How to Create a Legal "End of Life" Plan, NOW, while you are healthy

"But in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.", to quote Ben Franklin. But, there are ways to exert control regarding how you live your last few months. Some call it an "Advanced directive", others a "Living Will", or you may appoint a "Health care Power of Attorney". What these documents will do, is assure you that your physician will medically treat you, as you wish . You may
or may not have a terminal illness, but accidents, serious accidents happen and having spelled out your health care decisions gives you options, regarding the care provided you. Most people believe that decisions about the type of care they receive are personal and should be made by themselves or their loved ones. For this reason, it is important that people clearly communicate their wishes now about future medical treatment in the event they are not able to speak for themselves. There is no death panel --but more of an end of life panel, with directions on what type of medical care you want or who you want to decide this, should you be unable to communicate with your physician. Here are ways to make your wishes known:

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• the desire to make care choices NOW, if a medical catastrophe leaves you unable to make choices later.

1. MEDICAL CARE THAT YOU DO OR DON'T WANT:
   Making and communicating decisions about your health care wishes for the future is a gift to both you and those you love. Letting your loved ones know what kind of care you would like if you became seriously ill or injured can relieve stress by helping those who might otherwise struggle to decide on their own what you would want done.

2. THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK TO MAKE KNOW YOUR WISHES:
   A LIVING WILL-Forms are found online, usually on a state's web page,
   and you need to fill in blanks regarding the extent of care that you want. This is done while you are healthy, but is used following a significant medical catastrophe. A living will may be changed by you at any time, as long as you are considered competent to make medical decisions. A copy of this form needs to be communicated to your physician, while you maintain the original.

3. A HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY- You may decide that someone else should make those decisions. Your appointed Agent must be of legal age and can be a family member or trusted friend (never a caretaker). Two witnesses are needed, and must be of legal age and not related to the health care power of attorney or the person appointing the power of attorney.
   The authority that you grant to your Health Care or Medical Care Power of Attorney empowers this person to make Personal Care decisions for you, and relates to issues such as where you will live or which foods you do not wish to eat, even whether you want to be kept alive by a ventilator, or other than oral feeding. Make sure that your instructions to your trusted family member or friend are specific.

Tips & Warnings

• There is a chance in your lifetime that you may be seriously injured, ill, or otherwise unable to make decisions regarding health care. Lacking a Living Will, it would be helpful to have someone who knows your values and in whom you have trust to make such decisions for you.
• If your physician disagrees with the directions for care, given by your medical Power of Attorney, the case must be decided by an ethics board of the hospital--or the case transferred to another physician.

[shenandoah]

on 10/27/2009 Thanks for a well-written and useful article, it's a keeper. 5* and I love your avatar!!