Brandon Advance Directive Attorney
Many people think about what they want to happen once they die, but you may also want to consider what you want to happen if you are incapacitated, unconscious, or otherwise unable to make your own healthcare decisions. A medical condition or injury could leave you unable to tell doctors your final wishes.
When a person’s heart stops beating, a doctor may use cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to restore your heartbeat. This involves using force to repeatedly push on the chest while using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to put air into the lungs. Electric shocks, or defibrillation, may also be used.
Do you want a doctor to use CPR on you when your heart stops beating? Do you want to stay alive on life support, also known as a ventilator or breathing machine? Is artificial hydration or nutrition in your plans? What about organ or tissue donation upon your death? These are all things to think about as you create an advance directive.
An advance directive tells your healthcare provider what you want to happen if you become unconscious or incapacitated. Such a document can be changed at any time during your life if you find your health changes or your desires for medical treatment change. By working with your doctor and a trusted agent (such as a family member or close friend), you can ensure you get the care you desire when you are unable to make your wishes known. Contact our experienced Brandon advance directive attorney today for more information or assistance.
Types of Advance Directives
There are several types of advance directives:
- Living will. A living will is a legal document a person can use to state the type of medical care a person desires if they are terminally ill or permanently unconscious. It may detail the conditions under which prolonging one’s life should be started or stopped. It may also include treatments such as dialysis, tube feedings, or life support.
- Medical power of attorney. This legal document allows you to name an agent to make your health care decisions for you if you become physically or mentally incapable of doing so. Be sure to make your wishes known to the agent. They can then speak with your health care team and make medical decisions for you.
- Do Not Resuscitate order. This order tells your doctor to not do anything to save your life if you stop breathing or your heart stops. This order is only good for the hospital, though. In the event something happens outside of the hospital, ask your doctor for a Do Not Resuscitate order to keep with you. Otherwise, emergency crews are required to try to save your life.
Contact a Brandon Estate Planning Attorney Today
Estate plans often involve end-of-life plans such as advance directives. Nobody knows when they will be too sick or injured to make their own medical decisions, so these directives can make your wishes known.
Learn more about advance directives from Brandon estate planning attorney Stephanie Koether from Koether Law, P.A. She can help you pick the right option as you plan the end of your life. Contact our office for a consultation.
