Living Wills and Healthcare Powers of Attorney
Make Your Healthcare Wishes Clear Before a Crisis Occurs
No one likes to think about becoming seriously ill or unable to make medical decisions. But if that happens, having the proper documents in place can spare your family uncertainty, disagreement, and unnecessary stress.
At Iwanyshyn & Associates, we prepare Living Wills and Healthcare Powers of Attorney for individuals who want to make sure their wishes are known and that someone they trust has the legal authority to speak for them if they cannot speak for themselves.
These documents are not only for older adults. A serious accident, unexpected illness, or medical emergency can happen at any age. Planning ahead gives you greater control over your medical care and gives your family clear direction when they may need it most.
What Is a Living Will?
A Living Will, sometimes called an advance directive for healthcare, allows you to state your wishes regarding medical treatment if you become unable to communicate and are facing certain serious medical circumstances.
A Living Will can address issues such as:
Life-sustaining treatment
Artificial nutrition and hydration
Resuscitation
Mechanical ventilation
Other forms of medical intervention
Your preferences concerning comfort care and end-of-life treatment
The purpose of a Living Will is to allow you to make these decisions in advance rather than leaving your family to guess what you would have wanted during an emotionally difficult time.
What Is a Healthcare Power of Attorney?
A Healthcare Power of Attorney allows you to appoint a trusted person to make healthcare decisions for you if you are unable to make or communicate those decisions yourself.
The person you appoint is commonly referred to as your healthcare agent.
Your healthcare agent may be called upon to communicate with physicians, review treatment options, authorize or decline medical care, and make decisions consistent with your wishes.
Choosing the right healthcare agent is important. You should select someone you trust to remain calm, communicate effectively with medical professionals, and follow your wishes even when difficult decisions must be made.
Why You Should Consider Having Both Documents
A Living Will and Healthcare Power of Attorney serve related but different purposes.
Your Living Will provides instructions about the medical care you want or do not want under specified circumstances.
Your Healthcare Power of Attorney appoints a person who can make healthcare decisions for you when you are unable to do so.
Having both documents provides considerably more protection than simply telling family members what you would want. Verbal conversations are important, but written legal documents can provide healthcare providers and family members with much clearer direction.
Avoid Leaving Difficult Decisions to Your Family
Without proper healthcare planning, family members may disagree about what treatment should be provided or who should make decisions on your behalf.
Those disagreements can become particularly difficult when family relationships are already strained because of divorce, remarriage, blended families, estrangement, or other circumstances.
Preparing these documents allows you to decide in advance:
Who do I trust to make decisions for me?
What treatment would I want?
What treatment would I not want?
Who should doctors speak with if I cannot communicate?
Making those decisions while you are healthy and able to carefully consider them can prevent confusion later.
Healthcare Planning After Divorce or Other Major Life Changes
Healthcare documents should also be reviewed after significant changes in your personal circumstances.
If you previously appointed a spouse or another person whom you no longer want making medical decisions for you, your documents may need to be changed.
We recommend reviewing your healthcare planning documents following events such as divorce, separation, remarriage, the death or incapacity of your designated healthcare agent, or a significant change in your own health.
Your documents should reflect your current wishes and your current relationships, not decisions you made years ago under very different circumstances.
These Documents Are Part of Responsible Life Planning
Many people prepare wills, deeds, beneficiary designations, and financial powers of attorney but overlook healthcare decision-making.
A Living Will and Healthcare Power of Attorney are important parts of a complete personal planning strategy because they address decisions that may have to be made while you are still alive but unable to act for yourself.
The goal is straightforward: you decide who will speak for you, and you provide guidance about what you want.
We Can Help You Put Your Wishes in Writing
Iwanyshyn & Associates can prepare a Living Will and Healthcare Power of Attorney tailored to your wishes and circumstances.
We will explain the documents, discuss the decisions you should consider, and help you create clear written instructions so that your family and healthcare providers understand your wishes.
Planning now can prevent uncertainty later.