Elder Law in Brevard County, Florida

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Life Care Planning

Guiding Families Through Every Stage of Aging

At the Law Office of Van Fossen & Stolz, P.A., we offer Life Care Planning to a carefully limited number of clients, ensuring you or your loved one will never be just a number or patient chart. Our clients have worked hard their entire lives and we’re honored to help them thrive in retirement and beyond.

What is Life Care Planning?

Life Care Planning is a holistic, elder-centered approach to the practice of law that helps families respond to challenges caused by chronic illness or disability of an elderly loved one. At the heart is a Life Care Plan which defines, organizes, prioritizes, and coordinates every aspect of an elder’s care,  ensuring appropriate care, connecting families to private and public resources to help fund long-term care, and providing the guidance needed to make confident decisions while preserving family resources.

Through this process, elders and their families gain access to a wider range of care options and the support of a compassionate advisory team dedicated to their loved one’s health, safety, and quality of life.

Who Needs an Elder Care Coordinator (ECC)?

Families navigating a new diagnosis, a decline in independence, or long-term care decisions benefit most from an Elder Care Coordinator. An ECC helps identify present and future care needs, locate appropriate care, and ensure ongoing quality. Rather than reactive, one-time consultations, this approach focuses on building lasting relationships with families and planning ahead.

 

What Is an Elder Care Coordinator?​

How Is Life Care Planning Different from Guardianship?

Guardianship is a legal process in which a court removes an individual’s right to make decisions and assigns that authority to a guardian. It is typically a last resort , used when a person has lost capacity and has no other legal protections in place, such as a durable power of attorney or health care surrogate designation. Life Care Planning is fundamentally different. Decision-making authority stays with the elder or their chosen, legally appointed fiduciaries, such as a power of attorney or health care surrogate. An Elder Care Coordinator works alongside the family as a trusted advisor, helping navigate complex medical, financial, housing, and personal care decisions without ever displacing the family’s authority. Life Care Planning is designed to prevent the need for guardianship by ensuring legal documents, care plans, and family communication are in place before a crisis arises.

What Is an Elder Care Coordinator?

An Elder Care Coordinator is a professional who helps older adults and their families navigate the complex medical, care, housing, and support issues that often arise as people age. Their role is to assess needs, identify available resources, coordinate services, and help families make informed decisions about care.

An Elder Care Coordinator may assist with:
● Evaluating an older adult’s care and safety needs
● Coordinating home care, assisted living, or nursing home services
● Communicating with healthcare providers and care teams
● Helping families understand long-term care options
● Identifying community resources and benefits programs
● Monitoring changes in health and functioning over time
● Reducing caregiver stress by providing guidance and support

For families who live far away or are overwhelmed by caregiving responsibilities, an Elder Care Coordinator can serve as a central point of contact and help ensure that care plans are implemented effectively.

Is Life Care Planning Affordable?

Life Care Planning services are typically structured as a flat fee with an annual renewal, giving families cost predictability rather than the uncertainty of hourly billing. While there is an upfront investment, families frequently find that Life Care Planning more than pays for itself.
An Elder Care Coordinator can help reduce costly and avoidable hospitalizations through proactive medical monitoring and early intervention. They can identify eligibility for benefits and public programs including Veterans’ benefits and Medicaid waiver programs that many families don’t know exist. Proper long-term care and Medicaid planning, completed early, can protect significant assets that might otherwise be spent down before a family qualifies for assistance. For many clients, the guidance of an ECC and an elder law attorney working together results in thousands of dollars in savings and a much smoother path through what can otherwise be an overwhelming and expensive process.

We’re here to help you find clarity and confidence at every step. Call us today at 321-345-5945 to schedule a consultation with a knowledgeable Elder Law Attorney.

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