Wesley Chapel Advance Directive Lawyer
No one plans to get sick, seriously injured, or become incapacitated due to a debilitating chronic condition. However, you can make a contingency plan to alleviate the distress and uncertainty of your loved ones should you become incapacitated and unable to make medical decisions for yourself. An advance directive does just that—it is a legal document that describes what medical treatment you desire in specific detail should you suffer a stroke, be placed in a comma, or are otherwise deemed incapacitated. Our Wesley Chapel advance directive lawyers at The Law Office of Laurie R. Chane can help you draft the necessary legal documents to create an advance directive tailored to your specific needs and wishes.
What is an Advance Medical Directive?
There are many names for an advance healthcare directive, including living will, personal directive, medical directive, and advance decision. The point of having a directive is to provide your loved ones and healthcare team clear instructions on how to proceed should you have a stroke, heart attack, or traumatic brain injury due to a fall, or another medical emergency that renders you unconscious and uncommunicative. While you may assume that your closest loved ones know that you do not want to be resuscitated, for example, that is a big assumption, and one that will not be adhered to unless you have legal documents to enforce it. An advance directive tells medical providers what procedures to carry out, or not carry out, and takes any guess work away from your loved ones regarding what to do.
What Should I Include in My Advance Directive?
Medline Plus recommends that your advance care directive cover what you would like to have happen for the following circumstances:
- The use of dialysis or breathing machines;
- If you want to be resuscitated if your heart stops or your breathing stops;
- If you’ll have to be on a feeding tube; and
- Organ or tissue donation.
Additionally, The National Cancer Society recommends that you consider what type of palliative care you may be willing to receive if you are unable to make those decisions. Palliative care, also known as comfort care, may help reduce the amount of pain or nausea you experience.
Designation of Health Care Surrogate
Unlike an advance directive, a designated health care surrogate names a specific person (usually a spouse or adult child) to act as your legal agent to make health health care decisions for you if you become incapacitated.
Do Not Resuscitate Order
DNR lets medical personnel know that you do not want to be resuscitated in the event of cardiac or pulmonary arrest. A DNR can be a stand alone document, or part of your overall advance directive.
Contact a Wesley Chapel Advance Directive Lawyer Today
Whether you want aggressive medical intervention, no life-saving treatments, or something in between, an advance directive allows your wishes to still be adhered to when you are not in a position to make decisions about your health. The Wesley Chapel advance directive attorneys at The Law Office of Laurie R. Chane can help you create the legal documents to properly share your medical wishes. Call us today at 352-567-0055 to schedule a meeting.
