Life Care Planning
A Life Care Plan is a comprehensive, dynamic document that outlines the current and future medical, therapeutic, and supportive needs of an individual with a catastrophic injury or chronic health condition.
Developing Life Care Plans for Over 20 Years
I have extensive experience with life care plans involving traumatic births, including hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy; spinal cord injuries resulting in paraplegia or quadriplegia; third-degree burns; traumatic brain injuries; cancer; neuronal injuries; gastrointestinal disorders; mental health conditions; and more. I often serve as an expert witness in life care planning for the legal system.
A life care plan is defined as “a dynamic document based upon published standards of practice, comprehensive assessment, data analysis, and research, which provides an organized, concise plan for current and future needs with associated costs for individuals who have experienced catastrophic injury or have chronic health care needs.”
(International Academy of Life Care Planners (IALCP), 2025)
The creation of a life care plan involves several key steps: reviewing medical records, conducting evaluations, interviewing the individual and caregivers, consulting with providers/ experts, and projecting future needs based on accepted medical standards. Life care plans are commonly used in personal injury litigation, medical malpractice cases, insurance evaluations, and disability case management to support care planning and secure adequate resources.
Publications
Missner S.M. & Cohen Z.E. The impact of the psychiatrist on the life care plan. (2019). Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law 47(2) p208-216.
Missner A. A. & Missner S.C. Life Care Planning for Mental Health: Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Schizophrenia. (2024). In T. Rutherford-Owen, M. Barros-Bailey & R.O. Weed (Eds.) Life Care Planning and Case Management Across the Lifespan Fifth Edition. Routledge.