Some adults realize that they need to make a plan for passing their assets down to their loved ones, but they may not know that they also need to make plans for what will happen if they become incapacitated. Having a plan for your medical care in case you can’t make those decisions for yourself is critical.
If you become incapacitated, you need to have someone who can make decisions for you about what type of medical care you need. You can also outline some of the decisions about your care on paper so your medical care team will know your wishes in advance.
Advance medical directives
The advance medical directive is a document that you file with your medical care team. It states your wishes for things like artificial nutrition and being placed on a ventilator. While you can leave a host of instructions in this document, you may need supplemental documents, such as an approved Do Not Resuscitate form if you don’t want to be resuscitated.
Healthcare powers of attorney
You can also set up a healthcare powers of attorney document. This gives the person of your choice permission to make medical decisions for you. They work with your medical team to provide the care you need. You should make sure that the person you appoint knows your wishes about your care.
The advance medical directive and healthcare powers of attorney document are critical components of your estate plan. Getting these together as soon as possible can help to ensure that your loved ones won’t have to guess your wishes if you can’t speak up for yourself.
