Planning and Decision Making for Care Transitions in Late Life

What is it about?

As we get older, our risk for needing care or assistance with everyday tasks increases, but we rarely address this topic with enthusiasm. This chapter describes a model of Preparation for Future Care. The model provides a frame for reviewing research about whether planning is helpful in navigating care transitions. We review the barriers and facilitators for planning and how individual, familial, cultural, and national long-term care policy factors affect whether and how older adults and their families plan for future care needs.

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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The world's older population is growing steadily and the number of potential caregivers per person with needs is shrinking. Many people are concerned about how to afford the help they need for their future health needs and where they might find quality care, but surprisingly few older adults engage in care planning. How do we find ways to help middle-aged and older adults to think about the future, to gather information about their options, to make decisions about their preferences, and to create at least tentative plans, as well as to communicate those plans to their loved ones?

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