Impact of interprofessional collaboration between long-term care physicians and medical specialists on quality of care and quality of life of long-term care facility residents: a systematic review.

Recommendations for the management of menopausal vasomotor symptoms in clinical practice

Vulnerability and core intervention targets in the symptom burden for personalized symptom management in hemodialysis care: A computational simulation modeling study.

Psychosocial and rehabilitation interventions and health gains in older persons in long-term care: A systematic review.

A mobile relational agent to enhance atrial fibrillation self-care: Primary and secondary outcomes of a randomized controlled trial.

Trends in Assisted Living and Memory Care Supply From 2019 to 2023.

Artificial Intelligence in Diagnosis and Clinical Decision-Making.

Unfortunately, due to a variety of conditions, the human kidneys may fail to perform adequately, resulting in either chronic kidney disease (i.e., reduced capacity for the kidneys to filter products and byproducts at their full capacity), or kidney failure (i.e., inability for the kidneys to filter in any significant, or functional capacity). In the scope of litigation, kidney failure may result from many circumstances, in which personal injury litigation may follow, such as trauma, medication errors, alongside other reasons. As such, life care planning offers an opportunity to appraise cost estimates associated with failure, furthermore offering the foundation for the present article. The present article addresses nomenclature pertaining to both kidney disease and failure, mechanisms to set up the life care plan, psychological overlay and its related costs, and the vocational losses potentially associated with applicable diagnoses. Lastly, quality of life (QOL) issues will be discussed as QOL significantly affects personal and social adjustment, and, ultimately, probable costs in a life care plan. Keywords: psychological adjustment, life expectancy, return-to-work, kidney failure, dialysis

The last issue of the Journal of Life Care Planning (JLCP) launched the Ethics Interface column. As part of creating this column, a call was made to the community of practicing life care planners for applications for an ethics review panel to assist in research and input into this column. Many excellent candidates applied and selection for the panel was made based on applicants’ experience teaching or training practitioners on ethics, with an interest in having interdisciplinary representation on the panel. The JLCP welcomes Dorajane Apuna, Mary Barros-Bailey, and Ann Wallace to the panel. Special acknowledgment is given to Ann Wallace for her research and writing for this issue as well as to the panel’s legal consultant and life care planning consultant for their respective reviews of the column prior to publication. The Ethics Interface column is meant to be an educational forum for life care planners. It is not designed to offer an authoritative opinion from the editor or editorial board of the Journal of Life Care Planning, the board of the International Academy of Life Care Planners (IALCP), or the board of its parent organization, the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (IARP), nor is it designed to represent or replace official opinions from the certifying body or other organizations associated with the practice of life care planning.

Personal attendant care (PAC) needs often represent the single most expensive part of a life care plan (LCP). As such, life care planners should exercise care in accurately depicting the types and amount of PAC in a life care plan. The purpose of this study was to acquire benchmark data that could provide validity checks for life care planners when recommending PAC. A Delphi study was conducted with 24 life care planners to reach consensus regarding the activities to consider when recommending PAC. Consensus was reached after three rounds, resulting in 164 items that should be considered when recommending PAC. These items represented self-care, home/yard maintenance, transportation, leisure, work, and educational activities. The results of this study provide life care planners with a detailed checklist of PAC activities to utilize while working on a life care plan for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). This checklist, in conjunction with client interviews, review of medical records, and consultation with rehabilitation professionals, should facilitate the development of accurate prediction of PAC needs for individuals with SCI.

life care planning process, as well as methods and protocols utilized by practicing life care planners. Areas addressed in the survey included: a) demographics; b) business practices; c) roles and functions of the life care planner; d) life care planning protocols; and e) future growth and development. Survey results describe the current state of life care planning practice, provide data on protocols/procedures used by life care planners and identify areas of life care planning practice where further definition, refinement and/or research may be necessary. In addition to descriptive data, responses were analyzed in terms of similarities and differences related to field of practice, certification status, and amount of deposition experience. Results are expected to enhance life care planning practice by promoting continued discussion and consideration regarding roles, scope of practice, competencies, and standards of practice.

The International Academy of Life Care Planners (IALCP), a section of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (IARP), was honored to host the 2010 Life Care Planning Summit on April 17 and 18, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Summit was cosponsored by the Foundation for Life Care Planning Research and the University of Florida. This biennial event brought together leaders in life care planning from a variety of organizations with a goal of promoting unity. Through a series of round table discussions, life care planners had the opportunity to examine and identify resolutions for hot issues in the field while contributing to the continued evolution of life care planning.

Life care planning continues to evolve as a specialty practice. In 2000, the first Standards of Practice for Life Care Planners were developed and put forth for field review. For one year, practitioners provided input into the Standards and in 2001 the Standards were finalized and published. The Standards of Practice have provided guidance and parameters for professional practice since that time. All Standards require repeated review, as the specialty practice is influenced by change in various professions. The International Academy of Life Care Planners (IALCP) saw the need for review and revision, as the organization moved toward a new model of management, growth and development. Sharon Reavis, MS, RN, CRC, CCM, FIALCP; Karen Preston, PHN, MS, CRRN, FIALCP; and Roger Weed, PhD, CRC, CDMS, CCM, CLCP, FIALCP, agreed to revisit the Standards for relevancy and meaning to current life care planning practice.

This is the second of a two part series on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and life care planning for individuals with significant speech disability. The purpose of Part II is to provide a case study which applies the principles of evidencebased practice (Hill, 2003) to the AAC assessment process. The article traces the steps leading to a decision about a high technology speech output AAC solution, and provides a case study that can serve as a model for life care planners in addressing similar issues. Part II also includes a list of AAC resources to support life care planning involving AAC which requires performance and outcomes measurement to lead to the most effective communication. Life care planning for AAC should provide a framework of services and supports that measure outcomes in terms of quality of life for the clients we serve. The articles ends with a list of ten “AAC Rules of Commitment” on choosing and using augmentative communication systems.

The impact of spinal cord injury (SCI) is devastating and insidious, affecting every aspect of life; physical, medical, emotional and vocational. This article reviews relevant literature, discusses the author’s experiences with patients, and summarizes available data. Suggestions for life care planning considerations are also offered as well as excerpts from an actual life care plan developed for a female client with SCI and chronic pain

Individuals with splenectomy may be at risk for long-term healthcare costs. This case study describes one situation in which a life care planner was asked to complete a “future care cost analysis,” for an individual with splenectomy due to trauma. The individual’s current status was compared with research to identify future risks and needs. Findings, based upon application of life care planning principles, demonstrate certain needs, with risks diminished by patient education and prompt medical attention

This study discusses a retrospective survey of twenty-two pediatric life care plans, completed by one nurse life care planner. Findings demonstrate accuracy in prediction of long-term needs for care, treatment and services, however plan implementation by the parents was inconsistent. Use of case management to implement the life care plan is recommended as a result of the survey

This Ethics Interface column was written as a collaborative effort of its panel: Dorajane Apuna, Mary Barros-Bailey, and Ann Wallace with consultative support of Roger Weed and Tyron Elliot. The author is grateful for their wisdom and collective experience. The column is meant to be an educational forum for life care planners. It is not designed to offer an authoritative opinion from the editor or editorial board of the Journal of Life Care Planning, the board of the International Academy of Life Care Planners (IALCP), or the board of its parent organization, the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (IARP), nor is it designed to represent or replace official opinions from the certifying body or other organizations associated with the practice of life care planning

Swallowing disorders occur in adults as a result of congenital, acquired, and aging issues. Life care planners who work with adults with swallowing disorders should have a basic understanding not only about the complexity of swallowing problems and the potential impact of oral and pharyngeal dysphagia (swallowing disorders) on future care planning, but also on swallowing anatomy and physiology, assessment, and treatment. This is the second article of a two-part series discussing oral and pharyngeal swallowing disorders across the continuum of life care planning. The first article (Higdon, 2005) addresses pediatric swallowing disorders and the current article addresses adult swallowing disorders including how to locate a speech-language pathologist qualified to evaluate, treat, and participate in your life care plan, as well as the components of the plan that relate to swallowing disorders. The article also addresses therapeutic interventions and implications for the life care plan.

The role of a life care planner is viewed differently from an attorney’s perspective. This article considers the life care planner’s role in litigation support, as seen by an attorney experienced in the use of a life care plan in catastrophic cases.