The Labyrinth of Care: a Whole Life Plan

By Rev. JulieAnn Mercer

The Labyrinth of Care is a practical guide for those who want to remain in their own home as they age or are caring for someone they love at home. Recent studies indicate that nearly 43 million Americans are spending 12 -20 hours a week caring for a loved one living with a life-altering illness, debilitating injury, or the frailties of advancing age.

The workbook offers an overview of the various services that a person may need in order to remain in their own home as they age. It also offers a list of resources and templates to help you organize and manage the services you may need.

Consider your whole life plan a manual for your life, written by the foremost expert - you!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Jun 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9798765227671

Book preview

Copyright © 2022 Rev. JulieAnn Mercer.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means,

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any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author

except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any

technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the

advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer

information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-

being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your

constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 979-8-7652-2766-4 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-7652-2767-1 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 06/13/2022

CONTENTS

Introduction

Who Needs A Whole Life Plan

How this Workbook Helps

Free-ing Radicals

More than the Sum of our Parts

So Where Do I Start?

Becoming the One

It takes a village

The Business Of Life: Financial & Legal Consideration

Putting it all together

Your WLP Template

References

INTRODUCTION

A Whole Life Plan (WLP) is a comprehensive road map to help people navigate the labyrinth of long-term care services needed to successfully age in the right place - whether in their own home, the home of a loved one, or a long-term care facility. A Whole Life Plan helps you:

• Clarify where and how you want to live out your life.

• Identify what you need to achieve this.

• Find who can help you do it.

This book intends to give you relevant information, practical tools, and a list of resources you can use to help you and your loved one safely "age in the right place."

WHO NEEDS A WHOLE LIFE PLAN

You Do! Even if you are young at heart - and maybe even age - the reality is that there are no guarantees that life might not throw you a curve, and you will unexpectedly need someone to care for you. Think of your Whole Life Plan as a playbook for life’s just in case to alleviate stress and concern for yourself and those you love.

You Do! If you have an illness or have suffered an injury that will now or in the future limit your ability to care for yourself. Even if you don’t know when circumstances may require you to find help, a Plan gets you prepared for that day when it comes.

You Do! Suppose you care for aging parents, siblings, or adult children with disabilities and want to help them remain as independent as possible. A Whole Life Plan can help you help them.

You Do! When you are the primary caregiver for another person who relies on you to remain independent. In that case, a Plan can ensure someone else will be able to help them if you no longer can.

In short, YOU DO! We ALL do!

So, What exactly is a Whole Life Plan?

A Whole Life Plan is a process more than it is a document. In short, it is a systematic approach to

• help you figure out what kind of help you or your loved one may need now and in the future;

• understand the various services and resources available to help you or your loved one safely remain independent and in their home of choice;

• give you practical tools that you can use to organize your or your loved one’s vital information and documents you need to manage the business of life; and,

• provide you with a framework to make informed decisions that will help you safely and gracefully age in the right place.

Do not forget - aging is a privilege denied to many

HOW THIS WORKBOOK HELPS

A Whole Life Plan ensures that your wishes are known and understood should it become necessary for someone else to manage life’s business on your behalf.

The information we have provided in this workbook is not an exhaustive list of all the individual programs and services available across the country. Instead, this guide offers an overview of the various services you may, or your loved one may need to engage in to remain independent.

REMEMBER: All effective Whole Life Care Plans are customized to meet the unique needs, circumstances, and capacities of all involved - in short, there is no single plan.

Tips to Get the Most out of This Workbook

Everyone will have their reasons for making a Whole Life