What measures would you like carried out if health issues arise and you cannot speak for yourself?
A very important conversation to have with your loved ones is what you would like for your care should a health crisis arise. While it most likely will not be your favorite conversation, it is important that you don’t put the conversation off until the need for it is created by an immediate situation, according to the Cleveland Clinic in “How to Get Your Living Will and Healthcare Power of Attorney in Order,”
Have your estate planning attorney help you complete advance directives. Remember that each State has its own laws, so work with a local attorney who can create the correct documents. You will want a Health Care Power of Attorney to name an agent, who will make medical decisions when you cannot speak for yourself.
You also need to have a living will. This will spell out the kind of care you want if you are terminally ill or permanently unconscious. The focus of this document is keeping you comfortable, versus using artificial means to keep you alive. This is also the document to use to express your wishes regarding organ donation.
Talk with your family and loved ones. Critical care doctors often report that when they ask patient’s family members what the patient’s wishes are, few families know. What if you woke up from a car accident, and discovered that you were breathing through a ventilator and could neither speak or move? These are uncomfortable conversations, but in their absence, patients and families are left in worse situations.
You should also talk with your doctors and healthcare providers about your wishes. It is important for them to have a copy of your advance directives to keep in your medical records. They’ll be scanned and placed in your file. Let them know about your wishes, your values and about end-of-life care concerns. Your goals may change, so you may need to have more than one conversation. You may want to speak with your family members first, then document your wishes with your estate planning attorney.
Reference: Cleveland Clinic (Oct. 11, 2018) “How to Get Your Living Will and Healthcare Power of Attorney in Order”