What are cost of future care assessments?
A cost of future care assessment (CFC) is a comprehensive detailed report which identifies reasonable costs related to injuries. These costs consist of services and products needed to allow an individual to return to pre-injury level of functioning and quality of life, as much as possible. The CFC report is used to outline current and future needs by quantifying the costs of needs over an entire lifespan including future medical and vocational expenses. The focus is to maximize a client’s independence and to minimize medical complications. CFC reports are used for individuals who have had a catastrophic injury or who have chronic health care needs and can be completed by an Occupational Therapist (OT).
These medical legal reports may also be called Life Care Plans, Cost of Future Care Analysis or Cost of Future Care Evaluation.
Components of the assessment
- In-home physical/functional assessment: an in-home assessment determines impairments that a client has. Can a client complete activities of daily living (ADL) such as getting dressed, cleaning, and preparing a meal? A functional assessment can be used to provide an objective measure of a client’s ability to perform tasks and allows the OT to observe the mobility of a patient in the home.
- Itemized report: the OT puts together an itemized report to detail the services, equipment and supplies needed to enable an individual to restore pre-injury roles (as much as possible). This includes the costs of:
- Accommodation
- Attendant care
- Transportation
- Aids to daily living
- Medical expenses
- Professional services
- Education
- Pharmaceuticals
- Home modifications
- Vocational needs
- And more
- Review medical reports: a comprehensive review of medical reports is completed to check for diagnosis, prognosis and recommendations for further treatment. An OT can use this information as a basis to draw conclusions and recommendations.
- Gather information from healthcare professionals: interviews are conducted with various healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, rehabilitation providers, etc). This ensures that recommendations made in the report are justifiable, that costs are reasonable, and that the recommendations are within the professional scope of the OT’s area of expertise.
- Compile final report: a final report is put together which can then be used to calculate future costs. This includes details of the individual’s ability to participate in personal, home and community activities, the types of services needed, and a detailed summary chart of cost of future care.
Why are CFC assessments used?
- Provides an unbiased report detailing accurate and reasonable costs related to the injury. An economist can then estimate future costs of care.
- Assists the judge and/or jury in understanding the extent of injury and how it impacts on the individual’s daily life.
- Ensures adequate funding is available to sustain or restore the individual’s level of functioning at home and at work and to maintain the quality of life attained prior to the accident.
When are CFC assessments used?
- For a pre-mediation or pre-trial assessment
- Following a surgical procedure
- When the injury has stabilized and rehabilitation has plateaued.
To learn more, call Karp Rehab at 604-420-7800.