Compare care preferences with practical resources
Start by distinguishing the care you would prefer from the resources you know are available. Consider the kinds of support you may want, who you would want involved in decisions, and what information a family member or other trusted person would need to help coordinate care.
Then list known resources separately: insurance policies or benefits to review, accounts or income information you can identify, and any existing long-term care or estate-planning documents. This comparison can reveal unanswered questions without treating an estimate or policy as a promise of coverage.
Clarify who can act—and within what role
A financial power of attorney authorizes an agent to act for another person, but its scope, duration, and limits matter. A court-appointed guardian or conservator, a trustee, and a government-appointed benefit fiduciary are different roles; one should not be assumed to have another’s authority.
Healthcare preferences and healthcare decision-making documents address a different part of the plan than financial authority. Tennessee’s Advance Directive for Health Care form covers an agent or alternate and healthcare preferences, and includes instructions about signing and sharing copies. Review existing documents together so the people involved understand what each one is intended to do.
Make a one-page coordination worksheet
A useful first step is a one-page worksheet with four columns: care preferences; people and their intended roles; insurance or other resource information to verify; and open questions. For each policy or benefit, note the company or program, where the current documents are kept, and what you still need to confirm. Do not record passwords or sensitive account access details on a sheet that may be widely shared.
Bring the worksheet alongside existing powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and relevant insurance information. This helps identify mismatches—for example, a named decision-maker who does not know where key documents are, or a resource that needs confirmation before it is included in a plan.
Treat TennCare as a question to investigate
Tennessee’s CHOICES program provides long-term services and supports, and both medical and financial requirements apply. Whether someone qualifies or what services may be available depends on the applicable requirements; planning should not assume eligibility, coverage, or funding.
A focused discussion can separate what is known from what needs to be checked: What care is being considered? What existing insurance or resources may be relevant? What information would be needed to ask about CHOICES? Long-term care planning and Medicaid planning are available services, but neither replaces confirmation of program requirements.
Plan the next conversation
Dale Law Group, PLLC, led by attorney Carolyn D. Dale, offers long-term care planning and related estate-planning services to clients in Tennessee. The firm’s office is in Murfreesboro; Banner Hill is an unincorporated Census-designated place in Unicoi County, not a separate city government. No Banner Hill office is identified.
For an initial planning discussion, consider asking: Do my current documents clearly distinguish financial and healthcare roles? What information should I gather before assessing care resources? Which TennCare questions require a separate eligibility or program inquiry? What should be coordinated with the people I have named?
Questions to bring to the discussion
Does CHOICES guarantee payment for long-term care?
No. CHOICES is a Tennessee long-term-services-and-supports program with medical and financial requirements. Do not assume eligibility or that a particular service or cost will be covered; confirm the requirements for your circumstances.
Does a power of attorney give someone authority over every decision?
Not necessarily. A power of attorney’s scope, duration, and limits matter. Financial authority is also distinct from healthcare decision-making authority and from roles such as trustee or court-appointed guardian or conservator.
Discuss your next step with Dale Law Group
Begin with a brief, non-confidential overview. The firm will discuss your needs and appointment arrangements.
General information, not advice for a particular situation. Sending an inquiry does not create an attorney-client relationship.
