Life care planning is a process that projects the lifetime needs of an individual with present day cost estimates. This process is typically used for individuals with long-term disabilities including brain injury.

Life care planning, not to be confused with treatment or rehabilitation planning, is broader in scope, timeframe, and attention to funding issues. Life care plans facilitate continuity of care and offer reassurance to families regarding options and funds for future care. Insurance companies use life care plans to set funding reserves for catastrophic injuries such as brain injury.

Life care planning requires thorough attention to multiple aspects of an individual's life and careful community research of options. It takes the individual, not just from the post-acute phase to the home or follow-up program, but through life expectancy. This helps to provide a support structure and an environment which will best facilitate a reasonable quality of life and effective long-term outcomes.

Life care plans seriously takes into account the quality of life and psycho-social adaptation to disability and places it at a level equal to a return to work for those who are capable of such.

In a life care plan, chronic care needs, as opposed to acute care needs resulting from complications, are projected.These on-going needs may cover a broad spectrum. Each life care plan must be assessed in terms of the patient's age(at time of program initiation) along with the duration, frequency, and costs of services to be provided.

Meeting the family's needs are equally important. This is considered not only because of the impact of the injury on the family members, but to maintain a strong family structure and support group if the patient is to reach a maximum level of independence and rehabilitation.