Long-Term Care Planning in Lebanon

Start with the care decision

Consider the kinds of support that may be acceptable, who should be involved in discussions, and what matters most if needs change. Compare care preferences with the people and resources available to help coordinate care. This makes it easier to identify unresolved choices without assuming that one care arrangement will fit every situation.

• What preferences should a decision-maker know about?
• Who should be contacted to help coordinate care?
• What concerns would change the plan or prompt another conversation?

Separate healthcare authority from financial authority

A healthcare power of attorney and an advance healthcare directive address healthcare decision-making and preferences; a durable financial power of attorney concerns financial matters. A HIPAA authorization addresses access to health information. These documents serve different purposes and should not be treated as interchangeable.

The Tennessee Advance Directive for Health Care form includes an agent and alternate, as well as healthcare preferences. It also provides signing and copy-sharing instructions. Discuss how that form relates to your broader planning, and do not assume that any one document grants every authority needed.

Make a care-and-resources comparison

Create a one-page summary that places care preferences alongside known insurance, income, savings, and other resources. Note what is confirmed, what is an estimate, and what still needs verification. Include existing policies or benefit information where available, and identify who can locate current statements or contact information.

This comparison is a planning aid, not a coverage decision. It can help frame questions about whether available resources align with anticipated care preferences and what information needs to be gathered before making a change.

• Care preferences and possible support needs
• Insurance or benefit information, with policy or contact details
• Income and resources to review, without assuming they qualify for a program
• Person responsible for finding each missing item

Treat TennCare as a question to evaluate

Tennessee’s CHOICES program provides long-term services and supports. Both medical and financial requirements apply, so participation or funding should not be assumed. A planning discussion can help organize the information relevant to asking whether CHOICES may be worth exploring, while keeping program eligibility and coverage decisions separate from estate-planning documents.

Coordinate the next steps

Bring the care-and-resources summary, existing planning documents, insurance information, and a list of people involved in care decisions. Ask which documents address healthcare preferences, who may act under each document, and whether the current plan reflects your priorities. Dale Law Group, PLLC, can discuss long-term care planning and related estate-planning documents with you.

The firm’s office is in Murfreesboro and serves clients throughout Tennessee. Lebanon is in Wilson County; local public directory listings are not a substitute for confirming an office’s current contact or procedures when those are relevant.