What Is An Advanced Medical Directive?
What Is An Advanced Medical Directive?
Advanced Medical Directives
Advanced medical directives are one of the most important things a person can do to prepare for unforeseen events or end-of-life tasks. This is because it states certain medical and other healthcare-related decisions to be made when a person is unable to make them of their own accord. This could be because they are in the hospital suffering from a disease or illness that makes it difficult to think for themselves. Other scenarios include if someone suffered from a stroke and is unable to make themselves adequately understood. When someone goes into a coma, then this is another way in which it becomes nearly impossible for them to communicate with others. That communication is especially important because it’s the right of the person suffering from this unfortunate event to allow doctors and family members to know how they wish to be cared for in these difficult times.
Important Decisions
While no one enjoys thinking about being incapacitated, like in a coma, or suffering from a debilitating disease like Alzheimer’s or dementia, this is a necessary thing to consider. Important decisions can be carried out from an advanced medical directive that will dictate the type of treatment received at a hospital. There are three different advanced medical directives that people generally choose for these types of situations. They are:
Living Wills – A living will is a document that will state how someone wishes to be cared for when they no longer can make these decisions on their own. When someone is in a coma, and may need to be placed on life support, or may need to be resuscitated, this document can state whether the person wishes to have these activities performed or not.
Health Care Proxies – A healthcare proxy is a document that establishes another person, or agent, to make decisions on behalf of another when they no longer can make medical decisions on their own. It differs from a living will in that the living will has already stated what the person wishes to have happen.
Power of Attorneys – A durable power of attorney that specifies healthcare-related issues allows someone to make healthcare-related decisions on behalf of someone else. Power of Attorneys typically also include financial power to the designated person too.
Is a Lawyer Needed?
A lawyer who has experience in drafting advanced medical directives can be a wealth of knowledge and experience for completing these important documents. Turning to them to help with the different details of the directive can ensure that the important details and potentially overlooked items are included in this crucial document. Their guidance and support have helped many people complete their advanced medical directives and allowed them to have more peace of mind as they age. Consider reaching out to an experienced advanced medical directives lawyer from a law firm like the Law Group of Iowa to learn more about these directives and what they can do for you.