Long-Term Care Planning in McDonald

Start with the care decision—not a funding assumption

Consider the kinds of support you might want in different circumstances, such as help at home or care in another setting. Then compare those preferences with the people you would want involved and the information available about insurance, income, savings, and other resources. This comparison can reveal questions to resolve before a care need becomes urgent.

TennCare’s CHOICES program provides long-term services and supports, and both medical and financial requirements apply. Whether it may be relevant depends on individual circumstances; planning should not assume eligibility, coverage, or funding.

Make a one-page care and authority map

A practical starting document is a one-page map that puts care preferences, decision-makers, and resource information side by side. Keep it distinct from the legal documents themselves: it helps organize a conversation, but does not grant anyone authority.

• Care preferences: note the support or setting you would favor, and any concerns or priorities that should guide future discussions.
• People and roles: identify whom you would want to consult or authorize, and note which documents may apply. A financial power of attorney and a healthcare decision document address different subjects; neither should be assumed to grant every power.
• Resource information: list relevant insurance policies, income sources, assets, and existing benefits or applications. Record where current information is kept, without treating a list as an eligibility determination.
• Coordination: note who should be contacted, what information they may need, and which questions remain unresolved. Share updates with the people involved as circumstances change.

Check authority and healthcare preferences separately

A power of attorney authorizes another person to act on someone’s behalf, but its scope, duration, and limits matter. An agent under a power of attorney is not automatically interchangeable with a trustee, a court-appointed guardian or conservator, or a government-appointed benefit fiduciary. Identify the actual document and role before relying on someone to act.

Tennessee’s Advance Directive for Health Care form addresses an agent or alternate and healthcare preferences, and includes instructions about signing and sharing copies. Review healthcare decision-making documents separately from financial authority and care-funding questions.

Prepare for a focused planning conversation

Bring the care and authority map, copies of relevant planning documents, current insurance and resource information, and a list of questions. You might ask: Which preferences should be reflected in a healthcare directive? Does the current financial power of attorney address the actions I am concerned about? What additional information would be needed to assess whether TennCare CHOICES is a relevant question?

McDonald is an unincorporated Census designated place in Bradley County, not a separate municipal government. Dale Law Group’s only office is in Murfreesboro; the firm serves clients in Tennessee. Contact the firm to discuss long-term care planning and the next steps for your circumstances.