Modern medicine has led to longer life spans and the ability to keep patients alive under conditions which once would have been impossible. But not everyone is comfortable with extensive (and expensive) end-of-life care. Unfortunately, patients are not always able to advocate for themselves in these situations due to physical or mental incapacity.
This is why advance health care directives are so important.
Here in California, an advance health care directive is a document that combines a living will with the designation of medical power of attorney. An advanced health care directive:
Allows you to specify what types of end-of-life care you do and do not want. Do you want to be kept alive by any means necessary, including artificial life support? Would you be willing to receive artificial nutrition, be given CPR or put on a ventilator? Or, alternatively, do you want to allow for a natural death by signing a DNR (do not resuscitate) order?
Allows you to name someone to make medical decisions on your behalf. Most of your health care wishes will already be in writing, but a named (and trusted) representative will make any important decisions not explicitly put on paper.
Need Help With Your Advance Health Care Directive? Call Us Today!
Advance health care directives are incredibly important documents meant to ensure that the medical decisions we make today are communicated and honored in the future. They should always be drafted with the help and guidance of an experienced lawyer.
From our office in Davis, Marissa Sirota Law PLC is ready to help you with your advance health care directive or any other estate planning need you may have. To schedule an appointment, call us at (530) 231-5853 or fill out our online contact form.
