Advanced Care Directives
According to the Nebraska Institute on Aging, below is an excerpt from their article, What are advance directives?
Advance directives are legal documents that provide instructions for medical care and only go into effect if you cannot communicate your own wishes.
The two most common advance directives for health care are the living will and the durable power of attorney for health care.
Living will: A living will is a legal document that tells doctors how you want to be treated if you cannot make your own decisions about emergency treatment. In a living will, you can say which common medical treatments or care you would want, which ones you would want to avoid, and under which conditions each of your choices applies. Learn more about preparing a living will.
Durable power of attorney for health care: A durable power of attorney for health care is a legal document that names your health care proxy, a person who can make health care decisions for you if you are unable to communicate these yourself. Your proxy, also known as a representative, surrogate, or agent, should be familiar with your values and wishes. A proxy can be chosen in addition to or instead of a living will. Having a health care proxy helps you plan for situations that cannot be foreseen, such as a serious car accident or stroke.
You never know when you’ll need to invoke these documents, so don’t wait. Not because you’re going to fall ill if you do, but to make sure if you fall ill, you and your wishes are protected.
As a Senior Living Advisor, we strong encourage clients to have their wishes in writing in a legally binding document to avoid confusion when the time to implement them happens. If you need names of Estate or Elder Law attorneys we trust, we are more than happy to share our network with you.
A little planning today, goes a long way to enjoy your senior years and living life to the fullest!
