Affiliations: University of Florida Gainesville, Fl, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Jamie L. Pomeranz, University of
Florida, Department of Behavioral Science and Community Health, Rehabilitation
Counseling Program, HPNP, 101 South Newell Drive, Room 4162, P.O. Box 100175,
Gainesville, Florida, 32610-0175, USA. Tel.: +1 352 273 6745; Fax: +1 352 237
6745; E-mail: pomeranz@phhp.ufl.edu
Abstract: Military personnel, who have sustained multiple injuries, or
polytrauma, are returning home with a novel set of challenging injuries and
disabilities. These emerging injury patterns require specialized rehabilitation
and continual coordination of care. One technique to assess the current and
future disability-related needs of an individual who sustains polytrauma is
life care planning. The life care plan (LCP) is a dynamic document based upon
published standards of practice, comprehensive assessments, data analysis, and
research. The purpose of this article is to introduce the life care plan as an
established and successful approach for meeting the complex and comprehensive
needs of individuals with polytrauma. Additionally this article includes
multiple case examples to help illustrate the applicability of life care
planning.
