Living Will & Other Healthcare Documents

These legal documents, if prepared according to the law, protect you when you’re not able to make decisions about your medical care because of an illness. Different documents address the issue in different ways and here’s a brief description of each document:

a.  Living Will—in a Living Will, sometimes also called a medical directive, you state specifically what you do and don’t want done regarding your medical treatment. The document lists a bunch of medical treatments that you check off to identify the type of treatment that you do and you don’t want done when you are not able to consciously make those decisions because of an illness.

b.  Healthcare Power of Attorney—in a Healthcare Power of Attorney, rather than try to state specifically the type of medical treatment that you do and don’t want, you appoint someone that you trust and understands your expectations when it comes to making those decisions, and that person will make them for you.  The person that you trust only makes medical decisions for you when you’re not able to make those decisions yourself because of an illness.

c.  Do Not Resuscitate Order—this a document that you prepare that instructs medical emergency personnel not to resuscitate you if you die.

d.  Palliative Care—if you have a medical illness from which you are not expected to recover, this documents has explicit instructions of what type of treatment you do and don’t want in the end stages of life.

e.  Don’t worry, you can change the medical care documents during your lifetime.  Remember, if circumstances and relationships change, you can always change these documents.  You just prepare new ones and provide them to all your medical providers like your doctors and the local hospital where you’re likely to receive medical care.

f.  Not having the appropriate medical care documents may waste your life savings & destroy family relationships.  What if you become temporarily or permanently incapacitated and you are not able make decisions about your medical care?  If you didn’t take the time to prepare the appropriate documents, then someone on your behalf may have to petition a court for guardianship and appoint someone to make those decisions for you. Petitioning a court for guardianship is a very expensive process compared to preparing a Living Will or Healthcare Power of Attorney. Moreover, the court may choose a person you would not have chosen to make these important decisions.  That fact may cause conflict within the family, fighting over what they thought you would have wanted done because you did not make your wishes known when you were able to do that, which may destroy family relationships.

g.  Who Should Get a Copy of Your Living Will & Healthcare Documents?  Once you prepare the Living Will or other medical care documents according to the law, a photocopy is as good as the original.  Therefore, you’ll keep the original and give a photocopy to the following:

(1)        Your attorney;

(2)        Person you trust to act on your behalf;

(3)        Primary doctor;

(4)        All specialists;

(5)        Local Ambulance;

(6)        Local Hospital; and

(7)        Any other person involved in your medical care.

Want Peace of Mind and a Complete Evaluation of Your Case? 

Call (610) 365-4986 NOW or Click HERE to Schedule a Consultation with Chester County Pennsylvania Estate Planning Attorney, Michaelangelo L. Dippolito.  Click HERE to see the attorney’s background. 

Not Ready to Speak to an Attorney Yet?  No Problem.

Get this FREE Book and Consumer Protection Guide, Will, Power of Attorney, Living Will & Trusts in Pennsylvania, A Consumer Protection Guide on What You Need to Know to Protect Your Legal Rights.  Here’s Some of What’s in the FREE Book and Consumer Protection Guide: 

• Optimal Estate Plan to Protect Your Life Savings and Family Relationships
• Why Your Retirement Plan Should be in a Trust
• An Estate Plan for 2^nd Marriages & Blended Families
• 44 Reasons Why You May Need to Update Your Estate Plan
• Annual Review of Your Estate Plan to Make Sure it Works
• Arming Yourself with Knowledge is the First Step to a New Beginning

Still Not Ready and Want to Learn More Before You Move Forward?  No problem.

Click HERE for more information on Will, Power of Attorney, Living Will, & Trusts in Pennsylvania, and remember, we’re just a phone call away at (610) 365-4986.