August 20, 2018

One of the biggest challenges we face with our clients and their families in crafting a long-term care plan is addressing the human resources needed for a lifetime of personal support and advocacy. Many parents and even siblings are concerned with who will care for their loved ones when they are no longer able to do so.

I recently heard about a pilot program that the Massachusetts Chapter of AANE (the Asperger Autism Network) has initiated to address exactly these concerns for those with Asperger and similar Autism spectrum profiles.

I had the good fortune of speaking with Jay O’Brien, Director of Special Initiatives for AANE, who is creating and directing this program, to find out more about the initiative, and I wanted to share it with all of you to see if this may be of interest to you and your family.

Jay tells me:

Parents worry so much about the question, 'Who will support my adult child when I'm gone?' We're addressing that question head-on, and we're building the LifeNet team to be the adult's safety net and network that can support them as they move through adulthood and transition to 'life after parents.'

The response we've received from families so far is impressive. We've heard, 'If we were to write out what we're looking for, this would be it,' and 'This is exactly what we've been waiting for.' So we're excited to be working towards verbal commitments from just a few more adults and families before we go full steam ahead with starting this LifeNet program by early next year.

The program is currently seeking additional participants. You can watch an introductory video and learn more about LifeNet here.

Posted by Attorney Annette M. Hines.

Learn more about Special Needs Law Group of Massachusetts here.

This blog post does not constitute legal or tax advice, even if you are presently a client of Special Needs Law Group of Massachusetts, PC, nor is an attorney-client relationship created by reading it. If you want legal or tax advice, you should retain a licensed attorney or tax advisor for that purpose.