to dealing with tremendous emotional pain and suffering, you may also be wondering how you are going to pay for the ongoing medical care and other services that your child is likely to need for the rest of his or her life.

If you are facing this type of terrible situation, you should seek advice from qualified legal counsel.  Charles Thronson is a highly skilled medical malpractice attorney who can help you understand the level of support that your child is going to need so that you can make the right legal decisions for your family.  He frequently works with experts in the health care and rehabilitation fields to help develop what are known as “life care plans” for his clients.

What is a Life Care Plan?

A life care plan is a tool that works to project the level of medical services and other support that a disabled child will need over the course of his/her life to develop to his or her full potential.   Although the specifics of each plan depend upon the individual situation of the child, life care plans typically address the following categories of services:

• Projected evaluations that the child will need for various types of therapy (physical, speech, occupational, vision, psychological, vocational and others)
• Therapies based upon the evaluations
• Educational programs and services
• Routine ongoing medical care
• Surgical care, hospitalization and other invasive procedures
• Medical tests
• Medications and medical supplies
• Mobility aides and accessories
• Orthopedic equipment
• Adaptive equipment and home accessories
• Care and support services (in-home, facility placement, etc.)
• Home modifications
• Transportation services
• Medical complications that may arise

Each category in the life plan will include a list of specific items along with the estimated costs associated with each item.

Identifying the Level of Costs Associated with Raising a Disabled Child

Because It can be extraordinarily difficult for parents to comprehend the level of care that their child will require over the course of his or her entire life, a comprehensive life plan can give parents the information they need to plan ahead.  For instance, a child with cerebral palsy may need physical therapy at least two times per week for the rest of his or her life.  With an estimated cost of $100 per session, physical therapy expenses for a child with cerebral palsy can easily exceed $10,000 per year.  If you multiply this over 60+ years and add in all the other services, treatments and support the child is going to need, you will quickly discover that the costs associated with raising a disabled child are likely to reach seven, if not eight figures.

A life care plan is a comprehensive document that can help guide you through the various types of medical care, services and other support your child is likely to need over the course of his or her life.  This plan can also help you determine whether you want to pursue a malpractice action against the providers responsible for injuring your child. Attorney Charles Thronson can help guide you through the process of identifying a certified life planner and developing a life care plan so that you can make the best choices for your family.  Contact us today at 800-532-0084  to schedule an initial consultation.