I'm caring for someone
What is a care conference, and what should I ask?
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A care conference is a scheduled meeting where the care team and the family review your parent's plan together. Ask what the goals are, who is doing what, and what happens next.
What to do
- Ask the nurse, social worker or case manager to schedule one and tell you who will be there.
- Send your questions ahead of time, in writing, so the right people come with answers.
- Ask about the goal of care, the medications, the therapy plan, and the discharge or transfer plan with a date.
- Ask who your one contact person is and how to reach them.
- Write down the decisions, read them back to the room at the end, and ask for the updated care plan in writing.
What to say
Can we schedule a care conference this week? I'd like the doctor or nurse practitioner, the therapist and the social worker there, and I'll send my questions ahead of time.
In a nursing facility, your parent and their representative have a right to take part in care planning; in a hospital, ask the case manager.
What to watch out for
This is a sensitive stepSmall details here can change the outcome, and some mistakes are hard to undo. We highly recommend a free 15-minute call with us before you decide.
Turning up with no list and leaving with no notes. The meeting is short, the team moves on, and a week later nobody remembers what was agreed. Bring the list, take the notes, read them back.
Better done together
We’re here to help
A care conference goes by fast. We help you prepare the questions that matter most for your parent, and what to get in writing, so you leave with a plan instead of more questions.
Every situation is different, and these are sensitive moments, so we look at yours with care. We often see what others miss, and we never take commissions from insurance companies: the only thing we are working for is what is right for you.
Free · 15 minutes · No pressure
The rule behind it
Federal rules for nursing homes that take Medicare or Medicaid require a written care plan for every resident, made with the resident and their representative, and give residents the right to ask for care planning meetings. Hospitals that take Medicare must include the patient and their caregivers in discharge planning. A healthcare power of attorney, or another legal representative under your state's law, is what lets you speak for your parent when they cannot.
Sources
- 42 CFR 483.10 — Resident rights, including care planning (Cornell LII)
- 42 CFR 483.21 — Comprehensive person-centered care plans (Cornell LII)
- 42 CFR 482.43 — Hospital discharge planning (Cornell LII)
- Your parent's written care plan and healthcare power of attorney
- Your state's long-term care ombudsman
Amanda Alcodia
Education, not medical, legal or insurance advice.
Useful next steps
Start with the free Kit. If your situation needs a person, the intro call is free too.