The vast majority of adults with disabilities live with their parents or guardian and 31% of parents have said that they don’t know if other children will step into a caregiver role in the future.
Even if disabled children have family members who are willing to lend support, it is vital to draft a care plan for a disabled adult, so parents can rest assured that no tables are left unturned and no unexpected contingencies can put their child’s wellbeing at risk.
Creating such care plans is particularly important as you are aging. After all, you may get to the point where you need care and support yourself and are unable to give it to your child as well.
It’s also important to make plans early and carefully think through all possibilities, including the unlikely ones. This is essential, as life often changes suddenly and unexpectedly. You need plans in place before the situation changes, rather than trying to play catch-up after the worst has happened.
Things to Include in Your Care Plan
When making your plan, consider the following points.
Government Aid
When drafting your care plan, some of the most important things to think about are your child’s financial wellbeing, housing needs, and health.
As reported by the Angel Wings Foundation, only 45% of parents strongly agree that their child will always have a place to live. While the government’s Section 811 program subsidizes rental housing opportunities, only households with a very low income (50% of the median income for the area) are entitled to rental assistance.
If your child is not eligible, then it is up to you to ensure their financial future by seeking sound legal and financial advice.
Estate Planning
In addition to a medical care plan, you can also consider estate planning. Set up a trust fund if possible so your child can receive benefits without losing their government benefits.
You can also think of taking out a life insurance policy, so your child has a guaranteed income in the future. Your will should additionally indicate factors such as your child’s living arrangements, legal guardians, and more.
A good financial planner will help you allocate funds for these needs, suggesting ways to enjoy tax advantages so you can build up your savings nest for your child’s future.
Your Child’s Medical and Therapeutic Needs
Your child’s care plan should include the medication and supplements your child may need to take. The plan should include dosages and times.
Treatments (traditional, alternative, regular, and occasional ones) should also be included, if possible, with comments on which your child enjoys, which centers and staff they prefer, and any other useful information that can help carers make sound decisions.
Some people—for instance, people with cerebral palsy (CP)—take a unique combination of medications. Some medications are short-term while others are long-term and medication is often adjusted.
The care plan should include the frequency with which medication may need to be reassessed. It should additionally list all the therapies your child needs.
Recording this information is incredibly important because no one knows your child’s needs like you do. Even if some of the information is recorded elsewhere (and much of it may be) communication between healthcare providers is often limited and information can fall between the cracks.
Having everything all together in one place means less guesswork and reduces the risk of essential details being missed.
Appropriate Foods for Your Child
Your care plan should indicate your child’s dietary needs—including any possible allergies, as well as foods that your child may have difficulty eating.
In some cases—for instance, in that of a child with a heart condition, consuming a specific (Mediterranean-style) diet may be important. This diet includes foods such as omega-3-rich foods, whole grains, plant-based foods, and low-fat dairy foods.
If a child has a condition that can make it difficult to swallow, then meal preparation instructions can also be included.
Food preferences may be relevant too, especially if the child resists eating foods they’re not fond of. For example, people with depression often find eating challenging, but may have some foods that they enjoy in almost any circumstance.
Your Child’s Emergency Needs
The first step towards planning for emergencies involves brainstorming about the different needs your adult child may have during an emergency.
Problematic situations can include having no water or electricity, no local access to prescription refills, a need for evacuation, a lack of transportation, and similar.
Your plan can include the need to have backup sources of heat or refrigeration, the addresses of nearby facilities with dialysis or other life-sustaining equipment, the use of a specific escape plan, and the use of a medical emergency bracelet.
Writing a Care Plan for a Disabled Adult – What Else Do You Need to Know?
The majority of children with disabilities continue to live with their parents when they are adults. Because your child may have special needs, planning for their future is key.
Make a detailed care plan that includes information such as current treatments and therapies. Financial and legal planning, meanwhile, will clarify important matters such as your child’s future income and place of residence.
Finally, as a general rule, too much information is better than not enough. The worst that can happen with overplanning is that you’re providing information that isn’t needed. Underplanning, on the other hand, may mean that critical pieces of information are missing.
Looking For Answers?
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