Healthcare Directives Explained

Many people choose to include healthcare directives in their estate plan in order to plan for their medical future. Do you want to outline your wishes for medical treatments and procedures? If you want to make sure that your wishes are followed, you need to include healthcare directives in your plan. Look at the information below to learn more about the need for medical and health planning.

What medical procedures can I include?

Many medical procedures and treatments wishes can be discussed in your planning. Some of these include the following:

• Artificially administered food and water
• Pain relieving medications
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• Dialysis
• Diagnostic testing
• Blood products
• Medications
• Surgery

 

The above examples are some of the medical wishes that you can outline in your healthcare directives. It may be difficult to think about these topics, but taking some time to plan now could make a big difference in the future.
What can a healthcare power of attorney agent do?

A healthcare power of attorney agent can do a number of things. Your agent will be responsible for making sure that the medical treatment that you receive follows your wishes. Your agent will also make sure that youre receiving proper care. An agent can do the following:

• Hire and fire medical professionals
• Access all medical records and documents
• Visit you at the hospital or medical facility outside of visiting hours
• Obtain court order to stop treatment if it does not follow your wishes

 

Its important that you discuss your medical wishes with your agent. In some cases, your wishes may not be clear. You want to make sure that your agent will be able to help you make difficult medical decisions in the future.

If you have any questions about the need for healthcare directives, consult with a qualified estate planning attorney.