Cerebral Palsy Life Care Plan – How Beacon Rehabilitation Helps You
Hello, I’m Ron Smolarski, Owner and President of Beacon Rehabilitation Services, Inc. I specialize in developing Life Care Plans for Personal Injury Litigation throughout the Midwest and more. In supporting your Cerebral Palsy case with a complete Life Care Plan from Beacon Rehabilitation, I will give you a strong foundation to build your argument for court. This foundation is essential to secure a favorable decision. Your case will be backed by my expert experience in the science and testing of a leader in Cerebral Palsy Life Care Plans.
I determine the cost, frequency, duration and purpose, of the needed items for the life care plan to determine the future value and present value for your case.
How Does Cerebral Palsy Affect You?
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the leading cause of developmental disability in children. CP results from a non-progressive lesion of injury to the immature brain. The threshold of developmental disability is a deficit in three or more of Self-care, Expressive language, Learning, Mobility (ability to move), Self – direction (motivation), Capacity for independent living, and Economic self -sufficiency. Cerebral Palsy results from non-progressive lesion of injury to the immature brain. Every case of cerebral palsy is unique to the individual.
The most commonly used classification tool is the modified Crothers and Pain classification.
Types of Cerebral Palsy and How They Affect Life Care Planning
Spastic Cerebral Palsy (Predominant Spasticity)
Spastic CP is subdivided by description of body most involved.
- Monoplegia – Single Extremity
- Diplegia – Two Extremities
- Triplegia – Three Extremities
- Quadriplegia – All Four Extremities Involved
- Hemiplegia – One Side Of Body Predominantly Involved.
Spasticity is a disorder characterized by exaggerated tendon jerks and reflex contraction.
Spasticity can interfere with functions (ambulation to self – care & feeding; frequently interferes with toileting and hygiene care. Spasticity can lead to boney deformity, pain, & seating and positioning problems. Spasticity is the most commonly addressed medical problem in a CP clinic, it contributes to contracture formation and orthopedic deformity. It interferes with normal gross and fine motor development but also speech production.
Considerations in Cerebral Palsy Life Care Plans
Dyskinetic – Athetoid (abnormal involuntary movement); dystonic (abnormal or difficult voluntary movement
Athetosis – Generally less amenable to pharmacological intervention.
Mixed – Combination of movement disorder
Mental impairment – One of the costliest developmental disabilities in the United States.
Studies have found up to 55% of children diagnosed with CP have some degree of intellectual impairment. Intellectual impairment can take the many forms. Epilepsy (recurrent seizures from brief lapses of attention or muscle jerks to severe and prolonged convulsions and they can vary in frequency from less than one a year to several per day).
Severe feeding problems preceded the diagnosis of CP in 60% of children studied. Prevalence of constipation is 59% with 22% of these having significant problems including vomiting; G – tube dependent for nutrition have a decreased life expectancy.
Pulmonary complications – chronic lung disease typically occurring in very low birth weight premature infants.
Additional Complications for Those with Cerebral Palsy: visual deficits, hyperactive bladder, hydrocephalus, hip subluxation; surgical interventions such as tendon lengthening, releases, and tendon transfers; psychosocial & neurocognitive challenges (severe behavioral disturbances, depression, anxiety, cognitive functioning, difficulty with attention & concentration). The life care planner will consult with physicians, therapist, and teachers regarding these concerns. Most children will live into adulthood. They are at high risk of suffering advanced degenerative joint disease, increased incidence of back and neck pain and carpal tunnel syndrome, higher incidence of falls and increased risk of fractures.
