A Guide to Advance Health Care Directives
Creating a plan for emergencies and end of life care can feel uncomfortable, but it is critical to ensure that your wishes are documented and followed properly prior to hospitalization. You may have already discussed your wishes with your loved ones, but it is crucial that you put these preferences in writing to ensure they are legally binding and therefore, followed as you had hoped. You can do this through an advance health care directive.
What are Advance Health Care Directives?
Advance health care directives provide a set of instructions for the medical care you receive if you are ever unable to communicate your preferences yourself. There are a number of legal documents that can serve as advance health care directives and they are as follows:
- Durable power of attorney for healthcare
- Living will
- Patient statements in medical records regarding end of life care or other types of treatment
When putting your health care wishes in writing, it is generally advised that you work with a Utah estate planning lawyer. An attorney can ensure that your wishes are properly documented so they are followed in the event that you are ever unable to communicate them on your own behalf.
Why Draft an Advance Health Care Directive?
Drafting an advance health care directive is important when trying to protect you and your loved ones if you are ever unable to make your own decisions about health care. Putting your decisions in writing well ahead of time can relieve the burden on your family members when it is time to make difficult decisions during an extremely hard time. Drafting an advance health care directive can also help you avoid unnecessary expenses, pain, potential family disputes, procedures, and stress.
Who Should Create an Advance Health Care Directive?
Just like any other part of an estate plan, anyone over the age of 18 years old should draft an advance health care directive. No one knows what the future holds or when you may need one, so it is important to draft one as early as possible. That being said, it is particularly important for people who are at higher risk for medical emergencies to draft an advance health care directive.
How to Draft an Advance Health Care Directive
There are several steps involved when drafting an advance health care directive. These are as follows:
- Consider your goals such as if you want hospice care, to spend your last days at home, a breathing tube, or chest compressions if your heart stops
- Speak with your doctor regarding your wishes and how they align with your current health condition
- Speak with your loved ones about your wishes
- Complete the forms with the help of an attorney
Our Estate Planning Lawyer in Utah Can Draft Your Documents
It is important to work with an Utah estate planning lawyer when drafting advance health care directives. This will ensure your documents are enforceable and that your wishes will be fulfilled. At AGS Law, our Utah estate planning lawyer can draft your documents for you and ensure no mistakes are made so you have the full protection you intended. Reach out to us to schedule a consultation and to get more information.
Source:
le.utah.gov/xcode/Title75/Chapter2A/C75-2a_1800010118000101.pdf
