Life is uncertain…none of us know what the next minute or day might bring. It’s a risk we all face every day. But one of the most important parts of life (and business) is to understand your risks and doing everything you can to minimize and mitigate them. Your health shouldn’t be treated any different.
Not having an Advanced Healthcare Directive is an unnecessary risk today. There is no reason everyone shouldn’t have this in place to reduce the burden and risks on their loved ones should the unforeseen happen to you. And it’s easy…it’s something everyone can take care of with their estate planning attorney with a single short meeting.
Talking with your family and your physician ahead of time about what you would want if you should become incapacitated, is a difficult but necessary conversation, reports The Herald News in the article “Being Prepared: Advanced Directives.” An Advanced Directive is a key part of your estate plan. If you have reached the age of majority (age 18 in most states), then you need to have this document.
When you talk to your estate planning attorney they can help ensure that you have an Advanced Directive in place which will convey your wishes to your loved ones. However, it is equally important to discuss this ahead of time and let your family members know your wishes and most importantly, why you chose what you chose to happen with an Advanced Health Directive. When everyone knows what you desire in advance of a catastrophic event is one of the best gifts you can give your loved ones.
As part of the directive, you have the opportunity to select a person who you feel will be able to carry out your wishes the way you want. Select a person you know and trust to be your healthcare agent…and one who understands your desires when you can’t do it yourself. Tell them you have selected them to serve in that role and why you have selected them. Doing this in advance is both relieving to both of you and respectful the person you selected. They will need to fully understand your wishes and be willing to carry them out.
As you put this directive together, try to be as specific as you can about what kind of treatment you would want and which types of treatments you don’t want. Some of the areas to consider include such items as medical ventilation, a feeding tube, kidney dialysis, CPR, and other treatments.
It’s important to answer these questions prior to you meeting with your attorney so you can spend time discussing your wishes and how you want it to unfold should you ever need to use it. Questions such as, “Do you want to be resuscitated if you stop breathing,” or “do you want to have CPR performed if your heart stops working?” If you don’t want these, you will want to have a DNR in place…Do Not Resuscitate…if you don’t want extreme measures to be taken to keep you alive.
Once you have thought through and made your decisions, it’s important to meet with an estate planning attorney to complete a written advanced directive. States have different sets of rules regarding advanced care directives. Because of this it is important to speak with an estate planning attorney in your state of residence.
It’s also important to keep your advanced directive and DNR document where someone can get them if an emergency occurs. Do not give it to a relative who lives far away from you or they may not be able to get it to the appropriate people in time. And it is important to be sure everyone involved with your healthcare has a copy…including your primary care physician. Ask that your directive be maintained in your official medical file.
If you haven’t put this together yet, today is a great day to get this started and taken care of. Start by sharing your own wishes and then ask them to share theirs. It’s not the happiest conversation you’ll ever have but one of the most reassuring ones you can have. However, if an emergency occurs, your loved ones will have peace of mind knowing they did what you wanted. This will give you tremendous satisfaction knowing it is one less thing to worry about so you can have peace of mind.